BARCELONA -- Lionel Messi was among a long list of special guests as Barcelona officially opened the new Johan Cruyff Stadium on Tuesday with a match between their U19s and Ajax's youth team, two of the clubs the late Cruyff represented during an esteemed career.

Barca also unveiled a statue of the Dutchman, who played for and managed the club, outside their Camp Nou home on Monday.

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The new stadium is located at the club's training ground in Sant Joan Despi, a suburb outside the city of Barcelona. The capacity is 6,000 and it will be the home of Barca B, the women's team and the U19s when they play in the UEFA Youth League.

Those teams had previously played their home matches at the Mini Estadi, which is located next to Camp Nou. That stadium will now be knocked down and replaced by an arena for the club's basketball and futsal teams.

All of the ongoing work is part of the wider Espai Barca project, which will eventually see Camp Nou updated, with a roof added to the stadium and the attendance breaking the 100,000 barrier.

Messi, Busquets and Pique watch on from the centre circle as Jordi Cruyff takes a 'ceremonial' kick off to open the stadium named after his father pic.twitter.com/kU5iXHBpTL

— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) August 27, 2019

Club captain Messi, along with Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto, stood in the centre circle prior to Tuesday's match as Cruyff's son, Jordi, took a ceremonial kickoff to officially open the stadium. Cruyff's wife Danny and his daughter Susila were also in attendance.

On the pitch, Naci Unuvar, who only turned 16 in June, scored two brilliant goals as Ajax beat a Barca side coached by former goalkeeper Victor Valdes 2-0.

Other guests included Frenkie de Jong, who followed Cruyff's path from Ajax to Barca this summer, Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars, Patrick Kluivert and Carles Puyol.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu lauded the opening of the stadium as "a historic moment which will remain in the club's memory forever."

Cruyff, who died of cancer in 2016, first signed for Barcelona as a player in 1973, joining the club from Ajax. He went on to manage both clubs, too, with his playing philosophy still very much present in everything the two teams do.

Bury, one of English football's oldest clubs, were expelled from the Football League on Tuesday after failing to resolve their financial problems or find a new buyer, the EFL said in a statement.

C&N Sporting Risk pulled out of its proposed takeover of the League One side just a few hours before the deadline to meet the league's requirements.

Bury joined the Football League in 1894, nine years after they were founded, and won the FA Cup in 1900 and 1903. They are the first team to be expelled since Maidstone in 1992.

Multiple media reports suggested at least three late offers had been submitted to buy Bury but the league, which had already suspended five scheduled fixtures for the club this season, decided to end their participation in the competition.

"Having fully considered all available options, including a number of late expressions of interest provided to the EFL, the EFL Board has unanimously determined with enormous regret that Bury's membership be withdrawn," said the statement.

"The EFL Board had maintained that there could be no further suspensions to the fixture list and that these ongoing concerns and the integrity of the competition were a significant factor in the decision."

In a separate decision, the EFL ruled that fellow third-tier side Bolton Wanderers, another club with acute financial problems, had 14 days to resolve their situation or face the same outcome.

On Monday, administrators warned the club was on the brink of going out of business after the deal hit a setback. In a statement, administrators said a deal had collapsed after current owner Ken Anderson failed to sign off on the agreement.

The administrators added they were working on resurrecting a deal, but that the club was on the brink of liquidation with the business "not in a position to carry on trading."

After the EFL announced they were giving the club 14 days to find a solution, the club's administrators said they will "work through the night" to complete a deal.

Meanwhile, Bury owner Steve Dale had informed the EFL last weekend that he had accepted an offer from C&N Sporting Risk.

The firm are a data and analytics company owned by Rory Campbell, son of Alastair Campbell, the ex-communications chief for then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Henry Newman, a former joint manager of lower league Barnet.

C&N said its withdrawal came after conducting due diligence.

Debbie Jevans, EFL executive chair, said: "Today is undoubtedly one of the darkest days in the League's recent history. The EFL has worked determinedly and tirelessly to avoid this outcome and it is with a heavy heart that this situation has been forced upon us.

"No one wanted to be in this position but following repeated missed deadlines, the suspension of five League fixtures, in addition to not receiving the evidence we required in regard to financial commitments and a possible takeover not materialising; the EFL Board has been forced to take the most difficult of decisions."

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

The Lahore High Court appears to have cleared the last hurdle in the way of the PCB's long-pending domestic reforms, after dismissing a petition to block changes in the board's new constitution. It allows the PCB to implement its new constitution in full, as well as to reform the governing board and launch its restructured domestic set-up starting September 14.

Following an interim judgement by the court on August 23, the new constitution stood suspended for five days. The writ petition's main complaint was against the PCB election commissioner and deputy election commissioner's order against district-level elections and the scrutiny of cricket clubs. Another petition about the termination of four coaches by the PCB added to the muddle, and a third application - this one against a new constitution - appeared to further complicate the intention behind the petitioner's filings.

The court observed that if the petitioner had any grievances regarding the implementation of any order, they should approach the PCB to remedy it, and in case the PCB didn't comply, the court could be approached again.

"Nearly 20 petitions have been dismissed," Taffazul Rizvi, the PCB's legal advisor, told ESPNcricinfo. "The writs were frivolous and not even worth the paper they were written on. The petitions were bereft of any legal ground and they were filed with the connivance of terminated PCB employees and district presidents.

"The PCB will not be held hostage by anybody and the new constitution will be implemented with full effect. Any misguided attack on the new constitution will be defended with full legal justification."

The case assumed significance because it almost took the PCB to a similar situation as in 2013, when Zaka Ashraf, the then chairman, was dismissed by Islamabad High Court. The court later not only dismissed him but tweaked the constitution on its own. After going back and forth several times, the upshot of that power tussle was Najam Sethi ending up as the chairman of the PCB, a position he continued to hold till last year.

The new PCB constitution, notified on August 19 by the Pakistan government, altered the entire structure of the board, with the overhaul of the domestic structure the other major update. This is the fifth time since 1995 and the fourth in the last 12 years that the PCB constitution has seen amendments. The new legislation curtailed the almost dictatorial powers the chairman of the PCB has, passing most of them on to the newly appointed managing director to share power more effectively and reduce conflicts of interest.

The changes were initiated by the board's chairman Ehsan Mani. Until now, chairmen had the authority to act as executives of the board who tried to implement policy that they had proposed themselves. It also toned down the powers of its own patron-in-chief, the country's prime minister, who now has no power to dissolve the board or remove the chairman.

"The PCB welcomes the judgement of the Honourable Lahore High Court Judge Mr Justice Shahid Waheed, who dismissed the application to suspend the PCB Constitution 2019," Mani said.

"It was obvious to all the knowledgeable and passionate cricket fans and followers that the intentions of the petitioners were malafide and were aimed at disrupting Pakistan cricket activities and bringing embarrassment to the PCB and the country.

"The 2019-20 season will be a season of celebration for Pakistan's cricket fans as we host Sri Lanka for three ODIs and as many T20Is from 27 September to 9 October. Furthermore, high-powered delegations from Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board will be visiting in September and October respectively as part of our preparations for their future tours to Pakistan."

Russia lost a World Cup warm-up match against Championship club Jersey Reds 35-22 in Moscow.

The island side, who finished fourth in English rugby's second tier, led 28-12 at half-time in Moscow after tries from Leroy Van Dam, Luc Jones, Greg Dyer and skipper Apakuki Ma'afu.

Auguy Slowik then crossed early in the second half for the islanders.

Russia scored two tries in each half, with Sale lock Andrei Ostrikov going over for one of them.

The fixture was arranged through Russia head coach Lyn Jones, whose son Luc plays for Jersey.

Russia, ranked 20th in the world, are in a pool with Scotland, Ireland, Samoa and hosts Japan at the World Cup which begins next month.

Usman Khawaja will lead the Australians in their three-day tour match against Derbyshire starting Thursday, with Alex Carey called in from Sussex to keep wickets and therefore give Tim Paine a breather between the Leeds and Manchester Ashes Tests.

Steven Smith has been confirmed to make his return from concussion in the match, while David Warner, Nathan Lyon, Travis Head, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have all been rested.

The match will give Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle the chance to press for recalls ahead of the Old Trafford game - the fourth Test of the series - while also offering time in the middle for Khawaja, Marcus Harris, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Bancroft.

Carey has not been formally added to the Ashes squad.

New Zealand have surprisingly left Northampton-bound prop Owen Franks out of their 31-man Rugby World Cup squad.

Franks, 31, has won 108 caps but misses out with Atu Moli, yet to make an All Blacks start, among those preferred.

The holders have only two specialist fly-halves in their squad with Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga included.

Centre Sonny Bill Williams, number eight Kieran Read and second row Sam Whitelock will attempt to win a third successive Rugby World Cup.

The trio were also part of the successful campaigns in 2011 and 2015.

Franks agreed a deal to join Northampton this summer at the end of his Crusaders contract.

However, he will now be free to start work at Franklin's Gardens earlier than expected after his omission from head coach Steve Hansen's final selection.

"He is one of the great All Blacks," said Hansen.

"His professionalism both on and off the field has been magnificent over the years, but unfortunately we believe the game requires us to have big mobile number ones and number threes and in this case, we just think the other guys that we've named are more so than he.

"Therefore we had to make a tough decision."

Centre Ngani Laumape is also left out as Hansen keeps faith in the experienced and versatile Ryan Crotty, who is on his way back from a thumb injury.

Flanker Liam Squire, who last appeared for the All Blacks in November's defeat by Ireland, misses out after injuries and personal problems hampered his season.

New Zealand World Cup squad

Forwards: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Atu Moli, Angus Ta'avao, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Kieran Read (capt), Ardie Savea, Matt Todd.

Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith.

LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has joked about returning to Manchester United after claiming he is still good enough to play in the Premier League.

Ibrahimovic, 37, has scored 46 goals in 49 games for Galaxy since arriving from Old Trafford in 2018 but after United sold Romelu Lukaku this summer with Alexis Sanchez set to follow, he hinted at a comeback.

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"I could play easy in the Premier League, so if United need me, I'm here," he said. "But Galaxy has me, so I'm sorry.

"Nah, I did my job in Europe. I enjoyed it, I have 33 trophies that I brought with me here and hopefully I can get something here. And then we will see where that adventure finishes."

The former Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Barcelona and Juventus striker added that he still checks for United's results and was aware of the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"I look, I look, I look," he added. "I saw the last game and I think they were unlucky. If they score the penalty, it's a different game but a game in England is not finished until its finished.

"Anything can happen, especially in the last minutes where everything is in the heat of the moment."

Ibrahimovic said he is not surprised to see Wayne Rooney depart Major League Soccer but is not sure what he will do when his own contract is up at the end of the year.

"No, I'm not surprised [that he's going back]," Ibrahimovic said. "Absolutely not.

"I think he came, he tried, he did his best and, yeah, he had patience. You need a lot of patience and it has finished, the patience. I mean, my deal is until December 31. What happens afterwards I don't know.

"I'm in a different position than Wazza. Wazza is much younger than me. I am old but still dominating, still making the difference. Let's see what happens. I have to be feeling good physically."

Rooney and Ibrahimovic have both made headlines in recent weeks for criticising MLS and he called on the league to make improvements.

"I think MLS is an exciting league," he said. "It's a growing league -- a lot of things to come in place.

"New teams coming in. I mean, you have teams playing away for half the season and then they play at home because the stadium was not done. There's a lot of things happening.

"I enjoy it but there is a lot of things to become better, to come up in level, which it will time by time. We're in the U.S., where nothing is impossible.

"I think it will take time [to become a major soccer force] but they have all the possibilities they can.

"But there is a lot of rules here with the budget. I mean, you saw Rooney, he tweeted something with the travelling. It's not easy all those things."

With the Premier League window closed and the rest of Europe soon to follow, David Amoyal evaluates the hottest rumours from around the world of football.

Neymar to Barcelona: 55 percent

Despite the recent injuries to Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, it's rather likely that the Brazilian superstar will leave France's capital before Monday's deadline. While Neymar has also been linked to Juventus and Real Madrid, Barcelona are the club taking the most concrete steps to sign him. The deal could be reached on the basis of either a loan with a forced option to buy next summer to cover his remaining amortised value, or for around €100 million plus Ousmane Dembele and Nelson Semedo.

Alexis Sanchez to Inter 75 percent

While there have been conflicting reports on the impact of Anthony Martial's injury on the negotiation to bring the Chile international to Milan, Manchester United and Inter continue to haggle over his substantial wages. Sanchez earns €12 million a season after taxes, which will be reduced by 25 percent considering the Red Devils aren't participating in the Champions League. Inter are willing to pay about €5 million with United covering the rest. Inter have raised the amount they are able to contribute to Sanchez's wages following Joao Mario's loan to Lokomotiv Moscow, and they are optimistic the deal can be closed this week.

Paulo Dybala to PSG: 45 percent

The Argentine striker didn't play at all in Juventus' season debut against Parma. Gonzalo Higuain started over him and both Federico Bernardeschi and Juan Cuadrado came off the bench. While Juventus' sporting director Fabio Paratici denied these decisions were related to the transfer market, Paris Saint-Germain are ready to make an offer of around €70 million to acquire him should Neymar be sold. While Dybala came close to joining Manchester United and Tottenham, he had reservations about his ability to adapt to the Premier League's style, and unlike the two English clubs, PSG are willing to forfeit his image rights for the time being in order to get a deal done before the deadline.

Mauro Icardi to Napoli: 10 percent

The war of words between Inter and Wanda Nara continues. On Sunday, the Argentine striker's wife and agent publicly stated that someone in command at the club asked the former captain to stay, which was categorically denied by Inter's executive director Beppe Marotta before Monday's game against Lecce. Inter's brass met with Icardi on Tuesday to once again reiterate that he is no longer part of their plans, but it's still rather unlikely that the striker will agree to join either Napoli or Juventus before the window closes on Monday. As an alternative to Icardi, Napoli are ready to sign Fernando Llorente, who is available on a Bosman deal.

Angel Correa to AC Milan: 55 percent

The Rossoneri have been after the Argentine striker for two months now, but their inability to offloan one of Andre Silva and Suso has made it difficult for them to meet Atletico Madrid's substantial valuation. Milan have continued to engage in talks to acquire Correa in the past week, they are willing to give Atletico a substantial percentage of any future sale on top of an offer of around €35 million, and are optimistic they will be able to at least loan Silva before the window closes. The Colchoneros are open to moving Correa as it would allow them to finance the Rodrigo acquisition.

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Franck Kessie to Monaco: 15 percent

The Ivorian midfielder has been linked to the Ligue 1 club for the past few weeks and he didn't start Milan's first match of the season against Udinese on Sunday. The Rossoneri are open to moving him as his sale would help generate the funds needed to add a player better suited to Marco Giampaolo's formation, but Kessie doesn't seem to be particularly intrigued by the destination as demonstrated by the fact he has asked for an exorbitant salary. As an alternative to Kessie, Monaco are also considering bringing back Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan from Chelsea.

Shkodran Mustafi to Roma: 5 percent

Roma were in dire need of a starting-caliber center-back even before surrendering three goals to Genoa in their Serie A home opener. While Arsenal are willing to move the German defender, the price of the transfer fee and player wages are too high for Roma's budget. It's much more likely that the Giallorossi will reach a deal with Juventus for Daniele Rugani by including a few prospects or close the deal with Liverpool for Dejan Lovren.

Nacho Monreal to Real Sociedad: 70 percent

While moving Mustafi in the next six days will be rather challenging, Monreal's willingness to lower his wages to facilitate a transfer will likely prove to be decisive in the negotiation with Real Sociedad. The Spaniard is being offered a two-year deal, which is quite enticing considering he's 33 years old and because he's behind Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac in Unai Emery's pecking order.

Patrik Schick to RB Leipzig: 70 percent; Nikola Kalinic to Roma: 55 percent

Roma are looking for a new team for the most expensive purchase of the Monchi era. Schick never lived up to expectations in Italy's capital and he's not seen as a good fit in Paulo Fonseca's system. While the 23-year-old Czech international was also linked to Borussia Dortmund, he's looking for a team where he can play regularly, which also suits Roma considering the deal with RB Leipzig will be structured as a loan with an option to buy set at around €25 million. With Schick on his way out, Nikola Kalinic could return to Serie A to be Edin Dzeko's backup.

Pepe Reina to Real Madrid: 35 percent

The former Liverpool goalkeeper could be returning to Spain should Keylor Navas be sold to a team where he can be a starter. Reina is open to the move and considering he's the highest-paid backup keeper in Serie A, Milan are also eager to shed his wages from their payroll. In addition to Navas, there is however another potential domino: Should PSG make a significant offer for Gianluigi Donnarumma, Milan could hold on to Reina to mentor their next keeper of the future in Alessandro Plizzari.

In the seconds after he was struck on the neck by a ball from Jofra Archer at Lord's, Steven Smith has revealed his very first thoughts were of the death of his teammate Phillip Hughes almost five years ago.

Smith did not play in the 2014 Sheffield Shield match at the SCG when Hughes also took a blow to the neck with tragic consequences, but could not escape an immediate flashback to that eerily similar moment before he was able to rise to his feet again.

"I had a few things running through my head, particularly where I got hit, just a bit of past came up, if you know what I mean, from a few years ago," said Smith, speaking with media after the third Test in Leeds. "That was probably the first thing I thought about.

"Then I was like, 'I'm okay here,' and I was alright. I was a little bit sad but I was alright mentally for the rest of that afternoon."

While Smith said he had felt "pretty good" physically and returned to bat soon after passing all the initial concussion tests, he was later found to have delayed concussion, a sensation he described as similar to having drunk too much alcohol.

"It wasn't until later that evening that it hit me," said Smith. "When the doc asked me what did it feel like I said it felt like I had six beers last night and felt a little but under the weather, without the six beers unfortunately. That was the sort of feeling I got, that groggy feeling and that stuck around for a couple of days. Not a nice place to be in but these things happen and unfortunately missed what was a pretty amazing Test match."

After progressing through a number of tests, starting from a brisk walk and gradually working up to facing bowling from Mitchell Marsh and Michael Neser in the nets, Smith will play in Australia's tour match in Derby, starting Thursday, and if there is no recurrence of symptoms, he will return to the side for the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford next week. In the build-up to that he will face faster bowling from Australia's quicks in the nets.

Smith is also considering wearing a StemGuard attachment on his helmet as he tries to overcome the significant discomfort he feels when wearing the neck protector.

"I've tried them before, and I tried then the other day when I was batting and I reckon my heart rate went up about 30 or 40 straight away," said Smith. "I just feel claustrophobic. I compare it to being stuck in an MRI scan machine."

It is no surprise that someone who is famously obsessive about routine, repetitive movements and immaculately precise kit - he tapes his shoelaces inside his trouser legs so they can't be seen - would be reticent to change, but he accepts that at some stage he will need to adapt.

"It was different, but I think at some point they're probably going to become mandatory so I'm going to have to get used to them," said Smith. "And I'm sure the more I wear them, the more I practice with them, my heart rate will come down and everything will be okay.

"Had I been wearing a stem guard in the game, I'm not sure that would have made a difference, the way my head sort of went back and where it hit me. Of course, you always want to have as much protection as possible and for me now it's about trying it and trying to get used to it in the nets."

One thing Smith is adamant he won't change is the way he faces Archer and, while he expects to face more short balls in Manchester, he suggested it may help him if England opt to test him with a short-pitched barrage.

"If they're bowling up there it means they can't nick me off, or hit me on the pad or hit the stumps," said Smith. "With the Dukes ball, I don't know, that's an interesting ploy. So we'll see what happens.

"I'm not really going to change anything. There's been a bit of talk that he's got the wood over me, but he hasn't actually got me out.

"He hit me on the head on a wicket that was a bit up and down at Lord's. He actually didn't get me out so all the other bowlers have had more success against me I daresay. I've faced them a bit more, but they've all got me out a lot more. I'm pretty comfortable with that."

How did a year out of international cricket change Steven Smith? Most obviously there is the guitar he carts around with him these days, a way of building more to his life away from the game that consumed him to the point that he could not see beyond it at the most critical moment in South Africa last year.

You get the sense, too, that the Smith of early 2018 might not have been so fast to tell Nathan Lyon not to worry too much over the wrenching sequence of the Test's conclusion, in which Australia's No. 1 spin bowler fumbled a certain run out and then was denied an lbw shout that would also have brought victory. Equally, he might not have taken anywhere near as much pleasure in watching Ben Stokes conjure his Headingley miracle, coming as it did at the expense of Australia's chances of a quick kill to this Ashes series.

"A year out from the game - I sent Nathan Lyon a message the other night," Smith said. "He was a bit down after the game, I just said my year out has given me a lot of perspective that that's all it is, it's just a game. And whilst it's important on many levels to win and to play the right way and to do all those kind of things, ultimately it's just a game. I think that helped him a little bit.

"I'm still a cricket nut, no doubt. But yeah, I do have other interests: playing guitar, you probably saw my singing the other day. Copped a bit about that. The wife [Danni] stitched me up there. That's pretty much it. That and cricket, a bit of reading, Netflix, pretty chilled..."

Smith was anything but chilled as he watched the final day of the Leeds Test, having been ruled out of it due to his recovery from a concussion sustained at Lord's. Pat Cummins had revealed how animated Smith had got watching the closing passages of the Lord's Test from his London hotel room, and he joked that it might have been easier to watch Stokes hammer out a one-wicket victory for England from a similar vantage point.

But there was also a level of admiration for Stokes' skill and guts that demonstrated Smith's deep love of the game, something that he was not always able to articulate when holding the office of captaincy. "I wish they'd put me in a dark room. I'm not a great watcher of cricket, never really have been so didn't quite enjoy that," Smith said. "But what an advertisement for Test cricket, it was a pretty amazing innings from Stokesy.

"He completely turned the series on its head, we had an opportunity to wrap it up but he was incredible. Even if you go back to two nights before, when he bowled 14 overs straight. I rocked up to the ground next day and someone said that on average he bowled the quickest for the day as well, over those 14 overs. So that's a pretty amazing effort. He's a tough competitor, wants to be in the pressure moments, thrives under pressure as we've seen the last couple of months. He really turned the game at the end."

Unmistakably there is a sense in Smith that, having been missing from Headingley, he has now been inspired to raise his own game once more in the wake of Stokes. "You could just see the passion that he showed and the fight. He never gave up," Smith said. "You look at him, and I really admire this about him, when he scored a hundred he didn't even celebrate, didn't care. He had one thing on his mind and that was getting England over the line, and you've really go to admire that.

"When you're in those pressure moments you've got to want to be the one to deliver and do what you can for your team. He did that exceptionally well, and hopefully some of our boys can learn from that and when we're faced with similar situations, dig as deep as we can and do whatever we can to get our team over the line."

Telling also is the fact that Smith now sees Stokes' innings less as a spoiler for Australia than as setting-up the makings of a genuinely great Ashes series, of the kind that Smith himself has yet to experience: 2010-11, 2013, 2013-14, 2015 and 2017-18 all being knockouts or thrashings, one way or the other.

"That's really opened the series up," he said. "We had our chance to retain the Ashes but now we're going to have to work even harder and it just makes the series all that more exciting. We don't want to look behind, we want to keep looking forward and focus on what we can control now and that's Manchester.

"We've got a bit of time between now and then with a tour match in Derby, where I think a few guys will have a pretty chilled out week. It's been a long summer for guys that have been here for the World Cup or A-cricket before that, and this series. So everyone's got to do what they need to do to be ready for that next Test match in Manchester."

Doubtless Smith will be yearning to return to the comfortable batting cocoon he occupied at Edgbaston, and then got close to emulating at Lord's before Jofra Archer and the uneven nature of the pitch saw him struck the blow that pushed him out of Leeds. "Edgbaston was just first game back, fresh and I just wanted to bat, I didn't want to stop batting," he said. "So that worked out really well.

"Lord's I felt like probably more the first morning when I was doing all my eccentric stuff I was kind of in a good place then and maybe not as good a place mentally the next day. I think I was 13 overnight. All my movement patterns and the way I feel was really good so I'm comfortable with that and hopefully I can ramp up my training over the next few days and get in a position again where I'm comfortable and can go out and score some big runs again."

Little by little, Smith ramped up his training during the Headingley match, initially 15 minutes of throwdowns, then 25 minutes against Mitchell Marsh and Michael Neser, and he will doubtless face the likes of Mitchell Starc in the Derby nets before the tour game. But one thing that has not changed, even after his year out of cricket, is the way Smith will spend hours searching for a familiar comfortable feel of the bat in his hands and stance, a process that can take minutes, hours, or days.

"It's not a certain amount of balls," Smith said. "Believe it or not, I actually forget how I hold the bat. So I actually try and find that. Sometimes it takes me 10 balls, sometimes I go in straight away and it's fine, sometimes it takes me a couple of hundred balls.

"But when I get that feel, it's a look thing for me - when it looks right behind my foot that's when I know I'm good to go and I usually say it straight away to Hicky [batting coach Graeme Hick], I'll say 'I'm good. I'm on fire here. That's good, we're ready to play'.

"I want to get that back and then try and freshen up for the Test match and be in a frame of mind where I can bat for a long time again."