The announcement that the world snooker championships would remain at Sheffield's Crucible theatre until 2045 was not just a surprise... it was a major relief for a neglected northern giant.
Bell insists that time batting against the red ball is still fundamental to the modern player. He emphasizes the value of scoring runs in first-class cricket and how it sets you up, learning how to bat, how to build hundreds, and how to stay out there for multiple sessions.
In the city where a few handfuls of rupees were melted down to make the original Calcutta Cup, it was Scotland who lost their shape when the heat started to rise and the pressure to build. England won by five wickets and though it was, in the end, emphatic it was not exactly a rediscovery of peak form, even if Tom Banton appeared to have located his with a 41-ball 63 that powered his team to victory.
After a measured start from the tourists, Root anchored the innings with his trademark composure on his way to a 20th ODI hundred. He shared a crucial stand of 126 with Jacob Bethell before Brook joined him midway through the innings. As Root reached his century at a run-a-ball pace, Brook went on the offensive. The England captain launched a brutal assault, racing to three figures from just 57 deliveries.
