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USA secured the Auty Cup for the first time in 26 years after defeating Canada by 23 runs in the series decider at King City

Peter Della Penna at King City15-Sep-2017USA celebrate after securing the Auty Cup for the first time since 1991 with a series win over Canada•Peter Della Penna

The left-arm spin duo of Nosthush Kenjige and Nisarg Patel took three wickets apiece in USA’s animated defense of 178 to rally their side past Canada by 23 runs. The win secured the Auty Cup for USA – for the first time in 26 years – with a 2-1 series victory at Maple Leaf Cricket Club.Canada were 77 for 3 in the 23rd over of the chase before USA roared back into the match behind Nisarg’s match-turning spell. Nisarg’s first blow was struck with the dismissal of Usman Limbada for 24, who fished at a wider ball and fended an edge behind to captain Ibrahim Khaleel. As Nisarg’s spell continued, the third-day pitch showed progressively more turn as well as variable bounce that was fully exploited.Nisarg continued to attack the stumps with a series of strong lbw shouts denied to the frustration of Khaleel, who received a series of warnings from the on-field umpires for excessive appealing and dissent after the not out decisions. Nisarg struck again in the 25th, bowling Mark Montfort for 19 with a good length ball that kept low. After two massive shouts for lbw on Navneet Dhaliwal were denied in the 27th off Nisarg, the bowler nabbed him leg before in the 29th to make it 94 for 6 on a ball that appeared to hit Dhaliwal very high and may have been going over the stumps.Kenjige plugged away at the opposite end refusing to let the pressure break. Having already nabbed Dhanuka Pathirana in his initial spell, Kenjige had the dangerous Rizwan Cheema caught slogging at long off for 17 before Shahid Ahmadzai mistimed a flick to midwicket to put USA two wickets away from the Auty Cup.Saad Bin Zafar, who produced an unbeaten 41 to get Canada over the line on Wednesday, inched Canada closer to the target. After Nisarg’s spell ended, Silva’s introduction into the attack for the first time broke Zafar’s resistance, poking outside off stump for another edge behind to wrap up a wicket maiden in the 41st. It meant Canada needed 32 from the last wicket pair of Nikhil Dutta and Cecil Pervez to retain the Auty Cup.Dutta went the aggressive route and drove Timil Patel’s legspin for six in the following over. However, he perished trying to repeat the shot in the 44th and was beaten in flight to be stumped for Khaleel’s fourth dismissal of the day to spark raucous celebrations from USA.Timil securing the final wicket was a fitting ending to the day after he helped set up a defendable target by top-scoring for the second day in a row. Entering at 73 for 6 in the 28th over in an almost carbon-copy situation as he had a day earlier, Timil maneuvered Canada’s spinners while compiling a top-score of 44 to help justify Khaleel’s decision at toss to bat first. Mrunal Patel played a key supporting role, scoring 31 in a 68-run seventh wicket stand before holing out to long-on in the 43rd over off Ahmadzai’s left-arm spin.With Timil looking comfortable against slow bowling, Dhaliwal was brought back for another spell of medium pace in the 44th but Timil carved him for two boundaries in a crucial 10-run over, to take USA past 150. He fell in the following over to Pervez for the eighth wicket at 153.Pervez struck with a pair of yorkers in the 49th for the last two wickets of Elmore Hutchinson and Ali Khan but not before Hutchinson struck a vital 20 off 15 balls to get USA to give USA a fighting chance. The second innings resembled a bare-knuckle brawl on a wearing pitch and by the end USA put Canada down on the mat in the cross-border rivalry series for the first time since 1991.

The ECB say they have yet to receive an approach from Cricket South Africa regarding the services of the England bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, who has been linked to the South African head coach’s position

Firdose Moonda04-Aug-20170:58

We’ve heard nothing about Gibson – Farbrace

The ECB say they have yet to receive an approach from Cricket South Africa regarding the services of the England bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, who has been linked to the South African head coach’s position which will be filled as early as next week. Current coach Russell Domingo, who has reapplied for the role, is out of contract at the end of the England tour and the first reported that CSA have been in discussion with Gibson to take over.But an ECB spokesperson said they have had no communication from their South African counterparts and will not entertain any approach until next Tuesday at the earliest, when the ongoing series has been concludedTalk of Gibson’s possible departure from the England camp was also news to Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, who also suggested any confirmation would only come when the Test ends.”Ottis is someone who has obviously had a lot of international experience. He did a great job for the West Indies, won the Twenty20 World Cup as a head coach, then lost out in a semi-final against Sri Lanka – which was a bit unfortunate for him. But at the moment Russell Domingo is head coach of South Africa and doing a brilliant job and it would be disrespectful of us to talk about his position all the time he’s in it,” Farbrace said. “We’ve obviously heard the news tonight, but I promise you we’ve had nothing official. It’s all being left now until the end of the series, I hope.”Uncertainty over South Africa’s head coaching position has hovered over the side since January, when CSA announced they would be advertising the job and not extending Domingo’s contract for a fourth time. But it took five months for CSA to clarify the process they would follow in seeking a head coach, leaving Domingo, who has been in charge since mid-2013, in limbo.In May, CSA appointed a five-man panel, including former national coaches Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend a candidate for the coaching job. They also opened applications until June 16, after which interviews were conducted. ESPNcricinfo understands Gibson did not apply for the job.Domingo confirmed he had put himself in contention and had been interviewed but Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana was thought to be the front-runner, having had success at domestic level. Other names mentioned included Phil Simmons, who has been seen around the South African camp during the tour of England, and Rob Walter, the former South African fitness and fielding coach who is now with Otago.The committee were due to address CSA’s board on July 21 but were delayed in their work and a decision on the coach was put back. One source suggested CSA was unhappy with the quality and the number of applications they had received and would consider head-hunting instead, especially since the mandate for the next coach is to win a World Cup.Gibson has tasted major tournament success, having overseen West Indies’ capturing of the World T20 in 2012. He is currently in the second year of his second stint as England’s bowling coach. Gibson previously worked with England between 2007 and 2010 and rejoined them in 2015. Though he has no coaching experience in South Africa, he has played for three domestic teams in the country: Border, Griquas and Gauteng.

Derbyshire ended a run of three consecutive defeats in the County Championship as their Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby ended in a tame draw

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2017
ScorecardPaul Horton scored a half-century as Leicestershire batted on•Getty Images

Derbyshire ended a run of three consecutive defeats in the County Championship as their Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby ended in a tame draw.Leicestershire batted on in their second innings for 57 overs before declaring on 217 for 3, which included half centuries for openers Paul Horton and Harry Dearden. A target of 304 in 33 overs was never realistic and the inevitable draw was agreed with Derbyshire 42 without loss from 10 overs.There was always a chance the game would end in stalemate on such a lifeless pitch but the day began promisingly for Leicestershire, who took the last two Derbyshire wickets in 11 balls. Clint McKay struck with the third delivery of the day, which moved away just enough to take the edge of Rob Hemmings bat, and Tony Palladino gloved a pull to give Zak Chappell his fourth wicket.A lead of 86 was increased to 183 at lunch by Horton and Dearden, although Horton was given a life on 8 when he was dropped at first slip by Wayne Madsen off Tom Taylor.Horton completed his first fifty of the season before he was caught behind off Taylor and Dearden fell to a stunning piece of fielding by Billy Godleman, who threw the ball up at long-on to avoid taking it over the rope before completing the catch.He took a more straightforward one to dismiss Mark Cosgrove and give Jeevan Mendis his eighth wicket in the game but the Sri Lankan’s match figures of 8 for 283 were the most expensive in Derbyshire’s history.The game almost ground to a halt after Cosgrove’s departure with Colin Ackermann and Ned Eckersley scoring only 43 runs in 13 overs while Derbyshire slowed down the over rate.Leicestershire finally declared three overs after tea leaving Derbyshire to score at more than nine an over to pull off what would have been an astonishing victory and the players shook hands with 23 overs still to bowl.

Daniel Farke is in talks to take the vacant Leeds United job, but he has some concerns about the structural issues at the club, presenter Conor McGilligan has claimed.

Who could Leeds appoint as their new manager?

The Whites were relegated from the Premier League following a turbulent season which saw them go through three different managers, Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce, and they face a tough season ahead back in the Championship after three seasons in the top flight.

Leeds have gone through changes off the pitch, with the San Francisco 49ers agreeing a takeover, and sporting director Victor Orta leaving the club, and the chaos behind the scenes may be off-putting for any manager who chooses to take the head coach role.

Speaking on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan claimed that Farke, who was last seen at Borussia Monchengladbach, is a strong candidate for the role, but he may have reservations about joining.

"From what I've been told today, from someone who is close to Angus Kinnear, what is happening with Daniel Farke, from what I understand is not a massive development, but what I've been told is he's still massively in the mix. Leeds have been talking to him all week. This isn't something that's false, they've not just got rid of him off the database," he stated.

"He's very, very close. Farke is very aware of the structural side of things at Leeds United, the framework in terms of the ownership model, and who's where, and the enterprises' strand of it, and I think he's very aware of it, but he's not completely sold on it, from what I'm told he's not completely sold on the structure."

Should Leeds appoint Farke?

Farke would arrive with a lot of experience in the Championship, having helped Norwich City achieve promotion twice, and has shown he can work on a limited budget, with none of his signings whilst in the second division costing more than £4m.

He typically employs a high-intensity style with his sides, and this could help Leeds return to the style which made them successful under Marcelo Bielsa before.

Farke managed Norwich in both the Premier League and Championship, having both suffered relegation and achieved promotion twice within three years, and if he is willing to take the job, he could be the ideal candidate to galvanise a Leeds side that has struggled with both results and their identity in recent seasons.

Newcastle United could look to target another Leeds United player besides Brenden Aaronson this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Brenden Aaronson and Newcastle United?

According to Football League World, Newcastle United are eyeing up a double swoop for Aaronson and his Leeds United teammate Tyler Adams this summer.

The report states that Adams may be the more likely target at this point; however, £45k-a-week ace Aaronson could emerge as a candidate to bolster their midfield if they fail in proposals to higher-profile targets.

90min also detail that Aaronson and £55k-a-week earner Adams are both admired by the Magpies alongside attacker Jack Harrison and defender Robin Koch.

Newcastle United are looking at several players from recently relegated clubs to add depth to Eddie Howe's squad, with the likes of Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, Leicester City playmaker James Maddison and his teammate Harvey Barnes have all being namechecked at St James' Park.

Football Insider claim that Aaronson could be moved out of Elland Road on loan this off-season before a permanent exit from Leeds United in 2024.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Newcastle United will be in the market for at least two Leeds United players this summer.

Jones told FFC: "Brenden Aaronson, I think, has probably flown under the radar a little bit because he didn't have a great season in the end, but a lot was thought of him when he first went to Leeds. He's shown enough throughout the course of his early career, that there will be belief that he could get back there. I would just look out on the fact that Newcastle might end up looking at two Leeds players, not just one"

How did Brenden Aaronsen and Tyler Adams fare during 2022/23?

Neither player had a happy ending to the campaign as Leeds United suffered relegation from the Premier League, though both are talented in their own right and have the capacity to perform in the English top flight.

In the case of Aaronson, he made 42 appearances across all competitions during this term, registering two goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Aaronson was able to provide plenty of opportunities for his teammates across the season and completed 95 shot-creating actions in total, as per FBRef.

On the other hand, Adams featured on 26 occasions for his current employers, as shown on Transfermarkt. WhoScored show that the 24-year-old enforcer was a keen ball winner for the Whites, snapping into an average of 3.7 tackles per match in the Premier League.

Newcastle United look to be in the hunt for several additions this summer; however, both Aaronson and Adams seem to prominently feature on the Magpies' radar, making it an intriguing prospect to see if either will pitch up at St James' Park in the off-season.

Matt Renshaw said that he felt bad leaving the field as he knew he could be letting the team down and that Steven Smith was understanding once he knew the predicament

Melinda Farrell in Pune23-Feb-2017As far as days go, it was something of a doozy for Matt Renshaw, with lots of firsts.Playing your first Test in India? Check.Facing the world’s two highest-ranked bowlers for the first time? Check.First occasion dealing with a spinner in the opening overs? Check.Making your first Test half-century outside Australia? Check.Suddenly feeling your tummy lurching like a lopsided rickshaw, realising you’re not going to make it to lunch without suffering an embarrassing accident on live television, having your bowel movements (figuratively) dissected by viewers all over the world after you’ve left the field and copping a barrage of criticism – most notably by a former Australia captain – suggesting you were a bit soft?Check. Mate. Maaaaaaate.Matt Renshaw has taken most tasks in his stride since he was elevated to the Australia Test team in November, but facing R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on a raging Pune turner with a dodgy gut was a significant challenge.Renshaw’s inexperience wasn’t evident in the way he patiently saw off the new ball in the first session, but his callowness did mean he was unsure of his options within the Laws of the game when he realised he was unlikely to last until lunch.”It came pretty suddenly, probably about five or ten minutes before Davey [David Warner] got out,” Renshaw said. “I asked Richard [Kettleborough] how long there was till lunch and he gave me the answer of half an hour. I was struggling a bit then. It wasn’t an ideal situation to be in.”It was tough. I wasn’t sure of the ruling. I didn’t know you could retire ill, so thought I’ll just get out there and make sure I batted till lunch. It wasn’t an ideal situation, so I just had to make do. And then coming back, it was probably a bit strange for me, waiting to bat, because as an opener you just go straight out there to bat, so probably that was the most challenging bit, waiting to bat.”Steven Smith, who had just come to the crease at the fall of Warner’s wicket “wasn’t too thrilled” when Renshaw ran off, but, according to the opener, once Smith realised the predicament, he understood. “He didn’t really understand what was going on at the start, I sort of just ran past him, he didn’t really comprehend what was going on. I told him I needed the toilet. Obviously, we’d just lost a wicket, so there would be two new batsmen out there, but as I said, it’s a hard scenario to be in and he understood. We’ve had a chat now and we’re all good.”I felt quite bad knowing that I could be letting the team down, so that’s why I went back out there. I wanted to do my bit for the team and wanted to make sure we had a pretty good day.”If Smith was sympathetic, Allan Border was not. The former Australia captain was scathing in his assessment of Renshaw’s decision to leave the field. “I hope he’s lying on the table in there half dead,” Border said on . “Otherwise, as captain, I would not be happy.”Renshaw brushed off the criticism, turning it aside as deftly as he had India’s bowlers throughout the morning. “I guess that’s just something he grew up with and that was his sort of mentality,” Renshaw said of Border. “Steve was good and he understands that ‘when you need to go to the toilet, you’ve got to go to the toilet’.”After squirting an edge through the slips to the boundary in the first over of the match, Renshaw did the bulk of his scoring through the on-side, remaining watchful when facing Ashwin and going on the offensive to Jadeja when he came into the attack and turned the ball into the left-hander. On a pitch that unsettled older and more experienced team-mates, it was a solid tactic, admirably executed.”I’ve never seen a pitch like that,” Renshaw said. “So I went with a pretty open mind and I tried to do just what I normally do in Australia, which is bat as long as possible and weigh the bowlers down. It’s probably a bit harder to weigh them down if they’re spinners, but I think I just tried to keep my plan simple against each different bowler.”Despite losing nine wickets on the opening day, Renshaw was upbeat about Australia’s batting performance. “Yeah, I think we had a really good day. The fact that we had the 50-run partnership at the end of the innings. We’ve talked about how the top-order needs to score runs, but especially the tail needs to hang on and get some bonus runs (so to speak). I think we’ve had a great day and it’s a good confidence builder.”

Hibernian will have to wait until the outcome of the Scottish Cup final to see if they have secured European football next season.

They finished their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Hearts, yet their arch-rivals finished ahead of them in the Premiership table, and they will need to hope Celtic defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend in order to enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Lee Johnson will be hoping to make improvements to his squad in the summer, although there could be some key players heading out of the exit door. Kevin Nisbet turned down the chance to join Championship side Millwall in January, although Hibs will be braced for further offers as clubs scouted him during their win over St Mirren at the start of the month.

The Easter Road outfit will need to replace him with someone who could score plenty in the Premiership, and former Hibs striker turned pundit Tam McManus believes Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen should be their main target.

He said the club need ‘two new strikers minimum’ in a recent column, before claiming van Veen should be one of them.

Given his excellent campaign, it could be a move worth pursuing.

Could Hibs sign Kevin van Veen this summer?

The 31-year-old still has a contract at the Steelmen until 2024 and Hibs would need to spend in order to lure him to the capital, however, it would be worth the money.

Van Veen scored 29 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, and he was even nominated for the PFA Player of the Year while becoming the first Motherwell player in ten years to claim a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

It was a stunning season and his goals could certainly replace Nisbet's if he does depart this summer, with the Scotsman bagging 12 goals from just 19 league appearances, finishing as Hibs' top scorer and Van Veen would be an ideal choice for the club going forward.

The striker underlined his qualities by ranking as the second-best performer in the squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, while also ranking third for big chances created (three), second for key passes per game (1.1) and first for goals scored (25).

Clearly more than just a goalscorer, Johnson should be doing all he can to make a move before it is too late. Nisbet won't be around forever and sourcing a replacement should be of utmost priority.

The 6 foot 1 gem was lauded by journalist Ben Banks, who claimed that seven goals in four matches a few months ago was “frightening form” and that the striker was “on fire”.

Indeed, for a player outside any of the Old Firm clubs to score 25 league goals is something special and it would be quite the coup should Hibs bring him to the club.

Everton are interested in completing a summer deal to sign West Ham United defender Ben Johnson, according to reports.

What's the latest on Johnson to Everton?

The Irons right-back is an academy graduate at the London Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to become a regular feature of David Moyes' first-team squad, recording 83 senior appearances to date. However, the 23-year-old will be out of contract at the end of next season, meaning that he will become a free agent should he not be offered fresh terms to extend his stay by this time next year.

Claret and Hugh has reported that the E20 outfit were looking to negotiate a new deal with the Premier League starlet last Christmas, but decided to hold off due to the poor form he was displaying at the time in the hope that things would change for the better. But with that not being the case, the hierarchy are now open to offers during the upcoming window.

The Toffees were credited with a strong interest in the England U21 international back in January, with Sean Dyche claimed to have personally green-lighted a move, and despite a deal failing to materialise at the time, it sounds like the boss is ready to take a second bite of the cherry in the weeks and months ahead.

According to Football Insider, Everton remain "keen" to wrap up a deal with West Ham and secure the services of Johnson ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Merseyside outfit are set to enter the market for defensive reinforcements and have identified the £20k-per-week ace as a "top target".

Everton, who are "still in pursuit" of the full-back, believe that he is a "top-class operator" whose ability to play on both flanks makes him an "attractive" option for the board.

Should Everton make an offer for Johnson?

Johnson hasn’t featured in any of West Ham’s last seven Premier League games – being completely omitted from the squad for four of those, showing that he’s perhaps not good enough to warrant a place in the first team. Therefore, we think Everton should avoid this move at all costs.

The Europa League participant has made just 20 tackles since the start of the season, ranking him the tenth-lowest player for the Hammers, and going forward, he has recorded only one shot, which is the lowest of any of West Ham's outfield players to have featured this term, as per FBref.

With a meagre three goal contributions to his name in 83 senior appearances under Moyes, Johnson’s display against Brighton & Hove Albion last month saw him labelled “appalling” and “so far short of the quality required” by talkSPORT broadcaster Tom Rennie, and we do not believe he is the profile of player that Dyche should be looking to sign come the summer, regardless of the club’s league status.

A month ago, on this very ground, Alastair Cook faced up to the press on the final day of the Sri Lanka series and bemoaned the fact that – after two facile victories in the opening two Tests of the summer – rain had robbed his developing team of a timely test of their mettle. “It would have been good to put us under pressure,” he had said. Well, he’s going to get his wish on Sunday, and no mistake.On an absorbing sunny Saturday, in front of a packed and rapt full house, Pakistan’s second innings listed and creaked and, with Chris Woakes producing yet another display of outstanding attacking swing bowling, they came close to capsizing on more than one occasion.And yet, by the close, Pakistan had ridden out the jitters and found sufficient resistance from their lower-middle order to put themselves in a position of undeniable dominance. With a lead of 281 already banked, and on a surface that is beginning to offer both turn and variable bounce, Pakistan know as well as England that – in the legspinner Yasir Shah, not to mention a potent trio of left-arm seamers – they have an attack that can wrap up a first victory at Lord’s since 1996.”I’d like to say we are just in front,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach. “It’s very close, almost too close to call. I think we are in for a cracking day’s cricket tomorrow, if we can sneak another 19-20 and get just over 300, it’s going to be a very, very good Test match.”Moeen Ali, England’s offspinning allrounder, didn’t try to disagree with that sentiment. Having been bundled out for 272 on the second afternoon – with Yasir claiming figures of 6 for 72 in his first Test outside of Asia – he admitted that England’s batsmen would need to formulate a better plan second-time around if they want to avoid being shown up for the second innings in a row.”In the first innings, we didn’t bat very well, so we want to put that right,” Moeen said. “There’s a lot of us who want to score some runs, but it’s going to be tough. They are a very good bowling side and you saw in the first innings, they have a very good legspinner who’s going to cause us trouble.”England’s problems in the first innings stemmed largely from Yasir’s control. With little in the way of big spin on offer, line and length – allied to natural variation and the odd ripper – were sufficient to destabilise an England middle order for whom the legend of Shane Warne is but a distant noise in the commentary box. In the ten years since his retirement, practical experience of such artistry has been thin on the ground, and it showed in the manner of all too many dismissals.”The guys will come out with definite plans,” said Moeen. “We’ve been preparing very well against legspinners but, in the first innings, we didn’t play very well against him, and he got a lot of wickets, so he’s going to be the biggest threat tomorrow.”In the first innings we were caught in the crease a lot and didn’t use our feet against him. But sometimes, when it’s not spinning, it’s a little bit harder because he bowls very accurately. In the next innings, we’ll have to be good on our feet, whether back or forward, but the lack of bounce did us a little bit in the first innings. We are just going to have to play well. We’ve all got runs in the past so we are going to have to use that experience and play well against him.”On the evidence of Moeen’s own bowling performance, a lack of bounce won’t be the issue on a gently deteriorating Lord’s surface. If Misbah-ul-Haq’s suicidal mo(w) to deep midwicket was a clear case of batsman error, then the ball that did for an extraordinarily skittish Younis Khan clearly gripped before cannoning into his stumps off an inside edge.Still, Moeen was happy to accept the offerings, particularly after a fallow first innings in which a far more focused Misbah had beaten him out of the attack with a volley of dead-eyed sweeps and reverse-sweeps.”I actually felt like I bowled all right in the first innings, but Misbah … I just can’t bowl at him at times,” he said. “I try to do a holding job but it’s very difficult, so I was very pleased to get him out today. But I’m happy with how I’m bowling at the moment. I felt like it came out just as well [in the first innings] but I just got smashed. That can happen.”The assistance for Moeen, second-time around, may have had as much to do with the rough outside off that Pakistan’s trio of left-arm quicks had created, but the doubts, where Yasir is concerned, are already embedded in England’s minds. Arthur didn’t need much invitation to begin the probing on behalf of his team.”I think we saw there was a little bit on offer,” he said. “The one that got Younis gripped quite big. And it’s a little bit up-and-down as well, there’s variable bounce which is great, so hopefully it will assist Yasir in a big way.”The wider concern for England is that Pakistan’s team are far from a one-trick outfit. In fact, as Yasir himself admitted after the first innings, his own success had only arisen because he had set himself to do a holding roll for his seamers. But on that occasion, amid the emotion of Mohammad Amir’s return to the fray, their lines and their disciplines went fractionally awry, and Arthur was adamant they’d be better for having got all that out of their systems.Amir, he claimed, had been so nervous before his opening spell that he could barely grip the ball. But, he added, “he hit his areas more often than not and did a job at good pace. Hopefully he can take that into tomorrow. Everything that’s gone has gone now, he’s back out on the field, raring to go tomorrow, and hopefully he can bowl us to victory.”However, England’s task could and perhaps should be significantly less daunting than it already is. On a day when Woakes’ penetration kept them in the contest, Steven Finn produced his best spell of a difficult match, only to see two catches in three overs go down. The second, by Jonny Bairstow off Sarfraz Ahmed, was especially culpable, and Moeen admitted that England’s standards had not been high enough of late.”We spoke about it,” he said. “We haven’t been catching very well this summer, and we are going to have to get better. Going back to the Ashes [in 2015], the reason we won it was some brilliant catches. We held on to everything so we know we can field better. Hopefully we can go bang, bang tomorrow and keep them less than 300-310. It’s still going to be tough, but we’ve got players hopefully who can knock them off.”Pakistan, however, have a legspinner who can knock England off in return, and Moeen knows that he stands squarely in their way.”Pakistan spinners are always very attacking and tactically very good,” said Moeen. “Yasir is always attacking the stumps so, as a batter, you feel like you’ve got to play, but he does bowl bad balls as well. He’s a human being at the end of the day. He can have a bad day as well.”

Ian Bell reminded the England selectors of his qualities on a day when a space in the middle order unexpectedly – and sadly – opened up

Will Macpherson at the Ageas Bowl12-Apr-2016
ScorecardIan Bell and Jonathan Trott put on 49 for the second wicket•PA PhotosThis was not, as its maker would surely attest, a vintage Ian Bell century. It was, however, one of intelligence, importance, and no little inevitability; even lacking the fluency of his pomp, Bell looked better equipped than anyone to deal with a pitch where batsmen fear the new ball but little else – as the efforts of Keith Barker and then Fidel Edwards have shown. Indeed he ended his second day as a 34-year-old having seen off not one, but two new balls and some dirge in between.Bell has just enjoyed his first winter off for a decade and a half and, while England have prospered in his absence, the cold reality is that this was a day that started with the news that in unforeseen, unfortunate and downright unhappy circumstances, another spot has opened up in the middle order he vacated before Christmas.Thus the timing of this knock – one of economy over elegance and game awareness over ego – could not have been more apposite. While all the lovely moving parts remain, this was not the sheer sexiness of Bell at his best; it was gritty rather than pretty, as he spent 44 balls in the nineties, laboured for 150 deliveries over his second 50, and had only seven boundaries before he pulled a Will Smith long-hop beautifully along the floor through midwicket to bring up his century.The cover drive, caressed cut and glide to third man were also all seen, but not regularly; Bell – who has also scored centuries in both Test matches on this ground – was determined to eschew risk and play within himself, even suffering a bout of cramp during the afternoon session. “My arms were struggling a bit, it was the longest I’ve batted since Antigua! The body took some adjusting,” Bell joked afterwards.While Bell said, “for me it doesn’t do me any good thinking about England,” he admitted that something had changed and looked, in the middle and beyond the boundary, a man refreshed. “I do feel fresh, and excited about cricket. I probably had lost a bit of that drive a few months back. So to have spent a lot of time away from cricket is nice. Whether other things happen with England is irrelevant, where I am now I am very happy. It was an enforced break and I understand it. I’m not going to make excuses. I was short of runs since Antigua, but I feel great now. I love playing for Warwickshire and my body feels great.”In the morning session, for a little under 40 minutes, Bell and his old mate Jonathan Trott, under the backdrop of perfect blue skies, carried us back to 2010 in sharing 49; Trott drove beautifully down the ground before falling to James Vince, caught by the only slip chasing a wide, looping half-volley. Bell added 49 more with the proto-Trott, Sam Hain, when Ryan McLaren had him strangled down the leg side.Finally, with his team in some bother after Tim Ambrose looped to midwicket, the captain found an able lieutenant in Chris Woakes, who was watchful and rather staid early on, before unfurling cover drives and cuts to the new ball. The pair, who shared 151, were quite content patting all Hampshire threw at them, particularly Liam Dawson’s spin, straight back to the bowler; for much of the partnership piercing the infield was a challenge, as Vince forewent catchers in favour of protection. The reward for the batsmen’s patience was 52 from the 9.2 overs of the new ball, before Woakes fell, plumb lbw to Edwards, in the day’s final over, and hobbled off for stumps with a rather painful toe.First thing, Hampshire had walloped their way to a bonus point before promptly getting out – with Edwards following some briefly lusty hitting with fine, if erratic new-ball bowling. His sharp swing accounted for Ian Westwood – not offering a stroke – the Varun Chopra.But out came Bell and into his bubble he went. In scoring more than twice as many runs as the Hampshire top seven combined, he had crafted a position from which his team cannot lose the opening match of their season. With a lead that could easily swell in double quick time on the final morning – given Warwickshire have the makers of 23 first-class centuries still waiting to bat – victory remains a possibility.”It’s dry, and we have a world class spinner, which is nice. Jeetan [Patel] is class at landing the ball in Keith Barker’s footholes so we will be excited about that tomorrow,” said Bell, reflecting gleefully on a fine day in the dirt.