The Latest Breaking News from Graham Thorpe

Complaints over a decline in attendances and the cost of beers appeared to evaporate on Friday as a sold-out crowd packed Prestbury Park for the Gold Cup

The cost of drink, beer and accommodation is not enough to put tens of thousands decending on Cheltenham for the start of the four-day festival

Joe Root continues to deliver masterful centuries and Olly Stone offers glimpse of potency but tourists toil at Lord’s

Emotional Joe Root dedicates his record-equalling century for England to Graham Thorpe after scoring 143 runs against Sri Lanka

Root equalled Sir Alastair Cook’s record for the most Test centuries by an England batter.

Graham Thorpe took his own life earlier in August

Joe Root made a touching gesture when he scored a century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s

What comes to mind when you think of cricket? Perhaps it’s an idyllic scene of an English village green – people sitting on deckchairs and checkered blankets tucking into a traditional cricket tea while watching mild-mannered players in sparkling whites shouting “howzat?!” every now and then?

Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant fast bowler Milan Rathnayake both made fine fifties as Sri Lanka recovered from a dramatic top-order collapse on Wednesday's opening day of the first Test against England at Old Trafford.