Rampant Brooks fears for old county

Northamptonshire 94 (Brooks 5-36, Sidebottom 4-16) trail Yorkshire 459 for 9 dec (Ballance 174, Lees 90, Hall 4-103) by 365 runs
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As Jack Brooks agreed, having run rampant against his former colleagues, Northamptonshire will have to learn their lessons quickly if they are not to go the way of Derbyshire last year in finding the step up from Division Two to Division One in the Championship a source of frustration and ultimate failure.

They held on for a merit-worthy draw against the champions, Durham, last week, but found out here that, as was Derbyshire's lament all too often last year, one bad session can cost a match. Their second session on day two was particularly bad, bowled out for 94 in the space of 30 overs. With a deficit of 365 when they begin their follow-on, they had only the temporary release of the rain which set in after tea and prevented more play.

"It is going to be a tough year for them," Brooks said. "They have a good work ethic and play well as a unit but they are going to have to graft and this will be a bit of a wake-up call to some of them who have not played in the higher division. One session can cost you a game and we are the kind of team that are not going to let a team off the hook."

Brooks finished with 5 for 35, his best figures for Yorkshire in first-class matches, with four of his wickets coming in a seven-over spell at the Rugby Stand End, to the accompaniment of sound effects generated by the Leeds Rhinos supporters in full voice on the other side, which leant a surreal atmosphere to the occasion.

He revealed afterwards that he prefers bowling at the Kirkstall Lane End, where he opened (5-1-17-1) and would have remained had Andrew Gale not decided, after giving him a brief breather, that he could relieve Ryan Sidebottom at the other end.

Brooks felt he bowled a little too full at times, but it was nowhere near often enough to allow much respite for the batsman. Having bowled James Middlebrook in his first spell when the opener played down the wrong line, he produced a peach of a ball for Rob Newton, one of his best friends at Wantage Road, that would have tested better-known batsmen, taking the edge despite his best efforts to miss it.

Andrew Hall edged low to third slip, then David Willey and Steven Crook, possibly not showing the discipline they might have applied in the circumstances, were caught at gully and backward point respectively, slashing at wide ones.

Not that it was all about Brooks, whose headband gives him the air of a warrior that goes down well with the locals. Sidebottom, who has managed all these years to tame his mane without the need for accessories, finished with 4 for 16, completing the demolition with wickets from successive deliveries. Even at 36, his powers show little sign of waning.

It was a good day for Brooks with the bat, too. His 37 off 39 balls, included a straight drive for four off Maurice Chambers that was as good a shot as was played all day, followed immediately by a six audaciously helped over the long-leg boundary. Had Yorkshire not declared on 459 for 9, as Brooks noted later, the day might have been notable too for his second first-class fifty.

In all, Yorkshire added 107 runs in the morning session, Gary Ballance building on his 117 overnight to reach 174, which is by 26 runs his highest score in England, before he was leg before playing back defensively to Hall, who plugged away tirelessly for his four wickets but of course could not compensate his side for the absence of both last season's leading wicket-takers, Trent Copeland, who is no longer with the club, and Willey, who cannot yet bowl as he recovers from back problems.

Sidebottom's batting deserves a mention, too, given that he stuck around for 95 minutes with Ballance in making his 15, continuing for an hour and a quarter after being hit on the head by a ball from Mohammad Azharullah that left him needing treatment for a cut on the head.

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Bell stars after Chapple's landmark

Warwickshire 316 for 9 (Porterfield 77, Bell 75, Chopra 52, Smith 4-67) lead Lancashire 247 by 69 runs
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Forget, for a moment, that Ian Bell plays for England. County cricket is relevant in its own right, not merely as some sort of massive academy for the national side. It is perfectly possible to consider Bell's fine 75 on the second day of the game against Lancashire simply in the context of this match and not as some sort of preparation for future examinations.

Coming to the wicket with his team well-placed on 144 for 2, Bell made a substantial contribution to his side taking a 69-run lead with one wicket left to fall in this well-contested match. In doing so, he produced a gem of an innings, a 162-ball master-class generously sprinkled with fine shots in both defence and attack.

Michael Henderson once wrote about the aesthetic satisfaction to be derived from watching Mark Ramprakash play a forward defensive shot, and it is possible to be similarly enriched by some of Bell's strokeplay. There were fine drives aplenty and a trademark six over long-on off Simon Kerrigan, but there were also carefully calibrated pushes and deflections, each of them enjoyable in its own right as a tiny piece of craftsmanship.

At such moments it was not only possible to forget that Bell plays Test cricket; one could also forget the little matter of his allegiance, and simply savour the artistry.

It is important to remember Bell's innings because, by the end of the day, his effort had been a trifle overshadowed by an excellent response from Lancashire's seamers, who took five wickets for 47 runs in ten overs in the final session and keep Warwickshire's lead within the realm of the manageable.

That fightback was led by Tom Smith, who had both Tim Ambrose and Chris Woakes caught behind by Buttler in successive overs and finished the day with 4 for 67. Wayne White's contribution in bringing one back off the seam to uproot Bell's leg stump and then having Jeetan Patel caught at the wicket was also invaluable. By the end of the day Lancashire's players could anticipate a parity which had seemed rather unlikely in the first two sessions of play.

For himself, Bell, who is currently Warwickshire's stand-in captain, would certainly place his own innings in the context of the game and pay tribute to the work of openers Varun Chopra and William Porterfield, whose 127-run partnership for the first wicket laid secure groundwork for the construction of their sizeable total.

The openers had more than doubled their side's overnight score when Porterfield rather gave his innings away by driving Kerrigan loosely to Wayne White at mid-off. This was a shame, not least because he had played well, especially when dismissively pulling James Anderson into a building site for six.

Following Porterfield's departure for 77, his first Championship fifty since May 2012, Chopra made his way carefully towards lunch and had very nearly achieved his immediate objective when trapped on the crease by Chapple for 52.

That, as both players and the public address announcer Matt Procter recognised, was Chapple's 900th first-class wicket for Lancashire. He became the 15th Lancastrian to achieve the feat, the first of any type to do so since Jack Simmons and the first seamer since Ken Higgs.

By the end of the day Chapple's tally was 901, meaning that he had equalled the total achieved by left-arm spinner Cecil Parkin, a clown-prince of a bowler who used to croon the 1920s favourites Tea for Two or Lily of Laguna as he made his way back to his mark. One rather doubts that Chapple sings at all as he trudges through his fine spells; were he to do so, though one certainly can't believe that they would be much like the genial ditties beloved of dear old Cec.

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Dunn gets people talking

Essex 225 for 6 (Bopara 49, Dunn 3-53) v Surrey
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On an even day that saw further time lost to rain and bad light, a fine display from Matt Dunn added a new angle on this encounter. The draw remains the odds on result but, with a host of England talent on show, it was Dunn who dominated most of the talk on what can be marked down as a professional display from both sides.

During Surrey's first match of the season against Glamorgan, Dunn drew a crowd on the outfield of the Oval during the first lunch interval as he went through his repertoire on a cut strip, meters away from the main pitch. As his run-up increased from one step to its full length, so did the number of onlookers, many using their phones to film his show of speed, as he continually rasped the baseball mitt of his coach.

It is a wonder how many times Dunn has gone through the motions alongside rather than in a Championship match. Since June 2011, when he became the first Surrey bowler for 56 years to take five wickets in an innings on debut against Derbyshire, he had only played three further times before now.

The talent has always been there; rarely will you have entered a discussion on Surrey's prospective arsenal of first-class bowlers in the last three years without his name featuring somewhere near the top. From the mechanics of his action to the breadth of his shoulders, generating pace was never going to be an issue.

It is his consistency that has had Surrey thinking twice about exposing him to more four-day cricket. At stumps, bowling coach Stuart Barnes was keen to praise Dunn's work behind the scenes as well as a worthwhile winter in Australia which gives Surrey's attack a newer dimension.

With England selector Angus Fraser a clear presence in the media centre and the members pavilion, Dunn's efforts will not have gone unnoticed.

Pace was always going to be the theme of the day, as Dunn and the returning Jade Dernbach were welcomed into the XI and, with a green track on offer, Graeme Smith won the toss and put Essex in to bat.

Even Chris Tremlett, who had lacked incisiveness and wickets in the defeat to Glamorgan seemed up for the fight when he was introduced to the attack after eight overs. He ran through the crease with greater purpose and got some encouraging bounce off the pitch.

A couple stung the knuckles of Jaik Mickleburgh, as the right hander's trigger to push forward caused him some discomfort. Just five balls into Tremlett's spell, Mickleburgh was surprised by a delivery which zipped up and, luckily, pierced the despairing grab of Jason Roy at third slip.

At the other end, Alastair Cook was off to a brisk start, using the pace of Stuart Meaker and Dernbach to work runs towards the short boundary towards the Archbishop Tenison's School.

It was this boundary that took the first casualty of the day as Zafar Ansari, attempting to rectify is own fielding error, slid into the side fence and badly injured himself. After a few minutes, he was helped to his feet and taken to hospital with concussion. He returned later in the day to be assessed by Surrey's medical team and remains a doubt for the rest of this match.

More than three overs after that break in play, Cook became the first wicket for Surrey and Dunn, when he misjudged a short ball, which caught the splice of his bat and eventually dropped into the hands of Steven Davies.

Upon Cook's demise, Mickleburgh began to rebuild as the more active part of a second wicket partnership with Tom Westley. But when Mickleburgh fell to a fine outswinger from Dernbach that moved late, and Dunn found the edge of Westley then Greg Smith's bat in the space of three balls, the match awoke to the prospect of bedlam.

Alas, it was not to be, as Ravi Bopara remained diligent yet typically laid back in defence. While runs did not flow freely, he used his finesse to dab the ball behind point on multiple occasions to keep the scoreboard ticking past 200 and a first batting point. Upon entering the forties, he took a brace of boundaries off Dernbach to move only to be strangled down the leg side by Jason Roy.

It was a deserved wicket for Roy, who was brought into the attack to fill-in the overs that Ansari would have bowled. Described by Barnes as "an enthusiastic bowler", his extra bow is another positive to be taken from the day for Surrey.

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Super Kings hit on pitch-perfect strategy

Resisting the popular idea of bringing in Samuel Badree, Chennai Super Kings opted for Ben Hilfenhaus and Ishwar Pandey and the move paid rich dividends on a responsive pitch

It was one of those periods of play during which even IPL crowds are left to their own devices. The DJ's console and the emcee's microphone were enjoying a rare spell of rest, with no boundaries or wickets in the last 15 balls. Up in the South Panoramic stand, you could watch the cricket, from a spectacular, straight-on, bird's eye vantage, as well as hear the faint chirp of crickets in the distance. It was just about audible, a susurrating accompaniment to the beat of a lone drum from somewhere in the crowd.

Out in the middle, something slightly unusual was happening. Ishwar Pandey, who had taken the new ball for Chennai, was in the final over of his four-over quota. He had bowled unchanged from one end. From the other, Chennai had used Ben Hilfenhaus for one over before turning to Mohit Sharma. MS Dhoni had seen no need to turn to spin.

The pitch had a green tinge to it, as had been the case right from the opening match of the tournament, and all three Chennai fast bowlers had been getting the new ball to nip around off the seam. This has also been a feature of matches at this venue, apart from the one afternoon game between Chennai and Punjab.

Hitting the back-of-a-length ball through or across the line wasn't easy, as Mayank Agarwal, M Vijay and Manoj Tiwary had found out, the hard way. Chennai's fielders, meanwhile, were putting on an exhibition of high-quality catching, the first time any side had done so in the tournament.

Off the last ball of the seventh over, the last ball of Pandey's spell, Dinesh Karthik broke the gloom that had settled over the game, clattering a short-ish ball through point for four. Music, if you could call the Delhi team anthem that, filled the air once more. "Munday Dilli ke, haan khele front foot pe." Roughly translated: Delhi's boys play on the front foot.

It would have helped JP Duminy had he kept that in mind when he faced the next ball from that end, where Dwayne Smith had replaced Pandey. It was full and straight, and it jagged back into the left-handed batsman, who was caught on the crease and trapped plumb in front. Delhi, chasing 178, were now 42 for 4 in 8.1 overs.

At the same stage of their innings, Chennai had been 47 for 1. They had lost their one wicket, of Brendon McCullum, in much the same way Delhi were to lose their first three. McCullum had charged Jaydev Unadkat, gotten nowhere near a back-of-a-length ball angled across him, and toe-ended a catch to short third man. Apart from that, though, Chennai hadn't played any really indiscreet shots.

Delhi's fast bowlers had also derived movement with the new ball. Mohammed Shami had had a close lbw shout turned down against Dwayne Smith, off a ball that had jagged away from the right-hander, and had beaten Suresh Raina a couple of times with balls that had left the left-hander. The ball before he dismissed McCullum, Unadkat had found his leading edge with one that cut away off the pitch, only for Duminy to drop a dolly at short cover.

Delhi, though, had used spinners for four of the first ten overs, and taken Shami off after he had bowled two, and just when he was looking dangerous. They couldn't be faulted too much for this, though; they had lost their quickest bowler three balls into the match, when Nathan Coulter-Nile injured himself while trying to stop a ball at square leg.

Without Coulter-Nile, Delhi's seam attack looked decidedly short on quality, apart from Shami, who started promisingly but ended up as their most expensive bowler after two shoddy overs at the death. By that time, though, their lack of options had hurt them badly. They probably wouldn't have used Duminy for his full quota had Coulter-Nile not gone off the field, and they certainly wouldn't have used Murali Vijay; that one over of Vijay's less-than-occasional offbreaks disappeared for 13 runs, with Suresh Raina spanking him for three fours in four balls.

Just as that one unfortunate incident upset Delhi's balance completely, everything fell into place for Chennai. It started with their selection. They resisted the popular idea of bringing in the legspinner Samuel Badree and opted instead for Hilfenhaus, and they gave Pandey a go in place of Ashish Nehra. They won the toss and batted, and when their turn came to bowl the pitch was doing even more than it had done in the first innings. Whether by design or not, they had gotten their strategy pitch-perfect.

First ball of Delhi's tenth over, Hilfenhaus let slip, quite literally, a full-toss onto Ross Taylor's pads. Taylor tucked it away to the fine leg boundary. Hilfenhaus ran to the umpire and reached for the towel stuck in his waistband. Had Delhi not lost so many wickets so early, they might have been in a position to think of exploiting the dew.

Instead, Hilfenhaus bowled an absolute peach next ball, an away-curler that Taylor followed and edged to the keeper. Delhi were 50 for 5. Up in the South Panoramic Stand, the first wave of spectators began making their way to the exit doors.

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Ballance restates England credentials

Yorkshire 328 for 7 (Ballance 117*, Lees 90) v Northamptonshire
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Peter Moores may not personally have seen the best of Gary Ballance - the Yorkshire left-hander's highest score in 12 innings against Lancashire, in all cricket, during the Moores' tenure is 57 - but it is fair to assume he will not be going on that evidence alone when he gets to grips, alongside his fellow selectors, with deciding who merits a place in the first England sides of the new era.

Ballance, the Zimbabwe-born left-hander, made his Test debut in Australia, in the final rubber in Sydney, in circumstances that cannot have been easy, given the debacle that had been unfolding while he waited for his chance. He left for his first major tour in the form of his life, having made more than 1300 runs and six centuries in first-class cricket in 2013, and the start of the new season suggests he is none the worse for the experience, however uncomfortable it may have felt.

Ballance looked in supremely good touch, untroubled by the seamers or in the face of a lengthy attempt to tie him down and test his patience by the offspinner, James Middlebrook. He finished on an unbeaten 117, having hit 18 fours in addition to a six pulled into the Western Stand, somewhat disdainfully, off Azharullah, who formed half of a new-ball attack with Maurice Chambers that will not be the worst he comes up against.

He now has 20 first-class centuries from just 71 matches, which is an impressive statistic. Four of these have come in his last five matches on English soil. He finished 2013 with a hundred in each innings against Surrey at The Oval and began this season with another, against Leeds-Bradford MCCU. Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire coach, says he has "a presence at the crease" and believes one of his strongest qualities is to "play the situation" in all forms of the game.

"He has a real awareness of his game and the game," Gillespie said. "He has an understanding of the game and adaptability to different situations and he finds a way to score runs in any situation, in all forms of the game, which is what a good batsman does."

It was the partnership of 156 between Ballance and Alex Lees that ultimately bent the day heavily in Yorkshire's direction. Having chosen to bat first when Andrew Gale won the toss, reasoning that any difficulties they might face on a damp, cloudy morning would be outweighed by the quality of the batting surface, it was this partnership that justified the decision.

Earlier, they had been 21 for 2, after Adam Lyth and then Kane Williamson failed to make progress. Lyth nicked one that moved away late, Williamson, who had looked tentative, went leg before when only half forward to a ball from Andrew Hall, on as first change, that came back a little.

Gale, whose form this time last year gave cause for concern, looked scratchy again and fell for 13 after lunch, which brought Ballance to the crease at 57 for 3, at which point the bat-first decision began to look increasingly the right one as a Northants attack lacking David Willey, whose back problems mean he cannot bowl, began to toil.

Ballance moved to his half-century in only 63 balls with 44 of those runs in boundaries, three in the space of four balls in one over from Hall. By tea, his partnership with Lees had added 114.

Lees, last year's revelation at the top of the order, made 90 before he became the third of six batsmen dismissed lbw, although it had not been his most fluent innings. Northants missed two chances to get rid of him in quick succession when he was dropped at first slip off Chambers on 50 and was then allowed another escape on 51, against Middlebrook, when he should have been stumped.

Ballance completed his hundred with a flick off his legs for a single off Steven Crook, at which point he had faced 143 deliveries.

Meanwhile, there is positive news of Joe Root, who appears to be moving swiftly towards a comeback following the broken thumb he suffered in March, forcing him to miss the World T20. Restricted until last week to catching practice with a tennis ball, the England batsman had graduated to a cricket ball when he took to the outfield with Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon during the lunch interval.

A return to action against Middlesex at Lord's next Sunday is on the cards, provided he emerges unscathed from a Second XI friendly scheduled for this week.

His impending return means there is a debate looming for Messrs Gillespie and Moxon over who to leave out to make way for him Root. It would be harsh to omit Lyth, who made 85 and 54 at Taunton last week, albeit on a flat wicket, or Lees. The batsman most at risk, logically, is probably the captain, who therefore needs a score in the second innings.

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Payne leaves Glamorgan in tatters

Glamorgan 47 for 6 (Payne 3-14) v Gloucestershire
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David Payne was left frustrated as Glamorgan slumped to 47 for six on the first day of their LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Gloucestershire in Cardiff before rain washed out more than two sessions.

Payne, the left-armer, was left waiting to bowl his hat-trick ball after he claimed the scalps of Murray Goodwin and Mark Wallace with the final two deliveries before the weather brought a halt to proceedings in the 20th over.

He left the pitch with figures of 3 for 14 from 4.4 overs having also claimed the wicket of Jacques Rudolph as the home side collapsed after being put in.

Glamorgan's innings got off to the worst possible start when Gareth Rees was caught behind by Cameron Herring off the bowling of Will Gidman with the first ball of the day and it could have been worse when Stewart Walters was dropped off the second ball of the game.

However, Gidman then trapped Walters lbw for 4 as the home side fell to 18 for 2 in the fifth over. Things then went from bad to worse as a diving catch by Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger off the bowling of Matt Taylor removed opener William Bragg for 25 to leave Glamorgan reeling on 33 for 3.

Rudolph was next to fall with only three more runs added when Payne bowled him out for a painstaking 4 from 37 balls to leave the hosts four down after 16 overs. That left Goodwin and Jim Allenby at the crease, but not for long, as the former was caught at slip by Alex Gidman off the bowling of Payne.

Payne struck again with his next ball to send Glamorgan captain Wallace packing - for his second golden duck of the Championship season - but before he could bowl his hat-trick ball the players were taken off for rain.

The break could not have come sooner for the Welsh side, who were glad to get back to the safety of the pavilion. A pitch inspection was set for 2pm but the rain continued to fall, with an early tea then taken with a further inspection scheduled for 3.15.

Play was then set to resume at 4.10 with 43 overs scheduled to be played, but bad light and rain just before the resumption caused a further delay and the umpires eventually decided no more play would be possible shortly after 5.45 leaving Payne to wait overnight for his hat-trick chance.

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Lancashire struggle in Moores' farewell

Warwickshire 63 for 0 trail Lancashire 247 (Horton 83, Agathangelou 48, Woakes 5-63, Barker 3-52) by 184 runs
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"The coach is leaving!" These words, voiced in either expectation or panic, will be spoken in many pubs and clubs during the Easter weekend. This morning, though, they carried a very different meaning for Lancashire supporters, one far removed from excursions to Morecambe or the Bank Holiday trip to watch Bury at York.

However, while the news that Peter Moores had been reappointed as England coach may have disappointed the warmly-clad diehards as they made their way to Old Trafford for the first match of the season, it can scarcely have come as too much of a surprise; the 51-year-old had been strongly tipped to regain one of the top jobs. For their part, Lancashire officials were at pains to stress that they will not be rushed as they ponder their options in the wake of Moores's departure at the end of this game against Warwickshire.

"It's all pretty new," said director of cricket Mike Watkinson. "We're only 24 hours into this, so we need to take time and look at our best way forward. The feeling among the lads is outstanding and we need to ensure that we don't upset their equilibrium as we move through the season.

"We got this confirmed only 24 hours ago, so it's not a case of we're definitely going to do this or that. Glen Chapple's doing an excellent job as captain and we need to make sure that he's fully supported in every way and the players are fully resourced to help them achieve their aims and objectives. That won't change because Peter's moving on.

"We had Peter contracted until the end of 2015, so if you're following a natural succession plan we didn't expect that to change on Easter Saturday 2014 when we had a game starting on the Sunday. It's just a bit early at the moment and Peter will be part of the conversation we're having during this game to make sure that there is continuity in the structures he's put in place. We have a good staff and plenty of experience here as it stands and it's not as if we have to panic."

Well perhaps not, but Moores and Watkinson cannot have been too happy with the profligate manner in which Lancashire batsmen surrendered a good position on the first day of his game. Having won the toss on what looks a good wicket, the home side were decently placed on 168 for 3 in the 56th over when Luke Procter, who had played with fluency and confidence, flicked Oliver Hannon-Dalby to Ateeq Javid at square leg and departed for 37.

That dismissal, which occurred just after an out of shape ball had been changed, began a collapse either side of tea which saw seven wickets fall for 79 runs in 19.1 overs. Lancashire were eventually bowled out over an hour before the close for 247, three runs short of a second batting bonus point and perhaps 75 shy of a par score on this wicket.

By the close, visiting openers Varun Chopra and William Porterfield had added 63 runs in fairly untroubled fashion and firmly given the lie to any suspicion that this pitch conceals hidden demons. This was indisputably Warwickshire's day.

But the dominance of Ian Bell's side cannot be explained merely by reference to Lancashire's shortcomings. In cold, blustery conditions which were hardly ideal for either bowlers or fielders, Chris Woakes stuck to his task to finish with 5 for 63 from 16 overs, and Keith Barker offered fine support in taking 3 for 52.

True, the shot selection of some of the Lancashire batsmen helped the seamers: Andrea Agathangelou, for example, made 48 off 62 balls before perishing when playing an expansive drive on the stroke of lunch. But others were got out in admirable fashion: Ashwell Prince was caught behind for a second ball duck when Woakes compelled a shot at the beginning of the afternoon session. The best innings was played by Paul Horton, whose 253-minute 83 was a monument to his patience and craftsmanship; but far too few Lancashire batsmen were truly got out by for the comfort of home supporters.

All of which may prompt Lancashire supporters to urge their officials to appoint a new coach as soon as reasonably possible after Moores relinquishes his duties at the end of this game. There is, of course, no shortage of qualified candidates on the current staff at Old Trafford.

Academy director John Stanworth and second team coach Gary Yates are just two of them, and already many Red Rose supporters are pressing the claims of the current skipper Chapple. Watkinson acknowledged Chapple's expertise as a Level 4 coach, but having quickly ruled himself out of contention - "I'm only wearing a tracksuit because it's cold," he quipped - the he counselled caution and careful thought before any decision is made.

"Glen is a very experienced captain and he's developing his coaching role, too," he said. "It's his dressing room but he is also our go-to cricketer and he would find it tough to spend hours in the nets as well. His leadership role will not be diluted and it may well be strengthened, certainly in the short term. He'll play a major part in selecting the team as he has now, and he has a hunger to play but he also has a great passion for the next chapter of his life.

"We appointed someone Paul Downton described yesterday as the best coach of his generation and he's done a great job for us in the last five years. We need to make sure we don't lose momentum. What that looks like in the months and years ahead we've yet to determine. We need to make sure that everything remains on an even keel during the run of matches we have coming up.

"If we wanted to do a thorough, robust recruitment process now, it would take months. Getting through to the end of the season and maintaining our aims and objectives as they are now is our priority. I spoke to the players this morning and I told them that we will do everything we can to make sure they have the resources they need. There will be a coach with the team at Northampton next week."

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Roach escapes from nasty crash

West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach has escaped serious injury following a car accident early on Saturday morning in his native Barbados.

Roach, 25, crashed his BMW sedan after losing control due to slippery road conditions at traffic lights near Wanstead Drive, just outside Bridgetown. According to local reports, the car flipped several times before landing in the 3Ws Park, approximately half a mile from the 3Ws Oval.

Two wheels of the vehicle were broken off and the airbags deployed reports stated. Roach sustained a head wound but appeared coherent as he was taken by ambulance from the scene.

Roach took to Twitter a few hours later after the accident to reveal to follows that he was recovering and in good health. "Sorry To Scare My Friends, Family And Fans But I'm Straight! Thanks For The Love! #BlessUp."

Inspector David Welch confirmed that police responded to the incident but divulged that further details could not be given since the investigating officers were still gathering information.

Roach has played 23 Tests and 61 One-Day Internationals but has not appeared up for West Indies in nearly a year because of injury.

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Diligent Moores deserves second chance

Peter Moores made mistakes during his first spell as England coach but the benefit of experience could lead to success this time around

'The best coach of his generation'

It was probably fitting that Peter Moores' second coming as England's head coach should come at Easter. While it would be stretching a point to suggest his career has risen from the dead, to have been appointed to this position by the ECB only five years after having been sacked from it represents a remarkable renaissance. Usually these things only happen in Pakistan.

Moores deserves his second chance. It would have been easy for him to sulk after his sacking at the end of 2008. It would have been easy for him to take the money on offer for interviews and book deals and spill the beans on the events that led to his downfall. How tempted he must have been to unleash his frustration at his treatment and his portrayal as an out-of-his-depth control freak.

Instead he went back to work. Diligently, professionally and with more than a touch of class, he maintained a dignified silence and concentrated simply on the job in hand. Leading Lancashire to the elusive County Championship title in 2011 with a relatively modest team was a tremendous achievement. He is now reaping the rewards, not just for his success as a coach, but for his loyalty and his silence.

Those qualities are, rightly or wrongly, highly valued at the ECB. As the example of Kevin Pietersen illustrates, genius is fine, but the ECB prefers predictability. Those that rock the boat will not be tolerated. Whether that means they will ever reach their potential is debatable; most of the great teams found a way to accommodate troubled geniuses. The example of Shane Warne springs to mind.

Moores made mistakes the first time he had this job. Perhaps in a desire to stamp his authority on the team, he pushed too hard, too soon and, managing the side through a transitional phase, ran into resistance from senior players who saw their position threatened. He may well encounter similar problems the second time around. He has not been dealt the strongest of hands and patience will be required if he is to be successful. The 2015 schedule, in particular, looks desperately tough.

He deserved credit for the groundwork that went into contributing to England's success between 2009 and 2012. It was Moores who appointed Andy Flower as his deputy, Moores who brought back Graeme Swann, Moores who brought back Matt Prior and Moores who trusted James Anderson and Stuart Broad to take the new ball. When England attained the No. 1 Test ranking, Flower was, to his credit, keen to share the plaudits with his old friend.

That Flower influence is crucial. Flower remains, naturally enough, a persuasive figure at the ECB. While his relationship with Ashley Giles may well have become strained, the relationship with Moores remained excellent. So while Giles may well have felt some unease about Flower's presence in the background, for Moores it presented no obstacle. Whether any coach can really make the role their own while Flower lingers in the shadows remains to be seen. Moores certainly does not inherit a blank canvas.

He will have learned from some of his mistakes the first time around. While once he hid behind management speak and clichés that sounded as if they were found on the sort of motivational posters that bear pictures of dolphins breaking through waves, he now says he wants to present a more humane, honest face of the England set-up. And where once he felt the need to prove himself to a team full of big characters, he should now feel at ease among fewer extroverts and with his reputation restored. If he behaves as he has with Lancashire, he has nothing to fear. The baggage and pain of the past can be useful experience.

Perhaps his first challenge will be to help his side rediscover the joy of playing cricket and representing their country. While Jonathan Trott is the obvious example of a man who has seen the pressures outweigh the joys, there are others in the Ashes squad who are not so far from Trott's situation. Moores' first priority is to help the side play fearless cricket and avoid repetition of the debut experiences of Boyd Rankin and Simon Kerrigan; talented players who froze on the big occasion. The evidence of Moores' time at both Sussex and Lancashire suggests he is well equipped to do this.

	Moores will work hard, he will be honest and decent and he will benefit from the experience of success and failure that a long career in coaching has given him

Ashley Giles can take some comfort in Moores' renaissance. Giles has faced setbacks before - poor media coverage, family illness and a career-ending injury to name but three challenges - and has both the strength and the time to come back from this. He is a decade younger than Moores and will surely not want for work, both in coaching or in the media. Whether he wants to remain in the insecure world of coaching - or in the fickle employment of the ECB - is unclear, though. He is currently weighing up whether to remain an England selector. The ball is in his court.

He has been unfortunate, though. Only a few months ago, he saw his England side come within an ace of winning the first global ODI event in their history and he has never, even then or since, had his first-choice team available to him. Nor has he really had the opportunity to approach the job the way he would have wanted, with Flower retaining overall control for most of his stint as limited-overs coach and his World T20 plans thrown into chaos by the Pietersen situation. The loss against Netherlands, however, made giving him the head coach's job desperately difficult for the ECB in PR terms.

Paul Farbrace's appointment as Moores' deputy remains a work in progress. While Sri Lanka followers may baulk at Farbrace's early departure - he only took up the post in January - the fact is that the pay for the role is simply not competitive. Nor is it especially reliable. Head teachers in London earn more than head coaches of Sri Lanka.

But this will be Moores' England. He inherits a team at a low ebb and with the vultures already sensing vulnerability. But he will work hard, he will be honest and decent and he will benefit from the experience of success and failure that a long career in coaching has given him. There is much to admire in such characteristics. Given patience, Moores can make a success of this second chance.

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Bangladesh players to consult psychologist

Bangladesh's senior players will have three sessions with a psychological skill development coach later this month. The BCB is also looking to hire short-term specialist coaches for all age groups to rectify specific problems in batting and spin bowling.

Bangladesh's recent poor form had prompted this move. They had won only two T20s and drawn a Test match against Sri Lanka since January, during one of their busiest and most high-profile seasons. Defeats to Afghanistan in the Asia Cup and Hong Kong in the World T20 were the low points.

BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that apart from speaking to prospective coaches, he has agreed to hire Ali Khan, a psychological skill development coach. He will have sessions with the Bangladesh players on April 24, 27 and 28.

"We are looking for spin and batting coaches," Hassan said. "Yesterday I gave the approval for a psychologist. Our team did well but just after losing to Afghanistan, their morale broke down. The same thing happened after losing to Hong Kong. Previously, we used to fight even after losing.

"We want to keep the head coach and the rest of the coaching staff, but at the same time we want to hire top ex-players to do some specialist camps for all ages, kids and seniors. These are in addition to the regular coaching system."

Hassan added that Saqlain Mushtaq's plan to be with the Bangladesh team only during tours was not feasible for the BCB. Saqlain, the former Pakistan offspinner, was hired for 100 days last year but he has since joined West Indies as their assistant coach, and his last stint as Bangladesh's spin consultant was during the Zimbabwe tour last year.

"It is hard to get a good coach. Saqlain Mushtaq was available but he said he wants to coach the team when they are on tour. What will he coach during a tour? He won't come to Bangladesh, which is a big problem," he said.

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