The Sydney Sixers have secured one of the most significant acquisitions in Big Bash League history, signing Pakistan superstar Babar Azam for the 15th edition of the T20 competition.
‘Staggering’ carnage sparks Lord’s mystery; Aussie ‘vindication’ over six-year Cummins plot — Talking Pts
Another dramatic day of cricket in the World Test Championship decider between Australia and South Africa has unfolded at Lord’s, with champion bowlers Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada running rampant on the famous ground.
WTC Final state of play: Skippers react to Lord’s madness that ‘could go either way’
Pat Cummins would like more wickets in hand and definitely more runs in order to feel comfortable about Australia’s chances of defending the World Test Championship after another astonishing day against South Africa at Lord’s.
Cummins and Rabada lead from the front on a breathless second day at Lord’s | Geoff Lemon
Australia and South Africa had plenty of reasons to be grateful to their respective spearheads as the WTC final progressed at a rapid pace
You would have to call the combination incongruous. In one of the clips doing the digital rounds before the World Test Championship, there was Pat Cummins on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm programme, having apparently just raided the activewear section, the men around him wearing those vests that help rich people believe themselves to be rugged outdoor types. It’s hard to imagine much affinity between the two, sitting presumably at a wooden farmhouse table over Clarkson’s rustic bean soup and a heel of crusty bread, talking their way to a cordial entente about carbon emissions. But there was the Australian captain nonetheless, affably rolling an arm over while a farm type plonked a rubber ball on to a nearby shed, the bowler smiling in that way that suggests a shrug as Clarkson sledged him in a most British fashion.
By the second day of the World Test Championship final, affable Cummins was not in attendance. We’re used to that half smile, half shrug: even after some galling Test losses, Cummins has offered the perspective that the game is a game, that the players tried their best, and that losing is often the price of trying to win. He declines to be drawn into the hype that frames sport as everything. But this time was different, if only by a few degrees. It’s not that there was anger in the performance, but there was something uncharacteristically flinty.
Continue reading...Captain Fantastic delivers again for Australia; Cummins sets new mark at Home of Cricket
Pat Cummins squared his shoulders, stared his inquisitor in the eye and broke into a smile.
‘I panicked’: Rules explained as SA star survives ‘dodgy’ act, Carey avoids another Lord’s drama
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has avoided another Lord’s controversy after South African batter David Bedingham evaded what would have been a bizarre dismissal on day two of the World Test Championship final.
Questions growing over why Australia’s ‘next Test captain’ isn’t even in the team
All eyes are on the World Test Championship (WTC) Final right now but Australia’s Test team could look quite different when the squad heads to the West Indies later this month.
Stunning collapse flips Test final on its head as star saves Aussies after 45-min disaster
The World Test Championship final is poised for an epic conclusion after South Africa’s fast bowlers flipped the contest on its head on a rollercoaster second day at Lord’s, with the Australians crumbling in a dreadful collapse.
Why McLaren had to vet photos of Australian cricketers’ meet-up with F1 star Oscar Piastri
When Oscar Piastri invited a handful of Australian cricketers to tour the McLaren factory outside London last week, insiders at the leading F1 team were in a spot of bother.
‘My goodness me’: Aussie keeper Alex Carey botches ‘absolute sitter’ in latest Lord’s drama
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey has added another chapter to his fabled history at the home of cricket, producing regrettable moments with the bat and in the field on day one of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s.
‘Potentially revolutionary’: How ‘ugly duckling’ Smith surpassed Bradman for new Lord’s record
Amid the crisis that befell Australia on the opening morning of the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, Steve Smith stood out as a beacon of surety set to sail to the rescue again.
‘Oh man’: Big review fail that could cost South Africa WTC final as even Steve Smith left stunned
South African superstar Kagiso Rabada’s heart sunk when he first learned of the blunder that could cost South Africa the World Test Championship.
Cummins’ blunt ‘message’ to ‘frustrating’ Marnus; shock hero’s rise saves Aussies — Talking Pts
The World Test Championship decider between Australia and South Africa is shaping as a compelling affair after a bowler-dominated opening day at Lord’s, with the final in the balance after the Aussies launched a final session counter-attack.
Ruthless Australians wrestle back control of WTC final as fast bowlers wreak havoc at Lord’s
Kagiso Rabada added his name to the Lord’s Honours Board for a second time before Australia’s world-class pace attack dismantled the South African top order as Pat Cummins’ men seized control of the World Test Championship final.
Unthinkable World Test Championship scenario explained as surprise switch revealed
On the eve of the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa, both teams trained under overcast skies at Lord’s on Tuesday before the weather started to clear.