Elsewhere, Jharkhand picked up a bonus point against Haryana through a ten-wicket win
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2017Left-arm orthodox spinner Sijomon Joseph took his maiden five-wicket haul to help Kerala notch up their second win of the season, a 131-run win against Rajasthan in Thumba.Rajasthan were set 343 to win after Sachin Baby’s counterattack – 30 off 16 balls – lifted Kerala’s score from 217 for 2 to 250 for 5 in less than five overs on the morning of the final day. Overnight batsman Jalaj Saxena was unbeaten on 105 when Kerala declared; Sanju Samson couldn’t add to his overnight score of 72, falling in the first over of the day.Rajasthan’s innings was plagued by recurring collapses. They had lost both openers withing seven balls of the start of their innings, before a 63-run stand between Robin Bist (70) and Rajesh Bishnoi (35) brought stability to the innings. But Joseph broke that stand and followed it up with the wicket of Ashok Menaria to reduce Rajasthan to 64 for 4 with more than 70 overs still to play. Nearly 40 of those overs were absorbed by the fifth-wicket pair of Bist and Mahipal Lomror (53) but the former’s wicket brought yet another collapse – they fell from 160 for 4 to 190 for 9. Deepak Chahar and Aniket Choudhary then attempted a final resistance, batting out 62 balls and bringing Rajasthan close to pulling off a draw. But Joseph trapped him in front in the 84th over to seize the win for Kerala.Jalaj, who made scores of 79 and 105* in the game, took two wickets in the second innings to also finish with a ten-wicket match-haul.Jharkhand walked away with a bonus-point win against Haryana in Ranchi, after chasing their 80-run target without losing any wickets.The win was set up by Shahbaz Nadeem, whose six-wicket haul inflicted a collapse on Haryana, who had begun the day on 141 for 4. Overnight batsmen Rajat Paliwal (93) and Rohit Sharma (71) added 107 runs on the final day before Nadeem dismissed the former, seven short of a 14th hundred. Haryana lost the rest of their wickets for the addition of only 48 runs and were bowled out for 296, having conceded a first-innings lead of 217.Jharkhand promoted wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who struck an unbeaten 46 off 45 balls and took them home in the company of Nazim Siddiqui (24*).
The pair scored unbeaten centuries – it was Priyank Panchal’s second ton of the match – as India Red set India Green a massive 474 for the win
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2017AFPPriyank Panchal put in a repeat performance of his first-innings in the Duleep Trophy game against India Green, scoring twin centuries to tighten India Red’s grip on the match. Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, bettered his first-innings performance, converting a fifty into a hundred this time around as India Red declared on 307 for 2 to set India Green a massive 474 for the win.Panchal’s twin centuries were the 12th such instance in the Duleep Trophy. Incidentally, Karthik has achieved the feat twice, in 2008-09 and 2010-11.Before the pair came together, Rahul Singh steadily grew India Red’s lead with Panchal, scoring 54. India Red had begun day three on 19 for 1, after bowling out India Green for 157 in reply to 323 on day two. Once Rahul departed, Karthik set to work, scoring at a brisk pace. His 100 came off 124 balls and included nine fours and two sixes. Panchal’s 133 came of 213 balls, with 18 fours. Ironically, the only two wickets to fall in the innings went to the part-time offspin of M Vijay – the India Test opener who’s making a comeback from a wrist injury for which he required surgery.Vijay was not as successful with the bat as India Green got on with their daunting chase, out for 13, before Prashant Chopra fell for a duck, both to one of the most effective bowlers of the previous innings – legspinner Karn Sharma. R Samarth and Karun Nair stopped the slide with an unbroken stand of 61, but both of them and the batsmen to follow will still have quite the task on the final day of the game.
Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for Romeo Lavia this summer, and now a fresh update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.
What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Romeo Lavia?
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues have maintained contact with Southampton over their young midfielder this summer.
As per the report, the Londoners are still in the race to sign Lavia but will need to compete with Manchester United and Liverpool to secure his signature this summer.
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…
Following on from this, Liverpool have had a second bid of under £40m rejected with Saints still confident they can demand their £50m valuation.
Will Chelsea sign Romeo Lavia?
There is no doubt that Mauricio Pochettino will be keen to bolster the midfield presence before the transfer window closes in less than a month, especially with Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, N'Golo Kante, Denis Zakaria and Ruben Loftus-Cheek departing this summer.
Despite a strong focus on refreshing the attacking threat, it will be extremely important for the club to add crucial quality and depth in the deep-lying roles in the centre of the pitch with the acquisition of another player boasting similar qualities to Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Fernandez Chelsea
As a result, Pochettino could repeat the board's Fernandez masterclass by snapping up the services of Lavia, as the Belgium international is another exciting youth prospect with limited experience at an elite level, but does have bags of potential.
Despite being relegated with Southampton last season, the 19-year-old gem – hailed an "absolute monster" by Independent journalist Benjy Nurick – was a stand-out performer in his role at St Mary's and demonstrated huge strengths during his debut season playing regular first-team football.
As per FBref, Lavia ranked in the top 30% of Premier League midfielders for pass completion, successful take-ons, interceptions and blocks per 90 minutes played over last season, offering glimpses of his confidence in pressing opponents to win the ball consistently.
Not only that, the Belgian sensation has been the recipient of high praise from legendary former top-flight midfielders, with ex-Manchester United pass master Paul Scholes waxing lyrical. He said:
"He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."
Whilst Fernandez already has a World Cup trophy in his locker, the Blues secured his signature when he was unproven in elite club football – as his experience was mostly earned in the Argentine top-flight with River Plate and in Portugal with Benfica; before completing his eye-watering £106.8m move to Stamford Bridge.
Now Chelsea could get ahead of their Premier League rivals again by snapping up another hot prospect, with the signing of the Manchester City academy graduate who will otherwise be playing in the Championship next season if Saints retain his services.
With that being said, if Pochettino can convince the recently-relegated club to part ways with their prized asset this summer it would be a major coup for Chelsea in setting up a youthful midfield partnership between Lavia and Fernandez that could be unstoppable for years to come.
Newcastle United's pursuit of defender Tino Livramento is "still alive" despite Southampton's £50m price tag, according to journalists Ryan Taylor.
Is Livramento joining Newcastle?
Despite having missed almost the entirety of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Livramento's value has not diminished this summer.
Now in the Championship, Southampton have resigned themselves to losing their best and most promising players, one of whom may be Livramento. The 20-year-old managed just 26 minutes of Premier League football last year, but has still emerged as a concrete transfer target for Eddie Howe's Newcastle.
In his first season at St Mary's Stadium after arriving from Chelsea, Livramento proved a breath of fresh air at right-back for a struggling Saints side. His direct running and willingness to get up the pitch saw him make a real impact in the Premier League at such a young age.
The defender, who has been hailed as an "absolute baller", has evidently made a positive impression on Howe, who sanctioned a £30m offer to get a deal done. However, Southampton swiftly rejected the proposal and are said to value their starlet at £50m, making a deal more complicated.
While Newcastle's hopes of a quick deal may have been dashed, journalist Taylor believes there is "a chance" that an agreement could be reached between the two parties.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor said: "Chelsea have had the chance to re-sign Livramento, but I'm not sure that one's likely to happen. So, I'm apprehensive whether a deal for Livramento to Newcastle will happen this summer, but it's still alive at the moment, so there is a chance it could.”
Taylor's apprehension is understandable given that Newcastle have already spent big on Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes this summer, and are expected to go into the market for a couple more players as they ready themselves for Champions League football.
Therefore, spending such a large sum on one player who is yet to fully integrate himself back into first-team football following a long injury may be unwise.
Despite Newcastle fans hoping for a new left-back this summer, the pursuit of Livramento supports reports that the Magpies are looking at a right-back instead. Without an adequate replacement for Kieran Trippier, Howe is looking for greater depth at right-back.
Newcastle are also desperate to sign another centre-back this summer to help share minutes with the likes of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman. While the Magpies are not short of cash, they will have to continue to spend wisely in the window and not get drawn into overpaying for talent.
When do Newcastle play next?
Newcastle have had a busy pre-season on the pitch as well this summer and have played five friendly matches, with two more games to come.
The Toon were one of the teams that took part in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, and faced Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton. They only managed respective 1-1 and 3-3 draws against the Blues and the Villans, but beat the Seagulls 2-1 thanks to two late goals from Elliot Anderson.
Prior to their American trip, they had beaten Gateshead 3-2 in mid-July, while also narrowly defeating Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox.
Two games in two days are still to come at St. James' Park as Howe looks to test his side against European opponents Fiorentina and Villarreal, before the Magpies travel to Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Allrounder Mohammad Nabi gave a taste of the impact he is expected to have once the Caribbean Premier League formally gets underway, with 4 for 18 in a warm-up for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots against USA
The Report by Peter Della Penna in Lauderhill02-Aug-20171:50
‘Excited to play in USA’ – Nabi
Allrounder Mohammad Nabi’s first performance on American soil gave a taste of the impact he is expected to have once the Caribbean Premier League formally gets underway. He dismantled USA’s promising start to take 4 for 18 in an eventual one-wicket win for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Lauderhill on Wednesday.USA had made a very promising start behind Abdullah Syed, who cracked seven fours and four sixes in an impressive 68 off 44 balls. He teamed with Fahad Babar in a 78-run opening stand as USA were untroubled through the first half of their innings.But the introduction of Nabi in the 11th over triggered a dramatic collapse. Babar was the first to go for 16, skying a slog that was taken juggling over the shoulder by Hasan Ali running back from midwicket. Nabi was involved again in the following over, taking a catch at long-on off Jonathan Carter to remove Jaskaran Malhotra for 2. Carter made it two in three balls when he had Roy Silva gloving a bouncer down the leg side for a duck.Nabi then struck the key blow in the 13th over, snaring Syed with a pull to midwicket taken sharply by Hasan inside the circle. With pressure building on USA, Nabi delivered another pair of setbacks in the 15th over; Mrunal Patel edged behind for 1 before Camilus Alexander was beaten in flight charging down the pitch to be stumped for 4, reducing USA to 97 for 6. Nisarg Patel’s unbeaten 17 was the second-highest score for USA after Syed, and dragged them to 128 for 6 in their 20 overs.Mohammad Nabi and Jonathan Carter did all the damage for the Patriots with the ball•Peter Della PennaSet an amended target of 150, Chris Gayle got off to a fiery start, smashing four fours and a six over the off side against offspinner Usman Rafiq to take Patriots to 30 after three overs. But he edged allrounder Japen Patel’s medium-pace to Silva at gully for 22 off 12 balls in the fourth over. Fellow opener Evin Lewis continued the onslaught, though, smashing five sixes in his 48 off 27 balls.Alexander had Lewis out slogging to deep midwicket in the eighth over and dismissed Brandon King in the same over to give Patriots a brief scare but they were mostly untroubled the rest of the way despite the official final margin. They crossed USA’s raw score in the 15th over with five wickets still in hand, then cruised towards the amended target of 150 behind Carter’s 32 off 34 balls.Carter fell in the 19th over with scores level but a single by off the final delivery of the match gave them victory. Mrunal had USA’s best figures, finishing with 2 for 15 off his three overs. The revised target of 150 was agreed in order to give the Patriots batting unit more practice in a simulated chase and they eventually wound up batting all 20 overs to seize on the practice opportunity, finishing on 156 for 9 with Samuel Badree falling off the final ball of play.USA come back on Thursday to play Jamaica Tallawahs in another CPL warm-up before the double-header games in Lauderhill on Saturday.
Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, will miss the Women’s Ashes series this year after having surgery on her right shoulder
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2017Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, will miss the Women’s Ashes series this year after having surgery on her right shoulder.Lanning is expected to be sidelined for six to eight months and her absence will be a major blow to an Australia side seeking to retain the Ashes at home in a series of three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is in October and November.”Meg has been managing a right shoulder injury and following the recent World Cup, it became apparent that she would require surgery,” Australia’s team physio, Kate Mahony, said.”Meg underwent surgery earlier this week and we expect that she will require a long rehabilitation period of six to eight months, ruling her out of the upcoming Ashes series. We will continue to monitor her progress, with return to play timelines to become clearer once she has commenced rehabilitation.”Lanning was the second-leading run-scorer from either side in the 2015 Ashes, and was the only player from either team to score a century in the series.”Whilst it’s very disappointing to be unavailable for the Ashes, I’m looking forward to getting stuck into my rehabilitation and returning to cricket as soon as possible,” Lanning said.”It’s an incredibly special occasion for any cricketer to be a part of and I wish the team all the best as they set out to retain the Ashes.”Australia’s selectors will name a replacement captain in the coming weeks.
Liverpool are in the market for another midfielder and recent reports have linked them with Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucouré.
The Athletic has been one of those making that link in recent weeks, so the player could soon be heading to Anfield – if the Reds get their way, of course.
But who is Doucouré, and more importantly, just how good is he? Football FanCast has taken a look into the data for everything you need to know.
Doucouré is a Malian player who spent the early part of his career with RC Lens. He started his professional career there in 2018, with the club sitting in Ligue 2.
Two seasons at that level saw them promoted, though, and Doucouré continued to impress in France's top flight. Those performances earned him a move to Crystal Palace last summer in a deal worth up to £26m.
Doucouré is a defensive midfielder, with WhoScored's data placing him in either deep midfield or a more traditional centre-midfield role. No matter where he is, the Malian is all about winning the ball back and protecting his back four.
That would be the primary reason Liverpool sign him if they can find a deal with Palace.
Doucouré is a defence-first player. He averages a little over one shot per 90 minutes, says FBref data, while he's rarely involved in build-up play. Again, the data shows this – the 23-year-old is directly involved in creating under two shots per 90. That's very, very low.
His passing perhaps explains that best. Doucouré only passed it into the penalty area 11 times last season, while he averaged under five progressive passes – which are forward passes of at least 10 yards – per 90.
It won't be a surprise to learn that he doesn't dribble often, either – he only attempted to dribble past someone 21 times last term.
What you get, then, is a player who focuses almost entirely on stopping the opposition.
How good is Cheick Doucouré?
So bearing in mind what Doucouré wants to do, it's easy to see why Liverpool are interested. His standout stat is in interceptions, where the player averages 1.8 per 90 – that's in the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top 5 leagues.
And it's defensive stats across the board that also stand out here. Doucouré is within the top 15% of midfielders for tackles in the final third and the percentage of dribblers tackled, as well as in combined tackles and interceptions.
Overall tackles won are also a highlight, where he places in the top 13%, as does his ability to recover loose balls, which ranks among the top 25%. It's not often you find a player capable of doing all of this to a high level.
It's worth mentioning that Doucouré is consistent with the ball, too. While he rarely tries to take players on, he's very successful at it when he does – only 4% of midfielders are more successful.
He's reliable on the ball, averaging under one mis-control per 90 (placing in the 74th percentile) and is in the 83rd percentile for touches in the defensive third.
All in all, Doucouré is an incredibly consistent player – and one with a very bright future.
How old is Cheick Doucouré and what is his potential?
Doucouré is still only 23 and all of these impressive stats came in his debut Premier League season. Not only that, but Palace weren't especially consistent last time out, even changing their manager halfway through.
As part of a more consistent side – and with extra Premier League experience under his belt – there's every reason to believe that Doucouré can improve quite a lot, even next season – whether that's at Selhurst Park or Anfield.
What is Cheick Doucouré's injury record?
This is a big concern for Liverpool fans, of course. The Reds have had some excellent midfielders in recent years, though pretty much all of them have battled serious injuries – or simply had to contend with a lit of time in the treatment room.
Doucouré is actually quite exceptional in that regard. Transfermarkt has him down as suffering just one notable injury in his entire career up to now – a muscle problem back in early 2021 – and that only saw him miss one game.
There were some mild 'fitness' issues at the start of the 2019/20 season, but that's your lot.
Who would Doucouré replace at Liverpool?
Liverpool midfielder Fabinho.
As per The Athletic's article on the Reds' interest, Doucouré would essentially replace Fabinho in the squad.
The Brazilian is expected to leave for Saudi Arabia in a £40m deal to Al-Ittihad, with the midfielder undergoing a medical earlier this week and being left out of the club's pre-season trip to Singapore.
Fabinho is essentially the only out-and-out defensive midfielder in Jurgen Klopp's squad. Doucouré is a natural replacement, then, and the Reds would arguably do very well to find someone better suited to the job.
How would Jurgen Klopp use Cheick Doucouré?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
This one's quite interesting as change appears to be on the horizon at Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has typically used a very versatile midfield, opting for multi-faceted players in the centre of the park.
Indeed, the acquisitions of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have already been noted signings of that ilk.
Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum were the best examples of that in the Reds' Champions League and Premier League-winning side. Both players could be solid defenders, while both were comfortable in their possession games, too. And, of course, they had the energy to press high and play at pace.
But Liverpool have moved to rebuild their midfield this season, bringing in Szoboszlai and Mac Allister as the likes of Henderson, James Milner and Naby Keita all departed.
The new Reds pair are much more attacking than former Reds such as Henderson or Wijanldum, suggesting Klopp wants to be more proactive and creative with his midfield.
Such a gameplan would require a covering player in defender to sit behind them. That, really, would be Doucouré's role – he'd likely be asked to sit deep and cover for two players who want to be on the front foot – particularly when taking the stats into account.
Indeed, he appears perfectly suited to do just that.
How does Doucouré compare to Moisés Caicedo?
Doucouré isn't the only young, energetic defensive midfielder to be linked with clubs this summer. Moisés Caicedo is also supposedly wanted and has been linked with Liverpool in the past.
A look into the data shows a mix of similarities and big differences. The standout of the latter is that Caicedo is just far more accomplished on the ball.
As per FBref, he averages over 20 more touches per 90 minutes, and not only does he attempt over 24 more passes but he completes them at a higher percentage.
But it's the fact that they're so similar defensively is perhaps why Liverpool will believe they're finding a gem with Doucouré. The Malian wins more interceptions than Caicedo, while his tackling is notably better, too.
The Brighton man does make more tackles overall, but importantly, Doucouré wins possession on more occasions. He also clears the ball twice as often as Caicedo, while also committing fewer errors.
It's easy to see why there's so much hype around Caicedo as his stats, overall, appear more impressive – and he's still just 20.
But if you're after an out-and-out defensive midfielder as Liverpool are, there's a very good case to be made for Doucouré – when it comes to the data, at least.
What are Cheick Doucouré's wages?
Capology has Doucouré down as earning around £60k per week – but we imagine that salary would climb quite a bit if he were to join Liverpool.
For comparison, that's the same figure Adrían earns at Anfield, again per Capology, and only six players earn less than that on the red half of Merseyside. Szoboszlai reportedly earns twice that and it's very possible that Doucouré would demand a pay packet of a similar level.
What is Cheick Doucouré's asking price?
BBC reporter Alex Howell understands that Crystal Palace would want around £70m in order to sell Doucouré this summer. That's a big increase on the £26m they dealt for just a year ago.
But in their defence, Liverpool apparently see that as a fair price. It would now come down to whether the Reds can actually pay it, and whether Doucouré is the player they ultimately decide to sign.
Before the offer for Fabinho, Liverpool were linked quite heavily with Southampton's Romeo Lavia. The Reds are currently thought to be keen on moving quickly for the Belgian amid potential competition emerging from rivals Chelsea.
There has also been talk of Khephren Thuram at OGC Nice, per Sky Sports, even if links to him have died down a little in recent weeks. Melissa Reddy has also previously named Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips as 'mooted' Fabinho successors.
In other words, there are options galore right now and it's not completely clear who Liverpool could move for.
The Reds went into this summer needing to reinvest in their midfield. They've done just that, with almost certainly others to come.
But there have been tentative links to centre-backs, too. Joe Gomez's future isn't too clear, while Joel Matip's contract expires next summer. A new addition there may be surprising if no one were to leave but it's one to keep an eye out for.
Attacking options seem set for now, even with Roberto Firmino departing. Though, Saudi Arabian interest in Luis Díaz could prove problematic if they were to turn his head at all. Again, that's one to watch out for as the transfer window thunders on.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta won't rush into selling midfielder Thomas Partey until he has had a chance to fully 'assess' the situation and his potential replacement, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal and who have they been linked with?
According to The Daily Mail, Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli are continuing to pursue Ghana international Partey this summer as he mulls over his future at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are reportedly open to selling the £200k-a-week ace to help recoup funds for new signing Declan Rice and have targeted Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia as a potential replacement.
As per the same outlet, Ajax attacking midfielder Mohamed Kudus is another player of interest to Arteta, who is eyeing a £40 million move for Partey's international compatriot.
Outgoings are said to be the main focus for the Spaniard at present; however, Arsenal haven't ruled out dipping their toe back into the market if they right player becomes available.
Last term, Partey made 40 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, registering three goals along the way in their failed Premier League title bid, as per Transfermarkt.
90min have cited that Partey has joined Arsenal on their pre-season tour of the United States and is said to be someone that Arteta would also be open to keeping hold of despite putting feelers out to gauge interest in his services.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Arteta will take his time to 'assess' the situation before reaching a conclusion in his own time.
Jacobs told FFC: "I think the other thing with Arteta is that he wants first to assess in pre-season, who he's kind of got and where that kind of chemistry is to make sure that they buy in the right position. I think that this is very classic Arteta. If we go back to the Arsenal interest in Youri Tielemans, who's now at Aston Villa, when Arsenal did personal terms with Youri Tielemans, they didn't pull the trigger and they waited because they wanted to assess their squad and their chemistry and their balance because Fabio Vieira had come in.
"Even with Tielemans, it was at the right time to get him in. In the end, they decided that it wasn't and I think the same with Mohamed Kudus because, obviously, he's a different midfielder to Romeo Lavia. So that's the intrigue in all of this, will Arsenal let Partey go and then bring in someone like Lavia, or will they move for an attacking midfielder and winger like Kudus, who's young and has a strong profile, but it's maybe not necessarily what Arsenal need right now in terms of priority."
Have Arsenal got anyone else on their radar at this stage of the window?
The Sun report that Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is a person of interest to Arsenal and it is said that the Gunners could do battle with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur to try and land the Brazilian enforcer.
Discussions are also underway between Arsenal and Gremio regarding 23-year-old midfielder Bitello, who could be available for a relatively inexpensive fee of £8.5 million this window, according to 90min.
Bitello
Croatian youngster Martin Baturina, who plies his trade for Dinamo Zagreb, is another target for the Gunners following his exemplary performances at the UEFA EURO Under-21 Championships, as per The Evening Standard.
Only time will tell to see if Arteta has any unexpected aces up his sleeve between now and the close of play in the market as rumours continue to swirl concerning potential incomings at the Emirates.
Alastair Cook insists he has no regrets after giving up the England captaincy, but admitted there were just a couple of poignant moments during the Lord’s Test
George Dobell at Trent Bridge12-Jul-2017Alastair Cook insists he has no regrets after giving up the England captaincy, but admitted there were just a couple of moments during the Lord’s Test when he felt a pang for a special job he knows he’ll “never do again”.While Cook, England captain from late 2012 to the start of 2017, described himself as “happy with the decision” to move back into the ranks, he confessed the sight of his successor, Joe Root, walking down the Lord’s steps to take the toss did bring home to him the realisation of everything he had given up.And, later in the Test, when he was moved in the field by Ben Stokes – Root’s vice-captain – it again brought home to him his new place in the England hierarchy.”I am happy with my decision,” Cook said. “The only bit was seeing Rooty walk down the stairs in his blazer and working out you will never do that again.”The shock was when Ben Stokes told me to move fielding positions. That was when I realised that life was different. He told me to swap with Jimmy because he thought Jimmy would be better in that position. So not only did I have Jimmy gloating at me but Ben Stokes telling me where to move.”It was different. More the first couple of days of preparation, having spent three or four years being the focal point of decisions. Even when the 12-man squad was announced, I forgot the thought and effort that went into that. It is very different to being captain.”But I have done my bit. I gave everything to the role and I move on from it. Let’s get behind Joe.”Cook feels the gap between making the decision, at the end of the Test tour of India in December, and the resumption of England’s Test schedule, was crucial in giving him adequate time to adjust mentally. But while he can look back on his time as Test captain with pride and satisfaction, he admits there is an element of regret over his period in charge of the ODI side.”It would have been very strange if I had gone straight from not having the captaincy to playing a Test match two weeks later,” he said. “I was pretty clear coming back from India I wasn’t going to be captain. Those two weeks when I was ‘making the decision’ didn’t change it.”The constant decision-making takes its effect. I don’t miss the media commitments. But I don’t want to sound negative.”And it was a bit strange when it was announced. I don’t want to say I was in mourning as that’s not quite the right word, but it wasn’t relief I felt. It was sadness.”I don’t have many regrets but the way my one-day career finished with England was one. That last 12 months when I couldn’t score a run was not a true indication of my one-day game.”People will remember that period but, for that first 18 months when we got to No.1 in the rankings, I was averaging 50 and striking at over 100. Or something like that, anyway. I played well in the period when I first took over as captain.”In the end, the simple pleasure of playing cricket again proved key to Cook recovering his enthusiasm and his form. He has already made six centuries for Essex in the county season and, on a deteriorating pitch, made the highest score in the third innings of the first Investec Test at Lord’s.”The period in February I had off I didn’t bat at all,” he said. “I was on the farm.”As soon as I got on that plane to go on Essex’s pre-season tour, the challenge of scoring runs and mucking in with the lads made sure any thoughts about the captaincy were quickly forgotten.”I quite like playing cricket, actually. It is an amazing thing what we do and, yes, there are tough times and hard moments along the way.”But you know the thought of playing here on Friday in front of a full house… That opportunity is not going to be around forever so that’s what kind of motivates me.”While Cook reckoned Root was uncharacteristically nervous at the start of England’s training programme ahead of the Lord’s Test, he felt he soon settled.”I thought he was really calm all week,” Cook said. “In that first net session I don’t think I have seen him bat as badly. Normally he hits lots of balls but he said ‘OK, that is it’ and came back the next day and was fine.”Clearly if you get a score like he did, that settles a lot of talk about the captaincy. Often captains come in and think they have to change everything. But we haven’t done too much different. He was really calm all week. It was a very impressive first week from him as a captain and leader.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For Out of the Ordinary thinking visit investec.com/cricket
Derbyshire were 26 runs short of a first Championship win for two years – and in a derby to boot – and then the rain fell in Nottingham
Jon Culley at Trent Bridge05-Jun-2017 ScorecardDerbyshire’s long wait for a win in the Championship continues after they were denied victory over Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire in the most frustrating circumstances.Chasing 216 from 49 overs, they were within touching distance with 36 needed, six wickets in hand and still 14 overs left when darkening skies reached the point at which the light from the floodlights had taken over from the natural light, obliging the umpires to take the players off the field.They brought they back after a little under 20 minutes but the batsmen had faced only seven more deliveries – one of them a no-ball – when the forecast rain arrived and Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman was forced to accept a draw. He had lost one more batsman but the requirement had come down to 26 from eight overs, eminently within their grasp.It was an outcome he would have been happy with at the start of play on Friday but not at that moment, not as close as this to a first Championship victory since July 2015 – and a first win in red-ball cricket for Godleman as Derbyshire captain.Rain had washed out the whole morning session but the run chase was set up with no contrivances, Derbyshire bowling out their hosts for 349 after play began at 1.45pm.Chris Read’s unbeaten 74 gave Nottinghamshire’s bowlers something to defend and created an element of scoreboard pressure in taking the target beyond 200 but in the end the only real source of anxiety for Derbyshire was the weather.The forecast had suggested that the closer the clock moved towards six, the greater the likelihood of further rain and by 5.30 with 44 still to get the clouds were gathering ominously as the umpires began to twitch about the light.A couple of minutes later, the deepening grey of the sky forced them to act.Derbyshire’s disappointment was hardly made easier for knowing they had been on top almost throughout the four days, although at the same time it will be a source of encouragement for the way ahead.Nottinghamshire were not long losing their last four wickets from 313-6.Billy Godleman, Derbyshire’s captain, came close to breaking the winless run•Getty ImagesTom Taylor took three of them in the space of a dozen deliveries as Brett Hutton played round one to be bowled, Luke Wood hooked straight to long leg and Luke Fletcher was leg before to a straight one. Given that only the rabbit Harry Gurney remained, the 22-year-old right-arm seamer must have sensed a five-for was there for the taking but Jeevan Mendis denied him the opportunity as Gurney had a swing but hit the ball straight to point.Nonetheless, largely thanks to Read’s canniness in keeping Gurney away from the ball as much as possible, the Nottinghamshire lead swelled beyond 200, enough to put a little more psychological pressure on Derbyshire.Read’s 74 included 28 of the 36 runs added to the overnight score. He finished with a flourish, damaging Taylor’s figures a little by going four-four-six.Wayne Madsen was in charge two years ago when Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Wantage Road and it was he who put his side in with a chance of winning for the first time on this ground since 2002.They had lost Luis Reece and then Godleman in the first 10 overs of the 49, Reece failing to clear mid-on and Godleman caught behind after a nice piece of bowling from Luke Wood, who is turning into a blond version of Jack Brooks in the way he wheels away across the square to celebrate a wicket.Shiv Thakor gloved one through to Read but Madsen scored 61 from 57 balls to take his side so close to the winning line.He will probably reflect that he rather gave his wicket away in the end, aiming a big swing at Samit Patel when such rashness was unnecessary and slicing the ball high in the air to deep point, where Brett Hutton dived forward at full length to take the catch.But Alex Hughes and Gary Wilson picked up the pieces calmly enough. Hughes was leg before to a Fletcher full toss but there was enough batting left for the job to have been completed, had weather permitted. Instead, Derbyshire’s winless run extends to 27 matches.