Tim denied blazer glory

ECb cricket chief Andrew Strauss wanted as many as possible of the 230 guests at last night’s inaugural England Players’ dinner at lord’s to wear their national-team blazers.

but many invitees were in the position of twocap Tim munton. He found the still-pristine jacket did not fit him when it was delivered a year after his last England game in 1992, let alone 25 years on, now the popular former Warwickshire paceman has put on some timber.

DOUBLE

Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams has signed for leading promoter Frank Warren after turning professional, but she will also be represented by Jonathan Shalit’s ROAR group on a three-year contract. The agency see Adams as the successor to retired heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill as Britain’s most popular female sporting personality. ROAR’s first deal is for her to become an ambassador for BT Sport, who will be showing her fights.

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino will risk accusations of interfering in confederation elections again when he attends the birthday party of Zimbabwean FA chief Phillip Chiyangwa tomorrow. Also at the Harare bash will be all the major supporters of madagascar FA president Ahmad Ahmad, who is challenging the long-standing Issa Hayatou for the presidency of African football. Infantino already faces allegations of becoming personally involved in the ConCACAF, European and Asian elections.

CHELSEA are likely to bring in a sponsorship and commercial chief to work alongside new head of global marketing Gary Twelvetree. The club’s set-up remains unusual in not having a chief executive since Ron Gourlay departed in 2014.