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كشف مصدر داخل النادي الأهلي عن تطورات جديدة في ملف المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم، في ظل وجود حالة من عدم الرضا عن الأداء الفني خلال الفترة الأخيرة، خاصة بعد التعادل مع بيراميدز بهدف لمثله في الدوري المصري، وهي النتيجة التي أضعفت حظوظ المارد الأحمر في المنافسة على لقب المسابقة هذا الموسم.

وأوضح المصدر لـ بطولات، أن إدارة النادي بدأت بالفعل في وضع عدد من الأسماء البديلة تحسبًا لإمكانية توجيه الشكر للمدرب السويسري مارسيل كولر، حال استمرار تراجع المستوى، مشيرًا إلى أن المدرب الألماني مارك روزه يأتي على رأس قائمة المرشحين لتولي المهمة الفنية.

وأكد أن مسؤولي الأهلي أجروا اتصالات مبدئية مع مارك روزه خلال الأيام الماضية، لمعرفة مدى ترحيبه بتولي تدريب الفريق، موضحًا أن المدرب الألماني أبدى موافقة مبدئية، لكنه طلب الحصول على راتب سنوي قدره 4 ملايين دولار، بخلاف رواتب أفراد الجهاز المعاون، وهو ما تحاول الإدارة الحمراء التفاوض بشأنه لتقليل القيمة المالية.

طالع أيضًا | شوبير يُحذر الأهلي قبل موقعة صن داونز.. ويتعجب من قرار كولر

وأشار المصدر إلى أن إدارة الأهلي ترغب في الإبقاء على بعض أعضاء الجهاز الحالي، وفي مقدمتهم مدرب الحراس ميشيل يانكون، والمدرب العام سامي قمصان، إلى جانب عدد من محللي الأداء، في إطار الحفاظ على الاستقرار الفني، فيما تمسك مارك روزه بجهاز فني متكامل من اختياره.

يأتي ذلك في الوقت الذي يستعد فيه الفريق الأول لخوض مواجهة من العيار الثقيل أمام صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي يوم الجمعة المقبل، الموافق 18 أبريل في بريتوريا، ضمن منافسات ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، قبل أن تُقام مباراة الإياب في القاهرة يوم 25 من الشهر الجاري.

Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson have returned to India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Lucknow on February 24.Both Jadeja and Samson have recovered sufficiently from injuries while Shardul Thakur has been rested for both the T20I and Test series. Jasprit Bumrah, who had been rested for the white-ball series at home against West Indies, also returned to the squad, as vice-captain. He will lead a seam attack comprising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj and the uncapped Avesh Khan.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who had exited the Kolkata bubble after helping India wrap up the T20I series against West Indies, have been rested for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.Pant’s absence created an opportunity for Samson but he is not there in mere place-holding capacity. Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma said: “Sanju is in our scheme of things. Most importantly we have to see which is a cricketer who will be useful on Australian wickets. He is definitely in our scheme of things [for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year].”Related

• Injured Deepak Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav ruled out of SL T20Is

• Kohli, Pant exit Kolkata bubble

• Pujara, Rahane, Ishant, Saha dropped for Sri Lanka Test series

Allrounder Hardik Pandya, who will be captaining the new franchise Gujarat Titans in the IPL, was not considered as he was not yet fully fit. “Hardik was a very important part of the Indian team,” Chetan said. “But after the injuries, until he is 100% fit, until we get a confirmation he is 100% fit, ready to go and that he is bowling and is match fit, we can’t consider him.”Hardik has not played any domestic cricket since being left out of the Indian team but his IPL team named him the captain despite the fitness record. Chetan was asked if the selection process was being compromised if Hardik comes back to the World Cup squad based on his performance in the IPL. Chetan said runs in IPL was no guarantee to get his place back, but asked for support for Hardik. “What Hardik has done for the country, you shouldn’t forget in one minute.”

Liverpool are yet to offer Mohamed Salah a new deal – much to the player’s disappointment – and an important new update regarding the situation has emerged.

Salah's Liverpool future in doubt

The 32-year-old was the Reds’ match-winner yet again over the weekend, helping his team come from 2-1 down to win 3-2 away to Southampton in the Premier League. He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck when they most needed him, pouncing to score the equaliser and then firing home the winning goal from the penalty spot.

After the game, however, Salah admitted that Liverpool are yet to contact him over a new deal, claiming he is more likely to leave than stay as things stand: “We are almost in December and I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club. I’m probably more out than in. You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this. But in the end, it is not in my hands.”

It goes without saying that the Egyptian’s comments are concerning during a period where he still looks as world-class as he has ever been, consistently getting the Reds out of trouble this season.

The hope is that the situation changes dramatically in the coming weeks and months, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk also hopefully committing their futures, but it feels like a precarious situation for the Reds to overcome.

New update over Salah's Liverpool contract

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, there is one main issue stalling Salah’s contract negotiations at Liverpool, with the Egyptian King wanting a new three-year deal or a two-year extension with an option to extend for a further 12 months.

It is claimed that “the length of contract is a concern for the club’s owner Fenway Sports Group” given the £350,000-a-week wages he is currently on.

This does at least shed a little light on the situation, but supporters are right to still side with Salah considering how well he is playing, not to mention the fact that he looks like he can play well into his 30s at this level.

The idea of the Liverpool legend moving on in 2025 doesn’t bear thinking about, with Arne Slot heaping praise on him after the Southampton game, saying:

“That is what special players do. They can score out of nowhere. It wasn’t completely out of nowhere as it was a great ball by Ryan Gravenberch. Mo is known for the timing of his runs, he finds the right moment and scores the goal.”

At this point, keeping hold of Salah is arguably even more important than retaining the services of Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, with arguably no player in the Premier League this season impressing this consistently.

5/10 star must no longer be a regular starter for Slot's Liverpool

Liverpool had a few notable underperformers against Southampton.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 25, 2024

It is vital that Slot ensures that this situation doesn’t act as a distraction to his players amid their title charge, especially ahead of a hugely important home clash with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

If the first of the remaining two ODIs cannot be played on Wednesday, the series might be cancelled altogether

Peter Della Penna28-Dec-2021

The second half of the limited-overs series between USA and Ireland is on thin ice after the first of the remaining two scheduled ODIs was postponed by another 24 hours from December 28 to 29, USA Cricket announced late on Monday night. ESPNcricinfo understands that the decision was made following multiple positive Covid-19 cases in both travelling parties.If the first of the remaining two ODIs cannot be played on December 29 – all matches have been scheduled for Lauderhill – officials from both sides are expected to agree to pull the plug on the ODI series altogether rather than playing a standalone ODI, which was originally scheduled as the third and final match on December 30. The series cannot be pushed back beyond that date because Ireland’s travelling squad is due to fly out of Miami on December 31 to land in Jamaica for the start of their limited-overs series against West Indies.It is also understood that one member of the support staff with the Ireland squad has tested positive. However, no new positive Covid-19 tests have been produced by players beyond those who had tested positive ahead of the first T20I.The USA squad’s Covid-19 situation is somewhat more complex as multiple players have tested positive between training sessions held on December 26 and 27. But at least two of those are believed to be false positives after players returned negative tests upon submitting subsequent retested samples. Another round of tests is due to be taken on Tuesday, and if there are no more new positive tests, the series is expected to finally commence as a two-match affair on December 29 at 10am local time, with the final ODI slated for a 2pm local time start on December 30.After completing the two-match T20I series without any hiccups, this is now the latest issue plaguing the ODI leg of the tour which was due to start on December 26. The ODI series was originally scheduled to be a three-match affair but was reduced to two after the first match was cancelled due to a positive Covid-19 test among the crew of match officials.Though only one official tested positive, the rest of the officiating crew were deemed to be close contacts, and therefore, were made unavailable. No replacement officials meeting the ICC certification standard were able to be flown in at short notice. The three officials who did not test positive have continued to produce negative tests daily and are expected to officiate should the series be able to continue December 29, with the first of the remaining two ODIs.

An “outstanding” Newcastle United player is believed to be eyeing an exit from St James’ Park in the near future, according to a fresh transfer update.

Latest Newcastle news

The Magpies are reportedly interested in signing West Brom youngster Tom Fellows, with the 21-year-old emerging as a key player for the Baggies so far this season. They are far from the only Premier League club keen on snapping him up, however, with Everton in the mix, among others.

Fellows isn’t the only Championship player being looked at by Newcastle, however, with Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney also seen as an option. He has been an ever-present in the league this season, with Tottenham also thought to be eyeing him up.

Away from possible transfers, Anthony Gordon continues to be an injury concern for the Magpies ahead of another clash with Chelsea, this time in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday night, and the visit of Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Eddie Howe’s side were beaten 2-1 at Stamford Bridge last Sunday, and journalist Luke Edwards hasn’t held back in his criticism of some Newcastle overreacting to the team’s current form, describing the current “meltdown” as “genuinely embarrassing” and having “no appreciation for the wider context”.

"Outstanding" Newcastle hero eyeing exit

According to a new report from Football Insider, Alexander Isak will be keen on leaving Newcastle if they cannot finish in the top four this season.

The update says that the Swede “could push for a move away” from the club during next summer’s transfer window, due to the fact that he “wants to play Champions League football and is growing increasingly concerned” about whether that will be possible on Tyneside.

Losing Isak would be an almighty blow for Newcastle, considering he is one of the Premier League’s best strikers, and arguably one of his side’s few current players with the potential to reach a genuinely world-class level.

The 25-year-old scored at Chelsea last weekend and has an impressive tally of 37 goals in 75 appearances for the Magpies overall, while Howe has waxed lyrical over him during their time together at St James’.

“He’s an outstanding player. He’s got a little bit of everything, Jamie. He can run, he’s technically good, he can dribble, he can pass. He’s got a really intelligent football brain. So, I think he’s the whole package. Yes, he had an injury early on with us but he’s fully fit now. Looking at these clips, he’s had a very good game today. He’s a huge player for us.”

Newcastle simply must do all they can to convince Isak that they are still the right club for him to be at, but results and performances need to improve in the coming months, or it is easy to see his head being turned by interest from elsewhere.

Newcastle now eyeing move for West Brom assist machine Tom Fellows

He is wanted by a number of Premier League clubs.

1 ByHenry Jackson Oct 28, 2024

Arsenal have been linked with a move for the Sweden international, for example, and he could like the idea of joining a strong Gunners side who are fighting for the biggest trophies.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are reportedly gearing up for a blockbuster transfer for Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic.

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• Al-Nassr looking for quality reinforcements
• Have swooped in for Kovacic and Mitoma
• City could bring in Juve midfielder Douglas Luiz

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Al-Nassr have been closely monitoring Kovacic, hoping to add him to their squad as a marquee signing. However, despite their interest, no official approach has been made so far. One major obstacle complicating any potential deal is City's need to find a suitable replacement before allowing the former Chelsea midfielder to leave.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While City are not actively looking to offload Kovacic, they are exploring reinforcements in midfield. The club have shown interest in Juventus star Douglas Luiz, but negotiations over a loan deal have stalled due to disagreements between the two clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Initially, Al-Nassr had aimed to complete Kovacic’s signing before the summer transfer window closed, but difficulties in adjusting their foreign player quota prevented them from finalizing the move. However, the Saudi giants are not stopping at Kovacic. Reports indicate that Al-Nassr is preparing a massive £140 million ($174m) raid on the Premier League, targeting multiple high-profile players before the Saudi transfer deadline.

  One of their key targets is Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, who is expected to finalize a £64 million ($80m) move to Riyadh. The Colombian striker is set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete his medical and sign his contract, joining Ronaldo in Al-Nassr’s attacking lineup. They have also set their sights on Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, tabling an astonishing £90 million ($112m) bid for the Japanese winger.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Al-Nassr’s aggressive pursuit of Premier League stars highlights their determination to bolster their squad with world-class talent. After signing Ronaldo, they are yet to conquer the Saudi top flight and their latest transfer ambitions signal their intent to change that trend.

Harry Tector’s half-century and cameos from George Dockrell and Lorcan Tucker propelled the hosts but rain had other plans

Himanshu Agrawal10-Sep-2021

No result Heavy rain invaded the ground after the Ireland innings, thus washing the game out with no further cricket possible during the second ODI in Belfast. It started raining around 2.30pm during the innings break, and relented after 40 minutes. An inspection was scheduled for 4.15pm, but the umpires remained dissatisfied with the state of the ground. Eventually, the game was called off at 5.15pm.Earlier, Harry Tector fired at the death to propel Ireland to 282, as his rapid innings of 55 from 42 balls ensured Ireland put up a healthy score after being inserted by Zimbabwe under cloudy skies. Ireland scored 110 in the last ten overs – and 57 in the last five – as Tector combined first with George Dockrell and then Lorcan Tucker to help the hosts accelerate after a quiet start.Tector reached his fourth ODI fifty off just 39 balls despite starting sedately with only 11 off his first 16 deliveries. That is when he hit his first six, gently lofting Wellington Masakadza over long-off in the 41st over. Two overs later, he cracked Luke Jongwe to the point fence for four – the ball was hit so hard that it trickled into the rope despite clipping the leaping Sikandar Raza’s fingers at point – before finding consecutive boundaries off Blessing Muzarabani.But with Ireland still on only 225 with five overs left, he got into Jongwe again, slamming two fours and a six before mistiming a pull off Richard Ngarava to be caught-and-bowled. Earlier, Dockrell hit 28 from 19 balls – including two fours and a six – before Tucker, who fell in the final over, cracked 32 from just 20 deliveries.However, the innings was set up by Ireland’s openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling, who survived testing conditions and some accurate bowling from Muzarabani and Ngarava first up. While an opening stand of 88 in more than 22 overs isn’t typically rapid – not least by some standards set by batters in the modern days – they had to weather some early storm in the form of sharp movement and bounce gained by Zimbabwe’s new-ball pair of Muzarabani and Ngarava.Muzarabani set the tone right with the first ball of the innings, when he got one to angle across the left-hander Porterfield and past his outside edge. The right-arm quick in particular generated appreciable swing, beating the bat with movement and bounce off the surface, with his figures reading 5-1-15-0 at one point.Eventually the stand of 82 was broken by Sean Williams, with Raza taking an outstanding diving catch at midwicket, snatching the ball with his stretched out left hand to send Stirling back. New man Andy Balbirnie entertained with 40 from 43 deliveries, before Ngarava got both him and Porterfield, who took exactly a hundred deliveries for his 67.The abandonment leaves Zimbabwe 1-0 up in the series, with both sides being allotted five World Cup Super League points. The third and final ODI takes place at the same ground on Monday.

Earlier, Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell rescued New Zealand from a precarious position to post a respectable total

Hemant Brar05-Sep-2021Ajaz Patel picked up 4 for 16, and Cole McConchie chipped in with 3 for 15, as New Zealand bundled out Bangladesh for 76 to register a thumping 52-run win in the third T20I in Mirpur. With that, they also kept the five-match series alive.After winning the toss, Tom Latham opted to bat on a pitch where his side was skittled out for 60 in the first T20I. On Sunday, they were struggling again, at 62 for 5 in 11 overs and 88 for 5 in 16, before Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell took 40 from the last four to lift them to 128.At the toss, Mahmudullah had said he expected his bowlers to restrict New Zealand to 130-140. By that estimate, Bangladesh must have fancied their chances. But their batters looked in a hurry against the New Zealand spinners and kept losing their wickets.Ajaz’s four strikes left Bangladesh reeling on 44 for 6 at the halfway mark. While Mushfiqur Rahim tried to occupy one end, McConchie sent back Nurul Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin from the other to all but seal the game for his side. Eventually, Bangladesh were bowled out in 19.4 overs.There was no six hit in the whole game, the longest such T20I between two Full Member nations.Bangladesh seamers spring in a surprise
Playing his first game of the series, Finn Allen showed New Zealand how to play spin on these pitches. Coming down the track, he smashed the third ball of the day back past bowler Mahedi Hasan. Two balls later, he swept him over square leg. In the next over, he hit Nasum Ahmed through covers for his third four in seven balls.Mahmudullah realised spin wasn’t proving effective and turned to Mustafizur Rahman in the third over. The seamer struck with his very first ball as Allen chipped an innocuous delivery to mid-on.After Mustafizur’s wicket-maiden over, Mahmudullah turned to Shakib Al Hasan but Will Young took him for two fours in the over. It started looking like the New Zealand batters had got used to the conditions as they finished the powerplay at 40 for 1. But they were in for a surprise. In the seventh over, Saifuddin trapped Young and Colin de Grandhomme lbw with his offcutters to make it 46 for 3.Mahmudullah, Mahedi join the party
Rachin Ravindra seemed to have decided he would play the Bangladesh spinners predominantly from the back foot. Using that strategy, he hit two cut shots for fours when the ball wasn’t that short but ended up playing too many dot balls. When Mahmudullah castled him in the tenth over of the innings, Ravindra had consumed 20 balls for as many runs.Latham, who after scoring an unbeaten 65 from No. 3 in the last game, demoted himself to No. 5 to keep the left-right combination going. But he managed only 5 here before he chipped a return catch to Mahedi.Cole McConchie took 3 for 15•AFP via Getty ImagesNicholls, Blundell lift New Zealand
From over 11 till 16, New Zealand didn’t manage a single boundary, with Nicholls and Blundell mostly dealing in ones. The important thing, though, from New Zealand’s perspective was they didn’t lose any wicket in this period, which allowed them to attack in the last four overs.It started on the last ball of the 17th over when Blundell hit a low full toss straight past Saifuddin. In the next over, Nicholls belted two fours off Mustafizur to take New Zealand past 100. Two more fours, and 11 runs in all, came from the final over as the unbroken 66-run stand, off 55 balls, between the two dragged New Zealand to a respectable total.Ajaz and Co run amok
Bangladesh started their chase positively with Mohammad Naim hitting two successive fours in the first over, bowled by Jacob Duffy. An over later, Liton Das swept McConchie over backward square leg for back-to-back fours. But the offspinner had the last laugh as he trapped Liton lbw in the same over when the batter attempted yet another aerial sweep.Mahedi was promoted to No. 3 but Ajaz had him caught at short midwicket for 1 before jolting Bangladesh further by dismissing Shakib for a duck. The allrounder came out with an intent to attack, went down the ground to Ajaz but holed out to long-on. Naim, who was watching all this from the other end, eventually played on Ravindra in the seventh over.Bangladesh were 32 for 4 but still had Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah in the middle. In the tenth over, Latham once again turned to his strike bowler, Ajaz and he didn’t disappoint. With the second ball of the over, he had Mahmdullah caught at extra cover and on the next, yorked Afif Hossain to give New Zealand a firm grip on the match.Nurul survived a run-out call when third umpire gave the decision in his favour even though it looked like his bat was on the line when Ravindra broke the stumps. He didn’t last long however; trying to hit out against McConchie, he skied one towards long-on where Blundell sprinted to his left and put in the dive to take the catch inches off the ground. Bangladesh’s fight finished with that, and Mahmudullah, who had earlier became the first Bangladesh cricketer to play 100 T20Is, ended on the losing side.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano says a £26 million player has agreed to join Arsenal alongside Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino.

Arsenal closing in on Merino signing from Real Sociedad

After weeks of talks in what has been the longest transfer saga at Arsenal this summer, it is believed that Merino is on the verge of making a north London move.

Transfer imminent: Arsenal target £25m "monster" who'd help unlock Odegaard

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Jack Salveson Holmes

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The 28-year-old, who starred for Sociedad over his 45 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring eight goals and assisting five others from midfield, looks very likely to be on the move before deadline day on August 30 – and the Emirates Stadium is his preferred destination.

“Merino just spoke the president of Real Sociedad confirming that Arsenal are in negotiations with Real Sociedad. He said, ‘as soon as the offer will be good, we will say yes’," relayed Romano in a separate update (via TEAMtalk).

“But let me tell you again here, guys, don’t worry Arsenal fans, Merino is coming and is coming very soon. They are fixing the final details of the deal, but Mikel Merino is fully expected to become a new Arsenal player in the final days of the summer transfer window.”

Merino reached an agreement on personal terms to join Arsenal a little while ago, and some media sources believe that the Spanish star doesn't want to join any other club except the Gunners this summer.

"My information is that this is on the verge of being done. Personal terms are agreed, a deal of around €30m (£25m)," said reporter Steve Kay.

“The clubs have agreed. Merino doesn’t want to sign for anyone else. He’s not signing a new contract. From what I’m hearing it’s the total opposite of what other publications have come out with because as far as I know this will be done in the next couple of days."

The former Newcastle midfielder's return to the Premier League with Arsenal appears imminent, and for around £25 million, he could be a bargain capture.

Joan Garcia agrees to join Arsenal with Mikel Merino

With just days remaining of this transfer window, time is running out for Edu Gaspar and co to make key new additions, including a possible replacement for Aaron Ramsdale.

The Englishman has been regularly linked with a move away this summer after losing his number one spot to David Raya last season, and Romano claims Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia is Arsenal's "priority target" to replace Ramsdale.

He adds that Garcia, who has a £26 million release clause in his contract, has already verbally agreed personal terms to join Mikel Arteta's side.

The Spaniard made 21 appearances in all competitions for Espanyol last season, keeping 12 clean sheets in that time and conceding just 10 goals.

England batter shows vital signs before Glenn Phillips seals win in Bristol with 38 balls to spare

David Hopps22-Jun-2021

Zak Crawley is registering 175/107. If that is his blood pressure it is Stage 2 Hypertension and probably summed up his stage of health during recent Test series. Fortunately, it is not a matter of Systolic and Diastolic readings, but runs scored divided by balls faced in the Vitality Blast. It suggests that he is slowly returning to health again.Not that his 43 from 29 balls, as welcome as it was to him and England, made much difference to the greater scheme of things. Kent’s second defeat of the season could hardly have been more emphatic as Gloucestershire trounced them by eight wickets with 38 balls to spare at Bristol. By dint of that, Gloucestershire move into the South Group’s top four at roughly the mid-point of the group stages.Since Crawley made 267 against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in August last year, and heard many good judges, that great stylist Ted Dexter among them, purring in approval, he has followed up with five single-figure scores in six. He failed against India and New Zealand in common with many, but he could be forgiven slight confusion when a small trigger movement – nothing much more than a twitch – was attracting more attention than the horrors going on elsewhere.Endless T20 is not the sort of preparation for resuming a Test career against India at Trent Bridge in early August, but he must gain sustenance where he can. He has been part of a strong Kent top order that has taken them to the top of the South Group – despite this defeat – and his strike rate of 163 per hundred balls has been highly respectable.Against Gloucestershire, he stood stock still, braced to attack. Dan Worrall, Gloucestershire’s Australian overseas pace bowler, felt the force of that as the third and fourth balls in the first over were deposited over midwicket. The first was straight and planted for four with care; the second, a little wider, invited conviction and flew over the ropes.He was fortunate not be caught on the offside off David Payne on 35, the ball falling safe between two fielders, but, on 43, a slog-sweep against the slow left-armer Tom Smith fell to Worrall at deep square.Without their captain, Sam Billings, now back on England duty, Kent were not at their most zestful. Joe Denly and Jack Leaning fell at short extra – at least Denly hit his crisply – and Alex Blake, aiming legside, drew a good running catch over his shoulder by Jack Taylor. Darren Stevens should have been caught at deep cover by Chris Dent, who perhaps had the sun in his eyes, only for Dent to take a much harder chance, stretching to his right, off Worrall, 11 balls from the end.Only some late defiance from Jordan Cox provided the illusion of a vaguely competitive total.Gloucestershire’s satisfaction was tempered by an ankle injury to Ian Cockbain, who retired hurt on 30, but such a comfortable victory has done wonders for their run rate.Miles Hammond began their chase in ideal fashion, striking the first two balls over cover for four and then the first two of the fourth, from Grant Stewart, for six over square leg. With 55 banked from 4.4, he attempted a charging pull against Matt Milnes and skied a comfortable chance: his 33 was his best return in the tournament.Chris Dent’s 21 off the final over of the powerplay left Stewart contemplating two overs for 38. At 75 for 1, and the required rate only five an over, Kent’s challenge subsided. Glenn Phillips (41 not out from 25 balls) rounded things off with a switch-hit six against Denly.