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Klinsmann emphasized that Pochettino needs time to familiarize himself with US soccer landscape to get the best out of team

• Klinsmann acknowledges Pochettino needs adjustment period
• Says that US Soccer is a complicated landscape to navigate
• Believes Argentine can inspire necessary drive before 2026

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has faced some criticism after the team dropped two matches in the recent CONCACAF Nation's League, but Jürgen Klinsmann believes the Argentine will find success with the U.S. squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

  The former USMNT head coach, who held the role between 2011 and 2016, said Pochettino needs time to adjust.

  “I think it’s a difficult learning curve for Mauricio and his entire staff,” Klinsmann said on . “Because obviously the landscape in the United States is so, so different to anything you find in Europe or what he would have found in South America or Argentina. So what he’s growing through is just learning by day, every day he gets more information, he gets more knowledge about his players, he gets more knowledge about how soccer really functions in this country.

  “He will take it all in and then kind of focus the closer we get to the World Cup, he’ll focus more and more on what’s important and that’s basically his relationship with all the players and his team in order to create a very special energy and drive towards the World Cup.”

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• WHAT JURGEN KLINSMANN SAID

  Klinsmann said that Pochettino has a "special team" with players featuring at the highest levels of the sport.

  “He knows he has a special team, he knows he has players now that are able to compete at the highest level because they play for Champions League teams in Europe, which is unbelievable really, where our players are today," Klinsmann said. "It is now kind of day by day learning and understanding, you know, the political landscape and all the parts of it, there are so many different parts floating around US Soccer."

  “In the beginning, it’s very difficult to comprehend, but once you get closer to a tournament, all that matters is his relationship with the players and the people that work close with the national team. To give them the belief and the drive and all those little pieces of knowledge that he has undoubtably because he’s a very successful coach, in the hope, for all of us, to make it a very successful World Cup for the U.S. national team.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Following the USMNT's fourth-place finish at the CONCACAF Nations League, some former U.S. players have been critical of the team's approach and preparation.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The USMNT will regroup ahead of the 2025 Gold Cup, which begins on June 14, with a pair of friendlies before that.

Aston Villa enjoyed a rather productive January transfer window. First of all, they managed to sell Jaden Philogene to Ipswich Town for £20m, making a profit on the youngster.

Secondly, they signed two attacking players who could make a big difference between now and the end of the season.

Donyell Malen joined from Borussia Dortmund a few weeks ago, while Marcus Rashford moved to Villa Park on loan from Manchester United, with a £40m buy option inserted into the deal.

Unai Emery’s side are chasing a place in the top four of the Premier League table. Signing Rashford could be an inspired one with regard to that ambition.

Why Aston Villa signed Marcus Rashford

Since Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United, Rashford featured just four times under the Portuguese manager, scoring three goals.

It became clear that the Englishman wasn’t going to play a part in Amorim’s system going forward and a move away from Old Trafford could be the best thing to happen to him.

Despite a relatively quiet season by his standards, Rashford has still created four big chances, averages one key pass and has scored four goals in the top flight. That said, despite the fact he’s not been fit and firing this term, this is still a player who has scored 87 Premier League goals.

At Villa, Emery will likely give him more consistent game time and if he hits top form, it could be a wise signing indeed.

The manager may already have a player at the club who is worth way more than Rashford, however.

Aston Villa talent is worth even more than Marcus Rashford

Someone who has been superb during the 2024/25 campaign is another English talent in Morgan Rogers.

The second half of the 2023/24 season saw Rogers begin to make his mark at Villa, scoring three goals and registering an assist in just 11 Premier League games since his move from Middlesbrough.

It was evident Emery had a prodigious talent on his hands, but even he might have been shocked at just how well the Englishman has performed throughout 2024/25.

In August, U23 scout Antonio Mango waxed lyrical about the winger, saying that he was “terrific” and “brave”, someone who has “all you characteristics you want in a young footballer.”

That’s certainly been true of Rogers in 2024/25. With ten goals and five assists already, including a stunning hat-trick against Celtic in the Champions League, the former Boro star has emerged as a key player under Emery. No doubt about that.

Compared to his peers in the top flight, the starlet even ranks in the top 7% for goals per shot on target and in the top 11% for through balls per 90, yet more evidence of his effectiveness in the final third.

These incredible performances over the previous 12 months have seen his market value soar.

Indeed, according to the CIES Football Observatory, Rogers is now currently valued at a staggering £74m, which is a staggering rise, especially considering the Villa Park side paid just £15m to sign him last year.

This also means he is worth nearly double that of Rashford if going by the buy clause in his loan deal, indicating that Emery has hit the jackpot on the 22-year-old sensation.

Aston Villa's most expensive sales of all time

A look at Aston Villa’s record departures.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 3, 2025

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the U.S. men's national team need to be in peak form. While U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino will shape the group internationally, it's up to the players to take charge of their club careers – finding consistent minutes while maintaining a high level of competition. This summer will be pivotal for players who’ve struggled for playing time or raised their profile enough to draw interest on the transfer market.

Two key USMNT contributors, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic, have delivered strong club seasons in Italy. Each appeared in over 40 matches, and both are now in talks for contract extensions – Juventus are eager to keep McKennie long-term, while AC Milan want to retain Pulisic, their top scorer in Serie A.

In Belgium, Griffin Yow could play his way into Pochettino’s plans for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Westerlo winger impressed for the U23s at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is attracting interest from clubs across Europe. Westerlo, however, are working to extend his stay.

Then, a look ahead to the future. Cavan Sullivan wants to be a part of the 2026 World Cup roster, but it doesn't seem like a feasible option for him at this stage of his career. However, the 15-year-old is reportedly set to get his first real involvement with Manchester City, in some capacity, through training this summer. What could that lead to?

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

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  Juventus offer Weston McKennie new contract

  The are reportedly ready to tie up McKennie to a new long-term deal that keeps him in Turin. After two seasons fueled by transfer rumors, and a loan move away to Leeds United in the latter half of the 2022-23 season, the American is now set to become one of the highest earners at the club on a deal through 2028.

  His current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season, so it became imperative in recent weeks that the club start talks ahead of the summer transfer window – where the 26-year-old could once again be the subject of yet another transfer saga. This campaign, the U.S. international has featured in various midfield roles, and as a wingback, making 41 appearances across all competitions where he's scored five goals and recorded three assists.

  By locking him down to a new long-term deal, McKennie will stay with the club where he's become a regular at, despite playing under three different managers over the past 12 months. The American will be getting minutes at a crucial time in his career, where he will need to be at his best ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a tournament set to be played on U.S. soil, and one where the USMNT will have the highest of expectations.

  He will also be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer with the , and as a result, will miss out on the CONCACAF Gold Cup under Mauricio Pochettino.

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  AC Milan to lock-down Christian Pulisic with new deal

  Christian Pulisic's future will no longer be up in the air if AC Milan have anything to do about it. The are reportedly looking to lock down their attacking talisman for years to come with a new contract that includes a pay raise.

  Pulisic, who is Milan's leading scorer in 2024-25, reportedly makes $4.56 million (€4 million) per season, but the new deal will bump that to $5.7M (€5 million) annually. The new contract would extend his contract to 2029 with Milan, with his current deal running out at the end of 2027.

  The 26-year-old has been one of their best attacking performers across all competitions in 2024-25, and has even helped lead them to the Coppa Italia final this May, where, with a win, the club would clinch Europa League football in the 2025-26 season.

  A regular with the USMNT, Christian Pulisic has tallied 32 goals and 18 assists in 72 appearances for the national team. He’s expected to be a central figure in the squad heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil, and Mauricio Pochettino will need his top attacker playing consistently. Right now, there’s no better situation for him than at AC Milan.

  The one potential drawback to re-signing with Milan is the club’s uncertain European future. If they miss out on continental competition, Pulisic would lose the chance to test himself against top-tier opposition at the club level.

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  Cavan Sullivan reportedly set for his first Man City training

  The Philadelphia Union prodigy, who became the youngest player to debut in MLS history in 2024 – breaking Freddy Adu’s 20-year-old record – has already agreed to join Manchester City once he turns 18. At just 15, though, he still has time to develop and gain experience before making the move. In the meantime, the U.S. men’s national team prospect is reportedly set to train with the Premier League club tin the near futre.

  Journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that the Union's Homegrown gem will be working with Pep Guardiola's side this summer – though the details of Sullivan's reported involvement remain unclear still, as he's a Union player.

  “Understand Manchester City are planning for talent Cavan Sullivan to begin training in July, work in progress with Philadelphia Union. Sullivan, developing very well and seen as one of the best young players worldwide. He will officially join Man City in 2027," Romano wrote.

  Sullivan, who has two goals and one assist in five MLS NEXT Pro games for Union II this season, has made the bench for every single MLS game with the senior roster in 2025, but has only played in three matches, tallying 45 total minutes of action.

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  Griffin Yow to stay in Belgium?

  Yow was one of the stars of the U.S. Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Games, and now he's starting to garner attention from across Europe – according to Give Me Sport's Tom Bogert. The 22-year-old is attracting suitors in the English Championship, Netherlands, and other contenders in Belgium, while his current club Westerlo want to extend his deal in the Belgian Pro League.

  The 22-year-old has eight goals and three assists in 21 starts this season, making 30 total appearances. A former D.C. United Homegrown talent, Yow has yet to make his senior debut for the USMNT, but he has been a regular throughout the U.S. youth system, and made five appearances for the U23 USMNT at the 2024 Paris Games.

  For Yow, a renewal at Westerlo would be a safe move, as he's become a regular in the team and often finds himself playing consistent minutes at a relatively high level. However, if he wanted to take the next step ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the winger could look for a new club this summer and find himself tempted by the likes of England and the Netherlands. No teams have been mentioned as interested, yet, but anyone looking for a pacey attacking option on the wing could be tempted to make a move for him with just one year left on his contract.

Hurricanes and Stars remain in the bottom half of the points table

Tristan Lavalette02-Nov-2023Hobart Hurricanes overcame a vintage 75 from Meg Lanning, as Nicola Carey and Naomi Stalenberg chased superbly under pressure to thwart Melbourne Stars at Bellerive Oval.Bucking the tournament’s trend, an increasingly confident Hurricanes were nerveless under lights to reach the target of 143 with four balls to spare. Carey and Stalenberg combined for a partnership of 69 unbroken runs after coming together at 74 for 4 following the key wicket of captain Elyse Villani.They played risk-free cricket as Hurricanes comfortably crossed the target having been in trouble earlier in the innings.Villani and Lizelle Lee had started watchfully in the powerplay as they blunted a desperate Stars attack facing an uphill battle to defend a seemingly modest total.But Lee holed out to Sasha Moloney in the sixth over to trigger a collapse as Hurricanes slumped to 47 for 3 when Heather Graham was caught behind off Annabel Sutherland.Much like counterpart Lanning earlier, Villani defied her team’s predicament by batting calmly and hitting attractive shots around the wicket. Stars were feeling the brunt of not only Villani’s bat, but also a pesky bird feeling rather territorial in the outfield.Hurricanes took the power surge in the 11th over, but it did not have the desired effect with Villani on 41 succumbing to a Sutherland slower delivery.Meg Lanning made the Stars innings a one-person show•Getty Images

But Carey and Stalenberg were unruffled as Hurricanes continued to turn around their season after starting with a pair of big defeats against Perth Scorchers.Having only taken one wicket in her first four matches, Shabnim Ismail rattled Stars’ misfiring top order while Molly Strano shackled a succession of batters with her accurate offspin.Hurricanes’ bowlers were aided by reckless batting from Stars. Playing a lone hand with a 50-ball 75, Lanning rescued Stars from peril at 46 for 4 with no other batter reaching 20 runs.It was not the performance envisioned from Stars when Lanning elected to bat on a flat surface. She watched on glumly as opener Sophie Reid holed out in the first over to Strano, who bowled a wicket maiden.A buoyant Hurricanes went on the attack with Ismail bowling short of a length. The plan worked almost immediately with Alice Capsey baited into hitting a rising delivery straight to Carey at third.At 5 for 2, it was left to Lanning and Sutherland to steady the ship but they continued to be confronted by a hostile Ismail armed with an aggressive field.Having emerged from a form rut against Scorchers with 49 off 27 balls, Sutherland briefly showcased her growing repertoire of inventive strokes to become the youngest player to reach 1000 runs in the WBBL. She clubbed Ismail down the ground, but on the next delivery miscued a delivery angled into her body straight to mid-on.Lanning rebuilt the innings by playing cautiously initially and she received support from Sophia Dunkley, who on two survived a missed stumping from Lee off Amy Smith.Lanning decided to put the foot down in the 12th over with three boundaries off Maisy Gibson. She accelerated further after taking the power surge in the 15th over and reached her half-century in style with a clip on the leg side.Not even the return of Ismail slowed down Lanning, who smashed a full toss for six as she eyed a remarkable century.But Lanning’s dismissal in the 18th over put the brakes on as Stars finished with a total that ultimately proved insufficient in the batting-friendly conditions.

Arsenal fans have been going apoplectic over the refereeing decisions in their Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

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• Soft Saka foul against Nuno flagged by Gunners fans
• Arsenal could have had a penalty too
• PSG also had claim to a spot-kick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tensions were running high at the Emirates Stadium and on social media, as the performance of Slavko Vincic was questioned by both sets of fans on X. Arsenal supporters felt hard done by after Bukayo Saka was deemed to have fouled Nuno Mendes for a gentle push in the back. Had the play continued the winger was through on goal. Saka was then booked for kicking the ball away. However, both sets of fans will feel they could have had a penalty. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared to be impeded by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the Arsenal area, while Mikel Merino saw a goal-scoring opportunity denied by Joao Neves. A replay appeared to show the Portuguese got the ball before making contact with the Arsenal midfielder.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Vincic's performance was the main point of conversation on X. One user, Culturecams, posted: "Ref needs half time more than the players."

  Another supporter, BodegaaCat, added: "This ref has been shocking. Mendes fell over way before he was touched"

  Mabyllionaire wrote: "Arsenal fans booing the ref… these lot were calling themselves "Dark Arts FC" and now someone's doing it to them in a game that actually matters they can't hack it."

  FIFA Youtuber and Arsenal fan Nepenthez gave his two cents, writing: "This f*cking ref man. Blowing every time a PSG player gets breathed on."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vincic did get some of his decisions spot on. Myles Lewis-Skelly was rightly shown a yellow card for a number of fouls on Desiree Doue. Even so, the attending Arsenal fans were vocal in their opinion of the Serbian's performance, showering the Emirates pitch with boos. Given the performance of both sets of players, their anger could only be directed at one man.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal face a difficult task in the second half as they fell behind to an smart finish by Ousmane Dembele in just the fourth minute. The curling effort was the result of a 27-pass move by Les Parisiens. Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to maintain the visitors' lead when he made a sharp save from a Saka effort a few minutes before the break.

Salt admits disappointment to slipping down pecking order but keen to seize opportunity

Matt Roller21-Sep-2023A sodden Headingley outfield delayed its arrival by three days, but England’s latest white-ball opening partnership will stride out to the middle together at Trent Bridge on Saturday with an opportunity to show that they are not just a stop-gap, but a viable long-term option at the top of the order.Phil Salt and Will Jacks were due to open the batting against Ireland before Wednesday’s ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled and both men know that this series is about much more than results. Instead, it represents a chance for them to show that they should be part of a regenerated England side after this World Cup.Salt and Jacks have batted together before, though only six times and all in T20s, rather than 50-over games. They opened together in one of England’s seven T20Is in Pakistan this time last year, and were also opening partners for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 in January. That they were due to open, with Zak Crawley in the middle order, confirms their status as the next men in.In style, they are similar to the Jason Roy-Alex Hales prototype, the opening pair that launched England’s white-ball revolution. Jacks, like Hales, is the taller of the two, and particularly strong through the covers; Salt, like Roy, is slightly shorter, but a powerful, leg-side dominant player. Unlike Roy and Hales, they both offer secondary skills: Jacks bowls useful offbreaks, while Salt can keep wicket.After England’s humiliating group-stage exit at the 2015 World Cup and ahead of their next full series against New Zealand, Roy and Hales were given an extended run at the top of the order, given licence to fail as long as they played in the team’s new attacking style. Salt and Jacks could be in a similar position – even if England’s white-ball teams are now in a very different place.There is healthy competition between Salt and Jacks. Salt turned 27 last month, Jacks’ 25th birthday is in November, while Salt has 30 international caps and a T20 World Cup winners’ medal to Jacks’ 10. But Jacks was picked ahead of Salt to open the batting in last month’s T20I series against New Zealand, with England keen to give him a run of games.”I was disappointed, I can’t lie to you,” Salt said. “I had a good IPL, but I didn’t do myself justice when I came back for the Blast. Playing for England is where I want to be… if anything, it’s given me motivation to get back in the team and reclaim my place.” He sought feedback from Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler, who explained there had been “a little shift around in the pecking order.”With Hales now retired from international cricket and Roy’s World Cup omission likely to draw a line under his England career, there will soon be spots up for grabs. “I’d like to think so, yeah,” Salt said when asked if he saw himself taking one of them. “There’s a lot of guys in my position also thinking the same thing.”Will Jacks made his T20I debut as Salt’s opening partner•Getty Images

Of course, there is no guarantee that there will be dual vacancies at the top of the order. Buttler recently cautioned against what he sees as an English obsession with age, saying: “We are always looking for the next thing… If people are still performing, age is irrelevant.” After all, England will likely head into next year’s T20 World Cup with Buttler and Jonny Bairstow as their openers.But in ODIs, England will start building towards the 2027 World Cup – and the 2025 Champions Trophy – when they travel to the Caribbean in December. Their fringe players have lined up that tour for further potential opportunities and will make themselves available even if it means limiting their time for franchise cricket; both Salt and Jacks are in demand worldwide, and are likely to be retained for next year’s IPL.”Playing for England is a priority,” Salt said. “There’s a lot of franchise opportunities out there, but every game I can get in an England shirt, I want to take the opportunity with both hands. Some people are at the stage of their career where they are prioritising earning money… [but] right now, I just want to play as many games as I can for England.”After those three fixtures against West Indies, which are followed by five T20Is, England will not play another ODI until September 2024, when they host Australia at the end of the summer. With the country’s leading white-ball cricketers involved in the Hundred rather than the One-Day Cup, the ongoing Ireland series provides rare exposure to 50-over cricket.”It is slightly strange: you’ve got to remember the rules,” Jacks joked on Wednesday. “I’ve barely played [50-over cricket]: I’ve played two games in the last five years.” Salt believes that most players are able to adapt: “The fundamentals and the basics are very, very similar. It’s just spread out over a bigger period of time.”More immediately, they will just hope to get on the pitch: mercifully, Saturday’s forecast for Nottingham suggests they should at least manage that.

Jude Bellingham has already eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo in the hearts of Real Madrid fans as the Englishman is said to be "loved" more than the legend.

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• Bellingham a fan favourite at Real Madrid
• Journalist says he is loved more than Ronaldo
• CR7 spent nine years at the Bernabeu

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bellingham rocketed to Madrid stardom immediately after joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, making him a fan favourite alongside star attacker Vinicius Junior as they won a Champions League and La Liga double.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 21-year-old is still far from repeating the kind of success Ronaldo enjoyed in his nine-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, but journalist Andy Brassell believes the Portuguese star was never truly loved by the Madrid faithful. Citing the moment Bellingham whispered into Bukayo Saka's ear during Madrid's Champions League loss to Arsenal, Brassell says Bellingham has earned "unconditional" love in the Spanish capital.

• WHAT BRASSELL SAID

  He said on : "It's a little clue to why he's so loved in Madrid in an unconditional way that Cristiano Ronaldo never was. Cristiano Ronaldo was admired and respected, but never loved like Jude Bellingham. Now, you might sit there and think: 'Okay, well Cristiano Ronaldo scored more than a goal a game for nine years, how can that be the case?' "But I think it's the indefinables with Bellingham. And you saw it at Dortmund as well, the way he connected with the crowd. It's not just the way he plays, but the fact he makes the fans in the stadium feel part of it. He plays the game like any of us would if we had the ability. I think that's the important thing. He's a mix between the best player in the world and us playing on a Sunday. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean that in an entirely positive way. And I think that's the thing, because the Madrid media would expect anyone to do that for Real Madrid. [Bellingham] doesn't need to be asked. He doesn't care that it's his England team-mate and I think Bukayo Saka would quite respect that."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM AND RONALDO?

  Bellingham and his Madrid team-mates are looking to reduce the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona when they face Getafe on Wednesday. Ronaldo and Al-Nassr, meanwhile, will take on Yokohama Marinos in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals this weekend.

Karun Nair’s unbeaten fifty underpins Northants hopes after Hassan Azad falls for 48

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Sep-2023Even with an 18-point lead at the top of Division One and facing bottom-of-the-table Northamptonshire at home, Surrey arrived into this penultimate match of the season wary of complacency. At the Kia Oval, in weather confirming summer was really over, it was Tom Lawes, one of their own, who stepped up to maintain standards.Northamptonshire closed on 171 for the loss of 6, Lawes’ nagging, surprisingly brisk seamers responsible for half of them. A simple equation is two wins give Surrey the title, which is all they care about. The fine print for the rest of us is that victory with three bonus points puts the onus on second-place Essex to win to keep the County Championship alive. Across a bitty 63.4 overs, when the usually reliable senior figures were a little off with the ball, Lawes’ 3 for 47 has not only helped bag two of those bonus points but moved the game along with rain set to play its unwelcome part for the rest of the week.Rory Burns won his first toss in five, inserting the visitors in as grim conditions as possible without being bad enough to prevent play from starting on time. The skies were overcast enough to require the floodlights at full beam at 10:30am. And the sharp winds that persisted throughout the day were fierce enough for the flags sitting atop the Micky Stewart Pavilion to be brought down.At another time, Burns would have needed to reinforce his hairband before heading out onto the field. Alas, the flowing 14-inch locks are no more, shorn for a good cause to make a natural wig for The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or to other conditions.Related

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Given the climes, and prolific new-ball duo of Kemar Roach and Dan Worrall going up against a batting line-up that has only managed four bonus points all season, this was surely going one way. And yet 13 overs in, neither had caused Hassan Azad or Emilio Gay any discomfort, barring a delivery from Worrall that leapt off a length and clocked Azad on the jaw of his grille.At 29 for no loss, both left-handed openers would have been satisfied with their early work. But Surrey are not where they are because of the work of just two bowlers. Enter Jordan Clark, who needed just four deliveries to move to the top of the club’s wicket-taking charts with a 47th dismissal of the season as Gay flicked down the leg side to Ben Foakes.Azad, however, trucked on, typically barnacle-like in approach. He has long been about accumulation through survival, but that throwback approach has been found wanting this season, as per the average of 16.15 from 14 innings heading into this match. Nevertheless, on a day like today, stickability was the name of the game and, together with Karun Nair – one of two Indian batters in this match after Sai Sudharsan was handed a debut in place of Jamie Smith away on England duty – compiled a 55-run stand from 24.2 overs.There was a whiff of general sadness when Azad fell, short-arming Worrall behind with an apologetic pull, wary of the man lurking around the corner at leg gully. Not for the first time this season, the short-ball did for him, two shy of a second half-century of the season.Nair, meanwhile, was able to bring up his own in 108 deliveries, and will recommence his innings on Tuesday thanks largely to a life given to him by Jamie Overton when on 11, off the bowling of Worrall. That is likely to be more stop-start than day one, which featured just one shower stopping play for two hours from 1:30pm.Nevertheless, a relatively frustrating day for Surrey carried cheer beyond the wickets. Overton pulled up five deliveries into his second over with what looked like a twinge to his left groin. In the immediacy, their depth covered for the loss as he walked off and Burns brought himself on to send the final delivery down the leg side. Lawes plugged the gap from the Vauxhall End, eventually prising out Luke Procter with a length delivery that lifted and left the visiting skipper.By then, Overton had returned to the field, taking a regulation catch at second slip. And just to reiterate his bloody-mindedness, he was back bowling by the 57th over, rapping Saif Zaib on the hand before nicking him off two deliveries later with a full ball that arched away late.It was the second of three dismissals in 25 deliveries, sandwiched between Lawes removing Keogh – another catch for Overton – and yorking Lewis McManus. Overton should have had a third when Justin Broad fended some extra bounce behind, which Foakes could only tip over the bar.At 5:22pm, bad light stopped play and no doubt Surrey were rueing what looked set to be a procession of the remaining Northants wickets to make up for the early, Zaib-led resistance as they walked off. Remarkably, the clouds had parted enough to allow through what remained of the sun to give us a 5:38pm restart, with an optimistic 12 overs remaining.Six minutes later, back came the clouds and off went the players. The only play of note was a ninth boundary to Nair, driven through extra cover, to take him to a second half-century for Northants.