Mark Nicholas

Alastair Cook has got used to feeling of the axe hanging over him. Only his team-mates can save England now

Uniform pitches are a problem all over the world. They all play much the same. It is crucial that the indigenous qualities of surfaces in their various climates and conditions are allowed to flourish

The hosts appeared to play with a different attitude at Trent Bridge. No longer was there a sense that the game owed them. They just got on with it and Alastair Cook played the match with a smile on his face

Mark Waugh often said there was no such thing as a flat pitch in Test cricket and that the best bowlers would find a way. On the third day at Trent Bridge, Ishant Sharma found that way, adapting like England had not managed

Richards, Hadlee, Chappell, Tendulkar and Lara have all featured in charity matches organised by a legendary British broadcaster and a banker at a private ground in Oxfordshire

With two balls remaining at Lord's, Nuwan Pradeep was saved by an inside edge (and the DRS). A little over a week later, with two balls remaining at Leeds, James Anderson fended a bouncer to decide the series

One of the great Test innings by Angelo Mathews, typical of his outstanding record as captain, has put Sri Lanka on the brink of a famous win

Cricket is still the fire in Geoff Boycott's belly. His passion is undimmed and each moment of each day is watched, analysed and forensically thought through before the burst of opinion is unleashed

To be playing a 100th Test at the age of 32 is a walloping achievement. Better still, the very best of "Belly" may be yet to come

In a match to highlight all that is great about Test cricket Kumar Sangakarra showed his class and without him Sri Lanka were done for

Much was new about England at Lord's - from personnel, to batting order, to slip catchers - but not everything is clear about their thinking

One-day internationals are the filling in cricket's sandwich, but the game's rulers are giving it a dull taste

National boards need to create an environment where open discussion about dodgy behaviour and whistle-blowing is encouraged

As England make a fresh start under a new regime, it's up to the captain to find a way to make his players cherish the national cap once again

Cricket - batting specifically - defines Jonathan Trott, which makes his continued suffering all the more painful

More power to Sri Lanka, whose cricketers have again reinforced what the game means to their nation

Picking a team is a tricky job, and recently England have botched it more often than not. It helps to have a captain who understands the importance of star players

Not many will forget this unwavering leader who set the agenda during South Africa's most challenging era

No other bowler in the world today could have won the match in Port Elizabeth so suddenly and with such effect

Whole batting line-ups have been laid to waste by the raw pace and confidence of Australia's fast-bowling leader