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Two of the Southern Electric ECB Premier League’s most exciting local young cricketing prospects – Bournemouth’s Chris Park and David Wheeler, the New Milton all-rounder – could be headed towards a career on the county circuit.The teenage duo have signed Academy scholarship contracts with First Class counties – Park, Bournemouth’s talented batsman/wicketkeeper, with Northants, and Wheeler at Hampshire.The pair will link up with their respective counties next month to begin a demanding winter programme, which involves all aspects of cricket development, including fitness and sports psychology.Spending the 2002 summer season with Northants is a dream come true for 18-year old Park, from Dales Drive, Wimborne.The former Queen Elizabeth School sixth-former scored over 400 runs and snapped up 30 victims behind the stumps in a sparkling debut season for Bournemouth in the demanding surrounds of the Southern Electric Premier League.Park went on to make three Minor Counties Championship appearances for Dorset, scoring a maiden half-century in Cornwall.”Being signed up by Northants is the perfect end to what’s been a terrific first season for me in senior cricket,” smiled Park, who has played regularly for Dorset youth teams in recent seasons.”It hardly seems five minutes ago I was playing village cricket for Kingston Lacey and now I’ve been given the opportunity to progress into the professional arena.”But Park, spotted by Northants when he represented Dorset in last year’s Jersey Youth Festival, knows the hard work is yet to begin.”It’s entirely up to me now. There’s a demanding winter schedule ahead and then the task of proving myself where it matters – in the middle next season.”This is an opportunity few youngsters get and I don’t intend to waste it,” he said.Park, who will probably play Northants 2nd XI and Colts cricket next summer, could hardly have chosen a better time to display his rich batting prowess than in Jersey last summer.”I scored an unbeaten 147 against them off 86 balls and then followed it up with a century against Yorkshire. It’s really gone on from there,” Park explained.Former England all-rounder David Capel, now the Northants Academy coach, said : “We were very impressed with what we saw in Jersey.”Chris looks a very, inspirational positive player, who shows total commitment. He always seems to have a happy smile on his face.”Wheeler, New Milton’s hard-hitting 6’3″ all-rounder, made an equally devastating impact in his debut season in Premier Division 3.He struck two centuries and passed the 50-mark on six other occasions in scoring 582 runs and took 22 wickets – no mean feat for a 16-year old !Educated at Highcliffe School, Wheeler has been playing at New Milton since he was eight years of age and been a regular representative player for both Hampshire Schools and the New Forest CA since he was 11.Wheeler, currently studying Sports Science at Brockenhurst College, hit the high spots last year, scoring 1,500-plus runs and taking 60 wickets in all cricket.”When David’s batting, he times the ball so sweetly. And his bowling action has such a high trajectory that he can get substantial lift and away movement,” explained Steve Watts, the New Milton captain.Wheeler had been earmarked to captain Hampshire’s Under-16 team this summer but was fast-tracked into the Under-17 side which reached the semi-finals of the ECB County Youth Championships.He was subsequently selected to play for an England Under-17 XI against the MCC at Uxbridge.Wheeler, who lives in Barton-on-Sea, is the only Hampshire-based youngster at the Rose Bowl Academy this winter.”David has got a great deal of potential and I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to develop in the Academy this winter,” said Hampshire 2nd XI coach Tony Middleton.Both Park and Wheeler have been nominted for the Southern Premier League’s Young Cricketer of the Year award, which will be announced at the presentation dinner on November 9.

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes that Raphinha could be left of the Whites’ squad entirely for the Premier League clash with Norwich City this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Raphinha in a rut

The Brazilian has been a wonderful signing from Rennes, excelling over the past two seasons and standing out as one of Leeds’ best players.

Raphinha’s form has clearly dropped off in recent months, though, with only one goal and one assist since the turn of the year.

Not only that, but he has arguably cut a sulky figure as the Whites have been drawn further into the relegation mire, with a massive home clash against fellow strugglers Norwich coming up on Sunday.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Mills thinks Raphinha could be dropped

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills claimed that Raphinha could even be left out of the matchday squad at Elland Road, given his recent attitude. The 44-year-old fumed:

“With Raphinha, there was clearly one or two issues with him leading up to Marcelo Bielsa being relieved of his duties. He was taken off and then dropped for the Manchester United games.

“There has been murmurings all along he was looking for a move and there has obviously been a little bit of interest. Since Christmas, he hasn’t shown anywhere near the type of form that we’ve seen previously.

“Jesse Marsch will have to look at that. They are playing Norwich, it’s not a must-win but it is a must not-lose game, that’s for sure. Raphinha, even if he’s a little bit not quite at it, is he more likely to create and score? Possibly.

“Is it worth even taking him if he’s on the bench? His attitude hasn’t been the greatest. I know he came on and did well against Man United for 10 minutes. Sometimes players like that you might as well not bother taking him than putting him on the bench.

“It’s a difficult call for Jesse Marsch to make.”

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The Verdict: Still likely to start

While Mills makes a fair point in terms of Raphinha’s form, it would still be a huge surprise if the Brazilian wasn’t involved in some capacity today.

He is still someone with the ability to win a match on his own – he is comfortably Leeds’ top scorer in the league this season with nine goals – and a moment of magic could make all the difference against the bottom-placed Canaries.

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That being said, a massive improvement is required from Raphinha, both in terms of quality and attitude, with another poor performance likely to attract further criticism, especially if the Whites fail to pick up three points this afternoon.

In other news, one journalist has made a significant claim regarding Jesse Marsch. Read more here.

The floodlights shine for the first time at Lord’s © Getty Images

History was made tonight when, three decades after Kerry Packer launched floodlit cricket in Australia, the lights were turned on at Lord’s for a day-night match. The fact that Middlesex beat Derbyshire by three wickets in a Pro40 match was almost incidental to the bigger story.The MCC, which is not nearly as conservative as its reputation, is looking ahead. The ground, while boasting the best facilities in the country, is under increasing pressure as other venues acquire international status. It needed lights and this game was a test case, more about placating the neighbours than the cricket itself.In that regard it will be deemed a success. Around 5000 turned out on a glorious late-summer evening, including several hundred of the MCC’s neighbours who had been given freebies. While those numbers might appear low, the fixture was only switched from Southgate last month and it probably suited the organisers to have a low-key curtain raiser. And while the temporary lights were not as powerful as more permanent ones would be, they were more than enough for a decent game to take place.As a further move to ease the worries of the locals, the match started 30 minutes earlier than usual for a day-night fixture and the public bars were shut an hour before the close. The music that accompanies boundaries and wickets was also more subdued.For the Derbyshire innings the pylons barely peeked out from over the top of the stands. At the break, they extended to their full height, and as the sun finally set, their impact was really felt. The general consensus was that the old ground was enhanced by being bathed in light.Over the winter the MCC will engage in consultations with residents and, all being well, there will be more floodlit matches in 2008.The long-term aim has to be the instillation of permanent lights, albeit ones that are likely to be retractable so as not to destroy the ambience of the ground and also to placate planners and residents. Those should be in place in time for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, alongside ambitious plans to increase the capacity from around 28,000 to more than 35,000.The MCC will not only have to pay for the floodlights themselves; what last night did show was that the lighting in the stands and on the concourses will also need a major overhaul.But the experiment was a success and the first of a number of hurdles was successfully overcome.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Gautam Gambhir led the way for India Red with a solid century © AFP

India Blue suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of India Red, failing by 21 runs to chase down the target of 281 in the opening match of the Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophy. A solid score – thanks mainly to 110 from Gautam Gambhir and a half-century from Y Venugopala Rao – followed up by a thoughtful and incisive bowling display from VRV Singh and Murali Kartik sealed the deal for India Red.It was always going to be a tricky chase – 280 was a good score on a pitch characterised by decent bounce and good carry – but India Blue slipped into a familiar trend, starting well, faltering, and failing to apply themselves in the face of some sensible bowling. The manner in which Sachin Tendulkar began suggested to the 5000-plus crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium that 280- might just not be enough. Tendulkar, was in one of moods, and seemed destined for a big one. He played straight, leaning nicely into drives, punching rather than hammering the ball, but he too was not averse to unfurling the big hit when the bowlers erred in length, as Sreesanth did twice. The first was deftly pulled for six over deep backward square-leg, the second slapped back over the bowler’s head even as the little master gave charge.There was some drama as Sehwag seemed to twist his ankle when turning for a second run, but after much medical assistance, continued, without a runner, but visibly in discomfort. Sehwag should have gone just after, on 27, when he launched into a huge hit towards long-on, and the ball hung in the air for an eternity before it landed in, and popped out, of VRV Singh’s hands.The whole momentum of the innings shifted, though, as Rao brought on the spinners as early as the 11th over. Murali Kartik bowled beautifully, teasing the batsmen, hanging the ball in the air and using the extra bounce in the pitch to defeat the stroke. The runs stopped coming as freely as they had when the fast men were on, but it was a run-out that brought the first breakthrough, as Sehwag was slow to get back for a second, and the direct hit from the deep by Sreesanth from short fine-leg. Sehwag had made 28.Tendulkar pushed on, past the half-century mark, and it was a bit of clever captaincy, packing the off-side field and bowling a length just a touch short for the drive, that led to his downfall. Tendulkar punched Zaheer towards off, but was well caught by Rao at short cover, and was gone for 61.Then came the familiar middle-order story. Rahul Dravid missed an incutter that stayed a touch low and was out lbw, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after one superb cut for four, flashed outside off and edged to the keeper. VRV Singh had two quick wickets, and India Blue were 110 for 4Yuvraj Singh and Dinesh Mongia then put up a last-ditch effort that could have saved the day. They were still well within striking distance of the total, but it needed one or both to bat out till the end, and neither was able to do so. After a tight comeback spell from Zaheer, Rao once again tossed the ball to Kartik, and he snuffed out what life remained in the game.Mongia was the first to fall, teased out by a floating delivery, and his attempted big hit over the on side only got as far as VRV Singh. Yuvraj continued as best as he could, but when the runs became hard to come by, and he started playing the sweep as a get-out-of-jail shot, you sensed that the end might be near. It came when Yuvraj tried to break the shackles by whacking one over the leg side, but could not clear the infield, and was caught by Uthappa at midwicket.By the time the top was gone, the required rate had crept up sufficiently to take the task past even the ever optimistic whirling blade of Harbhajan Singh. He took his team desperately close, but 21 runs separated the teams when the last wicket fell, quite predictably Harbhajan holing out to midwicket attempting to hit the ball out of the ground.There are some players who need the biggest stage to thrive, and there are some who are comfortable at a certain middle-run, and succeed at every opportunity. Gambhir and Rao may have struggled at the international level because bowlers have exploited their weaknesses relentlessly, and denied them their favourite scoring shots. In the absence of bowlers of this calibre, though, they thrive, and that was very much the case here.India’s best bowlers were simply not disciplined enough, and a reprieve – Dravid dropped a sitter at second slip when Gambhir was on 8 – was all the Reds needed to capitalise. Gambhir began as shakily as ever, squeezing and slashing runs through gully and third-man, but once he settled, in the company of Rao, who was aggressively looking to keep the scoreboard ticking over, Gambhir unfurled some pleasing shots. Of particular beauty were his two controlled lofts over midwicket off the left-arm spin of Mongia, where he came down the pitch and did not hit, so much as coax the ball to the fence.Rao, for his part, was industrious and opportunistic, cashing in when the fast men offered width – cutting and square-driving – and when the spinners were too straight, sweeping hard. But Rao holed out to long-off on 67, when he could so easily have had more, and soon after Gambhir ran himself out for 110. But by then, with Rohit Sharma applying the finishing touches before the tail collapsed, India Red had managed to push the score on to a healthy 280. And in the end that proved more than enough.

India RedRobin Uthappa c Patel b Pathan 10 (15 for 1)
S Badrinath c Jadeja b Pathan 15 (44 for 2)
Y Venugopala Rao c Mongia b Pathan 67 (189 for 3)
Gautam Gambhir run out 110 (227 for 4)
Dinesh Karthik c Harbhajan b Agarkar 11 (244 for 5)
Ramesh Powar b Patel 0 (249 for 6)
Rohit Sharma c Tendulkar b Patel 33 (266 for 7)
Zaheer Khan c Tendulkar b Agarkar 5 (274 for 8)
Murali Kartik c Sehwag b Patel 12 (275 for 9)
VRV Singh run out 2 (280 for 10)
India BlueVirender Sehwag run out (Sreesanth) 28 (96 for 1)
Sachin Tendulkar c Rao b Khan 61 (102 for 2)
Rahul Dravid lbw b VRV Singh 1 (102 for 3)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Karthik b VRV Singh 6 (110 for 4)
Dinesh Mongia c VRV Singh b Kartik 26 (189 for 5)
Yuvraj Singh c Uthappa b Kartik 53 (209 for 6)
Irfan Pathan run out (Kartik) 19 (227 for 7)
Ajit Agarkar c Uthappa b VRV Singh 6 (236 for 9)
Ravinder Jadeja run out 11 (247 for 9)
Harbhajan Singh c VRV Singh b Zaheer 15 (259 for 10)

Jacques Kallis after being named one of the five Cricketers of the Year © Cricinfo/Neil Lane

Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini were among five players named as South Africa’s Cricketers of the Year at a function in Gauteng on Monday. The other three chosen were fast bowler Andre Nel, so honoured for the second time, and batsmen Boeta Dippenaar and AB de Villiers, who were first-time nominees.Kallis and Ntini joined Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Ken McEwan and Clive Rice in being named a Cricketer of the Year for the fourth time.Colin Bryden, the editor of the , said both players were automatic choices following outstanding performances. Kallis has moved to the top of the South African all-time lists of Test runs and centuries scored. Ntini recently returned 13 for 132 against the West Indies in Trinidad, the best match figures by a South African in Test cricket.Nel, with his aggression and wicket-taking ability, had been able to complement Ntini and Pollock well. De Villiers, one of the most promising newcomers to Test cricket anywhere in the world, averaged 53.72 in his first season at the highest level.Dippenaar, who has been a member of the national team since the 1999-2000 season, finished the season on a high note when he was Man of the Series in the one-day games against the West Indies. Bryden confided that narrowing the candidates down to five was particularly difficult because many players had impressive performances.Among previous nominees, South African captain Graeme Smith finished the season strongly, while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher made a stirring comeback to the national side after being dropped early in the season.Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp and Charl Langeveldt weren’t too far behind in terms of performances. At the domestic level Lance Klusener, Hashim Amla, Tyron Henderson and Adam Bacher had displayed fluent form.

Mark Butcher: more injury blues© Getty Images

England were dealt a double injury blow today with the news that Graham Thorpe will miss the final Test after breaking a finger at Old Trafford, while Mark Butcher has collected yet another muscle injury and will miss the game too.Thorpe broke the little finger on his right hand when he was hit by a screamer from Fidel Edwards while making his way to his 15th Test century. He will bat if needed in the second innings at Old Trafford, but will sit out the fourth and final Test, which starts at The Oval on Thursday (August 19).Meanwhile Butcher’s catalogue of woe, which started when he received whiplash in a car accident in London while on the way to see his physiotherapist, has continued. He has just recovered from a thigh-muscle pull, but strained his calf while jogging on Friday, and this latest injury will also keep him out of the fourth Test. It means that after playing 42 successive Tests up to the third one against New Zealand this summer, Butcher will have missed all four matches of the West Indies series with various niggles.All this means that there will be no Surrey player in the team at The Oval – unless the selectors decide to go for experience and call up the in-form Mark Ramprakash as a replacement. Ramprakash is 35 on September 5, and played the last of his 52 Tests in New Zealand in 2001-02, but he has scored five centuries in his last seven innings in the County Championship.A more likely replacement is Ian Bell, the uncapped 22-year-old Warwickshire batsman, who was averaging 80.83 this season before the latest round of matches.

New Zealand cricketers in England and Dutch club cricket are having a lean time of it at the moment.Aucklander Rob Nicol has no batting form at all for Rishton which is in 14th and last place in the first XI competition of the Lancashire League.In his side’s 146-run loss to East Lancs he took three wickets for 95 and a week later in the 104-run loss to Nelson he took three for 114.Matthew Bell is playing for fourth-placed Esher in the Surrey Championship league. He scored 53 in a drawn game with Cheam and 52 in a winning draw against Weybridge.Luke Woodcock, like Bell from Wellington, is playing for eighth-placed Purley in the second division of the Surrey League but has not yet made an impression among the top performers.Canterbury’s Brendon Donkers is playing for ninth-placed Leigh in the Liverpool and District competition’s premier league.He retired hurt in a recent game against New Brighton, having scored nine, but then came back two days later in a 70-run win over Newton le Willows scoring 20 not out and taking one for 18. He followed that with 49 not out and two for 39 in a 27-run loss to Bootle.Otago’s Warren McSkimming is playing for sixth-placed Lytham in the same league. He scored 62 and took two for 46 in a draw against Huyton, took two for 62 in a five-wicket loss to New Brighton and then scored 66 in a 106-run win against Newton le Willows.In the first division of the Liverpool competition, former Aucklander Aaron Barnes is playing for fourth-placed Colwyn Bay and James Marshall of Northern Districts, is playing for twelth-placed Formby.Marshall hit 112 in a no result game against St Helens Recs and a week later his 76 in a five-wicket loss to Highfield.Barnes hit 74 and took one for 16 in a seven-wicket win against Liverpool and then hit 49 and took four for 52 in an eight-wicket win against Caldy.But his best effort to date was 117 not out and two for 83, despite his team losing by four wickets to Formby. In that match he claimed Marshall’s wicket for a duck. Marshall took two catches and had the satisfaction of seeing his side win by four wickets.In his most recent appearance last weekend, Barnes hit 45 in a seven-wicket win against Orrell Red Triangle.Michael Parlane is playing for Swardeston in the East Anglia League, the side is fifth of 10 teams. He scored 52 not out in a nine-wicket win over Bury St Edmunds and 28 in a five-wicket loss to Norwich.The New Zealanders in the Netherlands cricket competition have also been battling.Former internationals Shane Thomson and David Sewell are playing in the first-placed side VRA. Sewell took two for 24 in a 23-run win over Quick Haag, and four for 48 in a 24-run win over VCC while Thomson’s most significant hand in recent weeks has been 64 against VOC in a match lost by 13 runs.Andre Adams and Alex O’Dowd are playing for second-placed HCC. O’Dowd scored 109 against Excelsior and Adams scored 11 and took three for 29 in a six-wicket win.In his most recent appearance against Quick Haag when HCC successfully defended a total of 132, Adams scored 26 off 27 balls, with three sixes before taking three for 25 from his 10 overs.Greg Todd is playing with the third-placed Hermes DVS side. Against Rood en Wit he took two for 35 in a 36-run loss. He scored 34 not out in a 66-run win over VOC, scored 22 and took two for 23 in a 20-run win over VCC and scored 22 and took one for 25 in a 25-run win over Excelsior.David Kelly is playing with the fifth-placed Rood en Wit side and in his best performance so far he scored 36 against Hermes DVS before being caught by former Central Districts player Gavin McRae off Todd’s bowling. But his side did emerge with a victory.Aucklander Tama Canning’s side of VOC is in ninth place but Canning has been producing some good all-round performances.He scored 39 against HCC as his side lost by 76 runs. But the following week he scored 26 and took three for 35 in a 13-run win over VRA.Then he scored 30 and took two for 21 in a 45-run loss to Rood en Wit before his best performance last weekend of 56 and five for 25 off 9.2 overs to help his side to a 36-run win over VCC.Former Canterbury all rounder Darron Reekers is the only other player in the competition from New Zealand. He is playing for last-placed Quick Haag. In his last three appearances his best score has been 14 and his best bowling two for 15 from 10 overs in a five-wicket win over Rood en Wit.In the women’s competition, Canterbury’s Sarah Burke is playing for second-placed Rood en Wit in the six-team women’s premier league and in her side’s seven-wicket win last weekend she took two for 13 from her nine overs.

One of the promoters of the controversial Sportville sports complex at Addington in Christchurch, Chris Herbert lost his bid to be re-elected to the board of Canterbury Cricket at tonight’s annual meeting.Herbert was beaten by Steve Riddell of the Old Collegians Club while sitting board members David Shackleton (chairman) and Cran Bull were returned after a ballot.It was clear that the investigation into developing the existing Queen Elizabeth II Park ground or the Sportville complex, which would be shared with trotting, rugby league and netball, was a source of concern to several delegates at the meeting.The debate had already claimed the former chief executive officer of the CCA, Tony Murdoch, who was a supporter of the QEII development.Shackleton, when presenting his annual report, told the meeting the board was still determining what was required of a venue and the criteria, when decided, would then be measured against the prospective venues.He assured the meeting any development at Addington would not proceed without suitable funding.He was able to tell the meeting the indoor training facility long sought by the association would be located at Iverson Terrace and would have four full-length lanes and should be completed early next year. The CCA offices will be based at the new complex for not much more expense than the original cost of the existing offices. But it would have better offices and be more efficient.Shackleton also announced that the two clubs in Christchurch to take part in the pilot programme of New Zealand Cricket’s grassroots development scheme would be Sydenham and Lancaster Park while Buller’s Cricket Association would be the pilot district association.Shackleton said New Zealand Cricket had been very pro-active in looking at the grassroots of the sport and he felt the development scheme was a significant move in the right direction.It was important for the pilot scheme to work effectively as the success of the scheme depended on the quality of application for support Canterbury would be able to pursue for the widening of the scheme to apply to all clubs and districts in the longer term.Canterbury will be advertising the position of chief executive at the weekend and was looking for an early completion of interviews to have the position filled as soon as possible.The meeting passed a motion from the floor that the annual meeting record its appreciation of the services tendered by outgoing CEO Murdoch for Canterbury Cricket and to acknowledge his work for the game. It was carried without dissent.Queries from the floor about the lack of detail in the annual accounts were explained as being part of the requirements of New Zealand Cricket but it was felt that in spite of this requirement more use should be made of the notes to the accounts to explain specific issues so the annual accounts could be better understood.The meeting also awarded life membership of the Association to long-serving administrator, and more recently manager of the Canterbury men’s team, John Thompson. In moving the award, CCA president Brian Hastings outlined Thompson’s involvement with the University West club since his move to Christchurch, from Wellington, in 1959.While it had been a playing relationship to start with, when University West amalgamed with Burnside he had moved into administration serving for 20 years on the club committee, including two years as president.He then progressed to the CCA where he served for 17 years. He served on various committees and was the under-20 selection convener for five years and manager for four. He has been manager of the Canterbury 1st XI for the last six years and had a real input into that side.The award was passed without dissent and Thomson thanked the Association for its gesture and said he felt very privileged to be joining such a distinguished group as the life members.”I enjoy my role in Canterbury cricket very much,” he said.

Wolves could potentially lose Ruben Neves to Barcelona following interest from the La Liga giants, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Neves a star man at Wolves

The 24-year-old wasn’t always at his best last season but he is enjoying an excellent 2021/22 campaign, running the midfield for Wolves alongside Joao Moutinho.

Neves, who was once the club’s most expensive signing of all-time, has scored three goals and registered one assist in 25 Premier League appearances this term.

He has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent days, though, with a summer exit possibly on the cards.

The Latest: Journalist talks up Neves exit from Wolves

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Neves could find the lure of playing for Barcelona too much to turn down at the end of the season.

The journalist stated: “There is definite interest from Barcelona in Ruben Neves and that’s a bit of a worry for Wolves because they know at some point the player is going to test himself at one of the elite clubs.

“They were confident he wouldn’t jump ship for Arsenal or Manchester United right now, but Barcelona? That’s different.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]

The Verdict: Hard to turn down Barcelona

Neves has been a loyal figure for Wolves since coming to the Black Country in 2017, but while it would be fantastic news to hear that he wants to stay for many more years, the prospect of him moving on from Molineux does not seem implausible.

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At 24, the midfielder looks to be heading towards his prime footballing years, and he may believe that he is capable of starring for a Champions League club, rather than one on the fringes of Europa League qualification.

Playing for a club like Barcelona would be a dream for many players, and after five years of loyal service at Molineux, it would be hard to begrudge him a move there, even if the La Liga giants aren’t the force of old. Portuguese legends such as Luis Figo and Deco have worn the famous blue and red jersey and Neves could be eager to follow in their footsteps.

In other news, one Wolves player has been backed to sign a new deal this summer. Find out who it is here.

Ian Bell was just another England batsman whose flashiness proved his downfall © Getty Images

For the scores of cricket fans packed onto the London Underground this morning, there was a special message as the train arrived at their destination. “Our next stop is Oval,” announced the driver over the tannoy, “where I regret to inform you the forecast is for sun.” It was a droll reminder of how futile England’s predicament had become. On Friday their series prospects were marmalised by an Indian batting performance of stunning totality, and now all that remained was a three-day face-saving exercise.Even so, for professional batsmen – a selfish bunch by nature – the idea of batting for three days in perfect sun-blessed conditions should not really have been the chore that England’s top order made it out to be today. Their coach, Peter Moores, had even dangled the carrot in his comments on the previous evening. “Help yourselves,” was the gist of his message as he exhorted them to bat, bat and then bat some more. If they put their own interests first, he reasoned, those of the team would follow soon enough. If Brian Lara was an Englishman in this situation, he would have had designs on a third world record.Instead England’s response was nervy, motley and self-destructive. Massive totals can have that effect on opposing sides – every run that is scored sinks into the requirement like a footstep up a sand-dune – but it could not mitigate the culpability of so many of England’s dismissals. Andrew Strauss’s hook to deep square leg on Friday evening might have been excusable after two days of hard toil, but it was not intended to be a template for what followed.England were limp, as limp as they had been in Lahore two winters ago in a similarly hopeless situation. Alastair Cook, dropped twice while clipping off his pads to leg slip, made it third time unlucky by spooning a return catch to Anil Kumble off the back of his over-eager blade. Kevin Pietersen allowed his more watchful persona to dominate the first 106 balls of his innings, before his hubristic Mr Hyde let rip at Sachin Tendulkar’s very first delivery, and even Ian Bell, a man whose appetite for easy runs is unsurpassed in this side, could not resist a wild slash at a wide one from Zaheer Khan.The flashiness of their downfall made Tendulkar’s sheet-anchor single-mindedness on the first two days all the more admirable. He took no risks whatsoever at a stage of the game when many onlookers were questioning the value of such stodginess. England’s batsmen, by contrast, had been granted a rare opportunity to be lauded for a lack of aesthetic appeal, much as happened to Michael Atherton at Johannesburg in 1995-96. None of them showed much desire to do things the ugly way.Only Michael Vaughan, who was genuinely deceived by an excellent googly from Kumble, and Paul Collingwood – the latest victim of Ian Howell’s ignoble series – could be excused for the manner of their dismissals. But even Collingwood admitted a measure of culpability in the shot that got him out. Talking of England’s approach to such a towering total, he said: “You have to stick to the gameplan of picking on your strengths, which for me was the straight ball on the pads, hitting it to the leg side.” The fact that he missed out on his money shot was all the excuse that Howell needed.

The flashiness of their downfall made Tendulkar’s sheet-anchor single-mindedness on the first two days all the more admirable. He took no risks whatsoever at a stage of the game when many onlookers were questioning the value of such stodginess. England’s batsmen, by contrast, had been granted a rare opportunity to be lauded for a lack of aesthetic appeal…

India’s bowlers were good but far from excellent – they did not need to be. It was not until they took the new ball with England already ruptured at 288 for 5 that they finally found the same consistency and aggression that had carried them to victory in the last Test at Trent Bridge. Up until that point their swing – though prodigious – had been misdirected, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni lining himself up a foot to the right of the return crease. The uncertainty they created, however, was enough to break England’s resolve.”Generally you know exactly what the ball is going to do as it comes down, but it’s very hard to line bowlers up when they are swinging it both ways,” said Collingwood, who made it sound rather as if he had spent his summer facing Wasim Akram. “The control that they’ve shown has been excellent, but being brought up on Indian wickets, you have to have that variety. “Though the series is lost, Collingwood insisted that the match is not yet all over for England. “I think everyone in the dressing room thinks it can be saved,” he said. “Whether we can win it or not is a different matter, but there’s plenty of fight in there, and we’ve got two days to show that fight.” History suggests that it is not entirely out of the question. In 1990, England were baked by India’s batsmen to the tune of 606 runs, folded for 340 in their first innings, then batted to the close with David Gower leading the way. Gower, however, was playing for his career. England’s current incumbents cannot even play for themselves at the moment.