VIRGINIA WATER, England – After completing his FedExCup-winning season at East Lake and adding his third Player of the Year Award to his resume, Rory McIlroy’s season was far from over.

Like many Europeans, the Northern Irishman had to turn his attention to the European Tour and the remaining Race to Dubai, but McIlroy eyed a different goal. After ending 2018 ranked eighth in the world, he set his sights on regaining the top spot in the ranking.

“There are always goals, they just need to be reset,” McIlroy said. “I don’t know if it’s a realistic target to get to No. 1, but I can get closer.”

McIlroy took a small step in that direction on Sunday at the BMW PGA Championship with a closing 67 that lifted him into a tie for ninth following a poor start to the week.

He will have plenty of chances to close on current world No. 1 Brooks Koepka in the ranking with starts planned at next week’s Dunhill Links Championship followed by the ZoZo Championship next month in Japan and the WGC-HSBC Champions in China before finishing the year at the European Tour’s finale in Dubai.

“If someone had of told me I'd have a chance of finishing in the top-10, I would have taken it [after starting the week with a 76],” McIlroy said. “To play like this over the weekend, even to just grind it out and be here for the weekend and make the most of opportunity, proud of myself just how I hung in there.”

VIRGINIA WATER, England – After starting the final round at the BMW PGA Championship tied for the lead, Danny Willett moved ahead with early birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 but it was the par-4 11th hole that proved to be pivotal for the Englishman.

Two strokes clear of Jon Rahm through 10 holes, Willett’s drive sailed deep into the woods left of the 11th fairway and his recovery shot clipped a tree and dropped into a deep lie. That’s when things became tense for the Englishman.

After hitting his third shot from the rough Willett seemed to injure his right wrist.

“It was a little bit funky for 20 minutes, so I popped a couple [Advil] and did some stretches that would somewhat ease it off, but it was a little sneaky for a little bit there,” said Willett, who has a history of back injuries.

With Rahm facing a birdie putt Willett rolled in a 45-footer for bogey to avoid a potential two-stroke swing and the Spaniard missed his birdie attempt.

“I believe that 11th hole was the key moment of the match,” Rahm said. “That was at least a one-shot swing right there and if he doesn't make it, I'm putting more relaxed without the whole crowd going crazy. That was a key moment of the match.”

The Solheim Cup is still fresh on everyone's minds, one lucky player wins a car with a mishit and Danny Willett returns to the winner's circle in style. All that and plenty more in this edition of Quotes of the Week.

“I watched and I don't want to single out particular people, but I watched a lot of the Solheim Cup at the weekend, and it was really slow. As much as you want to sit there and watch and support the European girls, like it's just hard not to get frustrated with it.” – Rory McIlroy, on the pace of play at the Solheim Cup.

“I hit it and I thought I had pulled it. Thankfully the wind was off the left, so I sort of looked away. Obviously dead center.” – Ross Fisher, on his 4-iron from 225 yards on the 18^th hole Saturday at the BMW Championship that dropped in for an albatross and won him a BMW i8.

“Given the nature of my injury, I will likely not return until the start of next year. The time off will give me the chance to get healthy and stronger, and to spend time with my family.” – Stacy Lewis, announcing she will likely miss the rest of this season recuperating from the rib cage injury that led to her withdrawal from the Solheim Cup last week.

"Every time you play in a stage bigger than what you're used to, it's going to help you. I'll talk to my parents and manager and we'll get through it.” – 17-year-old Akshay Bhatia, after missing the cut in his pro debut at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

“Doesn’t get much better, does it?” – Danny Willett, after winning the BMW PGA Championship in front of his home fans in England.

"Obviously being in featured pairings, it all led to other things. At first I didn't feel like it affected me, but on the inside I think it did. I had expectations, kind of putting extra pressure, kind of worrying about things I wasn't worrying about at all last year and in the beginning of the fall." – Cameron Champ, on his struggles since breaking through for his first win in his rookie year. Champ finished T-35 in his title defense this week.

“And I told my husband, ‘Nothing will ever beat this, so I think we can just say enough is enough.’ And that’s me … It was impulsive. Nobody knew, not even I knew. It got to me – during those next couple of minutes after that putt was holed. I have no regrets.” – Suzann Pettersen, on her decision to retire from professional golf after holing the deciding putt for Europe in the Solheim Cup.

“Those par 5s, you can make up a lot of ground or it can bite you in the butt.” – Billy Horschel, on Wentworth’s unique back-to-back closing par 5s for the BMW PGA Championship.

“There are always goals, they just need to be reset. I don’t know if it’s a realistic target to get to No. 1, but I can get closer.” – Rory McIlroy, after finishing T-9 at the BMW PGA Championship.

Ten-man Arsenal twice battled back from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late free kick securing the points in a thriller at the Emirates on Sunday.

John McGinn gave Villa a 20th-minute lead and Arsenal's task became even harder when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was shown a second yellow card 20 minutes later.

Arsenal ratings: Pepe, Guendouzi emerge out of unlikely win

However, the hosts equalised on the hour with a Nicolas Pepe penalty only for Villa to lead again through Wesley before Calum Chambers got the Gunners level once more in the 81st minute.

Aubameyang completed an unlikely victory three minutes later as Arsenal became only the ninth team to win a Premier League game having had a man sent off while trailing.

It also extended his hot streak to 16 goals in his last 16 appearances across all competitions.

While victory was a welcome bonus that took Arsenal up to fourth spot, manager Unai Emery said he was disappointed with the way his side had played with 11 men on the pitch.

"When it was 11 vs. 11 we didn't control the match how we wanted because we lost a lot of balls," the Spaniard said.

"For the second half we needed to play first with the head but also with our heart. The team spirit was amazing. We need to continue working and improving things."

Arsenal's defensive weakness was exposed when Anwar El Ghazi's dangerous ball into the area was touched home by McGinn.

Arsenal were then reduced to 10 men when Maitland-Niles got a second booking after a rash sliding tackle left him and Neil Taylor in a heap.

Despite being a man down, the hosts dominated possession and got back on level terms when Pepe converted from the penalty spot for his first Arsenal goal after midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was fouled in the area by Bjorn Engels.

Villa restored their lead almost immediately when Jack Grealish sliced through some non-existent Arsenal tackling and squared for Wesley to beat goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Chambers replied again for the hosts after Villa failed to clear their lines and Aubameyang then produced a masterful free kick to seal a remarkable win for Emery's side who moved up to fourth with 11 points, seven off leaders Liverpool.

Villa, who had a late penalty appeal for handball rejected, are third from bottom with four points after a fourth defeat in six matches.

"I am bitterly disappointed. We lost our structure for periods in the second half," Villa boss Dean Smith said.

"First half we were on the front foot and looked solid. It always going to be a tough game but we will never get a better chance to win."

Leaders Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season as they staved off a second-half fight back from Chelsea to secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge that left them five points clear at the summit.

Liverpool opened a two-goal lead in the first half as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino found the net from clever free kicks, before Juergen Klopp's side showed just enough resilience after the break to keep Chelsea at bay.

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It was a sixth straight league win from the start of the campaign for the European champions and extended their club-record streak to 15 in total.

The victory, however, owed as much to their steely work ethic under pressure as their more heralded attacking attributes.

"The boys did really well and fought really hard. I don't think there is any other way to win here," Klopp said.

Chelsea made a spirited fightback in the second half, pulling a goal back with a superb effort from N'Golo Kante, but they missed late chances to equalise and fell to a second defeat of the season that left them 10 points off the pace in 11th.

For Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, there were numerous positives to take from the game, even if his side are still without a home league win this season.

"It is hard to accept congratulations after a loss, but the second-half display is close to where we want to be," he said.

Liverpool began the match at a frenetic pace as the intensity of their pressing game kept Chelsea pegged firmly against the ropes, struggling to hold onto possession or build any momentum, and it was not long until the pressure told.

Mohamed Salah backheeled a free kick to Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the box, who let fly with his right foot, drilling the ball past goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to give the visitors the lead after 14 minutes.

Despite being second best for much of the first half, Chelsea still had their moments.

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They were denied an equaliser by VAR after 26 minutes when Cesar Azpilicueta bundled the ball in only for replays to show that Mason Mount had strayed a fraction offside in the build-up, swiftly curtailing the home crowd's raucous celebrations.

Salt was then rubbed into the wound when Liverpool doubled their lead four minutes later.

Alexander-Arnold tapped a free kick on the left to Andy Robertson, whose cross was met by Firmino and he powered his header home from close range.

Liverpool should have added to their advantage early in the second half when Firmino was left unmarked at the far post but he scuffed his volley and the Brazilian's effort was parried away by Arrizabalaga before Chelsea began to find their feet.

Kante pulled one back in spectacular fashion, turning midfielder Fabinho, before attacking the heart of the visitors' defence and curling the ball into the far corner, before further chances came and went.

Substitute Michy Batshuayi headed wide after 88 minutes and Mount scooped a Marcos Alonso cross over the bar at the death to leave the home side rueing their missed opportunities.

Chelsea are still yet to win at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard following another defeat on home soil. League leaders Liverpool left west London with all three points in a 2-1 win though but the Blues did have a real go after a rallying second-half performance.

In the end, Chelsea were left to rue a crucial miss and a disallowed goal in the first half when only a goal down. First Tammy Abraham missed a one-on-one against Adrian on 24 minutes before Cesar Azpilicueta's "equaliser" was ruled out by VAR after Mason Mount was adjudged to be offside in the build-up. Liverpool then hit the Blues with a sucker punch and while N'Golo Kante pulled a goal back in the second half, Chelsea were unable to find the second they needed.

Positives

The Blues managed to create chances against the league leaders. Abraham's one-on-one in the first half followed an incisive pass through the lines from Andreas Christensen. Chelsea also put the Liverpool defence under pressure and thought they'd scored until Azpilicueta's goal was ruled out by VAR, and in the second half Kante scored with his second shot at goal. It bodes well for games against lesser teams moving forward.

Negatives

Chelsea will be enthused by the performance but ultimately two errors cost them. First, a costly free-kick conceded on the edge of the area, and then failing to pick up Roberto Firmino on a well-worked set-piece. Both lapses proved the difference.

Manager rating (out of 10)

6 -- Lampard's plans were scuppered firstly after conceding so early and again when two of his four starting defenders had to be replaced with injury. His side did look dangerous when going forward and he did manage to change the course of the game in the second half. Chelsea piled on the pressure after the break but were unable to find a second goal.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Kepa Arrizabalaga, 7 -- The Spaniard could do little about Trent Alexander-Arnold's free-kick or Firmino's header, but he made a great save with a strong wrist to his left from the Brazilian international's volley straight after the break. He then showed great reflexes to save to his right at full stretch to prevent an own goal later in the second half.

DF Cesar Azpilicueta, 6 -- An interesting afternoon for the skipper. He made a key intervention to deny Sadio Mane in the opening five minutes and then thought he'd scored an equaliser with the score at 1-0, but the goal was ruled out by VAR.

DF Andreas Christensen, 5 -- The Dane gave away the free-kick on the edge of area that led to the goal from Alexander-Arnold after 13 mins. He thought he'd made amends by supplying Abraham for Chelsea's best chance of the first half, his clinical through-ball opening up Liverpool's defence. Made a crucial block to deny Salah before the break but injured himself in the process and had to be replaced.

DF Fikayo Tomori, 5 -- Had a solid game and looked tidy when covering at the back, managing to keep Salah quiet on numerous occasions. He was booked for a strong challenge on Jordan Henderson. Got a standing ovation from the home fans for a challenge on Salah.

DF Emerson Palmieri, 4 -- The Brazilian defender was under pressure as Liverpool started the game the stronger of the two sides, but he had to be replaced after 15 minutes having picked up an injury.

MF N'Golo Kante, 5 -- The Frenchman returned to the side with a goal. He was well marshalled by the Liverpool midfield in the first half but found more space to get forward in the second. He came close with a strike after the break that had Adrian scrambling across his goal line, then scored with a clever right-footed finish when running into the area.

MF Jorginho, 5 -- The midfielder probed but was unable to make a real impact. He often picked up the ball in deep positions and found joy with a cross-field ball to his left on numerous occasions. However, his final ball was often inaccurate.

MF Mateo Kovacic, 4 -- The former Real Madrid man endured a tough game against Fabinho & Co. Was booked late in the game and struggled to assert himself overall.

FW Willian, 5 -- The Brazilian was the key to what Chelsea believed was the equaliser in the first half. He found himself in acres of space inside the Liverpool box and crossed into the area, where Azpilicueta netted before his effort was ruled out.

FW Tammy Abraham, 6 -- Often isolated in attack, but broke Liverpool's high line to go one-on-one with Adrian in the first half after having left Virgil Van Dijk behind. He managed to find space behind Liverpool's back line on numerous occasions but was frequently caught offside. Missed with a header on the stroke of half-time after evading Joel Matip.

FW Mason Mount, 5 -- The youngster was busy but unable to make a huge impact. He worked well to keep the ball on occasions but couldn't get himself in dangerous positions to hurt the Liverpool defence. His highlight was a good run and cross after 10 minutes.

Substitutes

DF Marcos Alonso, 6 -- Came on after 15 minutes and attacked down the left within a minute of coming on. He failed to pick up Firmino for Liverpool's second goal, but was an attacking threat on the left all afternoon.

DF Kurt Zouma, 5 -- The defender had a solid game after he came on and the Chelsea defence rarely looked troubled.

MF Michy Batshuayi, 6 -- Came on to replace Abraham and came close with a header three minutes from time. Caused Liverpool problems.

VAR controversy struck again as Liverpool went five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Cesar Azpilicueta thought he'd levelled the scores after some penalty area pinball, but the goal was chalked off with Mason Mount's left foot adjudged to have been inches offside in the build-up play.

That came after Trent Alexander-Arnold had crashed home the game's opening goal following a stunning free-kick, before Adrian produced a smart save with his legs to superbly deny Tammy Abraham from close range. And with the Blues still reeling, Roberto Firmino made it 2-0 with a powerful header from Andy Robertson's cross, before N'Golo Kante pulled one back in the second half with a superb finish of his own.

Positives

Liverpool's attacking play was nothing short of superb in the first half and the visitors had two excellent goals to show for it. Firminho caused endless problems, while Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson again showcased their brilliance down the flanks.

Adrian will also take confidence from an inspired display between the sticks as he continues to deputise in Alisson's absence. Most importantly, Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the table with their first win at Stamford Bridge in three attempts.

Negatives

For all their attacking quality, there were moments when Liverpool struggled to cope with the pace and directness of the Chelsea attack. Both Mount and Abraham looked to be particularly troublesome for the hosts, while Marcos Alonso's overlapping runs created a real dilemma for Alexander-Arnold.

The Reds always looked fragile at the back as Chelsea hurled the kitchen sink and everything in it at their opponents, and Kante was given far too much room to fire a fine effort into the top corner.

Manager rating (out of 10)

6 -- Despite the excellent form of Mount and Abraham, the Reds boss Jurgen Klopp opted for a positive approach and was rewarded for his optimism as his side earned a hard-fought win. With that said, that same mentality left his side a little exposed to a barrage of Chelsea attacks, but the German used his substitutions wisely as he looked to tighten things up at the back.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Adrian, 7 -- Ice-cool to lift the calmest pass you'll ever see over the head of Abraham before thwarting the latter moments later with an excellent save from close-range. Later denied Alonso with a stunning save but the Chelsea man had drifted offside anyway.

DF Trent Alexander-Arnold, 7 -- Hammered an emphatic strike into the top corner after a delightful Mohammed Salah lay-off from a well-worked free-kick. Caused Chelsea endless problems down the right in another tireless performance, but there were moments when he still looked vulnerable around his own penalty area.

DF Joel Matip, 5 -- Had to endure some mightily tough spells as Chelsea looked to bombard the Liverpool box on the break. Never really look comfortable and was lucky to see Mount miss the target from close range after leaving him completely unmarked.

DF Virgil van Dijk, 6 -- One of the busier afternoons the towering Dutchman will have this season. Given a torrid time along with his centre-back partner and he'll be happy to escape with with three points.

DF Andrew Robertson, 7 -- Did superbly to flick Mount's enticing ball away from danger with Willian waiting to pounce. Whipped in a superb delivery for Firmino to double Liverpool's lead and produced a brilliant run late on to relieve the pressure and drag his side over the line.

MF Georginio Wijnaldum, 5 -- A quiet first-half display but more involved after the break. Sent a wild effort high and wide from just outside the box as Liverpool looked to kill the game off.

MF Fabinho, 5 -- Showed excellent feet and acceleration to tee up Sadio Mané on the edge of the box in the move that led to the game's opener, but guilty of giving Kante an abundance of space to fire home a Chelsea lifeline.

MF Jordan Henderson, 5 -- A typically industrious display from the Liverpool skipper but struggled to give his side a foothold in the second-half. Replaced by Adam Lallana in the 84th minute.

FW Mohammed Salah, 7 -- Produced some exquisite build-up play in the games early stages and teed up Alexander-Arnold with a perfectly-weighted back-heel. Had a sloppier second-half and was replaced by Joe Gomez in stoppage time.

FW Roberto Firmino, 8 -- Another excellent performance. Doubled Liverpool's lead with a brilliant header and was only denied a second by the brilliance of Kepa.

FW Sadio Mane, 5 -- Never seems to stop working. Drew the foul that led to Alexander-Arnold's stunner but had a quiet second half and was replaced by James Milner in the 71st minute.

Substitutes

DF Joe Gomes, NR -- Replaced Salah in the 92nd minute. No time to make an impact.

MF James Milner, NR -- Replaced Mane in the 71st minute. Hustled and bustled down the left as Liverpool looked to regain some authority.

MF Adam Lallana, NR -- Replaced Henderson in the 84th minute as Liverpool looked to tighten things up. Minimal time to make an impact but helped his side over the line.

LONDON -- There was a time when Manchester United would lose at places like West Ham and it was considered a shock. Not anymore.

They lost at the London Stadium last season and, on the basis of that and Sunday's 2-0 defeat, it is likely they will lose here again before re-establishing themselves as Premier League title challengers. It has been a long six years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired a champion, and the road back to the top does not look like it's coming to an end soon.

The truth is the United fans, who travelled south from Manchester early on Sunday, did not learn anything new. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team is, for the most part, capable defensively but does not create enough chances or score enough goals. It was the same against Leicester eight days ago and, indeed, against Astana in the Europa League on Thursday.

While both of those matches ended in 1-0 wins, this time it was two West Ham players -- Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell -- who engineered the only moments of genuine quality and United were beaten instead of scrapping out a narrow victory. Solskjaer can have no complaints and the bottom line is that there will be more days like this before his side turns a corner.

They kicked off having scored more Premier League goals versus West Ham than against any other team, but that is a stat from a different era. This United lined up without an away win in any competition since March -- some 200 days ago at Paris Saint-Germain -- and without a clean sheet outside Old Trafford since visiting Fulham in February.

They are still waiting. This latest defeat equalled a club record of seven straight away games in the league without a win and meant they have scored more than one goal in only one of their last 11 league games.

The summer transfer business tells everything about the strengths and weaknesses of the squad. Solskjaer spent £130 million on Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and there has been improvement defensively.

But Ander Herrera left for PSG and, with no replacement signed, United look weaker in midfield. More strikingly, forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez departed for Inter, with only £15 million youngster Dan James coming in to offset the loss.

It should be no surprise, then, that United do not look like they will concede many but can be overrun in midfield and struggle to make things happen at the other end.

It said everything about the health of the squad that, for the final 10 minutes, United chased an equaliser with Jesse Lingard at centre-forward supported by James, Andreas Pereira and Angel Gomes. Marcus Rashford had already limped off to join a growing injury list that includes Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Mason Greenwood.

From the point at which Rashford exited, the only team that looked like scoring was West Ham. And, with six minutes remaining, Cresswell delivered with a wonderful free-kick from 25 yards to add to Yarmolenko's 44th-minute opener and end any lingering uncertainty about the result.

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Solskjaer insists that this is just the first step of the rebuild and has said repeatedly that he cannot transform United into title challengers overnight. On that, he is right. Next summer he will look to sign a new midfielder and another forward, but the question is whether he will get time to implement the second phase of his plan.

He has gambled that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the Glazer family see things as he does, but club accountants will be aware that another season outside the Champions League will result in a cut in the money they receive from kit manufacturer Adidas. After six games, they are seventh in the table with games against Arsenal and Liverpool to come before the end of October.

"This group, they want to do what we are trying to do," Solskjaer said at full-time. "There are key moments in games and maybe a bad decision or pass but the attitude and desire is there -- that is not the problem. It is the quality in our decision making and execution."

The West Ham fans inside the London Stadium spent most of the game chanting "You're not famous anymore" at away supporters tucked in the corner. United are still famous -- enough to still attract huge sponsorship deals -- but in Premier League terms, they are no longer special.

That title belongs to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, with Solskjaer's side United among another six teams who could finish this season anywhere between third and eighth. Asked before the game about his former club's prospects, Jose Mourinho said on British broadcaster Sky Sports that he expected them to finish between fourth and sixth; it is hard to argue with that assessment.

The truth is that fourth and a return to the Champions League would be a success. Roy Keane, in the same studio as Mourinho, suggested that that would never have been accepted in the United dressing room of which he was part.

That, though, was 20 years ago. This is a different time and victories over West Ham, let alone title challenges, are no longer a given.

It is a curious truth that whenever one of cricket's prized formats has been challenged in recent years it has often responded in a manner illustrating its value. In 2016 the decision was taken to reduce the number of County Championship matches to 14; then came Middlesex v Yorkshire at Lord's, the best climax to an English season for many years and a game so fine it even inspired an excellent book: Duncan Hamilton's Kings of Summer.

This year a prevailing enthusiasm among some propeller heads was a reduction in the length of Test matches to four days; so we had the most closely contested Ashes series for a decade, one in which three of the five matches had the temerity to extend themselves into a fifth day.

Next year, of course, The Hundred is to be played in the weeks hitherto reserved for the Vitality Blast. Having marketed T20 cricket superbly and seen it attract record attendances at almost all venues, the counties must now try to sell a second short-form competition much earlier in the summer at a time when many GCSE and A Level examinations are taking place. Good luck. The response of the Blast was to offer a glorious Finals Day at Edgbaston, where two of the three matches went to the last ball and one of those games, the Worcestershire Rapids v Notts Outlaws semi-final, gave us one of the most bizarre finishes in the history of T20 cricket.

"T20 Finals Day is back-slapping, brightly-coloured, belching, beery England in all its unapologetic finery"

Old coaches and players are wont to suggest this is another example of the power of "Mother Cricket", a strange force by which the game rewards those who respect it and punishes those who do not. More rational individuals view this contention as so much hokum yet even they would agree that in the summer prior to the greatest change in the English domestic game for a generation we have had a season so fine that no one outside the ECB sees any need for fundamental alteration.

The Vitality Blast has played its part in all this. T20 Finals Day is utterly unlike any other occasion in the sporting year. It is back-slapping, brightly-coloured, belching, beery England in all its unapologetic finery. Decorum? Don't even think about it. Subtlety? Not unless you are referring to Pat Brown's knuckle balls or Ravi Bopara's judgement of an innings. Some people will never warm to T20 cricket yet even they admit the importance of the income the competition generates and concede that it has refined and extended many skills. How many misfields do you recall from this year's Finals Day? How many dropped catches?

And it is even more important to recognise The Blast's value because it appears under challenge; because, so the argument goes, if the ECB can use The Hundred to kill The Blast it will foreshadow the introduction of a hierarchy of ten or so first-class teams with the smaller counties permanently relegated or forced out of business altogether: counties like Essex, who won The Blast and may well win the County Championship, the greatest prize of all; counties like Somerset, who won the Royal London One-Day Cup; counties like Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire, who are on the verge of promotion to Division One; counties like Derbyshire, who so relished their first Finals Day; counties like Leicestershire, who continue to nurture great talents like Hasan Azad and Harry Swindells.

Great God, this is poisonous stuff. And a simple press release from the ECB would be a most powerful antidote to it all.

For the moment, though, we still have Finals Day and even the sceptics should treasure it a little. Sir John Betjeman would have loved the whole ridiculous rigmarole. Even though he knew next to nothing about cricket, that fine poet always appreciated English people displaying all their daft exuberance; the lines of people in fancy dress doing some version of the conga would, I suspect, have brought forth howls of laughter from him. Though capable of serious poetry, he relished popular entertainment - Coronation Street in its golden years was a great favourite - and Edgbaston on the third Saturday in September is a right royal knees-up.

And of course it is bloody daft. From the first chorus of the morning to the final spray of champagne it is gloriously unhinged. You cannot stage an obstacle race between 18 adult humans, most of them dressed in felt animal costumes, and hope that it will look anything but absolutely bonkers. You cannot celebrate the fall of every wicket by sending people hurtling into the air in a glass pod - it is called the Bungee Blast - and think you are presenting an image of maturity.

You cannot hire Mr Motivator - ask your parents - to exhort 6,000 people in the Hollies Stand to exercise when most of the people he is encouraging have been drinking for England and many are dressed as bananas / Donald Trump / chickens / Roman Catholic priests, and still hope to look sensible. Someone might have suggested to the ECB that it is tricky to exercise when you cannot stand upright. But never mind, welcome to Birmingham's House of Fun.

It is also about the beauty of seeing a great city in its crepuscular light; the beauty of seeing Birmingham's great business houses disappear into the darkness until they are revealed only by tiny pinpricks of red. The English season should always end with the last day of the County Championship but there is a certain elegiac richness about this particular Saturday evening. Gone is the expectation of early morning. All we have before us is the season's final game of short-form cricket.

And so we are left with the cricketers. They must always have the final word. We are left with Worcestershire's Daryl Mitchell going over to his team-mate, Wayne Parnell, when he has been hit for four off the penultimate ball of the Final. We are left with Simon Harmer returning to console Parnell when his blows off that bowler have secured the trophy for Essex. And we are left with Harmer telling the press that his team will celebrate their victory properly but will not "go nuclear". Many of the 24,550 folk at Edgbaston, on the other hand, have been going nuclear all day. The first beach-ball was confiscated at 11.24am. Freddie the Falcon won the Mascots' Race.

Two new teams - Qalandars and Bangla Tigers - will take part in this year's T10 League in Abu Dhabi. The latest team, Qalandars, was unveiled on Sunday, with Shahid Afridi signing on as the franchise's icon player.

"I was very excited to be a part of it (T10) from the time I heard it was going to be played in Abu Dhabi," Afridi said at a press conference in Abu Dhabi. "The first two editions of T10 were in Sharjah and now it is in Abu Dhabi. We will be here to provide fans all the entertainment in this short format of the game.

"T10 is a different concept where batsmen will have to have a go from the start. It's good to have some variety for the fans."

Qalandars have close links with their Pakistan Super League (PSL) namesake Lahore Qalandars, with the Pakistani businessman Fawad Rana serving as chairman of both teams. Rana had also invested in a franchise, Durban Qalandars, in the stillborn T20 Global League in South Africa, which later gave way to the Mzansi Super League (MSL).

Bangla Tigers, owned by Bangladeshi businessmen Yasin Chowdhury and Sirajuddin Alam, a former BCB director, were unveiled on Thursday.

The league had previously included a team named Bengal Tigers, but that team - owned by the India-based Danube Group - have since changed their name to Delhi Bulls. The erstwhile Sindhis franchise, meanwhile, have been rebranded following a takeover by the Indian businessman Gaurav Grover, and will now be called Deccan Gladiators.