David Lloyd on the England squad for the first Test with Sri Lanka, rubbing shoulders with the stars at the BAFTAs and riding on steam trains with Bob Willis and Paul Allott... The England squad was predictable. Another option would be that Jonny Bairstow bats five and Jos Buttler keeps wicket but Buttlers still at the IPL so thats put to bed.James Vince is a good pick, hell probably bat five. Theyve been looking at him for a while, hes got a century this season and hes a player whos improving all the time - a good pick. Then theres Jake Ball. I watched a championship game down at Lords, Middlesex versus Nottinghamshire and he bowled really well there, even though he didnt get any wickets when I watched him. But another lad who caught the eye was Toby Roland-Jones, he had a good solid action - very, very similar to Jake Ball and both of them bowl with good discipline. Toby Roland-Jones impressed Bumble at Lords As for the series as a whole, I would think that England are deserved favourites. Youve always got to factor in the weather and delays in the game but Id expect England to win this series comfortably and to win the Pakistan series comfortably too. That means they can get to work moving up the ICC Test rankings, theyre fourth and by the end of this Id expect them to have made a big move forward.This week also sees Mark Butchers documentary England in the 90s go to air and things have certainly changed since then. Wed had enough of playing catch up and central contracts were a vital part of the England Test team moving forward. Theyre now England players, I think everybody has accepted that now. It was difficult at the start, certainly in the 90s, David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, almost had to go cap in hand to the counties and ask if they could rest a player. Understandably, the counties said well were employing him but thats changed now and the England contracted players are exactly that.It wasnt the most successful decade for England but we were up against some wonderful opposition. We had a good side, make no mistake about it. In the late 90s England were a very good side but we were up against some world class performers. Shane Warne was part of a formidable Australian side in the 90s You look at the Australia team who were carrying all before them at that time with McGrath, Gillespie, Fleming, Warne - they had a wonderful attack. Then you had Pakistan with Waqar and Wasim, South Africa with Donald and Pollock, youve Ambrose and Walsh at the West Indies, there were some fabulous teams around.We had a really good team and sometimes wed come out on top, we had some good wins and we probably had some predictable losses. The disappointing loss would be losing in the West Indies 3-1 when I thought we were a better team than that performance, I thought we should have won that series - I was a bit disappointed at that.We did beat South Africa 2-1 in a five-match series, we hadnt played a five-match series for a long, long time and so to win that was a real highlight. We also manoeuvred away from the idea that Test team plays one-day cricket, we were trying hard to establish a one-day squad, a specialist one-day team. Back to the present day and Ive seen a couple of matches and Ive been really impressed by the cricket that Ive seen in County Championship Division One. There are some wonderful players, some really good teams, some potent bowling attacks and youve got to play really well now in Division One.Lancashire have had an excellent start with a good attack. Every team would say we need a good attack - well youve got Anderson leading the attack, Wagner, Jarvis and Kerrigan - thats a damn good attack. The top two teams are Lancashire and Yorkshire and theyve both got really good bowling units.Warwickshire will be round about too, I think theyre an excellent team and if I was making a favourite then Warwickshire would be my favourites. James Anderson has led the Lancashire attack so far this season Accrington Stanley have their first play-off match this weekend but Im still profoundly disappointed with the Stevenage result, we just couldnt get that ball in the back of the net - we just kept hitting the bar! We were all over them like a bad suit but we couldnt score and it was heart-breaking for the lads.John Coleman and Jimmy Bell will work hard to lift the players again and whats gone is gone, thats it. Our next game is Wimbledon on Saturday so we go again. We know what is expected of us as a team, we dont lie down and we will come again. Sky Sports won a BAFTA for the coverage of the 2015 Ashes series Elsewhere, we won a BAFTA last Sunday which was fabulous - mixing it with the stars! Walking up the red carpet, waving to people and they hadnt a clue who I was and rubbing shoulders with Lenny Henry, Mark Rylance, Peter Kay, Alesha Dixon. Oh by jingo, Ill never be the same again!I also went to the Sports Book Awards, Im short-listed for that, and then myself, Bob Willis and Paul Allott caught a train from London to north Wales and weve been riding on steam trains and walking. It was a bit like Last of the Summer Wine - Foggy, Compo and Clegg. Im the scruffiest so Im Compo.As well as that I was interviewed by Michael Parkinson at Lords for the Taverners this week and tomorrow Im going to the racing, a horse that Ive got an interest in is running at Thirsk. Im not telling anybody what its called though because itll stiffen the odds! Also See: Great challenge for Sri Lanka Watch England in the 90s Who is Jake Ball? 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A busy, busy month of mixed martial arts rolls on with Saturdays UFC Fight Night card at United Center in Chicago.In the main event, former female bantamweight champion Holly Holm?will look to avoid back-to-back losses when she meets Peruvian standout Valentina Shevchenko.In the co-main, former Strikeforce lightweight champion and two-time UFC title challenger Gilbert Melendez will attempt to put a one-year drug suspension behind him and make some noise against highly regarded Edson Barboza.Lets take a closer look at the main event and take a shot at predictions on the other main card fights.Main eventHolly Holm (10-1) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (12-2) Bantamweights Odds:?Holm -300; Shevchenko +250Yes, Holm is still very much a work in progress on the ground. Thats true. Its also true she was only 90 seconds away from defeating Miesha Tate in March. Tate, of course, is one of the more savvy submission grapplers in the division.The point is, as uncomfortable as Holm looked on the ground during her loss to Tate, that doesnt mean its now easy to put her on the floor and choke her out. Its a weakness in her game, for sure -- and she has had only four months to address it since the loss -- but its not as if some secret is out now and her career is over. Shes still very difficult to take down, and any failed attempt to do so leaves one exposed to her striking.Shevchenko is more known for standup than her grappling, although she did wrestle a fair amount in her UFC debut in 2015 and recorded five submission victories in her first seven fights. Her background is in tae kwon do and muay Thai, and the takedowns she does get are typically from the clinch. If she has a physical advantage on an opponent, shell definitely look to use it in that clinch. If she doesnt, as was the case in a recent loss to Amanda Nunes, she wont look to engage the position as much.Were looking at two southpaws here, and both like to throw rear leg kicks. Shevchenko tends to load up a little moore and throws it as a single strike, whereas Holm will pop it off more frequently and at the end of combinations.dddddddddddd Shevchenko isnt one to dance when she fights. Shes more likely to stand her ground, stare down the barrel of the gun and look to counter.She very well may have an advantage on the ground but, again, Holm is not easy to bring down. Holms kicks arent easy to catch and she has very good hip strength. Her team also will be extremely familiar with Shevchenko. Holms coach, Greg Jackson, was in Sarah Kaufmans corner against Shevchenko seven months ago.If this fight goes the distance, it will favor Holm. Her endurance is outstanding, especially when you consider shes one of the bigger women in this division and shes more active than Shevchenko. In close rounds, I believe judges will tend to favor Holms style over Shevchenkos -- unless, of course, she can get Holm down.Prediction: Not expecting a boring fight, but not expecting fireworks, either. I think well see mutual respect and, ultimately, a five-round decision for Holm.Rest of the main cardEdson Barboza (17-7) vs. Gilbert Melendez (22-5), lightweights Now this is an action fight. Barboza is coming off that hot performance over Anthony Pettis. Look out for close rounds, with Barboza getting the edge. Prediction: Barboza via decision, 29-28.Francis Ngannou (7-1) vs. Bojan Mihajlovic (10-3), heavyweights With this fight originally booked back in April, the UFC must have been keen on seeing this matchup, as its rebooked here and in a prime spot. Mihajlovic is a UFC newcomer. Prediction: Ngannou via TKO.Felice Herrig (10-6) vs. Kailin Curran (4-2), strawweights? The 25-year-old Curran is still a little raw, and Herrig, despite taking a year off, is capable of exposing holes with her grappling and experience. Tough fight to call. Prediction: Curran via decision. ' ' '