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Yasir Shah, who has become the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 Test wickets, has said his only aim is to do the best he can for his country

Umar Farooq in Colombo26-Jun-2015Before the Test series started, Zulfiqar Babar confidently predicted that Yasir Shah would take more wickets than him, and Yasir’s bowling numbers so far have emphatically proved him right. In just eight months, Yasir has made his journey from oblivion to become the fastest Pakistan bowler to take 50 Test wickets, surpassing Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis.Yasir said he was happy to achieve the record which would further strengthen his confidence. “I still remember when Shane Warne tweeted me, that gave me ample confidence,” Yasir said after the second day in Colombo. “With his words I was under pressure, thinking how I will live up to his appreciation but with every match I played since then I have started to thrive.”I never thought that far [on being the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 wickets] when I made my debut against Australia. The only aim was to just concentrate on doing good for the country. I knew in Test cricket I needed to be patient and I did exactly what needed to be done. Misbah has supported me all the way. For a legspinner, the field placement is very important and I am glad that the captain is giving me enough freedom to set the field.”After making his first-class debut in 2002, Yasir got his chance in Test chance last year, and has since left an indelible mark in the format. He took nine wickets in Galle, which included figures of 7 for 76 in the second innings – the best by an overseas bowler in Tests in Sri Lanka. After more than a decade on the domestic circuit, Yasir is not only acknowledged but also respected. On day two in the press box, Pakistan’s consistency in developing world-class bowlers was repeatedly commended.Yasir’s 13-year first-class career includes 336 wickets at an average of 25.05. He is one of many bowling prospects who had been pushed back with the burgeoning success of Saeed Ajmal in the last five years. He took his second five-for in the space of five days in the second Test in Colombo, after bowling 40 overs – the most by any bowler from both sides so far, primarily because Pakistan have lost Wahab Riaz for the rest of the series due to injury.After the first Test, Sri Lanka targetted Yasir as a tactic to neutralise him but it was to no effect as Yasir troubled the batsmen with his impressive variations and kept a check on the run rate, going at an economy rate of 2.37 in his 40 overs. Sri Lanka managed to hit him for 10 fours but kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.”The pitch is still playing well but expect more spin on the fourth and fifth day, it has definitely something to offer. Today the idea was to avoid bowling short and wait for the wickets to come and it worked. Unfortunately, Wahab Riaz got injured and we were forced to play with one bowler short. But the rest have given their 100%, though I had to bowl bit longer. But the plan remained the same to contain as much as we can.”

Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati is staring at a lengthy period on the sidelines after suffering serious injury with Brighton against Nottingham Forest.

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Fati limped out against ForestWill be out for three monthsJoins lengthy injury list at BrightonWHAT HAPPENED?

Roberto de Zerbi has been handed a double blow before they face AEK Athens in the Europe League on Thursday as the Spanish forward joined Tariq Lamptey in the treatment room. Fati limped out during the first half at the City Ground during a slender 3-2 win over the Tricky Trees after lasting for just 21 minutes and could be out for three months. He was replaced with Joao Pedro who made the most of the opportunity by scoring a brace for the Seagulls.

AdvertisementWHAT ROBERTO DE ZERBI SAID ABOUT FATI & LAMPTEY

Speaking to reporters ahead of the AEK fixture, De Zerbi informed: "Ansu and Lamptey are both injured. We've lost them for a long time. The focus is on the players who can play tomorrow. We will have enough to compete. I don't know if we will win but we will fight to win the game.”

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De Zerbi has several reasons to fight for a win, despite going to Greece with a depleted squad, as three points on Thursday evening might propel them to the top of Group B given Marseille drop points against Ajax. However, it will be a tough task for the Premier League outfit as they will be without Danny Welbeck, Solly March and Pervis Estupinan apart from the recently injured Fati and Lamptey.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BRIGHTON?

Brighton will have to be on their toes when they take on the Greek side as they were beaten in the reverse fixture by 3-2 at the Amex Stadium back in September. However, they are unbeaten in their last six matches and if they continue their rich vein of form, De Zerbi's troops could avenge their earlier defeat.

Sandro Tonali won't play again until next August after being found to have used illegal betting sites to place money on games involving his own teams

Sandro Tonali came on midway through the second half of Newcastle's Premier League win over Crystal Palace at St James' Park on October 21. The Italian's introduction was warmly received. The home fans even unfurled a banner in his honour. "Forza Tonali" it read.

Eddie Howe praised the crowd for their show of support but acknowledged that "the hardest part is ahead" for the £60 million ($72.5m) summer signing from AC Milan – and the Newcastle boss was right. Tonali came off the bench again in the Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund four days later but, the following afternoon, it was confirmed that the Italy international had been banned from playing football for 10 months.

So, why exactly has Tonali been suspended? And who else has been implicated in the biggest betting scandal to rock Italian football since '' more than 40 years ago? GOAL will attempt to explain all below…

GettyHow it began: The King of Paparazzi

On August 2, Fabrizio Corona, a hugely controversial media figure in Italy known as 'The King of Paparazzi', claimed Juventus and Italy midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was suffering from a "serious gambling addiction" and was heavily in debt as a consequence.

On October 10, newspaper revealed that Fagioli was being investigated by public prosecutors in Turin as part of a probe into illegal online betting platforms. The player's legal representatives then issued a statement claiming that their client was cooperating fully with the authorities and had been the first to inform the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) of his involvement in the affair at the end of August.

"With reference to the news that appeared in the press today, we can state that our client is facing the matter with responsibility and a view to maximum transparency and collaboration with the ordinary and sporting judicial authorities, as demonstrated by the fact of being the first to take action in a timely manner with the federal prosecutor’s office [of the FIGC]."

Corona subsequently claimed that "Juventus knew about Fagioli from August 1" and that they "failed to report it to the judicial authorities", but the club quickly countered, "With regard to what has been reported by some media outlets, Juventus FC specifies that as soon as it received news of the possible involvement of its player Nicolo Fagioli in the issue of betting, it immediately and promptly contacted the FIGC Federal Prosecutor’s Office."

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTonali and Zaniolo implicated

Two days after the publication of 's story, police officers turned up at Italy's training base at Coverciano to question both Tonali and team-mate Nicolo Zaniolo, and inform the pair at they were under investigation by the Turin Public Prosecutor's Office. The pair were promptly released from international duty.

"Regardless of the allegations, we believe in this situation the players are not in the necessary condition to face the commitments scheduled in the next days," read a statement issued by the FIGC. "The Federation has decided, also to protect them, to allow them to return to their respective clubs."

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti had no qualms about the decision to send the two players home. "When you have to bring home results, there is always anxiety [before a game], but it was a different night, with a lot of bitterness for what happened," he said the following day. "The whole team is close to Tonali and Zaniolo, we are very sorry for them and we will continue to be close to them, even though they have the spotlight on them. We must try to help them defend themselves.

"But it is also right that justice takes its course and, if irregular things have been committed, then it will be right [for them] to pay."

GettyFagioli agrees plea deal

On October 17, Fagioli was suspended for 12 months, of which five were suspended, and fined €12,500 (£10,800/$13,300) as part of a plea bargain that will see the midfielder carry out community service and undergo treatment for his gambling addiction.

Fagioli's full co-operation had been crucial to the lenient sentence because the usual ban for breaching Article 24 of the Code of Sports Conduct is at least three years, which would have placed his top-flight career in considerable doubt.

As it was, Juventus pledged their "full support for Nicolo Fagioli in tackling this path, as well as providing the player with the necessary support in carrying out the indicated therapeutic plan and, as expressly provided for in the agreement, collaborating with the Federation to outline the scheduled appointments.

"We are firmly convinced that Nicolo, with the support of the club, his team-mates, his family and the professionals who will assist him, will face the therapeutic and training process with a great sense of responsibility and, once the disqualification has been served, will be able to return to competing with due serenity."

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GettyScale of Fagioli's problem exposed

The following day, both and the , published extracts from Fagioli's deposition that highlighted the scale of his gambling problem. "The worst moment was between April and March 2023, when I was so scared that I made a mistake during Sassuolo-Juventus and I was subbed off," he reportedly told prosecutors. "I started crying when I sat on the bench, thinking about my debts and betting problems…

"At night, I had stopped sleeping. The more time passed, the more debts haunted me. My debts kept increasing and I was gambling just to try to make up. They told me 'We’ll break your legs.' I had so much debt that even if I had won, I would get nothing out of it…

"I had accumulated a debt of €250,000 (£218,000/$265,000) in September 2022 and pressure from managers of illegal platforms started. Sometimes, I would cover part of the debt by going to Milan and buying luxury watches. I paid with a bank transfer. Sometimes I delivered the watches myself, other times, the platforms' owners picked them up at the jewellery shop.

"After September 2022, I started gambling compulsively in front of the TV on any sporting event I watched, including football, Serie B and Lega Pro. I can’t even remember how many events I placed bets on…

"I borrowed money from some of my team-mates, saying I wanted to buy a watch for my mum. [Federico] Gatti gave me €40,000 (£35,000/$42,000) and I still have to return it. [Radu] Dragusin [now at Genoa] also gave me money and some of my friends in Piacenza too."

Fagioli, whose debts eventually ended up totalling €3 million (£2.6m/$3.2m), claimed that not one of his team-mates knew the real reason for the loans, while he also insisted that he never bet on matches involving either Juventus or his former club, Cremonese.

Lionel Messi is the rightful winner of the Ballon d'Or after guiding Argentina to World Cup success last year, ex-Real Madrid star Eden Hazard says.

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Messi aiming to win Ballon d'OrGuided Argentina to World Cup winHazard says Inter Miami star deserves itWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi is seen as one of the top candidates to win the prize in a ceremony in Paris on Monday. The Inter Miami star's leading role in Argentina's journey to the World Cup title in Qatar last year has sparked many calls for the 36-year-old to be given a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or.

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However, Messi faces competition from Erling Haaland following his role in Manchester City's European and English treble triumph. Kylian Mbappe is also seen as a real challenger given he helped fire France to the World Cup final and scored a hat-trick in the decider that they ultimately lost to Argentina.

WHAT THEY SAID

Hazard claims Messi is the only one who deserves it this year, though, telling : “It wouldn’t be logical to not give the Ballon d’Or to the best player in history in the year that he won the World Cup."

Had the final in Qatar gone differently, however, the former Belgium and Chelsea attacker says PSG's star forward would be the right winner, adding: "And if the World Cup changes for France, Kylian has the Golden Ball. Without a doubt, 100 per cent!"

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The winner of the award will be announced on Monday in a ceremony in the French capital.

New York Red Bulls are offering their fans a deal for tickets to next season's MLS opener – but the promotion comes with a Lionel Messi clause.

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NYRB announce promotion for ticketsOffer involves first home match of new seasonDeal won't apply if it's against Inter MiamiWHAT HAPPENED?

The MLS side sent out an email to fans offering tickets to their first home game of the 2024 season as well as the derby with rivals New York City. However, reports there is a special detail in the email that states that: "If RBNY plays Inter Miami CF in the home opener, each home opener ticket will be replaced with a ticket to RBNY's 2nd home match."

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The decision to exclude Lionel Messi's Inter Miami team from the deal likely means the club will increase the ticket prices when the Florida side come to New York. There has been a huge demand for tickets to see Messi in action and fellow MLS team Columbus Crew have already said their tickets will go up from their usual $40 to between $382 and $679 when they meet Inter Miami at home next season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Messi's presence in the United States last season resulted in many fans reselling their tickets for much higher prices than they initially paid. He scored 11 goals for Inter Miami after joining the club in July, but only one of those came in MLS.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

The fixture list for the 2024 MLS season is expected to be released before the end of the calendar year. The campaign will then likely commence around late February or early March.

An unbroken 130-run partnership between fourth-wicket pair Peter Handscomb and Hamish Marshall after tea on day three ensured Gloucestershire took charge against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Press Association12-May-2015
ScorecardPaul Horton’s 168 was essential to keep Lancashire in check•PA PhotosAn unbroken 130-run partnership between fourth-wicket pair Peter Handscomb and Hamish Marshall after tea on day three ensured Gloucestershire took charge against Lancashire at Old Trafford.The visitors gained a of 24 on first innings on the stroke of lunch during today’s third day, which could have been far greater but for Paul Horton who compled a 298-ball innings of 168 – his fifth score above 150 in 12 years of Championship cricket.Gloucestershire built on their slender lead second time around to close with a healthy lead of 230 and a chance to push for what would only be a ninth victory in Lancashire in their history.When fledgling Australian Handscomb and veteran New Zealander Marshall came together in the early stages of the evening, Gloucestershire were 76 for 3 in the 27th over with a lead of 100 and the contest in the balance.Peter Siddle struck twice with the new ball inside the first eleven overs as Gloucestershire’s slipped to 30 for 2, with first-innings centurion Chris Dent one of his scalps. Dent lost his off-stump as he offered no shot before Gareth Roderick, late on one that nipped back appreciably, was trapped lbw. Nathan Buck later picked up his first Red Rose wicket as Will Tavare played on for 34, and Lancashire had their tails up.But Handscomb and Marshall regained the momentum during their 36.5 overs together in what remain decent batting conditions. Both players brought up their fifties inside the last hour of play, with Handscomb’s coming off 99 balls and Marshall’s second of the match coming off 83. They will begin day four on 74 and 71 not out respectively.Not only do Lancashire have to work out a way of bowling Gloucestershire out, they also have to keep an eye on their over-rate as they ended the day at minus two.Earlier, Liam Norwell took two of the four Lancashire wickets to fall for 17 runs to finish with 4 for 95. Horton fell five short of his best score in county cricket – 173 against Somerset at Taunton in 2009 – having shared an 82-run partnership inside 28 overs for the seventh wicket with Siddle. Their stand started during the latter stages of day two, and they took Lancashire to within 41 of Gloucestershire’s total before Siddle was trapped lbw by Norwell for 40, leaving the score at 347 for 7 in the 104th over of the innings.Horton was caught behind in Norwell’s next over with 350 on the board before Craig Miles had Buck caught at second slip and Tom Smith’s left-arm spin accounted for Kyle Jarvis, caught by Norwell running from cover towards point.Gloucestershire batsman Hamish Marshall said: “It’s nice to have finished the day well. Three down for a 230 lead is a position we’d have liked to have been in at the start of the day. We’ve got that. We’ve now got to work out how we can get ourselves in a position to put pressure on Lancashire and win the game.”Siddle and Jarvis are quality bowlers, and they asked a lot of questions in the first innings. In this innings, they got some early poles. It was nice to get a partnership going and put them under pressure. If we can give ourselves some overs with runs on the board, we’ll have a crack at trying to win the game.”Lancashire bowler Peter Siddle added: “I think we batted pretty well this morning to get us into the position we got to, but it was a bit disappointing not to eek a few more runs out and get in front. The way we started with the ball that second dig with a few early wickets, credit goes to their last partnership. They batted well and batted time. They were patient. It’s made for an interesting day tomorrow.”The pitch has played pretty well for the last couple of days really. Day one was a bit up and down, and we thought it was going to deteriorate a lot more. It’s played pretty well. We need a couple of quick wickets. If we don’t get them, it does make it hard for us to get in front of the game.”

The Red Devils have not won any trophy since their Europa League triumph in 2017

It has been more than five years since Manchester United last won a trophy. Under Jose Mourinho's tutelage, the last piece of silverware came to Old Trafford on May 24, 2017, as the Red Devils beat Ajax 2-0 to lift the Europa League title.

Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were on target for the Premier League club as they picked up a comfortable win against the Dutch side.

Since Mourinho's departure, United are yet to win a trophy.

Which players last won a trophy for Manchester United and where are they now?Julian Finney / Getty Images SportSergio Romero – Goalkeeper

The Argentine goalkeeper joined Manchester United from Sampdoria in 2015 and spent six seasons at the club. Last season, Romero joined Italian Serie B side Venezia and in 2022, he signed for Boca Juniors.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAntonio Valencia – Right-Back

The former Ecuador international joined Manchester United from Wigan Athletic in 2009 and played at the club for 10 seasons. After leaving the Red Devils, he played in Mexico and Ecuador. He retired from professional football in May 2021.

Getty ImagesChris Smalling – Centre-Back

The English defender joined Manchester United from Fulham in 2010 and spent 10 years at the club. In 2019, he was sent on loan to AS Roma and ahead of the 2020/21 season, Smalling made his move permanent with the Serie A club.

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Getty ImagesDaley Blind – Centre-Back

The Dutch full-back joined Manchester United in 2014 from Ajax and spent four seasons at the club. In 2018, he returned to Ajax where he currently plies his trade.

Ligue 1 giants Marseille have officially parted ways with Gennaro Gattuso and drafted in Jean-Louis Gasset as their new manager.

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Marseille sack GattusoAppoint Jean-Louis Gasset as replacementMarseille 10th in Ligue 1WHAT HAPPENED?

The French club decided to sack the Italian coach just two days after they went down 1-0 against Brest in Ligue 1. It was their ninth defeat of the 2023-24 season and leaves Marseille down in 10th in the league. In the aftermath of the Brest defeat, a furious Gattuso claimed that the team had hit "rock-bottom". He added in his post-match press conference: "When you hit rock bottom, you have to take responsibility. It's my responsibility. There is nothing else to say. The table? The truth is that we're going to have to start looking behind us. We can no longer speak about Europe. We just need to take the necessary points to be calm in the standings."

The club have also announced the former Italy international's replacement, with former Ivory Coast boss Jean-Louis Gasset taking charge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The official statement from the club regarding Gattuso's sacking read: "Olympique de Marseille announces the end of its collaboration with Gennaro Gattuso. Olympique de Marseille would like to particularly thank Gennaro and all of his staff for the flawless investment and great professionalism they have shown on a daily basis and wish them good luck for the future."

After being appointed as the new head coach, Gasset told the club's official website: "It is a huge honour for me to join this legendary club that is Olympique de Marseille. I can't wait to start working with this group to prepare for the next deadlines and give the best of ourselves."

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The 70-year-old French coach grabbed the headlines in the recently concluded AFCON as he was sacked midway into the competition by the host nation. The Ivory Coast, who eventually lifted the trophy, failed to make the top two in their group after a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea on matchday three, which led to Gasset's departure, but they still qualified for the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed teams.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

Marseille will now shift their focus to European football as they are set to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their Europa League knockout play-offs tie.

While the pace of Jamie Overton caught the eye, it was the patience and denial of Keaton Jennings that gave Durham the advantage over Somerset.

George Dobell at Chester-le-Street20-Apr-2014
by 301 runsScorecardJamie Overton bowled with pace but little control and over-stepped eight times•Getty ImagesIt may be pace and big hitting that catches the eye, but it is so often patience and denial that proves more effective.So it proved on the first day of this game at Chester-le-Street. While the bowling of Jamie Overton, a young man blessed with unusual pace, may be what lingers longest in the mind, it was the well organised batting of Keaton Jennings that proved decisive.Put into bat on a track that is notoriously helpful for seamers, Durham achieved the second highest first innings score on the ground for two years. In 2013, six of the eight first innings total amounted to between 237 and 267 and only once did a side score above that. While the pitch may be drier than normal and carrying less grass cover, this is a total that might be considered about 40 above par.So Somerset will be especially rueful that they donated 32 extras to the Durham total. That tally includes 30 in no-balls – each no-ball costs two runs in the Championship – with the first session accounting for 24 of them. As Somerset’s vice-captain James Hildreth said afterwards: “That amount of runs can be absolutely crucial in a game here at this time of season.”While Somerset’s bowlers have some excuse – shorn of the injured pair of Alfonso Thomas and Steve Kirby, this is a youthful attack with its best years well ahead of it – it does seem shoddy to concede so many extras. Nor can it reflect especially well on the disciplines that should be instilled in training.But the extras are only part of the story. Somerset also squandered the new ball – Mark Stoneman pulled a four and a six in the first over – and conceded 42 fours and two sixes in the innings with a surfeit of short and wide bowling that allowed Durham to score at almost five-an-over for the first hour and then, just as it seemed Somerset might claw their way back into the game, counter-attack with an eighth-wicket stand of 65 in 18 overs.Durham, in turn, might reflect that they failed to make Somerset pay as heavily as they might have done. While their total is still more than competitive, it could have been far better against an attack that lost Craig Meschede to a side strain in the evening session and contains the sort of spinner in Johann Myburgh who seems to only bowl to improve the over-rate. Somerset were also without Craig Overton, who has a side strain.But Durham lost several soft wickets. Stoneman flashed without foot movement, Scott Borthwick was drawn into feeling for one he should have left, Phil Mustard left a straight one and Michael Richardson poked to gully the delivery after sustaining a blow to the head off Overton, who was as rapid as he was unpredictable.That Durham were able to post such a good total was largely due to Jennings. The former South Africa Uunder-19 captain is a left-handed batsman in the accumulative mould of Alastair Cook and, while his colleagues poked and prodded at balls they could have let pass, he left well, defended with a straight bat and waited for the short ball, the leg side ball or the over-pitched ball to put away. He rarely had to wait for long. It took a delivery that bounced more than normal to take his edge and end his innings.Overton, by contrast, looked raw. Not only did he over-step eight times, but he bowled far too short, far too often and, like Tymal Mills at Essex, provided a reminder that pace without control is a mixed blessing. But, by generating such sharp pace from a run-up that faintly resembles Steve Harmison, when everything clicked, he looked a fearsome prospect and he also struck Jamie Harrison, a much-improved batsman, a blow on the head. Tough days like this should be part of the learning process and it is not surprising that James Whitaker, the national selector, took a keen interest in him throughout the day.Somerset improved after lunch. Lewis Gregory bowled a particularly good spell to account for Jennings, with one that bounced, and Paul Collingwod, with one that kept low, to suggest there was still plenty in the surface if the ball was put in the right areas. But when Gareth Breese, as much a batsman as a bowler these days, helped Harrison plunder a tiring attack, Durham took the game away from Somerset. Had Breese, at third slip, held on to a tough chance offered by Marcus Trescothick in the final over of the day off the deserving Chris Rushworth, they would have capitalised further.”Anything above 250 here will be competitive,” Jennings said afterwards. “Sooner or later you get a ball here that has your name on it. We have excellent new ball bowlers and if we out the ball in good areas tomorrow, that should prove a good total.””We were disappointed with how we bowled,” Hildreth said, “particularly in that first session. It is hugely frustrating when you see all those no-balls, because they are completely within our control and we have just given them extras. Durham are ahead at the moment.”

Will Gidman scored his first century of the season to press his case as one of the country’s leading allrounders

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl09-Jul-2014
ScorecardWill Gidman made his first century of the season•PA PhotosAt the end of the 2011 season, in which he took 51 wickets and scored more than 1000 runs in the Championship, Will Gidman gave a magazine interview. Affable, engaging and painfully down to earth, when it was over, he had a question of his own.”Was that okay?” After being assured all was well, a relieved Gidman added: “I haven’t done one of these all season.” It is a story that just about sums up Gidman and the situation he continually finds himself in.Quite how a player goes through a debut season unparalleled by anyone else who has played the game – he was only the seventh player in history to achieve that double – without piquing the interest of the media is stunning. Least of all someone who had spent the previous four years working more shifts at Sports Direct than he had first-class runs.His bowling average for the last four seasons has not been higher than 22 and only once has he averaged less than 30 with the bat. The stats do not lie – as a bowling allrounder, his effectiveness and consistency are peerless. Had he been playing for a more “fashionable” county, calls for international recognition would come on a weekly basis. As it is, he doesn’t even have a Twitter fan page.The most amazing thing about Will Gidman is his profile, or rather, lack of. His figures might even be too good; often he is lazily used as proof about the divide between first- and second-division cricket. The proof being that how can a bowler from Gloucestershire, who no one ever mentions for higher honours, constantly posts such incredible stats. To watch him puts it all into perspective.His action is smooth and efficient, making full use of a slender frame to whip through the crease and send the ball down at a pace quick enough to disturb. As a batsman, his square game is tight and rarely will he stray from it.Here, the path had been set by Gloucestershire’s wasteful top order. With the top four registering sizeable scores, he knew runs would come with little risk. He came to the crease at 254 for 4 and accumulated well with some well-controlled pull shots and some finessed reverse sweeps. Against Will Smith, turning the ball away from him, he used his reach and feet to hit him over cover. There were two points of alarm, both when he was a run away from milestones.On 49, a vicious David Balcombe short-ball hit him on the glove. Then, on 99, he pushed the ball back down the pitch, towards Michael Carberry, who was at a three-quarters mid-off, and set off for a poorly judged single. A quick pick-up and release had him dead but the lack of accuracy saved his blushes and allowed him to return for a second run, allowing him to record his first century this season. He currently averages 56.44 with the bat and 19.65 with the ball.There was an odd atmosphere at the Ageas Bowl. None of it was down to the local crowd, who are knowledgeable sorts, happy to take in a day of graft after the success they have witnessed so far this season.The North End is currently a building site. Once finished, it will most likely be referred to as the Hotel End. At the moment, its most recognisable feature is the media centre, slotted into the middle of the stand, up above a level rooftop. By the time England and India roll into town, it will be hospitable.The rest is far from completion: an array of hallways and passages, held together by a combination of bricks, mortar and scaffolding, with rectangular holes prepped for windows. It is through these holes that southern winds shoot through to create a howling effect that lingered throughout the day.Various members of the Hampshire attack added their own howls intermittently, as they slogged away on a track so flat it could be used as a spirit level. For them, it was a deeply frustrating day, where the deliveries that managed to beat the batsmen often beat the bat.It was only Sean Ervine who experienced anything resembling joy. Asked to bowl for 14 overs, he nagged away respectably and elicited errors from Will Tavare and Hamish Marshall. Both could and should have registered centuries, but had to settle for 86 and 56 respectively.As it stands, the easy batting conditions suggest that Hampshire can, at the very least, bat out the final day for a draw. Whatever happens, the performance of Will Gidman could determine their fate.