The first Monday morning of the summer holidays, the sky lumpen - an unscheduled autumn duvet pulled hastily from the cupboard above. The roads are quiet with relief, the ruddy trudgers of sandwich-laden picnic-hampers down to a steady trickle along the Great Stone Road.In the separated pens of the Old Trafford nets in the hour before play, the Pakistan players practised. And practised. Azhar Ali, diligently forward, diligently back; the coaching staff, arms folded, nodding approvingly. In and out they alternated, like figures on a weather house, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Shah, lined up against the Lancashire academy bowlers sprightly-keen to show what they could do.Behind them, staring at helmets and backsides, trying to identify whose belonged to whom, stood the Monday morning spectators. Not a great number - 6,533 in all - but proper cricket fans these: who else would give up a days holiday in chilly late July to sit in bucket seats to watch the fourth day of a one-sided Test?The nets are funny things, as close as people get to the players, an obscure mini zoo where fans stare while players pretend theyre not there, fans lurk and players reach resolutely for their bats and hope to walk away to the safety of the dressing-room un-manhandled. A rite of passage nonetheless.From the nets, it was just a short journey round the ground to B Stand - just to the left of the media centre, and most pertinently next door to the Pakistan dressing-room. If you couldnt quite see Misbah-ul-Haq reaching out for an idle scratch, you could imagine it: every players jaunt up and down the steps that led to the pitch was wildly cheered.B stand then, a multicultural slice of the kind of English society that cricket often turns up by accident: a good-natured mixture of cold and unpickled British people hunched over packets of cheese and onion in a mixture of cagouls, neat beards, hijabs, a couple of skull caps and a pair of stars-and-stripes sunglasses.On a day slowly meandering along to its inevitable conclusion, the spectators entertained themselves with vuvuzelas and cracker blowers, chatter in urdu and English, inflatable bananas and that sustaining culinary combination of a soggy 99 followed by a warming coffee.In the prime seats just metres away from the Pakistan dressing-room steps, sat three sisters, Kiran, 21, a pharmacy student, Amina, 18, about to embark on a dentistry course, and Sophia, 15, hair covered in bright hijabs and decorated with Pakistani flag pins.The three sisters had woken at seven oclock and piled into a big van the family had hired for the day. Eight people crammed in, bags full of picnic, over the way from Bolton, Rihanna and Calvin Harris blaring on the radio. They are cricket nuts, all of them, a Pakistan flag hangs outside their house and posters adorn the walls. Theyd brought along a roll of coloured paper with them, and intended to write some thoroughly inspirational posters.We watch Pakistan on TV, but this is the first time weve seen them live, Sophia said. We love their passion. We paid extra for these seats because we knew theyd be just next to the dressing room.She reaches for her sisters phone to show her selfies with the team just as England declare at 173 for 1: time for Pakistan to pull off a surprise win? Were just hoping it doesnt rain.Higher up in B stand were another group of family friends - two of them, Zohaib and Farukh, had driven down from Glasgow with their small sons. A five oclock wake-up and then a four hour drive with no stops. It wasnt great for the rest of them but I didnt want to be late, Zohaib said. Their friend Ali Usmani had come from Bolton too - via 16 years in Pakistan and 20 years in Holland. He and his wife had brought along their sonI tell him to support England, that you should support the country where you are brought up. He loves cricket, his favourites are Shane Warne and Shahid Afridi, but I tell him that education is the first priority.It was a first visit to Old Trafford for the sisters, for the Glaswegians, for Ali too. The first time you hesitate to come, he said, then the way is open. Good news for Lancashire, if there is good news in a Test crowd of six-and-a-half thousand - there is plenty of potential support out there if they can find a way to capitalise on it.As it was, Pakistan crept past their first innings, just. When Misbah played on for 35, the end was nigh, though a final flourish from a blazing Mohammad Amir gave his fans something to cheer about.And from there it was a trudge back to the car, bags empty, legs tired. For England fans, a triumphant afternoon. For Pakistan fans, an ultimately disappointing but potentially uplifting day at the cricket. For the Pakistan team, it is back to the coach and the drawing board - the next two Tests suddenly looming very large. Cheap Air Max 720 . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . http://www.airmaxsneakersonsale.com/cheap-air-max-tn.html . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? 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Both have great potential and both are going to get an opportunity to develop and hopefully realize that potential." Toronto gave up forward Matt Frattin, backup goaltender Ben Scrivens and a second-round pick in either the 2014 or 2015 NHL Entry Draft to land Bernier. Nonis said it was a deal that he and Kings general manager Dean Lombardi had been discussing since almost the first week of the lockout-shortened season. "We were close a couple times but there was always something that stopped the deal," said Nonis. "We talked on and off for months. This deal, most of it, was in place months ago and we just found a time that was right for both sides." Bernier, 24, is eligible to become a restricted free agent but Berniers agent Pat Brisson has already spoken with Leafs GM Dave Nonis and the two plan on engaging in contract talks this week. Bernier played in 14 regular-season games for the Kings in 2012-13, compiling a 9-3-1 record with a goals-against average of 1.88 and save percentage of .922. "Obviously Im very excited," Bernier told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com. "Going to Toronto I think is a great challenge. Theyve got a really good young team and hopefully I can fit in and have some success with them." He was taken by the Kings in the first round (11th overall) of the 2006 draft. He played in 62 career regular-season games with the Kings, compiling a 29-20-6 record, .912 save percentage, 2.36 GAA and six shutouts. The trade definitely puts the status of Reimer as Torontos No. 1 in question. The Leafs signed the 25-year-old Reimer to a three-year contract extension in June 2011, but his development has been slowed by injuries. Reimer went 19-8-5 this season with a 2.46 GAA and a .934 save percentagee.dddddddddddd He also helped the Leafs take the Bruins to the seventh game of the opening round of the playoffs. Nonis insists the deal for Bernier should not be seen as a lack of confidence in Reimer. "This shouldnt be looked at like a knock on James because its not," said Nonis. "I believe that when you have someone pushing you get the most out of yourself. And I think the situation here is these guys are going to push each other and were going to see some good goaltending because of it." Bernier, who made US$1.525 million this season, is eligible to become a restricted free agent, but Nonis believes signing the 24-year-old from Laval, Que., wont be an issue. In fact Nonis expects to be busy in the stretch heading to free agency. He says Toronto likely isnt done making moves. "I believe there is going to be some pieces available between now and free agency. And for a lot of different reasons," said Nonis. "Are we looking to possibly add some other pieces? Yes. If theres a piece that helps us long term, were going to be active." Nonis was general manager for the Canadian squad at the 2011 IIHF world championship -- a team that included both Bernier and Remier. He says the two players got along at the tournament and expects that relationship to grow on the Leafs. "(They) seem to get along well and both played well. Im looking forward to getting both of them together and think its going to be a really great fit." Scrivens, 26, played 20 games for the Maple Leafs this past season with a 7-9 record. Frattin, 25, had seven goals and six assists in 25 regular-season games for the Leafs in 2012-13. "Just want to thank MapleLeafs for a first class experience to start my pro career," Frattin tweeted. "Very excited to join LAKings." King assistant GM Ron Hextall said in a video on the Kings official website that it was a tough situation for Bernier to be backing up a goalie like Quick. "Its kind of bittersweet. Jons been with us a long time. Hes been a great soldier for us and hes been a very good player for us. "Unfortunately, hes stuck behind Jonathan Quick which is a tough situation for Jon. As a sense of fairness to him and at the timing that we felt was the best for the organization, we made the move." ' ' '