Li Na, China's double grand slam winner, forced to retire with knee injury

Li Na, China's double grand slam winner, forced to retire with knee injury

Li Na Li Na with the Australian Open trophy in January, the second of her two grand slam titles. 

Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam champion from China who took tennis in Asia to a new level, has retired due to recurring knee injuries.

The 32-year-old Li posted a statement on social media sites Friday, ending a week of intensifying speculation that she would announce her retirement ahead of the new WTA event in Wuhan, her home town.

Li won the 2011 French Open, becoming the first player from China to win a grand slam singles title, and clinched the Australian Open title in January in her third appearance in the final at Melbourne Park.

Li Na sends a backhand return to Dominika Cibulkova. Li Na in action.

The win took her to a career-high No. 2 ranking but she has not played since a third-round defeat at Wimbledon, withdrawing from the US Open citing a knee injury.

“Most people in the tennis world know that my career has been marked by my troubled right knee,” Li said in the open letter she posted online. “After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding.”

After three operations on her right knee, dating back to March 2008, Li said her most recent surgery in July was on her left knee.

“After a few weeks of post-surgery recovery, I tried to go through all the necessary steps to get back on the court,” she said. “While I’ve come back from surgery in the past, this time it felt different.

Li Na of China Li Na was a ‘trailblazer’ for the sport in China. 

“One of my goals was to recover as fast as I could in order to be ready for the first WTA tournament in my hometown. As hard as I tried to get back to being 100 percent, my body kept telling me that, at 32, I will not be able to compete at the top level ever again. The sport is just too competitive, too good, to not be 100 percent.”

Li started her career in the Chinese sports system, but had a keen sense of individuality. She bucked the system at times during her career giving up tennis for two years to do media studies at a university earlier in her career and later insisting on selecting her own coach.

The announcement that she had parted ways with coach Carlos Rodriguez, ending an almost two-year working relationship with the former long-time mentor for Justin Henin, followed her Wimbledon defeat in July.

Li won millions of admirers with her tough-as-nails approach on court, and her warmth and charm outside the arena. Her frequent jokes about life with Shan Jiang, her former coach and husband since 2006, in courtside interviews helped Li become a hit at the Australian Open.

Li Na talks about her husband after winning the Australian Open in January 2014.

Among her list of milestones, Li was the first Chinese player to win a WTA tour title (Guangzhou in 2004), the first to reach a grand slam singles quarterfinal (Wimbledon in 2006), first to break into the top 20, first to reach a grand slam final (Australia in 2011) and first to win a singles major, her breakthrough win at Roland Garros.

“I’ve succeeded on the global stage in a sport that a few years ago was in its infancy in China,” Li said. “What I’ve accomplished for myself is beyond my wildest dreams. What I accomplished for my country is one of my most proud achievements.”

Li rose to second in the rankings after her win in Australia in January, but dropped to sixth this month due to her injury-enforced inactivity.

In the immediate future is the establishment of a Li Na Tennis Academy, providing scholarships for future Chinese players. In the not-too-distant future, she’s hoping to start a family.

The Women’s Tennis Association described Li as a Chinese tennis trailblazer in a statement celebrating her 15-year professional career.

“Li Na has been a fun, powerful, and wonderful player on the WTA tour and, along with her fans, I am sad to hear that she has retired,” WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster said.

R&A golf club ends 260-year ban on women members

R&A golf club ends 260-year ban on women members

Natalie Gulbis playing at the Women's British Open held at St Andrews in 2013. 

The independence referendum was not the only historic decision made in Scotland on Thursday, with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews finally voting to accept female members for the first time in its 260-year history.

The R&A, which is the historic home of golf and the game's governing body outside the US and Mexico, belatedly conceded in March that the time had come to vote on whether to accept women as members after years of mounting pressure.

Its 2,400 all-male membership had been urged by club secretary Peter Dawson to "do what's right for golf" in the postal vote, making the outcome far easier to predict than the other ballot that day.

They voted "overwhelmingly" to back a change to their outdated rules and the R&A will now approach 15 women already identified as having made a large contribution to the sport to be fast-tracked through the application process.

More than three quarters of the club's membership took part in the ballot, with 85% voting in favour of women becoming members in a result announced outside its famous clubhouse on Thursday evening.

"This is a very important and positive day in the history of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club," said Dawson. "The R&A has served the sport of golf well for 260 years and I am confident that the club will continue to do so in future with the support of all its members, both women and men."

Ten years ago, the R&A span off its commercial arm, which organises the annual British Open, but women effectively remained excluded because committee members could only be drawn from the membership list.

Three other courses on the Open Championship rota maintain men-only membership policies – Royal Troon and Muirfield in Scotland and Royal St George's in Kent – and pressure will now increase on them to change their policies.

The matter came to a head at the 2013 Open at Muirfield, when several politicians boycotted the event and the ban on women members overshadowed events on the course.

Dawson failed to quell the storm when he said the club's "natural reaction is to resist these pressures, because we actually don't think they have very much substance".

But before the vote, which coincidentally fell on the same day as the referendum and the week before Scotland hosts the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, he urged members to do what was "right for golf".

The long overdue change of heart was welcomed by campaigners and politicians. Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation chief executive Ruth Holdaway said it was "brilliant news", adding: "The admittance of female members is a symbolic step in the move towards full equality in sport and for golf in particular."

Sports minister Helen Grant said: "This is positive news for the sport and I hope we will now see other golf clubs that still have outdated same-sex policies follow suit."

Leicestershire’s two-year drought set to continue against Essex

Leicestershire’s two-year drought set to continue against Essex

 Jesse Ryder justified his elevation to share the Essex new ball by taking five Leicestershire wickets. 

On yet another grim day – in which they were eight wickets down at lunch and already 15 runs behind by the close – Leicestershire took further significant steps towards eclipsing their neighbours Northamptonshire from the record books.

Sunday marked the second anniversary of the county’s last County Championship victory, in the final match of the 2012 summer against Gloucestershire, meaning that if they are unable to win here – which already looks a pretty safe bet – or at Derby next week, Leicestershire will become the first team to go through two full seasons without a win since Northamptonshire before the second world war.

They still have some way to go to match the impressive ineptitude of that Northamptonshire side, who went 99 games without a win between the Mays of 1935 and 1939 – when they ended their sequence one short of a century with an innings victory against, you guessed it, Leicestershire.

This feeble Leicester run is a comparatively modest 30 matches and counting, but it has still become deeply demoralising for everyone involved with a county who were champions twice in the 90s, and won the last of their three Twenty20 Cups only three seasons ago.

Leicestershire are continuing to produce a decent supply of players but are finding them increasingly difficult to keep. In addition to the trio of internationals poached by Nottinghamshire in recent years – Stuart Broad, James Taylor and Harry Gurney – they will lose Nathan Buck to Lancashire and Shiv Thakor to Derbyshire at the end of this season. Ned Eckersley, Greg Smith and the captain Josh Cobb are thought to remain vulnerable to further raids. Even their efforts to sign the Australian bowler Clint McKay are thought to have been frustrated by the big-spending rivals at Trent Bridge.

The situation has prompted Neil Davidson, a former chairman whose eventful tenure ended in bitter acrimony with his last appointment as captain Matthew Hoggard, to stand for re-election to the board. Leicestershire are also hunting for a new chief executive, with Mike Siddall to stand down at the end of the season, and there could be a chink of light in the suggestions that Wasim Khan, the former Warwickshire and Sussex batsman who has won widespread admiration and the MBE for his work with the Cricket Foundation’s Chance to Shine initiative, is interested in the role.

Leicestershire actually started this summer more brightly than last but suffered an early blow when Ramnaresh Sarwan returned for a second season as their overseas player with a back problem. In contrast Essex have received good value from Jesse Ryder as he continues to battle back from injury and personal problems away from the international spotlight. Not for the first time the New Zealander justified his elevation to share the new ball, bowling throughout the morning session from the Bennett end to earn season’s best figures of five for 50 by wobbling the ball both ways at a lively medium pace.

Ryder owed at least a couple of his wickets to David Masters, who bowled manfully at the other end. The 36-year-old is still a thoroughly unpleasant handful on mornings such as this, with grey clouds and a green pitch at a ground he knows better than most. It was undeniably a good toss for James Foster to win, but Dan Redfern put a poor Leicestershire batting performance into context with a sensible unbeaten half century until he ran out of partners shortly after lunch.

Essex still have an outside chance of pinching the second promotion place behind Worcestershire, and their hopes of closing the 22-point deficit on Hampshire were boosted as Kent made 312 for three on the first day at the Ageas Bowl, with Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Northeast reaching unbeaten centuries.

Somerset, for whom Craig Kieswetter made 69 from 80 balls in the Division One game against Middlesex in his first innings since suffering serious facial injuries two months ago, hope to announce their new coach by the end of the week, with the former England coach Ashley Giles among those who have been interviewed in Taunton.

Colombian women’s flesh-coloured cycling kit ‘unacceptable’, says UCI

Colombian women’s flesh-coloured cycling kit ‘unacceptable’, says UCI

 UCI president Brian Cookson tweeted that the Bogota Humana's kit design was 'unacceptable by any standards of decency.' Photograph: Twitter

The design of a new flesh-coloured kit that makes a Colombian women’s cycling team look naked below the waist has been described as unacceptable by Brian Cookson, the president of the UCI.

Photographs of the Bogota Humana team were taken at the Tour of Tuscany, showing six women wearing red and yellow kit with flesh-coloured material immediately above and below the waist. It is unclear if the team intend to wear a similar uniform next week while representing Colombia at the road world championships in Ponferrada, Spain.

After the pictures went viral on social media, Cookson tweeted: “To the many who have raised the issue of a certain women’s team kit, we are on the case. It is unacceptable by any standards of decency.”

Cycling’s governing body later confirmed that it was investigating the issue. “The UCI will be sending a letter to the Colombian federation reminding them of their responsibility … in the control of regional and club team kits that compete in international events,” read a statement.

Among some of the leading riders criticising the outfits was the former Commonwealth, Olympic and world road race champion Nicole Cooke, who tweeted: “This has turned the sport into a joke. Girls stand up for yourselves – say no.”

Rory McIlroy needs break after FedEx excess to recharge for Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy needs break after FedEx excess to recharge for Ryder Cup

 Rory McIlroy shows signs of tiredness after missing out on the $10m bonus in the FedEx Cup at East Lake in Atlanta. Photograph: Jason Getz/USA Today Sports

Rory McIlroy is well enough versed in the success of Tiger Woods to fully appreciate the level of mental intensity associated with the 14-times major winner’s previous dominance of golf. More than that, this year has offered McIlroy a practical snapshot.

McIlroy’s failure to claim the FedEx Cup in Atlanta on Sunday was hardly a disaster. Those who had paid close attention to him in recent weeks would have seen traces of the mental fatigue which is a natural consequence of a stunningly successful summer. By his own admission, McIlroy could not summon the energy for one final tilt at glory. Competing comes at a cost.

McIlroy has only appeared at the FedEx play-off finale twice, this year and in 2012, with opportunities to claim the $10m (£6.1m) bonus attached to victory evading him on both occasions.

“I really wanted to win,” he said. “I really wanted to cap this year off well, even though it’s still been a great year. I was coming in with really high hopes and expectations, and I haven’t quite been able to play the golf to live up to those.

“It’s still been a great season for me and there’s still a little bit of golf left. I’m looking forward to this little bit of time off and getting back at it, maybe next weekend, to get ready for the Ryder Cup.”

The Open and US PGA champion’s year is far from over. McIlroy will compete at the Ryder Cup and in individual events in Bermuda, Dubai, China and Australia before the end of 2014. Sunday at East Lake looked like an important moment, though, with McIlroy feeling the strain of four FedEx events in succession.

“It’s been a long four weeks,” McIlroy said. “You know, if I had to do it all over again, I probably would have taken a week off somewhere in this stretch of tournaments.

“It’s tough because these sponsors that are sponsoring the tournaments and the FedEx Cup play-offs, they’re putting up an awful lot of money to get the best players in the world to their event. Not that you feel obliged, but you want to support the events, you want to show up and give the sponsors something to be happy about and proud of.

“I’ve got a great relationship with BMW and that was probably the only reason why I did play in Denver [at the BMW Championship] last week. But at the same time, if I had to do it again, I probably would have taken a week off just to feel a little fresher coming to Atlanta.”

The back-to-back FedEx series is unlikely to be repeated. It was understood to be the idea of Tom Watson, who wanted a clear break before he leads the United States into the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles from Friday 26 September.

Two years ago, the Tour Championship immediately preceded the Ryder Cup, a matter Watson identified as troublesome during his discussions over the USA captaincy. That is notable, given the number of players who have made it clear that a hectic tournament run this time around has taken its toll.

“I think a week off will do a lot of us a world of good,” said McIlroy, who was far from alone in citing East Lake tiredness. “It really will. As I said already, I don’t want to see my clubs for a few days and I’ll pick them back up again probably at the weekend.

“Having these five days off is going to be big and I think a lot of guys will do the same thing. I don’t think tiredness or fatigue will play a part in the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said. “Now that all this is over, I’ll start thinking about it a lot more over the next few days and obviously get very excited about it. It’s a great way to get right back on the horse and get back at it. It’s always a phenomenal week and I’m sure it’ll be the same this time.”

Saeed Ajmal extended elbow by 40 degrees during ICC bowling tests

Saeed Ajmal extended elbow by 40 degrees during ICC bowling tests

  Saeed Ajmal, right, in action for Pakistan against Sri Lanka during the first Test in Galle last month.
 

The suspended Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal had an average elbow extension of well over twice the allowable limit during testing of his bowling action in Australia last month.

Ajmal recorded an astonishing 40 degrees with a relatively small standard deviation of 2.5 degrees at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, according to a 23-page report on the tests last month. The rules allow for an elbow extension of 15 degrees.

The report says none of the deliveries by Ajmal during the eight overs of testing – some overs were not of the usual six balls – came close to meeting International Cricket Council regulations. During testing, Ajmal bowled off-spin from both over and around the wicket, the doosra, and quicker balls.

Ajmal, the world’s top-ranked bowler in one-day internationals, was suspended by the ICC on Tuesday.

Yorkshire seal first County Championship in 13 years

Yorkshire seal first County Championship in 13 years

 Ryan Sidebottom of Yorkshire celebrates taking the wicket of Chris Read, one of his nine wickets in the game.
Yorkshire completed their surge to a first County Championship title in 13 years as Ryan Sidebottom led the way against his old club Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

The veteran seamer finished with six for 30, and nine wickets in the match, as Yorkshire bowled their hosts out for 177 to win by an innings and 152 runs and confirm the 32nd championship in their history.

It was a personal triumph too for Sidebottom, Yorkshire-born and the sole survivor in this team from his native county’s last title-winning season but also twice a winner in the same competition in his seven years with Nottinghamshire.

Fittingly, Sidebottom took the final wicket when James Taylor looped a shot to the substitute fielder Rich Pyrah, who was on for the injured Gary Ballance, for 75.

Sidebottom put Yorkshire on the fast track with two wickets in successive overs, after Notts had resumed under initially cloudy skies on the final day.

He swung one past the nightwatchman Gary Keedy’s defensive bat to hit off-stump, and doubled up with a more significant breakthrough with the home captain Chris Read caught-behind to a very good delivery which nipped away off the angle.

He and Yorkshire then had to wait another half-hour for their next step to glory, Luke Fletcher pushing forward and edging compliantly to second slip.

Joe Root’s decision to replace Jack Brooks with Adil Rashid at the Radcliffe Road end brought immediate reward, Jake Ball misreading the leg-spinner to go lbw.

Then, shortly after 11.30am, Sidebottom administered the final blow - with his fourth wicket for six runs in 7.2 overs when Taylor advanced to him and smashed a drive on the up straight to point.

Paul McGinley’s five vice-captains are a sign of weakness

Paul McGinley’s five vice-captains are a sign of weakness

 European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, right, joins US captain Tom Watson with the Ryder Cup trophy.
Former world No1 Ian Woosnam is bemused by European Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley’s decision to opt for five vice-captains instead of the usual four and believes it could be a sign of weakness.

McGinley raised a few eyebrows last week when he drafted in 2012 captain José María Olazábal, Padraig Harrington and Miguel Ángel Jimenez to join Sam Torrance and Des Smyth as his deputies for the biennial team event at Gleneagles later this month.

Woosnam said: “I honestly thought he was going to go for four vice-captains. It took me a little bit by surprise when he went for five. I guess he’s trying to get a little bit of advice from everybody but sometimes you can get too much. At the end of the day he’s the one who has got to make the decisions.

“Is it a sign of weakness having that many? It does seem a lot. Maybe he’s trying to get as much experience as he possibly can. He might need a bigger team room, he might as well have 12 vice-captains, one for each player.”

McGinley’s playing record, he has won four times on the European Tour, pales in comparison to United States counterpart Tom Watson who is one of golf’s true greats having collected eight major victories including five British Opens.

However, Woosnam, who was captain when Europe pummelled the US in 2006, believes that the 47-year-old Irishman has got what it takes to deliver Ryder Cup glory.

“Paul may have only won four tournaments but I think he’s going to be well respected by his players. He’s very professional,” said the 56-year-old Welshman. “If you put it in football terms, you don’t always have to be the best player to be the best captain. Not at all.“

McGinley will have four of the world’s top five players in his 12-strong team in Scotland – Rory McIlroy, Sergio García, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose – but Woosnam said no-one should underestimate a US side led by Watson.

“The American team is very well balanced and with Tom running that team, he’s not going to take any nonsense,” he explained. “If Tom Watson talks, you listen – if you don’t there must be something wrong with you.

“He doesn’t like losing, he’s got a great mind, he’s a very intelligent guy and he’ll be working it all out. This is not going to be the walkover everyone thinks it’s going to be.

“Tom’s going to have more authority in that team room. He’s going to say: 'I’m the captain and you’ve got to do what I say.' All the players will have respect for him as captain. He’s going to demand respect.“

On his fellow countryman Jamie Donaldson, who will be making his debut in the event, Woosnam said: “It’s fantastic to have another Welshman in the team. Jamie’s got a great putting stroke, he’s got a lot of bottle and I think he’s going to be a tremendous addition.

“He could play with anyone in the team and I can’t see any faults in his game really. I played with him three or four years ago in an event in Barbados. I didn’t see him as a potential Ryder Cup player back then but he’s come on in leaps and bounds and is now a really solid player.”

Rugby World Cup tickets in high demand

Rugby World Cup tickets in high demand

 Up to one million tickets for the Rugby World Cup are available to fans throughout the official sales window.
Demand for the tickets for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England saw queues on the online ticket system when the sales window opened on Friday morning.

England Rugby 2015 said the computer system was working well but that demand was “high” – and pointed out that fans could wait to submit their application because distribution will be via ballot rather than on a first-come-first-served basis.

Joanna Manning-Cooper, communications director of England Rugby 2015, also warned supporters not to buy tickets from unauthorised secondary websites which are already claiming to have tickets to sell and advertising them for more than 10 times the face value. One site offered a final ticket for £8,870 – the most expensive official price is £715.

Manning-Cooper said: “The site is working very well, there is high demand this morning and there is a queue. Supporters should remember there is no advantage in getting an application in this morning, they can come back at any time during the next 17 days. The site is working but they do not need to sit in a queue.”

Over-subscribed games will be decided via a ballot after the sales window shuts on 29 September.

Prices for adults range from £15 for low-profile group games up to £715 for the best seats at the final at Twickenham. The cheapest adult ticket to watch an England group game at Twickenham will be £75, and £50 for their match against a play-off winner in Manchester.

The cheapest seats for Wales and Ireland matches are £50, but Scotland fans will only have to pay £20 for the category D tickets against Japan and the USA. Tickets for children start ay £7.

Fans have been warned they can be refused entry if they buy them from unlicensed sources under the organisers’ terms and conditions.

The ticket agency Ticketmaster has brought in measures to combat secondary agencies using sophisticated software to flood their website with ticket applications for high-demand games.

Manning-Cooper added: “Our message is – please buy through official channels. That’s the best way to make sure you are buying a legitimate ticket and can go to the Rugby World Cup next year.

England v India: Twenty20 – as it happened

England v India: Twenty20 – as it happened

“Sex without love is an empty experience,” said Diane Keaton in Love and Death. Certainly this was an empty experience, as far as England fans are concerned. An unloved format, an experimental team and nothing on the horizon in T20 cricket.

“But as empty experiences go, it’s one of the best,” is Woody Allen’s reply. That was a genuinely exciting match, falling short of “thrilling” if only for the lack of our emotional investment. Big flashy shots and perfect judgement combined to serve a timely reminder of Eoin Morgan’s immense talent, while the chase was close, featured the best of Virat Kohli and tantalisingly hinted at the prospect of a moment of genius from one of the great limited overs batsmen. No one is going to remember this result a week or so from now, but who cares? That was fun.

Thanks for reading this summer folks. Winter is coming.

6.18pm BST
England win by three runs

20th over: India 177-5 (Dhoni 27, Rayudu 3) Woakes goes short, Dhoni pulls it square and Moeen Ali cuts it off. They jog through for a single but Dhoni and India fall short.

6.15pm BST

19.5 overs: India 176-5 A tie would mean a super over. Oh this is screwed to square leg and Dhoni turns down the single! He wants to win this with a six.

6.14pm BST

19.4 overs: India 176-5 Slower ball again outside off, flat-batted over mid-off and the ball teases its way over the fielder’s head and trickles to the fence. Five needed.

Updated at 6.14pm BST

6.13pm BST

19.3 overs: India 172-5 Slower ball outside off stump, pulled and Dhoni turns down the single. Presumably Morgan’s fine is over rate related.

6.12pm BST

19.2 overs: India 172-5 Dhoni has struggled with the short ball so god knows why Woakes went full there. Short and it’s pulled away, fielded by Ali and Dhoni runs two. He’s happy to sacrifice Rayudu’s wicket, which he doesn’t as Buttler fumbled the run out. Brilliant from Dhoni.

    Eoin Morgan has been fined 50% of his match fee...
    — Andy Wilson (@andywiz) September 7, 2014

6.09pm BST

19.1 overs: India 170-5 Woakes to bowl then and Dhoni lofts him over square leg for six!

6.08pm BST

19th over: India 164-5 (Dhoni 14, Rayudu 3) Gurney to bowl, which means that Woakes will have to bowl the final over. 26 needed off 12 and Rayudu gets a big thick inside edge trying to slog, that goes down to fine leg for two. Gurney gets a slower ball all wrong and it’s a big wide that Buttler does well to stop. A single follows and then a full toss follows and is smote low over mid-wicket for four. 18 from 9 needed, then a single slammed out to extra cover. A yard either side and that was four. Oh and now Rayudu goes across, misses out with the scoop and although it’s gone past leg stump there’s no wide as that was in line with where he was stood. Dot to finish and we’ll go ball-by-ball. 17 needed from the last over.

6.03pm BST

18th over: India 155-5 (Dhoni 9, Rayudu 0) Rayudu is the new batsman and he can slog ‘em. Dhoni is on strike though and has been hit by Finn again. The captain’s getting a right peppering here. A wild swing by Rayudu can’t get the ball away and it’s just nine from the over. Finn finishes with 1-28 and has bowled very well.

6.01pm BST
Wicket! Jadeja run out 7

Another change of ends and another one-over spell for Finn. Ooh and then a full one, across Jadeja is lofted over Gurney at gully and away for four runs to wide third man. Enough of the full stuff, I reckon, so he drops short and hits Dhoni on the shoulder with a slower bouncer as the captain looks to hook. Oh and now Jadeja has been run out by a yard! He turned for a second that was never on and Finn had plenty of time to whip the bails off.

5.56pm BST

17th over: India 146-4 (Dhoni 8, Jadeja 1) That was the perfect yorker length, the one that India’s seamers were searching for to Jordan and Bopara but kept missing and turning into full tosses. Jadeja is the new man and he gets a single from the final ball. Five runs and one wicket in that over; no boundaries in the last three for India either.

5.53pm BST
Wicket! Raina b Gurney 25

England took 67 runs from their last four overs. India need 40. Tense stuff if you’re watching so think how Harry Gurney must feel: he’s going to bowl at least one, probably two of them. First Raina and then Dhoni look to clump him into the on-side but neither can connect with it cleanly and it’s just a pair of singles from the first two balls. Down the track comes Raina but Gurney follows him well, tucks him up and there’s just a single. Outstanding bowling this from Gurney and the crowd are suddenly very quiet. Oh and now he’s sent down the perfect yorker to bowl Raina!

5.48pm BST

16th over: India 141-3 (Dhoni 6, Raina 23) We’ve slated England’s seamers for being over reliant on short stuff before, but that was an excellent over from Finn, entirely in his own half of the pitch. Dhoni here dances down the track and hits it with such intent that he seems to want to end Tredwell’s career in one hit. He scuffs it though and they only get one. Finn nearly has Dhoni here though as a great throw bounces just over the stumps with Dhoni caught short looking to scamper. The captain makes it home, just about. Really good bowling this from Tredwell, just five runs from the first five balls, and indeed just a single off the last. England are back in this.

5.44pm BST

15th over: India 135-3 (Dhoni 3, Raina 20) With 50 needed to win, MS Dhoni – who has never scored a T20 50, proving that he’s rubbish at limited overs run chases – comes to the middle. Raina picks up a pair of singles punctuated by the wicket (the batsmen crossed) before Dhoni works a couple to square leg. Much better stuff from Finn.

Also a mea culpa:

    @DanLucas86 that tweet from Jack Shantry re Moeen was sarcasm. (no Warks fan has an issue with Moeen)
    — Elizabeth (@legsidelizzy) September 7, 2014

I refuse to believe anyone has ever missed sarcasm on Twitter.

5.41pm BST
Wicket! Kohli c Hales b Finn 66

I have just realised that Kohli now only needs 28 more runs to reach 1,000 in T20 internationals. Finn returns and drops short to Raina, who was expecting it but can’t middle it. Oh and now Kohli goes! He comes forward to the short ball and swipes it up in the air, Hales coming in from the boundary to take the catch. 66 off 41 balls for Kohli.

5.38pm BST

14th over: India 130-2 (Kohli 66, Raina 18) Ali is back on. Kohli gives him the charge and, with mid-wicket still vacant, thumps entirely with the bottom hand through that region for four. Ooh but he’s got away with one here, top edging just wide of leg gully for a single. Four for Raina now driven over extra cover, plus three more singles and India need just 51 from the last six. 41 from 24 balls this partnership is worth.

5.34pm BST

13th over: India 118-2 (Kohli 60, Raina 12) Woakes again and Kohli takes a single from the first ball. Raina takes one of his own before Kohli nudges into the on-side for two to reach his first 50 of the summer, his 9th in this format, from 34 balls. He’s a lucky man though as a thin inside edge off a slower ball goes past the stumps and down to the long leg boundary. Four more next up, guided through point and then a big wide down the leg side. Woakes isn’t happy that was called as Kohli was dancing around, but that wouldn’t have hit a fourth set of stumps. A single and it’s 14 from the over.

“As this is the last international of the summer, what will OBO writers be doing to avoid withdrawal symptoms?” asks John Starbuck. “Mugging up on other sports for the continuous treadmill of news? Or just crashing out? I’ve noticed a lot more people seem to be taking holidays in September-October, so maybe you’ll all be going off-grid for a while and planning your books.” We’ll all be hibernating in Rob Smyth’s basement.

5.29pm BST

12th over: India 104-2 (Kohli 48, Raina 11) After that over the required rate nudged back up to 10, a shift that Raina looks to rectify by stepping down the track and launching six over mid-wicket with a beautiful, clean strike. Four singles added to that and whaddya know? Ten they get from the over. The required rate at the start of the innings was 9; India have their runs at 8.66.

5.26pm BST

11th over: India 94-2 (Kohli 46, Raina 3) One big-hitting left hander goes, in comes another; Suresh Raina is, as we saw at Trent Bridge, a very very dangerous batsman and he gets off the mark straight away. Finn then does very well to get around to a ball hooked towards fine leg aerially and prevent the boundary. Much better over that from Woakes.

Andy Wilson reports that Ravi Bopara is also being booed, so it’s not entirely an India-Pakistan thing. I’m tempted to say we should put the whole ugly issue to bed now, but it’s not on, it goes beyond b***** and really is a nasty side of the game. I saw some of it from the Barmy Army when I was at Old Trafford and it feels like cricket does tend to ignore the issue of abuse a bit.

5.21pm BST
Wicket! Dhawan b Woakes 33

Finally! Dhawan goes as he looks to launch a straight one out the ground. He misses, Woakes hits leg stump. That partnership seriously needed breaking and broken it is, Dhawan going for 33 from 28.

5.19pm BST

10th over: India 89-1 (Kohli 45, Dhawan 33) Down the track to Tredwell comes Kohli and he lofts a lovely drive over extra cover for four, to move on to his highest score of the summer. India know exactly what they’re doing here, getting the boundary early in each over and then working the singles. Although there should have been another wicket here as Tredwell loses his grip and sends down a waist-high full toss, but Dhawan only picks out the man at deep mid-on.

Incidentally the booing of Moeen has sadly not abated.

    Cheer who you like. If you have to boo, boo. But booing someone as their folks are from somewhere different than yours is a shit weasel move
    — Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) September 7, 2014

5.16pm BST

9th over: India 81-1 (Kohli 39, Dhawan 31) Moeen Ali from the other end and England’s spinners are racing through their overs. Kohli goes down on one knee and releases whatever pressure Tredwell had built with a big slog-sweep over mid-on for six. England don’t have a mid-wicket fielder for the right-hander against an off-spinner, Sourav Ganguly notes. A single ends the over and that’s ten from it.

5.13pm BST

8th over: India 71-1 (Kohli 31, Dhawan 29) England need a wicket soon and James Tredwell is the latest man to be turned to. Just four singles from it and, while there’s no wicket, that’ll be a huge relief for England.

“People booing Moeen are assholes but when people booed Jadeja that was just banter? Would love to know how you’ve worked this out,” writes Henry Hempstead, who has clearly never read anything I’ve ever written. For one, he thinks that the booing is for the same kind of reason and secondly he think I’m the kind of person who uses the word banter. Or has ever echoed that sentiment ever.

    @legsidelizzy Its an India-Pakistan thing @DanLucas86 @Marriotti67
    — Abhi (@karash3) September 7, 2014

5.09pm BST

7th over: India 67-1 (Kohli 28, Dhawan 28) So India win the powerplay, but “at this stage” comparisons are as unhelpful at this stage as ever. Kohli dabs the new bowler Bopara down to third man for four then nudges into a gap for an excellently run two. Kohli then takes a single before Bopara drops short and gets swung away for four more by Dhawan. Round the wicket then and that’s a dreadful leg-side wide. This is awful bowling as it’s a packed off-side field and fine leg is up. One more to deep mid-wicket makes 14 off that over.

5.05pm BST

6th over: India 53-1 (Kohli 21, Dhawan 23) Finn comes back into the attack from the other end. A lovely swivel-pull from Dhawan as Finn drops short, coming over the wicket to the left hander and bowling straight, bringing four runs as the ball races past fine leg, who is up. A pair of singles and a leg-bye, then a big hoick over square leg for six more by Dhawan brings up the 50. Too much short, straight stuff from England for the field they have set.

5.00pm BST

5th over: India 40-1 (Kohli 19, Dhawan 12) Gurney has the honour of a second over bestowed upon him. Kohli likes the look of Gurney and is clumping him around the ground but can only find fielders. One of them is Moeen Ali, who is booed again. I’m told his was booed by the Indian fans at Trent Bridge too, which is really not on and makes those doing it arseholes. Dhawan has more success against Gurney and launches one off his pads, over square leg for six. The final ball is driven through backward point for two more.

4.56pm BST

4th over: India 30-1 (Kohli 18, Dhawan 3) Eoin Morgan likes his one-over bowling spells doesn’t he? Chris Woakes, a man who gives us all hope of playing international cricket, is on. He strays on to Kohli’s pads and gets clipped square and low for four over square leg, the ball bouncing just in front of the rope. It’s consecutive boundaries as Woakes drops shorter but remains leg-side and gets shovelled around the corner and over the top for four more by the right-hander. Kohli steps away, gives himself room and makes it three fours on the spin, creaming a full one through extra cover. The batsman misses out on a big pull and gets a slower one into his mid-riff though. Twelve off the over.

4.51pm BST

3rd over: India 18-1 (Kohli 6, Dhawan 3) Change of bowling as Adam Lallana lookalike Harry Gurney comes into the attack. There’s no fielder out at deep mid-on, which feels like an oversight in the powerplay overs of a T20 to me, and Kohli clumps it out there for four runs. He looks to do the same next ball but doesn’t middle it and the ball dribbles back to the bowler.

4.47pm BST

2nd over: India 12-1 (Kohli 1, Dhawan 2) A huge roar from the crowd as the man seen as the face of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli, comes to the crease. He’s had a shocker of a tour so far. He gets away from the strike with a nurdled single. Ali drags one short and wide to Dhawan, but he can only pick out the fielder. A quick single and that’s the over.

4.45pm BST
Wicket! Rahane b Ali 8

Spin from the other end in the form of Moeen Ali, bowling ahead of Tredwell as he did in the last ODI. He begins with a wide, bowled round the wicket and down the leg side. Straighter next and a slog sweep from Rahane flies flat, a long way over backward square leg for six. He tries to repeat the shot next time, stepping across his stumps and gets bowled behind his legs by a quicker one!

4.42pm BST

1st over: India 3-0 (Rahane 2, Dhawan 1) Steve Finn is the man with the new ball. Rahane guides his first ball down to third man for a single. There’s a chance of a run out as Dhawan looks to be struggling to make the non-striker’s end after punching one down the ground but the throw doesn’t hit. Another single to third man then Finn gets away with a wide, floaty half volley that Dhawan can’t get more than a thick inside edge on. Just the three singles from a very good over from Finn.

4.36pm BST

Here come the Indians. This would be their highest ever successful T20 chase outside of India. 176 is the record, I believe.

4.32pm BST

While we’re on stats, thanks to Andy Wilson who notes that Morgan’s seven sixes equals the record for an England player in an international T20, set by Ravi Bopara in Hobart at the start of the year.

4.31pm BST

You can never really write India off, I suppose, but no one really thought this was a 180 pitch before the start of play. It was dry and dusty this morning and it’s the same pitch the women played on earlier, so scoring shouldn’t have been that easy. India’s problem was that their seamers didn’t use it: in the last five overs there were far too many full tosses and as such 81 runs were plundered from them.

4.29pm BST

    The 4 catches by Ajinkya Rahane equals the most catches taken by a fielder in a T20I match. Four other fielders have also done it #EngvInd
    — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) September 7, 2014

4.21pm BST

Right that looks like a match-winning total to me. India’s bowling went to pieces in the last five overs and it was only Karn Sharma who went for under 8.75 an over. Morgan and Bopara were quite brilliant out there.

4.20pm BST
20th over: England 180-7 (Bopara 21)

The batsmen crossed so Bopara is on the strike. He times a lovely shot from the low full toss over mid-on to bring up 170, the ball bouncing just inside the rope, then slashes through extra cover for four more. Full toss on the pads and it’s flicked over square leg for another six! India’s bowling has gone down the pan here. One ball left. Bopara misses, England look to run one to the keeper and Dhoni runs Woakes out.

4.16pm BST
Wicket! Morgan c Rahane b Shami 71

This is apparently the most sixes England have ever hit in a T20. Shami starts with a good full ball to Bopara, keeping them to a single. That’s probably not great for India actually, as it brings Eoin Morgan on strike. Full toss and it’s slapped down the throat of long-off! Bah! That was a good catch, the ball was flying at pace, and Morgan goes for 71 from just 31 balls. Brilliant innings from the captain.

4.14pm BST

19th over: England 165-5 (Bopara 6, Morgan 71) My apologies, Shami bowled that last over. If you refresh the page it’ll correct now. Mohit is bowling this one and Bopara shuffles across and scoops a straight ball around the corner for four. A single brings Morgan, 55 off 27, on to strike. Make that 59 off 28 as he backs away and slaps a cut through cover point for four more. 170 should be the target from here for England and Morgan top edges a massive miles up in the air... and it comes down over the straight boundary! Six more! Round the wicket, slower ball... and it’s launched over cow corner and into the crowd! What an innings this is! 66 off the last four overs.

4.08pm BST

18th over: England 144-5 (Bopara 1, Morgan 55) The batsmen crossed while that was in the air, depriving England’s Saviour Ravi Bopara (TM) of the strike. Still, the batsmen exchange singles so he won’t mind that too much. Nor will he mind this lovely straight drive from the man at the other end, Eoin Morgan, which flies down the ground for a flat six. This may only be a pointless slog – Bumble just described this as a Champions League warm-up, which is depressing – but he’s looking much better in this format and moves to 50 with a drive to mid-on. Shami offers width and it’s flicked hard over extra cover for a one-bounce four by Morgan.

4.05pm BST
Wicket! Buttler c Rayudu b Shami 10

Shami returns and sends down a useless full toss, which Buttler slaps down the throat of the man at deep mid-wicket. 10 from 15 balls not ideal from the man who can’t spell either of his names properly.

Updated at 4.09pm BST

4.03pm BST

17th over: England 130-4 (Buttler 10, Morgan 42) Karn to bowl his final over. Buttler gives him the charge but can’t middle it, unlike Morgan who pulls over mid-wicket for six more. This is much more like the Morgan we know and love as that takes him to 33 from 20 balls and the partnership to a more respectable 35 from 28. The batsmen exchange singles then Morgan, who, unlike Buttler, has played predominantly off the back foot, gets two to mid on. And then he rocks back and hits six more over mid-wicket!

4.00pm BST

16th over: England 113-4 (Buttler 8, Morgan 27) Holy moly! A misfield off the first ball means four runs straight down the ground and then a proper agricultural slog over mid-on goes for six. Before this over, the partnership was worth a horrible 21 from 35 balls. Four singles and that’s more like it from England.

More on the booing of Moeen Ali earlier.

    Shame Mo got roundly booed at Edgbaston. Some Warwickshire fans obviously still annoyed about his move to Worcester.
    — Jack Shantry (@JackShantry) September 7, 2014

3.57pm BST

15th over: England 99-4 (Buttler 6, Morgan 15) Ah here is Karn Sharma. Two overs, 1-8 so far. The problem for England is that they need these two to be at the crease at the death, so they can’t take many risks now, hence there just being two sixes and one four since the powerplay. One dot dot one dot one goes another excellent over. Morgan got himself in a horrible mess hacking at the fifth ball and getting nowhere near it.

3.54pm BST

14th over: England 96-4 (Buttler 5, Morgan 13) I like the look of Karn, he’s a clever bowler. He’s been hooked though, Jadeja coming back. Shout for LBW against Morgan with the left-armer coming over the wicket but it was sliding down leg. A two, then a one for Morgan and that’s lovely from Ravi Jadeja.

3.51pm BST

13th over: England 93-4 (Buttler 5, Morgan 10) Two fielders are out on the reverse sweep for Morgan! Ridiculous. Singles off each of the first three balls of Ashwin’s over, then a dot, before Buttler top-edges a reverse sweep narrowly over backward point. There’s some comical sliding and fumbling by Rayudu on the boundary and they run two, before we check a run-out appeal. Buttler’s home comfortably enough and they get two more.

3.48pm BST

12th over: England 86-4 (Buttler 0, Morgan 8) What do you know? A set middle-order batsman gets out for England in an ODI. Buttler comes in, probably three or four overs earlier than you’d like. Morgan drives a crisp single, then an appeal for a stumping as a top-spinner fizzes past Buttler’s outside edge. There was a question over whether or not he’d overbalanced but the umpires decide not to check.

3.46pm BST
Wicket! Root c Rayudu b Karn 26

Karn foxes Morgan with the googly and the batsmen scamper for a leg bye. Oh but then Root gets a top edge on his slog sweep and Rayudu, charging in from the boundary, takes an excellent catch.

3.44pm BST

11th over: England 84-3 (Root 26, Morgan 7) Now, here’s a man who could really, really use some runs. Cap’n Morgan looked woefully out of touch in the ODI series, getting tangled up and falling into traps far too easily. This is more like it though as he gets off the mark with a slog sweep over mid-wicket for six. Dhoni puts three men out on the sweep and Morgan can only get a single as he looks to repeat the shot next ball. ‘Tubthumping’ comes on the PA and is still playing when Sky get back from an advert break.

3.41pm BST

10th over: England 76-3 (Root 25, Morgan 0) “Safe, safe, safe,” was the call from Hales and in fairness it took remarkable judgement from Rahane. The end of a good innings from Hales but England will want these two to hang around a while.

3.39pm BST
Wicket! Hales c Rahane b Jadeja 40

Width from Jadeja but India’s outfielding is excellent and they can’t get the boundary. A pair of twos are followed by a single, well stopped by Jayudu, but then a huge slog sweep over mid-wicket by Hales brings his third six of the match. That was a lovely clean hit, oh but then he tries to goes straight down the ground, skies it and Rahane runs around and takes a marvellous catch on the dive!

3.37pm BST

9th over: England 64-2 (Root 19, Hales 34) Ashwin now for his second over. Hales advances down the track and whacks him over the top to cow corner, but there’s a man out there. The fielder fumbles but England only take the single. Indeed five singles are all they do take off the over.

3.34pm BST

8th over: England 59-2 (Root 16, Hales 32) Jadeja’s introduction means it’s spin from both ends. Root is looking to advance down the track to him and gets two then one from the first three balls. A single to Hales and then Root, for the second time this over, is denied a run by some good backward point fielding. Oh and then Jadeja is called for overstepping. England can’t get the free hit away though and it’s just six from the over.

3.31pm BST

7th over: England 53-2 (Root 12, Hales 31) We’re going to get out first look at Karn Sharma now. He’s bowling right-arm over and has a very fast, whippy action. His arm comes over very, very quickly and England can only nudge a single from each of his first three deliveries. The fourth is a dot but Hales cuts the fifth behind point for four. Just seven from the over.

3.28pm BST

6th over: England 46-2 (Root 10, Hales 26) Mohit again and a wide slower ball is chopped backward of point for four by Hales. Given that the one over of spin so far got tonked, could Dhoni regret using up his seamers this early in the innings? Hales steps back and looks to launch it over mid-off, but doesn’t quite connect cleanly and the ball plugs into the outfield. The batsmen jog a couple and then Mohit narrowly misses Hales’s glove with a short one. Couple more singles and that’s the powerplay done.n You feel England will be disappointed with it after that first over.

“Yes Dan, I’m here,” writes John Starbuck reassuringly. “I would have been in touch earlier but I had to deal with a phishing email purporting to be from BT. In case anyone else reading is susceptible, the giveaway is that they included an attachment (asking for personal details, naturally), which BT don’t. You have been warned.

In other news, after that beginning, it only gets better for James Taylor doesn’t it? He must be preparing for a vice-captaincy on the Sri Lanka tour and full captain in Australia, having made a pretty good fist of it for Notts this season. OK, they haven’t won either of the short forms but they got closer than most, which argues for consistency.”

3.23pm BST

5th over: England 38-2 (Root 9, Hales 19) Hm, when I said 155 was a ludicrously low prediction, I may have made a fool of myself. Hales nudges a single down to mid-on. Shami then strays on to the pads and Root clips it square through the leg side to the boundary. That prompts a blast of ‘Call Me Maybe’ from the PA, meaning I’ll be singing it all afternoon. That should be it for Root as he top edges a hoick into the leg-side, but there’s a mix-up between the two fielders and he’s very badly dropped. A single from the final ball makes seven from the over.

3.19pm BST

4th over: England 31-2 (Root 4, Hales 17) 17 off the first over then but since then seam has very much blunted England’s batting. It was a really poor shot from Ali, pushing limply with his hands well away from his body. Root gets off the mark with a lovely clip off the pads through mid-wicket for four, stepping nicely across to give himself room to play the shot on the on-side. Mohit then beats him with one that shapes away ever so slightly, and then beats him again with a slower ball. Four runs and a wicket from an excellent over.

3.15pm BST
Wicket! Ali c Rahane b Mohit 0

Mohit continues and gets one to stick in the pitch a bit. Ali plays a wafty drive and it loops up to Rahane at extra cover. That pleases the predominantly Indian crowd, who for some reason booed Ali as he came to the crease.

3.13pm BST

3rd over: England 27-1 (Ali 0, Hales 17) That’s a real shame, Roy is such a wonderful player to watch. Still, speaking of wonderful players to watch, local boy Moeen Ali is in. He survives his final ball and that’s an excellent over from India.

3.12pm BST
Wicket! Roy c Rahane b Shami 8

Change of bowling as Shami comes on. Sky have put WASP at a ludicrous 155. Ha! Roy looks to launch him out the ground but doesn’t connect properly and it only trickles away for one. Another single to Hales but then Roy drives straight to the man at extra cover. Hope you enjoyed watching him bat in international cricket this year.

3.07pm BST

2nd over: England 24-0 (Roy 7, Hales 16) Mohit Sharma is the man to bowl from the other end, after the lack of success had with spin in the first over. First ball brings a shout for LBW but Roy is well outside the line of off-stump. Doubt it would have hit either. There’s a risk next up as the batsmen dash through for a leg bye and Hales is lucky that Mohit’s throw misses the stumps. Good stuff this from the bowler, with just that leg bye coming from the first four balls. Hales looks to clump the fifth square but it’s fielded by the man at leg gully. The last ball though is in the slot and slogged straight back over the bowler’s head for a big high six.

3.02pm BST

1st over: England 17-0 (Roy 7, Hales 10) Dhoni has five spin options in the team today. England have three, one of whom is Joe Root. Roy will face first and reverse sweeps his second ball through backward point for four. He punches the next ball through cover point but a mix-up means they only get two runs when three were probably on, but then again these two won’t have batted together much at all. A single through square leg then Hales cuts through cover point again for four. Round the wicket comes Ashwin and Hales slog sweeps him over square leg for six!

2.59pm BST

Here we go then. Edgbaston is baked and packed. Ashwin to open the bowling on a dusty pitch.

2.57pm BST

    No Taylor today isn't a surprise. Called it as soon as @ECB_cricket said he could play for @TrentBridge if the semi went to the reserve day.
    — Jos Roberts (@RobertsJos) September 7, 2014

We were just saying the exact same thing. Given he was allowed to play while Hales and Gurney weren’t, I imagine he was only ever in this squad as injury cover. Still, I reckon the 50-over game is his forte.

2.56pm BST

“I saw Karn Sharma in the 50 over game v Middlesex, he was ace,” writes our own Andy Wilson. “Little bloke, all whirly arms. He’s played lots of IPL obviously but that just exposes my ignorance.” Indeed, Andy. How could you not recognise the twirly Indian spinner who bowls in the IPL. It’s not like the tournament is packed with them or anything.

Karn’s T20 record is indeed excellent. 21.60 average at 122.96 with the bat and he’ll be as low as nine today. From 60 matches he has 44 wickets at 23.88, with an economy of 7.1 and a strike rate of 20.1. If he was English, he’d be batting two places higher.

2.51pm BST

Stat! Albeit not the most interesting we’ve ever posted.

    India need to beat England today to retain the #1 position in the ICC #T20I ranking If they lose Sri Lanka will be #1 & India #2 #EngvInd
    — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) September 7, 2014

Is anyone out there? Starbuck, McMahon, Hazelhurst, Copestake... even Naylor. You’ve all forsaken me.

2.43pm BST
England

AD Hales, JJ Roy, MM Ali, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, JC Buttler†, RS Bopara, CR Woakes, JC Tredwell, ST Finn, HF Gurney
India

S Dhawan, AM Rahane, V Kohli, AT Rayudu, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, KV Sharma, MM Sharma,Mohammed Shami

2.35pm BST

The toss then. Eoin Morgan wins it and will have a bat on a wicket that looks “very used”. James Taylor is left out because of course he is, as is Chris Jordan. “Is difficult to find a balance between picking James Taylor and picking a side to win the the game?” asks Nick Knight. Ouch.

MS Dhoni would have batted first, an obvious decision on this wicket. Kumar and Yadav are out of the side, Karn and Mohit Sharma in.

2.26pm BST

The early news is that Eoin Morgan has handed Jason Roy his cap, confirming that the Surrey man will open the batting today. We’re also going to be introduced to our fourth Sharma of the series: Karn Sharma will make his international debut. He’s a lower-order all-rounder, by the looks of things, who, according to Cricinfo, is a wrist spinner who bowls the googly as his stock ball.

2.16pm BST

Earlier today England’s women won their T20 international against South Africa by eight runs. Lauren Winfield, who scored 74 from 60 balls, was the star as England racked up a paltry 126-6 from their 20 overs, but 2-18 from Jenny Gunn and some economical, if wicketless, bowling from Danielle Hazell saw England home.

2.00pm BST

Preamble

Afternoon folks. Big, meaty, enduring: India’s 2014 trip to England has been the the Terminator of tours. Their first match was on June 26th at Leicester and now, 73 days later, the T-101 hauls its [SPOILER] severed exoskeleton* through the generic pneumatic* crushing machine towards its inevitable expiry.

73 days ago not every Hollywood celebrity you ever loved was dead and England were at a nadir in Test cricket. They eventually stuttered into life, helped by some appalling cricket from the Indians and came away with a 3-1 victory, but only after being humiliated on a green top at Lord’s. 73 days ago world news was marginally less depressing and hellish and England were terrible at 50-over cricket. They eventually stuttered into life with a resounding win at Headingley on Friday, but only after being pummelled and thrashed out of contention in the five-match series. 73 days ago, England’s record in their last five T20s read LWLLL in stark contrast to India’s WWWWL.

The difference is that this is the only T20 in the series and as such there’s no time for England to come from behind in the format. Opening with a stuffing here means there’s no second chance, what with England’s next T20 falling on June 23rd, so the players know that this is their best chance to nail down a spot for that all-important Only T20 International Against New Zealand At Manchester In Nine Months’ Time.

Oh who am I kidding? Play begins at 3pm. This is just for a laugh, isn’t it? England are likely to look remarkably similar to the side that won the final ODI on Friday. Jason Roy will probably come in as Cook’s replacement at the top of the order, which will excite anyone who’s seen him bat for Surrey this year (677 T20 runs at a shade under 50, with a strike rate of 157) and his partnership with Hales has the potential to recreate the success of Lumb and Kieswetter in England’s World T20 win in the West Indies. Moeen Ali should continue at three while Eoin Morgan’s awful form has been rewarded with the captaincy in the ongoing absence of Stuart Broad. Ravi Bopara, so pointlessly discarded from one-day cricket, returns for the lesser form of the game and should slot in at seven, while Jimmy Anderson’s place is likely to go to either Jordan or Gurney. Probably the latter. James Taylor, the form player in List A cricket this year, is in the squad but the selectors don’t appear to like him for whatever reason, given how many years they’ve been ignoring his form and obvious talent. Looks like he don’t got a friend after all.

Cricket India v/s England T20:Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting puts England just out of India’s T20 reach

Cricket India v/s England: Eoin Morgan’s six-hitting puts England just out of India’s T20 reach

 Eoin Morgan hits out on his way to 71 off 31 balls in England's Twenty20 victory over India at Edgbaston. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Even Kevin Pietersen, whose ghost has been ever present through this turbulent international summer, could not have scripted a better climax than this.

Eoin Morgan made a spectacular return to form with 71 off 31 balls, Steve Finn offered further evidence of his heartening recovery from the trauma of last winter and Harry Gurney and James Tredwell also underlined their right to be taken seriously with intelligent bowling at the end.

But still India, roared on by the boisterous majority of a capacity 24,000 crowd on a glorious September Sunday, needed four off the last ball of their long tour to secure a tie and with it a Super Over – and the man facing was MS Dhoni, who had enhanced his standing as captain cool (and perhaps slightly arrogant) by turning down two singles in the last over to ensure that he maintained the strike, even with the specialist batsman Ambati Rayudu at the other end.

There was an undeniable sense of anti-climax as Chris Woakes held his nerve, cramping Dhoni for space so that he could do more than hoik the ball along the ground to deep square-leg for a single. The worthy Warwickshire all-rounder might have become the least popular local hero in cricketing history, although that did not worry England one jot as he was surrounded by bouncing red/orange/pink jerseys.

This may have been a one-off game which on the face of it mattered little but it was a fine win for a developing England team and allows the new coaching regime headed by Peter Moores to claim two wins in their three series against India – and means they have at least avoided losing five out of six for the summer, after the ignominious whitewash by Sri Lanka back in the spring.

“It’s great to be a part of games like this – that’s why you play the game,” said Morgan, who had made only 192 in his previous 10 innings for England this summer but offered a timely reminder of his unique ability amid the first chunterings about his one-day place. “To finish such a tough summer on such a high is very important.”

He hit seven sixes, equalling the previous England record in a T20 match set in Hobart in January by Ravi Bopara, who also played a significant part in the plundering of 81 off the last five overs here. Earlier Jason Roy had reverse swept his second ball for four as he and Alex Hales took 17 off the first over from Ravichandran Ashwin, but was then tied down by Mohammed Shami and chipped tamely to cover. That was the first of four catches for Ajinkya Rahane, the best of them sprinting in from long-on to dismiss Hales for 40 from 25 balls.

Rahane failed with the bat but India were threatening to cruise to victory when Virat Kohli made his first significant contribution of a miserable personal tour, stroking 66 from 41 balls. He had a couple of lives but his luck ran out when Finn returned for the 15th over and had him coolly caught by Hales in the deep.

Tredwell then completed his excellent spell, Gurney yorked the dangerous Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja was run out after an amusing mix-up with Dhoni. But a thrilling finish remained, with India’s captain launching the first ball of Woakes’ last over for six. “He inside-edged it for six,” said Morgan. “That’s how dangerous a player Dhoni is. So for Woakesy to execute after that against one of the best in the world was fantastic.”

Less pleasing was the loud booing for Moeen, and to a lesser extent Bopara, whenever they were involved in the game. “We all got booed today,” said Morgan, and Dhoni also refused to be drawn. But it left a sour taste, nevertheless.

India cricket news:MS Dhoni refuses to condemn India fans for booing England’s Moeen Ali

India cricket news:MS Dhoni refuses to condemn India fans for booing England’s Moeen Ali

India’s MS Dhoni, left, said he turned down singles in the final over as Ambati Rayudu ‘is not used to batting at six or seven’. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images

MS Dhoni refused to condemn the booing of Moeen Ali by India supporters in his home city of Birmingham for the second time inside a week during England’s narrow Twenty20 victory.

England’s captain Eoin Morgan said he had not been aware of the jeers, joking that “We all got booed” by the vast majority of a capacity 24,000 crowd who were supporting India. But the boos were loud and unmistakable whenever Moeen was involved in the game whether batting during a brief innings or later bowling and fielding – and Ravi Bopara, the other British Asian in the team who is of Indian rather than Pakistani descent, also received milder abuse.

When asked whether he would condemn the booing at his post-match media conference, Dhoni pointed out that Ravindra Jadeja had received similar treatment through the Test series after his clash with Jimmy Anderson in the Trent Bridge pavilion. “It is the last match of the tour, let us not have a controversy,” said the India captain.

Dhoni was also unapologetic for his attempt to win the match single-handed in the last over, when he twice refused singles to maintain the strike despite the presence of Ambati Rayudu, a specialist batsman, at the other end. “Rayudu had just come into bat and he’s not used to batting at six or seven – it’s very difficult,” said Dhoni. “He didn’t really middle a lot of deliveries. I hit the first ball [of the last over] for six, so I thought it was a better option. It’s important to back yourself, that’s my speciality, you have to take the onus. In this game it didn’t really pay off.”

Morgan praised the composure shown by Chris Woakes after conceding that six and also had warm words for Steven Finn, his Middlesex team-mate who has ended the international campaign with notable performances in the last match of the 50-over series at Headingley on Friday, and then in the crucial closing overs at Edgbaston. “Seeing where he was in the winter, and being very close to him at Middlesex, I know how low he was and how high he is now,” added the Irishman. “It’s brilliant to see him back in full flow.”

Cricket:Australia name Mitchell Marsh and Steve O'Keefe for Pakistan series

Australia name Mitchell Marsh and Steve O'Keefe for Pakistan series

Steve O’Keefe and Mitchell Marsh have been included in the Australia Test squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. The uncapped duo were named on Monday in a squad which also includes all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

Incumbent Alex Doolan and Phillip Hughes will battle it out for the No3 spot in the batting order. In other news, George Bailey has stepped down as Australian T20 captain and been replaced by Aaron Finch.

Hughes will travel to the UAE earlier than his team-mates to work on his batting against spin with coaching consultant Muttiah Muralitharan.

“Phil has been in excellent form and has been rewarded with a place in the Test squad,” said head selector Rod Marsh. “His attitude to his game has been first rate and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity.”

Selectors named just three fast-bowlers – Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle – in the Test squad.

Captain Michael Clarke and Shane Watson have both been named for the Test and ODI squads and will be aiming to prove their fitness, having been ruled out of the recent ODI tour of Zimbabwe.

Australia will play two Tests, three one-dayers and a sole T20 match against Pakistan in the UAE in October and early November.

Test squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Alex Doolan, Phillip Hughes, Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Johnson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.

ODI squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Sean Abbott, George Bailey, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Cameron Boyce, Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.

Roy Hodgson defends England’s tepid display against cautious Norway

Roy Hodgson defends England’s tepid display against cautious Norway

Roy Hodgson has suggested England may be forced into playing “like Norway” in Monday’s awkward Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland, with the national manager and his captain, Wayne Rooney, admitting the team must perform better if they are to prevail in Basel.

The Manchester United striker scored his 41st goal for his country, a second-half penalty, to defeat a stubborn Norway team and hoist himself above Michael Owen into outright fourth place on the all-time England scorers’ list. He did so in front of the lowest crowd for an England match at Wembley, 40,181, since it was re-opened in 2007. The hosts dominated possession but laboured for long periods despite securing a first win in six matches, with Rooney conceding they “all could have done better”.

Hodgson was prickly through his post-match media duties and was particularly infuriated when it was pointed out his team had mustered only two shots on target: the penalty and a shot from the substitute Danny Welbeck, which was saved by Orjan Haskjold Nyland. “Don’t give me that one,” he said. “Two shots on target? What about all the ones they threw themselves in front of, or the near misses? Don’t hit me with statistics. When we had that much possession, and you talk about two shots on target? We’re not scoring a lot of goals at the moment but we’re not playing against teams who come out against us a lot.

“This team will score goals. They’ll score goals. Rooney will score goals. Welbeck will score goals. [Daniel] Sturridge will score goals. [Raheem] Sterling will score goals. Switzerland will need to beat us. If anything, we might be Norway on Monday. We might be pushed back and won’t be able to attack and dominate for long periods, as we did tonight. I don’t know. But it might be the case. I don’t think the mindset of the Swiss team, playing us in Basel, will be the same as the mindset of the Norwegians today.”

Yet, while patience will be required with his inexperienced lineup, there remain serious doubts over the partnership between Rooney and Sturridge. The latter arguably appeared more comfortable playing alongside Welbeck and with the excellent Sterling switched to a central No10 role over the latter stages. The new captain’s performance was rather peripheral, reflecting his form for his club, with England struggling for long periods to offer much encouragement to those who had attended the friendly fixture.

“In the first half we moved the ball quite well,” said Rooney, who converted the penalty awarded when Omar Elabdellaoui tripped Sterling. “The second half we started really sloppily, which was disappointing, but we got the win in the end. The young players in the team will learn. We’re all still learning. Raheem Sterling is a threat, he gets at players. It doesn’t always come off but he’s an exciting player to watch. We all could have done better, but it’s a night where it was important to win.”

Hodgson, asked about his captain’s display and whether he may consider playing Welbeck alongside Sturridge instead in Basel, said: “The fact is it was a big night for Wayne, with a lot of responsibility weighing on his shoulders, not least with the penalty, which he knew he had to score to secure the win. It’s early days. If every time we play I’ve either got to praise a player to the skies or criticise a player and say a partnership is not going to work, that’s a bit harsh. Wayne will tell you he can play better than that. Of course he can. We know what kind of player he is. But you’re not always going to give the best performance and you don’t become a bad player if you don’t put in the performance you wanted.

“I thought the performance was quite good. I was pleased with the first half, when we probed well and had good movement. I was disappointed with the start of the second half when we didn’t do anything like as well for the first 15 minutes, but then we changed things, changed the formation slightly, and finished the game strongly. Yes, I was happy with Danny Welbeck and he was very lively when he came on. And when Sterling moved into the centre he showed the full range of his dribbling ability, so it’s nice to know we have these options and won’t be totally restricted to one way of playing.”

Hodgson is confident Gary Cahill, who was substituted near the end and applied ice to an ankle, will be fit for the game against Switzerland – ranked ninth in the world to England’s 20th and Norway’s 53rd – with John Stones, on his first start, having suffered cramp late on. England will be without Jack Colback, however, after the Newcastle midfielder failed to recover from a calf problem and returned to Tyneside for treatment.

“We’ll find it hard to bring attendances back to a very high level because of the opponents we’re playing in qualifying – they won’t be exciting the public,” said Hodgson, with games against San Marino, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania and the Swiss ahead. “They’re not the kind of teams who normally attract full houses. But if my team works as hard as they did tonight, show the appetite and desire, the aggression in the defending, the exciting moves that were there for all to see, then the crowd aren’t foolish.

“They know what they’re seeing. They’ll come back to see Sterling, Sturridge and [Jack] Wilshere. These players have the potential to lead us forward and excite football crowds. Although I risk being in a group of one, I have been watching football for a long time and nothing you say will change what I see.”

Charlotte Edwards steers England to T20 success against South Africa

Charlotte Edwards steers England to T20 success against South Africa

 England's captain Charlotte Edwards hits out during her matchwinning innings against South Africa. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The England captain Charlotte Edwards notched another unbeaten half-century as England’s women moved into an unassailable 2-0 lead in their Twenty20 series against South Africa with a 42-run victory at Wantage Road.

Edwards, who made 62 not out in Monday’s encounter at Chelmsford, bettered that effort on Wednesday by posting an unbeaten 75 off 61 balls after the home side won the toss and opted to bat. In all, it was her fourth successive 50.

That knock helped steer England to 141 for three, and they subsequently bowled their opponents out for 99 in the 19th over, the Proteas collapsing after making it to 47 for the loss of one wicket. The final five wickets fell for 15 runs.

Dane van Niekerk top-scored for the tourists with 34, while Jenny Gunn caused the most damage with the ball, finishing with figures of three for 13. Heather Knight and Anya Shrubsole took two wickets apiece and there were three stumpings from Sarah Taylor.

South Africa’s flying start came thanks to some bold batting in the powerplay, but England were impressive thereafter.

Edwards said: “Our fielding was exceptional when it needed to be and in the end I was delighted to win.”

Standing up to the quick bowlers, Taylor’s reflexes were a revelation behind teh stumps. The 25-year-old said of the game: “I think it was good for us to get that little bit of hammering in the first six overs and wake up and start playing the cricket we’re used to playing. It was a bit of a wake-up call that this game wasn’t going to be easy and they weren’t going down without a fight.”

Mignon Du Preez, the South Africa captain, was disappointed the Proteas struggled to maintain the tempo they set early on. “We need to be much more consistent throughout the innings,” she said. “But we have a third match at Edgbaston on Sunday and we’re hoping to continue the progress we have made.”