The BCCI has sent a list of observations, of objections as well as suggestions, to the ICC regarding the new constitution that will be up for vote at the next round of meetings in April

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-2017The BCCI has sent a list of observations, of objections as well as suggestions, to the ICC regarding the new constitution that will be up for vote at the next round of meetings in April.While the major focus of the BCCI’s response was the ICC’s proposed new financial model, the board also sent its thoughts on a number of governance issues, including membership, the role of the ICC chairman and the composition of the ICC Board.The new constitution was passed in principle at the board meetings in February but each proposal is likely to be put to vote separately in April.Here is a summary of the main points the BCCI makes:Membership Committee
– The ICC Board must have final say on membership issues with power to re-examine all aspects of any recommendation of the Membership Committee.- The Membership Committee should be an independent external agency that is not part of the ICC. If not, then members that sit on the committee should not be ICC directors.- One member from each continent should be part of the committee. “This is because admission of a new member and/or re-classification of an existing member will impact all members and views of at least one member from each continent needs to be taken into account before assessing the comprehensive impact of the same,” the BCCI said.- If any member was to fall foul of any terms and conditions, then it should get at least 90 days to carry out remedial action before the committee examines the respective board.- If a member country is in serious breach of its obligations then unless there is “prima facie view” or “sufficient evidence” the ICC Board should not suspend or terminate its membership.- The Dispute Resolution Committee, which deals with appeals on membership issues, must be independent of the ICC. No member of this committee should be an ICC director or part of any other committee.- To avoid any impact on the FTP, any new admission or re-classification of an existing Full Member should only be done at the end of every revenue cycle.- To retain Full Member status, a country should have played a minimum number of Test matches.ICC Chairman
.- The chairman should not be elected through a secret ballot. A transparent procedure must be laid out in the ICC’s Articles of Association.- If a chairman fails to finish his tenure, the new entrant should be appointed only for the remainder of the term and not for a fresh two-year period.- The chairman, acting or full-time, cannot have a vote at ICC Board meetings because the post is an independent authority and the ICC is a members’ organisation.- The CEO should report to the ICC Board and not the Chairman. The CEO and ICC management should be appraised by an independent external agency considering the senior staff is paid “substantial bonuses” based on their performance.- The chairman cannot have binding powers. Only the CEO, under the ICC Board’s instructions, should hold such a power.- The chairman cannot call a special meeting or choose a venue for the same. Only the ICC Board has the authority.ICC Board of Directors
– There should be only one director, not three, representing the Associates on the ICC Board.- The Independent director should be a non-voting member.- A current or former player should have a seat on the ICC Board, but also with no vote.- A secret ballot cannot be triggered by two or more voting members on the ICC Board, which the present ICC constitution permits.- The rule about having a two-third vote to pass a resolution can only apply if all the voting members are present- ICC committees should be independent and not comprise any of the Board directors. “This will obviate potential situations where the same person is part of the MC which makes a recommendation, sits on the Board of Directors which reviews the recommendation to take a final decision, and is also part of the Dispute Resolution Committee which will decide any appeal on membership issues against a decision of the MC or Board of Directors.”

Manchester United have made a new offer to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

Are Man United signing Andre Onana?

The Red Devils have made a start on their summer business by securing the services of midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea. The England international is set to cost Man United an initial £55m fee, bringing an end to his 18-year spell on the books at Stamford Bridge.

After Mount, Erik ten Hag and those at Old Trafford look like they are turning their attention to a new goalkeeper, with David de Gea currently a free agent.

Onana has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester to reunite with Ten Hag, however, a transfer, like Mount, is proving complicated.

Personal terms have recently been agreed between the Cameroon international and Man United, but shaking hands on a fee is proving to be a problem.

Recent reports suggested that the Red Devils were submitting an opening €40m offer for Onana, but it looks to have already been increased. According to Di Marzio of Sky Sports, Manchester United have “verbally increased” their bid to €45m, but it still doesn’t look to be enough.

“Discussions are still in progress between @ManUtd and @Inter for Andre Onana: MUFC have verbally increased their offer at €45m.”

Within his report, the Sky Sports Italy journalist said:

“Manchester United’s pursuit for Onana continues while Inter still want €60m for the goalkeeper.

“The Red Devils verbally brought an offer of €45 million for the former Ajax goalkeeper. Inter's demand, however, is higher, in order to let go of the Cameroon national.”

What has been said about Onana?

Inter Milan will feel under no pressure to sell, as Onana is still under contract until 2027. The 27-year-old appears to be attracting interest from Saudi Arabia as well, so Inter may be hoping for teams to get involved in a bidding war for their star ‘keeper.

Should Onana move to Old Trafford, though, you could say that Ten Hag would be getting an extremely high-level goalkeeper ahead of his second season in charge.

Ten Hag will know all about the player from his time at Ajax, and Mark Goldbridge is also a fan of Onana, recently saying he’d prefer him over Porto’s Diogo Costa as e is “box office” on the ball.

“I'd prefer Onana over Costa. Mainly because he's just box office to watch when he's got the ball under pressure.”

As per FBref, Onana likes to play out from the back and made fewer launches than both De Gea and Costa last season, showing how he could fit into Ten Hag’s style of building from the back. Pep Guardiola is also a fan of the shot-stopper’s ball-paying ability, hailing him following the Champions League final in Istanbul.

“Identifying the space and emptying the midfield is a special quality. Normally, teams have great keepers, but he [Onana] is exceptional with his feet.

“When you have a goalkeeper like Onana who can read perfectly where everyone is to pass to, with Calhanoglu and Barella, then the strikers hold it up and move the ball around. It is very, very difficult. It would be a tiny bit easier without this goalkeeper, but still very tough.”

Therefore, a move could be a wise one for United and co, especially given their shortage of options at this moment in time, however, they may once again need to up their bid if they are to be successful.

Tottenham Hotspur believe they’ve signed an “absolute gem” in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli, according to journalist Rahman Osman.

Who have Spurs signed this summer?

After weeks of chasing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, with Spurs eventually priced out of a move, the north Londoners instead opted to bid for Vicario as a far cheaper and capable alternative.

Raya was said to be commanding a £40 million price tag, which is arguably hefty given he has just 12 months remaining on his Bees deal, and Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy was always unlikely to reach that figure.

As a result, Tottenham instead turned to Vicario, with a deal coming to fruition quickly and reliable transfer journalists Fabrizio Romano soon after giving his famous “here we go” to the move.

The Italy international apparently completed his medical yesterday, and commenting on that development, reporter Osman shared an interesting bit of background.

Those close to Vicario see the shot-stopper as a potential “superstar” in the making, while Tottenham themselves believe they’ve signed an “absolute gem” in the 26-year-old.

After Vicario, it is believed Spurs are seriously chasing a deal for Leicester City star James Maddison, with Ange Postecoglou also in the hunt to sign a new centre-back and further forward options.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba, Juventus defender Gleison Bremer and Man United’s out-of-favour centre-back Harry Maguire are all being considered (The Telegraph).

What’s been said about Vicario?

Italian footballing legend Gianluigi Buffon, speaking on DAZN (via The Athletic), has seriously endorsed Vicario as a keeper.

“Vicario is the goalkeeper who, on the whole, is doing the best,” Buffon said.

“In the future, he could be part of the national team setup for a long time either as first or second choice.”

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s goalkeeping analyst Matt Pyzdrowski, a coach and former goalkeeper who played in the United States and Sweden, also holds Vicario in high esteem but also issues a note of caution.

“One thing to keep an eye on with Vicario is, yes, he makes a lot of saves, but he gives up a lot of rebounds, often into dangerous areas,” Pyzdrowski said.

“Credit to him, he’s so athletic he can make up for it, but that’s something to keep an eye on.”

Sunderland may have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign Ellis Simms this summer, with Phil Smith of The Sunderland Echo reporting that the player himself could be keen on a switch back to the Stadium of Light.

What is the latest Sunderland transfer news?

The Championship side appear to have a few irons in the fire when it comes to transfer dealings, as they look to try and push on and seal a potential promotion into the Premier League next season.

The Black Cats are clearly keen to bring in attacking reinforcements, with the side revealed as one of the teams wanting to bring in Sonny Perkins on loan this summer. The Leeds man could be available on a short-term basis and the Black Cats have thrown their hat into the ring over a potential deal to sign him for the duration of the campaign.

In turn though, they lose some of their key players to those higher up the pyramid. Jack Clarke put himself on the map with his displays on Wearside last season and Burnley are now trying to snap up the winger.

One big striking target for Sunderland though has been former loanee Simms, with the Black Cats keen to get him back through the door at the Stadium of Light. It seems that a decision will be made soon over where the striker's future lies after a bid was made last week.

Are Sunderland signing Ellis Simms?

Now, according to a report from Phil Smith for The Sunderland Echo, there has been a fresh update over a potential deal. That's because the player himself is open to a return to the Championship side and "keen" to link back up with his old teammates.

That means that if the previously reported bid is accepted he will surely choose Sunderland. Other clubs are also interested, but it looks as though the Black Cats' previous association with the youngster has handed them a huge leg up in the race.

He's received high praise in the game already for his efforts up front, with Karen Carney calling him "unbelievable" in terms of his finishing ability. The Toffees starlet already possesses an excellent ability to find the back of the net despite being just 22-years-old and a transfer back to Sunderland could see him get more minutes and allow him to really hone that ability in front of goal.

It seems as if the player himself could fancy bagging goals again for the Black Cats too, so that will be positive news for fans of the club.

Joe Clarke put an unproductive England Lions tour of Sri Lanka behind him when he made 89 as the MCC struck 332 all out on the opening day of the Champion County clash against Middlesex in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2017
ScorecardJoe Clarke was in good touch for MCC•Getty Images

Joe Clarke put an unproductive England Lions tour of Sri Lanka behind him when he made 89 as the MCC struck 332 all out on the opening day of the Champion County clash against Middlesex in Abu Dhabi.Clarke struck 11 fours to guide MCC past 300 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium before he fell lbw to the Middlesex fast-medium bowler James Harris. Harris also removed Tom Alsop for a sixth-ball duck and Liam Plunkett as MCC were dismissed shortly before the close.He gained support from another England Lions batsman who had an in-and-out Lions tour, Ben Duckett, who played with his usual enterprise in making 69 from 88 balls before falling lbw toMiddlesex’s off-spinner Ravi Patel.Three good wickets for Patel, who also removed MCC captain Alex Lees and Lewis Gregory, was encouraging for Patel who, at 25, will be anxious to make good the early promise that won him England Lions honours.

Shakib Al Hasan has said that a draw is the most realistic target for Bangladesh as they look to bat out the fifth day in Galle. He also said Bangladesh’s approach shouldn’t just be about defending balls, but also scoring runs to stay confident.Bangladesh have failed to survive the last day on two occasions since January already. In Wellington and Hyderabad, they made critical mistakes which enabled the opposition, New Zealand and India respectively, to dictate terms and win both Tests.They could also look at the previous Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test for inspiration and direction. In that match, Bangladesh batted out 76.4 overs on the final day in Chittagong, thanks to four important partnerships including an unbroken 120-run stand between Shakib and Mominul Haque that sealed the draw.Shakib said that the batsmen should look at how Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal mixed caution with aggression in the 15 overs they batted on the fourth day in Galle, before bad light (and subsequent rain) ended play.”[The most realistic target is a] draw, since we still have 10 wickets,” Shakib said. “I think we need two or three partnerships, then a draw is possible. As I said, the first session is very important. The whole day will depend on how we play the first session.”Every batsman coming to the wicket has to try and bat long, and also score runs because that increases a batsman’s confidence and he becomes more comfortable. You cannot just defend or just attack. Everything has to be balanced, like the way Soumya batted today. He did not play any loose shots, but at the same time he had a good strike rate.”How Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal start the final day hold the key for Bangladesh•AFP

Shakib said that if the opening pair should continue in the same vein on the fifth morning, and stretch their unbroken 67-run partnership, then Bangladesh could look for a draw. Stressing on the importance of the first session on the final day, he said that playing each ball on merit will be the “normal” way to bat on a fifth-day pitch, but added that it would be hard work for every batsman that comes out to bat.”Tamim also batted very well. Maybe he did not get that many bad deliveries so he took a bit of time to score runs,” he said. “So we have a lot to learn from their [Tamim and Sarkar] batting. Hopefully they can repeat it tomorrow and those of us batting later can also repeat it, we can hope for a good result. The way the two are playing I don’t think they need to change. They will play according to the merit of the ball that is normal, they will try to follow the game plan we have.The whole team wants them [the opening pair] to bat as long as possible, then it becomes easier for the rest of the batsmen. Everyone will have to work very hard in this situation.”He said that they were also aware of the way the Galle pitch might behave on the final day, having seen the turn that was being generated from the scruffed up surface in the final session of the fourth day.”The fifth-day pitch may behave differently. The ball has started to turn a bit now so it may do more tomorrow. But I think our batsmen are capable and since we still have 10 wickets, we genuinely believe that if not a result, a draw is very possible.”

Mikel Arteta is on a mission this summer to improve his Arsenal side as they look to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title once again.

According to recent reports, the Spaniard could be ready to raid his former employers for the third time in just the last 12 months, with defender Aymeric Laporte potentially set to join Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in making the move from City to the Gunners,

How much will Aymeric Laporte cost Arsenal?

The Gunners have been linked with a move for the centre-back recently, although they face some competition with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in order to land him this summer.

City are prepared to part with the player should they managed to get a deal for Josko Gvardiol over the line and according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), Guardiola has set a €30m (£26m) price tag for the defender.

The report also states that Serie A side Juventus are also keen on signing Laporte this summer, yet due to financial problems, they may find it difficult to get a deal over the line which could leave Arsenal and Spurs in the driving seat.

Will Arsenal sign Aymeric Laporte?

The Gunners have already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea, and with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber set for medicals at the start of next week, it certainly looks like Arteta isn’t messing about when it comes to bolstering his options ahead of 2023/24.

Another defender would give the Spaniard some strength in depth to his squad, especially with the added rigours of Champions League football while also giving him the licence to finally ditch Rob Holding from his squad.

The Englishman was drafted in to cover the injured William Saliba as he missed the final 11 league matches of the season and the club conceded 18 goals during that spell, winning just five of those games as City took advantage and secured the Premier League crown.

Holding played just 14 top-flight games during 2022/23 and ranked a lowly 17th in the squad for overall Sofascore rating, while ranking outside the top ten for tackles per game and interceptions per game, failing to have a positive influence in the side during his rare opportunities – hence why its time he was moved on this summer.

Laporte also didn’t exactly enjoy the most productive of seasons for City, starting only 20 matches across all competitions as the Manchester side won the treble, however, across the previous 365 days, he has displayed his forward-thinking mentality from the back and this is something Arteta is looking for in his defenders.

Across Europe’s big five leagues, Laporte ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (seven) and progressive carries per 90 (2.59), showing that not only does he start attacks from the back via his passing range, but he also likes to venture forward with the ball often.

Holding, by contrast, made just 4.35 progressive passes per 90 and 0.53 progressive carries per 90 across Europe’s big five leagues, clearly suggesting that he isn’t even in the same league as Laporte in terms of possessing a keen attacking mindset.

Journalist Muhammad Butt dubbed Laporte as a “beast” previously, and he could become another quality addition to the Arsenal side.

كشفت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، عن المدربين المستبعدين من تدريب برشلونة وخلافة تشافي هيرنانديز في منصبه، بعد ارتباطهم بالفريق الكتالوني مؤخرًا، والمدربين الأكثر حظوظًا لتولي المهمة.

وأعلن تشافي قبل شهرين قراره بالرحيل عن برشلونة في نهاية الموسم الجاري، وأنه لن يستمر في منصبه كمدرب للفريق.

وبحسب التقرير، أجرى برشلونة تحليلاً شاملاً في السوق، للبحث عن خليفة تشافي والمدرب الأنسب لهذا المنصب. المدربون المستبعدون من تدريب برشلونة

الإيطالي روبرتو دي زيربي، مدرب برايتون اكتسب سمعة طيبة كمدرب جريء وهجومي، لكن قلة خبرته في الأندية رفيعة المستوى بالإضافة لوجود شرط جزائي في عقده يتراوح بين 10 و25 مليون يورو، قلل فرص تواجده مدرب لبرشلونة.

الاسم الثاني هو الإسباني ميكيل أرتيتا مدرب آرسنال، حيث لن يكون من السهل إخراجه من النادي الإنجليزي، مع ارتباطه بعقد حتى 2025، وفي برشلونة يريدون مدربًا أكثر خبرة ويعرف المزيد عن واقع النادي في الآونة الأخيرة.

الألماني توماس توخيل مدرب بايرن ميونخ، تم استبعاده أيضًا من مقاعد تدريب برشلونة، وذلك بسبب أن شخصيته سريعة الغضب وعدم انتظامه في السنوات الأخيرة، وهو لن يتناسب مع ضغوطات نادي مثل برشلونة.

يوليان ناجلسمان مدرب منتخب ألمانيا، يرى برشلونة أنه يفتقد للكثير لتولي منصب المدير الفني للفريق، بعد فترة أقل مما هو متوقع مع بايرن ميونخ فريقه الأسبق.

يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول لم يتم التفكير فيه، نظرًا لأنه قرر ترك النادي الإنجليزي بسبب الضغط، ولهذا السبب تحديدًا يستبعد من تدريب برشلونة.

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يشير التقرير إلى أن برشلونة يريد استمرارية تشافي في منصبه، وترى الإدارة الرياضية أن الفريق يجب أن يفوز إما بالدوري أو دوري أبطال أوروبا أو على الأقل الوصول إلى النهائي، وسيكون ذلك، هو الدافع الذي سيجعل تشافي يعيد النظر في موقفه بشأن الرحيل.

وفي حالة عدم استمرار تشافي، من بين أولئك الذين تفضلهم إدارة برشلونة أكثر من غيرهم، هناك خيار صعب، وهو لويس إنريكي مدرب باريس سان جيرمان، بسبب جودته كمدرب، وخبرته، وشخصيته القوية، ومعرفته الجيدة ببرشلونة، لكن المشكلة المتعلقة بإنريكي هي أن لديه سنة أخرى في عقده مع باريس سان جيرمان.

والاختيار الأسهل أمام برشلونة هو هانز فليك مدرب بايرن ميونخ وألمانيا السابق، وخوان لابورتا رئيس برشلونة يفضله أكثر من أي مدرب ألماني آخر بسبب خبرته وسجله الحافل بالبطولات مع بايرن ميونخ.

هناك خيار آخر أمام برشلونة وهو رافا ماركيز مدرب فريق الشباب، هو لا يتمتع بخبرة الأسماء السابقة، لكنه يحظى بثقة النادي ويقدم موسمًا جيدًا مع رديف برشلونة، لكن المشكلة أنه يعلن لشركة مراهنات وهذا يسبب الازعاج لبعض الأشخاص المهمين في النادي.

وجه يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول، وإريك تين هاج المدير الفني لمانشستر يونايتد، رسالة قوية لجماهير الفريقين، قبل مباراة الأحد.

ويلتقي ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد يوم الأحد على ملعب “أولد ترافورد” بمباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

كانت آخر مباراة جمعت الفريقين في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي وانتهت بفوز مانشستر يونايتد، شهدت واقعة سلبية.

وشابت المباراة هتافات مسيئة من مشجع لمانشستر يونايتد الذي اتهمته شرطة مانشستر الكبرى بالإساءة بسبب هتافاته المتعلقة بالمأساة تجاه فريق ليفربول الضيف وكارثة هيلزبره.

وتعود الحادثة المأساوية إلى شهر أبريل 1989 وأسفرت عن مصرع 96 مشجعًا لليفربول في ملعب هيلزبره خلال مباراة أمام نوتينجهام، بسبب التدافع والحواجز الحديدية.

وحث كلوب المشجعين المتوجهين إلى أولد ترافورد على إظهار بعض الرقي، داعيًا إلى وضع نهاية للهتافات المسيئة، خلال حديثه في مؤتمر صحفي قبل المباراة.

وقال كلوب: “أعتقد أن المسألة مهمة للغاية، هناك جوانب مختلفة ولكن جانب واحد هو أنني لا أسمع ذلك، بصراحة، عندما أكون على خط التماس ولكن يتم إخباري أن ذلك يحدث”.

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وأضاف: “ومن الواضح أن هذا ليس رائعًا ولكن بشكل عام من المفيد أن نعلم أطفالنا أشياء محددة، الاحترام، والتفاهم، وكل هذه الأشياء”.

وأردف: “أنا فقط أرى الأمر بهذه الطريقة أن اثنين من أكبر الأندية في العالم، دعونا فقط نظهر القليل من الرقي في هذه اللحظات، لذلك لا تغني هذا أو ذاك، فقط أظهروا الرقي، وقاتلوا على أرض الملعب”.

وشدد كلوب: “دعونا فقط نركز على لعب كرة القدم، إذا كنت تريد أن تكون سعيدًا، إذا خسرت، أي شيء، ولكن إلى جانب كل ذلك، فقط أظهر القليل من الرقي، ستكون هذه أمنيتي حقًا لنا جميعًا”.

من جانبه علّق تين هاج في مؤتمره الصحفي: “إنه أمر مهم للغاية، كن خلف مانشستر يونايتد، ادعمنا بطريقة إيجابية، أعتقد أن هناك رابطًا رائعًا بين الفريق والجماهير، إنهم دائمًا يقفون خلفنا”.

وأشار: “لقد رأينا قبل أسبوعين في تلك المباراة ضد ليفربول مدى التأثير الذي يمكن أن نحققه معًا بطريقة إيجابية، سنواصل ذلك مرة أخرى يوم الأحد بمزاج إيجابي في أولد ترافورد”.

وأفاد: “على هذا النحو، إنه جزء من واجبي أن أذكر كل مشجع محظوظ بما يكفي لوجوده في المباراة بأنه يجب الاستمتاع بها بالطريقة الصحيحة، وعدم استخدامها كذريعة لإساءة معاملة المشجعين المنافسين بشأن هيلزبره أو هيسيل أو أي مأساة تاريخية أخرى”. 

وأكمل تين هاج: “إنها واحدة من المنافسات العظيمة حقًا في الرياضة العالمية، للعديد من الأسباب، وتقع على عاتقنا مسؤولية الحفاظ عليها بهذه الطريقة”.

وأتم: “سواء التقت الأندية في أولد ترافورد أو آنفيلد، يجب على جميع المشجعين التركيز بشكل كامل على دعم فريقهم وأنا ويورجن على ثقة من أنه يمكننا الاعتماد على حدوث ذلك”.

Ian Bell’s highest first-class score for more than a year has kept Warwickshire’s heads above water in their Championship match against Surrey

George Dobell at Edgbaston23-Apr-2017
ScorecardIan Bell dug deep in what could turn out to be a significant innings•Getty ImagesIan Bell’s highest first-class score for more than a year has kept Warwickshire’s heads above water in their Championship match against Surrey.When Bell came to the wicket in Warwickshire’s second innings, they were already two down and still 60 behind. For a side bowled out for 91 by the same opponents a couple of weeks ago – and one bowled out for 115 by Yorkshire last week – the signs were ominous.But Bell, playing beautifully straight, negated an admirably disciplined attack and a pitch offering just a little variable bounce to ensure his side go into the final day with hopes of a morale-boosting draw very much alive.Such is Bell’s innate class that, in a professional career stretching the best part of two decades, he has rarely looked out of form. But, over the last couple of years, the runs have not flowed as they have previously and not since April 13, 2016 – the first Championship match of last season – has he made a century or reached a score as high as this.But, as he guided anything short to the third man boundary or anything over-pitched through the covers, it was hard to see any diminution of his powers. That cover drive belongs in the Louvre.The difference here, compared to recent Bell innings, was the discipline. Whereas he has, of late, looked a little over eager to search for the scoring opportunity, here he was prepared to wait for it. So, many balls were left outside off stump and, offered the chance to pull for a boundary, he often settled for rolling his wrists over the ball and settling for the single.There may be other differences. There were times in 2016 when Bell had so much on his plate – issues with discontented colleagues, potential recruitment and the disappointment as the decline of his own Test career – that he perhaps went into games with a mind clouded and burdened.This season, with a head coach and director of cricket keen to alleviate some of those responsibilities, he may have more time to focus on his own game. It is too early to suggest he has turned a corner – it is one innings, after all – but the manner with which he dealt with low bounce and high suggested the technique and the temperament remain a substantial asset to his club.He was given steadfast support by Ian Westwood. While William Porterfield edged a good one that left him and Jonathan Trott fell for his third duck in six Championship innings this season courtesy of one that reared and took the shoulder of his bat, Westwood refused to be drawn at deliveries outside off stump and added a half-century to his first innings century. While Tom Curran eventually snared him with one he might have left, it seems safe to assume he has already done enough to convince Warwickshire to give him a new contract at the end of this season.Warwickshire are in the market for new players, though. They are not nearly as cash-strapped as some might suppose – there is debt, yes, but it is to a benevolent partner and they are on the brink of the best run of major matches in their history – and, if the right players come along, they will pursue them vigorously.This was, as Bell said afterwards, their “best performance of our season without a shadow of doubt.” With Surrey resuming with the opportunity to build a match-defining lead, Warwickshire’s bowlers knew they had to strike early and often.Kumar Sangakkara went early – though not before he had reached his century – poking at a good one that left him, and with Ben Foakes guiding a pull shot to long-leg, Dominic Sibley misreading a lovely slower-ball and Sam Curran (who may find himself reported by the umpires for dissent following his dismissal) missing a straight one, Surrey lost their last seven wickets for a modest 131 runs. It left Warwickshire facing a deficit of 105 and the sense that things could have been much worse.Surrey bowled impressively in Warwickshire’s second innings. Despite losing Mark Footitt to a leg injury – he came back onto the field but is thought unlikely to bowl on the final day – the threat offered by Jade Dernbach and the Currans was unrelenting. Dernbach bowled one especially impressive spell, gaining movement in the air and off the pitch and only being negated by Bell’s excellence.The wicket of Ateeq Javid – nervously playing-on – in the dying moments ensured Surrey go into the final day in a strong position, but they will be just a little nervous of the prospect of chasing on a fourth-day pitch starting to go up and down. Bell still has a substantial amount of work ahead of him, but this was a heartening day for him and his team.