Nelson's Column: Wright move

So Phil Mustard has been shunned by England for the Twenty20 and five one-dayers against New Zealand.

His absence from the squad has been criticised by those who see the Durham wicketkeeper/batsman as an England version of Adam Gilchrist.

But let's look on the bright side. The door is now open for Luke Wright to establish himself as the destructive top-order batsman that England have lacked since Marcus Trescothick's withdrawal from international cricket.

At 23, the Sussex all-rounder is one of the brightest rising stars on the circuit. He scored a half-century on his one-day debut against India in September, and bowled an excellent final over that earned England a tie in New Zealand earlier this year.

Mustard, along with Matt Prior, have failed to take their chance with England so far, and the selectors are spot-on in putting their faith in Wright.

And their decision to stick with Tim Ambrose is a sign that, at last, they are trying to achieve some sort of continuity.

What do you think? Is Wright the man to give England the boost they need in the top order? Or were the selectors wrong to leave out Mustard? Have your say in the boxes below.

From the touchlines: Lol's farewell

Lawrence Bruno Nero Dallaglio's swansong ended with one of the biggest and best standing ovations in sporting history.

Almost 82,000 fans rose to their feet when Dallaglio was replaced during the second half of Wasps' Guinness Premiership final triumph over Leicester at Twickenham.

His 18-year playing career yielded 85 England caps, a World Cup winners medal, a Grand Slam, two Heineken Cups, five English titles and a reputation as one of the defining figures of world rugby.

Dallaglio's bravery both on and off the pitch have made him a compelling figure, with massive highs matched by desperate lows.

His sister died in the Marchioness disaster on the Thames, and he lost the England captaincy after a tabloid newspaper sting saw him making claims of youthful drug experiences, which he later denied.

Dallaglio has also had to overcome serious injuries, but throughout has remained a feared and respected opponent.

His sporting philosophy is refreshingly simple: "I don't think I'm particularly gifted as a player. I've used more of my life experiences than sporting ability to get where I've got. But rugby's always been that kind of sport. The most naturally gifted don't always make the best players. It's how you take your toughness into the arena that matters."

If only some of our overpaid footballers would think the same way.

Is Dallaglio one of the true greats of rugby? And why is it that he's such a popular figure in the game? Have your say via the boxes below.

Fat Boy - say no more

Afternoon, I hope you've been bagging a few winners over the last week or so.

The going is all over the place at the moment with all this rain that's been sweeping across the country.

I'm going to take a chance with Peter Chapple-Hyam's Fat Boy to upset  the likely favourite Swiss Franc in the Sandy Lane Stakes (2.10pm) at Haydock on Saturday.

I'll have £20 win at the starting price.

Good luck if you're having a bet, otherwise have a good weekend and enjoy the sunshine!

All-time record: Bets 35; Winners 10; Losers 23; Non-runners 1; Profit £462.50

Football blog: England's worst results

The United States' arrival at Wembley for tonight's friendly reminds us not of the days when handing out severe beatings to them was the norm, but rather the two humiliating defeats - separated by 43 years.

Being chirpy souls, the international prompted us to think of 10 other occasions when English football badly let itself down. There are, sadly, plenty more to pick from too so we would love to hear your choice of 'favourite' disaster.

Using the boxes below, tell us what you think of our top ten and send in your contributions.

F1 gossip column... Your view

Our F1 expert is back with another round of rumours and gossip, this time focusing on Adrian Sutil who, he claims, is set for big things after his impressive Monaco display.

Toyota and Renault are believed to be two of the teams keen on signing the German racer and friend of Lewis Hamilton.

Sutil still has a fair bit to prove, but you never quite know in the bizarre world of Formula One.

Let us know if you've heard of any great F1 stories and what you think of this and our other stories using the boxes below.

Nelson's Column: England let off the hook

Had England lost to a ten (sometimes nine) man New Zealand side, not thought to be one of the greatest in the world, on a wicket which suited the home side's attack, it would perhaps have gone down as one of the most humiliating defeats in their history.

In the end, Michael Vaughan's men cruised to a famous six-wicket victory and should now go on to clinch the series at Trent Bridge next week. But all is far from sweet in the make-up and performance of the side.

Just a few questions that have arisen: Why does Monty Panesar only look a world-beater on helpful surfaces? Is it too soon for Stuart Broad as a bowler? Does Ian Bell ever score big runs under pressure? Can the horribly out of touch Paul Collingwood really justify a place in the top six? Is Tim Ambrose proving to be another false dawn as a batsman-wicket-keeper?

New Zealand will be pig sick. They should have killed England off on Sunday, but bottled it in the face of Monty's magnificence. England have got out of jail and they are lucky Australia don't arrive for another year.

From the touchlines: Team of the season

The season comes to a thrilling climax this weekend when Wasps take on Leicester in the Guinness Premiership final at Twickenham.

A whole host of teams could have won the right to contest the showpiece finale in one of the more exciting and equally-contested campaign.

Such an array of strong teams makes picking a XV of the season a touch more difficult. There are numerous men vying for each spot and it took us a while to make our selection - which you can view here.

Some big names are left out and you'll no doubt have your own views on the best the Premiership has to offer. Why not send them in using the boxes below.

Football transfer rumours - your view

Quench your thirst for transfer rumours right here every morning as we take you through the tabloid tittle-tattle during the summer. Here's the gossip for Wednesday, June 4:

- Jose Mourinho is targeting Ashley Cole as he plans his revolution at Inter Milan (Daily Star)

- Martin O'Neill has quoted Liverpool a figure of £8m plus Peter Crouch if they want to take Gareth Barry to Anfield (Daily Mirror)

- Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly said his heart lies with Real Madrid and will move to Spain within a year (Daily Mail)

- Kevin Keegan is after Turkey midfielder Arda Turkan, who would cost in the region of £7m (Daily Mirror)

- Hull City have offered £1.2m for Fulham 'keeper Antti Niemi (The Sun)

Now it's your turn to let us know your rumours. Who will your club will be signing this summer? Any inside gossip to share? Spotted a man who may or may not have been Ronaldoinho in your local Aldi? Add all your transfer whispers by using the boxes below.

Plus, don't forget to check out all the completed deals deals so far.

Chelsea sack Grant...Your views

Three days after leading Chelsea to the Champions League final and Avram Grant has been sacked as Chelsea manager.

Despite being the first manager to lead the Blues to a European Cup final, never mind being just six inches away from winning the trophy, Grant has been told to pack his bags and clear his desk.

This has to be one of the most absurd and ridiculous sackings in the history of football. Chelsea finished two points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race and were one spot-kick away from Champions League glory.

Grant has steadied the ship since Jose Mourinho’s departure earlier this season and although his efforts haven’t been rewarded with any silverware, he has enjoyed an impressive spell in charge of the Blues.

Chelsea fans should be concerned. First Mourinho and now Grant. How long will it be until the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry grow fed up of the clowns at the Stamford Bridge circus?

Is this the craziest sacking ever? Who will replace Grant as the next Chelsea boss? Could there be an unlikely return for Mourinho? Will Sven Goran-Eriksson make the short journey from Manchester to London? Let us know your reaction to this news as well as all your thoughts.

Hatton beats Lazcano...Your reaction

Ricky Hatton has returned to winning ways after a dominant display over Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Hatton did survive a couple of minor scares but looked in great shape at his natural weight and the result was never in doubt.

I'll take my hat of to Lazcano though. The Mexican took a lot of punishment and could have gone down on numerous occasions. However, "The Hispanic Causing Panic" battled away and showed great bravery to last the full distance.

Next up for Hatton appears to be Paulie Malignaggi was unimpressive after clinching a split decision win over Lovemore N'Dou.

The Italian-American was very poor and midway through the fight, actually had his long dreadlocks chopped off by his cornermen in a bizarre incident.

Based on tonight's performances, Hatton has nothing to worry about but Malignaggi shouldn't be written off becuase he has shown in previous bouts that he is a dangerous fighter.

What did you make of Hatton's performance? Was "The Hitman" back to his best or were you disappointed that he failed to secure a knockdown? Who do you think would win between Hatton and Malignaggi? Add all your post-fight thoughts in the boxes below and don't forget to view our gallery to see all the best pictures from the fight.