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As he announces his retirement from Test cricket, we chart Moeen’s many ups and downs over the past four years

Matt Roller09-Aug-2019 • Updated on 26-Sep-2021Ashes 2017-18Moeen went into the 2017-18 Ashes on the back of a brilliant 2017 home summer, which included a haul of 10 for 112 at Lord’s and a hat-trick at The Oval in the South Africa series, and a swashbuckling hundred against the West Indies in Bristol.But after spending weeks in the nets and with Mark Ramprakash preparing for a barrage of bumpers from Australia’s quicks, he endured an awful run against Nathan Lyon: he was dismissed seven times in nine innings by him, and his struggles spilled over into his bowling, as he returned five wickets at 115.New Zealand 2017-18Moeen Ali is cleaned up•Getty ImagesWith Jack Leach in the squad as a possible replacement, Moeen needed to prove he was England’s best spinner, and that he could contribute with the bat, in the pink-ball Test at Auckland.Instead, he made 0 and 28, and took 0 for 59 in 17 overs, as England slumped to an innings defeat. By the time the Christchurch Test had come around, Leach was in for his debut.Pakistan 2018While England stumbled at Lord’s and then bounced back emphatically at Headingley, Moeen was playing for Worcestershire in the One-Day Cup, his Test career at a crossroads.With Leach injured, England plumped for Dom Bess as their first-choice spinner, who made one half-century and a 49, as well as taking three wickets in Leeds. The path back to the Test side for Moeen was far from clear.India 2018After controversially selecting Adil Rashid, who hadn’t played a first-class game in 11 months, England raced into a 2-0 lead before capitulating at Trent Bridge, and then found themselves facing a turning pitch at the Ageas Bowl.Step forward Moeen, to come into the side alongside Rashid, and take nine wickets at Southampton to propel England to victory. He was even promoted to No. 3 to allow Joe Root to return to his favoured number four, digging in for a 170-ball 50 at The Oval. Following six months in the wilderness, all seemed well with the world.Sri Lanka 2018-19Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shared 19 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets•Getty ImagesPushed back down the order after two failures in the first Test, Moeen didn’t allow his loss of form with the bat to affect his bowling, as his 18 wickets at 24.50 underpinned England’s stellar efforts with the ball.With Leach (18 wickets) and Rashid (12) to keep him company, he formed part of a spin triumvirate that led England to an improbable 3-0 whitewash.West Indies 2018-19Despite 14 wickets in the series, including seven in the win in St Lucia, Moeen was outbowled by West Indies’ allrounder Roston Chase, and managed only 77 runs in his five innings.Following two brilliant series, this was a note of warning, and after an underwhelming World Cup and no red-ball cricket before the Ireland Test, Moeen was under pressure.Ireland and Ashes 2019Moeen Ali lost his off stump not playing a shot•Getty ImagesScores of 0 and 9 at Lord’s against Ireland, including a particularly soft dismissal to Boyd Rankin’s predictable short stuff, and only 4.2 overs in the match meant Moeen went into the Edgbaston Test sweating.And after an embarrassing duck in the first innings – bowled by, you guessed it, Lyon again, without playing a shot – Moeen found himself on a spinning pitch in Australia’s second innings, and needing to make a match-turning contribution.Instead, he returned 2 for 130 in his 29 overs, figures that were shown up horribly by Lyon’s 6 for 49, and not those of a man who leads the world for Test wickets since the beginning of August 2018. To make matters worse, he made only 4 when trying to save the game, prodding his opposite number to David Warner in the gully.By the time Lord’s rolled around, the selectors decided it was time up.Post-Ashes 2019Moeen declared he would take a break from Test cricket, citing a desire to “refresh my batteries” on the day it was announced he had been omitted from England’s list of centrally contracted Test players. It means missing England’s two Tests in New Zealand in November, and possibly the red-ball leg of the South Africa tour in December and January.While he retained his white-ball contract, and will be a central part of England’s plans for the World T20 in Australia next year, this was the first time since 2014-15, the year of his England debut, that Moeen had been overlooked for the top tier of ECB contracts.England’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles stressed that Moeen’s decision did not spell the end of his 60-Test career and revealed he had “encouraged him to leave that option open to come back” to the longer format in the future.Moeen Ali celebrates one of his four second-innings strikes•BCCIIndia 2020-21Moeen’s recall, for what would prove to be his final tour as an England Test cricketer, was doomed from the outset. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka in January, and so spent ten days in quarantine, wrecking any chance of playing in either Test at Galle, or the opening match of the subsequent India series – a famous England win, as it turned out.His comeback for the second Test was a success in isolation. Moeen claimed eight wickets for the match, four in either innings, although his economy-rate, pushing four an over, was too leaky to compete with the parsimony of his India rivals, Axar Patel and R Ashwin. His most arresting moment came with the bat, as he slammed 43 from 18 balls from No.9 in the dying moments of the match – a volley of strokeplay that may well have played a part in his subsequent £700,000 pay-day at the IPL auction.By that stage, however, Moeen had already departed from England’s Test tour, his pre-arranged downtime, as part of the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy, courting controversy when Joe Root erroneously claimed he had “chosen” to fly home from the tour. Though he returned in the summer for three final Tests, the writing for his Test career was already on the wall.

Sarina Wiegman's side fell short at St James' Park on Friday as Elisa De Almeida and Marie-Antoinette Katoto punished poor set piece defending

Perhaps England should've known it wouldn't be their day against France on Friday when Mary Earps suffered what appeared to be a hip injury with less than 45 seconds on the clock. A simple passing motion left the Lionesses' No.1 wincing in pain and though their fortunes briefly improved when Beth Mead put them ahead at St James' Park, an eventual 2-1 defeat to Les Bleues was the result of a disappointing display.

Things just didn't click for Sarina Wiegman's side in this match. There were nice moments, such as Mead's composed finish and a shot of hers later in the first half which forced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin into a sublime stop, but there were too few of these. There were no huge defensive errors that cost them, either, in what was just a flat performance. Instead, it was an inability to defend set pieces that hurt the Lionesses.

There was little they could do about Elisa De Almeida's stunning volley from a first half corner, except perhaps avoid conceding the dead ball situation, but failure to clear their lines from another in the second period was damaging and eventually led to Marie-Antoinette Katoto's skillful, sweeping finish. This was only England's first defeat in seven games, and first in the qualifying for Euro 2025, but after a draw against Sweden at Wembley in their first game in this competition, it leaves them third in a group of four ahead of a very difficult return game with the French on Tuesday.

GOAL rates the Lionesses' players from St James' Park…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (N/A):

Limped off with what looked to be a hip injury after only eight minutes.

Lucy Bronze (6/10):

Got forward plenty and linked up well with Mead down the right to cause France problems. Not troubled much defensively.

Millie Bright (5/10):

Looked rusty here despite ending the season with Chelsea having looked more match fit after so long on the sidelines.

Leah Williamson (6/10):

Superb pass to Toone to start the attack for the first goal.

Jess Carter (6/10):

Solid in her defensive work, especially given she was up against two sublime wingers. Like Bronze, wasn't troubled too much.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Keira Walsh (6/10):

Near faultless in possession.

Georgia Stanway (5/10):

Didn't get on the ball as much as usual and lacked incision when she did.

Ella Toone (5/10):

Did well to pick up a nice pocket of space in the build-up to Mead's opener, though was relatively quiet for large spells.

GettyAttack

Beth Mead (7/10):

Great composure with the finish that broke the deadlock and was so close to a second, too, but for an excellent Peyraud-Magnin save.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Looked lively despite her recent long-haul post-season trip with Arsenal but didn't have her shooting boots on.

Lauren Hemp (7/10):

Always an outlet down the left and was often England's most creative player.

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GettySubs & Manager

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Had to take Earps' place early on and didn't put a foot wrong despite the goals. Made an exceptional save to deny Lakrar in the first half.

Chloe Kelly (N/A):

Had a good chance moments after coming on with 10 minutes to go, but couldn't connect properly from close range.

Fran Kirby (N/A):

Looked lively off the bench, though didn't have a lot of time to make an impact.

Sarina Wiegman (4/10):

Made her substitutions far too late. The game was already crying out for a change when the hour mark came along and yet it wasn't until the 80th minute that Wiegman turned to her bench, after France had taken the lead.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich and reuniting him with his former manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The United boss is thought to be very keen on the idea of working with De Ligt again after their stint together at Ajax, although any move will of course depend on whether he's still in the job by the summer, with the Red Devils currently languishing down in seventh place in the table.

It's possible that the centre-back could become one of his top transfer targets for 2024 as he considers his future in light of limited game time at Bayern, where he's only started four of the ten Bundesliga games for which he's been available this season. And now, Ten Hag has received further encouragement from Germany.

De Ligt could receive green light to leave

According to Sky Sports, Man Utd target De Ligt could leave Bayern this year. If the reigning Bundesliga champions receive a "suitable offer", it's "likely" that he'll be allowed to move on, and that means his "chapter" at the club could soon be "history". Bayern bosses are aware of the player's current dissatisfaction, and that makes him a "candidate" to move on in the off-season.

Over in Manchester, United are "watching developments closely", and it's very much "conceivable" that De Ligt links up with Ten Hag again in the Premier League unless anything major changes between now and the end of the campaign.

United interest in Bayern target Araujo sets up transfer poker

The next question is how much Bayern will demand for De Ligt. It was only 18 months ago that they paid up to £60m to sign him from Juventus, and already there's talk of a departure. That move ranks as one of the ten biggest defensive transfers in football history, and incidentally, De Ligt also occupies third place after his £77m move from Ten Hag's Ajax to Juve in 2019.

He's still relatively young at 24, and his contract runs until 2027, so all these factors point to sizeable demands, possibly comparable to the £57m outlay for Lisandro Martinez in 2022. That's in addition to the player's reported £263k-per-week salary, which is thought to be one of the highest at the club.

However, if De Ligt remains outside Thomas Tuchel's first-choice XI in the coming months and Bayern express an openness to offers, that naturally reduces the strength of the club's negotiating position because he'd appear a less valuable asset.

One intriguing subplot here is that both United and Bayern have shown an interest in Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. Tuchel has already added Tottenham's Eric Dier to his squad this month, but he's after another reinforcement in defence, with PSG's Nordi Mukiele also considered.

In a strange way, it might actually be wise for United to let Bayern have a free run at Araujo and hope they can secure his services, before pouncing on De Ligt, who by that point would be categorically surplus to requirements. The stage is set, then, for a game of transfer poker.

With Nic Maddinson ruled out with a fractured thumb, Victoria may ponder promoting Pattinson up the order although recalling Cameron White is also an option

Daniel Brettig25-Mar-2019

James Pattinson may get the chance to showcase his all-round skills at No. 7 as Victoria ponder five bowlers for the Sheffield Shield final against New South Wales, on what looks likely to be a docile Junction Oval pitch for the competition decider, starting Thursday.A fractured thumb, requiring surgery, has ruled out Nic Maddinson, leaving the hosts with the option of recalling the vastly experienced Cameron White or promoting Pattinson and playing him alongside Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland and the spinner Jon Holland. Pattinson had batted at No. 6 in Victoria’s final regular-season game against South Australia after Maddinson’s injury.Changed competition rules for the final, where the team gaining the most first-innings bonus points is declared the winner in the event of a draw, places more emphasis on the need for Victoria to have an edge to their bowling attack, rather than simply playing out the full five days and collecting the trophy, as has happened at times in the past. Pattinson, who, in the eyes of many is pressing for a berth on the Ashes tour this year after litany of injuries, expected an unsympathetic surface for bowlers at Victoria’s headquarters.”It has been [batsman friendly] at the Junction,. We played the first two games there after the Big Bash [League] and there were some pretty high scores, so it’ll be interesting too with the game going five days instead of four,” Pattinson told . “So an extra day there for a result and they’ve changed the rules with the points if it’s a draw, whoever gets the most points in the first innings will win the final. That’ll change tactics a little bit as well. The wicket has been pretty flat there, so it’ll be interesting to see how they go about it with the rule changes and the points system.”The Dukes ball will be another character in the drama, offering more consistent movement through the air than its Kookaburra equivalent, and also posing challenges for bowlers commonly used to hitting the seam rather than bending the ball before it pitches. “I was saying to a few of the bowlers sometimes it’s harder work [with the Dukes] than the Kookaburra because you have to get it exactly right for it to swing,” Pattinson said.”Some balls – if you’re a bit off – it swings own the leg side, so the thing with the Dukes, throughout the 80 overs it is a ball that offers you something. You might be 60 overs in and it is still swinging. As a batter, you’ve still got to concentrate, and as a bowler you’re still in the game, where sometimes when the wicket’s flatter, you’ve just got to contain for a while and try to contain the runs until the new ball comes.”With the Dukes I just feel like you’re in the game throughout the 80 overs, but it is difficult to bowl sometimes if it’s swinging too much and a few of the bowlers have said ‘how do we stop the ball from swinging too much because I can’t get it in the spot I want?’. So that’s a challenge it throws up, but all in all the bowlers do enjoy bowling with it. A lot of the bowlers enjoy the Kookaburra too; it’s just another challenge for the batters, so it’s good for cricket.”Since his return from a side strain that interrupted a longer-term rehabilitation from a major back surgery, Pattinson admitted there had been times when he wondered whether desperate measures to prolong his career would rob him of the high pace that characterised his most striking moments for Australia in his fleeting appearances since 2011.”When you go to a decision to have such a big surgery like I did with my back, it’s one of the things where you think, ‘will that hamper my pace.’ So that was the one thing where going into it I thought ‘am I going to lose some of my pace by doing this’ and is that a big risk,” he said. “For me to still have a bit of pace and to come through with rhythm and feel pretty natural – it’s a big tick and something that when you go in and have a big decision like that, you risk losing. But for me it’s great I’ve still got that and I’ve had a lot of help along the way.”When you first come back to playing cricket or any sport it’s just about finding that rhythm first and not trying too hard. I’ve found that quicker than I probably have in the past and that’s come from a bit of experience and coming back from injuries before. I’m just pleased with how fast I’ve found my rhythm now and I’m not searching too hard for it, which is good, so I’ve come in at the right time, the boys have done all the hard work getting there, so it’s good to be back playing.”I feel like I’m bowling with good pace and it feels pretty easy at the moment. Hopefully it can stay like that. We’ve got some tremendous bowlers in the team, I’d say we’ve probably got the best bowling line-up in Sheffield Shield cricket at the moment: Trem and Boland who’ve taken so many wickets this year and everyone knows what Sidds can do, so it’s pretty great to be able to bowl with blokes like that.”Victoria squad: Travis Dean (capt), Scott Boland, Andrew Fekete, Seb Gotch, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Cameron White, Eamonn VinesNew South Wales squad: Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Nick Bertus, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Greg West

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Na manhã deste sábado, o Corinthians fechou sua preparação para enfrentar o Flamengo, neste domingo, às 16h, no Maracanã. No entanto, o técnico Vagner Mancini manteve alguns mistérios sobre o time titular que entrará em campo pela 36ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. As dúvidas moram no meio e no ataque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansHá um turno goleada, e agora? O que mudou no Corinthians desde o último confronto diante do FlamengoCorinthians13/02/2021CorinthiansNeo Química Arena completa a primeira semana de campanha com 1.535 vacinadosCorinthians12/02/2021CorinthiansRecuperado da Covid-19, técnico do time feminino do Corinthians volta ao trabalhoCorinthians12/02/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

GALERIA
>Timão pode ter pior artilheiro na década; confira os goleadores desde 2011

Para a equipe que começa jogando, a principal incógnita fica por conta do substituto de Gabriel, suspenso pelo terceiro amarelo. O favorito é Xavier, já que sua entrada não mudaria tanto a característica do setor. No entanto, Camacho, Roni e Ramiro podem pintar por ali. Se algum dos três for o escolhido, certamente o meio-campo ficará mais técnico do que combativo.

Como o adversário é o Flamengo, talvez o melhor time do país, e Cantillo não tem a marcação como um de suas melhores virtudes, é possível que Mancini opte mesmo por Xavier, uma vez que contra o Athletico-PR o Timão já sofreu demais, principalmente pelo lado esquerdo, com o colombiano, Otero e Fábio Santos. A tendência é que a marcação seja fortalecida para o jogo de domingo.

Sendo assim, até mesmo Otero pode perder a posição e dar a vaga a Lucas Piton, que contra o Furacão entrou pelo lado esquerdo para reforçar a marcação. O jovem lateral já foi utilizado de forma improvisada na função em outras partidas com Vagner Mancini. Fica a dúvida também para o comando do ataque: Léo Natel continua como “falso 9” ou Jô retoma a titularidade?

Outras possibilidade que se mantêm indefinidas são as presenças de Jemerson e Cazares, que se recuperaram de lesão e voltaram a treinar com o grupo nesta semana. Como o clube não divulga a lista de relacionados, não se sabe se a dupla viaja ou não para o Rio de Janeiro. Caso viaje, a tendência é que ambos fiquem no banco, com maior chance de o meia ser utilizado na partida. Sendo assim, o chileno Araos deve seguir como titular na armação corintiana.

A provável escalação do Corinthians é: Cássio; Fagner, Bruno Méndez, Gil e Fábio Santos; Xavier (Camacho, Roni ou Ramiro) e Cantillo; Gustavo Silva, Araos e Otero (Lucas Piton); Léo Natel (Jô).

Corinthians e Flamengo se enfrentam neste domingo, às 16h, no Maracanã. Atualmente o Timão está na oitava colocação do Brasileirão-2020 com 49 pontos e uma partida a menos. Serão quatro jogos até o fim do campeonato.

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When Julen Lopetegui left Wolverhampton Wanderers just before the Premier League season got underway, their top-flight status seemed more at risk than ever. The swift appointment of Gary O'Neil quickly eased those fears, however, and the Midlands club have since risen into the comforts of mid-table.

Now that he's been proving his ability to keep the club in the Premier League, the former Bournemouth manager may just get the chance to welcome some reinforcements during the January transfer window. Whilst Wolves may not be the biggest spenders, reports suggest that they could make a move for one particular winter target.

Wolves transfer news

During the summer transfer window, Wolves were dealt a major blow through the exits of both Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, leaving their midfield depleted. Given O'Neil's late arrival, the new manager didn't get the chance to make his mark on the squad through certain additons, either, which makes his start to life in the Midlands all the more impressive. O'Neil could soon get that chance, however, with reports suggesting that Wolves have identified a top target.

According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Wolves have identified Rafiu Durosinmi as their top target in the January transfer window and have held talks with Viktoria Plzen this week over a possible transfer as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Personal terms are reportedly proving to be a problem and the Premier League side aren't the only club interested, though, with Eintracht Frankfurt also eyeing a potential move for the Viktoria Plzen man, who is valued at £10m by his current club. When the transfer window swings open, it will be interesting to see whether Wolves make their move. They're certainly facing tough competition from the Bundesliga side, but their Premier League status could leave them in good stead.

"Jackpot" Durosinmi can boost Wolves' survival chances

Since Raul Jimenez's drop off in form and subsequent exit, Wolves have lacked a true goalscoring threat, which is rarely a good sign for a club looking to thrive in the Premier League. They could solve that problem in January through the arrival of Durosinmi, however. Durosinmi's stats prove that he could be ready to make the step into the challenge of English football, with nine goals in 19 appearances before his untimely torn ligament injury.

The 20-year-old has earned plenty of praise for his performances too, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who posted on X: "20 years of age. He looks like a jackpot signing for Viktoria!"

If O'Neil can sign the forward, he could form the perfect partnership with Pedro Neto in the long run. The Portugal international has enjoyed an impressive season so far and looks back to his best, leading the Premier League' assist chart with seven to his name – something that Durosinmi can benefit from. When the January transfer window swings open, the forward could certainly be one to keep an eye on.

كشف محمد الشناوي، حارس مرمى وقائد فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي حقيقة ما تردد بشأن مطالبته للاعبين بعدم الاحتفال مع الجماهير بعد مباراة سموحة.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في التتويج بدرع الدوري المصري هذا الموسم 2023-2024، بالفوز على سموحة بهدف دون رد، باللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب.

فيديو | قاضية جديدة.. أفشة يقود الأهلي للفوز على سموحة والتتويج بالدوري

ورصدت العدسات عقب اللقاء، الشناوي وهو يشير لزملائه بالتوجه لغرفة خلع الملابس قبل الاحتفال مع الجماهير بحسم درع بطولة الدوري.

وقال الشناوي في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “لم أطلب من اللاعبين عدم الاحتفال مع الجماهير كما يتردد”.

وأضاف: “احتفلنا في أرض الملعب وغادرنا لغرف الملابس ولم أطلب من اللاعبين عدم الاحتفال مع الجماهير”.

الجدير بالذكر، أن محمد مجدي أفشة قد توجه منفردًا للجماهير من أجل الاحتفال معهم بحسم درع الدوري الـ44، فيما امتثل باقي اللاعبين لقرار الشناوي. احتفال لاعبي الأهلي بعد الفوز على سموحة

Despite losing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, who has got off to a blistering start at Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic are on course for a third consecutive title in the Scottish Premiership. Their transition during the return of Brendan Rodgers has been seamless and the former Leicester City boss hasn't skipped a beat since making the move back to the place where he had so much success. He won't want to rest on his laurels, though. Instead, Rodgers will only want to kick on further at Celtic Park.

Celtic transfer news

As things stand, the Hoops are five points clear of Old Firm rivals Rangers and are reportedly eyeing a move to improve their side even more during the January transfer window.

Celtic's work off the pitch has been almost perfect in the last few years. They've added the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Matt O'Riley, who have both since gone onto play crucial roles at the club. And their attention now looks set to turn towards the January transfer window, which can often make or break a club's season. From Celtic's perspective, they shouldn't need too much when it comes to reinforcements, given their place at the top of the league, but they could still add stars for the future, including Nathaniel Adjei.

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are monitoring Adjei, who has been impressing for Swedish side Hammarby. The 21-year-old is reportedly not short on suitors, however, with clubs in Belgium and Italy, as well as Celtic's Old Firm rivals Rangers, reportedly eyeing a move for the central defender in January.

Defensively, the league leaders have been excellent so far this season, conceding just seven goals in 11 games. That said, with the potential that Adjei holds, it could be a deal worth pursuing. The Allsvenskan season comes to an end this month, giving Adjei plenty of time to assess his options before making what should prove to be a crucial career decision.

Nathaniel Adjei has "huge potential"

At just 21-years-old, Adjei seemingly has the world at his feet, evidenced by reports he will have the option of clubs from across Europe, including Celtic. Under Rodgers, he could learn a great deal from the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales too, who have ensured that the Hoops' defensive record has remained impressive this season.

It's no surprise that Adjei has earned plenty of praise at his current club, including from former Hammarby sporting director Jesper Jansson, who told the club's official website: "Adjei has had a very good development in HTFF. He is a centre-back with huge potential who looks very exciting for the future, and we have made the decision to buy him from his Ghanaian club."

The fact that Adjei is now being linked with a move to a number of top clubs just a year after his promotion to the Swedish side's first-team shows just how rapidly he is developing as a player. The only way seems to be up for the central defender, and Celtic may need to act quickly to secure his signature.

Trent Copeland acknowledges the crowd after earning his six-for•Mark Brake/Getty Images

A six-wicket haul from New South Wales veteran Trent Copeland put their game against South Australia on a knife’s edge heading into the final day at Adelaide Oval.The Redbacks had built a platform to set up a big lead early on the third day. Daniel Sams made the early breakthrough by removing Callum Ferguson for 36. Copeland then claimed Jake Lehmann for 61.Tom Cooper and Harry Neilsen put together a 42-run stand before Steve O’Keefe pinned Cooper lbw for 40.Copeland then went to work, bagging the next four scalps as South Australia managed only a 27-run first-innings lead. Copeland finished with 6 for 86 from 30 overs, his 17th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.New South Wales reclaimed the lead but Chadd Sayers kept their progression in check, removing Daniel Hughes and Kurtis Patterson cheaply. Moises Henriques was bowled by Nick Winter for 12 to leave the game precariously placed. Nick Larkin remained 30 not out with the Blues just 57 runs in front with seven wickets in hand heading into the final day.

ScorecardSurrey were frustrated by the weather and some stiff Somerset resistance on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.By the close of a day limited to 49.3 overs by rain and bad light, the hosts had reached 168 for three in their second innings and required a further 171 to avoid an innings defeat.The match looked set to end inside three days when Somerset crashed to four for two, following on, Marcus Trescothick bagging a pair when dismissed by Morne Morkel for the second time in the match.But from there the home side found a resolve that was missing from their first innings batting, James Hildreth making 60 and Azhar Ali ending the day unbeaten on 61.Overnight rain prevented play getting underway until noon and when it did Somerset’s last wicket pair of Josh Davey and Jack Leach added 24 before Davey looked to drive Morkel and was caught at point by Mark Stoneman.Somerset were all out for 146 and were soon in trouble in their second innings as Morkel bowled Trescothick in the opening over.Tom Banton hit a sweet on-drive for four off Tom Curran, but was bowled next ball and the hosts’ brittle batting in recent games looked set to repeat itself.Surrey could sense victory in the air as Hildreth walked out to the middle to join Azhar. Bu the third-wicket pair gradually grew in confidence and in the 13th over a blistering cover drive from Azhar off Conor McKerr saw the Somerset 50 up.The duo continued to prosper and Hildreth went to his half-century with a single off McKerr to square cover, his runs coming off 68 balls with eight fours.Two overs later Azhar edged McKerr to the third-man boundary to bring up 100, shortly after which the players left the field for bad light for an early tea.When play resumed only two more balls were possible before the players went off again due to more bad light.After an hour, play resumed with the loss of 16 further overs. Tom Curran switched to the Somerset Pavilion End and in his second over made the vital breakthrough when he tempted Hildreth to drive at a fuller ball and edge to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.In his next over Curran was unlucky to have Azhar put down at second slip when he was on 30. The former Pakistan captain survived and rode his luck, taking two boundaries to deep backward square leg in the young paceman’s next over.Azhar went to his fifty with a boundary to backward square off McKerr, having faced 97 balls and hit nine fours.Somerset had moved onto 168 for three off 42.2 overs, when bad light stopped play bringing an early close to proceedings, by which time Azhar and Tom Abell (21 not out) had added 61.