vera wasnt surprised with Ealys performance in the Sup

The 2016 NatWest T20 Blast gets underway with Essex taking on Surrey, live on Sky Sports 2 from 7pm on Friday. Ahead of the competition, weve asked Sky Sports Rob Key and Nasser Hussain to take a look at the North and South groups respectively, picking out their winners and ones to watch.Heres Nassers take on the southern sides, while click here for Robs thoughts on the northern teams... South Group winner…Im going to be a bit one-eyed and go with Essex. Theyre playing well at the moment, albeit in a different format, and havent lost any star names to the IPL or anything like that. With Ryan ten Doeschate, Ravi Bopara, Tom Westley and Jesse Ryder - plus Wahab Riaz to get the wickets - they look a strong outfit. They always tend to do well in the group stages but then their nemesis is the quarter-finals, but Im backing that to change this year.Quarter-final contenders…Surrey have a good combination of youth and experience, with Kumar Sangakkara complementing all the young talent coming through.Historically Hampshire have always played well in T20 cricket - they know and like the format - and have good overseas players in Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi, plus James Vince is a fantastic white-ball player and captain.Somerset have a small ground at Taunton, and so the Chris Gayle factor comes into play. Theyre another who always seem to do well in this format. Kumar Sangakkara will aid Surreys young stars Strugglers…Gloucestershire. I know they won the 50-over competition last year, but I think they just rely a little bit too much on Michael Klinger. As they showed last year, you shouldnt write off the glorious Gloucester - they are white-ball specialists - but I just think they might struggle. Glamorgan might also find it tough.Batting star…Brendon McCullum. He is with Middlesex this year, playing at Lords which is a small ground with a quick outfield. He is an absolute superstar and one of the great T20 players of all time. He will be fresh and raring to go, a man to look out for. Brendon McCullum is playing for Middlesex this term Bowling star…Mustafizur Rahman, the hugely talented left-armer. There is a little rumour that he might not be coming over - a bit tired after the IPL - but if he does come, as we saw when he played for Bangladesh at the World T20, he is a real handful with his variations, yorkers, and slower balls. He is a superb signing for Sussex, as long as he is not too exhausted.Gun fielder…Dwayne Bravo. He is all action in the field, the definition of a gun fielder, and a good dancer, too! Dwayne Bravo - a fantasy team must have Emerging talent…Ive got three. Young Tom Westley at Essex, I think it is his time and he is a very good batsman. With the ball there is Sam Curran at Surrey, although I dont think he will play until after his exams are finished. But hes a year older and will have put on an extra yard of pace, plus I like the left-arm variation.A real left-field one for you - a lad at Sussex called Jonty Jenner, from Jersey. He has been very good at their under-17 level. He is a batsman-wicketkeeper who may well come into their side - a modern, young, T20 player who can hit it 360 degrees.Fantasy team must-have…Dwayne Bravo, again. He gets wickets at the death with those dipping slower balls of his, hell get runs and is a gun fielder. All-round points is what you want from your fantasy team, so you have to get Bravo in there.Id like to see someone come in fancy dress as… Will anyone turn up dressed as David Lloyd? The king of T20, Bumble! Someone has to come dressed up as Bumble, talk like Bumble, commentate like Bumble, sing like Bumble and be as mad as Bumble!The 2016 NatWest T20 Blast gets underway with Essex taking on Surrey, live on Sky Sports 2 from 7pm on Friday. Also See: WATCH: Top Blast moments Live cricket on Sky WATCH: The Blast is back! Get Sky Sports Rick Adelman Jersey . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Oscar Robertson Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/1122b-travis-mays-jersey-kings.html . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Doug Christie Jersey . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. Bob Davies Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers third-year defensive end Kony Ealy is looking to parlay a huge performance in the Super Bowl into a super season in 2016.Had the Panthers defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50, theres a strong chance Ealy would have been named the games MVP. He was a terror on defense, sacking Peyton Manning three times and forcing two turnovers, including an interception after dropping back in coverage. The Panthers lost 24-10, but Ealy clearly had turned some heads.I gained a lot of confidence from that game, Ealy said. But I have always been a confident person. Now Im just really starting to apply it all. I am putting everything together.The Panthers hope he continues to do just that.The 24-year-old Ealy started nine games early last season after Charles Johnson was placed on short-term injured reserve with a hamstring injury. When Johnson came back, Ealy returned to a reserve role but didnt stop working to improve.He had a stretch during the regular season where he had a sack in five straight games, four of those as a starter. He took his game to an entirely different level in the Super Bowl.We all knew he had that type of game in him, and thats a tribute to how hard hes worked, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said of Ealys performance in the Super Bowl. Now were looking for consistency.With defensive end Jared Allen retiring, Ealy will have that chance.Hes penciled in to start opposite Johnson as Carolina looks to become the first team to return to the Super Bowl the year after losing the big game the year before since the Buffalo Bills in 1994.Ealy said while hes excited about being a starter, he hasnt set any personal goals for this season. Nor does he plan on it.Im just going to let my performance do the talking, Ealy said.The Panthers drafted the 6--foot-4, 275-pound Ealy in the second round in 2014 out of Missouri, feeling strongly at the time theyd gotten a first-round talent.dddddddddddd He managed 12 tackles and four sacks as a rookie. There were flashes of brilliance mixed in with a tendency to jump early on a hard count.You come in and, obviously, they draft you for talent, but the mental thing is the different part, Ealy said. Everybody doesnt come in mentally ready. I mean, I was just out there running around.Not anymore.Teammates describe him as being more poised, focused and mature than when he first arrived two years ago.He has to come back and build upon that (Super Bowl) now, Johnson said. He knows he can do it now, so that gives him a confidence boost. It will all be a credit to how he works.Coach Ron Rivera said every week during the season, Ealy did things to contribute and was letting us know that hes getting closer and closer.So Rivera wasnt surprised with Ealys performance in the Super Bowl.I think it was a culmination of things for him, Rivera said.Ealy views it more as a beginning.Hes eager for the season, and a chance to show everyone that his stellar performance was far from a fluke. He feels the more he plays, the better hes going to become.Its a process for everybody, Ealy said. Some people never get it. Some people get it, but it takes time. I was just one of those people who took some time to get it.Game notes Panthers Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen returned to practice after missing Saturdays preseason game against Tennessee with back spasms. Rivera hasnt ruled out Olsen for Friday nights game against the New England Patriots.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '