WHEN former Yorkshire Evening Post junior reporter Mark Knopfler made his fortune by writing the song ‘Money For Nothing’ it can’t be proved that he was in possession of a crystal ball.

However, when the Dire Straits frontman picked up on that particular catchy lyric he was actually predicting the future of the England cricket team.

If you were among those wondering why the England cricket squad were so determined to gain the world number one Test ranking over recent seasons, then this weekend has revealed the answer.

When the first Test of South Africa’s tour to New Zealand was abandoned as a draw in Dunedin, the upshot was that the Proteas could not register the 3-0 series win they would have needed to knock England off top spot.

It means that England will be the official Test world best on April 1 and as such the leaders will receive a large cheque from ICC sponsors Reliance.

This works out as a £111,000 pay day for the England squad and that being already earned before they even take the field for their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka.

As the man with the Fender Stratocaster said it’s money for nothing!