Toss Sri Lanka chose to bowl vs South Africa Sri Lanka won the toss under heavy Durban skies and chose to bowl first. It was the expected choice for Dhananjaya de Silva to make – not only is the ball likely to swing early on the day on account of the atmospheric conditions, Sri Lanka have won twice batting second at this venue. Although the pitch tends to take turn…
Ben Stokes has revealed he did not to enter the IPL mega auction to strip back his playing commitments as he attempts to prolong the twilight of his career. Stokes was a notable omission from the list of 52 Englishmen signed up for the mega auction in Jeddah for the 2025 competition. It meant England’s Test captain would not be allowed to play in the IPL until 2026, by which…
It may be a different XI in different conditions, but Tom Latham has challenged his side to bring the same intensity and cunning against England that secured a remarkable 3-0 win in India. A lush green Hagley Oval pitch for Thursday’s first Test will be on the other end of the spectrum to the Wankhede strip that saw all but four of the 40 wickets taken fall to spin. The…
Below is a statement issued by the Hughes family Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the passing of our treasured son and brother, Phillip Joel Hughes. Phillip was a loving, humorous and an infectious person to be around. He always aimed to make those around him smile and enjoy the little things in life, where his beautiful smile would come to life. He shined bright even in the tough times,…
Big picture: Back to Baz-ics? How on earth do you follow that? New Zealand’s 3-0 Test series win in India may not have been the greatest result in their country’s cricketing history, but it was surely in the top one. Three deeply contrasting matches, in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai, were united by a single unquenchable spirit, as Tom Latham’s men blended moments of virtuoso skill with down-and-dirty grit and tenacity,…
It is a situation that only the vagaries of the IPL auction can explain. Eleven months after attracting no interest from the 10 franchises, Phil Salt attracted a winning bid of INR 11.50 crore – around GBP 1.08 million or USD 1.37 million – from Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday night, and will spend next spring opening the batting with Virat Kohli at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite his snub…
Ben Stokes has defended the decision to hand Jacob Bethell a Test debut at No.3 against New Zealand this week, but understands why some will query England’s latest off-the-wall punt. England announced their XI for the first Test at Hagley Oval, starting on Thursday, two days early, with Bethell replacing Jordan Cox, who had been in line for his maiden Test cap before fracturing his right thumb on Sunday. With…
Since Ben Stokes became Test captain in 2022, he has made a note of addressing his England squad ahead of each series. His first that summer was an array of individual chats which took place St George’s Park, England’s national football centre, where the team had gathered for medical screenings, outlining his vision. Ever since, they have taken the form of speeches to the whole group – usually a refresher…
The remainder of Sri Lanka A’s tour of Pakistan has been indefinitely postponed due to mass protests in Islamabad by supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a political party led by former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan. The two remaining one-dayers were scheduled to be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, the international cricket stadium in Rawalpindi. The PCB said the postponement was due to “political activity” in…
West Indies 450 for 9 dec (Greaves 115*, Louis 97, Mahmud 3-87) and 152 (Athanaze 42, Taskin 6-64, Mehidy 2-31) beat Bangladesh 269 for 9 dec (Jaker 53, A Joseph 3-69, Greaves 2-34) and 132 (Mehidy 45, Roach 3-20, Seales 3-45) by 201 runs West Indies won their first Test at home in two-and-a-half years when they beat Bangladesh in the first Test in Antigua by 201 runs. The visitors’…