Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been a thorn in England’s side ever since he debuted against them as a wet-behind-the-ears 19-year-old back in 1994. In that match the Lilliputian leftie made 62 in a crushing innings victory on his home ground in Guyana and 18 years later, with the glory days but a distant memory, he continues to cling on, limpet-like and resolute to the last.

He has been a near constant presence at the crease in contests between West Indies and England over the last three decades, particularly on these shores. In 2004 the Windies were whitewashed emphatically but Chanderpaul was steel personified, averaging 70 plus for the series, including 225 unbeaten runs at Lord’s.  Three years later, he was more or less immovable; going 1,074 minutes without being dismissed and averaging 148.66 in a series the tourists lost 3-0.

The first day of this series provided a familiar tale, with the 37-year-old digging deep and the West Indians showing flashes of brilliance – not least from their pocket-sized opener Adrian Barath, who carved England’s bowlers for nine boundaries on his way to 42 before throwing his wicket away with an ill-advised slash outside off stump – but ultimately failing to make the most of their opportunity on what looks a featherbed track by shooting themselves in the foot at crucial moments.

In truth, Chanderpaul was responsible for the worst piece of cricket of the day – selling Darren Bravo a dummy that left both batsmen at one end and resulted in Bravo’s dismissal just as a promising partnership was developing – but, that abomination aside, Barath and Marlon Samuels could learn a lot from watching the veteran at the crease after playing shots they will wish they hadn’t when well set. Chanderpaul went about his business at Lord’s in the way that he always does: blocking or leaving anything that he judged to be remotely threatening and easing into anything loose, sending the ball to the boundary with exquisite, effortless timing.

He is often described as an ‘ugly’ batsman, but that does him a disservice. His crouched, awkward stance – which gives the impression he is about to receive a delivery from mid-wicket – may not be easy on the eye and it certainly won’t be found in any textbooks, but by the time the ball arrives he is perfectly still and in a position to play shots all round the wicket with the minimum of fuss.

Fresh off the back of a wonderful series against Australia that saw him reinstalled as the world’s No.1 Test batsman, Chanderpaul arrived in England in fine fettle and with plenty of runs behind him (more than 10,000 now in Tests – just the 10th batsman to achieve the milestone). Arriving at the crease at 86-3 he began cautiously before showing signs of aggression against Graeme Swann, sweeping the spinner for four before driving him through mid-off in a manner that was anything but ugly.

But an all too familiar pattern was emerging as Samuels and Denesh Ramdin fell in quick succession to Stuart Broad, leaving Chanderpaul in his well-accustomed role of marshalling the tail. It’s a role he cannot relish but it is one he excels at and as his teammates flail at the other end, he looks ever less likely to get out.

And so it proved again today as Chanderpaul reached stumps unbeaten on 87 with only the No.11 Shannon Gabriel for support and his side 243-9 – a below-par effort on a batsman-friendly track that Andrew Strauss must have been tempted to bat first on. The vulnerability of the West Indies top-order would have been a significant factor in his decision after winning the toss and the England skipper will feel justified in his decision to put them in after what he has seen today.

England will sincerely be hoping it won’t take another 1,074 minutes to dismiss Chanderpaul in this series, but even it does, the West Indies’ frailties elsewhere mean it is unlikely to have an impact on the end result.

Click here to read Ed Kemp’s account of the sights and sounds of Lord’s on day one of the Test match summer

And now, for the first 100 participating clubs, they’re offering exclusive offers on the beer. Now available to cricket clubs are the following deals: FREE 50L keg ON INSTALL, FREE 50L keg with every 8 x 50L kegs purchased, FREE 50L keg, plus FREE case of 500ml with every 10 x 50L kegs purchased, FREE CASE KINGFISHER BOTTLES with every 10 cases purchased (any size). All offers are available by registering your club on the cricket section of www.kingfisherbeer.co.uk, including the promotional code ‘KFCCFS’ after your club name. Already registered? Just send an e-mail to cricketclubs@kingfisherbeer.co.uk, stating your club name, contact details and promotional code and Kingfisher will get un touch.

Over 350 cricket clubs have already signed up on the Kingfisher website to download the full event pack. These include all the essentials required to run a successful fundraising event: handy tips, advertising posters, ticket templates and answer sheets plus the main event: two great interactive sports quiz videos hosted by Graeme Swann and PCA ambassadors Darren Gough, Phil Tufnell and Alec Stewart.

Once your club registers, Kingfisher will also set you up with a great deal with a local beer supplier. Then just get the curry in, and throw in a few additional money-grabbers (like a raffle) on the night. You should have all you need for an effective fundraiser and a successful social.

PCA ambassador Alec Stewart recommends it. “The Kingfisher Quiz & Curry Night initiative is outstanding.  It’s a simple way for clubs to raise funds. They don’t always have to time to put everything together, whereas Kingfisher has done it for them so there is absolutely no excuse for the clubs not to take part!”

This year, Kingfisher Beer will also be supporting the ECB National Club Championship – which has been renamed the Kingfisher Beer Cup – as part of its ongoing support of recreational and professional cricket. Time to get involved!

And, finally, congratulations to Freddie Jones, the winner of last month’s competition, which asked a question from the Kingfisher quiz. Other than 2011, the last time England went through a calendar year without handing out a maiden Test cap was 1953. Freddie takes the two tickets to Lord’s for the first day of the third Test between England and South Africa. Enjoy!

Head to Facebook.com/Kingfisher between 4.30pm and 6.30pm to Quiz Swanny: your chance to ask the England twirler anything you like and get a live answer from the man himself. Should be entertaining. You can post a question on the wall now!

Offer 1 – Subs code: AOC92_ENGPOLO
Price: £18.98 every 6 issues by Direct Debit / £40.50 for 12 issues by cheque, credit or debit card

Subscribe to AOC quoting subscription code AOC92_ENGPOLO and you’ll receive a FREE England Retro Polo Shirt, worth £29.99. England have got a huge summer ahead, so why not get behind the boys over the next few months with this classic shirt?

Order online at: https://alloutcricket.subscribeonline.co.uk/ or call the order hotline: 0844 322 1229 (remember to quote the code AOC92_ENGPOLO)

Salt ‘n’ Shake crisps. Muller Fruit Corner Yoghurts. What is it about food we’re asked to assemble ourselves that appeals to the man on the street? Is it because it allows us to pat ourselves on the back, pretending we’ve actually made the food ourselves? Or is it because, in reality, we’re all control freaks? I don’t know the answer. I’m just asking. Perhaps I’ll just email you all the words to this article next week, and you can do the rest yourselves…

Lesson 1: First-class officials face a taxiing task
As if umpiring weren’t tough enough, today’s arbiters must also deal with the intrusion of technology. No, I’m not talking about all those hot spots and red carpets that make up the DRS, I’m talking about radios. Yesterday at Aigburth, umpires Trevor Jesty and Tim Robinson were forced to switch off their walkie-talkies (used by today’s officials to stay in touch with the scorers), because they were receiving regular messages from a local taxi firm. Rumours that Jesty missed two stone-dead lbws while ordering a stone-baked calzone from the local Pizza Express have been denied by the ACO.

Lesson 2: Michael Vaughan is a very sweaty man…
… at least he will be soon. Often to be found discussing the merits of the traditional British Isles breakfast on Twitter, it appears that the former England skipper has decided that it’s finally time to try and stave off a middle-aged spread: “Serious question…. Does anyone know of anywhere that does Bikram yoga around the peak district or Sheffield??”

Lesson 3: Graeme Swann’s first car was a red Metro (1.4 diesel)
In Swanny’s own words: “I reversed it into a concrete lion and wrote it off. True story.”

Lesson 4: If you’ve bought a house, build a mezzanine
AOC’s editorial team went for a drink with Lefty Langman this week. Amongst other pearls of wisdom, the hirsute Brightonian switchitter explained the financial wisdom of installing an intermediate floor.

Lesson 5: Post-It Notes were invented by mistake
In 1970 Spencer Silver was working for 3M trying to find a strong adhesive (glue), but the new adhesive Silver invented turned out to be weaker than anything they already made. The glue behind the Post-It was born. Nothing to do with cricket, but it’s nice to know that so-called inventors are just as thick as the rest of us.

Click here to find out what AOC learnt last week.

As Kingfisher’s three-year partnership with the ECB gets under way, we’re now able to bring the fixtures for the first round, starting on April 29.

Last year’s champions Shrewsbury (the home club of England goalkeeper Joe Hart, a keen cricketer) along with 255 other clubs in England and Wales will compete this year to win the £5,000 winner’s cheque, with the final taking place at Derbyshire’s county ground on September 16.

Graeme Swann, a brand ambassador for Kingfisher, spoke affectionately about his early years at Northampton Saints Cricket Club as the tournament was launched. “My first senior club was Northampton Saints who I am still registered to today. The Saints used to play in the Cockspur Cup, former sponsors of the National Knockout.  I watched my dad play in a semi-final once somewhere, and I remember playing a few great games around the Midlands area. I remember facing Steve Ogrizevic (the then Coventry goalkeeper) who bowled fast for Coventry and North Warwick’s cricket club when I was about 15. They were great days.”

“Clubs can be a real hub for the local community and can build friendships that last a lifetime. I still remember my club days as fondly as any cricket I have ever played in and still love going back to the Saints whenever I can for a couple of pints and to watch a game. Support for the recreational game is very important.”

Over 350 cricket clubs up and down the country have already registered for the Kingfisher Quiz & Curry Night – find out more here about a cracking new fundraiser/social for your club.

Spin Kings

Graeme Swann and Muttiah Muralitharan do battle in a winner takes all of 50p competition…

Wound Up Warney

Frustrated by Kevin Pietersen’s heroics in the 2005 Ashes series, Shane Warne resorts to the short stuff…

Inzy In A Spin

According to Mark Nicholas, Inzamam-ul-Haq’s dismissal by Monty Panesar is “the most uncompromising and ugly dismissal you could ever see.” It’s also pretty funny…

Click here to read some extracts from the latest edition of Finny’s Diary

To read Finny’s diary in full pick up a copy of the latest AOC, but in the meantime here’s a few prime picks from his monthly offering.

Finny on… getting lost

“It’s fair to say that we hit the beers pretty hard after winning the T20 series in Abu Dhabi to mark a successful end to the one-day leg of the tour. Fortunately there was a club in the hotel that made it a lot easier to stumble to our rooms. I still managed to get lost on the way to mine…”

Finny on… benefits with friends

“Jimmy kindly asked me to help him out by attending a dinner for his benefit – he’s never spoken to me that nicely before, so I knew he wanted something. When I turned up I found out I was the cannon fodder on stage for him and Swanny to verbally abuse me for 40 minutes or so.”

Finny on… after-dinner activities

“The evenings in Sri Lanka are beautiful outside the hotel, and beyond the curtains, but the most important action happens behind closed doors (get your minds out of the gutter).”

Finny on… Bressy’s literary skills

“Tim Bresnan has limited literary skills. Full stop. He was in charge of writing the lads’ names on the bottles for the first Test. I’d say the lads have some pretty easy names to spell. Cook, Strauss, Bell, Finn, Anderson. Easiest of the lot I reckon could be Broad… Bres couldn’t decide whether it had an extra ‘R’ in it.”

Finny on… ?

“It was about six-foot long, and had good thickness to it. It slipped down a drain, and for the next two days I was the most paranoid man in Galle.”

Click here to read extracts from last month’s edition of Finny’s diary

Cricketers have always paid an unusual amount of attention to what they put on their head. Not only do batsmen, wicketkeepers and close fielders need protective lids to stave off damage by the ball; since the game began a variety of headgear has been employed simply to keep the beating sun at bay.

Helmets are hugely important bits of kit, undoubtedly, but watching Graeme Swann walk out in just his England cap to face the spinners in Sri Lanka recently was a brilliant, nostalgic sight. Not that he looked like an England player of a bygone era so much as a schoolboy. There was more than a hint of the Just William about him; I wouldn’t be surprised if Andy Flower opened his laptop carrier later on to find his leading twirler had hidden a frog inside.

But do you put enough time into considering what kind of hat to wear for cricket? After all, it says a lot about you – even if it’s just while fielding – and you can buy a team’s load of bespoke caps from a variety of retailers these days. The England cap that Swann wore is a ‘traditional’ cricket cap – and does the job nicely: natty and classical, with a link to the game’s past. Obviously, it’s not adjustable, but you can buy them in different sizes to accommodate different sizes of swede.

Similar, of course are the traditional ‘baggy’ caps – tending to have a shorter peak but stylised excess material around the actual bonce. They are quite a grand piece of headwear, but the unavoidable truth is that the Aussies have made this famous. Which begs the question: is it unpatriotic to wear a baggy?

Club sides these days often use the baseball cap style adopted by professional sides as part of their one-day kits (India even use them in Tests!) and there are obvious reasons why. Fully adjustable to suit the tiniest and giantest of noggins, they also have a fairly ample peak, which gives decent coverage from the sun (it’s principle purpose, after all) which can be moulded (bent) into a shape that pleases the more style conscious. But, functional and effective though they are, do they ultimately lack the class of the more traditional articles? Even though those old woolen hats can shrink under the strain of sun and sweat, there’s something enchanting about them to the traditionalist. Hats off (sorry) to the clubs who still use these as their official logo’d-up headwear.

Personally speaking, I often end up eschewing a cap altogether. Fair skinned to the point of affliction (I’ve been known to get sunburnt on a 100 per cent cloud-covered overcast day before now) I go for the broad-brimmed floppy on sunny fielding days. As my club colours are maroon, this also gives me the opportunity to feel I’m channeling the spirit of Richie Richardson as I take the field. To every other degree – notably the style and success of our batting – there is regrettably very little similarity between us.

Click here for some intrigue and excitement in Caught On Camera.

To read Finny’s diary in full pick up a copy of the latest AOC but in the meantime here’s a few prime picks from his monthly offering.

Finny on… beamers

“I was going for their last wicket, it was the last ball of my allotted 10 overs and Cookie said: ‘Go for glory’. So I proceeded to bowl an accidental head-high beamer at Wahab Riaz! Totally unintentional, and definitely not the glory ball the captain was looking for.”

Finny on… Swanny’s shorts

“The standout thing from today, for me, was Swanny’s cycling shorts. Firstly, they are pink because he put them in a hot wash with red socks – I mean, who does that? Then to top it off there is a special hole for him that he can whip out the appropriate equipment if he needs the toilet quickly, without him pulling his shorts down.”

Finny on… trash TV

“The arrival of wives and girlfriends is always a happy time for the lads, however, I didn’t have anyone jetting over to see me. (If anyone fancies it, let me know). I am renowned for being a bit of a trash telly junkie, which isn’t looked upon lightly in the dressing room. (I’m watching The Bachelor USA as I write this). So the opportunity to have a proper chinwag with a few of the girls about the trashy reality TV back in England was absolutely brilliant. I even borrowed a few of their magazines, but none of the boys know this, so keep that to yourselves! Please.”

Finny on… a jet ski, albeit briefly

“We took the jet ski from the back of the boat out for a spin. Just before getting on it I uttered the famous words… “you’ll never roll a jet ski over.” Silly thing to say when five minutes later I went heard first in the water having rolled me and the physio right off.”

Finny on… Bressy’s return

“Now, it’s great to have Bressy back on tour. Firstly, it takes a bit of heat off me, because he’s even more susceptible to bullying than me. And secondly, he is an extremely important cricketer for us. But the lad’s shorts stink like you wouldn’t believe. I am three seats down and still getting a good whiff of them. Get those shorts in the wash, Bressington.”

Click here to read extracts from Finny’s first diary entry

The Cricketing Twits tried, and for the most part failed, to show their romantic side this February 14. Ladies you may want to look away now…

1. Plan ahead – remember, remember the 14th of February. Ok that doesn’t really work.
Jonathan Agnew @Aggerscricket
In the mire. Forgot to book a restaurant for Valentine’s. Everywhere full. Got about 10 mins till age gets back from hairdresser… There are some interesting programmes on Arabic TV on Valentine’s night…. working hard to salvage… .Arabian Corrie not going down well
Disastrous evening. How does ‘she’ become ‘age’ on predictive text? Lenses in the bin. Room service. Arabian TV…….Dog house

2. It’s the thought that counts – a gate? Really???!!!!
David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd @BumbleCricket
got a lovely quiche on the go ..then Emmerdale , then footy .’vipers’ in for a great night .she’s dressed up for it, too ….
valentins day gift gone down really well …new side gate …wrought iron , too ….Vipers only has to fit it …will look great !

3. Tell them how you really feel – no love lost there methinks
Michael Vaughan @VaughanCricket
Message to customs… Don’t let Tevez back in the country please..

4. Make the lady feel special – ‘auditions’ might not be very special?
Herschelle Gibbs @hershybru
I’d love to have a valentine but none hear in dhaka, ill have to find one wen I get back to cape town in 2 weeks time..auditions soon!! Haha
Dwayne Bravo @Newbigdog
To all the sweet ladies out there, happy valentines day, hope you all getting spoilt today

5. Keep the mystery alive – keeping him on his toes Mrs Swann
Graeme Swann @Swannyg66
‘Thanks for the flowers darling’ said the wife this morning. ‘My pleasure’ I said. Now I just have to work out who’s sending my wife flowers

6. Get Bromantic – you heard it here first
Steven Finn @finnysteve
Happy valentines day everyone. Me and @StuartBroad8 will be having a romantic dinner tonight.
Stuart Broad @StuartBroad8
Romantic Valentines Day dinner for… ummm… 5.
Would like to say it’s me and 4 women but I’d be lying.

7. Help a friend out – pimping might be taking it a bit far though
Iain O’Brien @iainobrien
Currently on a Faux Date with @FlorenceMasoe. I’m marred, she’s single and I’m trying to hook her up with a yummy man.#VDaySolution

8. Be understanding – showing you care = quiet life. Simples!
Kevin Pietersen @kevinpp24
No earphones required today if you’ve remembered its Valentines Day… Have a great day x

9. The best things in life are free – but there is no need to tell everyone!
Stuart Broad @StuartBroad8
“@AbuDhabiDaz: the mrs enjoyed her valentines day treat at the ODI in Abu Dhabi.”>> with free tickets?! Wow you do treat her well!! Ha

10. Don’t panic – there has to be one good thing about being single on Valentine’s Day
Steven Finn @finnysteve
Also, like the other singletons, enjoying not having to panic about valentines day flowers!!
Graeme Swann @Swannyg66
I don’t suppose that there’s a postal strike or mass walkout by florists tomorrow to save my bacon?
Stuart Broad @StuartBroad8
The best thing about being single?! Watching the lads panicking about Valentines Day and what to buy the wife last minute…

You can follow all the cricketing action (and not just the lovebirds) in real-time on Tweetsport. You might just be surprised what you find…

Some days you wake up and fancy something different. You want to shake things up a bit and challenge yourself. So what did those cricketing ‘twits’ do for their ‘new thing this week’?

1. Be a (retro) popstar… sort of – sorry lads I’m not feeling it. Razor Ruddock was more believable!
@RonnieIrani1 Liverpool are back at Wembley for the first time since 96! So talkSPORT have turned us into Spice Boys, shocking!

2. Embrace your inner Carrie – that’s Carrie from Sex and the City (shoes, fashion) not Carrie from the Stephen King novel (homicidal teen). Just so we are clear…
@blowersh Past the first test: Michael Vaughan has approved of my Tod two-tone shoes!!!

@AlisonMitchell Morning! @blowersh has gone for the yellow trousers today. I’d say daffodil, but he’s a Norwich City fan so it would have to be canary…

3. Become a golf coach – those who can, do. Those who can’t, shout from the sidelines. No one likes a backseat driver.
@VaughanCricket Seen it all.. @bumblecricket showing Richard Green how to do it on the 1st tee at the Abu dhabi open.

4. Reconnect with your culture – an Indian, an Aussie and a South African…
@LalitKModi Happy Republic Day.

@warne888 How has everyone’s Australia day been ?? Hope every single one of you out there is smiling and feeling proud to be Australian !!! X

@hershybru Happy australian day to all the ozzies…question is..wat are the women gonna do for their country today!!!!

5. Get your groove on – Dwayne Bravo: the coolest man on the planet?
@Newbigdog Guess who’s back in the studio with the real big man? Watch this space friends & fans!

6. Stop putting off until tomorrow – and get very excited, indeed
@Swannyg66 Seeing as my umpteen hints were ignored for Christmas, I have decided to treat myself to the audiobook of I Partridge…

…it’s hard to explain just how excited I am about this. It’s like when they re-released Star Wars on my 18th birthday #soggyundies

7. Take in some culture – no shame Iain, Tintin is a classic
@iainobrien I’m doing something this afternoon that I’ve never done before… Bet you’ll never guess! For the first time ever I went and watched a movie by myself. A bit weird, snuck in and out while it was dark! #Tintin

@GaleyLad Silent films?!! Can’t get my head round that!!

8. Prove you are never to old to try something new – but maybe have someone younger around just in case
@VaughanCricket I cannot believe @beefybotham has just posted his email address???? and he tells me he isn’t getting old!!!!!!!

9. Go to war – well, try to at least
@finnysteve Just scratched my Modern Warfare 3 disk whilst moving my xbox around. In a whole world of pain now. Feel like crying.

10. Live the dream – you can’t argue with a photo like that 
@DaleSteyn62 Every golfers dream 18th! #sunset #iphone #golf @ Shandrani Golf Course

You can follow all the cricketing action (old and new) in real-time on Tweetsport. You might just be surprised what you find…

We’ve got Fire in Babylon (the acclaimed documentary charting West Indies’ era of world dominance in the 70s and 80s), Swanny in a Spin (Graeme Swann’s irreverent look at our weird and wonderful game) and Lagaan (the Oscar nominated Bollywood epic in which Indian villagers take on their British rulers in a game of cricket) all up for grabs for one lucky winner.

All you have to do to enter is answer this question:

*THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED*

What was the title of Graeme Swann’s autobiography?

(A) The Spinner Takes It All

(B) You Spin Me Round (Like A Record Baby)

(C) The Breaks Are Off

Send in your answers to comps@alloutcricket.com with ‘DVD’ as your subject title. The competition closes on January 27. Good luck!

From time to time AOC may send you information on offers, promotions or services that may be of interest to you. If you do not want to be contacted please include the words ‘no mailing’ in your email.

“I’ve always advocated the use of two spinners, I love the rhythm and tempo the game takes when there are two…”

Graeme Swann doesn’t want for much these days, except perhaps a bit of company. No stranger to the centre stage but secure enough now to want to share it, and a purist, a flagbearer for the union of twirl, Swann made a plea before this Test to introduce Monty Panesar from the wings and give him a few lines.

Swann, as a lover of a good yarn, is naturally a Monty fan; not least because Panesar’s anticipated return would echo Swann’s own comeback after the unfulfilled turns of youth. But he is also cute enough to know that a problem shared is a problem halved. “You have all the men around the bat,” he explained last week, winking in the direction of Andy Flower, “and with everyone in close you can make shot suggestions to the batsmen that he might not otherwise do.”

Let Monty play, was the message; give me some help, the subtext.

Maybe Swanny’s been boning up on his history. England’s hardy collective of old tweakers hand their stories of dustbowl-struggle down through the generations. It can be an unforgiving job, bowling spin in Asia, propping up the wilting seamers with 35-over spells, the fingers raw and cooked, the shirt soaked, the spirit sapped.

A personal favourite from a pretty vast library comes from England’s shambolic Indian jaunt in 1993 under Graham Gooch. This was the tour when the loveable leggie Ian Salisbury was drafted in as a net bowler to support the squad spinners John Emburey and Phil Tufnell and somehow leapfrogged them both to get the nod for the first Test at Kolkata. On a raging turner India played three spinners to England’s one, and Solly – a young lad, an Englishman, and a legspinner – was tasked with containing Mohammad Azharuddin; Azhar eventually went to Graeme Hick’s part-time offbreaks, though he did have 182 at near enough a run-a-ball by then.

Far better, then, for the English spinner to recall the little victories: Nick Cook’s 11 wickets at Karachi against Pakistan in 1984; Ashley Giles’ cussed beauty from over the wicket at Bangalore which so ruffled Tendulkar’s plumage that he ran past one for the only time in his Test career; Fred Titmus’ 37 maidens (6-73 from 60 overs!) at Kanpur in 1964; Shaun Udal’s dream afternoon at Mumbai in 2006.

But Shaggy’s four-fer on that final day against Dhoni’s boys was not a lone effort; that day Monty, the spindly panther, fairly patrolled the mid on region in wait for the catch that eventually came. Theirs was a twirling pincer movement at Mumbai, and it gave Andrew Flintoff his best moment as England captain; excluding the two-Test trifle of Bangladesh in spring 2010, this was the last time an England side won a Test in Asia with two spinners.

After the first Dubai Test (which still feels weird to write), the calls for Monty to come in for his first match since Cardiff in 2009 will intensify. Dubai gave us an lbw-fest, 10 wickets for Saeed Ajmal, an exacting support act from Mohammad Hafeez, and four wickets for Swann himself. Of the 30 wickets to fall, exactly half fell to spinners (and none to Chris Tremlett, whose quality appears neutered by these surfaces). Spin has never been more in vogue. Its threat, aided today by the technology on lbws, is unquestioned. With England one down, it’s time to get moving. A lefty and a righty in jagged harmony. Four bowlers, two spinners; same batters, better batting. Onto Abu Dhabi then…

Should England play two spinners in Abu Dhabi? To discuss this topic and hundreds more with like-minded cricket fans, visit sports forum 606v2.

Click here to read The Grubber’s thoughts on the return of Graham Onions to the England fold

England were on cloud nine last August after completing the team’s goal of becoming the world’s number one Test side but thousands of miles away, in alien conditions, they have been brought back down to earth with a bump after Saeed Ajmal put Pakistan in the driving seat on day one of the first Test in Dubai, bundling out the tourists for 192.

It could have been catastrophic for Andrew Strauss’ side had it not been for the rearguard action of Matt Prior, whose unbeaten 70 highlighted the importance of playing straight and the need to be more circumspect in shot selection – the Sussex stumper scored just three boundaries in his 154-ball knock.

The Pakistani openers followed Prior’s example as Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez got through to stumps on day one with relative ease and brought up their half-centuries before lunch on day two on a flat, slow wicket that Graeme Swann was struggling to find any purchase on – only finding noticeable turn with one ball in the morning session.

But, with Pakistan looking comfortable at 111-0, Strauss tossed the ball to Stuart Broad, who soon showed the benefits of mixing things up by varying his length and sending down a short ball that took Hafeez by surprise and a resulting top edge should have been taken by Chris Tremlett at wide mid on.

Broad shook himself down, roused himself once again and cleaned up Taufeeq the very next ball with a full delivery from round the wicket that rattled the timbers. Four overs later he was at it again, finding the faintest of edges with some rare seam movement to send Azhar Ali back to the pavilion with just a single to his name. At 128-2, Pakistan were still very much in charge but Broad’s double salvo shortly before the lunch interval, as the game seemed to be slipping away, gave England a glimmer of hope.

From there the tourists continued to plug away, with Graeme Swann dismissing Hafeez 12 short of his century to break a partnership of 48 with Younis Khan, before Jonathan Trott provided the shock of the day by bringing one into Younis and rapping him on the pads bang in front. A further three wickets in the evening session, including two in the last two overs of the day from Swann and James Anderson, capped an industrious and disciplined day for England in the field and, while Pakistan hold the advantage with a first innings lead of 96 and three wickets still in tact, Andy Flower will be pleased with how his side responded after a poor opening day.

There’ll be renewed confidence within the England camp, and that is in large part to Broad, who provided the kind of burst of which we’ve become accustomed to help his side fight back from what was fast becoming a desperate situation. He’ll fancy his chances of knocking over a lengthy Pakistan tail on  day three, and then it will be over to the batsmen to improve upon a disappointing showing in the first dig and rack up the kind of matchwinning total we’ve seen them do on so many occasions over the last 18 months.

Click here to read day one’s Game Changer in Dubai

Tim Bresnan’s failure to recover from elbow surgery has opened the door for England’s back-up bowlers to stake a claim for a regular Test spot and one, or possibly even two, of Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Monty Panesar will take to the field in Dubai tomorrow.

Bresnan has been something of a lucky charm for Andrew Strauss since replacing Finn for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in 2010, with England winning every Test he has played in since then. A player with an average of 23 with the ball and 45 with the bat will not be easy to replace – particularly given the Yorkshireman’s ability to reverse swing the old ball, which would have come in most handy on the dusty tracks of the UAE – however, England’s stable of bowlers is so well stocked that Bresnan’s absence should not significantly dent the tourists’ hopes.

Middlesex paceman Finn is perhaps most likely to return to the side having featured in a near full-strength England side in the opening warm-up fixture against the ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI and he has overs under his belt after a spell with Otago Volts in New Zealand’s domestic competition before Christmas. The 22-year-old’s extra yard of pace (he was clocking in at around the 95mph mark in India over the autumn) may just give him the edge when it comes to making the final call.

However, Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss could easily opt for towering Surrey paceman Tremlett, who proved his fitness in the final warm-up match against the Pakistan Cricket Board XI after suffering from an eye infection and was arguably the pick of the quicks, finding pace and bounce to finish with four wickets in the match.

Onions is the third of the seamers vying for a spot after he was chosen to replace Bresnan in the squad and he did his chances no harm at all against the Board XI with three second innings wickets. The Durham seamer would be the most like-for-like replacement for Bresnan, bowling wicket to wicket with a skiddy trajectory, but it would be a shock to see him leapfrog Finn and Tremlett in the pecking order.

Then, of course, there is the option of playing two spinners – something England haven’t done since the first Test of the 2009 Ashes. On that occasion Panesar performed heroics with the bat as the hosts held out for the draw and the Sussex left-armer’s match haul of eight wickets in the last warm-up fixture has put him in contention for a Test recall and given the selectors food for thought.

He out-bowled first-choice spinner Graeme Swann throughout the match, leading the Notts offie to call for Panesar’s inclusion in the Test line-up. “Monty has done himself no harm and given Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss a tough decision,” said Swann. “I like the rhythm of spinners at each end and I’d go with two in this part of the world. I spin the ball in, he spins it away and a partnership like that can be formidable.”

There is scope to play Swann and Panesar in tandem and still find room for one of the three pacemen but that would mean departing from a tried and tested formula by dropping Eoin Morgan and promoting Matt Prior to No.6. In the past, Flower has stuck to his guns and been vindicated on each occasion and it would be a surprise to see a change in the make-up of the side at this stage, but Flower and Strauss have been as coy as ever about team selection in the build up.

The selection dilemma that faces England just serves to further demonstrate the riches at their disposal and both Flower and Strauss will be confident that whoever replaces Bresnan will rise to the challenge as the tourists look to cement their place at the summit of the Test rankings.

Who would pick? To discuss this topic and hundreds more with like-minded cricket fans, visit sports forum 606v2.

Click here to read Phil Walker’s thoughts on the return of Graham Onions in The Grubber

There are a number of potential challengers to Graeme Swann’s position as the world’s best Test spinner, but with due respect to Shakib Al Hasan, Rangana Herath and Daniel Vettori, his most serious rival is Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, a fellow offspinner who has been steadily climbing the ICC rankings since making his belated Test debut in 2009 at the age of 31.

Both men are bound to get through a lot of overs on the flat wickets out in the UAE, so the series could well come down to which of these spin kings performs best. And the numbers suggest that Ajmal is the man in form. Whilst Swann had a perfectly respectable 2011 (27 wickets at 34.22 apiece), Ajmal’s stats were the more impressive. In eight Tests, he amassed 50 scalps at an average of just 23.86.

He has said that he will unleash a new delivery in the UAE, although this kind of talk from spinners should be taken with a pinch of salt. Shane Warne was always claiming to have come up with something new (anyone remember the zooter?) But Ajmal clearly believes it’s worth playing these mind games, perhaps because many of the England players have struggled against him in the recent past.

At The Oval during the ill-fated tour of 2010, it became apparent that England’s batsmen were not picking Ajmal’s doosra. Although Mohammed Amir’s five-wicket haul in the second innings took the headlines, it was the spinner who created panic as one batsman after another played down the wrong line. And whilst Ajmal should be able to repeat the dose in the UAE, Swann may struggle.

Swann is essentially an orthodox offspinner. He gives the ball a big tweak, but is primarily aiming to beat batsmen with flight. This makes him a highly entertaining bowler to watch, but his style is not well suited to the wickets in the UAE, where any turn will be slow and there will be little bounce to bring the bat-pad catchers into play. In those conditions, against batsmen adept at playing spin, giving the ball more air just means they will have more time to pick their shot.

By contrast, Ajmal is an offspinner in the modern mode. He bowls with a quicker, flatter trajectory that hurries batsmen. But his most dangerous attribute is the ability to spin it both ways with little discernable change of action. In fact, in 2011, he seemed to bowl as many doosras as orthodox offbreaks. If the batsman is unable to read him, Ajmal need only turn the ball a fraction in either direction to take a wicket and so does not depend as much as Swann on assistance from the pitch.

Of course, Swann should not be underrated. Great bowlers rise to new challenges and he has a perfectly respectable record on sub-continental style pitches, albeit from only four Tests. But it is hard to escape the conclusion that these UAE wickets on which Ajmal recently claimed 18 victims in a series against Sri Lanka, will suit the Pakistani offspinner more than his English counterpart and it is Ajmal who makes more appeal in the top series bowler market at around 5.5.

Under Misbah-ul-haq, Pakistan are a cautious outfit and undefeated in the five Tests they have played in the UAE. Their game plan will be for their stodgy batting line-up to slowly grind out decent scores before allowing Ajmal to weave his magic. With just a four-man bowling attack and with Swann not likely to have things his own way, England will struggle to force victories and are well worth laying at 2.24 in the series winner market.

Click here to read former England captain Michael Vaughan’s betting advice on the upcoming series.

In my last blog I outlined some basic concepts you should keep in mind when looking to place a bet on the cricket. This time around I’ll apply those principles as I weigh up how to bet on the upcoming England v Pakistan Test series over in the UAE. Given that we won’t know too much at this stage about the wicket for the first Test, I’ll be looking at the series as a whole.

THE BOWLERS
I mentioned last time that the single most important factor to consider ahead of a Test is the strength of the two bowling attacks involved. The reason England have such a challenge on their hands in this series is that – for the first time in the last 12 months – they will be facing a bowling attack which is as capable of taking 20 wickets as their own.

In Australia, Andrew Strauss had more quality options, more variety and more in-form bowlers than Ricky Ponting, and that went a long way to deciding the outcome of the series. When India toured this summer, Strauss had bowlers who could make the ball swing whilst MS Dhoni lost Zaheer Khan, his best bowler, during the first Test and had to make do with inexperienced players who didn’t know how to exploit English conditions. We all know what happened next.

Graeme Swann has been vital to all of England’s recent success, but he might just meet his match at last in the form of Saeed Ajmal in this series. The 34-year old from Faisalabad was considered very much an ODI specialist for a long time but is now a mainstay in the Test team and an extremely dangerous bowler on turning wickets. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are two of the best pace bowlers in the longest format, but Pakistan have Umar Gul and, as ever, a number of promising youngsters coming through. There’s not much to choose between the two teams in the bowling department.

THE BOWLERS
One of the secrets behind England’s recent success in Test cricket has been their ability to adapt to different conditions, but the UAE has been Pakistan’s borrowed home ever since they were prevented from playing in their own country, so Misbah-ul-Haq’s men will be far more familiar with the pitches they will encounter in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

England won’t have much in terms of strong opposition to play against in their warm-up matches and could be caught a little under- cooked early on. All in all, it’s probably advantage Pakistan in this particular department.

WICKETS AND WEATHER
The weather is always a big consideration when working out whether or not we’re going to get a
result. This is unlikely to be a factor this time round; the odd session may be cut short because of bad light but we’re extremely unlikely to get rain so we should pretty much get our full quota of overs played in each of the three Tests.

Wickets in the UAE are generally very good for batting, at least during the first three days, so I’d be very surprised if any of the three Tests didn’t go into day five. I can’t envisage a scenario where either team has a session where they go out and take seven or eight wickets because the conditions suddenly become favourable for bowling.

Whoever wins the toss will want to bat first and post a big first innings total, and with the wicket likely to deteriorate on days four and five neither captain will want to be chasing more than 200 to win the match.

We have two good bowling attacks, as I’ve mentioned already, so both teams are capable of taking 20 wickets but, all in all, this should be a really good contest between bat and ball.

THE TEAMS
Strauss’ big trump card is that his Test team is settled and they’ve developed a winning habit. Misbah is relatively new to international captaincy, but his understated style of leadership and phlegmatic character means this Pakistan team look a controlled set of players who are all pulling in the same direction without big egos spoiling the team morale; something we haven’t always been able to say about Pakistan in the past. Still, there’s more experience in the England team and that just about gives them the edge here.

THE BET
Pakistan are too big at 3.5 [5/2] on Betfair to win the series before a ball is bowled, especially when you consider that because they’ll be more comfortable in the conditions early on their best chance of winning a Test will come in the first match.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they did end up taking the first Test, but I wouldn’t be too shocked if England then improved as the series went on and won the next two matches, or at the very least claim a win and a draw. So, for me, the best bet is to back Pakistan at 3.5 and lay them off after the first Test (those of you who have been keeping up will remember that a ‘lay’ is backing against an outcome). As long as they don’t lose first up, we’ll have a chance to ensure a profit on all three possible series outcomes.

VAUGHAN’S ADVICE: Back-to-lay Pakistan @ 3.5 [5/2]

Fancy a cheeky punt on the cricket? Then check out www.betfair.com for all your flutter-based needs.

Cricketers – hardened athletes at the top of their game, professionals in every aspect of their performance, leaders of men. Off the field they are a big bunch of animal loving softies. Here at Tweetsport we’ve been checking out the little fluffy lovelies who have stolen our cricketers’ hearts.

Warning – you will want to go “aw, soooo cute!” Yes even you at the back. Oh, and as its Christmas, there’s a little Christmas bonus at the end. No peeking now!

1. Too Cool for Cats

Graeme Swann’s little helper takes a well earned nap. Don’t wake him up!
Here are paddy’s jaguar-esque paws @Swannyg66

2. Broadband Burnley Style

A little animal themed sledging from Vaughan and Co.
“RT: Burnley does have internet” ha ha.. Best yet!!! @VaughanCricket

3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight

And as Mark Butcher found out, if the lion wants to sleep on the windsreen of your car that’s exactly what she’s going to do… and she’s not going to be careful (see the image at the top of the article!)
check out my new fox repellant. nice having you around guys @markbutcher72

4. It’s a Dog’s Life

Matthew Hoggard spends some quality time with the lads.
One of my boys having a snuggle @Hoggy602

5. Finding Tudor

Apparently even Alex Tudor conceded there was a passing resemblance.
@scottynewms: If @alextudorcoach was a fish! “I don’t know how 2 do funny pictures so some1 finish him 4 me please.. @alextudorcoach

6. Man’s Best Hangover Cure

After helping his master recover from last week’s liquid lunch Jonathan Agnew’s pooch had a dress up Friday.
here’s one modelled by @aggersbracken @Aggerscricket

7. A Watched Dog Never Steals

David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd keeping a close eye on developments. As if he would be so bold?
Don’t even think about it! @BumbleCricket

8. Andrex chose their logo well

Yes Rob, we all have to make sacrifices.
Missing x factor not because I’m out but because I’m back on #poohwatch #mischab @robkey612

9. Your pets are like your children

Adam Hollioake seems to think they are.
Similar? @adamhollioake

10. Festive and Fashionable?

Stuart Broad last Chrismas Day getting a little festive with the family. What did the neighbours think?
Walking the dog this morning, getting some funny looks for some reason…@StuartBroad8

Your Christmas Bonus – A walk on the wild side

Those seagulls are a cunning bunch – as spotted by Graeme Swann
This is getting crazy now @Swannyg66

Merry Christmas all and have a great 2012 from us here @Tweetsportcouk! You can follow all the cricketing action (and not just the cute animals) in real-time on Tweetsport. You might be surprised what you find…

Now that all that Halloween and fireworks nonsense is behind us let’s focus on cricket Christmas! Are you struggling to know what to get your loved one this year? Well struggle no more – here is our ‘Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas’ inspired by those Twittering cricketing types.

1 Boys love toys – get your gift ideas in early

Darren Gough spoke for the big kid in all of us this week when he went retro for his gift choice. Not too subtle there Dazza, socks it is.

Off to have a peek at nintendo 3d Mario kart racing launch! At haymarket ! Could be fun with all the strikers there today ,lots of trouble @DGoughie

2 High tech – make sure you read the instructions

Graeme Swann let technology beat him. Try turning it on and off again…

I’ve just downloaded the newest iPhone Software and now feel like a monkey staring at a space shuttle control desk@Swannyg66 

3 Something sporty perhaps?

Kevin Pietersen would be happy with tennis shoes, although would probably swap them for a Chelsea win right now.

Wish I’d worn shoes to play tennis today.. #blistersforstupidity @kevinpp24 

4 Self help books – get the person in your life something they really need

After @johnnyyates pointed out Tino Best’s shortcomings with sledging perhaps some comebacks might be appropriate. Anything ‘ot pot related should work.

Best cricket sledging ever, how did it feel @tinobest ?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl1rHQj7P5c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Or perhaps a joke book?

Joke Of The Year Coach Dex just said “This Guy Can’t bat Better Than A Ninja Turtle”hahahhahahaha oh shittttt it was the funniest thing ever @tinobest

5 Get your mates something they want

Graeme Swann has a few ideas what to get Cook and Bresnan. My money is on the DVD.

That’s a busy day of media done promoting ‘the greatest DVD of our time’, now off to Lord’s to play tour guide …and on your left you will see where Alastair cook hides his saxophone, on your right where Tim bresnan keeps his colouring book” etc @Swannyg66

6 Unexpected guests – have a little something for everyone

Yorkshire Cricket reached out to old friends… in an attempt to get some new ones.

Would love to be the first county club to get to 9,000 twitter followers – can we get there before Christmas? #yccc @Yorkshire_ccc 

7 Novelty socks – the default gift for a bloke of any age

If they are for a good cause all the better.

#4hsocks @HeroesRugby game Dec3 my weight is behind @HelpforHeroes http://www.heroesrugby.org.uk for tickets @BumbleCricket

David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd  is sorted for socks and he also heard from one of his heroes.

Reckon I’ve had a tweet from the great Courtney Walsh. Absolute gent Am made up !

8 Spend some time with someone special

Well Michael, this is awkward. Yes Michael it is. Do you come here often?

Lord’s really is a diverse place in the winter, tonight there is going to be a speed dating event!@HomeOfCricket

9 Public spectacles – do something for the community

When not taking his kit off for a good cause, Andrew Gale can also be found bringing Christmas to Batley. He’ll catch his death poor love.

Fitness test this morning before I go switch the Xmas lights on for batley tonight. Anyone going?? @GaleyLad

10 Festive fayre – a bit of cheese is right good

Shane Warne likes a bit of Goughie’s Yorkshire cheese.

@DGoughie hey buddy thankyou for the beautiful cheese !!!! Very very nice – more please !!!!! @warne888

But struggled for inspriation when it came to his other half and so turned to the Twitterverse. Not cool Shane, not cool at all.

Still waiting for some good Xmas present ideas for@ElizabethHurley - had a few good suggestions – thankyou…

If you think cricket’s for life and not just for Christmas, follow it in real-time on Tweetsport. You might be surprised what you find…

The chat last week was all about football and that big match.

Notts County , FA Cup Saturday ….we need a big defender …quick, good tackler , two footed …get there for 1pm @BumbleCricket

No not that one Bumble, England v Spain. The build-up had been dominated by the poppy debate and whether the players should be allowed to wear them on their shirts. The cricketers showed their support for their footballing counterparts as did many in the sporting world.

Wearing my poppy with pride #11.11.11
@StuartBroad8

#BackOurBoysWearThePoppy Final one for the night, BUY YOUR POPPY! there is no excuse not to, unless you are an absolute……! (please insert strong word of choice)
@Swannyg66

Eventually FIFA saw reason and the ban was lifted. Michael Vaughan singled out Prince William for his efforts.

Great work by Prince William… #poppysonarmband

He didn’t forget to add a request for help sorting out affairs between Manchester City and their troubled Argentinian.

Can’t Prince William get involved and Stop Tevez from being allowed back in the country now please…

 ***

So what of the match? Well, World and European Champions Barcelona Spain arrived as firm favourites and no one seemed to want to support their national side against such imposing opposition. As Dominic Cork headed to Wembley, he dreamed of a different match.

Off to the England v Spain match with Probiz and their accountants. Lunch at the Sheraton then off to Wembley. Pity it’s not Stoke playing! @Corkyonair

In an uninspiring encounter, England won, thanks to Frank Lampard who sealed a 1-0 victory with a header from 1ft out. Hindsight can be cruel but let’s indulge ourselves for a second by remembering a couple of pre-match predictions.

Bet of the week… Back Spain to beat England on Saturday.. Even money!!! No brainer @VaughanCricket

England are going to get played off the park here! #SpainAreToGood @Borthwick16

Darren Gough restricted his comments until after the match, when he congratulated the side on their victory – I think?

now @DGoughie has about 44 hours to find something to blame Fabio for….@Akinbiyi

lol I’ll watch game over and over Well done England though Wins a win
@DGoughie

***

44 hours later and as predicted, Goughie let rip on the England team performance during his daytime job @talkSPORTDrive as documented by his co-presenter Adrian Durham who had quite a different recollection of the game.

@dgoughie reckons Spain taught us a lesson on Saturday. Having an absolute NIGHTMARE today. Never heard such rubbish.

@dgoughie just walked out of the studio. Tense atmosphere. will he be back???

Darren did return to do battle, just off to grab a coffee apparently but word was spreading that things were hotting up thanks to Freddie Flintoff.

Get @TalkSportDrive on now ! @DGoughie and Durham on fire ! Can’t stop laughing. What’s happened to @dgoughie at @talkSportDrive I thought England won ! He’s turned into Michael Atherton #nopleasinghim
@flintoff11

***

Just as England fans had something to cheer about, the Toon Army who count Graeme Swann in their ranks were not cheering. Something Mike Ashley had done apparently… not sure Graeme was convinced.

Sports direct arena? Yeah course mike, it’s a great name, the fans will love it honestly *makes hitch hiker hand signal minus the thumb*
@swannyg66

Cricketers love their football and here at Tweetsport so do we. Our nominated charity, Footballmemories.org.uk is looking for fans to add their favourite football memories on or off the pitch to their site. The aim is to help support Alzheimer Scotland’s Football Reminiscence Project which brings volunteers together with football fans with dementia, using the game to stimulate memories. So please take a moment to add yours today and help build a living archive for the next generation and support a good cause.

Don’t forget to remember.

Follow all the cricketing action (not just football chat) in real-time on Tweetsport. You might be surprised what you find…