7 h. ago The Spin | Women’s cricket team of the year: from Jemimah Rodrigues to Alana King

The Spin’s annual selection marks a history-making World Cup triumph for India, and work to do for EnglandIndia’s mission to build a global women’s cricket dynasty advanced apace in 2025. Few will forget the sight of Harmanpreet Kaur’s team converging joyously on the field at the DY Patil Stadium to celebrate a fairytale World Cup win that was five decades in the making.That final was the highlight of a year that included only one Test match – the Ashes affair at Melbourne at the end of January. As ever, therefore, the Spin’s team of the year is cross-format, though we gave substantial weight to performances at crunch moments in the aforementioned World Cup. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago McCullum admitting failure of his methods was gobsmacking but England are learning | Mark Ramprakash

Coach couldn’t free up his players so they found another way of removing pressure – by losing the series in rapid timeFinally, in the last two days of the third Test with the series already basically lost, England stood up. They have been on a hell of a journey over 11 days of Test cricket, and now – too late – they are getting somewhere.They have reminded me of some of the students who have passed through the school where I teach: they get into the upper sixths and they’re first-team cricketers, the big boys, very confident, dominating the team, playing good cricket, think they’ve cracked the code. Then they have a gap year and go travelling, and suddenly they realise there’s a whole world out there, that life can be tough and things can be done differently. Out of their comfort zone they can mature rapidly as young men and as people. I look at England’s performance in the third Test and think that after some tough experiences, and having been forced to confront the fact that they ...

Events

47 h. ago Cricket chiefs to fund US players after national governing body filed for bankruptcy

The US cricket team is due to compete at next year’s T20 World Cup

Economics

8 d. ago Retired England star sends blunt message to 'Bazball' critics before huge Ashes clash

Retired England cricketer Chris Woakes has defended the 'Bazball' approach to Test cricket as the team trails 2-0 in the Ashes series against Australia

Politics

8 d. ago Australia recall Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon returns after surprise omission for third Ashes Test

Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser make way and Usman Khawaja is left out despite being cleared for action

Events

9 d. ago England recall Josh Tongue but overlook Shoaib Bashir for must

England stick with Will Jacks as underperforming top seven remains unchanged

Politics

9 d. ago Ben Stokes springs Ashes surprise as Shoaib Bashir decision made for vital third Test

England have once again omitted spinner Shoaib Bashir from their line-up for the third Ashes Test vs Australia, although one change has been made to the bowling department.

Politics

1 week ago England cricket team's security guard 'lashes out' at Australian camera crew: Disastrous Ashes tour takes a new turn with airport flare

England's hapless Ashes tour was again in the headlines after footage emerged of a member of their security team involved in an altercation with a cameraman.

Events

2 w. ago ‘Having a Bazball at Noosa’: Australian media goes to town over England’s mid

The host nation’s newspapers could barely contain their delight after Ben Stokes and his team were spotted relaxing before the crucial third TestA mid-tour jaunt by the England cricket team to a Queensland beach town was covered gleefully by Australia’s tabloid newspapers, which splashed a shirtless Ben Stokes across their pages amid taunting headlines.“On back foot, England bails to the beach”, one read. “Life’s a beach, even for the sinking Poms,” added another. “Sun’s out, runs out”, offered a third, alongside a photo of Stokes’s tattooed biceps. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago How English fans and cricket legends have turned on their own team after Ashes disaster at the Gabba

Skipper Ben Stokes and his team crashed to their second humiliating defeat in a row as Australia won by eight wickets on Sunday night.

Events

3 w. ago Pat Cummins poised to return for Australia in second Ashes Test at Gabba

Steve Smith hints fast bowler may be late call-up in BrisbaneJosh Inglis favoured to replace injured Usman KhawajaThe challenge for England could be set to increase amid a growing belief that Pat Cummins will be given the green light to return for Australia this week in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.Cummins, 32, was absent from the series opener in Perth as he underwent the final stages of rehabilitation from a lower back stress injury that was first detected back in July. Steve Smith stepped up to captain as the hosts secured a 1-0 lead with an eight-wicket victory inside two days. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago England make major selection gamble for second Ashes Test as team change confirmed

England have named their XI for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane with all-rounder Will Jacks chosen ahead of spinner Shoaib Bashir, while Mark Wood has been ruled out through injury

Politics

3 w. ago What England's Ashes flops are doing ahead of crucial second Test in Brisbane

The England cricket team's preparations are under the spotlight after Ben Stokes's side capitulated to a two-day defeat in the first Test in Perth

Politics

3 w. ago Why the needless mystery from Australia over Cummins and Khawaja for second Test? | Geoff Lemon

Mixed messages over captain Pat Cummins’s potential return to bowling in the Ashes are a curiously dismissive attitude towards the paying public You could speculate about whether Cricket Australia deliberately prefers to be opaque about player availability and team plans, or whether it just has a deficiency in communications, but once again the fitness of players and the makeup of the XI is left to be inferred from the selection in the larger squad of 14 players for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.Normally, a board naming an unchanged squad would not be much news. This time it is, thanks to the possible movement in either direction of Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, neither of which has now eventuated. Continue reading...

Politics