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Drama in the Netherlands saw the Dutch progress at the expense of Sarina Wiegman's side, despite a hammering of neighbours Scotland

There are unlikely heroes and then there is Damaris Egurrola. England spent most of their Tuesday evening thinking that they had done enough to make the UEFA Women's Nations League finals. The Lionesses had to better the Netherlands' win over Belgium by three goals in order to overturn their inferior goal difference and, until stoppage time in Tilburg, it seemed like mission accomplished. But then Egurrola, the Dutch holding midfielder who is hardly a renowned goal-scorer, netted twice at the absolute death against Belgium to render Lucy Bronze's seemingly decisive header irrelevant. England had beaten Scotland 6-0, but their Nations League and Olympic dreams were over.

For most of the evening, it wasn't actually that dramatic. Poor marking allowed Alex Greenwood to head home a corner on 13 minutes before three goals at the end of the half had Sarina Wiegman's side top of Group 1 at the break. Lauren James' first took a hefty deflection, her second was a stunner and then Beth Mead scored her first England goal in 15 months to make it four.

Fran Kirby made it 5-0 early in the second half after fantastic work from Georgia Stanway and then there was a nervous wait. As Scotland grew into the game and shored up, while being kept at bay brilliantly by Mary Earps at the other end, Belgium managed to keep the Netherlands' lead at just two, despite Dutch pressure. Any change in scoreline would've been seismic.

And then it all came at once. The Netherlands' third, to send them top, was bettered just seconds later by Bronze's header, to send England top, and then, as the Lionesses stood in a nervous huddle on the Hampden Park pitch, Egurrola's second in four minutes saved the Dutch in the most dramatic fashion. It will be they who join Spain, France and Germany in February's finals, while the reigning European champions are left to reflect on what is ultimately, despite the fine margins, a disappointment and a failure of a campaign.

GOAL rates England's players from Hampden Park…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (8/10):

Did brilliantly to thwart Hanson when she pounced on a mistake in the England defence in the second half, then made an outstanding stop in stoppage time.

Lucy Bronze (8/10):

Battled well, always looked to create when she got forward and scored a dramatic goal at the death.

Esme Morgan (6/10):

Good on the ball and swept up well at the back when needed. Nearly made a costly error in the second half but was bailed out by Earps.

Alex Greenwood (7/10):

Broke the deadlock with a precise header. Fantastic in possession and made a vital block to stop Scotland pulling one back.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

Got up the pitch well and created chances.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Keira Walsh (7/10):

Knocked the ball around well, often kickstarting attacks. Created a great chance for Mead with a stunning pass, too.

Georgia Stanway (7/10):

Pressed well. Fantastic assist for Kirby's goal.

Fran Kirby (7/10):

Wasn't always found when she picked up good positions but certainly was by Stanway for her goal, having drifted into the box brilliantly.

GettyAttack

Beth Mead (7/10):

Great corner delivery for the opener. Showed fantastic composure to net England's fourth.

Lauren Hemp (6/10):

Good movement leading the line. Missed a sitter at 1-0, though, and should've had another in the second half.

Lauren James (8/10):

Scored two goals in two minutes to give England real hope, with the second an absolute beauty.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ella Toone (6/10):

Was quiet in her 25 minutes off the bench, but delivered a peach of a cross for Bronze's header.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Came on at the same time as Toone but couldn't impact the game much.

Sarina Wiegman (7/10):

Made positive changes to the team at Wembley and put out an XI that attacked brilliantly, just falling short. There is a wider conversation about the failure of this Nations League campaign but, on the night, there wasn't much more she could do, bar more changes later on given talents like Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly were left unused.

Australia Under-19s’ new-ball pair of Jhye Richardson and Henry Thornton shared three wickets apiece to set up a crushing win against England Under-19s in the second ODI – the 1000th Youth ODI – in Bunbury

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2015Scorecard Australia Under-19s’ new-ball pair of Jhye Richardson and Henry Thornton shared three wickets apiece to set up a crushing win against England Under-19s in the second ODI – the 1000th Youth ODI – in Bunbury. The win helped Australia level the five-match series 1-1.Opting to bat, England collapsed to 109 in 45.2 overs, with only three players managing double-digit scores. The slide started in the first over when Richardson removed opener Joe Weatherley for 4 and followed it up with two more wickets by his fifth over. England were 29 for 4 at that stage, having lost a wicket to Thornton as well.While Richardson and Thornton had been incisive at the start, Guy Walker and Riley Ayre ensured there was no release. The two bowlers picked up a couple of wickets each, Ayre finishing his spell with miserly figures of 10-4-10-2.For England, Callum Taylor resisted from one end, scoring a patient 50 off 111 balls, but he did not find any support from the other end. But for his two stands of 20 and 26 with Ryan Davies and Jared Warner respectively, England would have struggled to reach 100.Australia had no such hiccups as a 66-run opening stand between Jaron Morgan and Sam Heazlett, in 11.5 overs, set them on the quick road to victory, with Sam Harper and Jake Doran seeing them through in the 26th over.

Morgan’s 86 helped Gazi Tank Cricketers clinch their maiden Dhaka Premier League title when they comfortably beat Prime Doleshwar by 60 runs on Friday

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2013Eoin Morgan’s presence in the Dhaka Premier League wasn’t much of a surprise given the number of international players in the domestic one-day tournament. His run of low scores was, however, inexplicable. In the end, it was Morgan’s 86 that helped Gazi Tank Cricketers clinch their maiden title when they comfortably beat Prime Doleshwar by 60 runs on Friday.Morgan was named the Man of the Match, receiving a rice-cooker as an award. He had totalled just 70 runs in his first four innings since arriving in mid-November, including getting run out for a duck in his previous innings against Mohammedan Sporting Club. He became slightly thoughtful when the query was about any worry on his part for not getting a big score.”Batting is a very funny game where you have lot of downs and very few ups,” Morgan said. “Today it was an up for which I am very grateful and to score runs and winning to become No 1 is all good news. You try as hard as you can for every game and today it just happened to be me who scored.””In the first couple of games I was unlucky, but today it was the most important game and we came across the line and became champions. I think, after the openers, and [Mahmudullah] Riyad and I really batted well. I have not made a lot changes but it was just that I was much positive and from there my mindset was just good.”The 101-run fourth-wicket stand between Morgan and the Gazi Tank captain Mahmudullah changed the course of the game. It took them from a relatively ordinary position in the 31st over to one of strength. Morgan and ten Doeschate then smashed a few to take the score to 295, a solid score considering the occasion and Gazi Tank’s bowling attack.Mahmudullah later credited his bowlers, particularly paceman Rubel Hossain and young left-arm spinner Naeem Islam jnr who dismantled the impressive Doleshwar line-up.”Rubel [Hossain] bowled well up front, followed by Naeem [Islam jnr],” Mahmudullah said. “It was the foundation of our win. We got regular wickets, and enforced the win. It was a total team effort throughout the league.”I was away on international duty after the first six games. Imrul [Kayes] led the side in some big games and did a very good job. We won a few more games after I returned. We made progress at every match. We have a very experienced coach in Sarwar Imran who worked a lot with the younger players. We had a lot of performers like Imrul [Kayes] and Raqibul [Hasan , Tendo and today there was Morgan.”Despite their strength in name and numbers, it was Doleshwar who were considered a close contender. In their previous encounter, it was Doleshwar who kept their nerve in the rain-affected game.”We knew that their team spirit was good,” Mahmudullah said. “They played very well at this ground to beat us in the first round. We needed around 30 runs in five overs with seven wickets in hand. Today we needed to take early wickets even after making 295 runs because they have a strong top-order.”The next domestic tournament in Bangladesh could be either a Twenty20 tournament organised to give the national cricketers some practice as they build towards the 2014 World Twenty20s at home, or either of the two first-class tournaments – National Cricket League and Bangladesh Cricket League.

Shane Watson has said captaining Australia in his first match back from an extended injury lay-off helped him think less about his temperamental body

Daniel Brettig at the SCG26-Feb-2012Shane Watson has said captaining Australia in his first match back from an extended injury lay-off helped him think less about his temperamental body. The 87-run defeat of India at the SCG was Watson’s first match as captain of Australia, and he looked at home leading the hosts despite a remarkably thin resumé as a leader prior to this.Watson was aware he might be leading the team on match-eve, as he awaited the latest update on Michael Clarke’s tender back. In his first international game since November 2011, he found that when he was in the field, his thoughts, which usually revolve around his fitness and flexibility, were now shifted towards team imperatives. It helped his bowling, which was neatness itself; he claimed 2 for 9 from five overs.”The last few weeks and months have been very frustrating,” Watson said. “I’ve had a few false starts coming back, so to be able to play first of all and get through it is another day down and another day that my body adapts to doing what I want to do with it. Also to have the captaincy in my first game back took my mind off my body.”I didn’t have time to think about what was going on with my body; I was thinking about not only where I wanted to bowl but also where the fielders were and who was going to bowl at the other end, so it was actually a good distraction.”My effort balls were getting into the late 130s [kph], which is my normal pace with my effort ball, so I felt the most comfortable I have over the last two-three weeks.”The last time Watson played India, Australia were knocked out of the World Cup by them, in Ahmedabad. The Sydney ODI was Watson’s first encounter with the unhappy and ineffective unit that conquering team has deteriorated into over the course of the Australia tour. He said a lot had changed between the World Cup and now.”It was nice that there was a bit of pace and bounce in the pitch, compared to Ahmedabad,” Watson said. “But a lot has passed since then, especially during the Test series; you could see that watching it from afar. Things do change, times do change and playing at home as well is a big advantage,”Definitely [confidence levels are] very different. To see the way a few of their guys got out tonight; throughout the period of time they were doing so well guys like Virat Kohli and [MS] Dhoni were scoring big runs pretty consistently, as well as Sachin [Tendulkar] and Virender Sehwag.”So for a few of those big guns to miss out pretty consistently through this whole summer is something you don’t really see with this Indian team because normally one or two of those guys are getting big scores in the majority of the games. I think that’s really where they’re lacking compared to when they are at their best.”Watson does not yet know whether Clarke will be fit in time for Australia’s final group match, against Sri Lanka on Friday. But he does know that in the time he has been away Australia’s fortunes have risen, and his priority now is to find a spot in Australia’s Test side during the West Indies tour, wherever one might be found.”To get out and play is the most exciting thing for me, wherever I fit in, whether it’s opening or not. I’d love to be able to bat in the top order, there’s no doubt about that, but in the end I just want to fit in because what I saw from afar [from the Australia team] was very impressive.”Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Jesse Ryder, who strained his calf during New Zealand’s recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe, has said his leg is on the mend and he hopes to be fully fit in time for the Australia tour in December

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Jesse Ryder, who strained his calf during New Zealand’s recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe, has said his leg is on the mend and he hopes to be fully fit in time for the tour of Australia in December. He is not keen on giving up his part-time bowling duties to prolong his career, as was suggested by his captain Ross Taylor.”The calf is good,” Ryder said at a New Zealand Cricket event in Auckland. “I have just spent two-and-a-half days up in Napier, with the Firebirds [Wellington’s first-class team] physio, trying to get it right. At the moment I’m pretty happy with where it is at, and hopefully I get to play next week in the Plunket Shield.”It will be good to have a bat. I’m definitely keen to get a hit out there before hopefully getting selected for the Aussie tour.” New Zealand are scheduled to play two Tests in Australia in the first half of December.”I’m definitely keen to bowl,” Ryder, who bowls medium pace, said. “It’s just that, through a few injuries, I haven’t really had the strength to bowl.”He had picked up the calf injury while bowling during New Zealand’s practice game ahead of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe. “I hadn’t bowled for five months so it probably wasn’t my best idea to take the ball, I shouldn’t have been bowling in the first place. So I won’t be bowling [again] till I’m fully fit and strong.”Ryder has been prone to injury. He had missed the ODI leg of the India tour in November 2010 as well after straining his calf muscle. Before that, he had picked up injuries to his elbow, groin and abductor muscle. During the latest injury break, he worked on his overall fitness too, at Billy Graham’s boxing academy gym in Naenae.”I went down there most of the winter and learnt a few boxing skills,” Ryder said. “I’m feeling pretty good at the moment. It was something I wanted to do myself.”I’m always going to be looked at as being overweight. Fair enough, that’s just people’s opinions. But I know I’m fit enough to play cricket, spend a day in the field, bat for a day … It’s the bowling that has got me in trouble a bit, just with my [lack of the required] strength.”

Division Two leaders Derbyshire continued to struggle on a rain-affected second day of their Championship match against Northamptonshire

22-Aug-2012
ScorecardDivision Two leaders Derbyshire continued to struggle on a rain-affected second day of their Championship match against Northamptonshire despite Dan Redfern’s half-century.Northants were eventually bowled out for 400 in the morning as David Willey smashed an unbeaten 60 off just 62 balls, with Tony Palladino taking 5 for 82 for Derbyshire. The visitors then lost wickets regularly as they closed on 163 for five with Redfern scoring 70 after being dropped early in his innings.Northants began the day on 311 for 6 with James Middlebrook resuming on 50 and wicketkeeper David Murphy on 16. Murphy, however, could only add four runs to his overnight total before he edged Palladino to his opposite number Tom Poynton in the seventh over of the day.Middlebrook moved on to a composed 71 before David Wainwright’s terrific delivery turned viciously and clipped his off stump. But Willey was to complete an explosive half-century off 50 balls batting from No. 9 as Northants’ tail continued to wag.Palladino then forced Lee Daggett to edge to Poynton before he sealed the eighth five-wicket haul of his career when he trapped Jack Brooks lbw to end the hosts’ innings just before lunch.Daggett was brought on in the 12th over of Derbyshire’s reply and with his very first ball he pinned Australia international Usman Khawaja lbw for 16. Matt Lineker followed him back to the pavilion for 20 in the next over when he left Willey’s straight delivery and the ball crashed into his off stump.Redfern was then dropped on 6 by Murphy off the bowling of Daggett before rain briefly forced the players off. They emerged for another five overs before play was suspended again but this was just enough time for Northants captain Andrew Hall to dismiss Wes Durston by trapping him lbw.The latest delay prompted an early tea with the visitors on 79 for 3 and yet another shower brought a third stoppage of the day five overs into the evening session. After half an hour, play resumed yet again and Redfern went on to make the most of his second chance as he completed a half-century off 93 balls.But he walked when he edged Middlebrook to Murphy before the same combination did for night-watchman Palladino, who went for a five-ball duck. Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen then survived the final four overs and will resume tomorrow on 37 with his latest partner Ross Whiteley yet to score.

Day Three report from Middlesex v Surrey at Lord’s

Alex Winter at Lord's14-Apr-2012When Jon Lewis’ departure to Surrey was hastily announced during last season’s Cheltenham festival, there was a collective lowering of shoulders from the Gloucestershire members. Their constant for 17 years, the last reminder of their glory years, was to leave. They were also losing their 17th highest wicket-taker of all time.But Gloucestershire could no longer afford Lewis. And Lewis deserves every penny he can get. His first five-for in Surrey colours was another demonstration of his wonderful execution of a simple modus operandi. It moved Surrey close to their first win over the Thames for 17 years.That they can see the winning line is down to a bold half-century from Rory Hamilton-Brown. He sought not to wait for the ball that had claimed so many others during the day but played in swashbuckling fashion. He poked and missed at three balls outside off from Corey Collymore. Enough of that. Down the pitch to lift him over mid on; another swing brought four over the slip cordon; as did a thumping drive to the grandstand fence. Six boundaries he struck in his 49-ball fifty.It was the second counterattacking knock of the day for Hamilton-Brown. In the morning he added 27 to his overnight total as Surrey worked their way towards parity. But finally Tim Murtagh took a wicket – in his 26th over – and Middlesex took a 34 run lead.But little could they add to that lead and Hamilton-Brown’s intent could prove the difference. Tom Maynard came out with the same gameplan in the second innings – also his natural method. Three fours in his 12 steered Surrey to strong favouritism with 46 to knock off on day four.But positivity nearly undermined the chase before it began. Steven Davies and Zander de Bruyn cut firmly straight to off side fielders as Middlesex sensed a way back under the skin of their neighbours. That after Jacques Rudolph was lbw to Toby Roland-Jones as Surrey slipped to 22 for 3.”The game isn’t dead yet because there’s plenty left in the wicket,” said Lewis, whose haul has put Surrey on the brink of consecutive victories. He found the dents in the surface that offered seam movement and a touch of low bounce.Lewis took five for 41 during a wild afternoon where Middlesex lost nine for 77. The soft early-season Lord’s pitch was described as “not good enough for the home of cricket” in a tweet by Surrey bowling coach Martin Bicknell.Something wasn’t right as 19 wickets fell during day three. The first two days of this match claimed 15.The ball continued to swing around but the three-day old surface offered deliveries just fuller of a good length a little zip. Lewis became impossible to play from the Nursery End. Slipping two deliveries onto the pads of Neil Dexter and Corey Collymore but finding a touch of bounce and seam as Gareth Berg – who received the best delivery of the innings – Ollie Rayner and Toby Roland-Jones – taken superbly by a diving Jacques Rudolph – all fell to catches behind the wicket.Lewis’ spell saw Middlesex, who had been 65 for two, bowled out for 106. Sam Robson again battled away at the top of the order – against Lewis and Zander de Bruyn first up, the latter introduced to take pace off the ball; the quicker bowlers being easier to play with a new ball in hand.De Bruyn was no experiment either. He enticed Joe Denly into a horrific swish before lunch that gave a catch to slip and had Chris Rogers repeating the trick with the third ball after the break. Lewis then reeled off six single figure scores – including his run out of John Simpson backing up.

Shane Shillingford, a non-playing member of the West Indies team that toured India two years ago, believes that he can make an impact and spoil Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test in Mumbai next month

Renaldo Matadeen23-Oct-2013West Indies offspinner Shane Shillingford, a non-playing member of the West Indies team that toured India two years ago, believes that he can make an impact and spoil Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test in Mumbai next month.”We are the underdogs but we have great players that do the basics well and we are going to give Sachin and the team a run for their money,” Shillingford said.Shillingford, who watched his team struggle against India from the sidelines in 2011, has endured several promising regional stints for Northern Windward Islands, and he now comes into the Test squad as one of West Indies’ pivotal spinners. His performances have even kept out limited-overs star, Sunil Narine.”It was difficult to come to India and not play some years ago but I watched carefully and learned from the sidelines,” he said. “They have passionate crowds and it can be tough at times but since then, I’ve honed my craft and taken notes.”Shillingford is entrusted with the spin responsibility, along with Veerasammy Permaul, and indicated that he has been researching India’s pitches.”I took a lot of notes of how Indian bowlers vary their pace under these conditions and pitches. I monitored (Ravichandran) Ashwin a lot and I cannot wait to come and assess the conditions for myself. Then I’ll adapt.”With Test series wins over Bangladesh and Zimbabwe recently, Shillingford believes West Indies’ gradual progress up the ICC rankings signals more optimistic times. Against Zimbabwe, he was named Man of the Series, and he admitted that there was an extra element of pressure on him.”This pressure is something Saqlain [Mushtaq] helped prepare us for with his spin clinic in Barbados recently,” he said. “This course taught us about inspiration, tactics, physical and mental preparation and I’m looking forward to implementing these things in India.”To gear for his return to the subcontinent, Shillingford revealed that he had been boosting up his original skills as a spinner via the techniques that Saqlain taught him, and by learning from his team-mates such as Narine, Permaul Samuel Badree.”I have to work at this spinning spot because I want to be a key member in the Test team. It’s an honor and with consistency, we’ll make it further up the rankings. India is a big occasion but I feel we can rise above this challenge.”Despite India boasting a formidable batting line-up, Shillingford maintained that West Indies had enough firepower in their bowling ranks to quell the explosive opposition, and that the coach, Ottis Gibson, had outlined a series of plans for the players to stick to.

Daniel Christian, the sometime Australia allrounder, is expected to sign with Victoria for next summer after falling out of favour with South Australia

Daniel Brettig19-Apr-2013Daniel Christian, the sometime Australia allrounder, is expected to sign with Victoria for next summer after falling out of favour with South Australia.Currently playing in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Christian is under contract to the Redbacks for 2013-14 but will be released, allowing him to move across to the Bushrangers.The move is likely to allow South Australia to recruit the Victoria allrounder Andrew McDonald, who requested a release from his own state contract after deciding that at 31 it was time for a change of scene.The Bushrangers had been hesitant to allow McDonald’s departure unless they could find another utility player to aid their team balance, and have also knocked back Aaron Finch’s release request as he entertained an offer from New South Wales.Similarly, Christian is looking for a fresh start and an improved performance after a season that did not enhance his reputation – on the field or off it. He started last summer with a berth in the Australian Twenty20 squad plus sporadic opportunities in the ODI side. However an indifferent start to 2012-13 for South Australia pushed Christian further down the queue.His stock sank considerably in November when he was suspended by the Redbacks for repeatedly losing his temper and damaging the dressing rooms upon being dismissed, a sequence that came to light after he was overheard outside the WACA changerooms during the Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia that month.Once the suspension was concluded, Christian struggled to regain his place, and following another disciplinary run-in, this time a reprimand for obscene language during a domestic limited-overs match against New South Wales in Adelaide, he was not selected again.McDonald, meanwhile, has fallen into an unfortunate pattern of suffering injuries whenever an Australian call-up has seemed likely. He made a storming start to 2012-13, cracking a swift century against the Warriors in Perth that caught the eye of the national selector John Inverarity, who named him captain of the Australia A side against the touring South Africans and hinted strongly that McDonald was close to the Test team.However a serious hamstring injury sidelined McDonald soon after, and he spent the rest of the summer recuperating, only returning to the game in the IPL for RCB this week. In 2010-11, Australia’s poor Ashes summer, McDonald also started well but suffered calf and hand injuries that kept him out for the rest of the season.

Jonathan Trott helped settle a slightly nervy England as they closed in on a famous series victory in Nagpur, reaching the close of the fourth day with a lead of 165

The Report by Andrew McGlashan16-Dec-2012
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jonathan Trott dug in for a vital, unbeaten half-century that pushed England towards safety in the match•BCCIJonathan Trott helped settle a slightly nervy England as they closed in on a famous series victory in Nagpur, reaching the close of the fourth day with a lead of 165. He and Ian Bell added 67 for the fourth wicket after India had given themselves a glimmer by removing Kevin Pietersen shortly after tea with England’s advantage still less than 100. Now England are a solid morning session away from their goal.While India’s bowlers did a respectable job on a pitch that refused to break up, their approach in the morning session had been bizarre as they plodded along for 13 overs adding just 29 runs before MS Dhoni finally declared with a narrow deficit. Batting so defensively did nothing but take time out of the game, a situation England were quite happy to go along with. Since India lost quick wickets yesterday evening their only hope has been third-innings panic, which has happened in the past when a draw is the favoured result.When Pietersen fell, inexplicably shouldering arms at Ravindra Jadeja as Trott did in the first innings, England were tottering on 94 for 3 and Dhoni’s hopes were far from dead. Due to the scoring rate of less than two an over – England did not break that barrier until the 62nd over – the lead had not been carried far away from India and the one batsman thought most likely to do that was the one walking back.Trott, though, played a superb hand, timing the ball as well as anyone has managed on this docile surface. He was off the mark first ball with a sweep and regularly picked off deliveries through the leg side. There was also a curious route for one of his nine boundaries when the ball slipped out of Jadeja’s hands, during his delivery, and lobbed towards the on side. As Trott was completely within his rights to do he skipped out and smashed the no-ball to the square-leg fence.It was also an innings that created some spice in the match. On 43, Trott went to cut Ishant Sharma and India were convinced there was an edge but Kumar Dharmasena, who had earlier made a mistake in giving Alastair Cook caught behind, was unmoved.Next ball Sharma followed through close to Trott, who responded by blowing a little kiss, and tensions began to grow. At the end of the over there were heated exchanges with the umpires involving Dhoni and Virat Kohli – a likely future India captain, who did not carry himself very well. Meanwhile, a few minutes later, Snickometer (which would not be part of DRS were it in use) did not register any sound.Trott was unmoved and, in fact, probably motivated further. He went to 49 with an off-drive against Sharma, a rare shot on this slow pitch, and next ball had his half-century from 106 deliveries. India, however, were still festering. Towards the end of the day R Ashwin pulled out of a delivery and warned Trott for backing up too far. It belied the growing frustrations.Bell provided solid support following the potentially vital loss of Pietersen. It was an important period for him after a lean series – he will need to continue on the final morning – and he collected runs calmly. There was one moment of fortune when he edged Ashwin through a vacant slip where two balls earlier Virender Sehwag had been stood. The fourth-wicket stand came at almost three an over, a largely unseen rate in this match.The day brought a total of 190 runs, but midway through it did not appear even that total would be reached. After India’s strange approach, Cook and Nick Compton put all their efforts into ensuring against early mishaps for England. Progress was at snail pace but, especially for Cook, there was too much at stake to suddenly try anything too flamboyant.The first boundary of the day did not come until five minutes before lunch, when Compton edged Ashwin to third man, and Cook had reach 5 from 78 deliveries when he slotted away a cover drive.For the second time in the match Cook was removed through an umpiring error from Dharmasena when he played forward to Ashwin and the ball spun past the outside edge. There was a strong appeal, and a noise, but replays confirmed that Cook’s bat had struck the ground and he had missed the ball. It left Cook with a match tally off 14 off 121 balls but it did nothing to dilute the epic nature of his series, which ended with 562 runs.Compton’s solidity alongside Cook has been one of the major plusses to come out of this series. His defence had been firm throughout the afternoon session but in the final over before tea he was given lbw to Ojha. Replays suggested an inside edge but the ball was also caught in the gully so the presence of DRS would only have changed the mode of dismissal.At that point it had been one of the more forgettable days of Test cricket in recent memory, but the final session was far more entertaining for a variety of reasons. There will be debate about how India handled themselves, but at least it showed the passion remained. That has not always seemed the case in this series. England, though, as they had done on Saturday, did not lose their cool and finished the day stronger. They are very close now.