GOAL Convo: The former Penn State and current Dyanmo center-back disussed his unique path to MLS, and social media approach

Scoring your first senior goal is a deeply personal moment for any player. Femi Awodesu is no different. His goal for the Houston Dynamo was a landmark, a highlight of an individual journey that has required years of sacrifice and hard work on and off the field.

What makes Awodesu's goal so unique is that, like his journey as a whole, it wasn't just personal. Awodesu doesn't keep moments like those for himself; he shares them with the hundreds of thousands of people who have followed him every step of the way.

Over the last few years, he's amassed more than 400,000 followers and 14.7 million likes on TikTok, inviting anyone willing to follow to join him every step of the way, from the moment he thought he didn't make it right up until the moment he did.

Awodesu isn't a typical first-year MLS player. He arrived in Houston with a built-in following, one that he cultivated throughout the last several years. It didn't come from a famous last name, scandal or even a particular moment. No, it began in a Penn State dorm room with a single iPhone and one simple goal: build a community and bring them along for the ride, wherever it may take him.

Followers have seen him collect college awards, go undrafted and build his professional career from nothing. They've seen boot reviews, training sessions and locker room moments. They've watched him build a business and go from college star to afterthought to MLS starter. That's not really the reason they're watching, though. They're watching to see if the man behind that iPhone can actually become the player he always dreamed of being.

"The moment you want it to get easy is the moment you need to stop playing," Awodesu tells GOAL. "I've realized that it never gets easier. It gets better and maybe you get more successful, but it never gets easier. On my journey, I thought like 'Oh, once I make it to this level, it will get easier'. It gets much better, but it also brings more work. What I'm doing now, it's hard work, so I've quit looking for it to get easier. Now, I'm just looking to get better."

When that goal hit the back of the net, the lanky centerback celebrated instantly, as if he always knew what he'd be doing when it did happen. The celebration was Dynamo-inspired as he mimicked throwing a stick of dynamite into the crowd. A big boom for a big goal, a viral moment for a player who surely knows what it means to go viral.

Moments later, Awodesu was brought back down to earth, as he was harshly sent off and Dynamo ended up falling to the Seattle Sounders. Even a dream day didn't come easily.

But that was just one moment and, throughout his journey, Awodesu has learned that moments are fleeting. He captures as many as he can and, if all goes to plan, he'll document plenty more.

Awodesu discussed his career, his passions and life in MLS in the latest GOAL Convo, a Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene.

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  ON HIS MLS BREAKTHROUGH

  GOAL: You spent last season in MLS Next Pro, but have very much been thrown into the fire this season. There was no feeling-out process as you went right into the Dynamo XI. What has the adjustment been like?

  AWODESU: From college to Next Pro wasn't too much of a leap, but that leap to MLS is huge. In college and in Next Pro, there are just so many things you can get away with that you can't at this level. It's night and day. The good thing is that they are adjustments I know I can make. I have the capability to make these plays and everything, so it's just about creating good habits. It's a big leap, but I haven't felt like I've been drowning.

  GOAL: You've faced some really good attackers so far. Are there any that have had you like "Oh wow, that's the level?" Is there anyone that's just seemed different or caught you more than you expected?

  AWODESU: As a competitor, I had to acknowledge it but, obviously, playing Miami, you have world-class players with really good movement. They're just smarter and more experienced. They've been there. So, when Suarez is talking sh*t, being in that situation, you have to step up to that level and deal with this. You understand he's going to be floating around and looking for space. [Colorado Rapids striker Rafael Navarro], I conceded a penalty on him.I can do a lot better in that situation, but he knows that I wanted to poke the ball so he just put his foot there as an experienced player. These guys and those two situations made me realize how smart these guys are, and that I need to grow up in that sense.

  GOAL: You score that first goal, which is a dream moment, but six minutes later you get sent off. What's the feeling like when you're sitting there just processing it all?

  AWODESU: If I could explain professional soccer to anyone, it would be those six minutes. The highs are super high and the lows are super low. I've experienced that and it's why I'm working on meditation off the field. You have to stay level, never too high and never too low.

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  ON HIS PATH TO THE PROS

  GOAL: You began with the Philadelphia Union academy as a forward. How did you find your way to center-back and why didn't it really work in Philly?

  AWODESU: I hit a really late growth spurt! When I left the Union, I wasn't even my tallest yet. I was just underdeveloped with the Union, I'd say. I wasn't as athletic as I am now, and my athleticism is now one of the strongest parts of my game. I was pretty slow and I was skinny. I wasn't strong at all. I was enjoying it, but they didn't see me as a pro player. I didn't think I'd end up being a center-back either, but I was just someone that wanted to be on the field. I was willing to do whatever it took to play. You could have stuck me in net and I probably would have figured it out.

  GOAL: You go to Penn State, two-time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, and then on draft day, your name doesn't get called. How do you cope with that? Those moments have to make you rethink if you can actually make it, right?

  AWODESU: You just have to decide, like, "Are you really going to do this? Do you want to pursue this?" That wasn't hard for me to decide. I knew I wanted to be a professional. The pro pathway was the pathway I wanted, and it was hard, one of the hardest things I ever went through. I was expected to be drafted and then, not getting drafted, every day my stomach was in a knot. But I was determined to prove people wrong.

• ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

  GOAL: So how did the TikTok start? Was it just a fun thing or did you see it as a type of fallback where you can stay in soccer if the pro pathway never worked out for you?

  AWODESU: I always enjoyed making videos. As a kid, I'd record myself taking free kicks, but it was also definitely for business purposes. When I was in college, I knew that it would be nice to have something extra. I've definitely enjoyed doing it, though. It's been cool documenting my journey and then using that to inspire others. When I was a kid, I was always looking for people in my situation and people who wanted what I wanted. All of the other stuff that comes with it? That's nice, too.

  @femiawodesu

  One step at a time #weup #football #soccer

  ♬ original sound – Femi Awodesu

  GOAL: What part of it do you like most? Is it the creative process? The community?

  AWODESU: The community is sick. Everywhere I go, there are kids that feel like they are a part of it, which is so cool. It's better than being a celebrity. It feels like everyone can relate to me. That part of it is so cool. The creative side, I love just making videos. It's like a routine. After every match, everyone expected a video. Now, being hyper-focused on being a professional, there's much more that goes into things with pressure and tactics, so there's more going on in my life. I can't push out as much content, but the stuff I do push out, I make sure it's high quality and something people enjoy.

  GOAL: Was there a point at which you realized things were blowing up?

  AWODESU: I realized during my senior year of college. It felt like a proper movement. I started the community and before I was selling anything or anything like that, I wanted a community first. That's the most important. It just kept growing and snowballing. The moment I realized that this is something that's real was a couple of games into my senior season. Every matchday video was doing well and it was just good times.

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  ON THE JOURNEY

  GOAL: What's one thing you don't think people really understand about your life, whether that's on the soccer side or the content side?

  AWODESU: I think it's a common misconception – I've seen a couple of comments on my last YouTube video where people were saying "I would do this but I don't have money." I didn't grow up with money. I would just hop from team to team that would take me for free! It's hard, and I don't want to tell people that they have zero excuses, but you can make it no matter what your situation is. My videos are all still made on my same phone. In college, I would have some people help me with boot reviews and editing those, but all of the matchday videos, that was all me. It's mostly just me.

  GOAL: Do you have goals, or do you just take things as they come?

  AWODESU: I set goals, for sure. I had "Sign a first-team contract" on my board all last year. "Make my first team debut" all of that. Even goals off the field, I write those on my board and I've got some new ones up there now. I accomplished some of them faster than anybody would have thought, or at least I would have thought last year. It's hard to figure out what those next goals are, but I'm figuring it out.

Historic fixtures will retain status for next five years ahead of planned review in 2027

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2023Lord’s will continue to stage Oxford vs Cambridge and Eton vs Harrow fixtures for the next five years after a compromise was brokered between the MCC committee and a group of members who had opposed the removal of the “historic” games, which are among the longest-running annual sporting contests in the world.The MCC had initially attempted to remove both and “broaden the scope of the fixture list” last year, only to make a U-turn after a group of members protested against the plans.The rebellion led to the formation of the Historic Fixtures Group (HFG), looking to mobilise support for the matches, which have been held at Lord’s since the early 19th century. A vote on their future was called for the MCC’s Annual General Meeting, to be held in May, with a survey by the club suggesting members were divided on the issue.An agreement has now been struck, with the HFG supporting the extension, which will be reviewed in the winter of 2027 ahead of a potential vote at the subsequent AGM.MCC will also extend invitations to the organisers of competitions open to all schools and universities around the country to hold their finals at the ground from 2024, as part of the club’s “Road to Lord’s” initiative.”This announcement demonstrates that we are listening to our members who want us to play our part in making cricket a game for all and to respect our history and traditions,” Bruce Carnegie-Brown, MCC chair, said.”With a number of initiatives in place for the 2023 season, including a variety of men’s and women’s matches, a simplified membership application process, a rapidly growing MCC Foundation and community programmes for under-represented cricketers, we look forward to welcoming new players and new audiences to Lord’s this season and in the years to come.”Michael Hall, chairman of the HFG, said: “We fully endorse this outcome. Finding room at Lord’s for both the historic fixtures and the finals of the Road to Lord’s competitions is something that everybody should applaud. No-one could have foreseen quite how divided the club became on this issue and the committee deserves credit for implementing a pragmatic solution that gives those divisions the opportunity to heal, yet also leaves a sensible review mechanism in place. We will now all work towards making the historic fixtures and the Road to Lord’s a resounding success.”

Neymar admits to being in the dark when it comes to his future at Santos, with no extension being agreed to his initial short-term deal.

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Returned to his roots on short-term dealHeading towards free agency againMove to Europe has been speculated onFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international, who is his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, returned to his roots in January after being released from his lucrative contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. He became a free agent after struggling through injury issues in the Middle East.

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More fitness problems have been endured with Santos, limiting Neymar’s game time, but he has made his latest return to competitive action. Questions are now being asked of what happens next.

DID YOU KNOW?

A return to Europe has been speculated on for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward, with the 33-year-old eager to captain Brazil at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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GettyWHAT NEYMAR SAID

An extended stay at Santos may yet be agreed, allowing Neymar to remain in familiar surroundings alongside his children and girlfriend Bruna Biancardi, but he has told reporters when asked about his future: "I don’t know. In this moment, I don’t know."

Commanding day’s batting as Foxes build on confidence from first-round victory

ECB Reporters Network13-Apr-2023

Leicestershire 243 for 2 (Ackermann 79*, Hill 75*, Budinger 72) vs Derbyshire Half-centuries from Sol Budinger, Lewis Hill and Colin Ackermann saw Leicestershire lay the foundations for a big first innings score after being put in on a shortened first day of their LV Insurance county championship fixture against Derbyshire.Bowling first was an understandable decision on the part of Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy after play could not start until early afternoon due to a wet outfield at Grace Road.But although Leicestershire lost Rishi Patel for just 8, caught at second slip by Wayne Madsen after edging a Ben Aitchison delivery that may have bounced slightly more than the batter expected, Budinger had already shown there were no demons in the pitch.The former Notts batter hit three fours in the first over he faced and continued to go for his shots, thumping eleven fours and a six in going to a first-class best 72 before top-edging an attempted pull to mid-on.Hill, playing rather more circumspectly, was then joined by Ackermann in putting together an unbroken partnership of 141 for the third wicket, offering no chances as the visitors toiled in a bitterly cold wind.Both sides could be said to have come into this match with something to prove. Leicestershire that their remarkable win against Yorkshire last week – the county’s first first-class victory at Headingley since 1910 – was a genuine indication of progress, as opposed to the flash in the pan cynics suggested: Derbyshire that their unexpected defeat at Worcestershire was a consequence of over-confidence as much as under-performance, and therefore correctable.A wet – in some places close to muddy – outfield meant that although the morning was dry and sunny, no play was possible throughout the morning session. Umpires Tom Lungley and Neil Pratt eventually decided play could commence at 2.15, and though rain clouds skirted the ground throughout the rest of the day, 63 overs proved possible.Budinger, playing only his ninth first-class innings, hit the ball wonderfully cleanly from the off, and with Hill playing an anchor role at three, Ackermann also unfurled a series of fine drives and cuts, passing 50 for the third time in as many innings this season.With Peter Handscomb, Wiaan Mulder and Rehan Ahmed – who before play received his full Leicestershire cap, the first Foxes player do so after being capped for England – among those to come, the home side will already be hoping to build a big enough score to bat only once in the match.

India’s batters weren’t “brave” enough against Australia’s spinners during the third Border-Gavaskar Test in Indore. This was the view of Rohit Sharma after India slipped to a nine-wicket defeat inside three days on a pitch with a high degree of variable turn, pace and bounce.Rohit felt India’s batters could have been more proactive with their approach against the spinners, particularly Nathan Lyon – who bagged 11 wickets in the match including an eight-wicket haul in the second innings – and not allowed them to settle into their lengths as quickly as they did.”Look, when you’re playing on challenging pitches, you’ve got to be brave, honestly,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation. “I just felt we allowed their bowlers to bowl on one particular spot. But not taking any credit away from their bowlers, especially Nathan Lyon. He was brilliant, he kept challenging us, kept hitting that right length. So yeah, when the bowler is doing that, you’ve got to come out with your plans and try and do different things; try and be a little brave as well, which I thought we were not.”Related

• Travis Head leads charge to seal emphatic chase for Australia

• The last grand battle between Pujara and Lyon?

• Stats: A rare home defeat for India, a forgettable Test for the umpires

Rohit suggested that Shreyas Iyer, who scored 26 from just 27 balls in the second innings, had shown the rest of India’s batters how to bat in the circumstances.”When you’re playing on pitches like this, you need a Shreyas Iyer kind of an innings,” Rohit said at his post-match press conference. “Someone has to step up, someone has to take down the bowlers. It cannot be always that the batters will get 100 runs, 90 runs, 80 runs; you have to play cameos like that.”If one of the top batters can get a big score, that’s a plus – that’s great – but when you know the pitch [offers the bowlers something], there is a challenge. You need guys to go out there and play the way Iyer did.”8:21

Rohit Sharma: We focus too much on the pitch here in India

Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored in India’s second innings, with 59 off 142 balls. At one point during Pujara’s innings, when he was tied down by Lyon’s accuracy and 7-2 leg-side field, cameras caught Rohit gesturing in the dressing-room balcony as if to tell Pujara to stop defending and try hitting Lyon over the top instead.In that context, Rohit’s comments about a lack of bravery could be seen as directed as Pujara, but he indicated that this was not the case. At one point during his press conference, he expressed his annoyance at being asked repeatedly about the pitch rather than players who performed on it, and took Pujara’s name while doing so.”Every time we play in India, there’s only focus on the pitch,” Rohit said. “Why are people not asking me about Nathan Lyon, how well he bowled, how well Pujara batted in the second innings, how well Usman Khawaja played?”Later, he said Pujara’s approach was a case of a batter finding a method of run-scoring based on his own strengths. This, he said, was how India wanted their players to approach batting on challenging pitches.”Pujara [was] being Pujara,” Rohit said. “He loves spending time in the middle, he wants to grind it out, that’s his way of doing it. May not be the same way for a lot of the other guys.”That is something that we spoke in our group as well, find your own methods of going out there and doing your job. As long as the job gets done, we are happy as a unit. Yes, like] in the first two games as well, the runs will not come from everyone. As long as the runs come, we are happy as a unit.”

Barcelona have held talks with Thomas Partey over a possible transfer despite Arsenal's desire to tie him down to a new deal.

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• Barcelona show interest in Partey
• Midfielder's contract expires this summer
• Arsenal want to retain Partey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Barcelona have shown interest in signing Partey, whose contract at Arsenal expires this summer. Hansi Flick is known to be an admirer of the Ghanaian midfielder and is considering signing him for free.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Telegraph had earlier reported that Partey is considering signing a new Gunners contract as he expressed his desire to stay back in North London. However, after holding transfer talks with the Blaugrana bosses, the player could change his mind. Other than the Catalan giants, Atletico Madrid are keen on re-signing the 31-year-old.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A source close to told the publication: "Thomas respects Arsenal massively and loves living in London, but he also knows his worth and wants a deal that reflects his standing at the club."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Mikel Arteta's side will reassemble in late July and are scheduled to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong for their pre-season training.

Joan Garcia has reportedly turned down lucrative offers from Arsenal and Manchester City to join Barcelona from Espanyol.

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Garcia turns down Premier League giants to join BarcaLa Liga champions to pay €25m release clauseSpainard set to sign five-year dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old goalkeeper gave the green light to Barca after a final meeting with his agents and family. Despite receiving attractive offers from top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City, Garcia prioritised the La Liga champions, reports. Barcelona will activate the shot-stopper's €25 million (£21m/$28m) release clause, with the player set to sign a five-year deal and join up with Hansi Flick’s squad ahead of pre-season.

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Garcia had previously been in advanced talks with Arsenal, who identified him as the ideal backup to David Raya. The Gunners had reportedly agreed on personal terms with the Spaniard last summer, but negotiations fell apart when they couldn’t match Espanyol’s valuation. City were reportedly also interested in Espanyol's young goalkeeper, seeing him as a potential option amid uncertainty over Ederson’s future. Pep Guardiola publicly praised Garcia but confirmed the club asked both of their current keepers to stay.

DID YOU KNOW?

Garcia's move from Espanyol to Barcelona marks a rare transfer between city rivals. The 24-year-old will become only the fourth player in the modern era to make a direct move between the two clubs.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR JOAN GARCIA?

Barcelona are expected to make the signing official in the coming days, with Garcia set to join the squad for pre-season. After completing this deal, the Catalan giants are likely to target more signings, with Marcus Rashford and Luis Diaz among the players being linked with a move to Camp Nou.

Nottinghamshire on top as seamer takes his third five-wicket haul of the season

ECB Reporters Network12-May-2023Nottinghamshire seamer Brett Hutton took his third five-wicket haul of the season to compound his former county’s ongoing batting woes on the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road.Hutton found plenty of movement under floodlights, cloudy skies and light rain to entice the batters into playing at balls outside off-stump and precipitate a Northamptonshire collapse as the Steelbacks lost seven wickets for 17 runs inside 12 overs before lunch, four batters falling without scoring.When Nottinghamshire batted, a typically aggressive Ben Duckett looked a different class as he made 39 despite the bowler friendly conditions, taking seven boundaries off his former county as Nottinghamshire raced to 50 off nine overs.Tom Taylor’s introduction into the attack threatened to cause an upset when the all-rounder removed both Duckett and Haseeb Hameed in his first over. Any hopes of making short work of the visitors were dashed thanks to a fluent fourth wicket stand of 68 between Joe Clarke (41 not out) and Matthew Montgomery (34).Earlier Northamptonshire opener Ricardo Vasconcelos impressed with 62, registering his second successive half-century of the season and sharing a third wicket partnership worth 77 with Saif Zaib. After the clatter of wickets, a spirited last-wicket partnership of 28 between Gareth Berg and Jack White, the second highest of the innings, took the hosts past 150.Northamptonshire had resumed on 86 for two after heavy rain restricted the opening day’s play to a single session. Despite Vasconcelos surviving two dropped catches on day one, he and Zaib looked solid early on.Vasconcelos reached his half-century with a clip off his legs which reached the boundary thanks to a miss field in the deep and survived another dropped catch when he was put down at short cover on 57.But while Vansconcelos enjoyed his luck, there was a procession of wickets at the other end against a disciplined Nottinghamshire seam attack.Zaib was the first to go, nicking Lyndon James to Duckett, the first of three slip catches for the England opener. Four balls later Hutton claimed his first scalp when he had Rob Keogh caught behind off the outside edge for 0. Steven Mullaney then got into the action, finding some late shape to trap James Sales lbw.Hutton found some more away movement to tempt Harry Gouldstone into prodding at one outside off-stump with Duckett taking a good low catch. He then saw off Taylor, also without scoring, Duckett again doing the honours.Vasconcelos’ near four-hour vigil finally came to an end when he too steered Hutton into the slips. Then, just before rain forced an early lunch, Jordan Buckingham was trapped lbw by Dane Paterson for 0. Berg hit a couple of lusty blows including a six over square leg before he was bowled to give Hutton his fifth wicket.When Nottinghamshire batted, Duckett was severe on anything loose, taking three leg-side boundaries off Berg’s opening two overs and punching him down the ground for four more, forcing the veteran seamer out of the attack.Northamptonshire missed a chance to remove Duckett on 27 when he nicked White at catchable height between keeper and first slip. Taylor made sure the miss was not too costly, getting his second delivery to angle back in and trap Duckett lbw. Hameed’s downfall came four balls later when Vasconcelos took a good low catch to give Taylor two wickets in his opening over. Jordan Buckingham was bowling a probing line and length from the opposite end and got his reward in the next over when Vasconcelos pouched another sharp slip catch.In a testing spell after tea, the increasingly unlucky White had two strong appeals for caught behind denied against Joe Clarke and saw the Nottinghamshire batter twice edge just wide of the slip cordon. Montgomery was harsh on Sales, cutting and pulling him for two boundaries in his opening over but the bowler got his man caught behind to break a dangerous partnership.

Lively Headingley pitch felt like home, enabling him to play strokes he would at the WACA

Andrew McGlashan06-Jul-20231:41

Reviewing day one as Wood and Marsh light up Headingley

Mitchell Marsh just wanted the chance to play one more Test for Australia. Four years had elapsed since his last outing and another allrounder had emerged, tipped to be a great player, but he kept hoping.At Headingley, where English allrounders have done a thing or two in the past in Ashes Tests, Marsh produced an innings to go alongside them. Whether it will win Australia the match, and the series with two games to spare, will become clearer on the second day, but without him they would likely have been a long way behind.”This thing,” Marsh said, pointing to his baggy green. “I wanted to wear it one more time and put it on again. There’s always times when you spend a lot of time away from the game where you think that you might not get back. It’s taken a lot of hard work.”I’m really proud to be able to get back in this team. I feel a part of the squad even though I haven’t played a lot of Test cricket over the last couple of years. And I think that’s a testament to our leadership. That’s why we’ve had a lot of guys come in and contribute at different times and certain guys play unbelievably well.”Related

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Mark Wood: 'When I'm at full biff, it's like a catapult'

Can you feel the love tonight, Mitchell Marsh?

Mitchell Marsh, Mark Wood stand out on rollercoaster day

Australia hopeful Green absence will be brief

The Ashes tour had long been in Marsh’s sights, so much so that he opted to miss a large part of the last Australian season to have ankle surgery to ensure he was fit. He now has all three of his Test centuries against England along with his lone five-wicket haul.”Ashes cricket is always something as a young kid you want to play in,” he said. “Coming in for lunch today [it] was probably some of the toughest conditions I’ve come in, in my Test career so far. Really proud of the work that I’ve done mentally to be able to overcome nerves and get into the contest as quickly as I possibly can. And I think that comes with a bit of age, bit of growth and probably a bit of time away from the game to work on certain things.”With Cameron Green now being an all-format cricketer, and coming off the back a full IPL, Marsh thought there was a chance he would be needed although joked that he had become the first man to score a Test hundred “on a UK holiday”.”My previous experience on long Test tours is you always get a chance at some stage,” he said. “Knew that Greeny was a little bit sore two days out, so I started to switch on a bit there. A day before the game… I knew that I was playing so it was nice to have a little bit of time to prepare mentally, for coming back into Test cricket.”The lively Headingley pitch also helped Marsh feel at home, enabling him to play the sort of strokes he would at home in Perth especially in the contest against Mark Wood, who rarely slipped below 90mph.”I probably just leaned on my experience of growing up at the WACA against fast bowling,” he said. “Sink or swim from a very early age. I thought it was a great contest between him and I.”I have done a lot of work on the mental side of my game. People always talk about going out and playing a natural game, which in the Test cauldron, it’s not always easy. But today was as natural as it gets for me. I felt like I trusted my defence when I needed to.”My technique’s not perfect, but I know when I move well enough and make good decisions mentally that I can defend balls and keep good balls out. Outside of that, I’m going play my shots and I got rewarded for that today.”Mitchell Marsh hammers a pull shot•Getty Images

Although many of the players still have families on the tour, Marsh’s weren’t at Headingley for the moment with his father, Geoff, having flown to Bali for his brother, Shaun’s, 40th birthday. Shaun posted on social media showing the families’ joyous celebrations.”Dad had just flown back… so he was mid-air when I found out that I was playing,” Marsh said. “But to be honest, I don’t think he was missing the 40th. That’s much more exciting. All my family and all of our close friends are celebrating there with Shaun so whilst they weren’t here, the video is bloody great.”On the prospect of what comes next having given the selectors a tough decision, Marsh remained phlegmatic about potentially being back in the reserves. “I wouldn’t mind going back to my UK holiday to be honest,” he said. “Greeny can come back in. But we’ll see what happens.”

Nathan Ellis produced two stunning death overs to condemn Somerset to their first defeat of this season’s Vitality Blast as Hampshire Hawks made it four wins on the bounce.Hampshire had got up to around par thanks to James Vince’s fifth 50-plus score of the tournament and Joe Weatherley’s unbeaten 59.Chasing 148 to win, Will Smeed cracked an exciting 52 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore kept Somerset on track with 43.But Australian quick Ellis went for three and four in the 17th and 19th overs to return one for 26, with Scott Currie defending 18 in the final over as Hampshire won by five runs.Hampshire had only failed to defend 178 at the Ageas Bowl once before in T20s but Tom Banton and Smeed were desperate to add to the Zak Crawley-inspired Kent eight-wicket destruction in 2020. The duo piled on 69 runs in the powerplay with inventiveness, power and clean ball striking.But Liam Dawson found a top edge out of Banton – who scored 31 in 21 balls – in the seventh over, only for his replacement Tom Kohler-Cadmore to blast Currie for three fours.Smeed had returned a modest 70 runs in his first six innings of the summer but dominated with seven fours and a pair of sixes in a 30-ball fifty. But he fell two balls later when slogging Mason Crane to deep mid-wicket.Sean Dickson lost his leg stump to John Turner, although Kohler-Cadmore heated up a lull with two huge sixes off Crane in the 16th over. But fell to a well-aimed Turner bouncer with 26 needed off 15 balls.Aneurin Donald pulled off a stunning catch to send away Tom Lammonby as Ellis’ 19th over only went for four to leave 19 required off the final Currie over.Lewis Gregory was run out and despite still going for 13, Currie and the Hawks came out victors to end Somerset’s six-game winning run.Having been invited to bat first, Ben McDermott pulled, cut and ramped a trio of boundaries but fell in the third over to Matt Henry.After his run of half-centuries was ended by Middlesex on Tuesday, Vince added Somerset to his victims this season, although with slightly less fluency than some of his imposing knocks earlier in the Blast.Three fours brought up 54 for one in the powerplay, with two more sixes to follow in his 37-ball fifty – although after hitting Roelof van der Merwe back over his head for his second maximum he failed to strike a boundary off his last 14 deliveries before holing out to long-on.Toby Albert had joined him in a 60 stand before falling to a swing to long on as Somerset took control of the middle overs thanks to Lewis Gregory, Ben Green and van der Merwe’s squeezing.Weatherley escaped the press firstly by carving van der Merwe twice to the cover boundary before upping the ante with two swats for six to take him to a 31-ball half-century.Ross Whiteley had run hard to help in a 73-run stand, although he only personally managed a scratchy 14 off 15 balls. Whiteley was brilliantly caught by Smeed on the boundary before Donald’s looping six over extra cover took the hosts to 178 for 4.