Overlooked Mohsin slams PCB

Mohsin Khan, the former Pakistan batsman, has called the procedure adopted by the PCB to hire Waqar Younis as head coach a 'total farce'.

Mohsin was among the contenders for the job, which he held briefly in 2012 when he oversaw Pakistan's famous 3-0 Test victory over England.

Last month, the PCB decided to not renew Moin Khan's contract as head coach and started the hunt for a new coaching panel. The PCB placed a newspaper advert, kept the opportunity open for 18 days for anyone to apply and appointed a three-man committee to evaluate the applications until May 5.

Mohsin and Waqar were in the race for the top role and on Tuesday, the PCB appointed Waqar, who returned for a second term after his previous stint between March 2010 and August 2011.

"They lied in their own house," Mohsin, who was rejected without interview, said. "They had said that the candidates will be shortlisted, then there will be interviews but they trashed the whole process and made fun of everything. They threw dust in everyone's eyes. There were no criteria. I was a deserving candidate but I was getting messages that the whole process was a total farce."

There was a perception that the board was already in contact with Waqar and that he was the only one in line for the job. Though Waqar's appointment was made official only on May 6, his name was unofficially doing the rounds before the deadline for candidates ended.

"They should have picked whoever they wanted as coach and appointed him but they should not have made a fool of the others. It happened before as well before the Asia Cup and World T20. It happened to Waqar as well at that time. Without any process they made Moin Khan coach. Moin is like my younger brother, but that was also not correct. PCB is not their personal property; it is the board of 18-19 million people of Pakistan. They spoiled two years of the team by bringing a so-called qualified coach (Dav Whatmore). They threw dust in the fans' eyes. They have played with Pakistan's name, with its respect."

Mohsin was the chief selector in 2011 when Waqar quit after his first stint as head coach and the PCB was forced to go with the former as interim coach before he was replaced by Whatmore in March 2012. Though Mohsin was given a makeshift role, he wanted to carry on in the job but the then chairman Zaka Ashraf opted to engage Whatmore instead.

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Mumbai Indians sign Praveen Kumar

Mumbai Indians have signed the right-arm seamer Praveen Kumar as their replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan. Zaheer, who played six games, was ruled out for the rest of the season after straining his left latissimus dorsi muscle. Praveen will be available for Mumbai's next game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

Praveen went unsold in the auction in February. He was a regular for Kings XI Punjab in the 2013 IPL, taking 12 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 6.62. He picked eight wickets in six games for Uttar Pradesh in the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the IPL. He last played for India in a T20 against South Africa in 2012.

Since his exclusion from the Indian team, Praveen has struggled with fitness and disciplinary issues. He couldn't play a full domestic first-class season in 2012-13 due to injury and his comeback was marred by a suspension, earned by an angry outburst against a player during a Corporate Trophy match in February 2013. Following a full season with Kings XI in 2013, injuries kept him out of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy.

Praveen, who was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2008 to 2010, moved to Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

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England's no-win trip north

Scotland will aim to take advantage of England's vulnerability in a fixture that does little to aid the long-term planning of Peter Moores and Alastair Cook

Win and it is only to be expected; lose and it is a humiliation. Peter Moores' second stint as England coach begins with as close to a no-win fixture as is possible.

England should prove too strong for Scotland. Despite recent setbacks, England are No. 4 in the ODI rankings and reached the final of the last global ODI tournament. Their players enjoy every advantage of modern professionalism and several of them have played more than 100 ODIs. Some of Scotland's players have to fit cricket in around their day jobs.

But this game has many of the ingredients for an upset. Scotland, highly motivated and resurgent having recently qualified for the World Cup, have nothing to lose and know that, after a chastening winter, England cannot be high on confidence. It would be stretching things a bit far to say they smell blood, but they certainly sense vulnerability. Netherlands' victory over England has shown what is possible

England, meanwhile, have not played any white ball cricket this season. They have never played an ODI so far north - Kyle Coetzer, Scotland's captain, proudly described it as the most northerly ODI venue in the world - and, in doing so in early May in a match starting at 10.30am and incorporating two new balls, know that batting could be something of a lottery at times. Poor weather could also intervene - it would be a surprise if it didn't - increasing the prospect of a shortened run chase, bowlers struggling to grip slippery balls and Duckworth-Lewis inspired frustration.

It would be wrong to decry the pitch, though. New Zealand scored 400 here in an ODI in 2008 and seven men have registered ODI centuries on the ground. But the boundary is small, the outfield on Thursday surprisingly wet and the sell-out crowd likely to be heavily partisan. It all faintly evokes memories of first-class sides being embarrassed at the home of minor county teams in the Gillette Cup.

One thing England should not be is complacent. Indeed, after the shock of the Netherlands defeat - a defeat that might well have cost Ashley Giles his job - and the thrashings in Australia, it remains to be seen if England's scars have healed. It was a lack of confidence, not a surfeit of it, which was their main weakness in Bangladesh.

There is a sense that Moores, at the start of this new era for England, is keen to help the team rediscover the simple pride and joy of representing their country and playing a game they love for a living. As Alastair Cook admitted, there were times in Australia, in particular, when they forgot that.

"You have to remember how lucky we are to wear the shirt and play for your country," Cook said. "Sometimes after a long period away, you forget that. Last winter is probably a reminder of that. When you lose games of cricket it becomes very hard.

"Now we've all had bit of time away from the game, it's been a good time to reflect and realise how special it is to be playing for England. We have to remember that at all times. Chatting to a few of the guys who are no longer playing, they say it's the best days of your life even in tough times."

Furthermore, with 21 ODIs to play until the World Cup starts, places are at stake in both sides. This England team has only been assembled for this game so performances here will influence selection for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, which will be named on Tuesday.

Most urgently, England need to find some reliable 'death' bowlers - not a strong area in county cricket at present - and decide on their top-order batting tactics.

Harry Gurney, a left-arm bowler of sharp if not express pace, might be one answer. He has developed a good record in domestic white-ball cricket and could partner James Anderson or Stuart Broad in Powerplays and at the end of an innings. Ravi Bopara, who Alastair Cook revealingly named as one of two colleagues (Broad was the other) he consulted before deciding to continue as captain, is another underutilised 'death' option. Chris Jordan, who has looked the most dangerous new-ball bowler in England this season, rarely does the job for Sussex and struggled when pressed into service in the role in the Caribbean.

There is a sense that England would like to take a more aggressive approach to the first 15 overs of their innings. The argument for such a tactic is that, on the batsmen-friendly tracks anticipated for most of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, England's traditional steady approach will not generate the huge totals that may be needed to prevail.

But Aberdeen in May is not the place to experiment with aggressive top-order batting. It may well be that the games played against Sri Lanka offer little more help, either. England continue to be hindered by their scheduling.

Besides, Cook believes that the best players have the ability to adapt. So those players who are suited to seeing England through the new ball in Aberdeen should, if Cook is to be believed, also prove the men to get them off to a flyer in Perth and Brisbane.

"One of skills you need as an international cricketer is the ability to play in different conditions," Cook said. "You're challenged wherever you play in the world. The best players adapt and find a way of delivering results. The wicket here looks good, but it won't be an absolute belter, so going hard would be foolish."

But preparing for a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by playing in Aberdeen in May is like preparing for a sprint by going ice-skating.

All of which begs the question: why is this game taking place? The politically correct answer is that the ECB and ICC want to provide some encouragement to an Associate neighbour. But the fact that England have played only two of their previous 616 ODIs against Scotland, does not suggest that encouragement is especially effusive.

If the ECB really wanted to support Associate cricket, it would lobby the ICC to push for cricket to be accepted as an Olympic sport. Until it does, matches like this are little more than a perfunctory sop.

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Lillee responds in CA pay dispute

Dennis Lillee has responded to Cricket Australia's announcement that the former Test wicket-taking record holder would no longer be working with the nation's fast bowlers due to a dispute over pay demands, citing the impact of Mitchell Johnson in the past two series as the best measure of his effectiveness.

Having played a major role in Johnson's resurgence, while also being on call to mentor the likes of Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, Lillee's request for a pay increase was knocked back by CA.

However, Lillee, who is presently attending a cricket festival in Philadelphia, said in a statement to Brisbane's Courier-Mail that he was merely asking for a fair financial return for the work he had done, especially given that Johnson was "the difference" between Ashes defeat in England and a rollicking 5-0 sweep at home.

"If my role and influence is to be assessed on any measure, perhaps the contribution to reinvigorating Mitch Johnson's career to becoming the best performing fast bowler in the world last year is a helpful yardstick,'' Lillee said. "We had many, many hours of contact and continual work to achieve his amazing performances of the last 12 months.

"It must be obvious the difference between the Australian team in England and the fantastic Ashes success in Australia was largely due to Mitch's presence, confidence, technique and impact."

While disputing reports that he was only required to work with Australia's pacemen for 11 days last year, Lillee said modern coaching and mentoring of cricketers had become a far more demanding and enveloping job than it had been during his time as a player.

"My role as coach with the Australian and Western Australian teams has obviously required a commitment that has embraced one-on-one coaching, computer analysis of players' actions and performance and remote coaching and support," he said. "Coaching and mentoring in the modern day is far more demanding than when I played, and this has been a substantial adjustment in resources and commitment for Cricket Australia and the coaches that are involved in the game.

"I am disappointed that Cricket Australia has chosen to debate in the public arena the value of the services I have provided to Australian cricket, along with what should have been a sensible discussion about nominal reward for ongoing performance. My career and my support role in the recent Ashes success speak for themselves and I remain ready, willing and able to continue Australia's resurgence in the cricketing world."

Lillee remains in touch with the bowlers he has mentored, but reiterated his earlier words in a radio interview during the South Africa Test tour that he felt compelled to take a stand over his pay. "I remain involved with and supportive of my group of bowlers, but as a working Australian, need to draw the line at some stage regarding what is fair and not fair," he said.

"I have been privileged in my career to be mentored by some of the best coaches and players of cricket in the game and it has been my pleasure to pass on and embellish the knowledge that I have gained. Coaching at this level is not about an hourly rate or time in the office -- it's a reflection of the experience and knowledge gained over many years and an ability to communicate skills and a trade craft that produces results. The Australian bowling performance during the Ashes shows those results.

"The work I have undertaken with Australia's fast bowlers has been very rewarding personally and feedback from those involved intimated that the feeling was mutual. At the end of the day the game is about the players and the memorable performances that bring us back each summer, regardless of the temporary administrators and politics of the sport.''

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Morgan accepts MCC presidency

David Morgan, a past ECB chairman, and driving force behind the adoption of Cardiff as an international venue and the restructuring of the English domestic game, has been nominated as the next president of MCC.

The nomination of Morgan, made as tradition by the current incumbent Mike Gatting, was announced at the club's annual meeting at Lord's. His emollient skills may be necessary to help steer Lord's through a delicate period in its history as passions rise over the growth of the ground.

Morgan, whose long administrative career also included a spell as president of ICC, will take up the post in October. With ICC, ECB and MCC posts behind him, as well as the chairmanship of Glamorgan, he has worked his way through the alphabet.

Tredegar born, it is the silent W in ECB which holds most of his affection: he has always insisted on the importance of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

During his tenure, Gatting has presided over the progression of the Lord's Masterplan, with MCC having gained planning permission for the redevelopment of the Warner Stand, with work scheduled to commence, subject to members' approval, in September 2015.

He has also overseen the introduction of MCC's first community development programme, and has represented the club around the country and overseas, including official visits to Australia, Abu Dhabi and Oman.

He will continue in his role as president throughout this summer's celebrations of the bicentenary of Lord's - including managing the home side for the MCC v Rest of the World match on 5th July - before he hands over the office to Morgan in October.

After leaving Glamorgan in 1997, Morgan became Lord MacLaurin's deputy at the ECB until 2002, when he was elected to take on the chairmanship himself. After five years with the ECB, Morgan was nominated for presidency of the ICC for a two-year term, being succeeded by Sharad Pawar in 2010. He was made an OBE in 2008.

His most recent contribution to English cricket was the Morgan Review of 2011, which was considered to be the biggest shake-up of the county game in a decade. His commitment to hearing a wide selection of views was unstinting and the report's recommendations, an exercise in conciliation and compromise, were largely but not entirely implemented prior to the start of the 2014 season.

Gatting said: "Morgan has been and remains one of the most influential voices in the world game, and I'm sure he will do an excellent job in leading MCC through a very important time in its history. He is ambitious, creative and efficient and will be a fantastic leader for this wonderful Club.

"There is work to do to continue moving the Lord's Masterplan forward over the next year with the redevelopment of the south western corner of the Ground, including the Tavern and Allen Stands, next on the agenda. David has the perfect experience and temperament to make this and MCC's other areas of work a great success."

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Yates weathers the storm

Lancashire 191 (Davies 59, Magoffin 4-36) and 19-0 drew with Sussex298 (Yardy 139) and 216-5 dec (Yardy 45, Hamilton-Brown 44, Machan 44*)
Scorecard

A match which had been threatened by the weather during the latter stages of its first three days eventually succumbed to the elements on the final afternoon. At 3.30pm a final heavy shower scudded in from the west and umpires Mark Benson and Steve Gale waved the white flag. They were quickly followed by the Old Trafford groundstaff who pulled on the white sheeting.

Only 8.4 overs had been possible on a last day in which Lancashire openers Paul Horton and Luis Reece had progressed to 19 for 0 against the predictable excellence of Sussex's new ball attack. Already it was fairly clear to neutral observers that the prospect of the home side scoring the 323 they needed to win after Sussex's overnight declaration was remote in the extreme, although the post-match bullishness of Lancashire coach Gary Yates was understandable.

"Today had the makings of a cracking game," said Yates. "If we'd batted for two sessions and got into a decent position at tea time would have had a chance of going for the runs. So we're a little disappointed the game didn't materialise in that way."

With all but Durham and Northants having played four matches, which is to say, a quarter of the championship programme, the draw leaves Lancashire in seventh place in Division One. That is an accurate reflection of the bowling virtues and batting problems of Glen Chapple's team. Sussex lie second, and for all that Somerset hammered them by an innings last week, they look capable of being in the mix come September.

"Overall, we have to say that Sussex had the better of the game and we don't deny that," admitted Yates. "They've probably been the strongest side we've played yet. Magoffin is an outstanding bowler and I think Sussex will do well.

"We fell horribly short of where we wanted to be with the bat in the first innings and that put us on the back foot for the remainder of the game. One of the problems we're facing is that we're not getting runs on the board in the first innings.

"We've been short, we know it and the batsmen are addressing the problem. I don't think it's through a lack of skill. The batters are working hard to come good in the next game. Confidence and belief plays a big part in that."

However, Yates was keen to praise the efforts of both wicketkeeper Alex Davies and all-rounder Tom Smith, for both of whom the Sussex match represented something of a triumph.

"I'm delighted for Alex," said Yates. "He came in off the back of a one-day hundred for the second team and he went in at a pressure time when we were in trouble, but he and Tom Smith batted beautifully."

"Alex is an aggressive young lad by nature and the way he bats but he mixed aggression with good defence and he had a really good game. He's a real good competitor who's got all the shots and he dealt with the pressure superbly."

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Glamorgan claim Bragging rights

Glamorgan 155 (Andrew 5-40) and 229 for 7 (Bragg 91*) drew with Worcestershire 240 (Wagg 4-75, Cosker 5-39) and 296 for 6 dec (Mitchell 151*, Hales 63)
Scorecard

Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg produced a sterling effort to thwart Worcestershire's attempts to force a victory that would extend their lead at the top of Division Two.

Bragg's unbeaten 91 underpinned a Glamorgan second innings total of 229 for 7 as they batted all day for a draw after being 14 for 2 when he arrived at the crease.

Bragg found excellent support from skipper Mark Wallace and Stewart Walters during a knock that lasted 343 minutes and 285 balls, putting on 97 for the seventh wicket with Wallace and compiling a fifth-wicket stand of 52 with Walters.

Glamorgan were in all kinds of trouble at 38 for 4, having lost nightwatchman Dean Cosker caught by wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Gareth Andrew for eight, Gareth Rees lbw to Jack Shantry for three and then seeing Murray Goodwin bowled by Shantry following an attempted leg-glance.

With Goodwin back in the pavilion for just 7, Glamorgan looked as though their unbeaten first-class record this season would evaporate against the league leaders.

But after Bragg and Wallace steered the home side to 149 for 6 at tea, the recovery act was well under way, with Glamorgan's victory target of 382 at the start of play never a realistic target.

Wallace took a blow to his finger fending off a sharp Andrew delivery, but he was able to continue after treatment, before a heavy shower forced the players off with just 11.1 overs in the day remaining.

A loss of three overs before the resumption helped Glamorgan, yet Wallace departed when Saeed Ajmal trapped him leg before, leaving Graham Wagg to join Bragg as tension mounted.

The pair batted out 41 further deliveries, and although Bragg finished nine runs short of what would have been his second Championship hundred, it was a case of job done as Glamorgan took eight points and Worcestershire nine.

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Northern giants lose winning habit

Durham 361 for 8 (Richardson 148, Stoneman 131, Rashid 3-70) and 100-4 (Jennings 54*) drew with Yorkshire 589 for 8 dec (Gale 124, Lyth 104, Williamson 97, Bairstow 95)
Scorecard

A month into the new season, the two sides who showed themselves to be the best in the County Championship last season have won one match between them, and that against the side currently in last place. Something to worry about? At this early stage, perhaps not, but something to ponder.

This match ultimately gave Durham a feather in the cap for character, given that they batted continuously for more than two days, even taking into account the rain that trimmed 11 overs off the time available to Yorkshire to bowl them out for a second time.

Yet their bowling and fielding in the Yorkshire innings had been well below par, allowing Andrew Gale's team to build a total of a size almost unheard of at this ground. Paul Collingwood, the Durham captain, said at the close that he would have bowled without hesitation had he had the choice, and put Yorkshire's 589 at about 300 runs above par.

For their part, Yorkshire must see the draw as an opportunity lost to score a significant win over a key rival. If, as Collingwood insisted, their first innings total was a freak, then they ought to have been capable, with their bowling resources, of dismissing Durham twice for fewer, within the seven sessions, or the best part thereof, that they gave themselves.

However, while each of their key bowlers at different times in the match bowled spells of high quality, as a collective they fell a little way short. Yorkshire were ruthless in defeating Northamptonshire in their one win so far, but they conceded more than 500 runs to Somerset in their drawn opening match at Taunton and their failure to prevent Middlesex chasing 472 to win at Lord's was a chastening experience, to say the least and Durham's 388 in the first innings here was perhaps a few too many.

Yet credit is due to Durham, who showed commendable resilience to bat through those seven sessions, having been asked to follow-on, and did find themselves in a crisis on the final afternoon, when their first four wickets fell for 42 and Yorkshire had their tails up.

With 60 overs to face in which not to lose 10 wickets, a little better than it might have been after 11 overs lost to rain, they endured a first 18.1 overs that were catastrophic, in terms of their chances of doing so.

Mark Stoneman, one of their two century-makers from the first innings, was out in the most unfortunate way, run out at the non-striker's end when Liam Plunkett deflected a Keaton Jennings drive into the stumps.

Then Scott Borthwick, a doubt for Durham's trip to Hove next week because of a finger injury that stopped him bowling here, succumbed to a ball from Jack Brooks that was the best anyone faced all match, rearing up and taking the glove as he tried to take evasive action, with Andrew Hodd taking the catch.

Kumar Sangakkara, out second ball in the first innings, was lucky not to be given out caught behind for nothing, was dropped at gully on four, just missed the fielder at point with his first boundary and got his second off an inside edge, none of which augured well. Then, with the streakiest 14 runs he may ever score to his name, he followed a wide one from Ryan Sidebottom to be caught at second slip.

Adil Rashid, who bowled superbly, dismissed Michael Richardson, the other big success from the first innings, with his first ball, at which point Yorkshire had 42 overs still to work with and a sense of gathering momentum.

But there were still some craggy rocks to shift, the craggiest of all being the captain, Collingwood, who joined Keaton Jennings, first offering sage advice to the 21-year-old at the other end and then setting about leading by example, facing 91 balls, 83 of them dots, enjoying a little luck at times, particularly against Rashid, but earning it. And, while doing this for more than two hours, guiding Jennings astutely enough through his business at the other for the young opener to finish with a highly creditable half-century.

Collingwood praised Jennings for having the character to finish the job in the face of bowling which, he said, touched on international class at times, particularly when Plunkett got up to speed and when Rashid was employed all the guile he could muster.

Equally important, though, had been the strength of will shown earlier by Jamie Harrison and Graham Onions, the overnight batsmen, whose 26-over, 45-run stand held back Yorkshire's quest for the last two first innings wicket until the day was into its second hour.

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Depleted Warwickshire thrash favourites

Warwickshire 462 (Ambrose 167, Patel 105, Wright 52, Hain 42, Roland-Jones 3-66) beat Middlesex 167 (Finn 37*, Rogers 34, Wright 4-56) and 248 (Rogers 82, Robson 68, Patel 4-78) by an innings and 47 runs
Scorecard

To jump to the top of the Division One table might be considered a decent achievement in any circumstances. But to do so with an innings victory over the Championship favourites despite going into the game with a team lacking 10 players should be considered a clear indication that Warwickshire have the strength in depth to sustain a strong challenge for the title this year.

Warwickshire, who have now won two games in succession, were missing eight men with international experience (Boyd Rankin, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes, Rikki Clarke, William Porterfield, Freddie Coleman and Jim Troughton) from this side as well as two others (Recordo Gordon and Tom Milnes) who might well have been considered first choice alternatives had they been fit. They also lost Oliver Hannon-Dalby with a side strain on the first day.

But the acquisition of Richard Jones - a swing bowler of sharp pace - from Worcestershire in the off-season has already borne fruit. He might never develop into the consistent bowler that Worcestershire required but he has the precious ability to take wickets - a career strike-rate of a wicket ever 44.4 balls at this level is exceptional - and here added a dimension to an already impressive attack by gaining enough reverse swing to render the ball dangerous throughout its life span.

Not every wicket came from a fine ball - John Simpson slapped a long-hop to cover - but it was Jones who claimed the key wicket of Sam Robson, beaten by a late swinging yorker as he played across a straight one and Jones who dismissed Denly, prodding half forward, to another that swung late. The pitch remained good but, as Dougie Brown, the Warwickshire director of cricket said afterwards "having swing bowlers takes the pitch out of the equation."

Jeetan Patel, as ever, also contributed. His four wickets here included that of Chris Rogers, who never settled as well as Robson and fell attempting a sweep, as well as two wickets in two balls to wrap up victory just after Warwickshire had claimed the extra half-hour. It was a reminder of Patel's value as overseas player and the importance of his decision to decline an invitation to tour the Caribbean with the New Zealand squad in order to concentrate on his Warwickshire career. A contract extension beckons.

"That was a tough decision," Patel said afterwards. "I've always said that playing Test cricket was the be-all and end-all for me, but I've other interests now. My family is the most important thing. For them to be safe and happy is most important.

"Would I have played in the Caribbean? Maybe. Maybe I would have earned a one-year central contract. But I have to look further ahead than that and I could have sat on the sidelines and wasted an opportunity to cement my position here. And I love it at Warwickshire. Being a Bear is special."

Well though Warwickshire bowled, this was another painfully weak performance from the Middlesex batsmen. On the same surface where Warwickshire's No. 8 had thumped a century the previous day, Middlesex conspired to lose their last nine wickets for 93 runs. It was a surface called "benign" by Middlesex coach Richard Scott the previous evening and a surface of which any professional batsman might dream.

But there is a recklessness within this Middlesex middle-order that cannot always be masked by the excellence of Rogers and Robson. While the pair again made batting appear a straightforward business in adding 149 for the second wicket, this side is as brittle as egg shell: crack the top and the middle is soft and vulnerable. It was, no doubt, the point made by batting coach Mark Ramprakash in the long team meeting that followed the defeat.

The batting collapse is hardly a new phenomenon for Middlesex. In the first innings here they lost eight wickets for 32, in the previous game at Lord's they were bowled out for 123 in their first innings and against Sussex they were dismissed for 105 and 154.

The long-term form of some of the middle-order underlines the sense that this is not a one-off. Dawid Malan, whose dismissal here attempting an aggressive pull with half-an-hour of the day remaining and the second new ball just a few overs old might be considered a nadir, has made two Championship half-centuries in 26 innings since the start of 2013 and has a top-score of 61. Joe Denly's form - he has a top score of 77 in 31 innings over the same period - is little better.

"This is not quite good enough," Rogers said afterwards. "We've got to get better. Everyone is trying but to lose 8-30 on this pitch, a pitch with no demons, well, it's unforgivable. There are no quick fixes but we do have to fix this."

He did praise Warwickshire's opening pair, though, labelling Keith Barker and Chris Wright "excellent bowlers" with "good skills" and predicted a "decent future" for them.

James Whitaker, the national selector, was among the spectators - he sat for a while with Andy Flower - and also made a point of enquiring about Wright's form.

International calls will continue to dig deep into the Warwickshire squad. But they hope to have Bell, Woakes et al. back for the game at Yorkshire which already looks as if it could have a huge bearing on the title. And with the likes of Jones and Sam Hain, who both made huge impacts on debut in this game, in support, they seem to have the depth to cope with the demands they are sure to face.

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Mickleburgh leads Essex fightback

Essex 281 and 101 for 1 (Mickleburgh 47*) trail Leicestershire 433 (Eckersley 110, Robson 94, Cobb 70, Panesar 6-111) by 51 runs
Scorecard

Essex battled back on day three with an impressive unbeaten partnership from Jaik Mickleburgh and Greg Smith to take a big slice out of Leicestershire's first-innings lead of 152 at Chelmsford.

After Tom Westley was lost for just 3 at the beginning of Essex's second innings, Mickleburgh and Smith frustrated the Leicestershire bowlers by putting on 98 runs. Mickleburgh will be on 47 and Smith on 43 when they return to the crease on Wednesday.

Leicestershire put themselves in good position to win away from Grace Road for the first time since 2010. They were 255 for 2 at the end of the second day and trailed by just 26 runs but added on 178 runs on Tuesday before being bowled out for 433.

Ned Eckersley, who had resumed his innings on 104, only scored six more runs before he became a first Championship wicket for medium-pacer Tanveer Sikandar. With Leicestershire having moved past 300, Angus Robson fell six short of a first century, becoming Monty Panesar's second wicket.

The momentum appeared to swing Essex's way when England spinner Panesar had Michael Thornely caught at slip for 21 by Mark Pettini. That was the first of three wickets that Panesar would snare in four balls.

Two balls after dismissing Thornley, he bowled Rob Taylor for 2 and then had Jigar Naik picked up by Ben Foakes at bat-pad with his next delivery.

Leicestershire were 356 for 7 at that point but they moved back into the ascendancy when scoring 77 more runs before being bowled out, captain Josh Cobb scoring 70. Panesar ended up with six wickets for 111 runs with Tanveer Sikandar finishing with two for 90.

Essex had a shaky start to their second innings when Westley edged to Eckersley off Charlie Shreck after scoring just three runs. Mickleburgh and Smith then steadied proceedings for Essex, putting their impressive partnership of 98 to leave the hosts trailing by just 51 with nine wickets remaining heading into the final day.

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