Michael Clarke has arrived back in his home country after leaving Australia's tour of New Zealand to support his fiancée Lara Bingle. Bingle is suing former boyfriend and Australian Rules football player Brendan Fevola over nude photographs allegedly taken during their relationship that were later distributed without her permission.
England drew their pre-Test warm-up against Bangladesh A but another failure for Kevin Pietersen meant they left with the same major problem they arrived with three days ago.
England's women clinched victory in the Twenty20 series against India with a five-wicket win in the third match in Mumbai yesterday, sealing a 2-1 series triumph.
England, leaving nothing to chance, have turned to soft beds for the hard battles ahead. It seemed there was nothing for it after their hotel in Chittagong, which looks veritably splendid, proved less than ideal in its sleeping provisions.
Some people might remember Jonathan Trott. Scored a hundred on Test debut to help win the Ashes, intense chap, takes an age to steady himself at the crease, South African by origin, English by adoption, receding hairline.
All to play for down by the sea. A three-day match between Bangladesh A and a side passing itself off as England might not sound as though it will trouble historians in years to come but there are Test places at stake on both sides.
In assembling his maiden international century on Friday, Craig Kieswetter became the second youngest to achieve the milestone for England. He pushed Alastair Cook down to third place and Eoin Morgan, who had entered the list only three days earlier, to fourth. It means that four of the five youngest batsmen to have scored one-day international hundreds for England are playing in the current team. The man in sixth place, Ian Bell, is on the fringes. This would seem to augur well for a bright future, not of limited-overs dominance, but at least competitiveness, which would still be a remarkable leap on the upward curve. Kieswetter was a mere 22 years 97 days when he pushed on the off side for a single that took him to three figures against Bangladesh. Cook was 22 years 239 days when he scored 102 against India in the same match that Bell, at 25 years 132 days, made 126. Morgan was 23 years 173 days last Tuesday in Dhaka while scoring 110; Kevin Pietersen was 24 years 220 days in Bloemfontein on 2 February 2005 when he made 108 against South Africa. But at the top of the chart, nearly 32 years after scoring 114 not out at The Oval against Pakistan at the age of 21 years 55 days, is David Gower. Although one-day cricket was in its infancy (England had played only 30 games since the inception of one-dayers in 1971) the identity of the one from whom Gower took the youngest centurion tag is remarkable. It was David Lloyd, now Bumble to all and sundry, who on 31 August 1974 at 27 years 166 days (he hardly seems much older now) made 116 not out in a seven-wicket win against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.
A Test cap is so close for Michael Carberry now that he can probably feel it touching his head. If he does not get to wear it this Friday in the port city of Chittagong, he may never require a fitting again.
England could conceivably field four new players when the short Test series against Bangladesh begins on Friday. Or then again, the conservative option may prevail among the selectors, meaning that all the uncapped will stay that way. It is likely to be something in between, though nobody knows what or who.
England are likely to find themselves with more fast bowlers than they need after their injury load appeared to ease yesterday. About twice as many in a country where spin is king – or at least the crown prince.
The meteoric rise of Craig Kieswetter reached its natural conclusion here in Chittagong yesterday. Having been plucked from obscurity via South Africa to represent England only two weeks ago, he scored his maiden international century at the third time of asking. It will not be his last.
Craig Kieswetter delivered a maiden international century as England completed a series whitewash over Bangladesh with a 45-run win in the third one-day international.
Michael Vaughan wants South Africa-born cricketers to be disallowed from playing for England. The former England cricket captain said yesterday that he had "a bit of a problem" with South African cricketers switching nationalities to play for England and added: "I would like to see, in an ideal world, 11 complete Englishmen in the team."
The Indian Premier League demonstrated its idea of global reach yesterday by selling the UK rights of its 2010 tournament to ITV4. While there may be relief in some quarters that the competition is at last available, it is fairly certain that there was hardly a queue, either orderly or disorderly, forming to seize the opportunity to screen the grand jamboree.
The last Dubliner to play Test cricket for England was Sir Timothy O'Brien. He had not yet ascended to the baronetcy when he was chosen on the back of having scored 942 first-class runs at an average of little more than 20.
England seamer Stuart Broad looks likely to miss tomorrow's third one-day international against Bangladesh after sitting out today's training session with a back complaint.
Bangladesh have chosen six players with caps at Test level in their A team to play England in the first-class warm-up match which begins on Sunday in Chittagong.
He is the topic of conversation at the heart of the England team. People cannot stop talking about him and the subject of his form will not disappear until and unless the old Kevin comes back. Kevin Pietersen, for it is he, has been granted some breathing space. England have won the first two one-day internationals in Bangladesh and in the second two nights ago a new star announced himself in the shape of the supremely inventive Irish left-hander Eoin Morgan.
After spending the best part of the summer unwanted on the sidelines, Scott Styris was delighted to get New Zealand across the line in the opening Chappell-Hadlee one-day international against Australia in Napier yesterday.
England are pushing the boundaries of limited-overs cricket on this tour of Bangladesh. Not only did they, improbably, field two off-spinners in the second one-day international but they have also selected two wicketkeeper batsmen in both matches.
When David Beckham passed through Manchester Airport in a previous era, United used to insist that he wear a blazer and tie. Travelling with Milan is an altogether more casual affair but, while the attire has changed, the television cameras, flash-guns and crowds thrusting forward autograph requests must have seemed eerily familiar. The “Becks Factor” was back in Manchester.
The euphoria that followed Saturday's FA Cup quarter final victory was quickly replaced by the resumption of Portsmouth's countdown to relegation. Cameron Jerome's first-half goals extracted early revenge for Birmingham for their weekend defeat, while Avram Grant's side were left with a reminder that their time in the Premier League is almost certainly drawing to a close.
What had promised to be an uncomfortable hour or so in the company of Ellis Short today will now be a rather less fraught affair for Steve Bruce. Manager and billionaire club owner will no doubt be happy to discuss the £10m wisely invested on Darren Bent, whose hat-trick sealed Sunderland's first win in 15 games.
For all the emotions he provokes, there is no disputing that Neil Warnock can get the best out of a side, whether they are challenging for promotion or fighting relegation.
Bristol City's need for points is not as desperate as Crystal Palace's, but a second-half strike by Chris Iwelumo brought welcome relief for Gary Johnson's team at Selhurst Park last night. City had not scored an away goal since Boxing Day and had won just one of their previous nine Championship matches, but deserved to beat a struggling Crystal Palace team.
Robert Koren, who will captain Slovenia against England in South Africa, delighted an English crowd in the less exotic setting of The Hawthorns last night. Just when it seemed West Bromwich Albion would be frustrated, Koren broke Sheffield Wednesday's resistance with a stunning late strike.
The odds on Nicklas Bendtner scoring a hat-trick against Porto were shorter than those of finding an alien life-form, but not by all that much. Bookmakers offer about 100-1 that we will discover the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life. Last night the odds on Bendtner scoring his first hat-trick in senior football against the Portuguese champions were 40-1.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, expressed his desire to play either Manchester United or Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after seeing his team book their place in the last eight with a spectacular 5-0 victory over Porto.
A stunning strike from Arjen Robben fired Bayern Munich into the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of an unlucky Fiorentina at a wet and windy Stadio Artemio Franchi last night.
Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp has demanded an explanation for his side's pitiful performance at the weekend. A 1-0 defeat at home to Mainz has left Hoffenheim's ambitions of European football next season in tatters and Hopp would like to know why his team is performing as poorly as it is.
Around this time before the last World Cup Italy thrashed Germany in Florence, laying down a marker for what proved to be a triumphant tournament. There was no such statement in Monte Carlo last week, with Marcello Lippi opting to experiment with tactics and personnel.
The Bayern Munich chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has admitted the club will pull out all the stops to convince Franck Ribéry to extend his current deal at the Allianz Arena.
When you've spent the sort of cash that Real Madrid have in the summer months, elimination from Europe's wealthiest competition at the first knock-out stage is not really supposed to be on the agenda. As Cristiano Ronaldo neatly summed it up, his side's Champions League last-16 return leg against Lyons at the Bernabeu tonight is a "do-or-die" match.
The Burnley striker Robbie Blake is confident his side can take the first step towards safety tonight when they face Stoke City at Turf Moor. A victory would lift the team out of the relegation zone and give the players a much-needed boost ahead of a further home game against fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur captain Ledley King faces at least another fortnight on the sidelines nursing his thigh injury before returning to help the club's challenge for a Champions League place. The 29-year-old centre-back, who has taken the armband back since Robbie Keane's loan move to Celtic, has been out since picking up the problem in the victory at Wigan on 21 February.
Beckham-mania returned to the streets of Manchester yesterday as the Milan midfielder flew into the city for his side's Champions League match against his former club tonight.
Stoke City's captain, Abdoulaye Faye, believes they still have to work to do to retain their top-flight status, and believes it is vital the team bounce back at Burnley tonight following their weekend FA Cup defeat by Chelsea.
England officials have been warned to sweep team venues for listening devices on a regular basis to avoid being bugged. It is understood the Football Association are reviewing security procedures after a secret recording of conversations between England players and coaches before the Egypt friendly came to light.
When David Beckham passed through Manchester Airport in a previous era, United used to insist that he wear a blazer and tie. Travelling with Milan is an altogether more casual affair but, while the attire has changed, the television cameras, flash-guns and crowds thrusting forward autograph requests must have seemed eerily familiar. The “Becks Factor” was back in Manchester.
Wigan Athletic's owner Dave Whelan last night expressed sympathy for Liverpool supporters for enduring the club's period of ownership under George Gillett and Tom Hicks, describing their tenure as "a mess".
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez hopes the club's first victory over Liverpool will silence the critics who claimed his side could not play their way out of trouble.
Portsmouth will not be eligible to play in the Europa League next season should they reach the FA Cup final, as they have not applied for a Uefa club licence.
