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Warwickshire had a Wagg in their tail – a Graham of that name. He and the last man, Alan Richardson, thumped an enterprising 49 runs off 29 balls. Wagg’s 11-ball innings for his 31 runs included three sixes – all off the Pakistan Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.It not only served to delay the inevitable that had been set up by Alex Tudor’s earlier four-wicket haul and the lack of partners for Knight, but it also contributed mightily to a hugely entertaining match.Dougie Brown had weighed in with a quickfire 25, before the big-hearted Scot became one of Tudor’s victims, although not before hammering the England pace bowler for 17 runs in one over, including a six over midwicket and out of the ground.His departure was carefully rehearsed by the batsman as well. He attempted a lunging pull at a short ball and the ball swirled into the stratosphere, going one way then another, to such an extent that no Surrey fielder could get under it and the ball fell harmlessly to earth.Earlier, Ian Ward and Alistair Brown had got Surrey off to a fizzing start, the latter smashing his way back into some kind of form in 21 balls of mayhem, one of his two sixes looking destined for Vauxhall Station a half mile away until it hit the fence.Ward fell just short of a half century as he and Ramprakash put on 75 for the second wicket. Ramprakash though went on to a belligerent 63, while Graham Thorpe’s fine half century preceded a blinding catch at midwicket to dismiss Ian Bell that had helped put the skids under the Warwickshire innings.* National League champions Glamorgan got their title defence off to a great start with a 44-run win over Leicestershire David Hemp led the way with an unbeaten 83. Matthew Maynard made 43 before being run out and Michael Powell added 40 as they amassed 249 for 5 in their 45 overs. The Foxes were slumped to 75 for 5 and despite a valiant 80 from Darren Maddy they were all out well short of the target..

Australia met dogged resistance throughout the fourth day of the third Test yesterday but the West Indies still faced a long and difficult last day if they were to deny them the victory that would give them their third straight victory in the series. 2 March On the same day that Manchester United lose 2-0 to Liverpool in the Worthington Cup final, Arsenal beat Charlton to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premiership. Arsenal surprisingly slip up 2-0 at Blackburn.Arsenal P30, Pts63 Man Utd P30 Pts6123 March Ruud Van Nistelrooy scores a hat-trick as United ease to a 3-0 home win against Fulham, but Arsenal respond in kind, defeating Everton 2-1 at Highbury the following dayArsenal P31 Pts66 Man Utd P31 Pts645 April Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rounds off United’s 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool. Later Arsenal draw at Aston Villa, and the title race is wide open.Arsenal P32 Pts67 Man U P32 Pts6712 April United take full advantage of Arsenal’s involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals, to post another ominous statement of intent, dismissing Newcastle 6-2 to go to the top of the Premiership.Man Utd P33 Pts70 Arsenal P32 Pts6716 April The two sides meet at Highbury and honours end even in a tense 2-2 draw. Arsenal’s Sol Campbell (right) is sent off towards the end for elbowing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.Man Utd P34 Pts71 Arsenal P33 Pts6819 April Victories for both sides, as United see off Blackburn 3-1 at Old Trafford, while Arsenal safely negotiate a tough-looking visit to Middlesbrough.Man Utd P35 Pts74 Arsenal P34 Pts7127 April A pivotal weekend in the title race as Arsenal throw away a two-goal lead at Bolton and leave with only a point. The following day United return to the top of the table with a 2-0 win at Tottenham.Man Utd P36 Pts77 Arsenal P35 Pts724 May United beat Charlton 4-1 at home, which means Arsenal must win their last three games to stop the title going to Old Trafford. The Gunners fail at the first hurdle, losing to Leeds.Man Utd P37 Pts80 Arsenal P36 Pts72.

Sir Alex Ferguson is regarded as Manchester United’s finest manager since another Scottish knight, Sir Matt Busby, but it could all have been so different if it had not been for Mark Robins. It is fair to say that if United had lost that day, Ferguson could well have been on his way out of Old Trafford, though the club’s former chief executive Martin Edwards has always maintained that the manager’s position was never in danger.Sir Alex arrived at the club with a glowing reputation after helping Aberdeen to break the Old Firm’s dominance of Scottish football in the 1980s, winning the League three times, the Scottish Cup four times and the European Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1983. He had even coached Scotland at the 1986 World Cup finals after the death of Jock Stein.However, after three disappointing, trophyless seasons in which Ferguson spent large sums of money on adding to his squad, a fourth campaign without silverware would surely have been unthinkable. But the club did win the FA Cup in 1990 after a replay against Crystal Palace. The first match ended in a 3-3 draw and Ferguson made one of the many tough calls of his managerial career to drop his compatriot goalkeeper Jim Leighton in favour of the veteran Les Sealey. It proved a smart move as Sealey kept a clean sheet and Lee Martin stole the replay winner.It was the kick-start that United, who had remained well supported despite the barren years of the 1980s, needed. A European Cup-Winners’ Cup triumph against Barcelona in Rotterdam followed in 1991 and Sir Alex set about ensuring that the Red Devils would be well placed to dominate for a decade, concentrating the club’s efforts on an academy which groomed what became known as “Fergie’s Fledglings” ­ players like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wes Brown ­ while spending wisely.Undoubtedly his most inspirational move in the transfer market was paying £1.2m paid to Leeds in November 1992 for Eric Cantona.