Ben Stokes says that the extraordinary unbeaten hundred with which he carried England to a one-wicket win over Australia at Headingley this summer was inspired by David Warner's incessant goading from the slip cordon.

In a new book, On Fire, which chronicles his remarkable performances throughout the 2019 season, Stokes recalls how Warner set out to distract him during his unbeaten 135 in the third Test, particularly in the early part of the innings on the third evening of the match, when his only objective was to reach stumps with his wicket intact.

With England 1-0 down in the series after their opening defeat at Edgbaston, their hopes of regaining the Ashes appeared to be over when they were bowled out for 67 in their first innings at Headingley, before eventually being set a target of 359 to square the series with two to play.

And after arriving at the crease in the final hour of the third day, Stokes ground his way to the close on 2 not out from 50 balls in partnership with Joe Root, as England sought to keep their hopes alive.

In a book extract published in the Daily Mirror, Stokes noted how Warner had given the impression of being a reformed character after completing his year-long ban for ball-tampering.

However, with Warner in the midst of a terrible run of form that would result in him making 95 runs in ten innings, the lowest return by any opener in a five-Test series, Stokes also suggested that he had reverted to type in a bid to bring out the best in himself.

"I had extra personal motivation due to some things that were said to me out on the field on the evening of day three when I was trying to get through to stumps," Stokes wrote. "A few of the Aussies were being quite chirpy, but in particular David Warner seemed to have his heart set on disrupting me.

"He just wouldn't shut up for most of my time out there. I could accept it from just about any other opponent. Truly. Not from him, though.

"The changed man he was adamant he'd become, the one that hardly said boo to a goose and even went as far as claiming he had been re-nicknamed 'Humble' by his Australia teammates, had disappeared. Maybe his lack of form in his new guise had persuaded him that he needed to get the bull back?"

Warner's solitary Ashes half-century came in the first innings at Headingley, but second-time around, he was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad for a second-ball duck, one of a record-equalling seven dismissals by Broad in the course of the series.

"Although he'd enjoyed a prolific World Cup campaign, he had struggled with the bat at the start of the Ashes and was perhaps turning to his old ways to try to get the best out of himself," Stokes wrote. "The nice-guy act had done nothing for his runs column.

"I muttered 'Bloody Warner' a few times as I was getting changed. The more time passed, the more it spurred me on. All kinds of ideas of what I might say to him at the end of the game went through my head. In the end, I vowed to do nothing other than shake his hand and say 'Well done' if I could manufacture the situation.

"You always shake the hands of every member of the opposing team at the end of a match. But this one would give me the greatest sense of satisfaction."

Stokes went on to square the series in remarkable fashion, adding 76 runs for England's tenth wicket with Jack Leach, who finished on 1 not out. Australia then won the subsequent Test at Old Trafford to retain the Ashes, but England's win in the final Test at The Oval ensured the first drawn Ashes series since 1972.

Jack Leach, the England left-arm spinner, has signed a two-year contract extension with Somerset that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2022 season.

Leach, who was born and raised in Taunton, has been part of the club's system since his childhood, and has been a first-team regular since the 2016 season, when his 65 wickets at 21.87 apiece nearly fired Somerset to a first Championship title.

He was perhaps unfortunate to miss out on a red-ball central contract with England - he has been given an incremental contract instead - and is currently in New Zealand, preparing to play in the first Test at Mount Maunganui on November 21.

"I'm very happy to sign this new contract," Leach said. "I'm a Somerset fan at heart so I'm very proud to represent the county. I have a great relationship with the members and fans, and I can't thank them enough for the support they give the team and me as an individual.

"I'd also like to thank Jason Kerr [head coach] and Andy Hurry [director of cricket] for the belief they have shown in me. I'm looking forward to the winter and can't wait for next season."

Hurry said: "Everyone at the club is delighted that Jack has committed his future to Somerset. He is an exceptional talent and a big influence in the dressing room. I can't speak highly enough of him both as a player and as a man.

"He has a genuine passion for the game and in particular for Somerset. That shows itself every time he trains, in his diligent preparation and in his wholehearted performances every time he takes to the field. We feel that he has a major role to play for both Somerset and England over the forthcoming years."

Leach's extension is something of a blow to Dom Bess, the offspinner who played two Tests for England in May 2018 but found himself in the Somerset 2nd XI later that summer.

Bess - who twice went on loan to Yorkshire last summer - is contracted until the end of next season, and is unlikely to change clubs this winter despite Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale publicly registering his interest in making that move permanent. But having played only nine times for Somerset in all formats last year - seven in the Championship and twice in the One-Day Cup - another frustrating season may leave Bess with no choice but to look elsewhere given he retains ambitions of a long international career.

Ajinkya Rahane has been traded from Rajasthan Royals and will play for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020. The move was confirmed by the IPL and both franchises on Thursday, the final day of the trading window. Rahane has become the second high-profile player to be acquired by the Capitals in the trading window after R Ashwin, and he'll join a line-up that is already top-heavy, with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer in the top order, with Rishabh Pant to follow.

Rahane is the Royals' most capped player with 106 matches for the franchise, having represented them since 2011, with the exception of the 2016 and 2017 seasons when the team was suspended. He is also the Royals' leading run-getter, having scored 2810 runs at an average of 34.26 and a strike rate of 122.65.

As part of the trade, the legspinning duo of Mayank Markande and Rahul Tewatia will move from the Capitals to the Royals. That also makes Markande the first player to be traded twice between seasons - having gone to the Capitals from Mumbai Indians earlier.

"Rahul and Mayank are both extremely talented cricketers with a bright future ahead of them. I am confident they will excel at Rajasthan Royals," Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said on the occasion. "I am also extremely honoured to welcome one of India's most stellar and consistent batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane, to the DC family. When the franchise underwent a revamp last year, a decision was made to keep Indian players at its core. The result was there for everyone to see, with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma performing brilliantly for us, and complimenting the youth that DC has in Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, among others.

That thought process has continued for us this time around as well, as is evident in the signing of Ravichandran Ashwin, followed by that of Ajinkya Rahane. I am sure Rahane's wealth of experience, and familiarity with the conditions will help Delhi Capitals go a long way in IPL 2020."

More to follow...

There are so many options and there’s lots to consider when it comes to picking the best marathon for you

As you may have seen from our recently published marathon guide which bulges at the seams with superb events that are spread right across the whole of next year, runners are now very much spoiled for choice when it comes to running 26.2 miles.

The wide range on offer is an undoubtedly wonderful thing but having so many options can also be a little overwhelming, especially when it comes to reaching a decision about which start line to make a beeline for.

With that in mind, here are some things to consider that might help you to make up your mind.

Home or away?

Location, location, location. How much travel would you want to involve in your marathon plans?

You can find a race in just about any country on the planet if you look hard enough, while on British shores there are many fantastic events to lace your trainers up for that won’t rack up the air miles or bring potential jet lag into play.

Would you prefer to run just a few miles from your front door or is there a destination you’ve always wanted to visit, a race you have always wanted to take part in, that will help motivate you to put in the training?

Setting a date

It’s important to work out at which point in the year a marathon will work best for you.

Opting for a spring race will mean training in the depths of winter, which can be a great incentive to get in peak shape in tough conditions, while an autumn event will give you more daylight hours and warmer temperatures in which to prepare, though that might mean also juggling your summer holiday plans with your session plans.

What works best around work and family life, too?

Plot your course

Think carefully about what you want from your marathon experience. Is chasing a PB at the forefront of your mind, in which case you’ll want a fast and flat course that helps get that big box ticked, or do you want to tackle a notoriously tough route which is chock full of ‘undulations’?

Do the big city marathon crowds drive you on or drive you to distraction? You may love running in the company of tens of thousands of others or prefer something a little smaller, with room to stretch out right from the word go.

You might even want to ditch the tarmac completely and tackle a trail marathon in the middle of a mountain landscape.

What’s important to you?

Entering a marathon isn’t something to be taken lightly and you’ll be investing a lot of time and vast amounts of energy in completing whatever goal you choose to set for yourself.

Perhaps take a moment and write down a list of what’s important to you about this journey and your reasons for doing it. It should help to clarify your thinking.

Remember that no-one else will be covering the distance for you so make sure you’re lining up for the race you really want to run.

World Rugby says the Scottish Rugby Union has "expressed its regret" over conduct at the World Cup and will not contest a £70,000 fine.

The penalty came after criticism of the threatened cancellation of Scotland's final pool game against Japan.

The match was in doubt because of the approaching Typhoon Hagibis, and SRU chief executive Mark Dodson complained of World Rugby's "rigidity".

Dodson hinted at legal action if the match did not go ahead.

An independent disputes committee later ruled he had "brought the game into disrepute" when imposing the fine.

A statement from World Rugby read: "(We) can confirm the Scottish Rugby Union has expressed its regret and has confirmed it will not challenge World Rugby further on this matter.

"The Scottish Rugby Union has agreed to pay a donation of £70,000 to World Rugby and the matter is now closed. There will be no further comment from either party."

Cancelling the final pool game against the host nation would have eliminated Scotland and, after two matches scheduled for the previous day had been called off, World Rugby said it would make a decision on the day of the match about whether it could go ahead in Yokohama.

The game was played, but Scotland lost 28-21 and failed to reach the knockout stage.

At the time of the independent disputes committee initial ruling, Scottish Rugby responded by saying: "We will now reflect on this outcome and further consider all our options, which may include arbitration."

Queensland 183 and 7 for 270 (Gannon 45, Siddle 3-42) lead Victoria 9 for 300 dec (Handscomb 92, Fraser-McGurk 51, Swepson 4-75) by 153 runs

Peter Siddle's three wickets weren't enough to keep him in the Test squad nor bowl Victoria to victory as Queensland's tail produced a fighting display to give them a chance of a fourth-day victory at the MCG.

Cameron Gannon made 45 as nightwatchman before Mark Steketee and Jimmy Peirson produced an unbroken 64-run stand to takes Queensland's lead beyond 150 with a day remaining.

Gannon stonewalled admirably in the first session alongside Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne. A pair of 50-plus stands steered Queensland safely past lunch, but James Pattinson, who was called up to the Test squad, threatened to end the game inside three days when he blasted out fellow Test squad member Labuschagne and Gannon in consecutive overs shortly after the interval.

Siddle bowled impressively after missing out on Test selection. He trapped the obdurate Charlie Hemphrey infront for 26 with a ball that nipped back sharply off the seam and by that stage Queensland had slumped to 6 for 178, with just a slender lead of 59 and more than 31 overs left in the day. Siddle also removed Jack Wildermuth with the second new ball after the allrounder had produced a stubborn 34.

Peirson and Steketee took control of the last hour. Steketee hit out with seven boundaries in his unbeaten 45 and Peirson was sharp with his decision-making against the second new ball to take the game into the fourth day.

South Australia 6 for 490 dec and 5 for 191 dec (Ferguson 82, Hunt 69) drew with Tasmania 6 for 345 dec and 8 for 308 (Doolan 116, Agar 3-49)

Alex Doolan became just the seventh Tasmania batsman to score twin centuries in a Sheffield Shield match to deny South Australia victory on the final day in Adelaide.

The Redbacks haven't won in two seasons and came within two wickets of breaking their drought. However, Doolan's 116, following on from 170 not out in the first innings, combined with stubborn resistance from Ben McDermott and George Bailey helped Tasmania force a draw although for a long time they were in with a good chance of victory.

Doolan joined an elite group of Tasmanians which includes Test greats Ricky Ponting and David Boon to produce twin hundreds in a match. He also achieved the rare feat of facing more than 600 deliveries in a Shield game, something only a handful of players including Steve Waugh and Bob Simpson have achieved.

Tasmania were set 337 in 90 overs on the final day after South Australia declared for the second time in the game. Callum Ferguson fell for 82 in the morning having added only 10 to his overnight total.

They appeared well on track to chase the target down having reached 3 for 240 with 25 overs remaining. Beau Webster, Matthew Wade, and McDermott all featured in significant partnerships with Doolan but when he finally fell to Wes Agar the chase stalled.

Nick Winter clean bowled McDermott and Tim Paine in consecutive overs then Agar returned to knock over Jackson Bird before Joe Mennie struck with the second new ball to leave Tasmania eight down.

George Bailey had to shepherd Lawrence Neil-Smith through the last 41 balls and the pair did so successfully to extend South Australia's drought.

Pakistan are set to host a Test series for the first time in ten years, against Sri Lanka next month. The two-match series will be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi, on December 11 and 19 respectively.

The Test series was originally scheduled to be played in October - with the limited-over series initially slated for December - and was reportedly supposed to be played at a neutral venue as Sri Lankan players had refused to tour Pakistan. But PCB requested Sri Lanka to play the entire bilateral series in Pakistan, assuring the highest level of security. The limited-overs series was then played first as a test for security measures taken by the hosts. Following the success of the tour, a convinced Sri Lanka agreed to play in Pakistan again.

"We are pleased to confirm our return visit to Pakistan as, based on our earlier visit, we are comfortable and convinced conditions are suitable and conducive for Test cricket," SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva said in a statement. "We also believe all cricket playing countries should host international cricket at home and in this relation we are happy to play our part in complete resumption of international cricket in Pakistan, which not only has a proud history but has been one of our biggest supporters in our early days as a cricket nation.

Top Sri Lankan players had pulled out of the Pakistan trip in September, forcing SLC to send a second-string team to play the limited-overs series in Lahore and Karachi. With the visitors ending the tour on a high, winning the T20I series 3-0, Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake signed off with lavish praise on Pakistan, calling the tour a success both on and off the field, adding he was confident that Sri Lanka soon wouldn't be the only ones to have visited Pakistan.

"We drew our opening World Test Championship series against New Zealand, and I anticipate, like in the past, these two Tests will be exciting and competitive, and the fans will thoroughly enjoy the quality of cricket that will be on display."

Lahore, which hosted all three matches of the T20I series, missed out on hosting one of the Tests due to a forecast of foggy weather on the given dates. The Rawalpindi cricket stadium, which will host its first Test in 15 years, is understood to be extensively renovated.

"This is fabulous news for Pakistan and its reputation of being as safe and secure as any other country in the world," said Zakir Khan, PCB director of international cricket. "We are thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket for agreeing to send their team for the longer version of the game, which will contribute significantly in the PCB's efforts and drive for regular resumption of international cricket, and help in its endeavours of attracting new audiences and younger generation.

"Now that the itinerary has been confirmed, we will shift our focus on series preparations to ensure we deliver arrangements as per our very high standards. This series is part of our cricket celebrations and we will leave no stone unturned in putting up a show which is a memorable one for the players, officials, fans and media."

Sri Lanka were also the last team to play Tests there; it was the ambush by terrorists on their team bus in Lahore in March 2009 that effectively ended international cricket in Pakistan. Several members of that team were injured in the attack, with Thilan Samaraweera the most seriously hurt among them, taking a bullet to the thigh.

No international cricket was played in Pakistan in the first half of this decade, but cricket has gradually begun to return over the last few years.