The Tale of the Day at Old Trafford

THE Cookie Monster and Minnie Mouse sitting next to each other (right), all smiles and waving to passers-by. It could only be the Saturday of a Test Match in England. Old Trafford was its usual study in fancy dress yesterday, though cries of ‘Me Want Cookie’ from this supporter went unanswered as the England captain left centre stage to Joe Root.

Not beyond our Ken

JOE ROOT’S exit on 254 left him two runs shy of the highest score by an England player at an Old Trafford Test. Ken Barrington (right) scored 256 against Australia in 1964 and followed that by scoring another double hundred a week later for Surrey.

WITH the pleasure comes the pain — just ask Pakistan spin bowler Yasir Shah. Man-of-the-match glory at Lord’s last time out, into the top 20 in runs conceded in a single Test innings yesterday after his return of one for 213. Mind you, Yasir is in good company with the likes of Sir Ian Botham (right), Kapil Dev and Muttiah Muralitharan ahead of him on that list of shame.

Woakes takes a French lesson

CHRIS WOAKES is the 12th England nightwatchman to make a fifty. The only other England nightwatchman to do it against Pakistan was Bruce French in 1987.

Childs’ play for stars

YOUNG cricket fans Liam and Aiden Clorley turned up at a BBQ thrown by their mum’s boss, former England batsman Neil Fairbrother, only to find Stuart Broad and Joe Root eager for a game in the garden. Fairbrother acts as agent for the England stars … and might want to sign up Liam and Aiden!