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Surrey 365 (Foakes 92*, Burns 73, Harmer 4-83) and 219 for 6 (Sibley 66, Foakes 60) drew with Essex 582 for 6 dec (Critchley 145*, Cox 117, Pepper 109, Walter 95)Dom Sibley remained immovable for 77 overs to underpin Surrey’s successful fight to salvage a draw in their opening match in the defence of the Rothesay County Championship title.Surrey had started the final day with a target of 217 to avoid an innings defeat and Sibley appeared determined to make sure the reigning champions batted throughout to save both the game and their faces after a chastening four days at Chelmsford.The former England opener put on 101 in 41 overs in a decisive fourth-wicket stand with Ben Foakes before he departed for 66 after a four-and-a-half hour, 221-ball vigil. Foakes reprised his first-innings stubbornness with a second half-century of the match before Ryan Patel and Jordan Clark saw them sneak over the line at 219 for 6 and handshakes on the draw at 5.36pm.Two wickets in seven balls early on day four gave Essex a brief scent of a victory that had looked highly probable when they asked Surrey to follow-on, but apart from three late wickets the match meandered towards the inevitable draw. They used eight bowlers in the innings in an effort to change the narrative, but to no avail.Surrey might have lost Sibley to the first ball of the day but his edge to Jamie Porter fell short of slip. Sibley was in stereotypical obdurate mode and took 26 balls to get off the mark, an angled shot down to third man off Porter.The openers set the tone for the day in the first 49 minutes, trundling along at a rate of around two an over. By then Harmer had arrived in the attack. He required just 13 balls of niggling and probing before Rory Burns went back to a fuller ball and was trapped lbw on his stumps.Then in the next over, Ollie Pope slashed wildly at a widish delivery from Shane Snater and, for once on a slow pitch, the ball carried through to the wicketkeeper. The England man’s cameo lasted four balls for a solitary run.The strike-rate increased significantly for a spell when Paul Walter was introduced. Jamie Smith went after him, taking 23 runs off eight balls faced, including a pulled six and four fours. Not surprisingly the left-arm seamer was immediately retired with figures of 2-0-25-0.However, Smith’s stay proved brief as he was involved in a run-out of ridiculous proportions with Sibley. Sibley decided there was a second run, Smith didn’t, both men finding themselves at the same end. Despite an initial miss-take by Michael Pepper from Snater’s throw to the wicketkeeper, the ball was eventually transferred to the non-striker’s end where Critchley was able to effect the dismissal.With spin at both ends, Essex wheeled through the overs at a rate of knots – indeed the official over-rate was showing at plus 13 – with Sibley and Foakes content to thrust their legs down the wicket to negate any turn.So it was something of a jolt to the system when Sibley punished a wayward delivery from Critchley through midwicket for only his fourth four and then immediately drove straight for his fifth. He also executed a well-timed cover drive off Harmer for another boundary.Despite those occasional flurries it still took Sibley 181 balls to reach his fifty, achieved midway through the afternoon session having started his innings the previous evening. To emphasise the pace of his innings, he added 21 runs in 94 balls pre-lunch and 38 from 103 between lunch and tea.However, the seemingly immovable force lasted just nine balls into the final session when he had a rush of blood produced a wild top-edge swing at Noah Thain and he was walking before the square-leg boundary fielder took the catch.Foakes had hung around for 134 balls and 50 runs before he was cleaned out by Jamie Porter’s third delivery with the new-ball, his middle-stump left at 45 degrees.With overs running out and two runs shy of their target, Dan Lawrence fell to a slip catch by Jordan Cox for the second time in the match.

Soon after New Zealand had wrapped up a convincing victory that secured safe passage into the final of the Champions Trophy, Kane Williamson and David Miller bumped into each other. They were blocking each other’s path in the doorway of the press-conference room; Williamson had just finished media duties, and Miller was about to start. There was a convivial smile, and a warm hug. Williamson left, while Miller, the disappointment on his face writ large, stayed back.That congeniality between the two turned out to be more than just a passing sentiment as Miller expressed his preference for the final that his side will yet again miss out on. “I’ll be honest with you. I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand,” he said.New Zealand and South Africa have often got along with each other, but at this tournament, Miller’s well-wishes may have stemmed from the empathy of shared experiences. Over the last week, New Zealand and South Africa have each made trips to Dubai and back from Pakistan. New Zealand played India in their final group game there on Saturday, before returning in the small hours of Monday morning to play this semi-final.South Africa, meanwhile, flew out to Dubai from Karachi on Sunday after playing against England the previous day, to guarantee they would have enough time to prepare for an earlier semi-final in Dubai. As the results came clear, it turned out that they would not need to play there after all, and took the next flight back to Lahore, barely 12 hours after landing in Dubai.”It’s only an hour-and-40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that [was not ideal],” Miller said. “It’s early morning, it’s after a game, and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4pm. And at 7.30 in the morning we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice. It’s not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate. But it was not an ideal situation still.”Related

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In this semi-final, however, he acknowledged New Zealand were the better side and deserved winners. The game ended on a bittersweet note for Miller, who got to an unbeaten 67-ball hundred off the final ball of the contest. It gave him the opportunity to rock his arms back and forth to celebrate the recent birth of his son but Miller said he would “rather have played badly” and South Africa had won.”There were really good contributions, a couple of fifties up front. We had a really good foundation. Unfortunately, in the middle, we lost a couple of wickets too many. At the end of the day, it’s a team effort. Everyone’s trying out there to do their best. It would have been nice to have a rematch against India. But life is not fair sometimes. Anyone has to work really hard to achieve trophies.”Ultimately, perhaps, the tie was snatched out of South Africa’s hands in the first innings, despite Miller’s destructive ability. New Zealand won the toss and batted first, having what Miller thought were the better of the conditions, particularly with the lack of assistance for spin under the sun.”It’s not easy chasing 360 [363] even if it’s a good wicket. There was no dew, so I think the wicket just deteriorated as the game went on. They spun the ball a lot more than us. It’s just they got a little bit more purchase out of the wicket.”Though he made his preference for the final clear, it did not amount to a prediction. “They’re both incredibly good teams,” Miller said. “India have shown the world how really good they are. They’ve been playing some good cricket for a number of years now and they’ve got some seriously good players. It’s going to be a great game.”

Bangladesh’s selectors are waiting for Tamim Iqbal to make up his mind about a possible comeback to international cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy next month. The deadline for announcing squads is January 12, and the BCB is willing to wait till the last minute to see if Tamim wants to play. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain led the talks with Tamim at the Fortune Barishal team hotel in Sylhet; Tamim is captaining the side in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Tamim retired from international cricket in July 2023, before reversing his decision the next day after intervention from then Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Tamim had a falling out with then BCB president Nazmul Hassan. Both Hasina and Hassan left the country during the anti-government protests in mid-2024 which left several hundred protesters dead.Tamim gave up the captaincy during that run-in with the board in 2023 but returned to play two ODIs against New Zealand in September before the then selectors, led by Minhajul Abedin, dropped him for the 2023 World Cup. That was followed by then captain Shakib Al Hasan blasting Tamim in a televised interview.Tamim Iqbal has been a key cog for Fortune Barishal at the BPL•Fortune Barishal

Tamim has not played an international game since then but continued to play domestic cricket, including winning the 2024 BPL with the Barishal franchise and finishing as the Player of the Tournament. Tamim is currently defending that title in Sylhet, where the meeting with the national selectors took place.”We held a primary discussion with Tamim,” Gazi Ashraf Hossain said. “We have to announce the Champions Trophy team by January 12, so we have a bit of time. We want to let him take time, not be in a hurry to decide. We have spoken to him on behalf of the board. The player has to come to a decision after speaking to his family, friends and well-wishers. He is also in the middle of a tournament so he will need a bit of time.”We have four days left [before announcing the squad]. We have done our homework, so we know how things will shape up. We pay respect to a cricketer like Tamim Iqbal, so he can take his time before informing us. I think it’s fair enough. The board is fine with this, so everyone now has to be patient.”Gazi Ashraf said that ODI captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is in faour of Tamim’s return. “We are always speaking to the captain. He wasn’t however there when we spoke to Tamim. We have spoken to the captain separately about the squad. I think everyone wants Tamim back in the Bangladesh team.”Tamim also recently played in the National Cricket League T20s, where he was the top scorer for Chattogram Division.Gazi Ashraf said that showed Tamim is match fit, though he will have to take a call himself if he can make the step up to international cricket. “There’s a huge gap between domestic and international cricket. A player who is at a crucial juncture in his career, he has to consider a lot of things. I think it will be hasty for everyone to take a call in just one meeting, given that Tamim hasn’t been around international cricket for quite some time.”He is playing the BPL. He played in the NCL T20s. There’s no question about his ability. We are all waiting for his return to the Bangladesh team. He is most welcome from our side. You just have to wait. Let there be suspense.”

You have to make hay while the sun shines, as Harry Brook proved in two distinct interpretations of that hackneyed old adage. His seventh Test century – and sixth away from home – was a magnificent and crucial contribution to a day of wildly contrasting weather patterns, as England recovered from a torrid working-over under overcast morning skies to storm towards first-innings parity by the close, as the sun broke back through for the day’s final two sessions.But rarely can New Zealand have clouded their own fortunes with a spate of fielding lapses to match those that they served up on this enthralling second day. Six clear-cut chances went begging in the course of England’s 319 for 5, including four for Brook alone – and at almost rhythmical interviews too: on 18, 41, 70 and 106, as if designed to douse their bowlers’ morale any time they looked ready to turn back the tide.The upshot is a match situation that now feels like England’s to blow. The sense after they’d prised out eight first-day wickets after choosing to bowl first was that this wicket would get better and better for batting, and so it seemed to prove. Brook himself built key stands of 151 for the fifth wicket with Ollie Pope, who responded to his wicketkeeping reshuffle with an excellent 77, and an unbeaten 97 with his captain, Ben Stokes, who was ominously placed on 37 from 76 at stumps. Stokes did, however, get a life of his own on 30 in the day’s closing overs, as Tom Latham spilled catch No.6, and his third of the day, this time at short cover.But England had not bargained for the mayhem that greeted them while the clouds were in situ for the first three hours of play. The hot, windy weather that had greeted the first day’s play was replaced in the morning by cooler, overcast conditions with a gentle breeze that proved perfect for helping the ball talk, with the degree of swing on offer being almost double that which England had managed. The upshot was that New Zealand found themselves bowling in the conditions that England themselves had envisaged exploiting after winning the toss.Nathan Smith celebrates Joe Root’s chop-on•Joe Allison/Getty Images

And once New Zealand’s first innings had been wrapped up for 348, after the addition of 29 runs in 40 minutes, the ferocity of their bowling onslaught had echoes of their astonishing 46-all-out display against India in Bengaluru last month.Zak Crawley was the first to go, lbw to Matt Henry for a 12-ball duck that left his average against New Zealand at a grim 10.43, but the most stunning blows were struck by the debutant Nathan Smith in the final over before lunch, as he extracted his fellow newbie Jacob Bethell for 10, then, critically, England’s kingpin, Joe Root, also for a duck.Bethell’s maiden innings at No. 3 could scarcely have unfolded in tougher conditions. He was made to wait 13 deliveries before nudging his first run through the leg-side, and hadn’t added to his score in 13 more, until the introduction of Smith allowed him to free his arms with a brace of boundaries: one off the pads, the other through backward point.Related

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Smith, however, got the last laugh at the start of his second over – and then some. With just minutes of the session remaining, he served up a perfect seaming delivery, which angled in at the left-hander from round the wicket, then held its line as it bit and climbed into the edge.Smith had an agonising wait while the third umpire checked for a no-ball, but with the euphoria still surging, he finished the session with an even more critical incision. Root faced down three deliveries, two of which were called as no-balls this time, but his fourth was on a wider line and nipped back off the surface, taking an under-edge into the stumps. It was an astonishing introduction for a bowler with a bustling energy and action redolent of Australia’s Andy Bichel, and as the teams left the field, New Zealand looked good for several more such moments.Glenn Phillips gets funky during his half-century•Joe Allison/Getty Images

Ben Duckett at least resisted in his idiosyncratic fashion, bashing six fours in a 62-ball 46, but he didn’t so much ride his luck, as turn it into a bucking bronco. He survived the day’s first missed chance, to Latham at second slip on 23 off Henry, then got away with two further inside-edges and a spliced pull over deep third before the beanpole seamer Will O’Rourke induced a fatal top-edge to deep backward square.At 71 for 4, England were reeling, and their predicament could have been insurmountable had Brook fallen to the first of his four lives in the very next over, a bad miss at gully by Glenn Phillips on 18 that looked all the more glaring when, some 30 overs later, he pulled off a one-handed screamer at backward point to end Pope’s doughty stay. Smith had been the luckless bowler, as was the case when Brook was on 41, as Latham spilled his second of the innings, another bad miss at first slip.By then, however, the sun was beginning to creep through, and England’s unquenchable desire to be proactive was already clawing back some of the lost ground. Pope, at No. 6 for this Test – ostensibly because he is keeping wicket, but also as a consequence of his grim tour of Pakistan – was once again frenetic from the outset, as he took on O’Rourke’s height and bounce with a series of streaky slaps over the cordon, one of which he knew very little about.But, with Brook following suit with a startling flick for six over fine leg off Henry, England’s run-rate began to creep back towards the habitual 4-an-over pace with which they have subdued so many bowling attacks in the recent past. By tea, both men had marched through to their fifties against a now middle-aged ball – Brook with a second six over fine leg, Pope with a nudge to leg from a brisk 59 balls – and as they kept up that intensity into the evening session, New Zealand’s errors continued to stack up.Devon Conway spilled chance No.4 at deep midwicket, as Brook wound into a slog-sweep on 70 off Phillips, and by then his century was pre-ordained. He duly moved deep into the 90s with an outrageous lap-scoop over the keeper’s head off Southee, whom he then cracked through deep point to bring up his century from 123 balls. Earlier he had become the eighth fastest player, in terms of innings, to reach 2000 Test runs, and second only to Duckett in terms of balls faced: a brisk 2300. There was time yet for one last let-off; a clanger behind the stumps from Blundell down the leg-side, although seeing as the umpire also missed the edge and singled four byes, maybe there really was no way of dislodging him.Matt Henry trapped Zak Crawley lbw for a duck•Joe Allison/Getty Images

The day’s dramas had been telegraphed during the end of New Zealand’s own innings. Phillips converted his overnight 41 to an unbeaten 58, but it was not an easy stay, as epitomised by his audible cry of “oh you weasel!” as Chris Woakes beat him with an outswinger. He also had a scare on 42 when Carse, generating a good head of steam, smacked him hard in the grille via a top-edge off the splice, and in a sign of things to come, was also dropped in the same over by Root at slip, a tough diving chance to his right.But Carse had already done for Southee with his first ball of the day, and eventually plucked out O’Rourke’s off stump with an outswinging yorker, to close out the innings with career-best figures of 4 for 64 in his third Test. It was a reminder that England too have the bowlers to compete on this intriguing surface. If they have the catchers too, they will believe this game is back in their grasp.

Before 2024, New Zealand visited India 12 times across 69 years from 1955 to play Test cricket, but they had never managed to win a series. On Saturday, in his first stint as full-time New Zealand captain, Tom Latham did an Edmund Hillary, leading New Zealand to their first-ever Test series win in India.Latham was part of the New Zealand team that won the inaugural World Test Championship after beating India in the final in Southampton in 2021. But beating India is a different challenge altogether and arguably the toughest challenge in world cricket right now. Latham was overwhelmed with emotion when he was asked to explain what the triumph in India meant to him, his team, and the New Zealand public.Related

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“I’m sort of lost for words,” Latham said. “It’s obviously an immensely proud moment for this group. I think coming off the back of a Sri Lankan series where we didn’t get the results that we wanted to come here and play the style of cricket that we played. We’re obviously immensely proud to be in the position of winning two Test matches here. A lot of New Zealand teams have come here over the past… I guess to be the first team to win a series over here is immensely special and, yeah, very proud of this group.”So what did Latham’s New Zealand do better than the other New Zealand teams of the past and this current India team?”I think we’ve been on the right side of a couple of tosses,” Latham said. “That obviously played a big part I think, especially in Bangalore. Just as I said, I think we’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot. We’ve wanted to be the one that puts India under pressure, what that may look like from a batting point of view or a bowling point of view. I certainly think we’ve done that. I think the way we played in this game with the bat was really important. I think it was a wicket where time wasn’t necessarily an issue, it was runs.”Mitchell Santner was the hero with the ball•AFP/Getty Images

It’s incredibly rare for any overseas team to out-bat and out-bowl India in a Test match. This New Zealand team has managed to do that twice in contrasting conditions in Bengaluru and Pune.New Zealand’s bowlers had thrown the first punch in Benglauru in seaming conditions, where they skittled India for 46. New Zealand’s batters then threw the first punch in Pune on a turner, where they countered R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar with a variety of sweeps, including the reverse. Latham was pleased with his players buying into the attack-first approach.”We’ve come here, and we’ve wanted to compete, and we’ve wanted to fire a shot first up,” Latham said. “I certainly think we’ve done that in both games. Obviously with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here. Being able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important. Obviously the bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which has been very pleasing to see.” Latham hailed Mitchell Santner for wheeling away for 29 overs on the trot in the final innings despite a sore side. The left-arm fingerspinner came away with six wickets during that marathon spell and almost single-handedly spun New Zealand to victory. He finished with match figures of 13 for 157 – the third-best by any visiting bowler in India.”He did a fantastic job,” Latham said of Santner. “I think obviously the wickets that he got… But I think what will go unnoticed is the amount of overs he bowled back-to-back. I think Will [O’Rourke] bowled one over with the new ball from that end and Mitch bowled the rest. Someone like that to come and bowl that amount of overs, to keep in a threat for that amount of time.”I keep trying to take him off, but he keeps taking a wicket. So, I said ‘you can keep going’. Look, I can’t praise him enough in terms of what he’s done this game. He was simply fantastic.”

Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew scored magnificent One-Day Cup centuries while Spencer Johnson took four wickets to lead South Australia to an emphatic nine-wicket win over Victoria.The victory at Karen Rolton Oval completed a wonderful week for South Australia after they earlier completed their first Sheffield Shield win over the Victoria in nine years.Harvey’s unbeaten 134 off 110 balls, his first in the format, was complemented by skipper Alex Carey initially in an 80-run opening stand before Drew (108 not out off 86) made an equally impressive ton to chase down Victoria’s 286 for 7 in the 38th over to claim a vital bonus point.Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb had earlier rescued his side from a precarious position with an excellent 104 from 121 deliveries after Johnson and Brendan Doggett tore through the top order.Harvey, 24, gave the run chase a real kick along when he took 16 off Sam Elliott’s first over. It was a masterclass by the stylish left-hander who grafted for his runs early before accelerating and dominating his former team to earn player-of-the-match honours.Harvey, the nephew of former Australia allrounder Ian Harvey, easily surpassed his previous highest domestic one-day score of 61.Drew, 28, was just as impressive and lifted the tempo to ensure his team claimed the win inside 40 overs to get what could be a crucial extra competition point.Earlier, Johnson took 4 for 46 in a fast and furious spell that set up the win after Carey had won the toss. Johnson removed big-hitting Josh Brown when his former Brisbane Heat teammate was brilliantly caught by a diving Drew at mid-off.His second wicket was a tribute to the left-armer’s searing pace and attacking mindset. Johnson let rip with a straight short ball that had Campbell Kellaway rushing his pull shot and gloving through to Carey.Handscomb came in with Victoria reeling at 42 for 3 and showed aggression and patience depending on what was required. After lashing a suite of boundaries and two imperious sixes, Handscomb accumulated 15 singles in a row.He was dropped on 83 when Liam Scott was unable to grab a caught and bowled chance. An effortless lofted cover drive to the boundary against spinner Lloyd Pope summed up Handscomb’s absolute control for much of the innings. He found a willing ally in Jonathan Merlo (78 off 71) but the final tally was nowhere near enough.

Shadab Khan hailed his side’s ability to not worrying about the result after leading Panthers to a crushing victory over Markhors in the final of the Champions One-Day Cup.”The main purpose of our coaches and mentors was to develop the side,” he said at the press conference following the win. “We wanted to give youngsters an opportunity so they could develop and represent Pakistan in the future.”Captaining the side, Shadab’s all-round role in Panthers’ triumph was instrumental, as he picked up his second piece of silverware in 2024, six months after Islamabad United’s victory in the PSL. However, Shadab has endured a difficult year – especially with the bat – in terms of his own form, although the last three weeks have given the man once feted as Pakistan’s golden boy reason to smile. At the Champions Cup in Faisalabad, he contributed with either bat or ball in all but the opening game.Related

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Crucially, Shadab found better control with the ball, landing more deliveries in the right areas – something he has struggled with in the recent past. He credited it to finding his rhythm, and wanted to keep working at it. Shadab said he will “definitely play as many red-ball games as possible” this season.”Individually, I need more improvement,” he conceded. “But things are getting better because I hadn’t bowled long spells recently. I bowled longer spells this tournament, and that gave me more confidence. But there’s still plenty of time before I get to that level.”Shadab also spelled out his broader philosophy – both for himself and the side he leads. “We wanted to focus on the process rather than the result. We’re an emotional country – when we get results, we rise really high, and when we don’t, we hit rock bottom. We zig zag in this emotional cycle. What we can control is our process, and that should be level, not up and down. So we tried to keep things simple rather than caring about the result. The result is not in our hands; even today we discussed this. We weren’t even thinking about the result.”The result, though, took care of itself. After a bright start from Markhors, Shadab and his fellow bowlers triggered a remarkable collapse, as Markhors’ last eight wickets fell for just 40 runs. Shadab took one of those wickets in the three overs he bowled, and with the bat, a breezy and an unbeaten 14 off nine balls helped get his side comfortably over the line, as Panthers got to the target with a whopping 32 overs to spare.Shadab didn’t think the pitch had too many demons in it, crediting his side instead for bowling well. “I don’t think about a particular number to restrict the opposition to,” he said. “I think we bowled really well to get them out so cheaply. We wanted to put as much pressure on them as possible because that’s where a team makes mistakes, and that’s where you can take wickets in quick succession. In high-pressure matches, it’s harder to build partnerships.”He specifically heaped praise on his two leading fast bowlers, one of whom was the 16-year old Ali Raza.”Ali Raza’s mentality belies his age,” Shadab said. “The way he’s bowling, I think he could be a useful asset for the Pakistan side in future. We need to be careful with him because he’s still young and his body’s still fragile. That makes him more vulnerable to injuries.”Panthers’ Mohammad Hasnain was the Player of the Series for taking 17 wickets at an average of 16.17•PCB

The other quick whom Shadab credited was Mohammad Hasnain, whose 17 wickets at an average of 16.17 earned him the Player-of-the-Series award. Shadab said Hasnain had a sensational tournament upon his return from a long-term ankle injury, due to “his own hard work”.Shadab would know better than most the value of giving young bowlers confidence. His own breakout role under national spotlight had come as a 17-year old in 2017 before he went on to play a pivotal part in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph later that year. Islamabad, for whom Shadab went on to play in the PSL, had faith enough in him to appoint him vice-captain at 20, and captain at 21.But while Shadab’s form with the ball has wavered for much of his career, his tactical skills as captain are rarely in question. It is perhaps little surprise that he doesn’t feel youth is any barrier to success.”We’re inexperienced,” Shadab says pithily about the side with the youngest average age in the Champions Cup, “but we’ve won the tournament.”

Overshooting its own budget is not the only fallout for the ICC from its recently concluded men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. ESPNcricinfo understands that Disney-Star*, the ICC’s broadcast partners, have raised concerns about the event, asking whether the ICC believes it delivered a product that justified the investment made in the rights, and whether better value overall can be derived from the rights deal.Among the concerns raised was the schedulling of matches, in particular the timing of those games which ended up being broadcast in the early morning hours in the subcontinent, thereby affecting viewership significantly. These include most of West Indies’ games, the co-hosts and two-time champions, as well as the first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan.It is also believed that the broadcaster had communicated its worries about the drop-in pitches that were ultimately used for the Nassau County stadium for the New York leg of the tournament. The venue saw a succession of bowling-friendly surfaces on which two sides were bowled out for less than 100 and the highest completed score was 137.Related

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The first two surfaces were eventually rated as “unsatisfactory” by the ICC, only one rung above “unfit”. The venue also hosted the marquee India-Pakistan match, for which the pitch was rated “satisfactory” but where Pakistan failed to chase down a target of 120.Later in the tournament, the Trinidad surface for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, where the latter was routed for 56 on a brutish pitch with excessive seam and uneven bounce, was also rated “unsatisfactory”.Through its various iterations, Disney-Star has held the the rights to every single ICC event since the 2011 men’s ODI World Cup. Last year, Disney-Star acquired the rights to broadcast ICC events in the India market in a four-year deal worth just above USD 3 billion. Dissatisfaction from such a long-term broadcast partner is likely to be taken seriously, given the implications it has for all ICC members, who receive annual revenue derived from the rights deal. Most members, other than India, Australia and England, rely heavily on these revenues.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions within the ICC to swap the USA-West Indies event with either India in 2026 or England in 2028 in order to give the venues more time to get ready, but those discussions did not go far.Apart from New York, Florida came in for criticism as a venue as well, where matches could not be held even though the majority of the rain there fell in the preceding week. The ground’s drainage was not up to date, and it didn’t have enough covers to protect the whole playing area, which led to frustrating scenes where the pitch was ready but there were wet patches on the outfield despite strong sunlight. Three of the four matches in Florida were abandoned, one of them an India game.ESPNcricinfo understands that the disgruntlement is limited to this event, the handling of which is already undergoing an audit after it emerged that the original budget for the US leg ballooned over by up to USD 20 million. The event has prompted one idea to be floated to convert the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy to T20Is. There has not been any development on this since the grievance was first raised a month ago. This issue was not discussed in the ICC meetings this Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, which is one of their two 50-over assignments scheduled before the 2025 Champions Trophy.Both Rohit and Kohli have spent time abroad with their families after the T20 World Cup felicitation event in Mumbai on July 4. There was speculation they would skip the tour of Sri Lanka and only return for the start of the home season in September, but they are now part of the 15-man squad for the series.Related

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Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire tour, while Hardik Pandya – who missed out on the T20I captaincy – will feature in just the T20I-leg.Shreyas Iyer, who lost out on a BCCI central contract earlier this year, has been picked in the ODI squad. KL Rahul also returns after a long injury layoff, one of two frontline wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI prior to his car accident in December 2022.

Shubman Gill named India’s vice-captain

Shubman Gill has been elevated to vice-captaincy in both white-ball formats, following his captaincy stint with a second-string squad in Zimbabwe, where India won 4-1. Gill’s also been prolific with the bat in ODIs of late – he’s the second-highest run-getter worldwide in the format since the start of 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Hardik absent from the ODIs, seam-bowling allrounder Shivam Dube, whose only ODI so far was in 2019, earns a recall. Dube’s stocks in T20 cricket have grown considerably since IPL 2023, when he made a name for himself as an enforcer against spin for Chennai Super Kings.The selectors also rewarded Riyan Parag by picking him in both formats. His one-day elevation can be looked at as a reward for his domestic form – he was the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where he made seven straight half-centuries while leading Assam to their first-ever semi-final.Fast bowler Harshit Rana was also handed a maiden ODI call-up. Rana was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL-winning side of 2024 and finished as his side’s joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in 13 outings.The pace attack will be spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, with Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed completing it. Washington Sundar’s Player-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe earned him a berth in both squads for Sri Lanka; he’s one of two spin-bowling allrounders alongside Axar Patel.Ravindra Jadeja, who (like Rohit and Kohli) is now retired from T20Is, did not make the ODI squad.

No Kuldeep, Abhishek for T20Is

As many as nine members from the young squad that won 4-1 in Zimbabwe earlier this month have been picked for the Sri Lanka T20Is, led by new captain Suryakumar Yadav.Abhishek Sharma did not make the cut despite his T20I exploits in Harare•Associated Press

Gill, who led in Zimbabwe, is likely to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad.Sanju Samson retained his place (a second option with the gloves alongside Pant), but there was no room for Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhishek Sharma, who struck a 46-ball hundred in just his second T20I in Zimbabwe. Rinku Singh and Dube are likely to be options as finishers.Kuldeep Yadav will play the ODIs but was not picked for the T20Is, leaving Ravi Bishnoi as the frontline wristspinner. There was no place for Yuzvendra Chahal, who didn’t feature in a single game during India’s World Cup campaign, in either squad.India’s tour of Sri Lanka is the first assignment for new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was appointed after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup. The tour begins with three T20Is in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.

India squad for Sri Lanka ODIs

Rohit Sharma (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

India squad for Sri Lanka T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

Match details

Australia vs England
June 8, Bridgetown, 1pm local, 6pm GMT, 10.30pm IST

Big picture – Defending champions under the pump (again)

The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh, would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head-to-head record is less impressive in T20, however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.Jos Buttler has Jofra Archer back to bolster the England bowling attack•Getty Images

Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those for games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh off an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.

Form guide

Australia WWWWL
England WWLWW

In the spotlight – Glenn Maxwell and Jos Buttler

Since smashing 120 not out from 55 balls against West Indies in February, Glenn Maxwell has been on a truly shocking run. In 14 T20 innings for Australia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he has scored 115 at an average of 8.21, with five ducks – his last two knocks have each lasted just one ball. His recent T20I record against England is no better, with five single-figure scores in six dating back to 2020. Australia won’t be losing faith yet, though. “We know that Maxi’s going to win us games,” Marsh said in his pre-match press conference. Who would bet against him finding his touch on Saturday?Jos Buttler led England to their second T20 title in his first major assignment after taking the reins from Eoin Morgan in the summer of 2022, but things have not gone quite so smoothly since then. Questions mounted about England’s leadership – for both Buttler as captain and the coach, Matthew Mott – after their early exit at the 50-over World Cup, and Buttler has seemed increasingly tetchy in recent times when asked to address the team’s failures. His batting form has been good, since working with Rajasthan Royals coach Sid Lahiri at the IPL, but England need a win.Travis Head and David Warner are among the most dangerous opening pairs in the world•ICC via Getty Images

Team news – Cummins back, but who sits out?

Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.Australia (probable XI): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodThe one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.England (probable XI): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley/Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

Four World Cup fixtures at Kensington Oval have produced markedly different results for batting: at one extreme, the tie between Oman and Namibia saw totals of 109 all out and 109 for 6; at the other, Scotland’s charge to 90 for 0 from 10 overs between the showers against England. No team has scored more than Australia’s 164 for 5 against Oman, however. This fixture, a day game, will be played on a new surface, said to be the best one on the square – though a slightly patchy forecast could give the teams another thing to contend with.

Stats and trivia

• England have a slight edge in the overall T20I head-to-head with Australia, winning 11 and losing 10 – a record which includes winning their last two T20 World Cup encounters, in 2010 and 2021.
• There have only ever been two 200-plus scores in 25 completed T20Is at Kensington Oval, both in the same match between England and West Indies in 2022.
• In scoring 56 against Oman, Warner overtook Aaron Finch as Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is.

Quotes

“A win is a win, it doesn’t derail us either way. We know we’ve got to win more games than we lose in tournament cricket. A win puts you in a position in the group which is obviously more favourable, but the other two games that we’ve got post this are must-win games anyway.”
“I daresay this will be full and it’ll be mostly English fans, so it’ll be like playing at Headingley all over, or anywhere in England where you get sprayed. But the atmosphere, the vibe of the game, there’s always a lot riding on it. As a team we always want to challenge ourselves against the best. England have been exceptional in this format for a long period of time now, so there’s certainly going to be a lot on the game and we’re pumped.”
Mitchell Marsh is braced for an Ashes-style reception from England’s travelling fans