As one opening batsman from Essex took a significant step towards international rehabilitation yesterday, he paid handsome tribute to one of his most illustrious predecessors. Alastair Cook made his 10th Test hundred for England and he made it clear that he might not have done so without the guidance of Graham Gooch, a player who scored twice as many.

England hope family and familiar environment will help batsman find form

Aeroflot has spent the past few years trying to improve its image, and hopes its latest move will help to complete the process. It has signed up as sponsor of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. And before you scoff, you might like to reflect on the fact that the semi-privatised airline is now close to being the most profitable such company in the world.

England 302-2 v West Indies

The Australian press have reacted with glee to the latest turmoil in English cricket - just six months ahead of this summer's Ashes series.

An era in English cricket ended yesterday when Graeme Hick, the most prolific run scorer of the past 25 years, announced that he will retire at the end of this season.

Howzat! An enthusiast's guide to the highs and lows of being a cricket fan

Surrey batsman completes his 100th century to join pantheon of only 24 others in history of the game

30 August 1989

Cricket Diary

IT MAY be 24 hours before England select their team for the final Test, but heads have already started to roll. After three and two years' service respectively, Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting are no longer required as selectors. Instead, the England and Wales Cricket Board has placed responsibility for selecting England teams with three men: the chairman of selectors, David Graveney; the England captain, Nasser Hussain; and the incoming coach, Duncan Fletcher.

`I'm assuming I'll be opening, having opened in the last four Tests,' he says bluntly. He is a proud man, our Stewie

CHRIS READ, the boyish-faced, velvet-gloved Devonian, is not, contrary to suggestions, the youngest wicketkeeper to have played for England. At 20 years and 325 days when he made his Test debut against the New Zealanders at Edgbaston on Thursday he was some 153 days the junior of the great Alan Knott, who first played 32 years ago and was generally held to have been the most youthful player to wear the gloves.