Manchester United’s academy has produced some exceptional players in recent years. This could date back as long as the Busby Babes, but looking at the last few seasons, there are several huge names who have graduated from the esteemed Carrington academy.

Marcus Rashford is perhaps the biggest, with the Wythenshawe-born sensation making 426 appearances and scoring 138 times for his boyhood club. More recently, Kobbie Mainoo broke into the first team, and whilst life is tough for him at the moment under Ruben Amorim, he is held in very high regard by the Old Trafford faithful.

Another Carrington graduate who has shone in the last 12 months is Scott McTominay.

McTominay's incredible last 12 months

Scotland international McTominay has shone during his season and a half at Napoli so far. He moved from Old Trafford, where he had been his whole life, for a fee of just £25.7m. That would prove to be a bargain for the Serie A outfit.

The 29-year-old has made 59 appearances for the Naples club, showing his threat in the final third and how hard-working he is off the ball. He’s found the back of the net 18 times and assisted nine in that time.

Twice in just a few short months, he has helped lead the club to silverware. McTominay was a key member of the Scudetto-winning side, scoring a remarkable overhead kick in the game which sealed the title. This week, he added to that by helping Napoli lift the Italian Super Cup.

He has been greatly rewarded for his form in a Napoli shirt, in the form of personal accolades. McTominay won the Serie A player of the year last season and finished in 18th place in the Ballon d’Or.

It was a sensational year for the ex-United star, who may wish they still had him at their disposal today. Well, they may have the new version of the Scot coming through the academy again.

Man United's new McTominay

There has been an influx of academy involvement in Amorim’s first team over the last few games. Tyler Fredricson and Bendito Mantato were unused substitutes against Aston, and Shea Lacey made his debut.

The winger was not the only academy debut at Villa Park. Jack Fletcher, son of United legend Darren, was brought off the bench, playing 17 minutes and becoming the 255th graduate of the esteemed Carrington.

Aside from his first-team bow last weekend, Fletcher has made a strong impression for the academy this season. He’s made 13 appearances across all competitions, scoring and assisting three goals apiece.

Fletcher stats per competition in 25/26

Competition

Games

Goals & assists

Premier League 2

7

3

EFL Trophy

2

1

Premier League Int. Cup U21

2

1

National League Cup

2

1

Stats from Transfermarkt

United are looking for their new McTominay, and in the 18-year-old midfielder, they may have someone who can eventually fill his boots.

There are certainly similarities between the pair, not least because they are eligible to play for Scotland. The Napoli star, of course, does, and Fletcher could in the future, although he does represent England U19s at the moment.

Subscribe for deeper newsletter coverage of United’s academy Gain in-depth coverage of Manchester United’s academy – subscribe to the newsletter for focused analysis, player profiles, and scouting insights that follow Carrington’s rising talents, their development paths, and potential first-team impact. Subscribe Subscribe for deeper newsletter coverage of United’s academy Gain in-depth coverage of Manchester United’s academy – subscribe to the newsletter for focused analysis, player profiles, and scouting insights that follow Carrington’s rising talents, their development paths, and potential first-team impact.

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However, there are more similarities than just that. McTominay, of course, has proved to be a real handful in the opposition box, especially in a Napoli shirt, and that is something that Fletcher excels at, too.

The new United first-teamer was described as a “goal threat” by Red Devils academy-centred page Academy Scoop over on X. He already has 11 goals for the club’s academy, showing he certainly has that same threat in the final third that McTominay possesses.

Losing McTominay was certainly a blow for United, but it must be a good feeling for United fans to see him achieving so much in Naples. They will now be hoping that, in Fletcher, they have someone who can be like the second coming of their academy graduate.

The fact that he has made his debut is positive, and it seems like the future is bright for another member of the Fletcher family.

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Posts 2 ByJoe Nuttall

Nottinghamshire can take very little credit for making Middlesex bat for a second time as they slumped to an embarassing 10 wicket defeat inside 3 days at Trent Bridge.Nothing much went right for Notts after Jason Gallian inserted the visitors on the first morning as a punishing century from the Australian Justin Langer took Middlesex to 412 and full batting points. Notts were then dismissed inside 80 overs in their first innings and made to follow-on 167 runs behind.Resuming on the third morning at 29-0 seamers Angus Fraser and Richard Johnson wiped out the Notts top order in the first hour of play. Fraser picked up the early wickets of Welton and Gallian with successive deliveries and that heralded the start of a steady procession back to the pavilion as the former England player took 4 wickets and Johnson 3 before lunch.The spin of Phil Tufnell accounted for AJ Harris, who had earlier pulled the same bowler for 6, to leave Notts on 128-8, still 39 runs away from making Middx bat again.However, in the first hour of the afternoon session David Lucas and Paul Franks batted sensibly to ensure that Middlesex would have to bat for a second time. Lucas, on the way to beating his previous career high of 25, dominated a stand which grew in confidence and shot selection. The first 50 partnership of the innings necessitated a return for Fraser at the Radcliffe Road End. Though obviously still tired from his marathon unbroken morning spell of 13 overs he managed to end the stand when Franks clipped to Joyce at square-leg.Franks had reached exactly 50, coming off 98 deliveries with 7×4’s. Lucas had advanced to 46 not out but any hopes he had of a maiden half century were instantly dashed as Fraser had last man Matt Whiley caught behind first ball – to complete a pair.Fraser, three days after celebrating his 35th birthday, had taken 6-64 (9-103 in the match) to take the starring role in dismising Notts for 192 in just 60 overs.Requiring 26 runs for victory openers Andrew Strauss and Mike Roseberry saw Middlesex home side 4 overs to lift their side above Gloucestershire at the foot of the Division Two table.

Worcestershire ruined their chances of getting to the top of NationalLeague Division One by losing to Kent by 44 runs at Canterbury. Thiswin enabled Kent to avoid relegation.Worcestershire chasing a target of 229, were all out for 184 in 41overs. They were 81 no loss in 11 overs at one stage. Jamie Pipescored 45 in 24 balls and was first out at 81. Then Greame Hick andVikaram Solanki were both out for ducks. David Leatherdale (6) andElliot Wilson (0) were dismissed in quick succession. Philip Weston(47), Steve Rhodes (40) and Richard Illingworth (21) fought hard butcould only delay the Kent victory. Martin McCague took 3 for 29 whiledebutant Darren Scott finished with 3 for 21.Earlier, Kent batted first to score 228 for 8 in 45 overs with RahulDravid (104) and Hockley (64) being the chief contributors. The twoadded 99 runs in 24 overs for the third wicket. Worcestershire droppedDravid twice when he was on 1 and 67 and paid a big price for thosemissed chances.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball-detailsAn all-round performance from Sohaib Maqsood in the form of 45 off 28 balls and three crucial wickets led Multan Tigers to a five-wicket win against Abbottabad Falcons in Lahore.Falcons were given a steady start with a 51-run opening stand between Haroon (29) and Sajjad Ali (25). But with the dismissal of both of them, wickets started to totter and Falcons were reeling at 117 for 8, losing eight wickets for 66 runs. Adnan Raees (34 off 21) in the middle order and captain Junaid Khan (17 off 7) at No. 11 showed some resistance to take the Falcons to a fighting total of 141 after they scored 22 runs in their last over.In reply, Tigers responded strongly with a 77-run opening stand between Zeeshan Ashraf and Maqsood. Three quick wickets and a run-out by Yasir Shah slowed the proceedings for a while as the Tigers were now 120 for 5. While Gulraiz Sadaf was out for a golden duck, Kashif Naved was snapped by Rameez Ahmed diving to his left at gully.It was Ashraf who held his nerves to take his side home with Rizwan Haider who hit the winning runs in style with a boundary over midwicket to finish the chase with 14 balls to spare.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLahore Lions beat the Sialkot Stallions by restricting them to 118 for 8, and winning the match by 44 runs in Lahore. Opting to bat first, Lions were led by opener Nasir Jamshed who carried his bat with 71 off 56, which included seven fours and a six. He did not get much support from the top order as three wickets fell in the first ten overs. But Karman Akmal and Jamshed put on 69 runs for the fourth wicket to take their run-rate to over seven, and their score beyond 100. Once Akmal departed, Ali Azmat’s cameo of 21 off 11 added impetus to their innings, with Jamshed’s fifty helping them to a respectable score.Sialkot captain Shoaib Malik picked up two wickets, but gave away 35 runs, lacking practice because he he had not bowled during the one-dayers in South Africa. Raza Hasan, playing a match after over three months, gave only 18 runs in his four overs.Stallions were never in the race, losing wickets at regular intervals, as only one player passed 20. The opening partnership was broken in the third over by Aizaz Cheema, with Zia-ul-Haq striking in the next over. No. 4 Shahid Yousuf counter-attacked with a 11-ball 17 before he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz. The opener Shakeel Ansar was run out on the very next ball. Malik couldn’t survive for more than five balls, and offspinner Adnan Rasool took over from there, picking up three wickets in his four overs for 17 runs, which almost sealed the win for Lions. No. 9 batsman Bilawal Bhatti scored an unbeaten 24 to take them past 100, but the target proved too steep as Stallions eventually fell short by 44 runs.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball-details
Faisalabad Wolves off to a winning start, routing Bahawalpur Stags by 63 runs in the opening match of the tournament.Wolves, after opting to bat first, made a brisk start as opener Farrukh Shehzad began with an aggressive pull over midwicket for a first-ball boundary. A blow on his helmet while attempting a dilscoop didn’t slow him down, and he went on to hit six boundaries including a six before edging Fahad Masood behind the stumps for 30 off 20 balls. Left-hand batsman Ali Waqas was stuck on 6 after five overs but he improved during a partnership of 39 off 41 balls with Asif Ali. With the help of five boundaries including two sixes, Asif struck 34 off 25 balls to propel Wolves.Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who joined his team minutes before play began with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Salman as the makeshift captain until Misbah arrived. Wolves had closed in on 100 by the 14th over before Misbah (22 off 20 balls not out) took guard. He anchored a 40-run stand for the fifth wicket with Khurram Shehzad (19 off 12 balls) to take Wolves to competitive total of 154.Stags’ chase got off to a disastrous start, with two wickets off the first two balls. A faint edge down leg handed opener Imranullah Aslam a golden duck while Kashif Saddiq slashed a wide and uppish delivery only to be caught at point.Hammad Tariq (28) and Moinuddin (15), the top scorers for Stags, tried to stage a recovery but Wolves proved too strong. Stags kept losing wickets regularly and were never able to bring down the asking rate, crumbling to 91 for 8 in 20 overs. Shehzad, the Man of the Match, was the main destroyer, conceding only 20 runs for his four wickets.

It was Peter Siddle, back home after the miniature epic two-Test series against South Africa in 2011, who described the result as “a good one-all series win”. Having humiliated the Australians in Cape Town, South Africa walked away unfulfilled. Having scrambled to a cathartic victory in Johannesburg thanks largely to Pat Cummins, Michael Clarke’s team were understandably chuffed, even if they did not win the series.Entering the Edgbaston Ashes Test there is a similar sense of the scoreboard not reflecting how the two teams see themselves. After a surprise defeat at Cardiff, Australia’s demolition of England at Lord’s carried the air of natural order restored, and the confident strut of the tourists appears to be that of a team in the ascendant. England, meanwhile, are the men on the run, having changed their team and batting order while also looking warily towards the fitness of the third seamer Mark Wood.It would be easy then to be lulled into the impression that Australia will rumble on smoothly to the retention of the urn, having responded to England’s opening salvo with a riposte more or less twice the size. A certain sense of the triumphal accompanied Australian celebrations at Lord’s, which is always a major event match for the number of Cricket Australia management, board directors and corporate backers present. In the midst of the post-match revelry, one or two sober observers could have been forgiven for thinking “hang on, isn’t it only 1-1?”Not only is it 1-1, it is also 8-3. That’s the ledger in Ashes Tests in England over the past decade, with the hosts stretching out a major advantage over that time by winning three series in 2005, 2009 and 2013. Lord’s was a vast Australia victory, but it was also a rare one. Similarly lopsided victories at Headingley in 2009 and Lord’s again in 2005 proved to be statistical outliers. The Cardiff result was far more representative of those recorded by Australian cricketers on these shores.More broadly, Australia sides have struggled for a long time to win consecutive Test matches away from home. Taking out the struggling West Indies this year, they have not followed an overseas win with another in the same series since New Zealand as far back as March 2010. That is not a record to be proud of for a team that speaks with plenty of awareness about consistent overseas success as the measure of a top team.Famously, England came to Edgbaston in 2005 having lost heavily at Lord’s and in desperate search of a way to get back into the series. Glenn McGrath duly trod on a ball, Ricky Ponting took leave of his senses at the toss and a classic encounter ensued. Clarke was the youngest member of that Australian side, and learned more in that one defeat than he had in any of the four series wins he had been a part of prior. A decade on, the memory lingers.”I think the most important thing I’ve learned over my career is you have to start again,” he said. “Whether that be as a batter coming off 100 or 200 or as a bowler you feel like you’re on top of your game, when you walk out there you start again. It’s a brand new game, so that’s really important for us as a team that we come with the same attitude we had at Lord’s, that same hunger to want to have success, but realise that we start on zero.”This team from what I continually see, the way the guys trained and prepared in Derby to their attitude here yesterday when it was raining, and guys still found a way to get done what they needed to, there’s no doubt that hunger’s in the system. It’s important for us to run with this momentum while we have it, take confidence from Lord’s but also remember how disciplined England were in Cardiff and we know how good an opposition they are.”The momentum Clarke spoke about has had to cope with various potential speed bumps on the way, as the team finds itself evolving and regenerating in the middle of an Ashes series. Clarke has had to deal with the demotion of his longtime lieutenant Brad Haddin for this match, having already watched as Ryan Harris retired and Shane Watson was dropped. There will be a lot of experience on Australia’s drinks bench this week, and a lot of young Ashes combatants needing to know this series is far from over.”When you’re on tour I see the success as being about every one of the guys who are here, not just the 11 who take the field,” Clarke said of the changing face of his team. “I’m not too concerned, obviously there’s some things that have been out of our control, but it’s about playing your best cricket. I said before this tour I was really happy with the squad we have because it was about options. Hopefully the squad continues to perform like we did at Lord’s.”Australia achieved a fine victory at the Home of Cricket, but it will mean little if they cannot follow it up here. Most reasonable measures of the two sides would have them doing so, particularly after Chris Rogers was passed fit to lead the line at the top of the order. But the consistency for which Australia have successfully striven down under in recent times has been absent for more than a decade in England. The test of their resolve is clear.

ScorecardDawid Malan helped build Middlesex’s lead•Getty Images

When Dawid Malan returned from a 10-week lay-off after breaking a bone in his hand while fielding on the first day of the season, Middlesex head coach Richard Scott had one “simple” request upon his return: “Look, go big.” Truth be told, it did not need to be said, least of all to Malan – a player worthy of the selectors’ eye who at times has been guilty of wanting “it” too much.In the context of this relatively low scoring encounter, on a Lord’s surface that started in favour of the spinners and looks set to finish at the mercy of the spinners, Malan has produced two commendable knocks in both situations against a Sussex attack that have offered little respite.His first innings 93 showed his capacity to rebuild – something he has developed – while his century today (a second of the season), off 172 balls and featuring seven fours, showcased his match-awareness. He has now scored a century against Sussex in the Championship, NatWest Blasdt and Royal London Cup this season.Sitting unbeaten on 118 – with a season average of over 100 – he has helped Middlesex to a lead of 260 by ensuring his side had batted the day out. There is some rain around tomorrow morning which might force Middlesex to declare, but there is also the very real possibility that Sussex whittle out the remaining two wickets for not many to establish themselves as favourites.That the game finds itself at this juncture is down to the fact that neither team has let the game slide. In the grand scheme of things, Middlesex have set out to do what they wanted: to bat out the whole day and establish a lead in excess of 250, ebbing away the Sussex morale in the process. But it was an objective that the visitors did everything in their power to prevent.In the first two sessions, each time Middlesex looked to put daylight between them and Sussex, skipper Ed Joyce and his bowlers landed telling blows to keep them in check.Sam Robson continued his pro-active approach from last night to move to 77 at an impressive strike-rate of 73.33, before he nicked the left-arm spinner Ashar Zaidi behind, before the Sussex man changed ends and took out Nick Compton’s leg stump.Then Steve Magoffin, after getting Nick Gubbins caught behind – the ball seemingly coming off the opener’s sleeve – registered his 500th first class wicket when a fine delivery drew James Franklin forward and left him, to Joyce at first slip.Perhaps the moment that best highlighted the fight from Sussex came in the dregs of the middle session. With Malan and John Simpson taking the Middlesex towards a lead of 150 with a partnership of 78 from the dismissal of Franklin, Joyce turned to Ollie Robinson from the Pavilion End. But, instead of the seam-bowling allrounder marking his full run-up, Robinson took five paces back, at an angle, and turned for what would be the first of 31 deliveries of off-spin delivered today.At the time, there was an element of confusion. While he has bowled off-spin previously this season, the game was still in the balance and the move to a bit-part spinner, when Zaidi had excelled from that very end and Luke Wells was causing discomfort with his leg spin, seemed odd. However, come stumps, it had earned him three wickets.It is a bit more than a party trick: Robinson had spent most of his childhood as an off-break bowler, only turning to pace “in the last four or five years”. While he mostly works on his seam bowling – a necessity given the number of injuries Sussex have in that department – he does take time to practice spin, including this morning when he became aware that it may be required as the day drew on.Malan felt that Robinson turned the ball more than anyone today. “Some say you never lose it,” joked the bowling allrounder/part-time off-spinner at close, while also wondering if he had missed a trick by not continuing with it as a full-time pursuit. He has had to take on a great deal of the fast bowling workloads as one of the few still fit. “To be honest, my shins are absolutely killing me!”His first wicket was probably the best of the lot, drifting the ball perfectly onto a length that drew Simpson forward: the ball then turning down the slope and catching the left-hander’s edge for a routine catch to Joyce at first slip. The second, from over the wicket this time, saw James Harris work the ball around the corner to Chris Nash at leg-slip for a most unwanted pair. And it would be Robinson who would bring the day to a close, returning after five overs of pace with the new ball to trap Toby Roland-Jones lbw, thus ending a 77-run partnership.Roland-Jones cut a disgruntled figure, remaining still at the crease, even as the bails had been the removed, shocked by the decision that came his way. There was little sympathy from the Sussex fielders, who believed they had cut Malan off on 93 for the second time in this match when he attempted a dab sweep off Zaidi.The fielders populated the middle of the pitch in appeal and premature celebration, believing there was some bat through to Ben Brown, who had an excellent day behind the stumps in testing conditions.

Fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood could be rested from Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh next month in an effort to ensure they are fresh for the upcoming home summer. Australia are scheduled to play two Tests in Bangladesh starting on October 9, before returning home for six Tests against New Zealand and West Indies, and a two-Test tour of New Zealand.Hazlewood was left out of the fifth Ashes Test as he began to show the effects of a long series, and Johnson sent down 140 overs across the five Tests. Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance, hinted that both men would need to be managed carefully with such a busy season coming up.”The selectors won’t meet to discuss the tour of Bangladesh for a couple of weeks,” Howard told the . “There’s some important consideration that needs to be given to managing our fast bowlers, not just in Bangladesh, but the full 10-Test season, and that will be part of the discussion.”Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood are two players that have had heavy workloads and need to be managed carefully if we are to give them the best chance of success throughout that entire period. Neither player has had a pre-season to prepare for the Australian summer and we think that’s particularly important.”Entering the Bangladesh series without Johnson could be seen as tempting fate, for he was the only Australian bowler to average under 40 during last year’s series against Pakistan in the UAE, and Bangladesh might provide similar conditions. If Johnson and Hazlewood are rested, it could mean the pace attack will be led by Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle.

Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq has expressed his disappointment with the selectors over not having another spinner in the squad to cover for the injured Yasir Shah in the opening Test in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan prefer to play two fast bowlers and at least two specialist spinners but were forced to bring in Imran Khan as part of a three-man seam attack after a back spasm ruled out Yasir.Pakistan initially named a 15-man squad, with another spinner – either Zafar Gohar or Mohammad Asghar – expected to come in as a 16th player but instead Shoaib Malik was selected having not played a Test in five years. Less than 24 hours before the first Test, Yasir collapsed during a training session and he was unable to prove his fitness on Tuesday morning. It was a major setback for Pakistan, with their plans centred on Yasir.The flaw in their selection was immediately apparent, with no spinner sitting on the bench as a cover. Misbah made his feelings clear before the start of the match, saying: “I think it’s a mismanagement and we’re really disappointed by this.”The team’s management had attempted to bring back Gohar but the uncapped left-arm spinner had already returned to Pakistan after playing in two warm-up matches against England and had to apply for another visa.The PCB made every effort to fly Gohar overnight to Abu Dhabi from Lahore and make him available for selection but time was against them. He did not make it and Pakistan had to play three seamers against their will, leading to Misbah voicing his disapproval publically.It was, however, with the consent of Misbah that team management preferred Malik to either Gohar or Asghar. Both were to be judged while playing for Pakistan A against England in Sharjah last week, with Gohar emerging as the standout performer with figures of 2 for 47 and 3 for 72.It is understood that Misbah was not happy with the selections in the first place, with four seamers and two spinners included, but he did not resist and the squad was ultimately named with his consent. With Mohammad Hafeez currently banned from bowling, Zulfiqar Babar will therefore carry the spin burden, although Malik – who has 21 Test wickets at 61.47 – is also likely to contribute.

ScorecardKycia Knight and Kyshona Knight celebrate West Indies women’s dramatic win•WICB

A boundary from Kyshona Knight off the final ball of a Super Over sealed a thrilling win for West Indies Women against Pakistan Women in Grenada. Chasing a revised target of 78 from 17 overs, Pakistan were on course for victory at 57 for 3, but a dramatic collapse which included three wickets in the final over, meant that the visitors could only tie the score, allowing West Indies to win the resulting Super Over and seal the series 3-0.West Indies, after being inserted, began poorly, as the team folded for 88 in 19.5 overs. Kyshona’s twin sister Kycia top-scored with 49, but no other batsman was able to manage more than 8, as offspinner Sana Mir collected 4-14 to run through the line-up. Pakistan did not start their innings any better, losing three wickets inside six overs, but Bismah Maroof (30) and Mir (22) chipped in with handy knocks to leave Pakistan within sight of a consolation win. The team needed eight runs off the final over, and looked set to get them when Nida Dar hit the second ball of the over, bowled by Deandra Dottin, for four. However, three wickets off the last three balls, including two consecutive run-outs, helped West Indies force the tie.Pakistan could manage just 3 for 2 in their Super Over, but West Indies found it difficult to overhaul even that score, managing just 2 for 1 from their first five deliveries. However, with two needed for victory off the last ball, Kyshona swung the final ball of the match, from Mir, to the deep mid-wicket boundary to spark wild celebrations among her team-mates.

Worcester were left reaching for the weather forecast – it wasn’t good – as they ended the third day 111 ahead of Gloucestershire with four wickets standing.Having bowled the home side out for 119 they finished their first innings on 310-6, a platform for more quick runs on the final morning and the chance for their new-ball attack of Glenn McGrath and Alamgir Sheriyar to drive home a win which could see them at the top of Division Two.”We have the ability and strengths to win this division” said coach Bill Athey, on crutches after the third of three knee operations. “Led by Vikram (Solanki) we dominated the day and I don’t think I’ve seen him bat better.”The 26 year old finished unbeaten on 161 and Athey’s judgment must have been a fine one for at last year’s Cheltenham Festival Solanki had a career best of 171.This was the record he was chasing in the final half hour on a dry wicket at Bristol where he gave the spinners the charge in a bid for a new personal best before the close.Gloucestershire had failed by one run to gather in a batting point as they last two wickets fell in eight overs after a delayed start to the pace of Australian Glenn McGrath, who has now taken 20 first class wickets since arriving here, and Sheriyar who finished with four wickets in the innings.While the rain had gone, at least for the day, there was a troublesome wind to aid the bowler from the pavilion end on the big Bristol ground. It was a two-sweater day and the wind was strong enough to whip the bails off three times.With some quite remarkable slip catching by the Australian Ian Harvey the home side reduced Worcester to 56-3 in 17 overs. Harvey’s hands were on them all and Graeme Hick was among his victims, dismissed by 14 off the left armer Mike Smith. Bowling wide of the stumps he saw one carry through to take an edge but Hick in 45 minutes had not been at his most confident.Solanki was different, going for his shots early, he had already overtaken Hick when his captain was out and was soon putting the seven bowlers used by Mark Alleyne to flight.Last winter he toured with England ‘A’ under Alleyne and they became good friends, a friendship which was stretched as he took six fours off the Gloucestershire skipper as he raced to his first 50.Runs came easily on a corn-coloured surface which had been well protected from the rain by the vast covers. There was no malice in it and the bowlers toiled, especially into the wind.With Paul Spiring (28) Solanki shared a fifth wicket stand of 78 and when Spiring fell to a low return catch to Alleyne there followed an aggressive stand of 112 for the next wicket with David Leatherdale.Their cool dissection of an average-looking attack last 30 overs until Alleyne moved one away and had Leatherdale caught at the wicket for 65. Nine overs later Jack Russell stumped his opposite number Steve Rhodes off the left arm spin of newcomer Tom Cotterell for 16 and Solanki realised his old record wasn’t going to fall to him that day.He tried hard but his 161 had come off 207 balls and he had hit 27 boundaries, two of them sixes.