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Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in the squad this summer following their troubling Premier League relegation scrap last season, and now a new update has emerged on a long-standing transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Conor Gallagher?

According to journalist and transfer expert Dean Jones, Everton have tabled an offer for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Whilst speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Jones revealed:

"Conor Gallagher has been linked to West Ham. He is a name that has been thrown in there, my information on Gallagher is that he doesn’t want to leave Chelsea at all, but if he has to leave, he will consider it.

"Everton and Newcastle both have tabled offers, he is very aware of what he would get if he went to either of those clubs."

What was Everton's offer for Conor Gallagher?

It is no secret that the Toffees have been in hot pursuit of the England international for over 18 months, with former Everton and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard a huge admirer of the player during his time at Goodison Park.

Whilst Jones has not revealed the exact financial offer that has been made by the Merseyside club, Fabrizio Romano confirmed in late January that Everton had submitted a submitted a £45m offer for the talented midfielder.

As a result, it is now looking like Sean Dyche is keen to continue the pursuit of Gallagher, and if the former Burnley coach can seal a deal to bring him to Goodison Park this summer, it could provide him with a perfect successor for Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The Everton talisman revived his career on Merseyside upon the arrival of Dyche after being exiled due to a reported incident with Lampard. He ended up being the club's hero on the final day of the season when he scored the winning goal against Bournemouth to save them from a drop into the Championship.

Doucoure was set to be out of contract this summer, however, the powerbrokers at Goodison were quick to trigger the one-year extension available on the 30-year-old's deal, so will be seen in the Everton squad for the season ahead.

Now Dyche can get ahead in his plans for the future of the team by securing the signature of Gallagher, who would not only work wonders alongside Doucoure next season but would be the natural replacement when the player's extension expires next summer.

When comparing Gallagher's output with the Mali international's last season, the Chelsea star shares a number of similarities to his positional peer in several key attributes, including pass completion (81.1% v 78.5%), shots on target rate (39.3% v 40%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.61 v 2.65) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.17 v 0.18), as per FBref.

Gallagher's career has gone from strength to strength since his loan move to Crystal Palace back in 2021, and has since become a regular feature at Stamford Bridge and was also selected for the England squad in the 2022 World Cup, with Gareth Southgate a huge admirer of the midfielder, having lavished praise on him in the past:

"He’s not as experienced as some of the others but he has an impact in games and has a goal threat. When you look at midfielders, you often ask, 'do they stop goals, create goals or score goals?' He does a lot of all of that."

With that in mind, there is no doubt that the signing of Gallagher would be a major coup for Everton and would become a valuable asset to Dyche in his pursuit to improve their performances and league standing next season.

Liverpool could reportedly moving behind the scenes to try and sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti this summer. The Reds are in the middle of a midfield revamp this summer, having already welcomed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

What's the latest on Marco Verratti to Liverpool?

Liverpool are probably one of the clubs interested in Verratti, according to L'Equipe, via Sport Witness, in what could be the finishing touch to their new-look midfield.

The Premier League giants aren't the only side named with an interest in the Italian who earns a reported £238k per-week, however, with Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, and Atletico Madrid also targeting a move for the Italian. But, when discussing the interest from England, French sources from the newspaper say it "could be Liverpool".

As things stand, Verratti's contract is set to expire in 2026, handing PSG a strong position when it comes to negotiating a price. It comes as little surprise to see the Reds reportedly interested though, given their current midfield situation.

According to Fabrizio Romano, club captain Jordan Henderson is set to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq, linking up with former teammate and current manager of the side, Steven Gerrard.

On top of that, as per Romano, Fabinho has been the subject of a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad, and looks likely to make the move this summer, having been left out of Jurgen Klopp's side's pre-season squad in Germany.

Should Liverpool sign Marco Verratti?

Swapping Henderson and Fabinho for Verratti would represent an incredibly smart move by Liverpool – the PSG midfielder is simply a class above the aforementioned duo.

He's attracted plenty of praise throughout his career, including from current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who said back in 2021, via The Football Faithful: "I’m in love with him. He is exceptional. Even under pressure, he manages to find those passes that allow the midfield to be free.

"He’s not a player for long passes but you can always count on him to build the game. We managed to control him better in the second half but in the first half he was really exceptional.”

It shows just how good the Italian is when he is drawing praise of that magnitude from one of the best managers of all time. The statistics only showcase Verratti's ability even further, too, especially when compared to Henderson and Fabinho.

According to FBref, the PSG star made almost double the amount of progressive passes as Fabinho last season, whilst making two more than Henderson per 90. It's clear that he is less wasteful and more incisive on the ball.

Meanwhile, defensively, he would be an upgrade as well, having made more blocks and tackles per 90 than the current Liverpool duo managed last season.

If Klopp managed to secure the signature of Verratti, the fact is, he'd have completed the much-needed rebuild of his midfield, with the end product being a trio more than capable of winning the Premier League title, and much more.

Of course, there's still a long way to go in the summer transfer window, however, and the Reds may look elsewhere for reinforcements. For now, though, keeping the Italian star as an option wouldn't exactly be unwise by those making the decisions at Anfield this summer.

Likely first-choice XI

1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Jos Buttler, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Lasith Malinga

Reserves

Batsmen: Lendl Simmons, Nicolas Pooran, Siddhesh Lad, Saurabh Tiwary, Nitish Rana, Jitesh Sharma
Bowlers: Vinay Kumar, J Suchith
Allrounders: Asela Gunaratne, Shreyas Gopal, Karn Sharma, Deepak Punia, K Gowtham

Strengths

A settled top order, with Rohit Sharma fit. A fine bowling unit, especially in the death overs – imagine Lasith Malinga from one end and Jasprit Bumrah from the other. And a roster full of options, which includes World T20 champion Lendl Simmons, former World Cup champion Mitchell Johnson, the fastest New Zealander to 50 ODI wickets, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Vinay Kumar, who has over 400 first-class wickets.

Weaknesses

Traditionally slow to start. Their win-loss record after five games over the last three seasons reads 2-3, 1-4 and 0-5 – although they ended up champions in 2015.Trouble at the top. They used five different opening combinations last year; the count was four even when they won the title.Rohit has been offsetting both issues but he comes into the tournament having played only two competitive matches since October 2016. Fixing a proper position for him in the batting order will be important for the team’s balance and performance.

Where they finished in 2016, and how they have changed

A portion of their home matches were shifted to Visakhapatnam due to widespread water scarcity in Maharashtra last year. Without the comfort of the flat pitch and fast outfield at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai finished fifth out of eight teams.Mahela Jayawardene has been drafted in to coach the team in 2017, taking over from the highly successful Ricky Ponting.They purchased seven players in the 2017 auction. Johnson, who was crucial to their triumph in 2013, was their most high-profile buy. Jharkhand batsman Saurabh Tiwary returned to the fold as well.Among the new recruits was Sri Lanka allrounder Asela Gunaratne, who struck back-to-back fifties to seal a T20I series in Australia. They also lined-up back-ups for Harbhajan Singh in legspinner Karn Sharma and offspinner K Gowtham.Considering the IPL is a tournament where unfancied names can surprise, there may be interest in uncapped left-arm fast bowler Kulwant Khejrolia. He has so far played only seven List A matches, picking up 17 wickets, including a five-for, at an average of 18.05.Mahela Jayawardene will have his first experience of coaching an IPL team•Peter Della Penna

What have their players been up to?

• Rohit was in excellent form the last time he played for India, scoring a match-winning 70 on a slow Visakhapatnam pitch against New Zealand. But that was six months ago. Since then he has scored 16 and 4 in his two competitive matches.
• Malinga has only just returned from an ankle injury that took an entire year out of his career. Still he looked pretty good steaming in against Australia in February and is expected to join the squad after April 6, after Sri Lanka’s T20Is against Bangladesh.
• Jos Buttler got an extended taste of Indian conditions, playing for England last season. However, in 12 innings across three formats, he only struck one half-century.
• Kieron Pollard’s highest score among his 12 most recent international innings is 22. One of the most powerful hitters in the world, he has sometimes been shown up by quality short-pitched fast bowling.
• On the plus side, Jasprit Bumrah has been excellent in limited-overs cricket, and even helped India recover from a losing position in the Nagpur T20I against England a little over two months ago. Since then he has been active in 50-over domestic cricket, taking 13 wickets in five matches.

Overseas-player availability

Mumbai is one team that hasn’t been ravaged by injury. The worst they might have to deal with is Tim Southee, who is recuperating from a hamstring problem.Buttler has been allowed to stay back in India through the time England play an ODI series against Ireland, but he will be back on national duty from May 14.

Home and away record in 2016

They won two of their four matches in Mumbai before playing the rest of them in Visakhapatnam, where they were bowled out for 92 and 124 before finally racking up a total of 206 and winning by 80 runs. A loss in their final game of the season sent them tumbling out of the playoff equation.

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Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer in an attempt to solve their striker conundrum.

Crystal Palace transfer news – could they sign Folarin Balogun?

According to the Express, Balogun is prepared to leave Arsenal this summer to pursue regular first-team football after a successful loan spell in France last season.

It is believed the Gunners are due to hold talks with Balogun’s agent, Eddie Bonsu, after the current international break in which the 21-year-old striker has starred for the United States.

The striker has insisted he will not be sent out on loan again by Arsenal and demands regular first-team football at the Emirates or to be sold to somewhere he will get that playing time.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen. But I'm just committed to now; I try to stay present. I obviously want to enjoy the moment with my team and my family” Balogun told reporters after the USMNT defeated Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League final.

"What I can say is that I definitely won't go on loan again."

Is Balogun the man to fix Crystal Palace’s woes up front?

There’s no doubt the quality Balogun can bring to a new team, as shown by his stellar season last year in France.

The youngster signed for Stade Reims on a season long loan deal back in the summer window of 2023 and grew into one of the best strikers in the league.

In 37 appearances, Balogun hit the net 21 times and registered 3 assists, which made up 53% of his sides’ goal contribution.

His eye for goal saw him finish as the fifth top goalscorer in Ligue 1 behind the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Canadian star Jonathan David.

Balogun didn’t want to wait for an England call up either, recently committing to the USMNT and starring in their CONCACAF Nations League triumph. ‘Flo’ even notched his first goal for the U.S in the 3-0 stuffing of Canada in the final.

Former American international striker and current CBS football pundit Charlie Davis told the Los Angeles Times that Balogun can be a ‘game changer’ for the USMNT.

“If you score 20-plus goals in a top European league, you’re bringing something different to the group.

“This could be a massive game changer because of his runs, his ability, his tactical knowledge to open up space. But it’s all potential. You’ve got to bring it to the pitch.”

Palace haven’t had an out-and-out goalscorer up front since the Glenn Murray days when the former Brighton striker helped catapult the club to promotion in 2013.

Palace’s top goalscorer last season was midfielder Eberechi Eze with 10 goals. He was the only player to reach double figures.

Former Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard was signed to be the club’s main number nine back in 2021, but he managed just seven goals this season and started just over half of the clubs Premier League matches.

Palace’s other forward options, Jordan Ayew and Jean-Phillippe Mateta, managed just four and two goals this season respectively.

Balogun could be the missing piece in a Palace team that will be pushing for a top half finish next season, but they will face competition from European heavyweights like RB Leipzig to secure his signature, per the Express.

Chelsea talks are ongoing to sign Brighton star Moises Caicedo this summer and the player is "ready to agree" personal terms, according to reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

Who will join Chelsea this summer?

Mauricio Pochettino, after Chelsea's lacklustre and regrettable 2022/23 Premier League campaign, is aiming to transform the west Londoners back into a major force.

The Blues couldn't even muster a top-half finish last season and ended the campaign without any silverware, coming just two years after they were crowned champions of Europe.

Despite owner Todd Boehly and co spending north of £520 million on transfers since the summer of 2022, it appears Chelsea have work to do if they wish to reach the heights of Man City or Arsenal.

Pochettino's arrival also marks the beginning of a new era, though, and Chelsea are apparently working to back the Argentine this summer.

Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson, after drawn-out negotiations, is now reportedly set to become a Chelsea player with reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano even giving his famous "here we go".

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Caicedo of Brighton is another firm transfer target.

Chelsea are apparently favourites for the Ecuador international and reliable reporter Kinsella of The Evening Standard has shared a promising update.

Writing for the outlet, Kinsella claims that the Stamford Bridge side are "making good progress in negotiations" and Caicedo is "keen" to join Pochettino.

The 21-year-old is also "ready to agree personal terms", with the player side proving to be no issue, though club-to-club talks over a transfer fee are proving more complicated.

After already rejecting a £60 million bid from Chelsea, it is claimed that Brighton are holding out for a fee closer to £100 million for their prized asset.

Caicedo, though, has a verbal agreement with Roberto De Zerbi for his manager to stand aside and green-light an exit – if a suitable offer arrives that is.

What's been said about Moises Caicedo?

Averaging more tackles per 90 than any Brighton player last season, the South American star has proven to be a capable midfield enforcer and rock solid in the middle of the park (WhoScored).

Enrico Castro-Montes, a vying football historian of Ecuador, has also detailed just how highly-rated Caicedo is in his homeland. Indeed, the midfielder is apparently seen as a cross between N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba.

"Caicedo covers the whole field. He is much more eye-catching," said Castro-Montes (Het Niuewsblad via Sport Witness).

"There will be a lot of pressure on Caicedo’s shoulders. His nickname in Ecuador is ‘La Joya’, the jewel. In his own country, he is really seen as the crown jewel of a new generation.

"That’s also how they describe him in Ecuador: a cross between Kanté and Pogba."

South Africa’s captain, Faf du Plessis, described his hundred in Adelaide as his “best” in Tests after a week in which he was found guilty of ball-tampering by the ICC

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval24-Nov-2016″My best.” That’s where Faf du Plessis rated this century – his second at Adelaide and sixth overall. It came after a week of intense scrutiny over du Plessis’ methods of shining the ball, a week in which he was found guilty by the ICC and fined, a week in which he made headlines for all the wrong reasons. His team-mates stood steadfastly behind him and he saw this innings as his chance to stand steadfastly ahead of them.SA learn to think pink

South Africa’s first day-night Test experience was “super strange” in the words of captain Faf du Plessis, who admitted it would take some time to get used to the timings of this type of game.
“It’s super strange,” du Plessis said. “When we walked off after the first session and it felt like a normal tea and almost like on session left in the day but there’s two sessions left. Then the last one, you have a massive dinner and think it’s time to go back to the hotel and there’s one session left. We will get used to it.”
Even though “everything is weird about it”, du Plessis was optimistic about the future of the pink ball.
“We’re going to get back [to the hotel] at 11pm. Your brain will be spinning for another two hours. That’s normal when you finish a game. So you go to bed at 2am and wake up at 8am and you’ve got to go again. Everything is weird for us at the moment.
“But it’s fascinating. It’s changing Test cricket. There was a massive crowd in today, so they obviously love it. The cricketers also enjoy it because it’s a different challenge.”

“I’m just pretty proud of today. It was a big day for me to stand up as a captain and make sure I lead from the front,” he said. “To get through all of that and this week in the manner that I did today makes me really proud.”Du Plessis expected some heat when he made his first public appearance – he had addressed the media the day before – but he was surprised that, after he stood alone to take South Africa’s total over 250, he was not wholeheartedly forgiven.”I was expecting a little bit of hostility but not to that extent,” he said. “When I came out, I was obviously quite aware of it [the booing]. As the innings went on, it disappeared a bit. To be really honest, when I got to 100 I wasn’t expecting to still get booed so that was disappointing.”It also added a little to du Plessis’ already immense desire to do his talking with the bat. “I was really motivated before today. I felt it was a character test and the only way I could do it is by scoring runs but it did help a little bit. Maybe 5%.”What helped more was that du Plessis was more focused than he has been ever before. The pink ball seamed and then swung, it also turned; the Australia attack searched and, in the case of most of his team-mates, found; but du Plessis had promised himself he would not give it away easily. “I have never been that switched on. Every ball I said to myself, ‘that is not enough. I want to get a big one here.’ I was just more motivated than I have ever been,” he said. “Surprisingly, technically I was the best I have been this series as well. I felt really good.”Before this innings, du Plessis’ contribution was a top score of 37 and he did not seem to have the same control he has displayed in the past. Today, his defences could not be breached but he also looked to score. He was not the same batsman who stonewalls for fun, he was someone who had purpose and, if he had more partners, he would have carried on. “I could have gone for another day. I really wanted to bat. The way I felt mentally I could have gone for a week,” du Plessis said.But with the chance to put Australia in under lights and make some early inroads, du Plessis decided not to search for an extra 20 or 30 runs and take advantage of a situation in which Australia were forced to seek an emergency opener. Du Plessis knew David Warner had spent time off the field and could not bat, he wanted to see if his bowlers could make the ball talk at night and, with the knowledge that 224 was the top score in last year’s day-night Test in Adelaide, he felt a total over 250 was good enough.”The position of the game was that it was time for us to declare. We were trying to get some wickets,” he said. “I don’t think we would have declared if we were seven down in the last hour of the night. We would have tried to get to 300. We got 250 but it feels like we got more. It isn’t a massive score but the statistics of the pink ball says it may not generally be a five-day game. It speeds up a little because there is a lot more action on the ball – 250 is perhaps 350 with the red ball.”

Newcastle United's fate has been sealed and the Tyneside giants will compete in the Champions League next season after emphatic seasonal success this year, and requisite moves on the transfer front must now be made.

What's the latest on Newcastle's pursuit of Harry Maguire?

One name that has entered transfer circulation is Manchester United's world-record £80m centre-back Harry Maguire, with a recent update from Dean Jones stating that the defender is set to depart Old Trafford this summer after falling out of favour under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag.

While there is a vested interest in the 30-year-old from Serie A outfits such as AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, Newcastle have also been credited as possible suitors, should the Red Devils grant Maguire's departure to a top-four Premier League rival.

It's thought a potential loan move could even be on the cards for the centre-back.

Should Newcastle sign Harry Maguire?

While Maguire has endured a turbulent ride in Manchester at times, perhaps none more so than this season where he has found a regular starting berth hard to come by, he is a commanding and aerially superlative "colossus" – as dubbed by Simon Jordan – to wield at the foot of the pitch.

In March, 90min reported that Maguire was among the players at the Theatre of Dreams informed that they are free to depart at the conclusion of the season, with the Magies stated to be 'monitoring' the situation.

Maguire has made 31 appearances across all competitions this term but has started only eight times in the Premier League, and with £190k-per-week wages, it is unlikely he will remain beyond the summer with a utility role.

Praised for his "dominating" demeanour on the pitch by Ten Hag, Maguire would be a good addition for Newcastle because injecting an imposing presence into a defence that boasts the joint-meanest defence in the English top-flight this term – alongside champions Manchester City – will only enrich the flourishing current crop.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 17% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, the top 20% for progressive carries, the top 11% for rate of blocks and the top 12% for aerials won per 90.

He would surely thrive alongside Sven Botman, who has been a revelation at St. James' Park since signing for £35m from Lille last summer.

While Maguire isn't the most mobile of defenders, he does boast an imposing physicality, which could run in tandem with Botman's own brutish approach to his play.

Indeed the £90k-per-week Dutchman has been lauded as a "leader" by journalist Josh Bunting, a quality he certainly shares with Maguire, while averaging a Premier League match rating of 6.99, as per Sofascore, completing 87% of his passes, making 3.3 clearances per match and winning 67% of his duels.

Such a tenacious and iron-clad partnership would only bear fruit for Howe, and signing Maguire might actually be a shrewd move to take as the Magpies continue their ascent.

Rangers have "definitely had talks" with Malik Tillman about a permanent move to Ibrox in the summer, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

Will Malik Tillman sign for Rangers?

The Gers have the option to buy Tillman for £5m from Bayern Munich in the summer, but the player himself has said his chances of completing a permanent switch to Ibrox are 50/50, with it currently "completely open."

The American has made it clear he enjoyed his season on loan with the Light Blues, saying: "I had a great time here. It might not be the end here so we will see what's going to happen in the summer."

Despite enjoying his time in Glasgow, there have been some reports the 20-year-old is not looking to sign permanently, with journalist Jonny McFarlane claiming that he "views his future elsewhere", despite the deal between Rangers and Bayern Munich being "done".

Hutton is more positive about the Gers' chances of signing the starlet on a permanent basis, although he does not think it is worth reading into the fact he recently flew back into Glasgow.

In an interview with Football Insider, the pundit said: “He flew back after the injury but you know what it is like when you are a loan player. You might have a rented property, you need to sort things out.

“He will have definitely had talks with the club. I am pretty sure he would have had conversations with Michael Beale.

“I am pretty sure there will have been talks going on to see where his future lies.“

Would Tillman be a good signing for Rangers?

The attacking midfielder has certainly done enough to impress his teammates this season, having been hailed as "phenomenal" by John Lundstram earlier in the campaign.

With ten goals and four assists to his name in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster has recorded the fourth-highest number of goal contributions of any Gers player this season, which is a stellar effort, given his age.

There has been criticism of the Bayern loanee's work-rate, with pundit Frank McAvennie also claiming he goes missing in games, saying: "He can be outstanding for 20 minutes then you will not see him for the remainder of the 70 minutes."

However, Tillman has plenty of time to iron out any problems, and his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses, meaning he would be an excellent signing for Rangers this summer.

حصل نادي الزمالك على توقيع إلياس الجلاصي، لاعب نادي المصري البورسعيدي، تمهيدًا لضمه خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الحالية.

وعلم “بطولات” من مصدر موثوق، أن الزمالك توصل لاتفاق مع الجلاصي على جميع بنود التعاقد، وينتظر فقط موافقة إدارة المصري على العرض المالي المقدم.

وتواصل أحد مسؤولي الزمالك مع إدارة المصري لمعرفة طلباتها المادية، والتي كانت الحصول على المبلغ المتفق عليه نقدًا، رافضين دخول اللاعب في صفقات تبادلية.

طالع أيضًا | الزمالك يُنهي الجدل بشأن حل أزمة إيقاف القيد

ويجيد إلياس الجلاصي اللعب في أكثر من مركز، سواء في صناعة اللعب أو على الأطراف الأيمن والأيسر.

وسجل إلياس الجلاصي صاحب الـ 28 عامًا، 3 أهدافًا هذا الموسم مع المصري، وصنع 4 آخرين.

وتسعى إدارة الزمالك لضم صفقات جديدة خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الحالية، لتدعيم صفوف الفريق، بعد نجاحها في رفع إيقاف القيد.

ScorecardLast year’s beaten finalists Surrey are up and running in the Royal London Cup after easing to a six-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks at Guildford.On a fast-scoring ground, a Duckworth-Lewis target of 235 in 43 overs always looked attainable, although Surrey briefly wobbled when they lost three wickets for six runs in 11 balls.But from 99 for 4 the innings was rebuilt by Rory Burns and Ben Foakes, who put on an unbroken 136 in 18.3 overs, although Burns rode his luck early in his innings when he was twice dropped by Ajmal Shahzad, once off his own bowling and then at mid-off, before he reached 30.Burns prospered thereafter and finished on 70 not out (59 balls) with five fours and two sixes, one of which landed in the road next to the ground. Foakes was undefeated on 61 from 60 deliveries (9 fours) as victory came in the 34th over.Sussex had been bowled out for 239 with nine balls unused after their innings was reduced to 45 overs following an hour-long stoppage because of morning rain.The Sharks, who had claimed their first win in the competition against Middlesex on Sunday, lost Chris Nash (0) to the third ball when he was squared up by Tom Curran and Ed Joyce (21), who was caught low down at second slip off Ravi Rampaul, having just hit the West Indian for successive fours and a six.Phil Salt (21) spooned a catch to mid-on in Stuart Meaker’s first over and Meaker struck again to end a promising innings by Harry Finch (31), who fatally chased width and was caught at slip.Sussex lost their fifth wicket in the 22nd over when Ben Brown (10) was smartly stumped by Foakes aiming to hit Zafar Ansari through leg, but from an unpromising 100 for 5 the innings revived thanks to two partnerships involving Chris Jordan.Both he and skipper Luke Wright struck the ball cleanly as they put on 69 in 11 overs before Wright was athletically held by the diving Jason Roy at point for 42. Jordan was then joined by South African David Wiese, who was making his competition debut as replacement overseas player for the injured Ross Taylor.Wiese is regarded as a bowler, but he struck the ball impressively while Jordan was moving to his maiden List A half-century. The England international hit six boundaries in his 55 from 60 balls only for his innings to end in a tame clip to midwicket off Matt Pillans.Kumar Sangakkara took a juggling catch on the midwicket boundary to remove Wiese for 41 off 31 balls (6 fours, 1 six) as Sussex’s last three wickets fell in 11 balls for the addition of just nine runs, Rampaul finishing with 4 for 47.Jason Roy and Steven Davies launched Surrey’s response with 65 in nine overs either side of a rain stoppage before Roy (32) was held on the mid-wicket boundary in George Garton’s first over.Shahzad bowled Kumar Sangakkara (20) off an inside edge and had Ansari caught behind for a duck the ball after Garton had picked up his second wicket when Davies (36) holed out to deep mid-wicket. But it was plain sailing for Surrey thereafter as Burns and Foakes posted a new fifth-wicket record against Sussex in List A games, beating the 89 between Graham Thorpe and Adam Hollioake at Horsham in 1995.