64 h. ago Incongruity of World Test Championship final fails to dampen Australian excitement | Geoff Lemon

It may be a strange time of year for an Australian, and a strange tournament structure, but the decider is vindicated further each time it is playedIn Australia it is winter, and it is footy season. AFL, NRL, the works. The autumn was passing strange, with unnervingly high temperatures and the Gold Coast Suns in the top four. But now it is June, and feeling more as it should, with nights in the southern half of the continent dipping deep into single degrees. The Raiders must be breathing out steam on Canberra mornings, half remembering dreams of ending a premiership wait. And strangely positioned among all this, the Australia Test team is getting ready to play cricket.Australian winter tours happen, but outside the occasional Asian or Caribbean jaunt this century, they’re confined to quadrennial visits to England. Two years ago, the first time Australia qualified for a World Test Championship final, that match came directly before an Ashes series. As well as turning the supposed cul...

Sport

3 d. ago Stanley Cup final: Panthers score six in Game 3 demolition of Oilers to take series lead

Edmonton Oilers 1-6 Florida PanthersChampions take 2-1 lead in best-of-seven seriesBrad Marchand and Sam Bennett scored again, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each got their first goal in the Stanley Cup final and the defending champion Florida Panthers capitalized on the Edmonton Oilers’ worst performance in weeks to win Game 3 in a 6-1 rout Monday night and take a 2-1 series lead.The 37-year-old Marchand became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a final and the first to open the scoring the next time out after notching an overtime winner. His 11 goals in the final are the most among active players, one more than similarly ageless Corey Perry. Continue reading...

Sport

1 week ago Joe Root’s magical 166 guides England to ODI series win over West Indies

2nd ODI: England, 312-7, bt West Indies, 308, by 3 wktsKeacy Carty hits 103; Root replies with 166 not outEngland spent much of this game digging themselves into not so much a hole as a full-blown trench, a toxic combination of regular errors and occasional misfortune leaving them in a truly desperate situation, apparently destined for convincing and deserved defeat. Enter Joe Root, and an innings for the ages.Root produced a display of simply ethereal stroke-making on his way to a stunning, unbeaten 166, a batting performance of such beauty that the ugliness of much that came before will almost be forgotten. It was his highest score in ODIs, propelling him past Eoin Morgan to become England’s leading run-scorer in this format, and the first Englishman to score more than 7,000 runs. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Ben Stokes backs Ollie Pope after England century sees off ‘agenda’ against him

The England captain said an answer of his about selection for the India series had been ‘twisted’ after the innings and 45 runs win over Zimbabwe.

Politics

2 w. ago Bennett scores Zimbabwe’s fastest Test century before England regain grip

Only Test, D2: England 565-6d; Zimbabwe 265 & 30-2Stokes shines as England toil before enforcing follow-onThere were a few sideways glances during the first day of Zimbabwe’s first Test match in England for 22 years, followed by calls for cricket’s longest format to adopt a two-division structure. After a flogging like the one their players had just suffered across three sessions, perhaps this was to be expected.But on day two, cheered on by some wonderful pockets of support, the tourists mustered a pushback. First came an improved showing with the ball, England losing three for 67 to declare on 565 for six, followed by something of a fairytale century from opener Brian Bennett. Though bowled out for 265, and closing on 30 for two following on, Zimbabwe had given their hosts a far stiffer outing. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Ollie Pope scores century as England set new record in dominant win over Zimbabwe

England make light-work of Zimbabwe in first meeting between the nations for 22 years

Politics

3 w. ago Brits urged to take shorter showers to avoid hosepipe bans as country's dry spell sparks drought fears while water bills soar

It is the driest spring so far in more than a century, which has prompted warnings of a drought in England this summer without sustained rainfall.

Politics

4 w. ago In charts: drought risk as England faces driest year this century

Rivers and reservoirs are far below average — with the lowest levels in the North

Events