Bell's advice helped Moeen - Moores

Chappell: Moeen bowled with the right pace

Peter Moores, the England coach, has praised Ian Bell for his contribution to the improvement of Moeen Ali's offspin.

Moeen claimed eight wickets in the victory over India at the Ageas Bowl, including 6 for 67 in the second innings, leading Alastair Cook to remark that he had never known a bowler improve so quickly. They were sentiments with which Moores agreed.

"Moeen keeps getting better," Moores said. "And he's getting better quickly. To get people like Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli out - they are high-class players of spin - is a very good sign for Mo for the future.

"Moeen is in the side as a batter and a very rapidly emerging spin bowler. He does two things that are essential for a top-flight spinner: he attacks both edges. He gets great drift and he turns the ball. He spins the ball hard. Without those two things, it is very difficult. If you only attack one edge of the bat, people can work you out quite fast. But because Mo creates drift, there is a challenge for all batters. He can nick people off. It is not a doosra, it is a heavily-spun off-break and it drifts away."

Part of Moeen improvement is, Moores believes, thanks to some advice imparted by Bell during net sessions. Bell recommended that Moeen bowl a little quicker and a with a tighter off-stump line.

"At Lord's, you saw somebody who had improved quite a lot and had started to bowl tighter," Moore said. "His run-rate came down and he created some pressure. Today resulted in some wickets. Ian Bell was quite important in that. You can get feedback about the pace and lines that are difficult for batsmen to play. Mo has adjusted and grown really quickly.

"Bell was batting in the nets and talked to Moeen about the paces and lines that he would find challenging," Moores said. "Belly is a fantastic player of spin so feeding back to one of his team-mates, 'Well, actually, I find that really difficult or that pace is quite nice for me,' is what good teams should do. It is still up to Mo what he decides to do, but you improve because you talk and work with people.

"The quality of his bowling has improved. Test cricket is about how rapidly people grow in it and he's grown very quickly as a bowler. Hopefully, that carries on. He's a very sensible lad, he knows he's got to keep doing a lot of work."

Rickleton, Roelofsen fifties power South Africa

South Africa Under-19s 268 for 4 (Roelofsen 96*, Rickleton 76) v England Under-19s
Scorecard

Ryan Rickleton and Grant Roelofsen struck fifties to power a solid batting effort from South Africa Under-19s and lift them to 268 for 4 on the first day of the first youth Test against England Under-19s in Cambridge.

After winning the toss, South Africa got off to a shaky start as their opener Mathew Christensen was caught behind by Joe Clarke off seamer Matthew Fisher for 7 in the ninth over. Marcus Ackerman did not last long either and was trapped lbw by Josh Shaw as the visitors fell to 36 for 2.

South Africa, however, recovered through three big partnerships. Rickleton first added 65 for the third wicket with Johannes Malan (31) to take the team past 100, after which he and Roelofsen had an 87-run stand.

Rickleton was the first to pass fifty, bringing up the landmark with a four off Will Rhodes, and eventually scored 76. He was caught behind in the 76th over, but Roelofsen carried on and made 96 not out, with 15 fours and a six. South Africa's captain Bongumusa Makhanya was unbeaten on 37 at the other end at stumps.

India dismay at Anderson verdict

'Anderson must question his behaviour'

India are shocked that James Anderson has been found not guilty in the Trent Bridge incident involving Ravindra Jadeja, but the case boiled down to one team's word against the other when it became clear crucial video evidence was not available.

The alleged pushing incident took place in the only small corridor that was not monitored by the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) cameras, a fact the BCCI is now likely to raise with the ICC. There was no video evidence presented by the ICC, who was prosecuting Anderson in this case, to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Anderson had pushed Jadeja without provocation. However, once the BCCI had laid the charge, the ICC had no option but to take up the case against Anderson.

Anderson has admitted to pushing Jadeja - by the fact that the ECB did not contest that element of Jadeja's initial hearing - but his case rested on his version that he acted in self-defence after Jadeja allegedly turned around aggressively towards him. The BCCI lawyers were present at the hearing, but they were allowed to cross-examine the witnesses only in the appeal against the guilty verdict for Jadeja, which they got overturned successfully.

England added Stuart Broad to the witnesses that appeared in the Jadeja hearing: Matt Prior and Ben Stokes. India had their physiotherapist, Evan Speechly, present at the case in addition to Gautam Gambhir and R Ashwin. The hearing went on for over six hours, but some of the time went into sorting technical glitches with the judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis sitting in on the hearing via video link from Australia.

The incident happened as the players were walking off for lunch on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test. In the last over before lunch, Jadeja had survived an appeal for a catch at the wicket off the bowling of Anderson, after which the bowler was seen having a word with Jadeja. The chirping continued on the way back to the pavilion. The players walked up the stairs through the crowd, then into a narrow corridor - where the incident is said to have happened - and then through a staircase into the individual changing rooms.

The ICC's ACSU camera captured the players walking up the stairs through the crowd, and Speechly coming down the staircase from the dressing room with Dhoni at the edge of the steps. The said video was played at the hearing. However, there is no footage from the corridor that connects the two staircases. Witnesses present at the hearing confirmed that the incident took place in that corridor. The BCCI is going to take up with the ICC the issue of this area not being covered by the ACSU, but ESPNcricinfo could not independently verify if this corridor indeed is a Players and Match Officials (PMO) area, which has to be monitored by the ICC.

There was a camera in place there, but it is not clear if the camera was the ICC's or Nottinghamshire's or the host broadcaster's. At times in the past, during cricket in England, Sky TV has shown players walking out from just outside their dressing room all the way through the long room and corridors and onto the field. The commissioner heard that the said camera was not working that day. The BCCI is likely to pursue this issue.

At the current moment, the fact remains that there is no video evidence of what happened in the corridor. That being the case, it all came down to one team's word against the other. India remained adamant that Jadeja was not at fault, and that he did not turn around aggressively, and was only reacting to abuse from Anderson. That was the reason why they appealed the earlier guilty verdict against Jadeja, and got it overturned.

Anderson admitted to having had an altercation with Jadeja, but contended he did so in self-defence. The witnesses put up by England were consistent in their response. They were called in to testify separately, and ESPNcricinfo understands their versions were almost identical.

A detailed judgement is yet to be delivered, and the BCCI refused to comment until it had seen the detailed verdict. However, it has no right to appeal because it was the ICC's case once the charge was laid. The only man who has the right to appeal now is Dave Richardson, the ICC CEO.

If he does appeal, the ICC's legal head will appoint an Appeal Panel comprising three members from the ICC's Code of Conduct commission. However, Lewis' decision will remain in effect while under appeal, unless the Appeal Panel orders otherwise.

Bowl-out threat looms in Old Trafford quarter-final

Lancashire v Glamorgan - No play; match to take place Saturday

What did Steven Cheetham do on July 29, 2009 which Mark Chilton, Stephen Parry and VVS Laxman could not quite manage?

It is a question which might provoke a few bizarre responses yet the correct answer remains a source of pain for Old Trafford zealots. The prosaic truth is that Cheetham was the only man to hit the stumps five years ago when Lancashire's T20 quarter-final against Somerset had to be settled by a bowl-out in the indoor school. Somerset won 5-1.

Memories of the gang that couldn't shoot straight were revived on Friday evening as Manchester's two-week heatwave ended with a vengeance and the Old Trafford outfield was covered with large puddles which removed any prospect of play in the first NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final.

The plan now is to try again on Saturday with a scheduled start time of 2pm although as large a window as possible has been set aside and a five-over game could even begin under floodlights as late as 8.57. However, there seems only the remotest possibility of playing the game at Old Trafford on Sunday even if the grim weather forecast for the reserve day proves to be accurate.

"We're doing everything we can to get the game played on Saturday," said Lancashire's director of cricket Mike Watkinson. "We have as big a chance as possible of getting the game through then. We have a Test starting on Thursday and the quality of the playing surface is crucial for us. We think we have a good pitch out there and we are mindful of wanting to protect it. It would be fantastic if we can avoid playing on Sunday and we've tried to shut it off as an option."

"Strictly speaking you shouldn't use the ground nine days before a Test Match, so we're already into that period," said Watkinson. "There was also the great left field idea that we could move grounds but I don't think there'd be anywhere in the county with a surface good enough that had avoided the weather. So what do you do? Ring Trent Bridge and say: can we play a double header?"

It also seems that umpires Jeff Evans and Peter Hartley may be prepared to try and fit a game into any window strongly suggested by the weather radar rather than start a 20-over game only for it to be curtailed by the weather and be left with as a bowl-out as their only option.

If a bowl out is held, any registered player from either county can participate in it. This raises the possibility that Lancashire's four-day captain Glen Chapple could send down two of the ten deliveries. There is even the highly remote chance that Andrew Flintoff, who is currently recovering from a calf strain, would be called up to bowl off a couple of paces.

The possibility of a bowl-out may not depress Glamorgan's players too much. Their only experience of cricket's version of a penalty shoot-out goes back to the Tilcon Trophy at Harrogate in 1987, when Worcestershire were beaten in one ten-ball showdown but Gloucestershire emerged victorious in a second, one of the successful bowlers being the unlikely figure of one RC "Jack" Russell.

England, India set for Anderson hearing

The Southampton Test has ended but the tussle between the two sides will continue into a sixth day with the hearing into the Trent Bridge incident between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja scheduled on Friday, with massive implications on the series.

India charged Anderson with a Level 3 offence before the second Test, at Lord's, following an alleged altercation in the first. India contend that Anderson pushed Jadeja when the players were walking back for lunch on day two of the Trent Bridge Test. If found guilty, he could face a ban of up to four Tests.

The hearing will take place in India's team hotel, with the judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis listening in via Skype from Australia. Jadeja and Anderson will be mandatory presences. Apart from their legal team, India are likely to be have captain MS Dhoni, coach Duncan Fletcher and physiotherapist Evan Speechly in attendance. An ICC ethics and regulatory lawyer will be present.

The hearing will be almost like a court case, with oral witnesses, legal submissions, cross examinations and video evidence if it exists. If the video evidence doesn't exist, it is, like Sydney 2008, one team's word against the other. England's response during Jadeja's hearing was that the India allrounder had turned around aggressively, and that Anderson had acted in self-defence.

The onus will be on India, as in any court case, to provide evidence. Principles of natural justice will take effect: India's legal team will have to prove Anderson's guilt beyond reasonable doubt to get their desired result, a sentence under Level 3. Jadeja, who was found guilty under Level 1 (after being charged at Level 2) by match referee David Boon in the same case, has earned the right to appeal his verdict. His case will also come up for hearing during the same meeting.

Lewis will have 48 hours to deliver his verdict. If Anderson is found guilty under Level 3, there is a provision for an appeal against it. Only the player found guilty or the ICC CEO can appeal, within seven days of having received the verdict. The ICC's Head of Legal would then appoint an Appeals Panel, comprising three members from ICC Code of Conduct commission. However, Lewis' decision will remain in effect while under appeal, unless any properly convened Appeal Panel orders otherwise. India have no right of appeal if Anderson is not found guilty under Level 3.

Anderson's hearing will follow the day after he was adjudged Man of the Match in the Ageas Bowl Test. "I don't know what's going to happen," Anderson said. "I want to be playing at Old Trafford, my home Test, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

"We've done brilliantly, the ECB have done a great job of keeping everything separate. So once we get to the ground it was all about the cricket and how we would win the Test match - and that's exactly what we did this week. Everyone did it brilliantly. Once we got on the field the only thoughts we had were winning."

Munro, de Grandhomme power big NZ A win

New Zealand A 424 for 7 (Munro 151, de Grandhomme 151) beat Northamptonshire 184 for 2 (Coetzer 60, Peters 54) by 70 runs by D/L method
Scorecard

Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme both struck rapid centuries to help New Zealand A sink Northamptonshire by 70 runs via the D/L method in a rain-affected clash at the County Ground.

New Zealand A, choosing to bat, got off to a rocky start and lost three wickets inside 10 overs. However, a handy 45 from the opener Anton Devcich took the visitors over the 100-run mark, and from there, Munro and de Grandhomme took center stage.

The pair added 199 in less than 20 overs as New Zealand crossed 300 in just over 41 overs. All Northamptonshire bowlers ended with expensive figures, but Gemaal Hussain came in for special treatment, leaking 101 from his 10 overs, including 18 off an over to Munro.

With boundaries regularly being hit, Munro was the first to three figures, reaching the landmark off 76 balls in the 34th over. He did not stop there though, and collected a further 18 runs off an over from Michael Leask. Munro eventually fell for 151, having blasted 15 fours and six sixes, but de Grandhomme carried on and reached his own century, from 66 balls, with a six off Saif Zaib.

More misery would await Northamptonshire as BJ Watling, coming in at No.7, smashed a 22-ball 44 to lift New Zealand A to 424 for 7. De Grandhomme was dismissed in the final over of the innings for an 81-ball 151, having hit 16 fours and eight sixes.

Northamptonshire began solidly, but couldn't quite get the required acceleration to chase down such a daunting total. The openers Stephen Peters and Kyle Coetzer both raised fifties in a 105-run stand, but Northamptonshire's task was made even harder by a rain delay which increased their asking rate.

The hosts were 184 for 2 when a second bout of rain forced a premature end to the game, with the hosts 70 runs short according to D/L.

England find their upward curve

There will doubtless be tough days ahead but England appear to have turned a corner. ESPNcricinfo assesses where the team is after levelling the series

#politeenquiries: Is India being bowled out by Moeen embarrassing?

At long last, after many storms, many rainy days and many sad departures, the sun emerges from the clouds. Victory over India at the Ageas Bowl was not only England's first Test victory for almost a year, but their best performance in far longer. Arguably, not since the Mumbai Test of 2012 have they put such an impressive display together.

There will, doubtless, be more dark days as the team develops. There will be more days when the young players make errors and the senior players fail. Progress will not be smooth.

But, for the first time, there was evidence that this new-look England team could work. There was evidence that the energy and skill of the new players could reinvigorate those who have been battered and bruised by previous campaigns. There was evidence that the senior players - the likes of James Anderson - still have the ability to perform at this level. And there was evidence that Peter Moores, the coach, is the man to oversee the journey.

It was Moores who persuaded the senior players to put the scars of Australia behind them and rediscover the simple joys of playing cricket and representing their county. And it was Moores who has helped create an environment into which new players - the likes of Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance - can enter and quickly feel comfortable and accepted.

It would be foolish to read too much into one performance. England enjoyed a large slice of fortune in this game and they have only levelled the series. But they needed this win. They needed it for their own self-confidence as players, to shore up faith in the 'new era' and to draw a line under the past. While it would be wrong to forget about Mitchell Johnson et al - we will be in the middle of an Ashes series this time next year - England can, for now, focus on the rebuilding operation rather than dwelling on what has been lost.

Here we assess the state of the side.

The positives

The manner in which Gary Ballance has taken to Test cricket - and to the No. 3 spot - has been hugely encouraging. While his solidity early in his innings is reassuring, he also has the ability to change gear when required. He may face tougher challenges on turning wickets or against greater pace, but he could hardly have contributed more at this stage. He scored almost 200 runs in this Test despite being incorrectly given out in both innings.

The return to form of the senior players - Ian Bell, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and James Anderson - was perhaps the most significant improvement for England. Bell and Cook both scored more than 150 runs in the game, while Anderson enjoyed his first five-wicket haul in more than a year and Broad lent excellent support.



	It might seem churlish to point it out, but England did enjoy some luck in this match. It is impossible to say how things might have progressed had fate taken a different turn

Cook had a fine match as captain. So well did England bat in their first innings, it may be forgotten that many were suggesting this was a bowl-first pitch, so Cook deserves credit for his choice. He was also rewarded for his faith in Moeen, as well as some of his field placings - a catch was taken at gully the delivery after he placed the man there on the final day - while so well did his manage the acceleration and the declaration in the second innings, that he was able to rest his bowlers a little and still secure victory with two sessions to spare.

Chris Woakes bowled with skill, consistency and no little pace at the Ageas Bowl. The scorecard might not have shown it, but if he continues to bowl so well, it surely will.

We are only five Tests into Moeen Ali's Test career, but he has already produced outstanding performances with bat (against Sri Lanka in Leeds) and ball (in Southampton). Cook remarked he had never known a bowler improve so quickly and there should be plenty more to come. It will amuse Moeen to know his figures in the second innings, 6 for 67, were better than any recorded by Shane Warne against India.

Jos Buttler enjoyed a fine debut. Not only did he thrash a selfless 85 - some players would have played for a century on Test debut in such circumstances - but he claimed six catches in the match and looked increasingly comfortable with the gloves.

Joe Root is in the middle of a wonderful summer. While he failed in the first innings here, his second innings half-century (from 38 balls) helped England set-up the declaration and underlined what a fine, adaptable player he has become.

After two losses and two draws from his first four Tests as coach, this was an important milestone for Peter Moores. Not only were the selections of most of the younger players vindicated, but Broad credited the coach for a change of mindset that helped those players beaten in Australia leave the past behind and rediscover the vibrant, positive style of play that rendered them such a fine side in 2011. For creating an environment where young players can flourish and older players can renew themselves, Moores deserves credit.

The decision to drop - or rest - Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes was not due to any dissatisfaction with their bowling. Both will, no doubt, return before too long, underlining the impression that, alongside the current team, Steven Finn and a few others, England are starting to build a decent stable of seamers. Bearing in mind the international schedule in 2015, that may prove essential.

There is impressive batting depth to this England side. With the potential to have Broad, the maker of a Test century, at No. 10, England should prove increasingly hard for opposition sides to finish off and have the potential to accelerate as innings progress.

Not only was Cook given a rousing ovation when he walked out to bat - he said he had never experienced anything like it and would never forget it - but a crowd of around 9,000 battled against awful traffic and long queues to see the moment of victory. It was a sign that, with just a little encouragement, the English cricket-loving public can be won back. They just need not to be fleeced or patronised by the authorities and something of which to be proud and supportive.

The concerns

It might seem churlish to point it out, but England did enjoy some luck in this match. Cook, Bell and Buttler all enjoyed reprieves - either from the umpires or the fielders - early in their innings. It is impossible to say how the match might have progressed had fate taken a different turn.

Both Bell and Cook have struggled for runs for much of the past year. While their return to form was pleasing for England, they will need to contribute more consistently if the side is to sustain an improvement in results. The concerns about Cook's batting, in particular, have not gone away.

At the start of the summer, Chris Jordan bowled with pace, skill and control. Perhaps as a result of being dropped after two Tests, he currently looks a nervous cricketer and struggled for both pace and control here. Neither he or Woakes claimed a wicket in the match, suggesting England still remain uncomfortably reliant on their two frontline seamers. That increases anxiety at the thought this may have been Anderson's final contribution of the series. Having just reasserted his worth to the side, he now faces a disciplinary hearing which could result in a four-Test ban. In such form, he is very hard to replace.

It is only three Tests since Sam Robson scored his maiden Test century, but his frailty outside the off stump is becoming a concern. It is an area on which he will need to improve if he is to survive at this level.

The conclusion

These are early days in the rebuilding of the England side. Inexperienced players are sure to make mistakes and there may be days when Buttler struggles with the gloves, Moeen struggles with the ball and Root and Woakes are unable to replicate the deeds of those that preceded them.

There will be days, too, when Cook cannot find all the answers as captain. He will never be a beautiful batsman; he will never be a great orator. But he can be calm and sensible and lead by example. If he can maintain his improved form with the bat, there is no reason he cannot continue to lead as well as he did in India in 2012.

There is a long way to go and England remain, at present, a mid-ranking Test side with plenty of room for progress. But for the first occasion in a long, long time, they can be said to be heading in the right direction.

Taylor inspires Tallawahs win over Hawksbills

Jamaica Tallawahs 91 for 3 (Gayle 59*, Laughlin 2-28) beat Antigua Hawksbills 89 for 9 (Taylor 4-8, Miller 3-17) by seven wickets on D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Jerome Taylor showed signs of returning to his best form with a match-winning spell of 4 for 18 to spur the Jamaica Tallawahs on to a seven-wicket win over the still winless Antigua Hawksbills on Thursday at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Taylor ripped through the top order to leave the Hawksbills in a hole at 36 for 4 in the eighth over from which they couldn't recover.

Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle chose to field first after winning the toss and was rewarded by Taylor's incisive opening spell. It began when Devon Thomas edged a ball onto his stumps in the fourth over for 3 and was bookended by Taylor's athletic one-handed catch off his own bowling to remove Ben Dunk for 23. Dunk was one of only three players to reach double-figures for the Hawksbills as Nikita Miller picked up where Taylor left off and nabbed 3 for 17 in four overs.

A steady drizzle turned into a downpour with one ball to go in the 16th over and the result was an hour and 40 minute delay with the score on 78 for 8. The match was reduced to a 17-over affair with the Hawksbills eventually ending on 89 for 9. After Duckworth-Lewis calculations were taken into account, the Tallawahs were set a target of 87 in 17 overs.

Gayle got off to a methodical start, going without a boundary until the sixth over when he targeted Carlos Brathwaite. Gayle smashed back-to-back short balls over midwicket for six as part of a 16-run over to get the wheels in motion. He lofted Ben Laughlin over long-on for six at the start of the 14th over to bring up his 50 off 32 balls. Gayle's sixth six, deposited over midwicket on the final ball of the over, ended the match with three overs to spare and ended unbeaten on 59.

The Hawksbills are still mathematically alive for a CPL playoff spot despite their 0-6 record but would need to win their final three games and also have the Barbados Tridents lost their final four contests while also surpassing the Tridents on net run rate.

Mullaney fifty brings Notts home

Nottinghamshire 230 for 7 (Wessels 65, Mullaney 63*) beat Glamorgan 227 for 8 (Rudolph 101, Franklin 3-32) by three wickets
Scorecard

Steven Mullaney and Ajmal Shahzad batted Nottinghamshire to an impressive three-wicket victory in the Royal London One-Day Cup against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

The eighth-wicket pair came together with Notts in trouble at 137 for 7, needing a further 91 runs to win in 14.2 overs. But Mullaney, with an unbeaten 63 from 46 balls, and Shahzad, making 33 not out from 39 deliveries, won the game with nine balls to spare. Mullaney celebrated victory by striking Michael Hogan back over his head for six.

Glamorgan had been indebted to Jacques Rudolph for his century from 130 balls with 10 fours, but their total of 227 for 8 looked a little light until Hogan reduced the visitors to 11 for 3 inside seven overs, sending Alex Hales, James Taylor and Samit Patel back to the pavilion with ducks.

When Riki Wessels was controversially run out for 65, complaining he had been impeded, and Chris Read was brilliantly caught by Andrew Salter one-handed, the victory was far from realistic. But Mullaney and Shahzad stepped up to the occasion and their heroics ensured Notts finished the day top of Group B.

Earlier, Rudolph and fellow opener Jim Allenby gave Glamorgan a useful platform, but after Allenby edged Shahzad to Wessels at slip it heralded a middle order procession. Rudolph batted solidly at one end but between the 18th and 29th over he lost another four partners. The South African had reached his 50 out of Glamorgan's score of 70 for 1 before Will Bragg became the first of three victims for James Franklin.

Franklin, who played for Glamorgan in 2006, struck in his first over to have Bragg caught at mid-off by Shahzad. The left-arm seamer followed that up by bowling Murray Goodwin from around the wicket. And from 99 for 3 in the 22nd over Glamorgan slumped to 115 for 4 when Chris Cooke miss-hooked a Franklin short ball straight to midwicket.

Mullaney, who had bowled well in harmony with Franklin, got the deserved wicket of David Lloyd who edged behind to Read. The ball after reaching his century Rudolph could not keep out a finely bowled Shahzad yorker leaving Glamorgan in trouble at 161 for 6.

But there was worse to come for the home side as Mark Wallace was run out in a mix-up with Graham Wagg attempting a single. Wagg was dismissed three overs later well caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Shahzad off Mullaney, who finished with figures of 2 for 26 from his 10 overs.

Salter took Glamorgan past 200 with four consecutive fours off Harry Gurney as the ninth wicket with Dean Cosker became the highest partnership of the innings.

Anderson provokes Indian ire again

James Anderson was been involved in another incident with an Indian player, at the end of the fourth day's play at the Ageas Bowl.

Anderson, who faces an ICC hearing on Friday having been charged with a Level Three offence following an alleged altercation with Ravi Jadeja during the Trent Bridge Test, exchanged irate words with Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane following the final delivery of the day.

While the incident in itself amounted to little - Rahane reacted angrily to some comments uttered by Anderson and umpire Rod Tucker stepped in to tell both players to calm down - it does reflect India's irritation with Anderson and underlines the impression that they intend to take a zero tolerance view towards him in the future.

Anderson has, in general, been a great deal less vocal since the charge was made and the incident will have no direct bearing on the hearing. But it will do him few favours as India attempt to outline a pattern of behaviour and Rahane's outraged response will not have been lost on Australian judge Gordon Lewis, who will preside over the hearing.

While attempts have been made to deal with the Jadeja situation without the necessity of a hearing, the India camp have insisted that Anderson overstepped the mark at Trent Bridge - they allege he made physical contact with Jadeja - and feel that his on-field sledging has exceeded acceptable limits in recent years. Anderson faces a ban of up to four Tests if the charge is upheld.

It was a sour end to what should have been a special day for Anderson. Not only was it his 32nd birthday, but he completed his first five-wicket haul in more than a year in the morning when taking the final two wickets of the Indian first innings.

The outcome of the Anderson hearing might also be relevant to the series between Australia and India later in the year. While the England and Australia teams appear relatively comfortable with a certain level of verbal intimidation, it could be that India are taking a stand on the sledging issue.

Time for Moeen to be given respect

Moeen Ali has 11 wickets at 33 against India. He might not be comparable to Graeme Swann, but it is time he gained the respect he deserves

#politeenquiries: Have England reached the turning point?

The story so far:

Kumar Sangakkara: Headingley, Second Test, England v Sri Lanka:
Sangakkara, set up by a couple of deliveries that have spun gently away from his outside edge, prods forward only to find that this ball is pushed on a little quicker and does not turn. The batsman, one of the best players in the world of spin bowling, calls for a review, but the umpire's leg before decision is upheld.

Lahiru Thirimanne: Headingley, Second Test, England v Sri Lanka:
Thirimanne, having fallen first ball in the first innings and having just watched Sangakkara dismissed by one that went straight one, ensures his pad is well out of the way, only to see his tentative forward defensive stroke beaten by a beauty that drifts in and spin away sharply to hit the top of his off stump.

Virat Kohli: Headingley, Second Test, England v India:
The spinner is introduced into the attack for an over before lunch. It is not a visionary piece of captaincy, but it almost works. Kohli, on 20, plays back to one that is pushed through a little quicker but sees the outside edge dropped by Matt Prior.

Cheteshwar Pujara: The Ageas Bowl, Third Test, England v India:
The spinner struck in his first over once again as Pujara, the man dubbed the 'new wall', is drawn forward, but due to some gentle drift away from the bat and gentle turn into it, plays down the wrong line and edges to slip.

Virat Kohli: The Ageas Bowl, Third Test, England v India:
Kohli falls victim, once again, to a delivery outside off stump that could probably have been left. With some balls turning and others skidding on a little, Kohli lunges forward to cover the turn, but instead edges one that slides straight on.

At some stage, people are going to have start respecting Moeen Ali's bowling.

To claim the occasional wicket might be dismissed as fortuitous. After all, Michael Vaughan once bowled Sachin Tendulkar with a beauty that spun through the gate.

But if it keeps happening, if a bowler keeps dismissing batsman of the quality of those listed above, then he deserves a little more credit. A little more respect.

It was talk of the doosra that excited when Moeen was selected by England. But that delivery, at this stage, was always likely to be a red herring.

It was not an explosive wicket-taker that England were seeking. It was a reliable container with the ability to exploit turning conditions on the rare occasions when they were encountered. It was a bowler who could retain control while the seamers were rested and would not wilt under pressure when the batsmen came at him.

These are early days, but the signs are promising. Here, bowling a tight off stump line and benefiting from a dry, worn pitch, he saw a few balls turn sharply and many others skid straight on through natural variation. He rendered a batting line-up brought up on turning pitches, a batting line-up renowned as fine players of the turning ball, appear timid and vulnerable. And he did it all with the skills of a traditional English offspinner. There has not been a doosra in sight in this game.

Part of Moeen's problem is that he follows in the footsteps of Graeme Swann. Swann raised the bar by which English spinners were judged and may prove, as Sir Ian Botham once did, an impossible act to follow.

But it is unlikely that Swann would have enjoyed the docile surfaces at Trent Bridge and Lord's any more than Moeen. He might have contained more effectively with his dip and his control, but he would have struggled to run through sides on these pitches. In the 2011 series against India, Swann claimed 14 wickets in four Tests at an average of 40.69. Moeen already has 11 in three Tests at an average of 33. Nine of Swann's wickets came in the final Test at The Oval.

Perhaps being underestimated has helped Moeen. In the first innings, he benefited from Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane attempting to dominate him. Routinely dismissed as a "part-time" spinner - generally by part-time observers who have not have visited New Road for a few years - Moeen has dismissed four of India's top six in this Test alone. Only James Anderson of England and Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India have taken more wickets in the series. He is winning the battle of the spinners, too. Ravi Jadeja's eight wickets have come at a cost of 48 apiece.



	Moeen's development might be partially credited to the benefits of an 18-county system. While he made his first professional appearances for Warwickshire, it is at Worcestershire that he has developed.

He has enjoyed little luck, either. He saw Kohli dropped off his bowling at Lord's, Herath dropped off his bowling at Leeds and Dhawan and Rahane reprieved in this match when the use of DRS would have assured him more wickets. Playing his fifth Test, he has 14 Test wickets and has taken his bowling average below 40. They are not world-class figures, certainly. But they are valuable and respectable. Ashley Giles finished his career with a Test bowling average of 40.60.

The facts never supported the view that Moeen was a "part-time" bowler. Heading into this match, he had claimed 101 first-class wickets since the start of 2012 at an average of 33.31. That compares to Scott Borthwick (76 at 35.56), Samit Patel (70 at 44.80), Adil Rashid (71 at 38.16), Simon Kerrigan (149 at 29.55) and Monty Panesar (157 at 31.03). Moeen may never be a world beater, but to dismiss him as part time is simply factually inaccurate.

There are still too many 'release' balls - a long-hop here; a full toss there - but gradually Moeen is offering his captain the control he requires in the field and relieving just a bit of the pressure on the main seamers. After conceding five-an-over in two of his first five innings as a Test bowler, he has not done so once in the last five. Three times in the last four innings, he has conceded under three-an-over. He is learning fast how to survive at this level. A great deal of that process is simply learning how to stay on for another over.

There should be a lot more to come from him, too. He has spent many hours in the nets with his friend and county colleague Saeed Ajmal - the value of overseas players in county cricket should never be underestimated - learning the art of the doosra. Some days they will bowl 40 or 50 in succession together, with Moeen gradually increasing the pace of the delivery as well as its accuracy and venom. Saeed, who only started bowling the delivery in his mid-to-late-20s, believes that Moeen will have it mastered within a couple of years.

If England bear with him - just as they will need to bear with the likes of Jos Buttler, Gary Ballance and Chris Jordan in good times and bad over the next couple of years - they should reap a rich harvest.

Moeen's development might be partially credited to the benefits of an 18-county system in England. While he made his first professional appearances for Warwickshire, it is at Worcestershire that he has developed. The club offered him a place in their side as an allrounder in all forms of the game at a time when Warwickshire's then coach, Mark Greatbatch, said he could not see Moeen earning a regular place in his side for another five years.

Moeen's contribution was part of an almost perfect day for England. By wrapping up the Indian innings so quickly in the morning - it took just 25 balls to claim the final two wickets - they gave themselves an opportunity to enforce the follow-on.

Instead they decided - reasonably enough - to give their bowlers another few hours rest.

If that decision might have been perceived as negative, the manner in which they increased their lead was admirably positive. Each of the top five played selflessly with Alastair Cook judging a tricky declaration with something close to perfection. He really has enjoyed a fine match to date.

For the first time in a year, the fragile signs of recovery are visible in the England side.

Siddle building up his pace and strength

Peter Siddle is confident he is well on the way to regaining his place in Australia's Test team by boosting his strength and speed. Siddle was dropped from the Test side during the tour of South Africa in March and the coach Darren Lehmann said at the time that Siddle needed to lift his pace back up into the 140kph range instead of the low 130s.

A stint in county cricket with Nottinghamshire followed, but Siddle was then brought home early at the request of Cricket Australia, with the aim of working on his strength and speed ahead of October's Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Siddle said his work was already paying off and he was increasing his strength in his "bum and legs".

"I definitely lost a couple of Ks [kilometres], that's for sure, but you can definitely find it back," Siddle told the Age. "Just with weights and getting strength back in my legs. [When] your bum's not as strong as it could be your legs are falling away and you can't get through the crease as well. Without doing the weights and the pre-seasons, you miss out on that. So [now] it's about getting as strong as you can."

Having Siddle at his best for the two Tests in the UAE will be important for the Australians, given that they will be without Ryan Harris, who is still recovering from knee surgery, while James Pattinson is on a slow comeback path from back stress fractures. Siddle said his drop in pace and strength was the natural result of his heavy workload over the past year, and nothing to do with his vegan diet.

"Footy players play for six months and have six months of pre-season so they're fit and strong by the time the next one comes around," he said. "With cricket it drags on and on. It happened with Mitchell Johnson. He had about three years of non-stop cricket and he started to fade away a bit with his pace, and that was only 18 months ago. Now he is bowling the fastest he has ever bowled.

"People say I'm not as strong, well come and watch me in a gym session, I'm stronger than I've ever been. That is the thing people don't understand. I'm lifting heavier weights than I've ever lifted. I'm moving better, It's just the fatigue; it gets everyone.

"You could go through 150 different Test cricketers who have slowed down in pace because they've played a lot of cricket. Kemar Roach is not bowling as fast as he used to. Is he still eating meat? It's a ridiculous thing. Look at Stuart Broad and James Anderson, they're not bowling as quick as they used to bowl."

Kohli's weakness grows wider

Virat Kohli's is a game without any other glaring weakness but England have clearly tried to play on the attacking batsman's ego a bit but starving him outside off stump

Not worried by Indian follow-on - Rahane

Trent Bridge
Just after lunch on day one, James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowl eight deliveries at Virat Kohli. Seven of them are outside off, one is short enough to be left alone. The eighth one of those is short of a length and wide, albeit from wide on the crease with the angle making Kohli play. Kohli plays, pushing away from the body, and his bat nudges it through for a catch to slip.

Ageas Bowl
Kohli has had a longer innings than at Trent Bridge. Fifty-three of the 75 balls he faces are pitched on a length or short of it, and arrive at him either outside off or really wide outside off. He has left alone 22 of those. The second ball of the 47th over is short of a length and wide, and he goes after it. The edge flies high to first slip and is not held. Anderson bowls the next over. Five balls outside off, three defended, two left alone. The sixth ball is short of a length and wide, Kohli can easily leave it, but he goes feeling for it, and he edges it through. This is the shot batsmen hate the most: a meek push to a ball that can be left alone; even if you middle it, you are not going to get anything.

Auckland ODI, January 2014
Hamish Bennett bowls two maidens to Kohli comprised almost exclusively of quick short-of-a-length balls that are at the seventh stump or wider. This is an ODI and the asking rate is big, but you can see Kohli is itching to feel the ball on the bat, and eventually nicks off.

Durban, December 2013
Once again, playing at a shortish ball outside off, Kohli is given out caught at the wicket. He is unfortunate, he hasn't hit this one, but he is pushing at a ball that can be left alone both on line and length.

A few similar dismissals might not yet point to a major weakness, but bowlers are increasingly bowling well outside off to Kohli. Dry up the runs, ask Kohli to play out of his comfort zone, on and around off where he cover-drives as well as anyone, and go away from the body if he wants those runs he so itches to get.

Kohli is an aggressive batsman, he loves to get early into an innings and set the tempo. His best innings in Test cricket have been those where he has restrained himself to leave and leave and leave until the bowlers bowl at him. At the Wanderers late last year, when Kohli scored a superlative hundred with the ball seaming around on day one, he didn't play at 16 of the first 28 deliveries he faced. He got himself in, got some runs before lunch, and then when the afternoon session began, he offered no shot to 11 of the first 17 he faced.

This is not as much a technical flaw as it is a habit, in that it is easier to correct than, say, being poor against the short ball. It is unique, too, in that batsmen usually are vulnerable when the ball is just outside off, and not wide of it. And Kohli's is a game without any other glaring weakness. England have clearly tried to play on the attacking batsman's ego a bit. If you bowl at the stumps, he gets solidly behind them, begins to feel confident feeling the ball on the bat and then drives gorgeously. In this series, in five innings, Kohli has managed only 11 runs through that cover-drive of his. The idea has been to not get too close to him either on length or line.

More than half the balls Kohli has faced in the series have been on a length or just short of it, and outside off or well wide of it. "Still two Tests to go. Not sure I can discuss that," Stuart Broad said when asked if they have been bowling wider at Kohli than they would other batsmen. "Let's just say he is pretty strong off his legs so you don't want to bowl too tight to the stumps. You have seen in one-day cricket how successful he is when bowlers bowl tight lines. We have worked - when the ball has not been swinging or the slightly flatter wickets - to just try to dot him up, try to not let him score. He left pretty well today. Apart from the one that he poked at. He will be frustrated with himself. We need to keep our disciplines with him."

Kohli has scored just 73 over these five innings, and will be under pressure after he came to England as the best batsman in the Indian line-up. Kohli has been working hard. Two days before the Test began he was in the nets before the rest of the team arrived. What he will be annoyed with is that he has fallen twice to a tame poke well outside off. The one he got at Lord's, with Anderson angling in towards off and then having it move away from just outside it, was a good delivery. That dismissal shouldn't concern him. This one should. Trent Bridge should. Watch out for those wide ones when he comes in to bat next.

Indiscipline could cost West Indies cricket - Roberts

Darren Sammy believes that Tino Best still has a part to play in the St Lucia Zouks' 2014 CPL campaign despite his disciplinary problems. Best and Shoaib Malik were fined following a clash on July 23, with both players pleading guilty to their respective charges.

Sammy maintained that Best had a lot to offer the regional game, but needed to live up to his seniority as a West Indian international after concerns were raised by Best's franchise mentor Andy Roberts.

"Tino is a special character. The more I've played with him, the more I grew to understand him and the person he is," Sammy said. "In any cricket game, you want to play in the true spirit of the game. I hope it gets better because he's not a young man. But he's still integral to our team."

Sammy believes that while Best's reputation precedes him, the bowler is one who can be reined in and utilised to the franchise's advantage.

"Once we control him and use his head a bit more wisely, he's a good asset for us. The cricket is being played on the field. We've spoken to Tino and I see all of you [the media] all pointing towards Tino Best, but there were two guys involved in the incident. It was not just one person.

"Everybody keeps jumping on Tino, Tino, Tino. It takes two hands to clap. We've dealt with it the best way possible and we're moving on now."

The CPL management had also stated that there were investigations into an incident at the hotel stemming from the fall-out of the Best-Malik clash, with sources indicating that the Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard was involved.

Pollard had also exchanged words with Best on the field after the Malik incident. Roberts confirmed that he had spoken to Pollard over the fracas at the hotel. Further speculation was fuelled when Sammy confirmed that the management opted for Best not to travel to Trinidad for the weekend game against Red Steel.

Roberts was worried that the indiscipline in West Indies cricket could erode their talent-pool, and hinted that it may have been Pollard who had instigated the incident.

"Not for a lack of trying, I've spoken to Tino," he said. "Many people have, over and over again. Cricket is also a mental game, not just about talent. After the hotel incident, I spoke to Pollard about it and he was apologetic."

Roberts said that the team needed to focus on consistency and playing well in pressure situations as opposed to sledging and other on-field antics.

"This sort of thing could hurt Tino's career on a regional and international level. It's been happening for years now and he needs to learn. Back when I played, we didn't do much talking. We just did our jobs with the ball and had a glare. You need to be mentally strong and disciplined. You can't be taught that. Either you have it or you don't."

England rediscover their swing

Instead of the joyless England side we have seen in recent times we saw a team with renewed vigour and belief and they go into the final two days with a chance of forcing victory

#politeenquiries: Is Kohli no more than a flat track bully?

It was the sort of draining day on which tempers can flare and disagreements brew. It was the sort of pitch on which seamers can lose heart and sides - particularly those without a win in almost a year - can lose confidence. And India have the sort of batting line-up which can make bowlers wish they had become plumbers or matadors or, most of all, batsmen.

But despite the climbing temperatures and the rising total, England's bowlers produced one of their best performances of the summer on the third day at the Ageas Bowl. And, whatever the bald figures on the scorecard might show, England's senior bowlers led the way admirably.

It was not perfect. Perhaps James Anderson could have pitched the ball up another six inches; perhaps a couple of tough chances might have been taken in the slips and certainly Chris Jordan looks nervous upon his return to the team - dropping a man after two Tests can do that.

But on another flat pitch offering little to bowlers of any description, England can feel well satisfied that they go into the final two days of the game with a chance of forcing victory.

But the game is not entirely safe. With England reluctant to enforce the follow-on even if it is an option, Alastair Cook will face an intriguing test of his captaincy if he has to make a declaration on the fourth afternoon. His bowlers are keen to put their feet up for a minimum of 40 overs on day four.

Cook will know his team needs the best part of four sessions to bowl out India on this surface. But he will also know that setting such a proficient ODI side anything less than 400 in around 120 overs is something of a risk. However much England need the victory, the thought of going 2-0 down in this series is likely to have a sobering effect.

Such issues can wait. After three days, England can feel encouraged that, for the first time since the change of coach, there appeared to be signs of progress in the development of the new-look team.

While it would be wrong to read too much into a couple of days of cricket, it does seem that a slight change of approach - a temperamental as much as a tactical change - has seen England playing a more positive, more effective brand of cricket.

Certainly that was the view of Stuart Broad. On the day that Broad, who bowled immaculately, and Anderson, who bowled with pace and skill, became one of a select group of fast bowlers to take 500 Test wickets in partnership with one another.

Many regard them as the third such fast-bowling partnership to reach the landmark pair after Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh and Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis - although it is a somewhat notional statistic and it can also be contended that Jacques Kallis should also be included twice for his partnerships both with Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini.

Instead of the joyless England side we have seen in recent times - a side that have sometimes seemed resigned to spending several sessions in the field even as they mark their run-outs for the first time - we saw a team with renewed vigour and belief. We saw a team with a short-leg instead of a square leg. We saw a team retain a full slip cordon instead of a third man and sweeper and we saw a team use the short ball, not so much to avoid being driven, but as a shock delivery to prevent the batsmen simply propping forward.

True, the results were not immediately apparent. But to take seven wickets in a day on this pitch was no mean effort. With Anderson gaining swing throughout the day and using the short ball effectively, Broad maintaining a McGrath-like line and length and Chris Woakes, improved in discipline and pace, adding reliable support, pressure built upon the Indian batsmen leading to what might appear, out of context, some inexplicable strokes. The accumulative effects of scoreboard pressure and demanding bowling should never be underestimated.

Broad also credited the advice of the coach, Peter Moores, with inspiring the revived performance.

"Before this Test, Mooresy came to a few of us and said 'just go and express yourself'," Broad said. "He said 'Don't worry about having to take responsibility, just go and play, like it's your first Test'. I think that's shone through a little bit. I know it freed me up a little bit. Everyone was having a laugh; everyone had smiles on their faces and I think that showed in our cricket. We kept the energy up throughout the whole day. We were brilliant."

It is not surprising that England had lost confidence in recent times. The disappointment - shellshock, even - of their Ashes defeat and the departure of several players who had become fixtures in the dressing room had sapped some of the belief out of the side. If players as reliable as Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior could fall to the ravages of time and fate, then no one was safe.

But such thoughts had to be banished. And Broad, at least, felt the side were working their way back towards the more positive brand of cricket that earned them success against India in the 2011 series.

"Personally, I am an attacking cricketer and maybe I had fallen into a defensive mindset," Broad explained. "Today was about leaving the past behind and just going and expressing yourself.

"I think maybe the senior players have put too much pressure on themselves after what, since the Durham Test, has been a pretty tough run. Maybe we got a bit uptight.

"We went to Australia and had a tough time of it. Maybe my own mindset had become quite defensive. I had to bowl defensively in Australia and maybe I brought that it into the start of this summer.

"But you saw, I used a short leg today. I had that attacking mindset. I'm at my best when I'm attacking and playing with flair. I'm an attacking player who fell into a defensive mindset thinking square leg will save runs but actually, let's get some wickets."

It was noticeable, too, that Anderson has been a far less vocal cricketer since being charged by the ICC. Gone is the muttering at the batsmen; gone is the posturing; gone is everything other than the skilful bowler with more than 350 Test wickets. It has not rendered his bowling any less potent.

"We're in a great position in this Test," Broad said. "We hope the wicket will deteriorate a little bit. But we created pressure throughout the day and, though it looked as if Moeen Ali picked up his wickets with freebies, I think that was out of the pressure he'd developed. We got our rewards at the end of the day."

Satterthwaite and Tahuhu back for New Zealand

Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu will return to the New Zealand line-up after being chosen for September's tour of the West Indies. A 14-player squad has been picked for the trip, which includes four ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals.

Satterthwaite and Tahuhu have replaced Katey Martin and Frances Mackay in the only changes from the squad that played in the World T20 in Bangladesh earlier this year. Coach Hamish Barton said both players deserved to be back in the squad.

"We gave Amy and Lea some areas to work on and we've been really impressed with their commitment to do what has been asked of them," Barton said. "Both of them have shown in the past that they're world-class and they've still got a lot to offer. They've worked incredibly hard to get back in the side and I'm confident they'll take this opportunity.

"We've got a number of exciting young players in the side and this tour will be a huge step in their development. However it's equally important to have players with experience and knowledge of the conditions and we have that too, so we've got the right mix."

Squad Suzie Bates (capt), Sam Curtis, Sara McGlashan, Sophie Devine, Katie Perkins, Amy Satterthwaite, Rachel Priest, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Morna Nielsen, Holly Huddleston, Lea Tahuhu, Hayley Jensen, Maddy Green, Georgia Guy.

Pankaj singed by tough debut

After striving so long to play Test cricket, Pankaj Singh's luck deserted him and then his discipline too

Highlights: Pankaj Singh's frustration grew after a serious of close shaves went against him on Test debut

Pankaj Singh's wicket column was empty. Two days at the new job. No returns. Many times he stood in the field, hands on hips with a helpless expression. He would walk back to his bowling mark shaking his head when luck did not smile on him. You could understand his frustration.

It was a tough initiation for the man who had cried his heart out at the turn of the New Year, asking the selectors to give him one chance at playing Test cricket. On Sunday the dream became reality when Pankaj was handed his Test cap by former India captain Sourav Ganguly.

On Monday, Pankaj sprinted in from backward short leg full of energy and renewed hopes. He settled in quickly, with his fourth delivery whistling past the outside edge off Ian Bell's hanging bat. The next ball, Bell once again was lured into playing and missing as once again the ball seamed away, missed the edge and MS Dhoni caught the ball at waist height.

Bell should not even have been there, if you asked Pankaj. In the first over after the second new ball was taken late on Sunday afternoon, Pankaj, bowling from Northern End, had managed to bend a delivery which seemed to be going down leg but swerved into Bell's pads at the very last moment. Not only did it catch Bell by surprise but even the umpire, Rod Tucker, was caught off guard. Pankaj shrieked out a prolonged appeal, nearly squatting, but Tucker remained unimpressed.

While picking up his hat Pankaj checked with Tucker, who might have noted the ball would have gone down the leg side at first sight. According to Hawk-Eye, the ball would have gone on to hit the top of the middle stump. Pankaj had bowled with decent control and intensity on his first day of work, proving he was a capable replacement for the injured Ishant Sharma. He would have had the wicket of Alastair Cook, too, had Ravindra Jadeja not dropped the chance.

First ball of Pankaj's second over today, Bell was forced to play at an outswinger, but the resultant edge zipped past the empty fourth slip pocket. Pankaj grimaced. It was a similar expression he had displayed at the end of the hard day's work at stumps on Sunday. After he had delivered the final ball of the day, Pankaj bent over with his hands on his knees out in the middle of his pitch with an exhausted and helpless look.

You could not help but feel for Pankaj. He had strived hard to reach the international stage. His journey started in a rural village in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh before he moved down south where he worked part-time at a sweet shop in Bangalore while pursuing dreams of playing top-level cricket. He moved to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai before heading to play domestic cricket for the west state of Rajasthan, where he has grown into their best bowler, leader and mentor to youngsters.

Pankaj was the central architect of Rajasthan winning the Ranji Trophy title in successive years in 2011 and 2012 seasons. He has been the most consistent, high-performing fast bowler in the last five years in Indian first-class cricket.

Yet Pankaj continued to be ignored by the selectors, who did not even deem him fit to play on India A tours. No selector ever told him what they expected of him or what they needed him to work on. Each time a team was announced, Pankaj would just swallow the pain and get on with the job. With such a compelling back-story, Pankaj, at 29 years old, was bound to be emotional on his debut.

It is also easy to understand his eagerness to make an impact. It is like being in the first week of job. It is natural you want to impress - more yourself than others. You want to feel that you have earned your job.

Credit to him, on the first day Pankaj did not show nerves. He bowled tidily and mostly followed his captain MS Dhoni's instructions. After every over Dhoni would share insights and tips with the debutant. It was important to tell the bowler he had his captain's confidence. Giving Pankaj the second new ball was a cue.



	A decent percentage of Pankaj's 258 first-class wickets for Rajasthan was of batsmen who can easily get distracted. International batsmen are a different breed. Pankaj would have learned that lesson by now

Yet Pankaj was a lost soul on Monday, especially after lunch. It did not help his cause that Dhoni never allowed his bowlers to settle into a rhythm, as Pankaj bowled six one-over spells in the second session. Pankaj, broad-shouldered, 6ft 4in tall, uses a lot of his body in his action. He relies on rhythm to plot his wickets. So Dhoni's out-of-the-box method did not especially aid Pankaj.

However, it was not Dhoni's fault that Pankaj strayed in his lines and lengths. Too many times today he lost control by either spraying it short and wide or down the leg side, offering easy shots for Bell and Gary Balance in the morning and later Bell and Jos Butler in the afternoon.

For Rajasthan, a decent percentage of Pankaj's 258 first-class wickets was of batsmen who can easily get distracted. International batsmen are a different breed. Pankaj would have learned that lesson by now. His duel with Bell was a fascinating example. Bell had played and missed frequently but any room he got from Pankaj he punished the bowler: like the solid, back-foot square drive in the morning, standing high on his toes, that raced to the boundary and pushed Pankaj back into his corner.

Pankaj was desperate. But he needs to understand being successful is not only about taking wickets. It is also about working for your bowling partners. Whenever he was thrown the ball, he needed to be disciplined, especially on a placid and slow pitch, to not lose the momentum which would only put pressure on the rest of the bowling. It was important to stick to the off-stump line and bowl the channels - a simple, monotonous chore, yet one that has proved effective for every successful fast bowler. What stands in Pankaj's favour is he has employed that same method on unresponsive, flat pitches in India for the last decade.

It is easy to get frustrated. It is easy to feel you are on your own when you finish as the second most-expensive bowler without a wicket in your first outing. But Pankaj is not alone there. Michael Holding recollected his debut Test in Brisbane in 1975 tour of Australia where he finished wicketless.

That is the truth in Test cricket: it can be a lonely place when things are not going your way. As a debutant you want to feel belonged on your first days at work. But you need to clock a lot of mileage before you get to that spot.

ECB defends Moeen's 'Save Gaza' wristband

The ECB has defended Moeen Ali for wearing wristbands with the slogans "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine" during the third Investec Test between England and India at The Ageas Bowl.

Moeen, a devout Muslim who welcomes the position of role-model and says he wears a long beard as he "wants people to know I am a Muslim", first wore the wrist bands when batting in England's first innings. He had not informed the ECB that he was going to wear them and continued to wear them in the field on the second evening.

He has not been asked to remove them, but he could face sanctions from the ICC if they decide he has contravened their clothing and equipment regulations.

According to section F of the relevant ICC code: "Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment unless approved in advance by the player or team official's Board. Approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes."

An ICC spokesman confirmed they were investigating the matter. Moeen, playing just his fifth Test, faces a maximum penalty of a fine of up to 50 per cent of his match fee if he is deemed to have committed a Level One offence.

But an ECB spokesman insisted Moeen's stance was "humanitarian not political" and stated that "the ECB do not believe he has committed any offence." It was also pointed out that, on the third day of the current Test, the entire England team, Moeen included, will wear shirts sporting the Help for Heroes logo. Help for Heroes describes itself as "a UK military charity… formed to help those wounded in Britain's current conflicts."

There will also be a minute's silence observed by both teams to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War at 10.56am.

Weary India facing familiar test

After being pushed on to the defensive in the field, it is up to India's batsmen to try and prevent a return to the bad old days of touring

India's struggles were compounded by a third umpire ruling that went against them followed by missed chances

A five-Test series was always going to be a challenge for India. In the second half of the first back-to-back Tests, at Lord's, they gave it their all: batsmen showed discipline for long hours, bowlers bowled long testing spells, MS Dhoni went against the grain and showed rare aggression and tactical nous as captain. But the question always was, how much did it take out of India?

In Southampton, Ishant Sharma was ruled out with an injury broadly described by India as a "sore leg", Bhuvneshwar Kumar was down on intensity, with the ball not seaming as much as it did at Lord's, and Mohammed Shami's lack of discipline became exposed when others around him didn't bowl that well. Now it's down to the batsmen once again to make sure India do not fall back to the bad old days.

It didn't help India that their slips give no confidence to the bowlers - another catch went down, another catch that the wicketkeeper should have gone for - but the bigger concern would be that they decided too early that the pitch was too flat and that they couldn't win the match. As early as the middle session of the second day, India went to Ravindra Jadeja as their main bowler, who darted balls into the pads with a six-three leg-side field.

The pursuit, like it was in Durban when they didn't take the second new ball until they were forced to after 146 overs, seemed to just contain and delay England's declaration. It is up for debate if thinking of a draw when your enforcing bowler is injured, you have a long series to go through, and you have the series lead, is such a bad thing, but that attitude can lead to dropping of intensity. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who bowled tirelessly at Lord's for six wickets in the first innings, echoed what was happening out there.

"Wicket is flat, easy for batsman," Bhuvneshwar said. "We tried our best as a bowling unit but we have had two long days."

The two long days led to extreme steps by Dhoni. In the middle session of day two, he had his bowlers bowling one-over spells for a long period. The 16th over after lunch was the first time a bowler had bowled two continuous overs from the same end. When Bhuvneshwar created an opportunity in the second half of the session, he was rewarded with another over. He was testing still, but that's all he got. Debutant Pankaj Singh was brought on for the next over, and the first ball he bowled was a leg-side loosener. That can happen when you don't let the bowlers get into any rhythm.

Bhuvneshwar, though, said the number of overs they have bowled justified that extreme rotation of bowlers. "I found that really easy, being in the field for one-and-a-half days we were really tired," Bhuvneshwar said. "Skipper wanted us to bowl one-over spells. By then we were in rhythm as well and we were not getting tired. Personally we found that easy."

When asked about conceding boundaries on both side of the wicket, Bhuvneshwar brought up fatigue again. "When [Gary] Ballance and [Alastair] Cook were batting, the situation demanded that we bowl on one side," Bhuvneshwar said. "Sometimes we were tired, been a long day in the field, it is natural, we are human beings. We tried our best to bowl in a particular area. We tried different strategies."

The slips' slips can't be put down to tiredness, though. Bhuvneshwar sounded forgiving, although you can't expect him or a lot of other India players to accept in a press conference that there is something wrong with them. "Being a bowler you have to know they are going to take some catches, and they are going to drop a few," Bhuvneshwar said. "Every team drops a few catches, but you have to trust the fielder. You can't ask anyone to come out of the slips. All you want is to give them confidence. It happens in cricket that catches are dropped. So far, in all three matches it has been good for us."

Tired bowlers, one injured bowler, dropped catches, dropped pace, captaincy waiting for declaration, an early wicket before stumps, it all sounds like a perfect recipe for disaster. India will dearly love to go to Old Trafford still ahead in the series but their batsmen have a long way to go to ensure that, going by how well James Anderson bowled in that seven-over burst and how the pitch has responded to his pace as opposed to India's put-it-there bowlers.

Encouragement for England - but no more

Gary Ballance, Ian Bell and Jos Buttler piled on the pain for India but luck played its part and judgement should be reserved for tougher tests

#politeenquiries: Are the cricketing gods turning?

It seems churlish to find fault. It feels like going to a wedding and pointing out that almost a third of marriages end in divorce and that the cake will make you fat. But England would be guilty of wishful thinking if they concluded that all their problems are over after a couple of good days in the office.

Let's be clear: England's batting on the first two days of the third Investec Test at the Ageas Bowl was admirable. They established a strong platform through the top three and they accelerated intelligently and selflessly as the innings progressed. The return to form of Ian Bell was welcome and Jos Buttler provided a reminder that he has an unusual ability to destroy bowling and an exciting future. Gary Ballance, meanwhile, underlined the impression that whatever batting records Alastair Cook sets, he may well break them.

And, just as excuses are largely irrelevant in defeat, so caveats should be in success. If England made use of a flat pitch and a jaded attack, it is because they earned those conditions: by electing to bat and wearing down the bowlers, they partially created the environment in which they flourished. For many months, they have been criticised for failing to score 400 in an innings - they failed to do so between March 2013 and June 2014 - so to do so three times in the last eight innings is a welcome sign of progress. You might even conclude that there were shades of the 2011 series in the day's play.

But… when players go through poor patches, they generally suggest that they are focusing on their "processes" and not allowing themselves to worry too much about the outcomes. In short, they are working hard and hoping for the best.

So it is probably wrong to judge a performance solely on the outcome. Just as a batsman, or even a team, can be undone by unplayable bowling, so they can be gifted runs by dreadful bowling. We are fools to judge them as heroes or villains on such evidence. The best players are sometimes the ones good enough to edge the best deliveries.

The truth is that, one of the key differences in this innings to some of the others this summer, was that England enjoyed better fortune. Had Cook not been dropped on 15, had Bell and Buttler been given out on 0 (replays suggested Bell was lbw on the first day but were inconclusive in regard to a low slip catch offered by Buttler), then the scenario would have been very different. England would have played no differently, but the result would have been radically altered.

This was a performance that taught us almost nothing about the main protagonists. Just as we already knew that Cook was a determined character, we also knew that Bell timed the ball sweetly and that Buttler could be destructive.

But it did not answer more pressing questions. It did not, for example, answer whether Buttler, who was also reprieved on 23 and 59, when MS Dhoni missed a stumping, had the defensive game to prosper at this level. Aged 23 and drafted into the team early due to the decline of Matt Prior, Buttler needs a prolonged run in the side to allow him a chance to acclimatise at this level. But his early nervousness outside off stump did suggest there will be times when he will require patience if he is to achieve his undoubted potential.

It did not answer whether Cook has answered his technical problems outside off stump. And it did not answer whether Bell, now the senior man in the middle-order, can rise to the challenge presented to him by the absence of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott and become the man England rely upon in crisis.

If that sounds churlish, it should be remembered this was Bell's first century in 20 Test innings and a couple of weeks short of a year. And, while it was a beautiful, skilful and important innings, it came when a platform had already been established; he came to the crease with the score 213-2. While Bell was magnificent during the Ashes of 2013, his struggles since have only provoked reminders of his earlier struggles to perform when the pressure was at its greatest.

Even Ballance will experience far more testing conditions. He has responded superbly to the challenge of being asked to bat No. 3 and could hardly have been asked to achieve more. But he has enjoyed a succession of benign pitches this summer and will surely face more exacting scrutiny of his ability in the subcontinent or in Australia.

None of this means that these players will not meet those challenges. But it does mean that we should reserve judgement on the new-look England side until they have faced

To be fair to England, they capitalised handsomely on their luck. Bell provided a masterclass in playing spin bowling, disrupting India's plans by attacking Ravindra Jadeja and, after a nervous start, punishing the impressive Pankaj Singh and the slightly off-colour Mohammed Shami.

Bell both skipped down the wicket and went deep into his crease to disrupt Jadeja's lengths and, in between some handsome lofted drives, also swept cleverly. And if Buttler is, at this stage, a blunter weapon, the manner in which he pulled short balls and reverse swept full ones suggested a talent that could, in time, win many games for England. A less selfless batsman would have played for a century on debut rather than attempted to set-up the declaration.

So this was, without doubt, an encouraging day for England. But far tougher challenges lie ahead and it might prove optimistic to conclude a corner has been turned just yet.

India's slipshod slips

Ravindra Jadeja's drop of Alastair Cook was indicative of the challenge India face in establishing a reliable cordon

Jadeja's dropped chance at third slip with Cook on 15 proved very costly

It is early in the morning, the pitch is fresh, the ball is seaming around a little, Alastair Cook is uncertain, he pushes at a wide delivery from debutant Pankaj Singh, and the edge is taken. Yet another failure for Cook, yet another early entry for No. 3 Gary Ballance, yet another early breakthrough for India.

Hold on, though. The ball has gone knee high, to Ravindra Jadeja's left at third slip, and has spilled out of his hands. Cook, who was only 15, goes on to score 95, India take only two wickets in the day, and you are left to wonder how the day would have panned out had India taken that catch.

This is not the first time a catch has been dropped in the slips, nor is this the first time the reprieved batsman has made a team pay, but India have now dropped eight in the slip in their last seven matches. And that's only off the fast bowlers. Spinners have suffered too. Losing four big batsmen around two years ago, almost all in one go, was a big challenge for India. This new breed of batsmen has been impressive with the bat, but that slip cordon still looks bare.

It has been 19 Tests since Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman retired. India have tried five different first slips over that period, which means the cordon has been rejigged at least five times in 19 Tests. Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, M Vijay and now Shikhar Dhawan have spent time at first slip. That they are being changed so often is clear indication there is something wrong.

It will obviously take some time for those who are not natural slip catchers to get used to fielding there, but there haven't been clear signs of improvement. There have been some really good catches taken: Ashwin almost turned 90 degrees to adjust to a late swerving catch at the Wanderers, Dhawan dived to his right to send back James Anderson in Nottingham, but there have been some glaring errors.

Kohli failed to stay down for long enough when at leg slip to spin at Trent Bridge. When MS Dhoni chose to not go for one between him and first slip at Lord's, Dhawan made no effort either. It was the keeper's catch all right, but good slip fielders are always diving behind the keeper on these occasions to be there, just in case. Pujara once stood there with shin pads on, and couldn't get to a low offering from Cook in Kolkata. Cook then scored 190. Jadeja, who got up too early today, will be thankful he got Cook out for half that score.

There is no fixed right way to go about slip catching, it is mostly about what you are comfortable with, but there are wrong ways. One of the wrong ways is to have legs too far apart in your stance. Mark Taylor says shoulders' width is ideal with the knees pointing in, almost like a skier. Jadeja's stance is at least twice as wide, which makes moving difficult. Another wrong way is to get your hands too far between your legs because than they can get stuck in your knees when you are going for a catch to your side. Jadeja does that. And, obviously, the India slip fielders are getting up too early.

India's slip cordon are mostly excellent athletes and thus very good outfielders. Slip catching, though, is completely different, and much more crucial. You want your bowler to feel confident when running in that all he has to do is just produce the edge. Right now the India quicks can't be confident of that.

The challenge for Trevor Penney, the fielding coach, is huge. The Dhoni-Dhawan no-go is a clear sign of a raw cordon, which is still feeling its way in. They practise really hard during training sessions and take a lot of catches almost every day. They take some sensational catches too. However, it is different when someone is throwing full tosses at Duncan Fletcher from 10 yards and he is opening the face towards the fielders.

We don't know whether India have locked in on a combination now or if there will be a change soon. We don't know if India think they are headed the right way. We don't know if the fielding coach is happy with the cordon's technique and their positioning vis-à-vis each other or if he is struggling to get it right. India don't like to, or are not allowed to, discuss these things. Bullishly Joe Dawes, the bowling coach, said he is happy with the progress, and that Taylor and Mark Waugh used to drop catches occasionally.

What India wouldn't give for a couple of slips men who are half as good as Taylor and Waugh, even at their current age.

Loyal crowd wills Cook forward

Alastair Cook was under the greatest pressure of his career, but the Southampton crowd was determined to will him forward

#politeenquiries: Do runs solve Cook captaincy issue?

In the late 1960s, with flower-power and hippiedom at their peak, a large group gathered in central London determined to prove the power of positive thinking. If they all concentrated on the same thought at the same time, they believed they could move a building an inch to its left.

It was a similar story at The Ageas Bowl on the first day of the third Investec Test. You could feel the goodwill for England's captain around the ground. You feel the desperation among the spectators, among his teammates, among the coaching staff and even among the majority of the UK media, that Alastair Cook would end his run drought and register his first Test century since May 2013.

Yet, just as the hippies were unable to move that building, so Cook was unable to complete his century. All the goodwill, all the desperation, all the positive thinking was unable to take him the extra inch.

But this innings was no failure. There is too much emphasis on personal milestones in this team game and, just as an innings of 100 would have been celebrated as much as an innings of 105, so this innings of 95 still demonstrated many of Cook's admirable qualities, not least his well-organised batting, his determination and his leadership skills.

It was a brave decision to bat first. A weaker captain, a weaker man, might have seen the green-tinged wicket and used it as an excuse to delay his examination. Cook could easily have chosen to bowl first - as the captain had in the last 10 first-class games at the ground - and hidden behind the explanation that he wanted to give his seamers first use of the wicket. But he knew, deep down, that was the wrong decision for the team and, as ever, he put the team first.

Then, despite a tangible lack of confidence and, as he put it, "under the greatest pressure he had ever been under" he produced the innings his side so desperately required. It was not pretty, it was not smooth and it was not without mistakes.

There were times, with Cook thrusting his hands towards the ball as if trying to remember how he used to bat, when he timed the ball so horribly that you could almost feel the jarring sensation in his arms. And there were times, with the ball making a dead sound after a stroke, when it appeared he might be playing with a piece of driftwood rather than a finely-crafted bat. It was, for the most part, a desperate struggle.

But Cook was never a batsman that you would fall in love with; he was a batsman you could rely upon. And it is reliance, not romance, that England need now.

It would be wrong, though, to suggest this innings answers all the criticism of Cook. It has done little to prove him a good tactician; it has done little to prove him an inspirational leader; it has done little to suggest he is at the start of a golden run of form.

Many county batsmen, if granted 28 consecutive opportunities, would contribute a sizeable innings every so often. The worth of a good Test batsman is contributing consistently. Cook still has to build upon this innings. It if takes another 20 innings for him to contribute, he will have failed. Only Mike Brearley has played more consecutive innings as an England captain and failed to score a century.

There was enduring evidence of some of his technical frailties, too. On a quicker pitch, he might have been caught in the slips from his first ball; instead the edge dropped short. On another day, he would have been caught in the slips on 15; instead Ravi Jadeja put down a relatively simple chance. And on another day, on 29, he might have been caught off the thick edge that flew through gully to the boundary. Luck will always play a large part in this game and Cook also benefited from a slow-paced wicket, a slight off-day from India's seamers and some modest fare from the support bowlers.

But he earned the short balls and wide deliveries. By leaving better outside off stump, by playing straighter, by retaining his patience and composure despite the pressure, he forced the bowlers into attempting different methods of attack and, gradually, they began to feed his strengths. Not one ball was driven to the boundary in the V between mid-off and mid-on, but he cut and pulled often. He will always be a limited player, but when he plays within those limitations he is a mightily effective one.

And, if the runs alone were not enough to remind onlookers of his worth, Cook also passed Kevin Pietersen and David Gower in the list of England's highest run-scorers in Test cricket. He is just 29, remember, and only Alec Stewart and Graham Gooch have scored more than him now.

This was not the end of Cook's journey, but it was a step in the right direction.

India hopeful on Ishant fitness for Old Trafford

India's bowling coach, Joe Dawes, is confident Ishant Sharma will be fit by the time the fourth Test begins, in Manchester on August 7. Ishant, Man of the Match at Lord's for his seven-wicket haul in the second innings, had to be withdrawn from the Southampton Test in what seemed to be a last-minute move. MS Dhoni said he would have played Ishant had this been a one-day match, but he didn't want to risk him over five days.

Pankaj Singh, Ishant's replacement, was put on standby Saturday night, according to Dawes, which suggests India were not confident of Ishant's availability. Dawes said Ishant has "a bit of a sore leg", further tests on which are yet to be done. "There are eleven days or so to the next Test, and I am confident that he can pull through," Dawes said.

Pankaj might have been given the message to stay prepared for a debut, but the final call wasn't made until the teams got to the ground an hour before toss. Ishant tried bowling, but pulled up a little sore. However, Dawes saying that they hadn't made the decision right until toss time is a bit of an exaggeration. Ishant had been in a warm jacket and doing nothing for about 20 minutes leading up to the toss, which was a clear indication.

Pankaj had a mixed day in the field. He was desperately unlucky in having Alastair Cook dropped off his bowling, and then missing out on what looked like a pretty straightforward lbw decision against Ian Bell. Towards the end of the day, though, he took a bit of tap, getting pulled, cut and driven off the toes.

"After ten years, it was a dream come true," Pankaj told Star Sports. "Really happy to make my debut, but I would have liked to get a wicket for my team. Hopefully I get some tomorrow. It's an unbelievable feeling. Can't put it in words. Tried my best, but things haven't happened. Hopefully tomorrow that changes."

Red Steel romp to nine-wicket win over Zouks

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel 137 for 1 (Lewis 77, O'Brien 55*) beat St Lucia Zouks 136 for 9 (Sammy 46*, Badree 2-13) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Evin Lewis and Kevin O'Brien flayed a hapless St Lucia Zouks bowling unit as the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel recorded a nine-wicket win at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain. The pair erased the CPL first-wicket partnership record set 24 hours earlier by Martin Guptill and Lendl Simmons of the Guyana Amazon Warriors by adding 129 at the start of the Red Steel chase.

The Red Steel reached the target of 137 with 32 balls to spare, just one ball short of equaling the fastest chase of CPL 2014 made by the Jamaica Tallawahs who were set 97 to win against the Antigua Hawksbills on July 17. Lewis and O'Brien came within eight runs of notching the first 10-wicket win in CPL history before Lewis fell for 77 in the 14th over to a catch in the deep off Shane Shillingford.

O'Brien brought up his own half-century two balls later and should have been dismissed with three needed to win when he was stumped giving Garey Mathurin the charge only to be called back to the crease when replays revealed the left-arm spinner had overstepped and a no ball was called. O'Brien sealed the match with a two off the free hit that followed and finished unbeaten on 55 off 44 balls.

The brief chase was set up by a disciplined bowling and fielding display in response to the Zouks decision to bat first upon winning the toss. Legspinner Samuel Badree set the tone by removing both openers, Johnson Charles stumped for 15 after being beaten in flight coming down the track and Andre Fletcher for 4 swinging across the line to a full delivery to mark Badree's 100th wicket in Twenty20 matches. He finished with a typically tidy 2 for 13 in four overs including a maiden.

The Zouks struggled to piece together a decent partnership with their best stand of the day coming courtesy of Tonito Willett and Darren Sammy, who added 27 runs for the fifth wicket. Sammy's efforts to provide a late surge were stunted by three runouts in the final overs. He still motored ahead to finish with an innings-high 46 not out off 35 balls including four sixes but the final total of 136 for 9 was never going to be enough against a stacked Red Steel batting lineup on a pitch that held few demons.

The Red Steel reclaimed sole possession of first place with the win, moving two points clear of the Amazon Warriors with 10 points on five wins. Meanwhile, the Zouks remain entrenched in the winless column and will be aiming to turn their fortunes around on July 31 when the CPL caravan arrives at Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia. The Zouks play their first home game of the season that evening against the Barbados Tridents.

Beaton's final over leaves Tridents stunned

Guyana Amazon Warriors 173 for 5 (Simmons 64, Guptill 55*) beat BarbadosTridents 166 for 4 (Smith 104*) by seven runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A CPL record 148-run second-wicket partnership between Dwayne Smith and Shoaib Malik was trumped by Ronsford Beaton's spectacular final over to give the Guyana Amazon Warriors a seven-run win over the Barbados Tridents at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Tridents seemed certain to overhaul a target of 174 thanks to Smith's second century in three matches and entered the final over needing 11 to win with Smith on strike on 101 having already hit eight fours and six sixes. Beaton was the same man who conceded a last ball six to Darren Bravo two nights earlier in a heartbreaking loss to the Red Steel, but Guyana captain Denesh Ramdin kept faith in the 21-year-old Beaton to defend those 11 runs and he did it with room to spare.

Fortune appeared to be shining on Smith and the Tridents after Smith tried to slog a yorker only for the ball to deflect off his pads and knock into leg stump without dislodging the bails. Beaton speared in three more yorkers to Smith that resulted in a two, a dot and a single to put Jonathan Carter on strike needing eight off the final two to win. Beaton fired in a wide yorker to combat Carter's premeditated scoop shot resulting in another dot ball to effectively seal the match with one ball remaining. Another dot off the final ball served as the icing on the cake.

Despite plenty of wickets in hand for the Tridents, the foundation for the tight finish was laid in the 17th when the 148-run second-wicket partnership was broken after Malik was caught short trying to steal a single for Smith. Lendl Simmons circled around and connected with a direct hit from backward point to send Malik on his way for 50.

Five balls later, Beaton struck with a full inswinger to bowl Kieron Pollard for a duck and then finished the 18th by running out Jeevan Mendis off his own bowling. Smith dug out a yorker and tried to scamper a single but Beaton charged down the pitch in his follow through and underhanded into the striker's end stumps to leave 16 needed off 12 with six wickets in hand. Krishmar Santokie conceded five singles in the 19th before Beaton's final over sealed it for the Amazon Warriors as the Tridents ended on 166 for 4.

Earlier in the day, Simmons and Martin Guptill provided contrasting half-centuries from the top of the order for the Amazon Warriors after being sent in to bat. The pair produced a record stand of their own by adding 103, the best first-wicket partnership in the CPL and sixth best for any wicket. Simmons fell on the final ball of the 12th over for 64, caught on the boundary attempting to slog Mendis' legspin for his fifth six. Guptill dropped anchor afterward and let his fresh partners slog away around him.

Mohammad Hafeez was particularly effective, smacking two fours and three sixes to make 30 off 10 balls before he was dismissed by Pollard two balls into the 20th. Guptill wound up carrying his bat as Guyana finished on 173 for 5 with Guptill unbeaten on 55 off 51 balls and his patience was vindicated by the end of the day. The Amazon Warriors now sit on eight points alongside the Red Steel at the top of the CPL table while the Tridents fall back in a tie for third with the Tallawahs on six points.

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