What the back pages of the papers say - July 8

English cricket was left open to ridicule last night when a prestigious Twenty20 Cup quarter-final was farcically postponed due to a player eligibility dispute arising from a match 11 days ago. Thousands of spectators had arrived at the Riverside for Durham's showdown with Yorkshire and many more were pouring into the ground when the game was called off, eight minutes after the scheduled start time.

Also: Steve Sidwell will be signed by Aston Villa as skipper Gareth Barry's direct replacement in the next 48 hours.

Sunderland and Wigan are closing in on Everton striker Andy Johnson after indicating they are prepared to match the £10million asking price.

Say you'll be mine: Jose wants Lampard at Inter

THE TIMES

The most lucrative competition in county cricket history was thrown into chaos last night when the Twenty20 Cup quarter-final between Durham Dynamos and Yorkshire Carnegie was abandoned 10 minutes before it was due to start because Yorkshire had fielded an ineligible player in a group match 11 days ago.

THE GUARDIAN

The Twenty20 Cup was reduced to chaos and county cricket left facing a legal minefield last night as Yorkshire's quarter-final against Durham was postponed minutes before the scheduled start because they had fielded an ineligible player nine days earlier in the competition. Azeem Rafiq, a 17-year-old off-spinner who moved to Barnsley from Pakistan in 2001, played in a crucial group game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on June 27 without being properly registered.

Also: Manchester United's fractious relationship with Real Madrid has been further tested by the latest provocative remarks from the Spanish club about the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.

THE SUN

Inter Milan want Frank Lampard to tell Big Phil Scolari: I'm off. Scolari faces a nightmare start to his reign as Chelsea boss as the Italian giants step up their bid to lure Lamps to the San Siro.

Also: Alex Ferguson had the phone glued to his ear yesterday to find out what dirty tricks Real Madrid were up to in their latest bid to land Cristiano Ronaldo.

DAILY MIRROR

Alexander Hleb last night began a blatant attempt to force Arsenal to sell him as he claimed Arsene Wenger would never agree with him and accused Cesc Fabregas of being greedy. The Belarus midfielder is desperate to secure a move from the Emirates to Barcelona, with the Catalan giants prepared to pay £15million to land him.

Also: Aston Villa's training yesterday was dogged by a pitch invasion - two giant, snarling Rottweilers.

DAILY STAR

Chelsea and Inter Milan were last night at loggerheads over Frank Lampard. The Italian champions claim they have made an £8million bid for the Blues and England midfielder.

Also: Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has taunted Manchester United by claiming: "Cristiano Ronaldo will decide his future, not you!"

THE INDEPENDENT

Luiz Felipe Scolari has told Chelsea that he wants Frank Lampard to stay at the club, but stopped short yesterday of holding one-to-one talks with the midfielder on his first day back for pre-season training. It seems certain that Lampard's future will be decided within the next two weeks after Internazionale finally tabled a bid for the England international.

DAILY EXPRESS

Andrei Arshavin's move to the Premier League hinges on the futures of Frank Lampard and Alexander Hleb. Russia's Euro 2008 star Arshavin has been banned from training with the rest of the Zenit St Petersburg squad while he sorts out where he will play next season.

Also: Chaos and confusion engulfed the Twenty20 Cup last night when Yorkshire's quarter-final at Durham was called off just before the start because of an ineligible player.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal has been told to rest his injured knee before preparing an assault on Roger Federer's US Open crown. The 22-year-old Spaniard, who won an epic five-set thriller against Federer to win his first Wimbledon title, is now out to end the Swiss star's run of four successive victories at Flushing Meadows and claim the top spot in the rankings of men's tennis.