Anderson and Swann compared to great Australian pace-spin duo

He could plausibly make Pakistan the best Test side in the world within two years

It's just as well Andrew Strauss isn't the kind of guy to hoard vindication. Otherwise, he might have been seriously tetchy when he was required to leave the batting crease at Trent Bridge yesterday with England just a few runs short of series victory.

Hazard announces his decision to sign for Chelsea

England cricketers enjoy salaries and lifestyles beyond the reach of many of those who follow them, but they certainly work hard for their money. The team's schedule for the next 12 months and beyond is demanding enough to tempt Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower to rest key players and reduce the risk of injury.

England coasted to a series-clinching nine-wicket win in the second Investec Test against the West Indies, wrapping up victory on the fourth evening at Trent Bridge.

The "dog-thrower" Graham Gooch uses to drill England batsmen has become a regular feature of the team's net sessions, and if Jonny Bairstow keeps his place for the next Test at Edgbaston, he will surely become very familiar with it. Bairstow is a player of much promise and England believe he has the talent and attitude to succeed in Tests. The 22-year-old might prove his supporters right, but first he must work hard to sharpen his technique against the short ball.

Jeetan Patel's four wickets helped Warwickshire make it three wins from three Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C games with an easy eight-wicket victory over Northamptonshire yesterday.

The "dog-thrower" Graham Gooch uses to drill England batsmen has become a regular feature of the team's net sessions, and if Jonny Bairstow keeps his place for the next Test at Edgbaston, he will surely become very familiar with it.

West Indies 370 & 61-6 v England 428

It is no longer considered smart to claim: "Oh, I'm hopeless at maths," but that doesn't mean most of us are much good at it. So certain chapters in this book, written by a professor of mathematical sciences, are a distinct challenge for those of us who haven't attempted to unravel an equation for years.

Without a Championship century since 2009, Tim Ambrose experienced personal frustration mixed with the compensatory satisfaction of a match-winning performance as Warwickshire completed a five-wicket win over Surrey at The Oval to move into a15-point lead in the First Division.

It seems entirely appropriate that Freddie Flintoff should pursue his television career on the Discovery Channel. On the cricket field he was a force of nature, an elemental being who had no need of make-up or inane chatter – although a chatshow host with a nice line in sledging is an interesting idea for a new series.