Gill’s recent form is compelling, but he hasn’t played a T20I for a year, and in his absence other contenders have emerged and succeeded as openers

Shashank Kishore13-Aug-2025

In Shubman Gill’s absence, Axar Patel was given the T20I vice-captaincy•AFP/Getty Images

There’s no question about Shubman Gill’s place in the Indian team in two out of three international formats. He broke records as a batter while leading India to a 2-2 draw in England in his debut series as Test captain, and played important roles in India’s run to the 2023 ODI World Cup final and their triumph in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Gill could even be the next ODI captain, whenever Rohit Sharma quits that format too.But India’s next assignment is the Asia Cup in September, to be played in the T20I format as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the question arises: does Gill fit into India’s plans for the shortest format?His most recent T20 form is compelling – 650 runs at a strike rate of nearly 156 in IPL 2025. He’s going to be a cornerstone of Indian cricket for the next decade. Both are reasons in his favour, but the selection question is more complex.Related

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• Gill shows he is ready for the grind of India's Test captaincy

It has been a while since India picked a full-strength T20I squad; the last time they did so was for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which they won in the USA and West Indies. Gill was a travelling reserve for that tournament, outside the main 15. Since then, India’s T20I selections have been influenced by scheduling and injuries.Gill was captain of a second-string team for the T20I series in Zimbabwe immediately after the World Cup last year. He was vice-captain of a near full-strength squad for the T20I series in Sri Lanka later in July that year. As Test cricket took precedence, however, Gill was not picked for India’s home T20Is against Bangladesh in October, the T20Is in South Africa in November, and the home T20Is against England in January this year, which were scheduled soon after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and shortly before the Champions Trophy. In his absence, Axar Patel was elevated to the T20I vice-captaincy.The scheduling crunch is ever-present. For example, the Asia Cup final is on September 28, and India’s home Test series against West Indies starts on October 2. This time, however, the selectors have to zero in on the best T20I combination for the Asia Cup with the larger goal of defending their World Cup title next year. They begin from a position of immense strength: since winning the World Cup, India have won 17 out of 20 bilateral T20Is.In Gill’s absence from the T20I side since August 2024, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have become the incumbent openers. Abhishek, the top-ranked batter in the format, scored 279 runs at a strike rate of nearly 220 in India’s most recent T20I series, against England in January. While Samson had low scores in those five matches, he had hit three hundreds in five preceding T20Is.Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the frontrunners to open the batting•AFP/Getty ImagesThe selectors could weigh up whether they want to continue with two ultra-explosive openers in Abhishek and Samson, in keeping with India’s brand of T20I cricket, or go for a more consistent yet aggressive option.Like Yashasvi Jaiswal? Jaiswal, like Gill, has not played a T20I since July 2024 due to India prioritising his Test performances in a packed calendar. However, in India’s previous full-strength squad, Jaiswal was picked as the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He ended up being a back-up only because India made the relatively late decision to open with Rohit and Virat Kohli, whose retirements since then have put Jaiswal back as one of the frontrunners to open. At the time, Gill was coming off a not-so-hot performance in IPL 2024, and there isn’t a massive difference between his and Jaiswal’s numbers in IPL 2025 either.If the team management doesn’t want to break Samson and Abhishek up at the top, it’s hard to see how Gill – or Jaiswal – can feature in India’s first-choice T20I XI. And if the selectors want to keep the Asia Cup squad size to 15 – they will have to do that for the World Cup – it’s hard to see how they can pick all four of Abhishek, Samson, Gill and Jaiswal, given the need for back-ups for other types of players in the squad. Samson, though, has the advantage of doubling up as a wicketkeeper too.It could boil down to a choice between Jaiswal or Gill in the squad – who the selectors feel will have the stronger impact during India’s T20 title defence.

The allrounder is now a T20 freelancer and struck a deal with the selectors to miss the West Indies and South Africa series

Matt Roller14-Aug-2025It is mid-afternoon on a hot summer’s day in London, and Marcus Stoinis is sitting on the members’ benches in the lower tier of the Lord’s Pavilion. He has spent the last two hours training on the Nursery Ground and, yet to look at his phone, he is anxious to learn the result of Australia’s T20I against South Africa, more than 8,000 miles away in Darwin.”Has it finished?” Stoinis asks. It has: Australia have lost by 53 runs, their first defeat in 10 matches. “I was watching it on the bus, but we just had training so I missed most of our batting innings,” he explains. It is an unusual scenario for him, albeit one that he is growing used to: a regular in Australia’s T20 team since 2018, he has now missed two series in a row.The curious aspect is that Stoinis has not retired from T20Is, nor has he been dropped. His non-involvement owes to conversations he instigated with Andrew McDonald and George Bailey – Australia’s coach and chief selector – earlier this year, and he still hopes to be selected for upcoming series against New Zealand and India with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.Related

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Stoinis has been a freelancer – without a national or state contract – for the past year, and remains in high demand in leagues around the world. It is a lifestyle that suits him, and deals like his £200,000 direct signing with Trent Rockets are hard to turn down. “There’s no better place to play,” he says, ahead of Thursday’s fixture against London Spirit at Lord’s.”The nature of it is that you can’t select yourself in an Australian jersey, but you can sign a contract to come and play in the Hundred,” Stoinis explains. “When this opportunity came up, I spoke to Cricket Australia, I spoke to Ron [McDonald] and we made a plan around that, really… When you’re planning it in advance, that makes it easier.”He has retired from ODIs but remains available for T20 selection, and Bailey confirmed last week that he will be “firmly in the mix” for next year’s World Cup. “We are very lucky,” Stoinis says. “We do it very well in Australia. The relationships that I’ve got with both Ron and Bails means you just have those conversations pretty openly.”His absence has created opportunities for 23-year-old allrounder Mitchell Owen in the middle order, who impressed in the Caribbean last month. “Maybe it’s because I’m older, but I want him to do well,” Stoinis, who turns 36 on Saturday, says. “We were just with each other during the IPL [at Punjab Kings] and it’s been good for him to play different roles.Marcus Stoinis’ most recent appearance for Australia came last November•AFP”I’m also fully aware that myself and Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] – and, more recently, Timmy David – have been holding that spot through the middle of Australian cricket for a long time. It’s very hard for other, young people to come through and have a crack at that… You need to bring through the next generation as well. It’s no-one’s spot.”He has found it “weird” watching his team-mates from afar but seems at peace with the decisions that he has made. “You share a few messages after the games and have a laugh… They say playing for your country should be the best time of your life, and for me it has been. But I don’t feel like it’s done yet.”Life as a freelancer has meant the best part of five months on the road for Stoinis. He spent from mid-March to early June in India for the IPL – contracting Covid-19 during a short trip home when the league was suspended – then flew back to Australia to get his visa sorted for Major League Cricket. He had two weeks off after that, then was back to the UK for the Hundred.He occasionally employs a personal chef in India and, along with Tim David, trains with Jim Allenby – the former Glamorgan allrounder, now a coach – when he is back in Perth. But he generally looks after himself and relies on the staff at his various teams, rather than travelling the world with an entourage in tow as a tennis player or a golfer would.Marcus Stoinis shakes hands with Harry Brook•Andy Kearns/Getty ImagesIt is a happy coincidence, then, that his Melbourne Stars coach Peter Moores is involved in the Rockets’ backroom staff, and he has also worked with Andy Flower before at Lucknow Super Giants. Graeme Swann has been arranging the team’s golf days, and they are a happy bunch after starting the season with wins over Birmingham Phoenix and Northern Superchargers.Stoinis played in the Hundred three years ago with Southern Brave, and says that he has wanted to return ever since. He will have family at Lord’s on Thursday night, and his girlfriend Sarah arrives next week: “Whenever an Aussie plays in England, the family sees it as a good opportunity to make the trip over. It’s somewhere where everyone wants to be.”He has noted the presence of new team owners in the Hundred, and expects Cricket Australia will follow suit with the BBL. Players have an obvious vested interest in private investment and Stoinis is unsurprisingly supportive, arguing that it is the obvious direction of travel – even if he still sees the chance to play in next year’s T20 World Cup as his main personal ambition.”Thinking about the IPL owners and what they’ve done with the IPL, you want people that have got a track record of building something that’s very good. If they do that, it’s great for them, but it’s also great for English cricket or for Australian cricket… It’s a pretty clear path to me, as to where most of cricket’s going.”

Double-World Cup winner and Ashes star, but Woakes’ everyman qualities were his defining trait

Matt Roller01-Oct-2025When a sportsman retires, it is only natural to focus on their successes, and in Chris Woakes’ case, there were many. He is a double world champion, playing in both the 2019 (ODI) and 2022 (T20) World Cup finals, won the Compton-Miller medal in one of his five Ashes series, and finished a 62-match Test career with a batting average over 25 and a bowling average below 30.Woakes became a stalwart for England across formats: he spearheaded the one-day attack throughout Eoin Morgan’s white-ball revolution, regularly ran through touring Test teams, and lent balance to every side he played in. His record in England is outstanding: in 39 home Tests, he took 148 wickets at 23.87, outstripping even James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Yet the response to his international retirement on Monday – he will play on in franchise and county cricket – has underscored the sense that Woakes’ lows were an essential part of his story. His everyman quality made him the most relatable England regular of his generation, and was a huge reason why he is so highly regarded by both team-mates and fans.Woakes was a brilliant all-round sportsman, earning his nickname ‘The Wizard’ when cleaning up at a darts tournament on an Under-19s tour. Yet as a cricketer, for all his qualities, his attributes were relatively unremarkable: a swing – and, later, seam – bowler who spent most of his career bowling closer to 80mph than 90mph, and a solid if unspectacular batter.Woakes claimed three wickets as England prevailed in the 2019 World Cup final•IDI via Getty ImagesHe was not blessed with the natural pace of Mark Wood, Broad’s height, or the freakish athleticism of Ben Stokes, but developed himself into one of England’s most loved players through resilience and determination. He is a rare example of a player who undoubtedly fulfilled his potential, turning his early promise into a stellar international career.There were plenty of challenges. The timing of Woakes’ career meant that he was often competing for a single spot in England’s Test team, with Anderson, Broad and Stokes all automatic selections. He suffered various injuries – an occupational hazard – and, perhaps most notably, he struggled away from home, finishing his overseas Test career with a bowling average of 48.93.Related

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He reflected on those challenges in a candid Sky interview on Tuesday. “[Fans] don’t see it all,” Woakes said. “They don’t see the tough days… the hard moments where you are struggling. It happens in sport, where we often put on a brave face but behind the scenes, within the dressing room and within hotels, there are some dark times.”Woakes also recognised the benefits that overcoming adversity had on his career: “It moulds you as a person, moulds your character. It certainly helped me, the fact that I’ve had those setbacks… There’s been highs, there’s been lows, but the lows make sure that, when you do get success and you get those rewards eventually, that means a hell of a lot more.”Inevitably, there has been a great deal of focus on Woakes’ final act as a Test cricketer since his announcement, and his decision to come out to bat with a dislocated shoulder at The Oval – in a valiant, if ultimately vain, attempt to get England over the line against India – deserves immense credit. It is a reflection on his selfless character that he saw it as his only option.Ben Stokes greets Woakes after his valiant effort at The Oval•Getty ImagesBut as the dust settles, it will be his late arrival in the 2023 Ashes that ought to be the abiding memory of Woakes’ England career. He had not played a Test match for 18 months before he was thrown into the series at 2-0 down with three to play; a month later, he was bowling England to a series-levelling victory at The Oval, finishing the series with 19 wickets at 18.15.It was trademark Woakes, a starring role made even sweeter by the adversity that had come before it. He had feared for his career when he returned from a disastrous tour of the Caribbean in early 2022 needing knee surgery, and he was consistently overlooked at Test level when he was fit enough to return.His comeback at Headingley brought six wickets and a priceless 32 not out to see England home; in Manchester, he took a first-innings five-for; at The Oval, he was named player of the match for his seven wickets, four of them on the final day. Even still, he was happy for Broad – who sealed the win in his final act as an England player – to take centre stage.It was telling that Woakes’ announcement provoked such a strong response, and Key summed up his contribution to England dressing rooms past and present by describing him as “a man who helped every team he played in, even before he walked onto the field”. It takes something special for a player to be so highly regarded by both team-mates and supporters – and Woakes was just that.

India’s top-order batters have yet to get going in this World Cup, but the good sign for the team is they are still winning comfortably

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Oct-20254:12

Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India

Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues have a tournament average of 20 and 18 respectively so far, having batted twice each. Smriti Mandhana, India’s form batter leading in, has a tally of 31. Even Pratika Rawal, their latest top-order smash hit, hasn’t yet struck a 40 at this World Cup.And yet twice India have clambered their way to good totals against decent attacks, scrambling runs on pitches opponents have nosedived on. They were 124 for 6 in Guwahati against Sri Lanka, 159 for 5 against Pakistan. Without a half-century from any of their top five, they are two wins up in a World Cup that hasn’t pushed them yet.Related

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It’s the multi-dimensional cricketers in the lower middle order that have prospered. In these two games they’ve rebuilt at times, consolidated at others, and attacked successfully at the death. They’ve suggested strongly, that this India World Cup team has more gears, and more depth than most that have come before.Deepti Sharma has been at the centre of India’s dynamism. Having made a busy 53 against Sri Lanka, she struck a more measured 25 off 33 against Pakistan, on a Khettarama surface no batter looked truly comfortable on.Clearly there is variety here already, but she has yet another mode, thanks to the improvements she has made to her hitting, partly at the WPL. In an extremely high-scoring match against Australia a little over two weeks ago, Deepti clobbered two sixes and five fours to score 72 off 58.Deepti had Sneh Rana for a co-conspirator in both innings at the World Cup, but faced with varying challenges, produced excellent partnerships, both worth 42. Against Sri Lanka, the two had come together with only 21 balls left in the innings, and had thumped their way to the close, Rana hitting 28 not out off 15 balls.Richa Ghosh showed the full range of strokes to provide India a late boost•Getty ImagesAgainst Pakistan, they were joined with 15 overs left to play and were required to take the innings deep. This 42-run stand took 56 balls – Rana scoring her 20 off 33 balls. Rana too is riding a WPL high, her two rapid, finishing innings at this year’s tournament giving India’s selectors a little more confidence in picking her. She had made useful batting contributions in that series against Australia as well, hitting 24 and 35.But against Pakistan it was Richa Ghosh who produced India’s best innings, raising them to an imposing 248 when they had once been at risk of being restricted to 220. She came in with 34 balls to go and got stuck at the other end while Diana Baig bowled a wicket maiden. But roughly midway through the 47th over, she picked a Fatima Sana slower ball and launched it over wide long-on.There was plenty more power in her 35 not out off 20 balls, particularly against Baig, whose full tosses she smoked down the ground for a four then a six. Also against Baig, but in the final over, Ghosh showcased newer elements of her game – a reverse swat that brought four runs over short third.All three of these cricketers also offer substantial skills when India bowl. Deepti claimed 3 for 45, dismissing Pakistan’s best batter Sidra Amin. Rana took 2 for 38 at a ground she has dominated in this year. Shree Charani didn’t get wickets against Pakistan, but had taken 2 for 37 against Sri Lanka.Throw these three spinners together with a batting order that is getting the team to good totals without big innings from the bigger names, and you have an outfit that is beginning to look ominous at a home World Cup. They will face higher-rated opposition when they return to India, but they have unlocked a new level of versatility.

With the Blades struggling near the bottom of the Championship, Chris Wilder is reportedly ready to axe as many as three Sheffield United players in the January transfer window.

Since losing at the final hurdle in the playoffs last season, Sheffield United have endured nothing short of a nightmare. They showed the door to Wilder in an attempt to commence a new era under Ruben Selles, only to rehire Wilder just months later. But the return of the veteran manager is yet to pay dividends.

The Blades sit as low as 23rd in the Championship. Only rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who entered administration and were handed a 12-point deduction, have earned less points than Wilder’s side. They are on a crash course from promotion favourites to shock relegation candidates.

Without a win in their last three games, the Blades play host to Queens Park Rangers in desperate need of all three points but may have to push on without No.1 goalkeeper Michael Cooper. The shot-stopper was forced off with injury against Coventry City last time out and Wilder has now confirmed that he’ll likely miss the QPR game this weekend.

It’s more frustrating news for the Sheffield United boss, who has already lost his patience with three players ahead of the January transfer window.

Wilder ready to axe three Sheffield United players

As reported by Football League World, Wilder is now ready to axe Louie Barry, Tyler Bindon and Ben Godfrey by sending them back to their parent clubs when January arrives. This means that all three could be going back to Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Atalanta respectively in what should come as no surprise given their game time.

Louie Barry

9

Tyler Bindon

5

Ben Godfrey

4

Barry has been the most disappointing of the three. Having starred on loan at Stockport County in League One last season – scoring 15 goals – there was plenty of hope that the Villa man would be ready for the Championship. That’s simply not been the case under Wilder, however.

That said, if those loan deals are cut short, Sheffield United should at least have room to welcome other, much-needed reinforcements.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was seemingly unhappy after he was omitted from the starting lineup of the Yankees' Game 1 loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, however, after the Bronx Bombers tied the series 1-1, the infielder is standing firmly behind his manager Aaron Boone—who made the decision to sit him.

Following the win, one that saw Chisholm score the winning run and Boone make some smart—and bold—decisions with his pitching staff, the 27-year-old spoke about the relationship he has with his skipper:

"There was never a problem between me and Aaron Boone," he answered when asked if everything was OK between the two. "He's been my manager all year and I've stood behind him all year."

We always have disagreements," Chisholm continued. "I mean, I played third base this year and we had a little bit of a disagreement in that. But at the end of the day, I always stand with Boonie because he understands where I come from. He knows I'm a passionate player and he knows I wear my feelings on my sleeve. He knows that I'm here to compete."

A good answer from Chisholm, who Boone confirmed will remain in New York's lineup for Game 3.

Now tied with a chance to advance to the ALDS, the wild-card series between the Sox and Yankees is a history-making one. First pitch from the Bronx will—in all likelihood—be set for 6:08 p.m. ET.

Harry Kane has praised Luis Diaz and his wonderstrike in Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. Diaz scored a goal of the season contender in the first half of the stalemate in the capital while Kane was on hand to rescue a late result to maintain Bayern's unbeaten start to the campaign. The striker also held his hands up and admitted his mistake in Union's second goal.

AFPDiaz and Kane both net in stalemate

Centre-back Danilho Doekhi put Union Berlin ahead midway through the second half against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon. However, Bayern were level shortly before the break as Diaz scored a stunning individual goal as the pair went in at the break all-square.

Doekhi scored his, and Union Berlin's second in the 83rd minute, and they must have felt that was enough to secure a huge win in their bid to beat the drop. FC Hollywood levelled matters late on for the second time in the 93rd minute as Kane headed in his 13th league goal of the campaign.

After the stalemate, Kane praised Diaz's strike, where he fired past Frederik Ronnow from an incredibly tight angle, as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

Advertisement'I reckon that's probably his best'

On the Diaz goal, Kane told ESPN after the stalemate: "Incredible to be honest. The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

Kane, meanwhile, admitted that he was at fault for Doekhi's second strike that almost cost Bayern the game. And the 32-year-old held his hands up and owned up to his mistake before he made amends deep into injury time, adding: "Obviously it was my mistake for the second goal. So I was itching to get the chance at the end there and put it away and thankfully Tom (Bischoff) put a great ball in and I snuck it past the keeper.

"I've been playing football long enough to know, this is part of it, mistakes are going to happen. It's just nice to be able to help teams out."

Getty Images SportKane aimed dig at Union Berlin

Post-match, Kane also aimed a dig at Union Berlin for their tactics in the stalemate. The capital side have proven tough to visit this season losing just the once at home. And while Kane admitted that Bayern were in for a tough game, the England captain took aim at the Iron Ones for the way they set up on home turf.

On the match itself, the forward said: "It was a tough game. We expected a battle and a lot of long balls. Many decisions and small fouls went against us today. It wasn't our best game, but we stayed focused and managed to equalise. That's football, there are games like today where things go against you. We'll take the point."

The result, though, ended Bayern's winning start to the campaign. Vincent Kompany had overseen nine successive league wins heading into Saturday's game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei as they failed to fully capitalise upon both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

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Even so, Bayern go into the international break top of the Bundesliga, and six points clear of RB Leipzig, who fell to a 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, were forced to share the spoils with Hamburg after they conceded a 97th minute equaliser at Volksparkstadion.

Bayern return to domestic duties later this month with the welcome of Freiburg before they take on Arsenal in a huge Champions League clash later this month. Both Bayern and Arsenal boast a 100% start to the Champions League campaign, while the pair were also held to 2-2 away draws in their respective leagues at the weekend.

Southern Brave 126 for 2 (Wolvaardt 56*, Wong 2-34) beat London Spirit 125 for 8 (Griffith 44, Villiers 3-38) by eight wicketsSouthern Brave made it seven wins in a row in this year’s The Hundred women’s competition with a resounding victory over London Spirit at Lord’s, underscored by a superb partnership of 95 between Maia Bouchier and the stylish South African superstar, Laura Wolvaardt.The result, achieved with six balls to spare, leaves the Spirit hanging on in their quest to break into the final top three. After an uneven performance with the bat – only Cordelia Griffith, Charli Knott and Georgia Redmayne managed double figures – followed by a luckless run in the field, they will have to win their final match against the Invincibles on Monday and hope that other results go their way.The Brave are a brilliantly well-drilled unit. In Lauren Bell they have one of the standout seamers of the tournament who was excellent again here, removing Kira Chathli in her opening set and going for just 18 across her 20. Mady Villiers provided control and potency with her off-breaks, picking up three more wickets; and with the bat they rarely miss.While Bouchier impressed, eventually holing out for 43 from 34 balls, Wolvaardt was irresistible. Coming together after the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, given out leg-before on review to a beauty from Issy Wong, Wolvaardt opened her account with a brace of boundaries driven down the ground, before a stunning cover drive took her into double figures.A subsequent no-look slap off Wong that went for six over midwicket, carrying 74 metres, should have been the standout shot, but that honour fell to her extraordinary one-handed six over long-on. That shot brought up her thousandth run in the history of The Hundred, Wolvaardt becoming just the fourth player to do so, and the first overseas star. Her fifty came up off 31 balls, and she was still there at the death, ensuring that the mighty Brave continued their unbeaten streak.They will now, irrespective of results elsewhere, be guaranteed to finish top of the group going into the knockouts later this week. Rock bottom last year, top this; it’s been an extraordinary turnaround for the Brave.Wolvaardt’s class was recognised with the Meerkat Match Hero award: “I’m so happy that we were able to get the win. It was a nice wicket to bat on, so we did well to restrict them to that total. On a good wicket we wanted to get ahead of the game early. We knew they had a load of world-class spinners in their attack, so we wanted to get off to a fast start. I really enjoy batting with Bouch, we rotated well, and we were both able to find the boundaries as well.”Our bowlers have been absolutely amazing all tournament. The way that Belly and Tilly [Corteen-Coleman] have set the tone up front has been awesome.”

Youngsters rule the roost as visitors hold nerve to defend 290 in close-fought contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Aug-2025

Ralphie Albert drives through the covers•Getty Images

Ralphie Albert, the England Under-19 allrounder who is grandson to snooker star Jimmy White, fell just four runs short of a rampant century in his first innings at any level for Surrey as the visitors posted 289 for 8 against Notts Outlaws in their Group A Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at Trent Bridge.It was his side’s highest ever individual score for a maiden List A innings and helped bring victory by ten runs. This still looked unlikely, however, when, in reply, the Zimbabwean Dane Schadendorf and locally-raised Sam King both made their first fifties in any Notts cricket in an 85-run third-wicket partnership.But Albert, bowling left-arm spin, struck twice in 13 balls as Schadendorf fell for 51, caught behind sweeping, and Ben Martindale, returning with a runner after retiring hurt in the sixth over, soon drove him to mid-off. Seven balls later Albert took the catch that left Notts six down, needing 104 from 86 balls.Wicket-taker Ollie Sykes added two more successes in his next nine balls, King out for 67, and Notts now seemed certain of defeat. But No.9, Bob Lord, hammered a late bravura unbeaten 72, batting with a runner, almost to suggest a miracle, until 23 from the last over proved just too much.Earlier, with an onslaught of 146 at seven per over, Surrey’s List A record for the sixth wicket, Albert and wicket-keeper Josh Blake, who made 72, belatedly roused their own innings after stagnation had threatened on 102 for 5 from 26 overs.If Albert couldn’t quite clear the table in the family tradition he enhanced with the bat the promise shown as a spinner during England’s youth Tests against India U-19s last month.In their reply the Outlaws soon faced trouble when two of their bare trio of first-team regulars, Ben Slater, driving loosely, and Haseeb Hameed, caught behind glancing, went in South African Ari Karvelas’s first four new-ball overs. In between, Ben Martindale, who’d suffered cramp when bowling, retired hurt.The last of the regulars, Jack Haynes, left for 38, neatly stumped by Blake as Yousef Majid, another left-armer, spun one past the bat. Soon after, exactly 200 were required from the last 31 overs but it had become only 127 from 19.4 before Albert’s second intervetion, this time with the ball.When Surrey batted first it proved a dream start on Notts first-XI debut for Tom Giles as the 19-year old fast bowler claimed two England Test batters in his opening 18 balls. Raised in Brumby on the outskirts of Scunthorpe, where he plays his club cricket, Giles induced a bottom-edge from Rory Burns, bowled for 25 cutting, and found a beauty for Ben Foakes who lost off stump for 20.Cricket had already proved fickle for Adam Thomas after he followed 162 at Derby on Friday, a List A score only ever bettered by five Surrey batters, with just eight and when Surrey skipper Sykes followed the two Test men for ten, his side were 69 for 4 in the 17th.With Nik Gorantla driving to cover for 21, it was not until 33 overs had gone that Surrey suddenly picked up the tempo with vengeance. Blake’s fifty arrived in 56 balls, Albert’s in 53 and in all 187 were plundered from final 17 overs, Giles not escaping the brutality in his second spell. Dropped on 77, Albert selflessly fell in the deep with 11 balls to come after Blake was leg-before.