mpionship race here," Smith said. "The side note to

The international season got underway on Thursday, but lovers of the shortest form of the game are also well catered for on Sky Sports this summer, because the NatWest T20 Blast starts on Friday night. Matt Miazga Jersey . The tournament is set to play out in front of packed crowds with ticket sales up a third on last year, as fans eagerly book in advance to make sure they can watch some of the biggest names in world cricket.And Englands vibrant performances at the World T20 in India, where they reached the final before losing a thriller to West Indies, have really whetted the appetite for this years Blast. Six matches get the tournament going on Thursday night and the Sky Sports 2 cameras will be at Chelmsford to watch Essex Eagles take on Surrey under the floodlights.Essex are looking to reach finals day (Edgbaston, August 20) for the first time since 2013 and they have a squad packed with quality T20 performers.Former England man Ravi Bopara has taken over as one-day skipper and he will be joined in the side by other crowd pleasers such as Jesse Ryder, Ryan ten Doeschate, Graham Napier and experienced wicket-keeper James Foster. The T20 Blast is back this Friday as the Essex Eagles takes on Surrey, live on Sky Sports 2 from 7pm Most intriguingly of all, top-notch Pakistan international paceman Wahab Riaz is set to make his debut for the Eagles, having previously played for Kent and Surrey.Essex may also give a debut to another Pakistani in the shape of Ashar Zaidi, an all-rounder who was player of the tournament in the 2015 Bangladesh Premier League.However, the Eagles will have their work cut out on Friday against a Surrey side who can name one of the greatest batsmen of all time in their T20 squad. Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara is a prolific run scorer in all formats Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara has been in prolific form in the County Championship this summer but is also an excellent white ball performer, winning the man-of-the-match award in the World T20 final of 2014 after making an unbeaten half-century to steer his country to glory.Big-hitting Jason Roy played some superb innings for England in this years World T20 and is also a reliable source of runs at the top of the Surrey order.The duo will be key figures in a side which could also include Steven Davies, Azhar Mahmood and a pair of hugely exciting prospects in the shape of the Curran brothers, Sam and Tom. Big-hitting Chris Gayle was a big hit at Somerset last summer! Once the Indian Premier League has finished, some of the games biggest hitters will be heading around the other counties, headed by master blaster Chris Gayle, who will be back for a second spell with Somerset.The West Indian smashed 29 sixes in the tournament last year and several of Somersets home games have already sold out, with punters eager to watch Gayle - and the Sri Lankan great Mahela Jaywardene.Other household names who will be in action at various times during the Blast will be Brendon McCullum (Middlesex), Shahid Afridi and Darren Sammy (both Hampshire), Ross Taylor (Sussex) and Dale Steyn (Glamorgan). Lancashire ran out deserved winners of the Blast in 2015 Top-class New Zealand opener Martin Guptill will be at Lancashire Lightning, and it is easy to argue that last years winners go into the tournament as the team to beat once again.Guptil will be joined in the batting line-up by Englands Jos Buttler, one of the most destructive T20 players on the planet on his day, and the Lightning also have an array of spinners well-versed in keeping things tight under pressure.Dont miss Essex Eagles v Surrey in the T20 Blast, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 7pm on Friday. Also See: Glamorgan to unveil Steyn WATCH: Top Blast catches of 2015 WATCH: Blast funnies 2015 WATCH: Top Blast moments Sean Johnson Jersey .com) - Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. Shaquell Moore Jersey . According to Tony Barrett of The Times, the Liverpool captain is set to announce that he will leave the club at the end of the 2014-15 season. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night.LOUDON, N.H. -- Brad Keselowski had a couple of impressive performances at New Hampshire. Its the victory celebration that again gave him fits. Keselowski topped all the fields Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including a dominant run in his Nationwide Series victory. Keselowski also led the speed charts during both Sprint Cup practices. Throw in the pole for the Nationwide race and that made the Team Penske driver a neat 4 for 4. Simply perfect. "Well a hell of a Saturday," Keselowski said. His only hiccup came when he dropped the American flag out of his No. 22 Ford. The flag rested on the track before it was retrieved by an official to let the victory celebration continue. "It was really windy and my hands been sore," he said. "I took my hand off the flag for the second and the wind ripped it out. It wasnt one of my prouder moments." Keselowski still needs work on his victory laps. He needed four stitches to close a wound he received during his Victory Lane celebration in the Sprint Cup race at Kentucky. He tried to open the bottle of champagne by hitting it against a podium, and the bottle broke and cut his hand. Keselowski led 153 of the 200 laps in his second Nationwide win of the season. Darlington Nagbe Jersey. He also won at Phoenix and hasnt finished worse than third in six races this season. "I enjoy this series and feel lucky I am allowed to compete in it," he said. He is a star off the track, as well -- Keselowski appears as himself Tuesday on the "Sullivan & Son" show on TBS. Kyle Busch avoided disaster late in the race when he connected with James Buescher trying to make an outside pass and finished second. He starts on the pole for Sundays Cup race. Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher completed the top five. Regan Smith was seventh and won $100,000 in the first event in the four-race "Dash 4 Cash" program that could award up to $1 million to a series regular. Smith, the series points leader, was presented with an oversized check on pit road and joked he wanted to make an immediate bank deposit. "We struggled in traffic more than we needed to and I guess weve got to figure that out soon because weve got a championship race here," Smith said. "The side note today is the $100,000." Not a bad consolation prize. ' ' '