Jason Holder produced a fine all-round display as the West Indies took three late wickets, including both England openers with successive deliveries, in a stirring fightback on Friday’s opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
England captain Ben Stokes backs teammate Mark Wood to topple Mitchell Starc’s record for fastest Test delivery
England captain Ben Stokes believes Mark Wood can become the first bowler to be clocked in excess of 100mph (161km/h) during a Test match following his Durham teammate’s thrilling display at Trent Bridge.
Mark Wood backed to break new ground and 100mph barrier in Test cricket
- Wood clocked 97.1mph in second Test at Trent Bridge
- Captain Ben Stokes says Wood ‘has got it in the tank’
Ben Stokes has backed Mark Wood to become the first person to be clocked bowling in excess of 100mph in Test cricket, after the Durham paceman’s electrifying performance at Trent Bridge last week saw him hit a top speed of 97.1mph. Wood has also forced West Indies to change their team for the third Test that starts at Edgbaston on Friday, Kevin Sinclair having fractured a forearm in Nottingham trying to fend off a bouncer.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc currently holds the record for the fastest delivery in Test cricket, with a 99.66mph effort against New Zealand in 2015. Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar holds the all-format international record with a ball clocked at 100.2mph against England in 2003.
Continue reading...Australian Test stars pinned against each other as 2024/25 domestic schedule revealed
Australia’s Test stars will prepare for this summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign by pitting their red-ball skills against each other during Sheffield Shield matches in October.
Harry Brook plays down speculation over England white-ball captaincy
- Superchargers captain will ‘focus on Test cricket’
- Yorkshire batter not expecting a change of leadership
Harry Brook has played down talk of being an England white-ball captain in waiting, insisting he is focusing on Test cricket, leading the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred this summer and not expecting a change of leadership any time soon.
Rob Key, the director of England men’s cricket, is reviewing the white-ball set-up after a lamentable 50-over World Cup last winter was followed by the recent T20 World Cup in which Jos Buttler’s side reached the semi-finals but lost three of their four games against major opposition, including the eventual winners, India, in Guyana.
Continue reading...Scotland’s Charlie Cassell becomes first cricketer to take seven wickets on ODI debut
Scotland bowler Charlie Cassell has become the first cricketer to take seven wickets on ODI debut, achieving the feat against Oman in Dundee on Monday.
‘How can you ban it?’ One of world’s oldest cricket clubs slammed over ‘ridiculous’ move
One of the world’s oldest cricket clubs has been criticised by players after banning them from hitting sixes following complaints of damage from neighbours.
Shoaib Bashir offers nod to future for England with Ashes target in mind
The 20-year-old spinner is clearly still raw but his promising start suggests he could play his way into plans for Australia
Word is yet to reach us as to whether England’s cricketers ended up at Mega Munch on Sunday night following that surging late victory at Trent Bridge. Just off Nottingham’s slightly chaotic market square, it did a sterling job two years ago – the scene of Ollie Pope’s first doner kebab, apparently – after so-called Bazball first burst into life.
Although a bit has changed since. Of the XI that beat New Zealand that day with that breakneck chase of 299, only four remained for the 241-run victory against West Indies that secured a first Test series win for England’s men since Pakistan in late 2022. Pope, Ben Stokes, Zak Crawley and Joe Root are the survivors, and Matthew Potts is still in the squad, but Jonny Bairstow, Alex Lees, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have either moved – or been moved – on. So much for it being a cosy club.
Continue reading...Rising England star ‘shows world what he can do’ in ‘top-class’ Ashes statement against West Indies
Shoaib Bashir took his Test-best figures as England thrashed the West Indies by 241 runs to secure a series-clinching win at Trent Bridge after the tourists suffered a spectacular collapse.
Bashir rips through West Indies to clinch series win for England
- England 416 & 425 bt West Indies 457 & 143 by 241 runs
- Spinner picks up five wickets as tourists collapse
Shoaib Bashir helped himself to a flurry of West Indian wickets after hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook set up England’s series-clinching 241-run win at Trent Bridge.
Root and Brook, the long-reigning king of England’s batting unit and his heir apparent, reeled off classy centuries to pave the way for a sprint to victory on the fourth evening of this second Test.
Continue reading...England wrestles back control of Trent bridge Test after West Indies tailender’s counter-attack
Harry Brook’s unbeaten fifty guided England towards a strong position at stumps on a see-saw third day of the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.
Marnus Labuschagne claims maiden five-wicket haul in final T20 Blast appearance
Marnus Labuschagne wrapped up his county season at Glamorgan with a record-breaking bowling performance during Friday’s T20 Blast match against Somerset in Cardiff.
Rocky Flintoff becomes youngest cricketer to score century for England Under-19s
Rocky Flintoff, son of Ashes icon Andrew, became the youngest cricketer to score a hundred for England Under-19s on day three of the second Youth Men’s Test against Sri Lanka at Cheltenham’s College Ground.
England not ‘giddy’ about Archer: Forgotten quick to be held in reserve for Ashes assault
With an eye on the Ashes series less than 18 months away, England is resisting the urge to unleash Jofra Archer against the West Indies as part of a plan to give the tearaway quick every chance of being fit to travel to Australia.
England speed freak shatters pace record in scary 156km/h barrage
Mark Wood has sent down the fastest ever over by an English bowler at home since records began in a sizzling display against the West Indies on day two of the second Test match.