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ScorecardMegan Schutt picked up 4 for 26 as England went on to the back foot•Getty Images

At 5.52pm, the announcement came that England, at 125 for 5, had avoided the follow on. That they began their first innings at 12.56pm paints as bleak a picture as any of a possibly series-losing day in this Ashes series for an England side battling with some familiar issues.It was on this score that England then lost both Nat Sciver and Georgia Elwiss, who had combined for 32, the joint second-highest partnership in the innings. At the fall of Sciver’s wicket, the run rate dropped below two an over. The statistic that really jars though is that in an innings of 508 legitimate balls, 436 were dots.The question should be asked: did England bring it on themselves? Megan Schutt, who impressed with 4 for 26, reckoned so. With their lead of 106, Australia will look to move the game along on a pitch that Schutt reckons is still very good for batting. She would go so far as to call England’s cricket negative but admitted that Australia were aware they would call on this style, one that saw them secure a draw when the two sides met at Wormsley in 2013. England will need to summon something greater to avoid defeat here.There was little to the English batting that inconvenienced Australia’s impressive seam attack. At times, the hosts shut-up shop completely, with Heather Knight, Lydia Greenway, Sciver and even Charlotte Edwards seemingly unwilling – certainly not unable – to manufacture singles and rotate the strike. Despite the character and skill throughout the batting card, England have a habit of being too safe for their own good. In battening down the hatches, they only ensured that their escape was nigh on impossible.Following a delayed start, Australia declared on 274 for 9, with Jess Jonassen falling one short of what would have been a deserved century and No. 11 Holly Ferling coming out to bat for just one ball.After lunch, the Australia bowlers sensed England’s tepidness and attacked accordingly. In the third over, Ellyse Perry showed her worth by forcing Lauren Winfield to edge behind with a fantastic delivery that got big on the opener. The very next ball, she trapped Sarah Taylor in front of leg stump. The hat-trick ball, to Charlotte Edwards, was negotiated well.Taylor’s duck sees her Test average drop to 20.46. It’s hard not to be frustrated by Taylor on days like these, especially in a format where, in 14 innings, she has a high of only 40. It is a frustration brought about partly by a selfish desire to see her in full flow: feet moving, wrists snapping, bat bus-wheeling. The flip side is today, where she attempted to work her first ball into the leg side and ended up falling over herself.Edwards responded with a gloriously typical cover drive for four. She would go on to hit four more in her 30, taking her past Janette Brittin – her opening partner on her Test debut – to 1,025 career runs against Australia, the most by any English woman. It was perhaps the only bright spot.Schutt then produced a challenger for ball of the match, as she flicked the edge of off bail, squaring up Edwards in the process.However, even in England’s turgid approach, Greenway (22) and Sciver (35) were starting to show signs of pushing on, only for both to fall to umpiring calls that would seem more at home in the amateur game than an Ashes Test.Both were lbw decisions, the worse of the two when Greenway was given out by Alex Wharf despite the ball pitching well outside leg stump. Neil Mallender was at fault for the second, as Sciver swiped across the line, with the ball clearly heading down the leg side – as shown by the keeper, Alyssa Healy, who ended up joining the appeal seemingly closer to square leg than behind the stumps. It looked like she was given out for the shot rather than the impact.It was left to Katherine Brunt to show her side the folly of their method. She was clearing her front leg to hit short balls square of the wicket and committing to drives in typical, full-blooded fashion. And, in attacking so brutally, she forced changes in the field and errors in a ring that had been airtight for most of the day. In being proactive, she took a portion out of Australia’s lead. That Anya Shrubsole was the last to be dismissed for a 47-ball duck – the third longest in women’s Tests – was a fitting end.To the credit of the England squad, they emerged from a disappointing day to take part in a mass autograph signing. These particular players are the sport’s finest ambassadors, allowing the game to grow with their skill, approachability and willingness to grant every selfie and sign every bit of paraphernalia.But for women’s Test cricket to really prosper, England need to find it within themselves to be as forthcoming on the field as they are off it.

There’s never a dull moment at Manchester United, with Bruno Fernandes chucking a proverbial grenade into the mix in the wake of Monday’s 4-4 thriller against Bournemouth.

Having rifled home a free-kick in pinpoint fashion to level things up at 3-3 on the night, the Portuguese genius reacted with an impassioned celebration, but the question was, whom was he directing it at?

Well, following the release of an interview that was reportedly carried out a few weeks ago, we may now have the answer, with the 31-year-old claiming that he feels that sections of the Old Trafford hierarchy intended to sell him over the summer, yet lacked the “courage” to do so.

The United skipper – who previously spoke openly about turning down Saudi side Al Hilal – also flirted with the prospect of securing a move away, after voicing the possible appeal of playing in Italy or Spain across the remainder of his career.

With just 18 months left to run on his current deal in Manchester, Fernandes has ensured his future will remain a talking point until next summer at least, with plans needing to be put in place in case the midfielder does drift off to pastures new.

Man Utd make move for potential future captain after Fernandes

The timing of that bombshell interview is intriguing, with Fernandes having seemingly finally found his groove in Ruben Amorim’s midfield duo, having registered seven goals and assists across his last four Premier League outings.

Indeed, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has bettered the ex-Sporting CP star’s tally of 12 goal involvements in 2025/26 to date, with the United talisman remaining so influential even in this deep-lying role.

Installed as captain back in the summer of 2023, after Harry Maguire had been stripped of the responsibility by Erik ten Hag, Fernandes has been at the centre of everything good about the club for over half a decade now, notably ending last season with 38 goals and assists in all competitions.

If the end is to be in sight, however, Amorim and INEOS will not only need to replace a majestic midfielder, but also the key leadership figure, hence the wisdom in pursuing a current top-flight captain, in the form of Marc Guehi.

According to TEAMtalk, United are among a raft of clubs who have held talks with the Crystal Palace star’s agents, with the Red Devils having alerted the Englishman’s representatives that they are willing to offer terms to him, heading into 2026.

While any suitor could pounce to strike a knock-down deal in January, the expectation remains that the 25-year-old will leave Selhurst Park for free when his contract expires in June, with the report outlining how his inner circle are viewing him as potentially ‘one of the most wanted free agents of all time’.

Having been so close to joining Liverpool on deadline day earlier this year, how sweet it would be for United to poach the ex-Chelsea man instead.

Why Guehi could be a perfect signing for Man Utd

Much of the focus for new additions has been on the midfield unit and the wing-back roles, with that latter search leading to United’s strong interest in Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

As reported this week, the Ghanaian is believed to be open to making that move, following his stellar strike on Monday evening, with the Cherries’ talisman available for £65m, due to a release clause which becomes active on 1st January.

The lack of depth out wide and centrally remains a key issue, although United’s latest outing also exposed that even the defensive line can look depleted relatively swiftly, with Amorim forced to deploy something of a makeshift lineup that included the teenage pairing of Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, alongside Luke Shaw.

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Perhaps as to be expected, that new look set-up – in the absence of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt – looked creaky and chaotic, having been opened up far too easily and far too readily on the night.

With Maguire also out of contract himself this summer, and the returning Lisandro Martinez only just back from an ACL issue, a further centre-back reinforcement could be just what is needed.

Indeed, it would be no surprise if Guehi swiftly assumes a leading role in Amorim’s side, potentially even replicating his compatriot Maguire in taking the armband soon into his Old Trafford career, with the latter man replacing Ashley Young as skipper in January 2020, after just six months at the club.

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The man who led Palace to FA Cup glory last season, defeating Manchester City in the Wembley showpiece, Guehi has rightly earned rave reviews for his standout performances in recent seasons, having been described as a “beast” of a defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Guehi vs De Ligt – 25/26 PL stats

Stat (*per game)

Guehi

De Ligt

Games

15

13

Starts

15

13

Goals (Assists)

2 (2)

1 (0)

Pass accuracy*

86%

88%

Key passes*

0.9

0.2

Tackles & interceptions*

2.9

2.7

Ground duels won*

62%

65%

Aerial duels won*

71%

62%

Clean sheets

6

1

Stats via Sofascore

Now a regular fixture at international level too, the 26-cap Three Lions star has been hailed for his “leadership qualities” by ex-interim boss Lee Carsley, having previously captained the U21 side in the past.

With the likes of Maguire and Casemiro out of contract, Martinez repeatedly struck down by injury and the aforementioned De Ligt not even part of the current leadership group under Amorim, it would be no shock for Guehi to assume captaincy status, provided United can win the race for his signature.

A man who ranks in the top 6% of Premier League centre-backs for progressive carries, and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, Guehi is the perfect modern-day defender, albeit while possessing that old-school defensive nous too, having won 71% of his aerial duels this season, as per Sofascore.

And so, whether Fernandes does depart next summer or beyond, Guehi would be a more than worthy successor to the captaincy at Old Trafford.

Related Their new Mainoo: Man Utd chasing PL star who's "like prime Roy Keane"

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Dasun Shanaka will be Sri Lanka’s T20I captain until the end of the forthcoming T20 World Cup. The move to replace Charith Asalanka as captain in the format had been floated by the previous selection committee under Upul Tharanga, whose term expired this month. But new chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe confirmed that Shanaka would lead the team as he announced the preliminary squad for the tournament.”We decided that Dasun Shanaka should be captain until the end of the World Cup, after talking to head coach Sanath Jayasuriya as well,” Wickramasinghe said on Friday. “The previous committee had chosen a list of 25 players. We spoke to Jerome Jayaratne, the head of the high performance, as well as Sanath Jayasuriya. We decided to announce that same 25 as a preliminary squad for the World Cup.””We are looking at Dasun as an allrounder. We’ll have to talk to Sanath Jayasuriya and work out what is required of him.”Shanaka had been made stand-in captain for the tri-series in Pakistan last month, after Asalanka was sent home from that tour to recover from an illness, although standard protocol is to keep unwell players within the team for a minor illness of the kind Asalanka had. Sri Lanka had lost to Zimbabwe through the course of that tournament, but managed to earn qualification for the final, in which they were comfortably defeated by Pakistan.”For now we’ve got to continue with what the previous committee was doing,” Wickramasinghe said. “They had been following a plan. If I were to come in and change a lot of things, that would not be ideal. My plan is to keep this team together for the World Cup, and then see how best we can build after that.”Although sacked as captain, a job he had been doing since the last World Cup in mid-2024, Asalanka remains in the squad. It has been his modest form in the format that had helped prompt his ouster. Asalanka had hit 156 runs at a strike rate of 122 from 12 innings this year, and he has not had a history of being an outstanding T20I batter, with his overall strike rate at 126. He remains among the new selectors plans, according to Wickramasinghe.The preliminary squad also opened the door for the return of Niroshan Dickwella, who last played for Sri Lanka back in March 2023, and that in Tests. But Wickramasinghe said the wider squad wanted for a top order batter who could keep wickets, which has seen Dickwella come back into contention.Sri Lanka preliminary World Cup squad:Dasun Shanaka (Captain), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Milan Rathnayake, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Traveen Mathew.

Scorecard

	Sudeep Tyagi claimed three wickets as Saurashtra stumbled to 93 for 7 chasing 162 © Cricinfo Ltd.

Shitanshu Kotak and the Saurashtra tail stood between Uttar Pradesh and a place in the Ranji Trophy final for the second time in three years. Saurashtra’s bowlers had given the side an excellent chance of going through by bowling UP out for 100 in the second innings and setting up a target of 162 but the batsmen, continuing the match trend of rank bad batting, threw away the advantage to end the day needing another 69 with three wickets in hand.Saurashtra have an uphill task, given that the match has an average score of 13.73 per wicket so far, but Sandeep Jobanputra and Sandip Maniar, the batsmen to follow, have shown an aptitude to stick around with a specialist batsman – Jobanputra scored 17 in the first innings and shared a 34-run ninth-wicket stand with Rakesh Dhurv. In any case the current 30-run eighth-wicket partnership between Kotak and Kamlesh Makvana is the highest in the innings so far.The wicket here at the Moti Bagh Stadium had a covering of live grass and a firm surface but didn’t warrant such a meek batting display. Saurashtra, in their second innings, belied the feeling that they couldn’t play worse than in the first and never looked like putting up a fight once they lost Jaydev Shah, their best batsman in the first innings, in the second over. Kanaiya Vaghela followed two balls later in similar fashion, edging behind to Amir Khan.Sagar Jogiyani and Cheteshwar Pujara looked like building a partnership and took the score to 25 before Pujara tickled one down the leg side to give the Tyagi-Amir combine its third success. In the next over Bhuvneshwar Kumar got Jogiyani, who had looked comfortable. That brought together Kotak and Nikhil Rathore and, as another partnership looked like building, Praveen Kumar produced a legcutter to take Rathore’s edge. Praveen Gupta followed it up with a good low catch off his own bowling to dismiss Rakesh Dhurv.Kotak, meanwhile, had seen off the early jittery period and nudged and late-cut his way to 41 by stumps. He waited for the last moment before playing a shot – then too only if necessary – and when he did so it was with soft hands. By the time Kotak took them to beyond the first-innings deficit, they had lost six wickets and one more followed soon after but that brought in Makvana. UP, thinking they were closing in on the win, opted for the extra half hour but the bowlers were perhaps too tired and failed to have any impact. It turned into the most comfortable period of play for Saurashtra, who added 17 in that period.UP’s batting began early in the day, Saurashtra’s two overnight wickets lasting 16 minutes to concede a potentially crucial lead of 61. Though UP had a better start to their second innings – making Saurashtra wait 10 overs for the first wicket – they showed their over-reliance on Suresh Raina and Mohammad Kaif. After Rohit Prakash was adjudged lbw, Suresh Raina once again started in a confident manner before letting it away for just 25. He got off with a beautiful cover drive, down on one knee, off Vaghela. In Vaghela’s next over, Raina pulled him for a six and pushed him out of attack. That was followed by a straight hit for four. Spin, in the form of Dhurv, was welcomed by dancing down to hit two boundaries in the first over. Then against the run of the play, Raina missed Makvana’s first ball – a full toss – and was adjudged lbw.That triggered the collapse as the spinners bowled a controlled line and length and let the wicket and the batsmen do the rest. Amir Khan was done in by an arm ball from Dhurv that he was late to react to. Ravikant Shukla, who had batted well in the first innings, was caught on the back foot as another arm ball took his edge and made its way safely to Kotak at slip. Kaif got one from Makwana that didn’t break, bounced more and took the glove on the way to the ‘keeper who, after some juggling, hung on to it. With two balls to go to lunch, Piyush Chawla played a poor shot and turned Jobanputra – brought on only for the last over before lunch – to midwicket.Five overs after lunch Praveen Kumar, all at sea against Dhurv, was beaten comprehensively and was bowled. Bhuvneshwar Kumar followed his first-innings effort with another sensible innings for close to an hour, but Dhurv’s big break was too good for him and bowled him. Rahat Elahi, the specialist batsman brought in to replace Tanmay Srivastava and who came in to bat at No. 9, stayed back to one that kept low and was beaten to give Dhurv his fourth first-class five-wicket haul.

Runako Morton, in search of an eighth first-class century, partnered Austin Richards for 212 runs © Getty Images

A maiden hundred from Austin Richards and an unbeaten 73 from Runako Morton put Leewards Islands in a healthy position on a rain-hit opening day against Windwards Islands at St Maarten. Electing to bat, Leewards closed on 213 for 1 thanks to the 212-run second-wicket stand between Richards and Morton.Rain delayed the start for just over an over, and when play began Leewards lost Codville Rogers leg before to Deighton Butler’s left-arm pace in the third ball of the innings. Richards and Morton denied the Windwards any further breakthrough and took their side to 62 for 1 at lunch and quickened the scoring rate after the interval.The rain returned to hold up play for 35 minutes in the second session, but it had little effect on the batsmen. Dropped by captain Rawl Lewis on 54, Richards moved to 96 with 15 boundaries before rain forced everyone off the field shortly before tea. The players resumed action later, and Richards soon pulled Kenroy Peters for four to reach three figures. Morton has so far faced 161 balls and hit six fours and a six.Despite a second first-class hundred from opener Brenton Parchment, Jamaica struggled on the first day of their final-round Carib Beer match against Trinidad & Tobago at St Elizabeth.Asked to bat first, Jamaica stumbled to 254 in the face of a disciplined bowling attack led by offspinner Amit Jaggernauth, left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed and fast bowler Ravi Rampaul.Parchment, 24, was the mainstay of the innings with a 195-ball 111, laced with ten fours and a pair of sixes, before he was ninth man out. With Lorenzo Ingram (29) he added 64 before Jaggernauth removed the other opener in the over before lunch, and a further 75 for the third wicket with Wavell Hinds, his captain, whose contribution was 38 from 58 balls.Hinds became Jaggernauth’s third victim when he chipped to mid-on at 142 for 2, and from here on T&T swung matters their way. Tamar Lambert (2), David Bernard (11) and Carlton Baugh (1) all fell cheaply as Mohammed and Rampaul joined the party. Jaggernauth claimed 4 for 99 to sustain his excellent form, Mohammed picked up 3 for 51 and Rampaul 3 for 62.Jamaica struck back just before stumps, however, when Jermaine Lawson bowled Lendl Simmons for 8 to leave T&T at 10 for 1.Three late wickets from Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinner and captain of Barbados, caused a Guyana collapse on day one of their match at Bourda. Well placed at 276 for 5, Hinds’s strikes reduced Guyana to 285, with the last five wickets falling for just nine runs.Guyana were boosted by a 98-run third-wicket partnership between Sewnarine Chattergoon (68) and Assad Fudadin (49), and a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket between wicketkeeper Derwin Christian (54) and Azeemul Haniff (46), in his first season for Guyana since 2003. Ramnaresh Sarwan, the captain, was forced to retire on 18 when he was struck on the right thumb by Fidel Edwards.Hinds finished with 3 for 67, Edwards claimed three for 60 and Tino Best 2 for 55.

Keith Bradshaw: from Tasmania to St John’s Wood © Marylebone Cricket Club

Marylebone Cricket Club has appointed a 42-year former Australian first-class cricketer as its new secretary and chief executive. Keith Bradshaw will take up the reins in October, when Roger Knight’s 13-year stint comes to an end.Bradshaw, who played for Tasmania for three years between 1985 and 1988, and captained the state team when David Boon was away on international duty, has since forged a successful business career, including spells with both PriceWaterhouse and Deloitte, where he is a Partner.”We are delighted to have found Keith for this appointment,” said MCC chairman, Charles Fry. “He has all the attributes we were seeking. As well as having played first-class cricket in a highly competitive environment, Keith has a high level of commercial and management experience, which is essential for an organisation with a turnover of more than £23 million a year. Equally importantly, we believe that Keith has the right skills and personality for the task of leading one of the country’s largest members’ clubs.”A commitee member put things more simply when he said: “We needed someone who will not only be financially savvy but completely at home when talking cricket with ex-Test players.”Bradshaw himself was equally thrilled at his appointment. “I am delighted and extremely honoured to have been selected,” he said. “I have long regarded MCC as the finest, most active and most respected cricket club in the world. I am determined to play my part in maintaining its values, upholding its traditions and continuing to improve Lord’s – which is not only MCC’s home, but the spiritual home of world cricket.”The appointment of an overseas chief executive reflects MCC’s growing desire to cast off its traditional image. “MCC is a truly international organisation,” added Bradshaw, “which works for the good of the game right across the globe. It is fantastic, for example, that one of its teams is currently touring Argentina – playing some of the 500 or so fixtures that MCC arranges each year.”Lord’s hold a very special place in every cricketer’s heart and I know from my ownexperience that every young Australian who ever put on a pad aspires, as I did, to one daywalk through the Long Room on to the ‘hallowed turf’. This is true the world over. While I never fulfilled that dream as a player, I will be incredibly fortunate to start playing a part in keeping Lord’s truly special for players and spectators alike.”

Dutch courage: Neil McKenzie will spend the summer in Holland© Getty Images

Neil McKenzie, the South African batsman, is joining The Hague Cricket Club in Holland for the 2005 season. He continues an impressive list of international cricketers who have spent time coaching and playing in Holland.McKenzie joins Chris Pringle, Andre Adams and Simon Doull from New Zealand and Gary Kirsten as The Hague Cricket Club’s most famous overseas players. McKenzie has just lost his central contract with the United Cricket Board of South Africa, after not appearing in international cricket since the final Test against New Zealand in March 2004. But he has continued to be a consistent scorer in domestic cricket, averaging 38 in the 2004-05 Supersport series for the Highveld Lions franchise, which he also captains.This coming summer is important for Dutch cricket, as they try to qualify for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies through the ICC Trophy, which will be staged in Ireland. Holland have previously played in the 1996 and 2003 World Cup tournaments.

ScorecardMashonaland completed their anticipated victory over Matabeleland in mid-afternoon on the fourth and final day of the match. They bowled Matabeleland out for 292, and won by 131 runs.Mashonaland didn’t bowl particularly well, and there were good knocks of 64 from Mluleki Nkala and 62 from Gavin Ewing, but there was not the self-belief required to chase a target of over 400. Eight of the batsmen reached double figures but none were able to produce the major innings required.Jordane Nicolle, the Matabele who was controversially included in the Mashonaland team after being omitted by his home province, took 4 for 61, but bowled far too many bouncers, as did Andy Blignaut, who will have to sharpen up his act with the imminent arrival of the Australians.Day 3 Bulletin

Played 13, won four, lost seven, drawn two. As an end-of-year Test ledger it leaves a lot to be desired, but it also fails to tell the story of some doughty campaigns fought by England in 2001. Take out the Australians (how they would have loved to!) and it would look a whole lot brighter. But in the real world, Steve Waugh’s men are never that far down the track. By this time next year the Ashes will be ablaze once more, and on current evidence the heat looks likely to be on England once again.

Trescothick- maiden Test ton in Galle Photo CricInfo

It began badly in the cauldron of Galle, and ended in unseasonably sopping, Bangalore frustration. But in between came England’s greatest achievement of the year, to win a three-Test series after going one-nil down, and in Sri Lanka at that. There were early signs of Marcus Trescothick’s coming of international age (his maiden Test hundred in the Galle defeat), and the bravery in adversity of Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick. Crucially, there was Nasser Hussain’s return to form in Kandy, after a wretched run of form compounded by poor umpiring decisions in Pakistan. And all the while there was Graham Thorpe, unflappably nudging and nurdling, and ultimately playing the decisive part in Colombo as he conquered heat exhaustion to ensure England’s triumph.Four series wins in a row. “Bring on the Aussies!” they started to cry, but there was a short and significant encounter first, which could we but know it, would turn England’s progress into disconcerting reverse. At the outset it seemed merely a triumphal continuation, with an innings victory over an under-cooked Pakistan at Lord’s. Gough and Caddick were rampant again, the duo now bearing reasonable comparison with Trueman and Statham. Then came Old Trafford and a true feast of a Test match, but for England the taste was ultimately sour. After competing effectively for four-and-a-half days on an excellent pitch, they contrived one of their horrible collapses. To the near-disbelief of many watching, England subsided from 201 for two to 261 all out, leaving Pakistan victors by 108 runs and England’s growing reputation for tenacity tarnished. Steve Waugh, who had promised to reopen some old scars, was sharpening his scalpel delightedly.With Hussain out injured since the Lord’s Test, Alec Stewart led England through a one-day tournament which can only have encouraged the doubts to fester. To the increasingly ludicrous strains of “The Great Escape”, batsman after batsman was snared by Australia or Pakistan, as England were trussed up and roasted in six matches out of six. Only at Bristol did they do themselves justice, as they ran Australia close before Ian Harvey clinched it with a towering six at his home from home. Although a 5-0 thrashing of Zimbabwe brought an autumnal revival to England’s one-day spirits, there is a lot to do in the year and a bit before the World Cup in South Africa.The build-up to the Ashes, already blighted by recent defeats, was further disrupted by a string of injuries. Although Hussain returned for the first Test at Edgbaston, the batting line-up was weakened there by the absence of Thorpe and Michael Vaughan. The blow to Hussain’s finger which put him out of the next two Tests with his second injury of the summer could hardly have been more sickening, either for him or for England supporters. With Ashley Giles suffering from a long-term Achilles problem, England were at no stage able to field their first-choice XI.

Hussain- finger injury in Birmingham Photo CricInfo

That said, in the face of truly magnificent Australian opposition, it is doubtful whether the outcome would have been very different. The tourists retained the Ashes at the earliest opportunity, going 3-0 up at Trent Bridge after dominating session after session. England compounded their problems by spilling several catches at Lord’s, including the awesome Adam Gilchrist, who left an indelible impression on his first Test series in England. Steve Waugh was at his most immovable, twin Mark at his most sublime. Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne again proved that they are world-beaters.But for the flash of inspiration when Mark Butcher played the innings of his life at Leeds, there would have been nothing to savour at all. But Butcher’s unbeaten 173 delighted the capacity Monday crowd, while enhancing Headingley’s reputation for unpredictability. That was as good as it got. Australia made it 4-1 by an innings at The Oval, and Michael Atherton retired without an Ashes-winning series to his credit.So if India could beat Australia at home, what on earth would they do to England, shorn as they were, for various reasons, of Atherton, Stewart, Gough and Caddick? Cricket has a wonderful way of rendering such questions facile, and it was greatly to their credit that after a disastrous start in Mohali, England had the better of the two drawn Tests that followed. Although Tendulkar twinkled as only he can, support at the other end was often brittle. Several England youngsters progressed, among them Matthew Hoggard, who bowled his heart out, and the debutants James Foster and Richard Dawson. In the end it was defeat with honour, with much of the credit due to the experienced partnership of Hussain and Duncan Fletcher.Hussain himself has pointed out that there are no easy Test series these days. New Zealand are a more than handy outfit, who will no doubt extend England in March. Before that they must measure October’s progress in Zimbabwe against successive one-day tournaments in India and New Zealand. Last summer showed England that their renaissance was more fragile than many had believed, but events since have reassured their many supporters that it is far from being snuffed out.

Yorkshire looked anything but the championship Division One contenders they areas Durham bowled them out for 129 and forced them to follow on at Leeds. Left-armer Simon Brown (4-33) spearheaded a more than competent team-effort. Only three home batsmen reached double-figures and they have now lost al but one of their last five games in all across different competitions.Brown was well supported by his county colleagues. Steve Harmison struckfirst by dismissing David Byas and Richard Blakey, and Paul Collingwood trappedMichael Vaughan (34) l.b.w. after he had been 86 balls at the crease. Darren Lehmann (28), the Australian, threatened briefly until he sliced a ball from Mel Betts to substitute fieldsman Nicky Phillips.That was as good as it got for Yorkshire who fell from 84-4 to 129 all out as Brown dismissed four of the last six batsmen. Anthony McGrath (29 n.o.)looked on as his partners followed each other out in swift succession. Simon Katich and Collingwood stood out in some fine Durham catching. Following on 185 runs in arrears Byas and Vaughan played out the last twelve overs without loss.Earlier in the day Durham had progressed from 253-8 to 314 all out againstless than effective Yorkshire bowling. Ryan Sidebottom (5-66) was defied by captain Nick Speak (61 n.o. from 185 balls) and Harmison (43).