3 h. ago Brendon McCullum mulls appointing Harry Brook as England vice

Coach confirms Ollie Pope will be reserve wicketkeeperRain washes out last game in South Africa T20 seriesHarry Brook could replace Ollie Pope as England vice-captain for the Ashes after Brendon McCullum, the head coach, revealed it was up for discussion in an otherwise “easy” squad to select.Speaking after an afternoon of solid rain in Nottingham caused a washout of the third Twenty20 between England and South Africa – the international home summer ending with a 1-1 series draw – McCullum floated the possibility of Brook as Ben Stokes’s deputy given his role as the limited-over captain. Continue reading...

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5 h. ago England v South Africa: third men’s T20 international abandoned by rain – as it didn’t happen

IT20 series between England and South Africa tied 1-1 after rain washes out decider in NottinghamEngland Head Coach Brendon McCullum has been in the Sky Pod chatting to Ian Ward and Nasser Hussain.“We balanced things a little bit better,” he says of England’s tempo with the bat in the Test series v India. “We grew up quite a lot through that series... We saw the emergence of the fast-bowling cartel we’ve been trying to build over the last couple of years. I left the series thinking we’d become a better team, despite the 2-2 result.” Continue reading...

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7 h. ago England v South Africa: third men’s T20 international delayed by rain – live

Updates from the last match of the series at Trent BridgeSign up for The Spin newsletter | And you can mail James Weather Watch: We’ll start losing overs from 3.30pm. We are yet to hear about a cut-off time for a five-over slogathon. That’s probably the best we can hope for at the moment.Weather Watch: It is still raining. I’m going to make a brew and have a shout at the clouds. Back soon. Continue reading...

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8 h. ago England v South Africa: third men’s T20 cricket international – live

Updates from the last match of the series at Trent BridgeSign up for The Spin newsletter | And you can mail James Bad news! The covers are now being dragged back on as the rain starts up again, this time a bit heavier. It’s going to be one of those afternoons I fear.Good news! The covers are coming off at Trent Bridge though Stuart Broad is the local lad and he is worried about the rain radar. We can do a five overs a side game if it comes to it and Shaun Pollock jokes that South Africa won’t want to bowl twenty overs at England while they are in this blistering form. Continue reading...

Society

47 h. ago England duo Phil Salt and Harry Brook admit thinking passing 300 was impossible

Salt’s record-breaking innings took England past the mark for the first time

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48 h. ago England rout South Africa to level T20 series as Phil Salt stars with rapid ton

The Welshman required just 39 balls to complete his century

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48 h. ago Records tumble as Phil Salt’s stunning ton leads England to T20 rout of South Africa

2nd T20: England, 304-2, bt South Africa, 158, by 146 runsHosts hit their highest T20 total to go level in the seriesEngland made history, and for the first time more than 300 runs, on an extraordinary night in Manchester as they buried South Africa under a mountain of runs and shredded ­statistics. The highest total in the team’s T20 history was turbocharged by a brilliant opening stand of 126 between Phil Salt and Jos Buttler and by the nation’s highest individual score, Salt knocking himself off the top of that chart with an unbeaten 141. So within a week and against the same opponents they have set national records for winning margins in both one-day internationals and now T20s, the difference here an almost comic 146 runs.From the very start, with boundaries struck off each of the first three balls of the day, Salt tore into South Africa’s bowling much as he would in time tear up the record books. The result was the third highest team total in the history of international T20s,...

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48 h. ago Phil Salt’s brutal brilliance reveals a new England in crushing win over South Africa

Salt produced a spectacular innings to batter the Proteas with 141 not-out off just 60 balls, inspiring a crushing 146-run victory to level the series at 1-1 and underline the captivating nature of Bazball

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48 h. ago England thrash South Africa after Phil Salt heroics takes them past 300 barrier

Salt’s scorching 39-ball ton was England’s quickest in any format and he also recorded their greatest T20 individual score with 141 not out off.

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50 h. ago Records tumble as England set South Africa target of 305: second men’s T20 international – live

Updates from the second T20i at Old TraffordFirst T20 report | Mail Rob 5th over: England 88-0 (Salt 32, Buttler 54) Rabada returns to the attack and is monstered down the ground for six by Buttler. Three successive fours take Buttler to a quite exhilarating 50 from 18 balls. He waves his bat to the ground, then snaps his head back to salute his late father.The second of those three fours tempted mid-on, who dived in an attempt to take a low catch but was beaten by the dip on the ball. Continue reading...

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50 h. ago Phil Salt breaks England T20 century record in style against South Africa

Salt reached three figures from just 39 balls.

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52 h. ago England v South Africa: second men’s T20 international – live

Updates from the second T20i at Old TraffordFirst T20 report | Mail Rob One change apiece. Jofra Archer comes in for Jamie Overton in the England XI; South Africa bring in the left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin from Corbin Bosch. Keshan Maharaj has a groin strain.England Salt, Buttler (wk), Brook (c), Bethell, Banton, Curran, Jacks, Dawson, Archer, Rashid, Wood. Continue reading...

Society

3 d. ago England lose shortened T20 ‘shambles’ against South Africa in rain

South Africa 97-5; England 54-5; South Africa win by 14 runs (DLS)Reduced to nine-over contest before being cut to five-over chaseIt was mildly absurd in one sense, a day of rain showers in Cardiff turning the first T20 international between England and South Africa into a shortened thrash that did not get underway until 8.50pm.But the hardy spectators who stuck around were at least rewarded for their patience with something resembling a match; a bit of fun, chiefly, albeit one that now sees the tourists go into ’s second outing at Old Trafford with a 1-0 lead in this three-match end-of-summer series. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago England v South Africa: first men’s T20 international gets under way after rain delay – live

Over-by-over coverage of the first T20Get in touch with Tim to share your thoughts“Shame (but very predictable) about the current weather,” says Alfie Sparrow, although his email is actually about something else. “I’ve just moved into London, living in Tooting with some old uni mates. I was wondering if any readers have local cricket club recommendations? Played alongside Bas de Leede growing up in the Netherlands, winning 3 national titles in our age group. Wish I could say I was still near his quality but that’s far from the case – just after a friendly club for next summer.” Hope you find one.“My girlfriend has very tentatively started to get into cricket,” reports Charles Aspden. “And we discussed potential telly programmes which would further entice her in. In true Alan Partridge fashion, she wants to see ‘Tea with Amol Rajan,’ a show somewhere between Bake Off and Grandstand. Amol travels the country to try the best and worst teas around the village, county and international g...

Society

4 d. ago England v South Africa: first men’s T20 international, start delayed by rain – live

Over-by-over coverage of the first T20Get in touch with Tim to share your thoughts“Shame (but very predictable) about the current weather,” says Alfie Sparrow, although his email is actually about something else. “I’ve just moved into London, living in Tooting with some old uni mates. I was wondering if any readers have local cricket club recommendations? Played alongside Bas de Leede growing up in the Netherlands, winning 3 national titles in our age group. Wish I could say I was still near his quality but that’s far from the case – just after a friendly club for next summer.” Hope you find one.“My girlfriend has very tentatively started to get into cricket,” reports Charles Aspden. “And we discussed potential telly programmes which would further entice her in. In true Alan Partridge fashion, she wants to see ‘Tea with Amol Rajan,’ a show somewhere between Bake Off and Grandstand. Amol travels the country to try the best and worst teas around the village, county and international g...

Society

4 d. ago England v South Africa: first men’s T20 international – live

Over-by-over coverage of the first T20 (6.30pm BST start)Get in touch with Tim with your thoughtsMy optimism about the weather may have been misplaced. The cameras are showing the outfield, which is doing an impersonation of Grimsby Town’s home turf when they beat Man United. “Looks like a paddy field,” says Ian Ward. The umpires venture out for a look in their pink cagoules, and soon put their umbrellas up.Some team news: Lungi Ngidi is out of the series. He has a hamstring strain, according to our friends at Cricinfo. His place in South Africa’s battery of seamers will go to Nandre Burger, but not until the second game at Old Trafford on Friday. Continue reading...

Society

6 d. ago Jofra Archer will be ready for ‘biggest series of our lives’ – Brendon McCullum

Archer will be key to England’s Ashes hopes and showed his quality with four for 18 against South Africa on Sunday.

Politics

7 d. ago Jofra Archer stars as England power to record ODI win against South Africa

3rd ODI: England, 414-5, bt South Africa, 72, by 342 runsJacob Bethell and Joe Root score centuries to set up rout What even was this? What does any of it mean? In an extraordinary, bewildering, borderline nonsensical game, England romped to their fifth-highest total of all time before they skittled South Africa for their second-lowest to win by the largest margin in the history of the format – the teams divided in the end by 342 runs.For the home side this was every bit as ecstatic as the grizzly defeat in the series opener had been miserable, as centuries from Jacob Bethell – the very first of his career – and Joe Root – not his – helped England to post 414 for five, and were followed by a magnificent display with the ball from Jofra Archer as South Africa lost all nine wickets – their captain, Temba Bavuma, unable to bat because of a calf strain – for just 72. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago Jacob Bethell ton guides England to record victory over South Africa

Back-to-back defeats at Headingley and Lord’s meant they had already lost the Metro Bank Series but their response was utterly comprehensive

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7 d. ago England beat South Africa by 342 runs for biggest winning margin in men’s ODI history – as it happened

Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell star for England as they inflict a record ODI win on South Africa in SouthamptonAn interesting chat between Nick Knight, Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton. Athers says that England are trying to bring the ODI and Test teams together whilst treating the T20 side as a different entity. That’s sensible on paper, he says, but brings a “real challenge because of the amount and volume of Test cricket England play. They are going to have to be quite strong about where their players play franchise cricket.”South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt),Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiann Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Nandre Burger. Continue reading...

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