Round-up: Strauss' search for form in vain

Andrew Strauss is so concerned about his form that he hung around a damp Uxbridge after Tuesday's near-washout so that he could he could have an evening net. He might now wonder if it was worth the wait.

At last given the chance to bat after Gloucestershire had declared on 459 for 9 on the third morning yesterday, the England Test captain was out lbw in the first over of the Middlesex innings. After his two dropped catches in the visitors' innings – worth 130 runs for Gloucestershire – Strauss succumbed to Jon Lewis, the veteran swing bowler, who has dismissed Strauss six times in eight innings, the first in 1998. Facing the new ball under cloudy skies always makes for hazardous batting and it will not have helped Strauss's state of mind to see Chris Rogers take his place and make a ton.

At Cardiff, Glamorgan failed to avoid the follow-on against Derbyshire and slumped to 83 for 5 in their second innings, which raised the possibility that Derbyshire might complete an innings victory over the Welsh county for the first time in 30 years. But a show of defiance from Michael Powell and Mark Wallace, who put on 136 for the sixth wicket, ensured the match would at least go into a fourth day.

With Matt Prior, the England 'keeper, missing because of Achilles and knee injuries, Sussex wasted a good position built for them mainly by Ed Joyce at Arundel but an unbeaten 79 from Murray Goodwin helped them at least to scrape two bonus points against Warwickshire, for whom the Irish pace bowler Boyd Rankin again caught the eye.

India are in a dominant position against West Indies in the second Test with the home side on 87 for 5 in response to 201 in Barbados. Ishant Sharma has three wickets.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

New day (slowly) rising – As Brasileirão gets underway, Brazilian football stumbles, rather than leaps into the future

The average Serie A crowd last year was 13,000 - comparable to Australia’s A-League.

by James Young

iBet: Mercedes and Hamilton to roar in Monaco

Monaco is a street circuit where driver ability is more important than anywhere else and if we take ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages

Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...

by Martin Ayres

       
Career Services

Day In a Page

James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats
Giro d'Italia: The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

As the Giro d'Italia tackles the brutal climb, Simon Usborne takes on the snow and switchbacks – and soon realises what the fuss is about
National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again