It will be the opinion of more than one judge on the first day of a West Indies Test series in England that Ramnaresh Sarwan is wasted playing in the Second Division for Leicestershire.

The Netherlands posted an impressive total of 239 for 6 in their first Clydesdale Bank Pro40 fixture of the season, against Gloucestershire yesterday. After losing the toss and being put in at Bristol, the Dutch reached their total thanks to Stephanus Myburgh's impressive 77, which featured 11 fours and two sixes, and Cameron Borgas's 38. Ed Young, who picked up 2 for 31, was the pick of Gloucestershire's bowlers.

The clatter of falling wickets was silenced at Liverpool yesterday as 2011 County Championship runners-up Warwickshire took the upper hand against title-holders Lancashire during a magnificent eighth-wicket partnership between Darren Maddy and Rikki Clarke.

The first part of England's cricketing winter went into meltdown with a 3-0 hammering by Pakistan, but the green shoots of springtime recovery arrived just in time yesterday when victory over Sri Lanka earned them a drawn series.

Being a woman in Afghanistan is not easy, being a woman in Afghanistan who wants to play cricket only ups the difficulty level. “Women,” says Diana Barakzai, “are victims of unacceptable rules that prevented them leaving the house.”

England seam bowler Jenny Gunn has been reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on account of her bowling action in the first one-day international against New Zealand.

The 16-year-old cricketer fought off bone cancer and loves his role with disability team. He's also Britain's 'kindest kid'. He talks to Jack Gaughan

Team director Andy Flower has warned Eoin Morgan there will be no easy return to England's Test side after being dropped for next month's trip to Sri Lanka.

England Women wrapped up a 4-0 series triumph after winning their final Twenty20 match against New Zealand by five wickets in Invercargill. New Zealand made 109 for six, Anya Shrubsole and Georgia Elwiss taking two wickets each. England reached their target with seven balls to spare for a whitewash of the completed matches – Saturday's fourth rubber was washed out.

England were today digesting the disappointment of their opening defeat in the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan, and planning already how they can come back to win 2-1.

England coach Andy Flower admitted that the world number one side had fallen shockingly short of their high standards in the 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan.

Andrew Strauss warned his England players to heed the harsh lessons of their crushing defeat by Pakistan in the first Test before their chances of victory in the three-match series disappear.

Despite the understandable excitement surrounding England's comeback yesterday, one fact should be clear. To win a Test match after scoring 200 in the first innings is rare. England have done it since 1997 when they scored 180 against Australia and won on the third afternoon by 18 runs, though Australia, having already annexed the Ashes, were dashing for the airport at the time.

England begin their first Test series as the best team in the world tomorrow. By the time the third match against Pakistan finishes early next month they will have a clearer idea of where they truly stand.