In the space of 48 hours, England have beaten two of the pre-tournament favourites with an ease that even their most fervent fans could never have imagined. South Africa have been pushed into the abyss, and Sri Lanka cling on by just a fingernail. If New Zealand beat England on Tuesday, the fancied Lankans too [...]
Lunch New Zealand 234 and 302 for 7 (Vettori 68*, Patel 1*) need another 192 runs to beat Sri Lanka 416 and 311 for 5 dec
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
With their backs to the wall, needing to bat three sessions, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram dipped into the reservoir of 127 Tests [...]
Paul Collingwood was a relieved man at the end of a fraught day in Belfast, as England’s cricketers survived a huge scare to see off the challenge of Ireland in a rain-affected contest at Stormont. Collingwood, who also led England to defeat against the Netherlands in the ICC World Twenty20 in June, had been braced [...]
As the England players savoured their lap of honour around The Oval with the Ashes secured, one key figure slipped quietly back into the dressing room.Andy Flower took charge of the side at their lowest ebb in January when the fall-out between Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores ripped the team apart. Yet eight months later, [...]
England v Australia, 1st npower Test, Cardiff, 3rd day
Click here to listen to Jonathan Trott’s press conference.
What had been billed a farewell bash for Andrew Flintoff became a debutant ball for Jonathan Trott. The ovation afforded to Flintoff following his sparkle-and-fade innings of 22 was upstaged by the rapturous reception granted to Trott upon completion [...]
It’s happening again. That nagging, gnawing, pit-of-the-stomach doubt that only the most gripping Test series can serve up. Six sessions remain in which the destination of the Ashes will be decided, and England – with every single historical precedent weighted in their favour, including one from their most recent victory at Lord’s – must surely [...]
Monty Panesar, the England left-arm spinner hoping for a recall to the England squad for the final Ashes Test at The Oval, backed himself to perform there saying it would be easier to trouble the Australian batsmen on a pitch expected to favour pace and bounce. Panesar was dropped from the squad after taking 1 [...]
Marcus Trescothick seems to have decisively ruled out a return to international cricket, ending all speculation – fuelled in part by his own ambivalence – about a dramatic comeback to the England national team for the Ashes-deciding Oval Test next week.
“I’ve gone too far down the line in battling my stress problems to change my [...]
England 435 (Pietersen 69, Collingwood 64, Prior 56) and 252 for 9 (Collingwood 74, Hilfenhaus 3-37) drew with Australia 674 for 6 dec (Ponting 150, Katich 122, North 125*, Haddin 121, Clarke 81)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
England v Australia, 1st npower Test, Cardiff, 5th day
James Anderson and Monty Panesar produced the most important innings of their lives [...]
Tamim Iqbal’s maiden Test century helped Bangladesh wrest control of the opening Test in St Vincent, and the opener was confident of success, given his team’s sizable lead and strength with spin on a turning pitch. By stumps Bangladesh had built a strong lead of 252, and with five wickets remaining they stand a chance [...]
