Before his record-breaking heroics at Edgbaston on Sunday, Tino Best's last Test innings in England ended in comical ignominy as he charged down the Lord's wicket and was stumped seconds after being ironically encouraged to "mind the windows" by England's sledger-in-chief Andrew Flintoff.

The charismatic fast bowler from Barbados had to wait eight years for a chance to get his own back, but when he did every pane of glass at the ground was under threat during an assault as unexpected as it was entertaining.

Coming in at number 11 in his first Test for three years, Best slayed England's attack to every corner of the Birmingham venue in an astonishing innings of 95 - the highest by a number 11 in Test cricket history.

Like a golfer admiring a straight drive, each of his boundaries was followed by a check finish and his fifty greeted by a lavish arm-wheeling celebration.

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During his cricketing career with Surrey and England, Adam Hollioake faced up to some of the fiercest fast bowlers the game has ever seen.

Now, he's taking on a whole new breed of opponent, but one equally intent on inflicting physical damage.

Four years after hanging up his cricket spikes for good, the former England one-day captain is embarking on a career as a professional boxer and cage-fighter in Queensland, Australia.

Having already fought once as a boxer - knocking his opponent out in the fourth round on Friday - Hollioake will make his Mixed Martial Arts debut (the official name for cage-fighting) in the Days of Glory promotion on 5 May.

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“Spun, drawn and slaughtered”, “Debacle in the desert”, “Holiday from Hell”, “England can’t whitewash this dross”.

The Middle East venue may have been a novelty, but the headlines that greeted England’s 3-0 whitewash by Pakistan could have been plucked straight from the bad old days of the 1990s.

In just under three weeks, England’s cricketers have gone from being the toast of the nation to a laughing stock once again.

While their batsmen will look back on the three Tests as a nightmarish experience, the bowlers generally came out of the series with their heads held high.

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