Ben Stokes remains on course to make his return to Test cricket against New Zealand in Auckland.
England captain Joe Root stopped short of naming Stokes in his team to face the Kiwis when he held his captain's pre-match news conference at Eden Park on Wednesday.
But barring any setback at or after evening nets, Stokes is sure to play in some capacity in the day-night fixture, his first Test in more than six months since his man-of-the-match performance in last September's series-sealing victory over West Indies at Lord's.
It was uncertain for several days whether he would be fit to bowl as well as bat against New Zealand, but on the evidence of practice so far this week he appears to have recovered sufficiently from his stiff back to fulfil his key all-rounder's role.
Stokes missed this winter's 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, while he was waiting to hear if he would be charged following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September last year.
Only after he was charged with affray and then last month indicated a not-guilty plea in his first appearance at Bristol Magistrates' Court did the England and Wales Cricket Board announce the 26-year-old could rejoin his team-mates, initially for their one-day international series win over New Zealand en route to the two-Test series set to begin on Thursday.
Asked if he was able to name his team a day out, Root said: "I'm afraid not ... you'll have to wait till tomorrow for that."
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Read more
Holding sports stars to higher moral standard asking to be deceived
New Zealand's Ross Taylor fit first first cricket Test against England
New Zealand seek All Black magic against the English at Eden Park
Five things to know about day-night Tests ahead of Auckland game
Sangakkara bats for minimum pay in Tests to slow exodus to T20s
Comment: Cutting Tests to four days step in the wrong direction
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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The%20specs
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
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