Cricket: Bolus on the prowl

BRIAN BOLUS has refused to be drawn on the likely successor to the outgoing England coach David Lloyd, despite the chairman of the management advisory committee paying a visit to Grace Road, where the Leicestershire coach, Jack Birkenshaw, and captain, James Whitaker, ply their trade.

Bolus played a straight bat to questions about the credentials of his two fellow Yorkshiremen for the jobs of coach (Birkenshaw) and manager (Whitaker). Speaking after play had been washed out on the first day of Leicestershire's County Championship match against Glamorgan, Bolus said: "I just came to watch a game of cricket and see some old friends.

"The situation regarding England is that the advisory committee will meet on Monday to process the applications for the coach's job and discuss the management job."

Whitaker said: "A lot of names are being mentioned as candidates, and it's flattering to be among those."