England ease off Bazball big talk but continue to embrace thrill of the chase

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’s side have developed clarity in the final innings and never seem to give up

Sports writers love a Churchillian speech that precedes a mind-bending feat. Take three years ago, when word got back that Brendon McCullum had told his England players to “run towards the danger” at Trent Bridge before Jonny Bairstow vaporised a target of 299 against New Zealand. It was like ruddy catnip for the press corps.

This time, after reeling in 371 at Headingley on Tuesday at a breezy 4.5 runs per over and with 14 overs to spare? Apparently very little was said in the dressing room beforehand beyond “bat the day, win the game” or Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett deciding between them to ignore the target and just “play like it was day one”.

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David Lawrence obituary

Gloucestershire fast bowler who was the first British-born black cricketer to play for England

David “Syd” Lawrence, the Gloucestershire and England cricketer who has died aged 61, a year after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, knew only one way to bowl. It was to charge up to the crease and hurl the ball down as fast as he could – whether it was eleven o’clock in the morning or six in the evening after a long day in the field. He became the first British-born black cricketer to play for England on his Test debut in 1988.

For Gloucestershire he united with Courtney Walsh, the great West Indian paceman, who would soon become a friend. They would also enjoy themselves as revellers at the St Paul’s carnival in Bristol each year. Together they formed a formidable, contrasting pair of opening bowlers. Walsh was the more calculating cricketer, bowling fast one day and relying on accuracy, cunning and late movement the next. Lawrence just kept racing in with abandon, a spectacular, uplifting sight unless you happened to be the batsman at the other end.

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Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul sparkle with tons as India set England 371 to win first Test

Another India lower-order collapse gave England a fighting chance of a thrilling victory in the first Test at Headingley, with the hosts 21-0 in their second innings at the close of play on day four, chasing 371 to win.

Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul struck centuries for the visitors, with the former becoming the second wicketkeeper to hit twin tons in a Test match. But just as he did in the first innings, Josh Tongue came to the fore when seeing off the Indian tail, with three wickets in four balls helping ensure the tourists lost their final six second-innings wickets for 31 runs.

Ali Martin’s report will follow shortly.

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Jofra Archer ends four-year wait for a red-ball wicket: county cricket, day two – as it happened

[Meanwhile, at Blackpool, Ben Compton goes to his century-warm applause round the ground as he raises his bat to all corner in a window of bright sunlight.]

The stream cameras are showing surround-sound clouds and the commentators report rising damp. Just what Durham’s were dreaming on. Here come the players and the first over goes to…. Ollie Robinson.

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