Bell: Batting became easier with escalating scrutiny over my place August 2, 2015 RESURGENT England batsman Ian Bell revealed that escalating scrutiny over his place in the side provided the clarity of judgement which prompted a return to form during last week’s third Investec Ashes Test. Bell scored 53 and 65 not out as England dispatched Australia by eight wickets at Edgbaston to take a 2-1 series lead, [...]
Lloyds share price falls as profits come in below expectations while total PPI bill surges July 31, 2015 Shares in Lloyds were down 2.21 per cent this afternoon to 83.81p per share after profits missed expectations and it announced a £1.4bn provision to cover the cost of mis-selling payment protection insurance (PPI). The figures The state-backed bank said pre-tax profit rose 38 per cent to £1.19bn in the six months to the end of [...]
Improving Wedding Vow can cause Nassau upset July 31, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS SATURDAY’S RACING AT GLORIOUS GOODWOOD WHEN declarations were made yesterday for tomorrow’s Nassau Stakes (3.10pm), I was surprised to see all three Coolmore-owned fillies stand their ground. That said, Aidan O’Brien has had more non-runners than runners at Glorious Goodwood this week, so it wouldn’t come as a total shock if either [...]
Jimmy injury fear deflates victory surge July 31, 2015 FEARS that seamer James Anderson could miss the remainder of the series soured an otherwise assertive bowling display which left England on the brink of victory in the third Investec Ashes Test at Edgbaston yesterday. Fellow fast bowler Steven Finn continued his international renaissance with the fifth five-wicket haul of his Test career to leave [...]
Barclays boss John McFarlane looks to cut costs despite profit rise in bid to streamline bank July 30, 2015 Barclays, Britain’s largest bank after HSBC, yesterday delivered £3.1bn of pre-tax profits for the first half of this year, boosted by a 36 per cent rise in the performance of its investment banking arm, which chipped in almost half the total. The investment bank made £1.44bn pre-tax profit. John McFarlane, who joined the bank as [...]
England seize control after seam attack routs Aussies July 30, 2015 ENGLAND’S James Anderson highlighted the role played by bowling coach Ottis Gibson after the seamer rediscovered his most potent form to dismantle Australia on the opening day of the third Investec Ashes Test yesterday. Anderson, who went wicketless in the second Test at Lord’s as the tourists levelled the series at 1-1, looked far more [...]
Wood in bits over Ashes debut July 30, 2015 England new-boy tells Ross McLean he’s still adjusting to toll of Test cricket WIDE-EYED England seamer Mark Wood admits Test cricket has him hooked despite the unrelenting fervour of an Ashes series being incomparable to anything he has experienced in his career. The 25-year-old right-arm fast bowler announced himself on the international stage earlier this [...]
Finn on the road to Australian redemption July 30, 2015 IF PERFORMANCES within Ashes series go some way to defining Test careers then rejuvenated England seamer Steven Finn will be relieved to have started healing scars from his last brush with Australia. In 2011, Finn usurped Sir Ian Botham to become the youngest Englishman to reach the milestone of 50 Test wickets, while his two [...]
Ashes 2015 third test: We have plan for Jonny Bairstow in third test, warns Michael Clarke July 28, 2015 Australia captain Michael Clarke insists his side have devised a plan to prevent county cricket run-machine Jonny Bairstow from replicating his blistering domestic form in the third Investec Ashes Test at Edgbaston, which starts today. Read more: Interactive – Where will England's runs come from? England responded to their 405-run mauling in the second [...]
Chris Tremlett’s cricket comment: Resting Mark Wood for Steven Finn robs England of variety July 28, 2015 Should England opt to rest seamer Mark Wood and recall Steven Finn, I fear that their bowling unit might lack variation in what is a pivotal five days against Australia at Edgbaston. Read more: Tremlett – A big score from Ian Bell is just round the corner Whether it was an ankle injury [...]