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Durham seamer Chris Rushworth has been named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year, and hopes further success can push him towards England honours.Rushworth, 29, claimed 83 wickets at 20.61 in the County Championship, which set a new Durham record, and 100 across all formats. Significantly, 46 of his Championship wickets were taken away from the favourable home conditions of Chester-le-Street.His prolific season follows a 2014 campaign where he bagged 65 wickets in the Championship – during which he went teetotal for the year to raise money for charity – and he hopes that he still has the chance of forcing the selectors’ hand and earning an international call-up.”I am over the moon, it is a massive achievement,” Rushworth said. “To be voted for by fellow players and your peers is a very privileged moment and one I’m very proud of.”Personally this year couldn’t have gone any better, 83 wickets to go past a club record, it’s just a shame we didn’t win anything as a team. Personally, I couldn’t be more pleased and to finish off with this award wraps up a brilliant season.

PCA awards

Reg Hayter Cup for the PCA Player of the Year
Chris Rushworth (Durham)
Overall PCA County MVP
Chris Rushworth
John Arlott Cup for the PCA Young Player of the Year
Tom Curran (Surrey)
Investec Test Player of the Summer
Stuart Broad
Waitrose Women’s Player of the Summer
Anya Shrubsole
PCA Team of the Year
Alastair Cook (capt) (Essex and England)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire and England)
Joe Root (Yorkshire and England)
Sam Northeast (Kent)
Luke Wright (Sussex)
Ben Stokes (Durham and England)
Alex Davies (Lancashire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire and England)
Matt Coles (Kent)
Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)
Chris Rushworth (Durham)

“For myself this award is massive and the biggest individual award in county cricket. You play against these guys quite a few times a year so to be voted to win this award is a huge achievement and I’m very grateful and proud.”Hopefully it’s the next step to progressing towards further honours. To receive this from guys who have also had fantastic seasons and to pip them to the post is fantastic moment.”The guys that have won it in recent years have gone on to play Test cricket like Adam Lyth, Moeen Ali and Nick Compton, so that is definitely in my sights. Hopefully I have another good season next year and I can put my name in the hat for Test selection.”The Young Player of the Year award went to Tom Curran who claimed 105 wickets across all formats, helping Surrey to promotion in the Championship and the to final of the Royal London Cup. Having been confirmed that his qualification period to become eligible for England is completed at the end of October, Curran has been added to the England Performance Programme Squad for the training camps in South Africa and Dubai.”We have had a great season as a side this year,” Curran said. “Losing in the Royal London Cup final was a huge disappointment but it was still a good achievement and we won the second division of the LV=County Championship which was a special day as well. I’m very pleased for our side and it’s great to be able to contribute to our success.”At the start of the season I was just trying to do the simple things well and then I started taking a few wickets and, as long as the summer is for us cricketers, it has actually gone really quickly and a little surreal if I’m honest.”He also paid tribute to his younger brother, Sam, after the 17-year-old made a considerable impact in his first season. He claimed 22 Championship wickets, 15 in the Royal London Cup and seven in the T20 Blast, while also showing his talent with the bat in almost carrying Surrey to victory in the final at Lord’s and then making an unbeaten 61 in the last Championship match against Northamptonshire.”It has been a very special summer for Sammy as well,” Tom said. “He came in half way through the season when we went down with a couple of injuries and he has shown everyone he has got what it takes. It’s great to be bowling with him and I am so pleased for him this year.”Playing for England would be the ultimate for any young cricketer and that is my goal but I am concentrating on Surrey first and hopefully the rest will take care of itself and I know that is how Sam feels too.”Stuart Broad won the Test Player award after his outstanding Ashes series including the iconic 8 for 15 at Trent Bridge, fellow opening bowler Anya Shrubsole won the Women’s Player of the Year award and Gloucestershire’s Michael Klinger took the double of NatWest T20 Blast and Royal London Player of the Year after his prolific white-ball season.Shrubsole said: “I am absolutely honoured to have won this award and it makes it more special that it is selected by your team-mates, so it is a nice end to what has been a difficult year. Despite not achieving what we wanted as a team, I am pleased with the way I bowled. A special mention must go to Katherine Brunt who was brilliant with bat and ball this summer, she received my vote. It’s nice to do well personally but it was just a shame we didn’t quite regain the Ashes.”Jim Cumbes, the former Lancashire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Worcestershire player and Lancashire chief executive, was given the Special Merit Award to mark his 50 years of service to the game. He was CEO at Old Trafford from 1998 and 2012 and oversaw the major redevelopment of the ground which involved extensive legal battles.

Manchester United are monitoring young Bayern Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender.

The 23-year-old has put together a string of impressive performances for his club which has helped him brake into the German national side.

Bayern Munich tried to buy Bender in the summer but Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller is keen to keep hold of his star players.

United scouts have taken an interest and have watched him represent both his club and his country where he plays in midfield or at right back.

United look to continue to add to their youthful transfer policy and Bender who joined Leverkusen from 1860 Munich in 2009 will certainly fit the bill for Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

The midfielder has begun to attract interest from clubs around Europe and has impressed during his three seasons at the BayArena and more recently, under Joachim Low’s national side.

Bender is a box-to-box midfielder and has been integral to the tireless German side, which is why it’s no surprise that Europe’s ‘Elite’ have begun to take notice of the Bavarian born player.

Ferguson has had an eye on the future for some time and has put a lot of faith into the younger generation of late. He has brought in the likes of David de Gea, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez in recent seasons, English youngster Nick Powell and Chilean forward Angelo Henriquez have also been picked up during the Premier League transfer window.

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Lars’s twin brother Sven, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, is also sought after and likewise could make a big money move in the near future.

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It’s top plays bottom this weekend when leaders New South Wales head to Western Australia for their WNCL double header on Friday and Saturday, followed by a Twenty20 at the WACA on Sunday. But if the Western Fury are hoping to usher in the New Year productively they’re going to need stern resolution: New South Wales have won every match so far and can secure a home final if they win both.The Fury’s head coach Steve Philippe is aiming high. “The girls are under no illusions as to how big the challenge will be this week,” he said, “but we will be looking to our experienced campaigners to lead from the front and give us a shot at victory.”The likes of Angele Gray, Jenny Wallace and Lauren Ebsary have been on the verge of delivering the goods in recent games and playing the best team in Australia over the past decade could be the catalyst for them to produce something special this week.”The Breakers top the table with 25.5 points, while their captain Lisa Sthalekar has again been the outstanding player in this year’s competition with 265 runs at an average of 53.00 and ten wickets at 13.80. Selectors have named 13 players for the trip, with experienced medium-pacer Sharon Millanta added to the squad which defeated Queensland before Christmas.The Twenty20 will be a curtain-raiser for the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash game between the Warriors and the Queensland Bulls. Previous experiments with the women opening for the men have proved successful and it is hoped that this will be replicated at international level on February 1, when England play Australia, while the men’s team are set to host India.Victoria, meanwhile, host Queensland in the same format of games and days. Their Twenty20 in turn will come before the men’s hosting of New South Wales, and that’s at the MCG.Megan Compston and Elyse Villani will make their WNCL debuts and come into the side at the expense of Jane Franklin and Jessica Cameron. Compston is a lively medium pacer while Villani is a hard-hitting batter and handy change bowler. Teenagers Meg Lanning and Renee Melton will also play in senior Victorian colours for the first time in Sunday’s Twenty20 match.VicSpirit captain Sarah Edwards said the team was looking to bounce back from consecutive losses to NSW prior to Christmas. “We’ve been able to respond strongly to any defeats in recent times and will be looking to do so again,” she said. “It would be terrific to grab maximum points at the Junction Oval and then showcase our skills at the MCG on Sunday ahead of the Bushrangers clash.”New South Wales Breakers squad Lisa Sthalekar (capt), Alex Blackwell, Sarah Aley, Sarah Andrews, Charlotte Anneveld, Kate Blackwell, Leonie Coleman, Rene Farrell, Alyssa Healy, Lisa Kuschert, Sharon Millanta, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton.Victoria WNCL squad Sarah Edwards (capt), Rachael Haynes, Clea Smith, Julie Hunter, Kelly Applebee, Emma Inglis, Kristen Beams, Mel Jones, Megan Compston, Annie Rose Maloney, Jodi Dean, Elyse Villani.Victoria Twenty20 squad Sarah Edwards (capt), Rachael Haynes, Julie Hunter, Kelly Applebee, Emma Inglis, Megan Compston, Annie Rose Maloney, Elyse Villani, Meg Lanning, Jessica Cameron, Renee Melton.Western Fury WNCL squad Avril Fahey (capt), Renee Chappell, Emma Biss, Nicole Bolton, Donna Brown, Kate Burns, Lauren Ebsary, Angele Gray, Mel Holmes, Charlotte Horton, Holly Hyder, Peta Merrilees, Lauren Stammers, Jenny Wallace, Amanda Williams and Jaimi Wilson.Western Fury Twenty20 squad Renee Chappell (capt), Jenny Wallace, Emma Biss, Nicole Bolton, Kate Burns, Lauren Ebsary, Avril Fahey, Angele Gray, Peta Merrilees, Lauren Stammers, Gemma Triscari, Amanda Williams and Jaimi Wilson.

Michael Holding: “This was a team with a double-centurion, a player with a big 150 and they still lost at Adelaide” © Getty Images

England’s 5-0 drubbing may have been their first at the hands of the Australians for 86 years, but the last occasion came much more recently than that. In 1984 and 1985-86, England slumped to ten defeats out of ten against the mighty West Indians, and Michael Holding was an integral member of the legendary four-man pace attack that doled out those beatings.But, Holding told Cricinfo, the pride that his men felt in inflicting back-to-back “blackwashes” would be nothing compared to the jubiliation in the Australian dressing-room at present. “I don’t think there’s a serious comparison,” he said. “Australia must feel a lot better about this 5-0 than West Indies about theirs, because the Ashes means so much to Australia, and of course England.”Having lost in 2005 this was a big comeback for them. The embarrassment of losing has spurred them to these great heights. It’s difficult to fight back when you are being overwhelmed on a regular basis,” said Holding, who took 249 wickets in a 60-Test career that included 31 wins and just eight defeats. “After Adelaide I thought it would be 5-0.”This was a team with a double-centurion, a player with a big 150 and a bowler who took seven wickets, and they still lost. What more could they have done to win a Test match? How could they come back from that? When you have been downtrodden it is difficult to lift yourself, and I never expected England to lift themselves.”Holding refused to compare the current Australian team with the great West Indian sides of his day, saying that times have changed and so too has the game. But, he added, he did not believe that Ricky Ponting’s Australians were quite the same force as Steve Waugh’s side of four years ago.”When Waugh was captain, he had Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath at their very best, and Jason Gillespie at his very best,” said Holding. “I think it was a better bowling attack, and bowlers win matches.”

Scorecard
Sachin Rana’s brilliant maiden first-class hundred, from the No.9 spot, completely overshadowed the good work put in by Baroda’s bowlers earlier in the day as Haryana bounced back from a dismal 159 for 9 to finish on 260 at Sirsa. Playing in just his seventh first-class game, Rana pulled Haryana out of a deep hole in a classic rearguard action with Gaurav Vashisht – who also deserves special mention – adding 101 for the last wicket.Earlier, Zaheer Khan and Rakesh Patel, Baroda’s opening bowlers, took three wickets apiece to cap a convincing performance that completely nullified the cream of Haryana’s batting. In Rana, however, they ran into an obstacle who was unwilling to succumb; he managed as many boundaries (13 fours and a six) as the rest of the 10 batsmen. His defiant knock apart, it was a virtual no-show from Haryana’s batting stars. To show that his prime task was to open the bowling, Rana proceeded to send down a wicket-maiden over in his only opportunity before stumps to leave Baroda 6 for 1.
Scorecard
Shib Paul struck twice for Bengal to leave Mumbai 50 for 2 at stumps at the Wankhede Stadium, but nothing could be taken away from the home side’s clinical bowling performance earlier in the day as a career-best haul from Swapnil Hazare, the medium pacer, dismissed Bengal for 171. Usman Malvi, the opening bowler, chipped in with three wickets as the tourists failed to come to terms with Mumbai’s pace brigade. Only Saurashish Lahiri, sent in to bat at No. 3, put up a semblance of a fight.
Scorecard
Just 5.5 overs were managed at Chennai today as rains marred the first day’s play between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut, the left-handed opener, hit three quick fours to get Tamil Nadu off to a good start before rain and bad light forced both teams to call it a day well before the scheduled time of stumps.
Scorecard
Fine bowling from Mukund Parmar, the left-arm spinner, helped dismantle a strong Railways batting lineup for 188 on a day one turner at Delhi. Sanjay Bangar, the Railways captain, had said before the match that he expected the surface to provide opportunities to both teams to come good. It was to Bangar’s detriment that Parmar found assistance from the wicket to put Railways’ middle order in a complete spin. For his part, though, Bangar (39) featured in a fine 83-run partnership for the second wicket with G Shankar Rao, the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting performance.
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A battling fifty from Sairaj Bahutule and a late order cameo from Munaf Patel, the fast bowler, saw their side to 183 for 7 on day one against hosts Delhi. Delhi’s bowlers had done well to leave Maharashtra’s top order in disarray before Bahutule and Patel – who clubbed three sixes – combined for an 80-run stand for the seventh wicket. Maharashtra will undoubtedly look to Bahutule to guide them to a more imposing total on the second day’s play.
Scorecard
Fine bowling from Gagandeep Singh and Hardevinder Sandhu, Punjab’s opening bowlers, restricted Hyderabad to 200 on the opening day of their Elite Group B match at Chandigarh, but the tourists fought back to leave Punjab 83 for 3 at stumps. Gagandeep had struck crucial blows throughout the first two sessions of play to stifle any signs of a worthy partnership, and was ably backed by Sandhu. Kaushik Reddy, with an unbeaten 51 from the No.10 spot, was the lone aggressor in an otherwise meek batting display from the tourists.
Scorecard
A defiant fifty from Yashpal Singh, the middle-order batsman, took Services to 207 for 5 at stumps on day one against Uttar Pradesh at Lucknow. Sumit Tomar and Jasvir Singh also looked good for bigger innings, but Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, bagged three middle-order wickets to sustain Services’ post-lunch aggression. Sensing the need Sarabjit Singh, the Services’ wicketkeeper, and AK Mohanty batted in a stoic manner to play out the remaining fifteen overs before the close of play.

Rashid Latif said he was not treated fairly by the PCB© Afp

Rashid Latif has sent a legal notice to the PCB to contest the six-month ban imposed on him by Shaharyar Khan, the board’s chairman, for forfeiting a domestic game due to an unfit pitch. In a statement released by his lawyer, Justice Malik Qayyum, Latif said, “I have just sent them [the PCB] a legal notice asking them to withdraw the suspension and fine order. I do not, as a first resort, want to drag the PCB to court as I have dutifully served them. But if I am forced to then I will have to.”The chances of legal action being initiated remain high, as Latif has ruled out going to the appeals committee that Shaharyar had set up to hear the case. Latif told Cricinfo: “I am not going to appeal, especially in this ad hoc setup. This tussle with the board has been going on for a year now, but I think legally this time, they have acted incorrectly. I want to have this ban removed legally because the procedure the PCB undertook is illegal. I will argue that the ban is illegal.”Latif was leading the Karachi Blues in a Quaid-i-Azam trophy match against Faisalabad last week when he declared with his side tottering at 33 for 4, forfeiting the game. The decision to ban Latif alone, and not throw the team out of the tournament – as is required by domestic regulations – has been widely criticised for its arbitrary and unilateral nature. Some ex-cricketers and journalists have suggested the decision to ban him was part of a wider PCB agenda to banish the outspoken Latif – a constant thorn in the board’s side – from Pakistan cricket.The legal notice probably scuppers any chance of a meeting between Shaharyar Khan and Latif. Over the last few days, newspaper reports had suggested thatthere might be a meeting to try to resolve the matter. Earlier, speaking to Cricinfo, Abbas Zaidi, the director of the PCB’s media arm, had reiterated: “If Rashid Latif wants to see the chairman and explain his position, he is most welcome, anytime, to do so.”When asked whether Latif’s views should have been sought before the punishment was handed out, Zaidi replied, “We looked at the views of the umpires and the referees, not the captain. The captain is nobody to decide on this. The point is that Latif had access to the umpires and the referee, yet he still chose to take a unilateral decision. He could have called the chairman then and it would have been fine, but you can’t jeopardise domestic cricket by refusing to play at your own whim. He now has the chance to appeal to the appeals committee or he can come and explain his case to the chairman. We hold no grudge against him.”According to sources in the PCB, there has been extensive correspondence between Latif and Shaharyar on the issue. While Latif accepted the decision he made violated the regulations, he argued that he deserved at least the right to explain his case before any punishment was handed out: “In the current case I have been banned without being even asked as to why I took the decision. The natural course of justice was not followed before the penalty was slapped on me. One could have asked for my viewpoint. In addition, my viewpoint was not something out of the ordinary. Several games this season part of the same tournament have either been relocated or postponed due to below-standard or dangerous playing conditions. [With] such background I at the very least deserved a chance to be asked to explain and justify the reasons for my action.”He also hinted that the PCB was working to a pre-ordained agenda to oust him from Pakistan cricket, although Shaharyar has denied this. He stood by his decision for imposing the ban, arguing that a team ban would have been too harsh, but said that he would meet him personally if Latif wanted to.But Zaidi also said there was little chance that Shaharyar would reconsider his decision to overturn the ban: “I don’t think there is any question of changing the punishment or the ban now. The chairman is the person who has imposed the penalty so he can’t be the appellate authority.” In view of this and the ad-hoc nature of the appeals committee, it is perhaps not surprising that Latif turned to unprecedented legal action to save his career.

When Sourav Ganguly walked into the NCA premises – bulky equipment “coffin” in tow – he was surrounded by so many flashbulbs and microphones that you wondered if it was Oscar night, rather than just the start of the Indian cricket team’s preparatory camp. The man Geoffrey Boycott likes to call royalty was attired in a grey T-shirt and khakis, and there was ample evidence that the training programme prescribed for the off-season had been followed. Like most of his players, who had departed to the team hotel 15 minutes earlier, Ganguly looked in fighting trim, a welcome change from the days when some players arrived at camp as Mr Blobby impersonators.Sachin Tendulkar had made a quiet exit from the gymnasium minutes earlier, with the light-footed air of a man who has lost a couple of kilos. Virender Sehwag had followed him down the stairs with a smile on his face. If the back injury that forced him to cut short his stint with Leicestershire was hurting, he certainly wasn’t letting on. Harbhajan Singh was one of the last to leave, along with Anil Kumble, who was at the receiving end of a couple of questions about the condition of Srinath Bhai.Those who had just returned from the A-team tour were congratulated by the others, with Kumble having an encouraging word or two for Ambati Rayudu. Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan Junior all looked in mint condition, ready for two weeks of hard slog that will set them up for what promises to be a momentous season. After five minutes of media interaction, characterised by much bonhomie and back-slapping, the players were quietly guided away to the team bus. Having been briefed about the aims of the camp this morning, they will be back in the afternoon for the serious business of fitness tests. Once those assessments are complete, the training sessions will start in earnest on Saturday, with fielding drills also high on the agenda.While the players understandably hogged most of the limelight, some of it was left to fall on Gregory King, India’s latest fitness trainer. Adrian Le Roux’s successor, who earned his spurs over six years with the Border Bears in East London, had mischievous eyes and the general air of a prankster. But once he started talking, there was no mucking about.He said he’d met a couple of the players earlier, when he came to India for his interview, but this was his first opportunity to interact with the whole group. “The best trainers needn’t necessarily be cricketers themselves,” he told you solemnly, having mentioned his background in B-side cricket.There would be no major earthquakes on the training front. “The players were very comfortable with the systems Adrian had in place,” he said. “And the boys have been following the training schedules given to them before they went home for the summer. As for the India A boys, most of them will already be match-hard after the England tour.”It’s a great opportunity to work with such a talented bunch,” he added before excusing himself, and leaving the stage to John Wright. Wright was unfazed by the numbers involved at the camp. Wasn’t 36 players a dozen too many? “It’s not an issue if you plan it properly,” he said. “I’d like to think of it as an opportunity to get to know them all, and figure out where they’re at in the fitness scheme of things. Andrew [Leipus] will also be spending time with them assessing any injuries they may have picked up.”Neither Wright nor Ganguly was overkeen to talk about the New Zealand series, or indulge in speculation about the nature of the pitches likely to be used. “After playing 16 Test matches last year, we needed this break,” said Ganguly, “but I’m quite excited about getting back on the cricket pitch. The camp will give me a chance to interact with the younger players and study our bench strength.”There were also words for encouragement for Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, who are going through indifferent county stints with Yorkshire and Derbyshire. “County cricket is not easy,” he said, perhaps thinking back to the mixed time he had at Lancashire in 2000. “But it’ll be a good learning experience for them.”And as the notebooks were put away and pens capped, he strode off, giving the impression of a man very much in control of things. The hard work, however, is just about to begin.

England fast bowler James Ormond and all-rounder Jon Dakin have both leftLeicestershire.Ormond turned down a new deal at Grace Road while Dakin has been released from his contract two years early at his own request.Leicestershire secretary James Whitaker said: “Jon asked if he could lookaround for another county and we agreed. His opportunities were going to be morelimited here next season and we decided not to stand in his way.”The club’s former wicketkeeper Phil Whitticase is to be head coach next season, succeeding Jack Birkenshaw who is to become coaching consultant.Leicestershire have signed Jamie Grove from Somerset and are on the verge of a deal with Charles Dagnall, who has been released by Warwickshire at his own request.

Bangladesh A captain Mominul Haque has said he will try to make the best use of his experienced line-up against India A. The 15-man squad, which includes 14 internationals, will depart Dhaka on Monday morning to play three one-day matches and two three-day games starting from September 16 in Bangalore and Mysore.The soft-spoken Mominul would only offer a smile every time he was asked about his captaincy; how he will balance it with his own batting, what aspects of his character he would like to bring to his leadership and his personal goal as a batsman. He said he will try to enjoy the captaincy stint like he enjoys batting, and attempt to bring his calm demeanour into his new job.”I haven’t really thought about these things in the last few days,” Mominul said. “I want to enjoy captaincy like I did with my batting. I have to learn a few things because I am a new captain. I will try to recover in areas I am lacking in. I think it will be good to have experienced players in the team. Most of them have played for Bangladesh, and it is a good team.”I never really thought what part of my character will help my captaincy. I have to give it a think. I think my calm personality might help me.”Coach Heath Streak backed Mominul, saying it could be the start of his captaincy career. “Mini [Mominul] has a very good cricket head,” Streak said. “He has a very good temperament. He has shown it in the Test arena.”His hunger for knowledge in cricket is good. Definitely, he would be a future leader. For him, this is a good reward. Hopefully this will be start as a leader.”Mominul, a Test regular but one who hasn’t played an ODI since February this year, brushed aside any talk of pressure. He said he would like to ensure that the form of the senior team is replicated by the A side in India.”The pressure doesn’t really work on me,” Mominul said. “There’ll be pressure at this level, and if one can’t handle this pressure, it is better to stay away from the game. We have to stay consistent with our winning habit. We will carry this thought to India and wouldn’t like to lose it.”If I do well in this format, it will help me later. I will enjoy the game, try to play well, perform, that’s all. We want to win every game. We won four bilateral series in a row, so people expect from us that we will play well and win the series in India.”Streak, meanwhile, was happy to have four fast bowlers in the line-up, saying he will be working closely with them. He was also looking forward to prepare Taskin Ahmed for the “long road” towards Test cricket. Chandika Hathurusingha, the Bangladesh senior team head coach, had said last week that Taskin was close to a Test place but Streak said it was still some way away.Taskin hasn’t played a first-class match since February 2013 due to a long fight with injuries and since making his international debut in 2014, has only been used in limited-overs cricket.”I think it is an opportunity for Shafiul (Islam) and Al-Amin (Hossain) to be looked at by the selectors. Taskin has been playing the shorter format,” Streak said. “We will now try to get him ready for longer-version cricket. But that’s still a long road.”It is hard to put a timeframe on it. We have to prepare him. It is difficult to play only one series of three-day games and then play five-day cricket. It is an optimistic jump. We will be sensible about it. We don’t want to risk him when we have the World T20 coming up next year.”

Lasith Malinga returned with the hostility that he displayed in the World Cup to drown England’s hopes of ending the first day in command © AFP

Over of the day
At 237 for 3 and with half an hour of the day’s play remaining, Englandwere in sight of a satisfactory day’s work. It had been slow andsapping, and possibly less rewarding than they had envisaged. Still, they were expecting to lay claim to at least a share of thespoils. And then Lasith Malinga wrecked all their good work in thespace of two new-ball deliveries. If Cook’s leg-before decision was debatable, therecould be no quibbling with his follow-up to Ravi Bopara. Full, fastand swinging, it ripped through the new boy’s defences and brought tomind the low-slung hostility Malinga generated in that incredibleWorld Cup spell in Guyana. He’s been quiet in this series so far, buthe’s always been about more than just his haircuts.Innings of the day
Throughout the first session, it seemed there was only one man to whomthis day was going to belong. Michael Vaughan was in such superlativetouch that by lunch he had outscored his junior partner by four runsto one. And yet, as the shadows began to creep, only one of thepairing was still standing. Cook committed himself to survival, andendured in the manner that recalled the endeavours of his Essexteam-mate, Nasser Hussain, seven years ago. Patience is the key in SriLanka, as all the sages in the England set-up like to profess. Cookcouldn’t quite see it through to the close, but he was the only manwho looked like heeding that advice.Drop of the day
It hasn’t been the easiest of series for Cook. His Kandy experiencelasted all of seven balls and though he had been hanging around forrather longer than that today, the runs were refusing to flow. Afterlimping to 8 from 38 balls, he edged Dilhara Fernando into no-man’sland between first and second slip. Realistically it was KumarSangakkara’s catch, but Mahela Jayawardene at second dived straightacross his team-mate, and the moment was lost. As England learnt totheir cost at Kandy, such let-offs can be crucial.Dismissal of the day
Like some mad scientist, Vaughan is always on the look-out for new andinventive ways to get out – handling the ball, getting bowled off theunderside of his thigh pad, serving up miracle one-handed plucks tooutstretched fast bowlers and the list goes on. Today, with a centurythere for the taking, he decided to test the adhesiveness of JehanMubarak’s thighs with a firm tuck off the hips. Mubarak at short legstood his ground, clenched his legs together, and rolled overbackwards to end the most fluent innings of the dayControversy of the day
A monstrous moment, and potentially a match-turning one as well.Kevin Pietersen drove with hard hands at his fifth delivery, and squirted asharp edge low to Chamara Silva’s left at third slip. Silva reactedbrilliantly, scooped the ball off the turf, juggled it as he fell toearth, by which time Sangakkara at first had swooped round to tidy therebound. Sri Lanka’s reaction was ecstatic and the umpires wereconvinced, but replays suggested the chance had gone to ground at thefirst attempt. Pietersen somehow attracts these moments. Against Indiaat Lord’s last summer he was reprieved as he reached the paviliongate, and once again he loitered with every intention of carrying onhis innings. This time it wasn’t to be, and England’s momentum waswell and truly quashed.Fight of the day
Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather. It may have been taking place on theother side of the world, but the world title bout in Las Vegas was theonly topic of conversation on the morning of the Test. The ground wasechoingly empty for the first session of play as most of the BarmyArmy chose to watch the contest in the lounge at the Hilton. Onepunter was even said to have asked Angus Fraser over breakfast: “Whichare you off to watch today, the cricket or the boxing?”Idiot of the day
Midway through the 70th over, a streaker decided to liven upproceedings by hopping over the fence and giving a quick twirl of theoutfield. So far, so very average. The amusing aspect came a couple ofminutes later. Reunited with his shorts, and with a T-shirt drapedover his shoulder, he strutted along the hill, taking the salute fromEngland’s fans, and generally loving his moment. Unfortunately, hiscockiness left the ground authorities in no doubt whatsoever as to hisidentity. And off he was led to the local slammer, busted by his ownbravado.