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Amjad Khan appeals – unsuccessfully – for lbw against Ben Hutton in the first over of the match © Martin WIlliamson

With England’s batting stocks in a healthy state, those players trying to force their way in through county cricket will have to wait patiently for their turn. The A team named to face Sri Lanka next week gives a fair indication of the pecking order and, on the first day at Lord’s, Ed Joyce offered reminder of why he is in that list, if not quite at the top.He is not in the immediate frame for a call-up after the winter successes of Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook and Owais Shah, but he enjoyed a reasonably impressive A tour of West Indies – with three half-centuries in the one-day series – and all he can do now is churn out a mountain of runs for Middlesex. This was a decent start and he was easily the most assured batsman on show after beginning confidently with punchy shots through the legside. He motored along a decent rate, in conditions that had tempted Robert Key, Kent’s captain, to bowl first but were initially wasted by the bowlers.Joyce is not quite in the flamboyant mould of most of England’s current order, but he knows his game and last season produced the goods as he racked up 1668 runs at 61 in the County Championship. He began this season with a minor blip, failing twice for MCC against Nottinghamshire, but the first serious bat of a summer can often be a hit and miss affair.Here, though, he was back to his compact best and didn’t offer a chance, progressing to a composed century off 148 balls, the 15th first-class ton of his career. He doesn’t make great use of the straight boundaries, preferring to work the ball square, but is content to wait for the right ball to hit. It can be easy to label a left-hander who doesn’t bludgeon the ball like Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden or Marcus Trescothick as a nudger and nurdler. While there is certainly this aspect to Joyce’s game he also possess the power to thread the infield – or go over it – as his late six into the Grandstand showed.What Joyce must now do is show that he is better than what is currently in the England side. Geoff Miller, the England selector, watched part of the day from the press box and hinted that it will take a lot of runs for the management to try new batsmen given the choices that are currently on offer.But as showed by the likes of Cook and Shah, who will line-up alongside Joyce for England A next week, a chance can come along out of the blue and then it is about grasping the moment. Middlesex were certainly grateful he took his chance today after they frittered away their tea position of 220 for 4. Kent’s bowling improved through the day, following a wasteful start with the new ball. Ed Smith, against his former team-mates, was squared-up and edged to second slip, while Shah didn’t settle during his brief stay in the middle. He was fortunate to escape a bottom-edged pull before edging to second slip straight after lunch.Joyce’s fluency was in sharp contrast to the obduracy of Ben Hutton, who took 148 balls over his 47 before top-edging a pull to long leg and wasting his hard graft. The attack continued to chip away and Justin Kemp was rewarded for a preserving display when he removed Nick Compton and Ben Scott, while Robbie Joseph deserved his Championship-best four-wicket haul. Martin van Jaarsveld had a good day at second slip, holding three catches of which the third, to remove Craig Wright, was a sharp effort in front of first slip.Middlesex’s late demise only went to highlight the importance of Joyce’s effort. He was a class apart today and more innings like this will make his case very hard to ignore – regardless of the other batsmen in the frame.

Nasser Hussain celebrates his final Test century, at Lord’s against New Zealand in 2004© Getty Images

Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain have been awarded honorary life membership of MCC. Both players had impressive records at Lord’s; Stewart made 1476 runs at 44 and Hussain 861 runs at 50. Hussain, memorably, finished his playing career at Lord’s, by guiding England to victory against New Zealand in 2004, with an unbeaten 103.After receiving the honour, Stewart, who was known for his strong patriotism as a player, said: “It is an honour to be given this recognition by MCC. The Club is the most historic in the world, with a very proud tradition. I am delighted to have been given lifetime membership of MCC.”Nasser Hussain, who wore his heart on his sleeve as captain, was also delighted: “I was thrilled to be made an Honorary Life Member. It is the greatest cricketing accolade I could receive,” he said. “I loved everything about playing at Lord’s; this will continue my involvement with the historic ground, and give me a long-term association with MCC.”

World Cup spinner Nathan Hauritz will be a sidelight to the Shane Warne show next week when the Queensland Academy of Sport travel to Junction Oval to play the Victorian 2nd XI.Hauritz was included today in the QAS team to play in Melbourne from Monday after making a request to the Queensland selection panel for an additional bowling stint under match conditions.Queensland Chairman of Selectors Ray Phillips said Hauritz would play the first three days of the Cricket Australia Cup match, which marks Warne’s return from his 12 month drug suspension."Nathan didn’t get a lot of bowling during the Pura Cup game against NSW due to the weather and asked us whether he could get some more bowling under his belt prior to our game against WA," he said."He’ll come back after three days so he can take part in the Bulls’ final training session before they play their ING Cup game against the Warriors on the Friday," he said.Hauritz will be joined in the QAS team by Bulls batsman Lee Carseldine, who is hoping he has overcome the back problems that have plagued his season so far.The QAS team also includes allrounder Chris Simpson and pace bowler Damien Mackenzie who have shared twelfth man duties for the past month for Queensland, and fellow Bulls squad members Scott Brant, Chris Hartley, Steve Farrell and Shane Jurgensen.While Hauritz and Simpson will enjoy the chance to bowl their off-spin, 20-year-old Redlands leg-spinner Ryan Leloux will have a first-hand view of how Warne fares in his return to cricket.Queensland Academy of Sport v Victorian 2nd XI, Junction Oval, Feb 9-12:Aaron Nye (c), Ryan Broad, Chris Simpson, Lee Carseldine, Steve Farrell, Chris Hartley, Ryan Leloux, Scott Brant, Damien MacKenzie, Grant Sullivan, Shane Jurgensen. Coach: Richard Done

The National One-day Cricket Tournament will be played from March 8 to April 7 with 28 teams, including 10departments, 14 associations and four provincial sides vying for top honours.The teams have been divided into four pools of seven teams each in the first phase which runs from March 8 to 20. The top two teams will from each pool will qualify for the final round, to be played from March 27 to 31.The semi-finals and the final will be played under floodlights. The first semi-final will be played at National Stadium, Karachi April 4 and the second at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore a day later.The final is scheduled for Gaddafi Stadium April 7. In all, 99 matches will be played in the month-long tournament.Pool A: PIA, Pakistan Customs, Karachi Whites, Lahore Whites, Bahawalpur, Hyderabad and Rest of Sindh.Pool B: National Bank, Pak PWD, Sui Gas, Karachi Blues, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Rest of Balochistan.Pool C: Habib Bank, Wapda, Lahore Blues, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sheikhupura and Rest of Punjab.Pool D: Allied Bank, ADBP, KRL, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Rest of NWFP.Schedule:Preliminary round:March 8:Pool A: Customs v Rest of Sindh at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; PIA v Bahawalpur at Asghar Ali Shah Stadium, Karachi; Karachi Whites v Lahore Whites at National Stadium, Karachi.Pool B: Gujranwala v Karachi Blues at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Sialkot v Pak PWD at Saga Ground, Sialkot; National Bank v Sui Gas at Lahore Country Club, Muridke.Pool C: Lahore Blues v Faisalabad at LCCA Ground, Lahore; Sheikhupura v Sialkot at Sheikhupura Stadium; Habib Bank v Wapda at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.Pool D: Rawalpindi v Allied Bank at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; Peshawar v ADBP at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; KRL v Islamabad at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 10:Pool A: Hyderabad v Pakistan Customs at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad; PIA v Lahore Whites at National Stadium, Karachi; Karachi Whites v Rest of Sindh at KCCA Stadium, Karachi.Pool B: Sialkot v Karachi Blues at Saga Ground, Sialkot; Gujranwala v Rest of Balochistan at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Sui Gas v Pak PWD at Lahore Country Club, Muridke.Pool C: Sargodha v Lahore Blues at Sports Stadium, Sargodha; Faisalabad v Sheikhupura at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Habib Bank v Rest of Punjab at Sheikhupura Stadium.Pool D: Peshawar v Rest of NWFP at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; Rawalpindi v Islamabad at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; KRL v ADBP at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 12:Pool A: Pakistan Customs v Lahore Whites at National Stadium, Karachi; Karachi Whites v Hyderabad at KCCA Stadium, Karachi; Bahawalpur v Rest of Sindh at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.Pool B: Karachi Blues v Rest of Balochistan at Lahore Country Club, Muridke; Gujranwala v Pak PWD at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Sialkot v National Bank at Saga Ground, Sialkot.Pool C: Lahore Blues v Sheikhupura at LCCA Ground, Lahore; Faisalabad v Sargodha at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Wapda v Restof Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.Pool D: Rest of NWFP at Allied Bank at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; KRL v Peshawar at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; ADBP v Islamabad at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 14:Pool A: Karachi Whites v PIA at National Stadium, Karachi; Hyderabad v Lahore Whites at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad; Pakistan Customs v Bahawalpur at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.Pool B: Sui Gas v Karachi Blues at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Sialkot v Rest of Balochistan at Saga Ground, Sialkot; Gujranwala v National Bank at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala.Pool C: Faisalabad v Habib Bank at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Sargodha v Wapda at SportsStadium, Sargodha; Sheikhupura v Restof Punjab at Sheikhupura Stadium.Pool D: Peshawar v Allied Bank at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; KRL v Rest of NWFP at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi; Rawalpindi v ADBP at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 16:Pool A: Hyderabad v PIA at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad; Lahore Whites v Rest of Sindh at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; Karachi Whites v Bahawalpur at National Stadium, Karachi.Pool B: Karachi Blues v Pak PWD at Lahore Country Club, Muridke; Sialkot v Sui Gas at Saga Ground, Sialkot; National Bank v Rest of Balochistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.Pool C: Faisalabad v Wapda at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Sargodha b Habib Bank at Sports Stadium, Sargodha; Lahore Blues v Rest of Punjab at LCCA Ground, Lahore.Pool D: Islamabad v Allied Bank at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; ADBP v Rest of NWFP at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; KRL v Rawalpindi at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 18:Pool A: PIA v Pakistan Customs at National Stadium, Karachi; Hyderabad v Rest of Sindh at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad; Lahore Whites v Bahawalpur at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.Pool B: National Bank v Karachi Blues at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Gujranwala v Sui Gas at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Pak PWD v Rest of Balochistan at Lahore Country Club, Muridke.Pool C: Sheikhupura v Habib Bank at Sheikhupura Stadium; Sargodha v Rest of Punjab at Sports Stadium, Sargodha; Lahore Blues v Rest of Punjab at LCCA Ground, Lahore.Pool D: Peshawar v Islamabad at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; Rawalpindi v Rest of NWFP at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; Allied Bank v ADBP at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi.March 20:Pool A: Karachi Whites v Pakistan Customs at National Stadium, Karachi; Hyderabad v Bahawalpur at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad; PIA vRest of Sindh at Asghar Ali Shah Stadium, Karachi.Pool B: National Bank v Pak PWD at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; Gujranwala v Sialkot at JinnahStadium, Gujranwala; Sui Gas v Rest of Balochistan at Lahore Country Club, Muridke.Pool C: Sheikhupura v Wapda at Sheikhupura Stadium; Faisalabad v Rest of Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; Lahore Blues v Habib Bank at LCCA Ground, Lahore.Pool D: Peshawar v Rawalpindi at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar; Islamabad v Rest of NWFP at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi; KRL v ABL at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.Final round:March 27: A1 v B2 at National Stadium, Karachi; C1 v D2 at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; A2 v B1 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; C2 v D1 at Sheikhupura Stadium.March 29: A1 v C1; National Stadium, Karachi; B2 v D2 at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; B1 v D1 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; A2 v C2 at Sheikhupura Stadium.March 31: C1 v B2 at National Stadium, Karachi; A1 v D2 at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; A2 v D1 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; C2 v B1 at Sheikhupura Stadium.April 4:First semifinal (D/N) at National Stadium, Karachi.April 5:Second semifinal (D/N) at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.April 7:Final (D/N) at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The Border Bears made light work of a promising Northerns Titans top order that flattered to deceive as they were beaten by four wickets in their Standard Bank Cup match at Supersport Park on Sunday.The toss was won by the home team, who elected to bat first considering that they were buoyed by a few Titans stalwarts.Coach Dave Nosworthy had selected a batting line-up which he believed gave him enviable depth throughout the order.On the basis of his team’s form in the four-day game there were few who were willing to challenge his optimism.The in-form Neil McKenzie had been sacrificed to the national cause, but Nosworthy was pleased to announce that off-spinner Dirkie de Vos would take his place. Johan Myburgh, left out of the Supersport Series matches, was also back to partner opening bat Rudi Steyn.But with his side on 24 for two wickets, Nosworthy must have been wondering where he got it wrong. The Titans went on to put together a modest total of 137 all out in 38.5 overs.A 36 from De Vos midway down the order was all Nosworthy had to cheer about, considering that was the most significant change the coach made to the team that thumped North West in a limited-overs match two months ago.Left arm paceman Liam Graham did most of the damage for Border, claiming three wickets for only 18 runs in his six-over spell. Graham was most effective in the 22nd over, taking both the wickets of Gerald Dros and Finlay Brooker in the space of four balls.Set a victory target of 138 runs off 45 overs, the visitors cruised to victory with 12 overs to spare.Pieter Strydom’s 41 off only 39 balls, featuring five fours and one six, was the top score for his side before he was dismissed by Steve Elworthy.

In recent years, Everton’s transfer business hasn’t exactly been sensible – particularly having spent over £100m in the last few seasons in transfer fees alone despite the club lingering above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

Midfield duo Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin both arrived for £25m each, but with Gomes now valued at £18m and seemingly out of favour while Gbamin is worth just £8m and on-loan at CSKA Moscow, both signings make up just two of the players that Everton have got wrong in recent seasons.

In departures, Rangers ace John Lundstram was let go on a free transfer back in 2015 by the Toffees, while Ross Barkley was sold for £7m-less than he was worth at the time back in January 2018.

It hasn’t been often that the Merseyside club have got it right when it comes to transfers, but one player that they did make a great decision on was youth academy graduate Tyias Browning, who left Goodison Park in February 2019 for Guangzhou Evergrande.

Somehow, the club managed to negotiate a £4.1m fee for the centre-back, likely due to his grandfather on his mother’s side being Chinese and the demand for players of that nationality in the top flight being high due to registration rules.

At the time though, he was worth just £900k, and the deal represented great value to the Premier League club – with it being worth 16% of the total fees earned from Everton departures in the 18/19 season.

Since moving to China, the 27-year-old’s value has risen slightly to £1.08m, but the defender who was once described as “outstanding” and as a “rock” by Everton U23’s Head Coach David Unsworth, remains a successful piece of business with the decline in valuation today from the fee he was bought for standing at -73%.

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Browning has since become a “naturalised” Chinese citizen and now plays under the name Jiang Guangtai, making 11 appearances for the Chinese national team as well as appearing 19 times this season in the Chinese Super League, with his team currently sitting third in the Championship group after winning 13 out of 22 games this campaign.

In other news: Lampard could unearth a new £40.5m-rated “threat” in Everton’s never-seen 16 y/o

	Beau Casson is the Pura Cup’s second-leading spinner this season © Getty Images

Since Shane Warne’s retirement, Australia’s potential international spinners have suffered more rigorous media analysis than many of the nation’s top politicians. The experts typically vote for Stuart MacGill and Bryce McGain as the leading candidates, with Dan Cullen the next preference, while Cullen Bailey and Nathan Hauritz attract minority support. Beau Casson has not even been on the ballot, but the time has come to inspect his credentials.It was easy to ignore Casson last season, when he collected seven Pura Cup wickets from seven games at an unflattering average of 72. It has not been as simple to discount the left-arm wrist-spinner this summer. Among slow bowlers only McGain has more Pura Cup victims in 2007-08 than Casson’s 25 at 35.72. He has been an under-rated part of the New South Wales machine and grabbed four wickets and made 99 in their most recent win that secured them a home final.Casson’s success has justified not only his switch from Western Australia after 2005-06, but also the faith of the New South Wales selectors. They stuck with him after he struggled through his first year in Sydney, sitting behind MacGill in the state’s slow-bowling ranks and carrying a shoulder injury that required a reconstruction when the season was over.”Coming to a new place probably took me a bit of time to settle in,” Casson said. “I had some injury problems and then I hurt my shoulder and that was about the end of my season, which was not an ideal start. I would have liked to have more of an impression last year but now hopefully I’ll be able to bowl these leggies for a while.”New South Wales certainly hope so. The SCG has taken plenty of turn lately and with MacGill likely to spend more time in the national set-up, the Blues need somebody to exploit the conditions. That was Casson’s theory when he left a Warriors group that also featured Brad Hogg and Aaron Heal, and despite last summer’s disappointing results he was always certain it was the right move.”I’ve never had a second thought about it,” Casson said. “It was always a long-term thing for me. It’s a fantastic place to play cricket and if you’re a spinner it’s the place you want to be. Coming from Perth I’ve found every wicket on the SCG pretty exciting.”There’s been probably a touch more grass because we’ve had a fair bit of rain this year in our summer. It’s been great, I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s certainly an art to be able to come over and bowl legspin when it’s a bit slow. It’s certainly a learning experience.”To get the most out of his SCG lessons, Casson, 25, has needed a high-quality teacher and the former New South Wales chinaman bowler David Freedman has stepped in as his mentor. Casson must also thank MacGill, who is not only a useful sounding board, but created greater opportunities by opting for wrist surgery that kept him out of the state side for three months.Fortunately for Casson, he is likely to keep his spot for the Pura Cup final against Victoria starting in Sydney on Saturday even though MacGill is back in action. The Australian fast bowlers Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken have returned but the Blues should have room for two spinners, especially as Casson is also a useful batsman and has 379 runs at 63.16 this season.His all-round efforts might not be enough for the selectors to vote him into the national team, but he deserves to be part of the debate. For now, Casson is simply pleased to have finally found his niche as a first-class cricketer after six years in the system. “Everyone has aspirations of playing for their country and I’m no different,” Casson said. “But I just want to improve as a cricketer and every day if I can be better I’ll be happy.”

“Younis’ refusal to take on the captaincy has lead to a crisis” – Imran © Getty Images

Former Pakistan captains Imran Khan and Javed Miandad have slammed Younis Khan over his refusal to take on Pakistan’s captaincy in the wake of a disastrous World Cup campaign.Younis was offered the captaincy after Inzamam resigned but he rejected the offer citing stress related to the job as his main reason.”I don’t understand it. If he didn’t want to be captain he should not accepted the vice-captaincy for the last two years. His refusal has led to a crisis,” said Imran.”It is useless trying to convince Younis to lead the team if he does not want to do it. But what he did was wrong,” he added.Miandad expressed disbelief at Younis’ actions after being offered the captaincy.”This episode is a reflection on the sort of discipline prevailing in our cricket set-up,” said Miandad. “It is disappointing for me that someone should turn down the honour of being asked to captain his country. It is not a good sign for Pakistan cricket,” he explained.Amid stories that Shoaib Malik is likely to be offered the position, Imran wished him well.”He appears to have a good cricket brain and could turn out to be a very good choice for Pakistan cricket,” he added.The official announcement from the PCB over this matter is expected this week.

Runako Morton reached fifty but a hundred has been put on hold © Getty Images

The reward of a thoroughly deserved, maiden Test hundred for Runako Morton had to be put on hold yesterday as the third day of the third and final Test was delayed by the damp, wintry weather that had already trimmed 101.5 overs off the match.Heavy overnight rain left pools of water across an already sodden outfield and, although it abated in the morning, it remained overcast and play was unlikely until after lunch. Morton, the least experienced but by some way the most consistent West Indies batsman on a tour of inconsistent batting, was eager to resume another flawless, disciplined innings of 70 from 133 balls, with eight, mostly driven, fours, the total 256 for 4 and the new ball due after 11 balls.He was likely to have a lengthy wait. The outer bands of a hurricane-known in these parts as a cyclone-to the north of New Zealand have brought the rain, the gloom and the frigid temperatures that have spoiled the Test. The more play lost increases the likelihood of the draw that would save West Indies the worry of yet another series whitewash but to achieve it with the help of the weather would bring no satisfaction.Morton has been the revelation of a tour for which he was the last man chosen. He has observed the simple dictum of batting within his limitations, defending stoutly with a straight bat against worthy deliveries, driving strongly-and often hard into the pitch-when the length is right. His performances in the one-day internationals, where he disregarded the trauma of a first ball dismissal in the opening match to be West Indies’ high scorer, and his solid 63 in the first innings of the second Test established a strength of character that was again in evidence on the second day here.These were alien conditions for a cricketer raised in the heat and sunshine of the Caribbean with negligible overseas experience. But the 27-year-old Nevisian is driven by the realisation that he is not one of the favoured few-and by the desire to make up the wasted years of a troubled past. His history includes the infamous yarn about his grandmother’s fictitious death so he could return home early from a tour of Sri Lanka and several run-ins with the authorities, both cricket and civil. Now settled by marriage and his religion, he has put such a background behind him and concentrated on what he does best.His omission from the first Test eleven, in spite of his ODI form, was proof that not everyone is yet convinced of his credentials and that the retention of his place depends solely on the weight of runs. The injury that eliminated Ramnaresh Sarwan from the equation was an unexpected opportunity and Morton has seized it.He entered 20 minutes into the dismal second morning at 111 for 2 after Shane Bond combined the disguise of a slower ball and the accuracy of a yorker to bowl Daren Ganga for a competent but, yet again, unfulfilled 38. For the next hour, Morton was mainly a spectator at the opposite end as Brian Lara battled to come to terms with the lack of form and preparation that resulted in his implausible sequence of failures in the first two Tests. To mount his rehabilitation, Lara reverted to the No.3 position for the first time since he accumulated his record 400 not out against England in Antigua in 2004. The 28 he put together on the opening day was by no means genuine Lara but it was at least an entrée of better things to come.On resumption, he mixed a few aerial drives and cuts with a some trademark boundaries, a flowing off-drive, a rasping cut over slips, a delicate steer to third man, a vicious pull to mid-wicket. He and Bond were engaged in a stirring duel, during which he fell flat on his back swaying out of the path of a searing bouncer, but he came through that unscathed. The champion left-hander was just beginning to reveal the class and dominance of one who has scored more runs than anyone else in Test cricket when, to the palpable disappointment of the 1,000 or so spectators braving to weather in anticipation of a command performance, he was out.

Brian Lara’s dismissal, as always, left the innings at a crossroads © Getty Images

Attempting to pull the gentle, teasing medium-paced swing of Nathan Astle, Lara only managed to get it on the bottom edge of the bat from where it deflected into pad and stumps. It was Astle’s 50th Test wicket, in his 76th Test, and the second time he had claimed the West Indies premier batsman in the series. Lara’s additional 55 were gathered from the same number of balls with nine fours to add to his three of the first day. His dismissal, as always, left the innings at the crossroads at 171 for 3 and was soon followed by the bizarre run out of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Morton, then 26, on-drove Chris Martin to the right of the left-handed Daniel Vettori at mid-on and twice shouted for the available single. As he charged down to the bowler’s end, his captain briefly responded but then headed back for the safety of his ground. The two made the non-striker’s crease simultaneously while Vettori casually lobbed the ball to the keeper to complete the run out. Standing umpire Mark Benson indicated that Morton should go but, as he headed for the team room, in understandably furious mood, proceedings were halted as third umpire Gary Baxter reviewed TV replays as to who had actually touched down first. It took ages to determine and was close enough for it to be called a dead-heat. But this was cricket, not horse racing, and Baxter ruled against the beleaguered captain, reducing the West Indies to 189 for 4.It was now that Morton’s temperament was confirmed. To be involved in a run out is disturbing at the best of times but doubly so when your partner is the captain and the match at a delicate stage. If anything, it seemed to stiffen Morton’s resolve. He continued untroubled, relieved at the sight of Chanderpaul, along with his other colleagues in the players’ area, rising to applaud his 50, reached with one of his eight boundaries. With an equally determined Dwayne Bravo, the partnership set things right again over the next hour and a half. It was worth 67 when the weather finally closed in and halted play just past the half-way point of the day.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Gallery
5th day
Bulletin – Kumble bowls India to victory
Verdict – India’s colossus delivers again
On the ball – Impeccable Kumble
Pakistan View – Beaten, not disgraced
News – Harbhajan’s action reported
Stats – Kumble the destroyer
Quotes – Ganguly – ‘The turning point was getting a wicket off the day’s first ball’Quotes – Inzamam – ‘We can draw level at Bangalore’4th day
Bulletin – Dravid’s gem sets up a classic
Verdict – Making the impossible possible
On the ball – Runs all around
Commentary – Karthik turns it around
Stats – A six-year gap
Quotes – Dravid – ‘The side that holds its nerve will win’3rd day
Bulletin – Tendulkar’s fall levels the scales
Verdict – Cut down in full flight
On the ball – Allround fluency
Commentary – Sami’s challenge
Plays of the Day – The twilight twist
Quotes – Kumble – ‘We’re back in the game’2nd day
Bulletin – Younis and Youhana sizzle
Verdict – Trading flair for resilience
Commentary – Payback time for Younis
On the Ball – Striking the balance
Plays of the Day – Finding their voice
Stats – Y & Y’s success
Quotes – Younis: ‘I appreciate everything the team did for me’1st day
Bulletin – Late strikes mar India’s day
Verdict – Dravid’s masterclass
On the Ball – The off-side God
Plays of the Day – The end of Sehwag
Stats – First-class Dravid and high aggregates
Quotes – Dravid: ‘I felt in control throughout’Preview Preview – An equal battle
The ground in numbers – The perfect Test venue
Feature – Breaking down Kaneria
Quotes – ‘Younis Khan will play’ – Inzamam