3 h. ago England vs India: Jamie Smith leads recovery after Jasprit Bumrah heroics on second morning

Smith rallies in 82-run stand with Brydon Carse to stabilise hosts after Ben Stokes, centurion Joe Root and Chris Woakes all fall to Bumrah at Lord’s

Politics

4 h. ago Jamie Smith picks up the baton for England after early Joe Root dismissal

Root had spent the night on 99 and wasted no time reaching three figures in the third Rothesay Test against India.

Politics

5 h. ago England vs India: Joe Root hits century before Jasprit Bumrah wreaks early havoc on second morning

Former captain reaches Lord’s ton with first ball on day two of Third Test before quickly falling along with Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes

Events

20 h. ago ‘Fingers crossed’ Ben Stokes can ‘do something magic’ despite scare – Ollie Pope

Stokes pulled up with what appeared to be a groin problem late on day one of the third Rothesay Test.

Politics

21 h. ago Pope will make sure injured Stokes ‘doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place’

Captain picked up groin injury in stand with Joe RootEngland ‘want to kick on to a score towards 500’Ollie Pope said it was his role as vice-captain to ensure Ben Stokes “doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place” as the captain battles a groin injury that forced him to seek treatment towards the end of the first day of the third Test against India.After receiving attention from the physio with just under an hour to play, the captain’s movement was noticeably impaired for the remainder of the final session, but he played on as England reached stumps on 251 for four. There are no plans to send him for scans, the hope being that he will recover overnight and, alongside Joe Root – who is unbeaten on 99 – “really kick on and make it a score north of 400, towards 500”. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago England vs India: Joe Root sets unbeaten 99 as Three Lions dig in on opening day of third Test

Both England openers fell early to Nitish Kumar Reddy in same over at Lord’s

Politics

21 h. ago England left sweating on Ben Stokes fitness after injury scare against India

The England captain appeared to injure himself while batting with Joe Root at Lord’s

Events

22 h. ago Joe Root unbeaten on 99 as England dig in on opening day of third Test

England knuckled down to 251 for four.

Politics

22 h. ago Joe Root unbeaten on 99 as England dig in against India but Stokes injury a concern

Third Test, day one: England 251-4Root unbeaten on 99 while captain picks up knockEngland opted not to train on Tuesday but Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum still made a beeline for Lord’s. Two days out from the third Test – a pivotal match with the series locked at one-apiece – they were keen to speak to the groundstaff to express their hopes for a pitch with pace, bounce and a bit of sideways movement.It was too late to be making demands and, like the disappointed customers of Mr Tourette, signwriter extraordinaire from the Modern Toss cartoons, England’s captain and head coach had to settle for a slow, occasionally two-paced surface. Throw in a sluggish outfield — plus an Indian attack buoyed by their win at Edgbaston and now augmented by Jasprit Bumrah — and run-scoring was anything but straightforward. Continue reading...

Events

25 h. ago Joe Root and Ollie Pope steady England after openers fall in same over

Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were dismissed in the space of four balls.

Politics

4 d. ago South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder hits 367 and declares 33 runs short of Lara’s Test record

Stand-in captain hits unbeaten score in ZimbabweBrian Lara hit 400 not out against England in 2004South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder scored an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe before the stand-in captain remarkably declared 33 runs shy of Brian Lara’s Test record.In his first match as South Africa captain in place of the injured Keshav Maharaj, all-rounder Mulder reached the stunning total – the highest by a player in his first Test innings as captain – as he arrived at lunch with the team on 626 for five. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Hothouse kid Jamie Smith starts as he goes on and changes Test in 20 minutes | Andy Bull

England’s keeper came in on a hat-trick, hit his first ball for four and never stopped battering India’s bowlersIt started in the worst possible way. By the second over of the day England were 84 for five, five hundred runs and a thousand miles behind. Their best batter, Joe Root had just been caught off the ninth ball of the morning, and their captain, Ben Stokes, who has worked so many miracles for them before, had been caught off the 10th, done by a wicked, lifting delivery, nasty, brutish and short, which brushed off his glove on its way through to the keeper.The bowler, Mohammad Siraj, was on a hat-trick, and here comes England’s No 7, Jamie Smith, 24 years old, playing his 19th Test innings. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago 'Phenomenal' England hero hailed after saving hosts from second Test disaster vs India

An unbeaten 184 from Jamie Smith and Harry Brook's 158 rescued England from wipeout in the second Test against India at Edgbaston, but there's still a long way back for the hosts

Events

6 d. ago Jamie Smith’s sensational century gives England hope but India seize their moment

Second Test, D3: India 587 and 60-1; England 407Wicketkeeper hits unbeaten 184 but India in chargePressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during second world war: “There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.”Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India’s first innings. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Jamie Smith and Harry Brook rescue England with stunning stand against India

The pair came together at 84 for five early in the morning but had put on 271 by tea.

Events

8 d. ago Shubman Gill shines and shatters records as India make England toil at Edgbaston

The tourists dominated the second day of the second Test.

Politics

2 w. ago Joe Root sends emphatic reminder after guiding England to historic India victory

England's miraculous win over India was led by Ben Duckett's brilliant 149, but Joe Root stole the show with his calm presence and classy display to put a lid on Indian giddiness following Ben Stokes' dismissal

Politics

2 w. ago England fight back against India as Ollie Pope repays faith with sparkling century

Jasprit Bumrah claims late wicket of Joe Root as hosts close day two of First Test at Headingley on 209-3, trailing by 262

Economics

2 w. ago Ollie Pope century silences critics as England fight back against India

Pope’s unbeaten century led England to 209 for three at stumps in reply to India’s 471.

Culture

2 w. ago Pope resists Bumrah to lift England after bowlers claw control away from India

First Test, day two: India 471 v England 209-3Pope unbeaten on 100 but Root falls late to BumrahA day on from that much-debated decision to bowl first by Ben Stokes and the clouds had started to lift for England. The hosts were still some way from flipping the advantage they had handed India but by stumps, after an earlier fightback with the ball, Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 100 had established something akin to a foothold in the contest.Pope came into this Test with questions being asked about his spot at No 3; questions that centred around a poor record against India and Australia and not quelled by that 171 against Zimbabwe. Jacob Bethell, flavour of the month in New Zealand late last year, was breathing down his neck, even if potential, rather than back catalogue, was the driver. Continue reading...

Politics