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A FAMILY dog has been put down after biting an eight-year-old girl in the face.

The one-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier attacked the youngster, puncturing her cheek in three places, at her home in Sutton-in-Ashfield on Saturday.

Despite the ordeal for her daughter Charley, mum-of-three Sarah Madigan said she did not blame the dog.

Mrs Madigan, 37, is adamant Staffies should not be unfairly stereotyped, and says people should not blame the breed.

She said: "Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I really feel you can't blame the breed. People need to realise that any dog is a danger.

"I was so shocked about what happened. We took Sydney in about six months ago and he'd become one of the family.

"I've never seen a Staffie so soft. He never showed any sign of aggression and had never gone for anybody before.

"Whenever we had visitors he would run upstairs and bring a teddy bear down from the bedroom – that's how soft he was.

"It just goes to show that any dog can be a risk."

Mrs Madigan had been sitting in her living room with Charley and her other children, Rhyanna, 11, and 17-month-old Isabella when Sydney attacked at about 6.30pm.

She said: "Charley was sitting on the rug playing with some toys when the dog came in out of the kitchen. I was sitting on the sofa with my youngest daughter.

"I must have looked away for a split second, and before I knew it the dog was attached to the side of Charley's face.

"It looked as if he had just clamped down on her cheek. I flew off the sofa and went to get him off her. I had to really force him to back away.

"Charley's got three puncture wounds, one of which has gone almost straight through her cheek."

The youngster, who attends Leamington Primary Academy, was taken to hospital by her dad Bertie, where doctors treated the wounds with steri-strips.

Back home, Mrs Madigan had locked Sydney in the downstairs toilet and contacted the police.

The dog has since been put down.

Sarah added: "The PDSA told me he would be euthanised within the hour and asked me if that was what I wanted. I said it wasn't what I wanted, but it was what needed to happen. There was never any doubt that he had to go.

"Charley was quite upset and asked if it was her fault. I told her it wasn't as sometimes dogs just turn."

Charley, described by her mum as a "brave soldier", is back at school and recovering from her ordeal. Sarah says the family will not be getting another dog.

PDSA head of pet health and welfare, Nicola Martin, said: "Any dog, even family pets, can sometimes display problem behaviour. Any dog, whatever the breed and size, has the potential to cause harm through aggression.

"Prevention is key, through careful socialisation of puppies and seeking professional assistance at the first signs of problem behaviour developing.

"Socialisation is the process of gradually introducing puppies to everyday sights and sounds during their first few weeks of life.

"Anyone concerned about their pet's behaviour should seek help as soon as possible. Their vet is the best place to start, as they can check for any underlying medical causes first. They can then advise on the right approach for addressing any problem behaviour."

Do you have a story about pets? Email newsdesk@nottinghampost.com

Staffie terrier put down after attacking eight-year-old

TALKS are being held to try to save part of an historic country show. Falling visitor numbers have led the organisers of the Moorgreen Show to cancel this summer's event. The show has been running every year since 1849. But Robert Steeples, chairman of the board of directors which runs the show, said a ploughing match - one of the main spectacles - could still take place. He said: "There are talks taking place that this could still go ahead, because it doesn't have the cost implications. "For example we won't need the big tents and other things which cost money." The show had been scheduled to take place on the August Bank Holiday weekend at the Watnall Showground. Other highlights were set to be a performance by the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band, a pig race and a chance to admire agricultural vehicles. In its heyday in the 1960s, the show regularly attracted 40,000 visitors, but this has fallen to about 20,000 in recent years. Mr Steeples added: "We could have run the full show this year. But if we had bad weather numbers would have been low and we may not have been able to cover the total cost." It is unclear when the ploughing match would take place if it does go ahead. It depends on the level of interest shown. Traditionally the match, which brings a huge array of tractors and even combine harvesters, was the highlight of the show. It disappeared from the menu for a number of years but was brought back this decade.

Historic Moorgreen Show's future clouded in uncertainty

ENGLAND captain Stuart Broad has been fined for the second time at the World Twenty20, losing 40 per cent of his match fee for a slow over rate in the win over Sri Lanka. The International Cricket Council found England to be two overs behind the target when time allowances were applied, leading to an automatic penalty. As skipper, Notts man Broad was hit with double the fine of his ten team-mates, which includes Notts duo Alex Hales and Michael Lumb, having already lost 15 per cent of his previous fee for criticising umpires in the Duckworth/Lewis defeat to New Zealand. More important than any financial loss is the potential of Broad being suspended should he reoffend on over rate. Another instance inside a year would see him miss a match. An ICC statement read: "In accordance with the regulations of the ICC code of conduct...governing minor over rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. "As such, Broad was fined 40 per cent of his match fee, while his players received 20 per cent fines. If Broad is found guilty of one more minor over rate offence in T20Is over the next 12 months, he will receive a one-match suspension as per the provisions of the ICC code of conduct for players and player support personnel."

Stuart Broad hit with fresh fine at World Twenty20

Enoch Showunmi has sealed a move to Plymouth on a month's loan. The deal was tied up before Thursday's 5pm deadline and he will go straight into their squad for the trip to Burton this afternoon. Plymouth are still in the hunt for a play-off spot and have turned to Showunmi to help bolster their prospects of a top seven finish. The former Luton striker has only just returned from a similar spell at Torquay where he played seven games for the Gulls, but scored no goals. The forward, who is out of contract in the summer, has scored this season having found the target four times for Notts. Meanwhile, young Romello Nangle has also left the club on loan by joining ambitious Conference South side Whitehawk. He has made two appearances for the Magpies this season.

Enoch Showunmi joins Plymouth Argyle on loan

Looking for love? Then Nottingham is the place to search! The latest figures released from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show more than half of over 16s in the city are single. Nottingham also has one of the lowest proportions of married people across the UK, with only London and Manchester having fewer wedded couples. Jenny Pickett, events co-ordinator for Slow Dating, which organises speed dating events, said Nottingham is a large city so it can be hard to meet people, but big cities do mean more options. "Online dating is a common way to meet people, but you can't beat face to face contact with other singles," she said. It isn't just the city centre bustling with singletons though. There are plenty of fish in the sea across the rest of the county too. Almost a third of adults in Ashfield, Broxtowe and Gedling are flying solo, along with more than a quarter in Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Rushcliffe. Do you think it is good to be single in Nottingham? Is it a good city to date in? Leave your comments below.

POLICE are widening a search for a missing man. Bogdan Nawrocki, 22, was last seen in the Radford area at about 8.30pm on Sunday, January 5. The Radford resident is known to have friends in the Polish community and in the Sherwood and Hyson Green areas. Detective Sergeant Claire Fowler from Nottinghamshire Police said: "We are extremely concerned about Bogdan and I know his family just want to know he is safe. "We are doing extensive enquiries in Nottinghamshire, including translations of our posters for the Polish community. "We are also extending our search to the neighbouring counties in the hope that someone may recognise his picture or may have seen him." Bogdan is white and about 5ft 10ins tall. He has short, dark brown hair cut into a crew cut and has a medium build. He has a number of tattoos on his body including a set of lips on his neck and a cat on his ankle. He was last seen wearing dark jeans, a grey hooded jumper, and black trainers. Anyone who has seen Bogdan or knows of his whereabouts should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Nottinghamshire Police widen search for missing Radford man Bogdan Nawrocki

MALKY Mackay has become the latest manager to rule himself out of the running for the manager's job at Nottingham Forest. Reds boss Fawaz Al Hasawi has named Mackay as one of the three man heading his City Ground shortlist. But the former Cardiff boss has told Sky Sports that he is not interested in the role. That may be influenced by the fact that he remains locked in a legal battle with the owners of the Welsh club, following his sacking. It is believed that, if Mackay were to take on another job, he would risk having to write off a significant amount of compensation. Although it is not clear if this was his primary motivation for ruling himself out of contention, when it comes to the prospect of replacing Billy Davies as manager of the Reds. Forest's list of potential targets is getting smaller, with Neil Warnock and Stuart Pearce also having distanced themselves from the job. Forest are still keen on Steve Clarke, the former West Brom manager – although the fact that he is also on gardening leave at the Premier League club may also complicate matters. Al Hasawi has also confirmed that Gianfranco Zola is on his shortlist of candidates – but also suggested that the Italian may not be keen on taking on the role until the summer. In the meantime, it seems certain that Gary Brazil will take charge of Forest when they face Ipswich at Portman Road tomorrow.

Malky Mackay is not interested in Nottingham Forest role

A 34-YEAR-OLD man, who left a woman scarred for life after pouring boiling water over her, is now behind bars. John McLean, of Manor Street, Snienton, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after he viciously attacked Suzanne Thomas at her home. He was found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent following a four day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, ending on Thursday, March 27. As Miss Thomas and her friend arrived home in the early hours of Sunday October 12, McLean came out of the address brandishing a knife. As her friend ran to get help but while he was away, McLean carried out the horrific attack. Just before police arrived, he had threatened to pour a second kettle of boiling water over her. Miss Thomas suffered 27 per cent burns to her body and is still receiving treatment for her injuries. During her two-week stay in hospital, McLean visited her and told her: "You haven't seen anything yet, if you think this is bad see what comes next." DI Peter Quinn from Nottinghamshire Police's Public Protection said: "This is one of the most horrific cases of domestic violence I have seen and the injuries to Suzanne will leave scars for the rest of her life. "Unfortunately, it doesn't end there for Suzanne or for anyone who is a victim of abuse as the psychological scars run just as deep. "I hope the sentence handed to McLean will help Suzanne to move on with her life, safe in the knowledge that he is paying for the violence he inflicted on her. "Anyone who suffers at the hands of another can come to the police and we will do everything we can to keep them safe and prosecute perpetrators."

Man jailed after throwing boiling water on woman

DANNY Fox says Nottingham Forest's players can only concern themselves with reviving the club's play-off push – not over who the next manager will be. According to the defender, the mood in the City Ground dressing room has not changed since the departure of Billy Davies. But Fox says that is only because they remain focused on their goal of securing a top-six finish. With eight games to play, starting with the trip to Ipswich tomorrow, the on-loan Southampton says Forest must not let go of their play-off dream. "It has been a frustrating time, with the manager getting the sack – but these things happen in football," said Fox. "The mood has been the same, it has not really changed. It can't really, because we have games coming up. "The lads just get on with it. We have eight games coming up and we need to push through to the play-offs. "We need to get into the top six and, if we can do that, by the end of the season, you never know what can happen when you get into the play-offs. "We go to Ipswich now and it is a game we really need to win, to get back into the play-off places." Fox expects there will continue to be plenty of speculation over the club's next boss – but says the players cannot afford to pay much attention. "With the massive club that this is, there will be many managers who are linked with the job and many who are interviewed, even," he said. "We can't keep track of that. We just have to focus on what Gary (Brazil) is telling is to do. "Three points at Ipswich is more important to us than what is going on behind the scenes. We cannot control that. But we can influence whether we get the points or not. "We need to worry about playing, about doing our jobs. That is it. "It is not my job to say how quickly an appointment should be made. "The chairman and the staff are taking their time, they are doing the right thing, I am sure they will make the right decision for Forest."

Nottingham Forest players have to stay focused on football, says Danny Fox

JOHN McGovern admits Nottingham Forest are suffering a frustrating time in their search for a new manager – but pledged they would remain patient as they look to make the 'right' appointment. Former Cardiff boss Malky Mackay, one of the men on the three-man shortlist named by Reds owner Fawaz Al Hasawi, yesterday distanced himself from the role. While another, Steve Clarke, is not thought to be keen on the Forest role while he continues his own legal wrangle with West Brom, who have put him on gardening leave. Gianfranco Zola, the third man on that list, remains a viable target, but is not thought to be keen on taking on a new role until the summer. McGovern said the club have spread their search wider – but that it is a slow process. "It is a frustrating time, there is no doubt about that. But we want to make the right appointment, not just a quick one," he said. "We are making contact with lots of people, with lots of agents. We are waiting for calls back; for news about whether people are interested. "The problem we are dealing with is that there is a dearth of real quality managers out there who are available – at least managers who do not have problems with being on gardening leave or in legal battles with clubs. "I do not want to talk about specific names, but there are obviously a number of people we have looked at who have issues to overcome. "The question is when or if their situation is likely to change in the future. Would it be different in the summer? "But we are talking to a number of people and hopefully we will make progress soon." McGovern, who has taken on the role of ambassador at the club and is advising Al Hasawi in the quest to replace Billy Davies, is hopeful that things could happen quickly. "It could be that we get a call today and things could move on quickly from there," he said. "But we want to make sure we get the right person. We know fans are impatient, that is understandable."

Nottingham Forest admit frustration in manager search

THE last remaining deep coal mine in Nottinghamshire needs a £10 million cash injection within weeks to avoid closure. The owners of Thoresby Colliery are seeking urgent financial aid from the Government and private investors to save the pit. UK Coal and Sherwood MP Mark Spencer have appealed to ministers in a desperate bid to secure its future and the jobs of 600 workers. The Conservative MP said: "Last Thursday or Friday the situation looked really grim. But I am more positive now because there has been a combination of all parties coming together to find a solution that works." Mr Spencer added that he hoped the Government would intervene. He said: "There certainly is willingness from the Government and from UK Coal to try to make it work." It is only four months since Chancellor George Osborne visited Thoresby and pledged to secure its long-term future. During the visit, he told the Post: "I have been talking to the management about how life at Thoresby could be extended and how there's the potential for that to happen and you know I'm really supportive of that and if there are things we can do to help that happen, we should do them." When the Post contacted Mr Osborne's office yesterday, it did not offer any comment. The company behind Thoresby – UK Coal – has been facing difficulties after its largest mine at Daw Mill, in Warwickshire, was destroyed by fire. This has also come at a time when the price of coal has taken a fall. As a result, UK Coal is struggling to pay the bills and needs new investment to keep the Thoresby pit, and another in Yorkshire, open for business. A spokesman for UK Coal said: "We don't know what will happen when we get investment. We are looking to secure it as soon as possible." He added the talks had been "very positive". It is estimated that there is £80 million worth of coal under the ground and that the pit is profitable. A spokeswoman for the Department for Energy and Climate Change would not be drawn on negotiations between UK Coal and the Government. She said: "The future of UK Coal is primarily a commercial matter. However, we are in close contact with the company to ensure that Government is kept aware of the challenges they face." A spokesman for the Union of Democratic Mineworkers said: "It has been looking like Thoresby is for the chop. There have been meetings between our officials and the firm. The future is uncertain." Chris Kitchen, national secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, said: "As it stands, UK Coal is facing a challenging time and all the mining unions are working towards a solution." Would the closure of Thoresby have an impact on you? E-mail newsdesk@nottinghampost.com

CANCELLED operations at Nottingham hospitals are at their lowest ever – after Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust committed to improving its performance. The trust promised patients it would take action following the winter of 2011/12 when it reported high numbers of cancelled operations. However, city hospitals have turned things around and the trust has now achieved the national standard of fewer than 0.8 per cent "on the day" cancellations for three consecutive months – 0.77 per cent in December (55 operations); 0.51 per cent in January (43 operations); 0.33 per cent in February (26 operations). In January, the trust recorded its lowest figure since it started reporting all cancellations in 2012, at 2.08 per cent, a total of 174 operations. This compares to ten per cent, or 803 operations, in February 2012. The trust remains the only one in the country to publish total cancelled operations – including on the day and prior to the day cancellations. Peter Homa, trust chief executive, said: "We faced much scrutiny in 2011 and rightly so. We let down many patients, their loved ones and staff. "We sought to understand the scale of the problem, apologised publicly to patients and their families, described what we were doing to tackle the problem, and showed a determination to learn how we got there and make changes to significantly reduce numbers of cancelled operations. "We took the decision to publish all cancelled operations because this was the right thing to do for patients and the only way of presenting the full picture to those we serve. "Our trust board made a commitment that we would have a zero tolerance to repeat cancellations and we have significantly reduced repeat cancellations also. "We remain of the view that one cancellation is one too many and are determined that we will continue to make improvements in this area for the benefit of our patients."

A PIECE of sandstone has been found alongside ancient bones in Nottingham city centre with carvings on it which could give a clue to the identity of the remains. Workmen from North Midland Construction uncovered the bones on Tuesday, March 25, when digging outside Castle Sound & Vision, in Maid Marian Way. On Thursday, March 27, they were identified as human, but today it was revealed that a piece of local sandstone with carvings was found in the hole as well, along with arrowheads. Archaeologists who are analysing the bones on behalf of Nottingham City Council say that carbon dating tests will need to be carried out to establish the precise age of the remains. Archaeologist Doug Skelton said: "We will carry out further tests to pinpoint the precise age but we're confident that we're looking at bones from the medieval period. "Of interest also is that we've been analysing other items that were found with the bones and can confirm that these include remnants of arrowheads dating from the same period." Robert Moyle, chief executive of North Midland Construction, said his firm's work was still on hold because of the investigation. "We're all holding our breath that we have excavated the remains of Robin Hood – such is the proximity of the remains to the castle," he said. "How apt if he is unearthed on Maid Marian Way!"

LOOKING for love? Then numbers from the last official census show Nottingham is the place to search! The latest figures released from the Office for National Statistics show that more than half of over-16s in the city are single. This means there are more than 128,000 people across Nottingham who could be searching for the right one. Jenny Pickett, events co-ordinator for Slow Dating, which organises speed dating events, said Nottingham is a large city so it can be hard to meet people, but big cities do mean more options. "Online dating is a common way to meet people, but you can't beat face-to-face contact with other singles," she said. Nottingham also has one of the lowest appetites for wedding bells, with just 31% having tied the knot. This put the city in the list of 10 locations with the lowest proportion of married people across the UK. Only boroughs in London and Manchester had fewer wedded couples. But Jane Thornton, regional organiser for When The Music Stops, which also organises singles events, thinks Nottingham is the perfect city for dating when you are flying solo. "It is a very vibrant place with lots of restaurants, pubs and clubs; more so than other cities," she said. It isn't just the city centre bustling with singletons. There are plenty of fish in the sea across the rest of the county. Almost a third of adults in Ashfield, Broxtowe and Gedling are single, along with more than a quarter in Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Rushcliffe. "It is a very varied dating scene in Nottingham," added Ms Thornton. "There are a lot of over-40s, for example, and plenty of men. I am not sure where the myth came from that there were many more women than men in Nottingham but it is a very good city if you are a woman!" Nottingham residents seem to enjoy the single life and have praised what is on offer for making dating a fun experience. "Nottingham is a great city to be single in," said Dominic Price, 34, of Carrington. "The people are so diverse that you know there has to be at least one person out there for you." The highest proportion of single people across England and Wales can be found in the London borough of Islington where the median age of adults is just under 35 and less then 25% of them are married. East Dorset boasted the highest proportion of married couples, where the average age was much higher at 54 and the percentage of wedded people hit 59.2%. The Office for National Statistics also disclosed divorce figures, with Blackpool claiming the highest number at 13.1% and Merton in South-West London achieving the lowest rate at just 6.1%.

THE first gay marriage in Nottinghamshire will take place today as new laws come into force to allow same-sex couples to tie the knot. The Equal Marriage Act was voted through Parliament last July but today, Saturday March 29, is the first day same-sex couples can hold their ceremonies. The first pairs in the county to walk down the aisle will be in Newark and Bassetlaw, although they want to keep the event low-key. However, many more are set to follow suit, with 34 bookings already having been taken across the county. Helen Scaman, of the county council's registration service, said: "We're delighted that so many couples have already booked their marriage since the change in law and will be celebrating their big day with us in Nottinghamshire." Eleanor Plumstead, 23, and Ruth Harris, 31, of Mansfield, were the first same-sex couple to book their ceremony in Nottinghamshire, and their big day will be at Mansfield Registration Office on August 9. Miss Plumstead said: "We have waited for the law to change so we could get married as it is what we preferred rather than a civil partnership." Ruth Hunt, acting chief executive of gay rights charity Stonewall, said this weekend was "a landmark moment". "You can be who you are, love who you love and achieve anything you want – regardless of your sexual orientation."

LEIGH Wood will not underestimate the unpredictable but dangerous Michael Ramabeletsa when he returns to the ring in Nottingham next month. The featherweight faces the South African at Rushcliffe Arena on May 16, the first time he has fought since losing his British bantamweight title fight against Gavin McDonnell in February. Wood has stepped back up to featherweight for the Ramabeletsa clash which will be fought over eight rounds in order to build ring stamina. But he accepts his return will be far from a straightforward night admitting his Soweto-born opponent, who has an 11-12 record, has the ability to surprise. "It will be a tough fight because whatever people think of his record, he is a good boxer and a tough kid," he said. "Michael proved that against Ryan Doyle who fought him with an unbeaten record, but was lucky to get a decision in the end. "Apparently, Ramabeletsa got a point deducted for holding which ultimately deprived him of the draw. "He's only been stopped once which shows how durable and tough he is so I'm under no illusion that it will be a good test. "But I am ready and waiting, I've been working hard in the gym and I cannot wait to get in there now." Wood says his decision to step back up to featherweight was influenced by his title defeat to McDonnell who stopped him in the sixth round. Bantamweight is not Wood's natural division and he said problems with making the weight affected his energy levels although he outboxed McDonnell for five rounds. Moving back up to feather will mean the 25-year-old will no longer have to deprive his body of fuel just to make the limit. After admitting how much he was disappointed at losing to McDonnell, he says it was invaluable experience. "A lot of people who watched the Gavin fight thought I started to tire in round four and five, but the truth was I fatigued as early as the second round," he said. "I could feel exhaustion creeping in which, that early in the fight, was always going to be a huge problem. "But that was to do with trying to make weight and depriving my body of fuel. I outboxed Gavin, but credit to him, he got the victory in the end. "In terms of experience though I learned so much because it was on a big show, in front of a big crowd and it was live on Sky too. "Going back up to feather is more my natural weight and it will mean more power will come with it too." Wood's fight against Ramabeletsa will give him the chance to fight in front of his home fans which he is extremely looking forward to. He was backed by more than 300 fans who travelled to Hull for his clash against McDonnell and says his fight in Nottingham is a way of saying thanks for their backing. "The support I took that night was unbelievable and even though I could have perhaps taken fights elsewhere I wanted to give my fans a fight where they didn't have to travel far," he said. "I appreciate it costs a lot of money to travel up and down the country and I just wanted to repay them somehow. "They always give me terrific backing and I'm sure they will do so again for this fight as well." Tickets for Wood's fight are available from his sponsor Blue Print Nottingham. For more information contact them on 0115 9876 111.

ERROL McDonald is set to fulfil his ambition of hosting his own amateur show – and old pal Frank Bruno will be in the crowd to see it. The former welterweight star has just opened Bad Boyz boxing gym in Nottingham which has been affiliated with the Amateur Boxing Association. It will hold their first event at Notts County's Sports Bar next week with former world heavyweight champion Bruno a special guest. British boxing's most famous son has been a friend of McDonald for many years having been part of Terry Lawless' stable during the 1980s. McDonald said: "I've known Frank for a very long time and I thought who better to come along and see our first show? "It will be absolutely fantastic for the lads who are at the event to say they've boxed in front of a former world champion and a great personality like Frank. "This will be their debut as an amateur and it will be one they will never forget. "They will get to meet Frank and it's really going to be a fantastic occasion. "We are so excited about it not just because it's our first show but for all the lads who train so hard." The Bad Boyz gym will showcase six of its fighters including twins Akai and Akim Douglas, Josh Armstrong Jakub Wisniewski, Derek Mutsunge and Joe Potter. In McDonald they have a fine teacher who is a former ABA champion and set a record of 24 fights without defeat which still stands today. He also fought for the European title during his career which finally came to an end in 2000 with a record of 29 wins, 21 coming by knockout. But now McDonald wants to teach some of his prowess in order to help usher in a new era of professional boxers in the city. The ABA full coach and British Board of Boxing Control trainer said: "The lads who I have at the gym are a credit to themselves. "I want to bring them on and help them turn professional, that's my ultimate aim. "I don't just want anybody at the gym, I want proper lads who are going to fiercely dedicate themselves to the sport. "Training boxers is something I've always wanted to do because boxing is still a great passion of mine. "I had a good career and it would be great to see them go on and have good careers themselves." If you would like to purchase tickets for the show which includes fighters from Benny's boxing gym and Phoenix ABC, then contact Janet Vitti on 07737 262195.

NOTTS director of cricket Mick Newell is hoping Alex Hales will fall back in love with the county game after his World Twenty20 heroics. Hales, 25, cracked an unbeaten 116 to give England a memorable group stage victory over Sri Lanka, becoming the first Englishman to score a century in the shortest format of the game. Having struggled for form of late, averaging under ten in the LV= County Championship last season, Newell believes Hales suffered after being told he could not participate in the lucrative Indian Premier League. But now he has seemingly put recent disappointments behind him, Newell wants to see Hales back at his best when he returns to Trent Bridge. "In terms of four-day cricket we have always used him as an opening batsman," said Newell. "Trent Bridge has the tradition of being difficult for opening batsmen but to be fair to Alex, last year was the first where he has really struggled in four-day cricket. "I would put that down to the fact that we wouldn't let him go to the IPL. I think he probably became a bit disenchanted with life having been denied the opportunity to go. "I'm hoping that this year, once he comes back from the World Cup, he will have a positive attitude to four-day cricket." Newell also praised the mentality of Hales to come back from a poor spell to produce his best display for some time. "I think you have to be mentally tough to play international cricket, that is a given," he said. "But he has put a run of low scores and disappointing performances, for both England and Nottinghamshire, behind him and produced a match-winning innings. "The major feature of the innings was that he was not-out at the end, he didn't just make 100 and let someone else win the game. He finished the game off himself and that is something he should be proud of." After losing to New Zealand on the Duckworth/Lewis method, Hales could not have hit form at a better time for England as his scintillating innings keeps Ashley Giles' side in the mix to reach the latter stages. Next up is another night game – this time against South Africa today (1.30pm) – and Newell reckons the Proteas will see Hales as the main man to stop if they are to prevent another England success. "Alex is going to be the key wicket for South Africa to target," he said. "I'm sure they will have some ideas about how they can restrict him but he is a very powerful player and hits the ball a long way. "There are other players in the team who can make the difference and with the nature of T20 it is not like you are going to score well in eight to ten games in a row. "It just isn't like that with the way you have got to smash it from the word go but he will like to feel he can make another major contribution to help England make the semi-finals."

ENGLAND captain Stuart Broad believes his side can become unlikely challengers at the World Twenty20 after throwing off the shackles in a thrilling win over Sri Lanka. It may seem premature for Broad to be publicly pondering such things, with England still needing to beat South Africa today (1.30pm) to avoid an early exit, but the brevity of the competition means trophy-winning momentum can be pieced together in a matter of days. Now, having overturned the world's number one T20 side in some style – Alex Hales playing the innings of the tournament as he clubbed an unbeaten 116 in 64 balls – England are starting to seem like less fanciful contenders. "T20 is a momentum game and the innings we chased against Sri Lanka was one of the best I've ever witnessed," said Broad, who has been fined for the second time at the World Twenty20, losing 40 per cent of his match fee for a slow over rate in England's win over Sri Lanka. "The confidence and belief we will get from that going into our final two group games is going to be huge. It's in our hands a little bit now. "If we had lost against Sri Lanka we were pretty much out of the World Cup. With that sort of pressure, it's exciting to see players come through that. "We have got two group games left and we're very confident we can do well in those. "We know what these tournaments are like, if you can get on a run, if you can get a few guys going you can win these tournaments and it's not out of our grasp." Asked if England were finally ready to turn a corner and put a miserable few months behind them, Broad adopted an uncharacteristically wistful tone. "Touch wood...we've got to be getting there haven't we?" he said. "We have had a couple of things go against us, Mother Cricket has not looked after us particularly well over this winter." If they are to complete their unlikely swing in fortunes, England cannot afford to sit back and rely on a Hales storm every time. Even that may not be enough next time if they do not knuckle down and improve their performance in the field. A total of four catches went down in Sri Lanka's innings of 189 for four, with a botched run-out by Jos Buttler adding to an unusually ragged showing from the boys in the 'solar red' shirts. There is also room for improvement in the bowling ranks, where Tim Bresnan and Broad himself have yet to hit top gear. "Our batting is obviously firing but we need to up the standard of our fielding," the skipper admitted. "Our fielding has been our strong point in the last three weeks." we have been awesome, so to miss chances against key men hurt us. "We could have easily restricted Sri Lanka to 150 on that wicket. We could have done, but we didn't. "If we take our catches we will stand ourselves in a much better chance (today)." Broad chose not to blame the sloppy catching, for which Bresnan, Jade Dernbach and Ravi Bopara were all culpable, on the wet ball. Evening matches in Chittagong have been badly affected by dew so far, making the ball hard to grip for bowlers and tricky to cling onto in the field. Even Sri Lankan veteran Mahela Jayawardene shelled Hales on the boundary as the ball slipped through his grasp. But Broad, searching perhaps for one too many positives, insists England's struggles in those conditions leave them better equipped than the Proteas, who have yet to play a late match. "We have got the advantage of having played a few games under the lights here," he said. "Conditions are extremely different from anything we've had before and South Africa haven't played under the lights yet. "But we've got the experience of that. It can give us a little bit of an edge if we use it wisely."

CLUTCHING a cup of coffee, Gary Brazil seems perfectly at ease as he wanders from interview to interview. The step up from running the club's academy to finding himself responsible for breathing fresh life into Nottingham Forest's play-off push is a considerable one. But the former Notts County manager continues to go about his business with a smile on his face and, equally importantly, an impressively grounded outlook. If there is pressure, he does not look like a man who is carrying it on his shoulders. And his main aim is to ensure that, come Monday morning, he is not the only one wearing a grin at the Nigel Doughty academy. "If you get yourself a result, all of a sudden, on Monday morning, the place feels a lot brighter," said Brazil, who will take charge of his second game, at Ipswich, this afternoon. "Then you can go on a roll again. That is what we are working towards. "Everything we have done this week has been geared towards sending out 11 players with a positive attitude at Portman Road. "I am getting to know the players; getting to know them as individuals. "I am a bright, enthusiastic, energetic person who likes to do things with a smile on my face. I am looking to get that mirrored back at me from the players. "This is a good way to earn a living. Sometimes it is hard work, but that is when you earn your money. We are earning our money right now." There is no doubting Brazil's positive attitude. And the former striker hopes that the fans will share his outlook in Ipswich today, as the club look to come through a testing period, following the sacking of Billy Davies. "It is important for us that we get that backing again on Saturday. Now, more than ever, you need your fans," he said. "I know they travel in big numbers, I know they will be behind us. "We all owe each other a good performance. A good performance will, hopefully, get us points as well. "As a club, as a group of players and a group of fans, we need to stick together. "There is no denying that this is a tough period for us. This is a massive club and we really need to show the quality we have right now." Forest may be on a run of nine games without a win. But Brazil urges everyone connected with the club to retain a sense of perspective – and remember that they are still only two points off the play-off places. Anything is still possible. "It is a big game, but they are all big games now. There is a pack forming, a pack of teams vying for those play-off places," he said. "We are one of those teams. We have as good an opportunity as anyone else. "Ipswich will be competitive, they will have intensity and energy. They will play with a good tempo. "They are a side that we will need to placate, we will need to take the sting out of the game. "We need to stop them from doing what they are good at. "A number of impartial people might believe this is going to be a home win. We will see what happens." Brazil, who has previously been academy coach at Premier League Fulham, is embracing the challenge, even if he is not sure how long he will be in charge for. "It is much nicer to be at this end of the league than it is to be down at the other. There pressure that is there is because people are desperate to get to the promised land," he said. "The anxiety is there because something looked as though it was there and it seems to have moved away from us a little bit. But we have got to say to ourselves that we are not going to give it up. "A few of our injured players are getting closer (to a return). The physios are working really hard to get them back; to get them ready. "A couple of them, we hope, could be back to face Millwall. But the one thing we do not want to do is push them back too quickly and lose them for the rest of the season. "We don't want to take a chance with them and lose them for the rest of the season. "I would like to have them properly fit for six of the eight games we have left. "We have to be patient. It is hard to have that, but we have to wait." For Forest fans, there is also a different waiting game, as they wait to discover who will become the next permanent manager, who can help them plot a course for the Premier League. But, in Brazil, it feels as though they have a steady hand on the tiller for now.

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