Joe Root is “not too concerned” about his modest returns with the bat, saying he has “14,000 runs for a reason”. Captain Root, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, has passed 50 only twice this summer. An average of 29.44 is his second-lowest in a home season in a 14-year international career. The 35-year-old has been
Ben Duckett – 4 – Another quiet Test for Duckett whose total of 18 runs across the match was only three more than at Headingley last week. Could do little about his first-innings dismissal but the way he hit a drive straight to mid-off in the second was really poor. Emilio Gay – 5 –
Without the rested Chris Woakes, both Bears opening bowlers struck early. Olly Hannon-Dalby forced Haseeb Hameed to edge to second slip where Rob Yates held on, and Freddie McCann emulated his captain’s 10-ball duck when Bamber hit his off stump. At 17-2, Martindale, deputising for the injured Ben Slater and playing only his second first-class
In terms of Root’s second coming as skipper, the off-field part might be the easy bit. It is on the field where he now has a point to prove. He said as much last week before the Headingley Test – that the biggest challenge in resuming the captaincy was overcoming the perceptions others have of
Fast bowler Josh Tongue said captain Joe Root’s message to the England players about their off-field behaviour has “100%” been heeded. On Tuesday, Root said he was “hacked off” that Brydon Carse had become the latest England player involved in a late-night drinking controversy. The skipper also revealed he had addressed the squad before they
England captain Joe Root says he is “hacked off” and “disappointed” at the incident involving fast bowler Brydon Carse at a Derby nightclub. Carse, 31, was dropped from the squad for the second Test starting against Pakistan this week. Images that appeared on social media on Sunday showed Carse, 31, in handcuffs outside a bar