Coming up in the West: What's happening this week?
Play-off miracle needed
It might not have gone to plan at Ashton Gate - but there's still at least 90 more minutes of football to go in the play-off semi-final.Bristol City lost 3-0 to Sheffield United in the first leg on Thursday evening and the teams meet again in Yorkshire at Bramall Lane on Monday.Bristol City manager Liam Manning said: "We'll keep believing, we'll keep fighting. "That's the beauty of sport if you look at the history of it there's been many comebacks."I know this group inside out, they're hurting right now, hugely disappointed, but at the same point once we're in tomorrow we'll be ready to go Monday."There will be commentary on BBC Radio Bristol.But let's leave the final word to Radio Bristol's Joe Sims - who recorded this before the first leg last week.
More to watch out for
The trial of Yostin Mosquera, who is accused of murdering two men whose body parts were found in a suitcase on the Clifton Suspension Bridge, continues at the Old BaileyBBC Radio Wiltshire will be looking at a number of dog attacks across the county in recent monthsThere's a new General Medical Council hearing for former Bristol-based consultant Tony Dixon. A tribunal previously ruled he used artificial mesh to treat prolapsed bowels at Southmead Hospital in BristolWe'll be talking to players from Gloucestershire County Cricket Club - the reigning T20 Blast champions - ahead of this year's tournament There's a drop-in event taking place on Wednesday for people to find out about the work on the Chelston link road from J26 of the M5, which is due to start next month
Floral clock watering
Remember the floral clock in Weston-super-Mare that was concreted over?Well, it's back and the council is looking for volunteers to help water it over the summer.We'll have more details about how you can help later this week on the BBC News website, Radio Bristol and Points West.
Bowls in the spotlight
Players from all over the country will descend on Devizes in Wiltshire this weekend when the town hosts the prestigious Inter-County Bowls contest.It's part of the early stages of the Balcomb Trophy - which is a big thing in the bowls world.And if you fancy going, tickets for spectators are available.Club chairman, David Silvester, said: "We're delighted to be hosting this year's Inter-County event. It's a brilliant opportunity for the local community to experience top-class bowls and support their county."
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Mikel Arteta offers Viktor Gyokeres verdict after Emirates debut in pre-season defeat to Villarreal - as Gunners boss singles out academy starlet for praise
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Woakes 'never considered' not batting for England
Chris Woakes said he "wouldn't have been able to live with himself" had he not tried to bat for England in the extraordinary finish to the fifth Test against 36-year-old suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder on the first day at The Oval, yet still emerged to bat with his left arm in a sling on a dramatic final needed 17 runs when Woakes came out at number 11. He did not face a ball but ran four runs, before Gus Atkinson was bowled to give India a six-run victory and leave the series level at to The Guardian,, external Woakes said: "I'm still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn't get the fairytale. But I never considered not going out there, even if it had been 100 runs still to win or whatever."But any other player would have done the same. You couldn't just call it off at nine wickets down."Woakes was the only member of the England pace attack to play in all five Tests against India. On the first evening of the fifth Test, he chased the ball to the boundary and suffered the suspected the second day, the hosts ruled him out of the remainder of the match, but Woakes offered to bat in England's first innings, only to be knocked back by coach Brendon Sunday's fourth day, with England chasing a record 374 to win, he was pictured in the home dressing room in his whites, ready to had practised in the nets, first in his usual right-handed stance, only to find that method was too painful. The Warwickshire man instead opted to bat left-handed, in order to put his healthy right arm at the top of the handle in control of the bat, and his injured left arm as far away from the ball as possible."I defended one normally [right-handed] and it was agony," he said. "We soon worked out that a left-hander's stance would shield the shoulder and at least allow me to sort of block with my top hand in control. I hit a few, missed a few, but it felt like the only way to survive."On Monday's fifth day, England were 17 runs adrift of victory when Josh Tongue was bowled to become the ninth wicket to fall. Though some security staff rushed on to the outfield, believing the game to be over, Woakes appeared from the dressing room to a hero's welcome from the crowd. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I didn't try," he admitted."You just know you're part of something bigger. It's not just you that you're playing for out there. It's your team and your team-mates, all the hard work and the sacrifices they put in, the people watching at home and in the ground. You just feel a duty to do it for everyone."While Atkinson attempted to protect Woakes from the strike, he was still required to run. On the first occasion, a bye through to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, Woakes was instantly in clear discomfort."The first one was the worst," he said. "All I had taken was codeine and it was just so sore. Instinct took over here - even with my arm strapped down I tried to run as you naturally do. I genuinely worried my shoulder had popped back out again, hence you saw me throw my helmet off, rip the glove off with my teeth, and check it was OK."Woakes ran three more runs during his 16-minute stay at the crease. Despite his bravery, England missed out on a 3-1 series triumph and instead had to settle for a share of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy."It was bitter-sweet in the end," he added. "Part of me wondered what it might be like, to see if I could have defended the ball, seen out an over maybe, squeezed a run or carved a four."But the other side of it was, 'Thank God I didn't face a 90mph bouncer, one-handed, facing the wrong way around'."And I knew I was going to have to wear a few bouncers if I did get on strike. Those were the anxious feelings, really. You're still pretty exposed out there."Woakes is now waiting to discover the full extent of the injury, with his participation in this winter's Ashes series in severe actions have been praised across the sporting world and he said "the love from the public has helped"."It's not the way you want to be front-page news - you'd sooner it was for five wickets or a century," added Woakes."It is so weird to go from the start of a Test week, thinking 'one last push', to ending up on a physio's table wondering what the future holds."
