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Flintoff worked with Lawes on a Lions training camp and has since signed him in the Hundred

Matt Roller04-Apr-2024Tom Lawes was only two years old when England won the 2005 Ashes but has still been struck by Andrew Flintoff’s “aura” while being coached by him – a series of interactions he described as “surreal”.Lawes, the highly-rated young allrounder, earned a call-up to England’s Lions programme through his performances for Surrey last season, taking 39 wickets at 19.76 as they won the County Championship for the second season in a row. It gave him the chance to work with Flintoff for three weeks at a November training camp in the UAE.”That was quite a surreal experience,” Lawes told ESPNcricinfo. “Him and Swanny [Graeme Swann] were out in Abu Dhabi with us and did quite a lot. I did a little bit of bowling work with Fred and it was just really cool to ask questions. The stories he’s got are unbelievable and the experiences that he shared were invaluable, really.”He’s cool. He’s obviously got that aura – as he would – about him. But he’s genuinely the friendliest, nicest, most approachable guy. I got on really well with him, asked lots of questions. He was like, ‘I’m here for as much or as little as you need’. He’s really understanding, really good to talk to and I really enjoyed working with him.”Lawes has no memories of the 2005 series that marked the pinnacle of Flintoff’s career, his 402 runs and 24 wickets earning him the inaugural Compton-Miller medal. But he grew up watching the ubiquitous DVD box-set: “I don’t remember watching him when I was three years old… [but] I’ve watched it millions of times, and I know about it.”Flintoff has been increasingly involved with England’s white-ball teams•Ashley Allen/Getty ImagesHe clearly made a positive impression: last month, Flintoff’s Northern Superchargers signed Lawes on a £50,000 contract, picking him ahead of a recent England international in Richard Gleeson. It is a major show of faith in a player who has only made nine professional T20 appearances.”Fred dropped me a message saying he was buzzing to have me,” Lawes said. “It was a really nice feeling; a little bit out of the blue. I didn’t really know what was happening, and then to be able to work under him again… that will be really cool. I’m really happy with that.”He was an unused member of Oval Invincibles’ title-winning squad last season, and is hoping for more exposure to white-ball cricket this summer. “I want to contribute more in the Blast for Surrey to start with and then hopefully, because I didn’t get a run-out in the Hundred last year, I’d love to put in a few performances this year.”Related

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More immediately, Lawes is part of a Surrey squad hoping to win their third consecutive Championship title – a feat last achieved by Yorkshire in the 1960s. “If I can match my performances from last year – or maybe even contribute a little bit more with the bat – I’d be really happy,” he said. “I’m trying to be as close to a genuine allrounder as I can.”When Lawes first came into the Surrey team “he shocked everyone,” recalls Ollie Pope, five years Lawes’ senior at Cranleigh School. “Everyone knew he had talent, but the pace he bowled with and the control he had as well was seriously impressive. He’s the exact kind of bloke you want in your team. He’s young but he’s confident and he always wants the ball.”When Burnsy [Rory Burns, Surrey’s captain] takes the ball off him, he’s always like, ‘Come on, give me one more’. He’s definitely one that you could easily see playing for England in the next few years as well. He’s got the pace and the skills… he’s got everything you need.”Lawes wheels away in celebration•Getty ImagesLawes made a solitary appearance for England at Under-19 level but the ECB have tracked him closely, particularly since he broke into the Surrey side two years ago. He believes that his main strength is his versatility: he has generally played as one of five seamers, often as second or third change, and has often found success with the surprise yorker that is becoming his trademark.Pope believes that Lawes’ next task is to develop the skills that will help him thrive away from home. A bruised heel limited him to playing one of the Lions’ three ‘Tests’ against India A at the start of the year, in which he bowled 15 wicketless overs. “I felt like I held my own, but that I had more to give,” he said.The entire tour took place in Ahmedabad, with matches staged at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium. “It was a cool experience, but quite intense just being in one place and not travelling around the whole time, and just playing cricket,” Lawes reflected. “It’s a ridiculous stadium. I think they shut it, so there was literally no-one there: it was just echoes.”There should at least be a thousand or so hardy fans at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday, when Surrey start their Championship season against Lancashire. “It’s the same as last year: starting afresh. The goal is to go again, and we’re all keen and eager to get going.”

Despite injury, illness and a host of missed chances, Brathwaite’s men just about stay in touch

Alan Gardner18-Jul-20240:55

Kevin Sinclair reassures fans on somersault celebration

Let’s start with what went right for West Indies. Kraigg Brathwaite called correctly at the toss (more on what he chose to do in a bit). Alzarri Joseph glided in from the newly christened Stuart Broad End and squared up Zak Crawley with the third ball of the match. Oh, and Kevin Sinclair properly nailed his roundoff backflip (hat tip for that technical term to Mel Jones on Sky Sports’ commentary) when celebrating the wicket of Harry Brook in mid-afternoon.There was also a useful cameo with the ball late in the day from Kavem Hodge, who claimed his first two wickets in Test cricket with his left-arm spin, as well as a solid display of character from the West Indies XI as a whole, as they shrugged off a number of mishaps to prevent England getting completely out of sight.In and around those moments, however, rather too much went wrong. Particularly for a side who you feel need as much to go their way as possible if they are to plot a route back into the series. The bare bones of the scorecard give an indication: England racking up 416 after being asked to bat under clear blue skies in Nottingham. Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales going at 6.32 and 6.00 respectively. Shamar Joseph once again sporting a lop-sided analysis of 11.3-2-44-1 after limping off the field – having looked, when he was able to bowl, far more incisive than during the first Test at Lord’s.Related

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West Indies’ day began to go awry before it had even started, with Gudakesh Motie having to be replaced by Sinclair after he woke up feeling unwell. In the event, Sinclair bowled tidily – but it added to the sense that the deck is stacked against Brathwaite on this tour. “Dealt nothing and bluffing hard, playing poker with a joker and some Uno cards,” as the Bloodhound Gang once sang.Was it a bluff to put England in, or a sign that Brathwaite feared what might happen to his side batting first again? Either way, it was instructive that he emphasised the need for his bowlers to be “a lot more disciplined” than at Lord’s after opting to put England in. Trent Bridge can be a little capricious – Broad famously thought it was a “bat-first pitch” in 2015, before taking 8 for 15 as Australia were routed for 60 – but it tends to be pretty hospitable for batting once the sun is out. Discipline with the ball would be important, no doubt.The initial signs were encouraging. Alzarri Joseph found a good line outside off to start with, surprised Crawley with some extra bounce to catch him on the body next ball, then located the outside edge. But by the end of the following over, in which Ben Duckett slammed his first four legitimate balls from Seales to the boundary, the wheel nuts were already beginning to look a little loose. In classical literature, the Greeks called such a reversal of fortunes . Kids today might prefer a meme: How it started vs How it’s going.How it went followed a rhythm of quick-quick-slow, quick-quick-slow. England, with Duckett hunting boundaries, raced away to 50 in 26 balls – the fastest by a team in Test history, where such data is available; Seales, pitching the ball up understandably in the search for swing, saw his first two overs creamed for 28. His seventh ball showed how small the margin for error was, fractionally missing his top-of-off line and allowing Duckett to thrash the ball away across an outfield like a billiards table.Shamar Joseph left the field mid-over with another bout of cramp•AFP/Getty ImagesEngland were 86 for 1 after 12 overs but the introduction of Shamar Joseph and Sinclair after drinks helped corral the scoring somewhat. West Indies, having bowled less a third of their deliveries on a good length (21 out of 72) in the first hour, pushed the number up towards 50% (41 out of 84) in the passage up to lunch. Shamar Joseph, in the process, claimed his first wicket of the series when he had Duckett taken at slip.That was not the harbinger of a sustained fightback, however. And though they bounced gamely off the ropes to keep landing punches on England throughout the day, their effort in the field was pockmarked with unforced errors. From the penultimate ball before lunch, West Indies saw the first of three big chances shelled: Alick Athanaze had taken a fine low catch to dismiss Crawley but could not react quickly enough as Pope slashed Seales to gully.The second session did begin with what appeared greater intensity in the field, regular encouragement ringing out across the ground. “In it to win it, lads, in it to win it.” A ball change brought an immediate change of fortune, Seales following up a pearler to beat Joe Root’s outside edge with a short one that was flubbed to mid-on. And then the reversal once again, Holder putting down a more straightforward chance at second slip to give Pope another life (Hodge might also have done better going for the rebound).Athanaze had his palms stung again as Brook cracked another cut off Alzarri Joseph straight to him in the gully – though Athanaze, to be fair, may have had self-preservation on his mind. Throw in some general sloppiness and the sight of Shamar Joseph hobbling off with his latest bout of cramp, and it was turning into a difficult day for West Indies. Mikyle Louis added a fourth drop to the list when spilling Mark Wood at backward point during the final half hour, with Wood also having survived a missed stumping by Joshua Da Silva. Are you spotting a pattern?That they kept going to eventually bowl England out was again testament to the heart of Brathwaite’s men. But if West Indies are anything like as shoddy with the bat, they will be fighting a losing battle.

Only Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe have scored 1000 Test runs in fewer innings

Sampath Bandarupalli27-Sep-20242 – Players to complete 1000 Test runs quicker than Kamindu Mendis, who got there in 13 innings. Both Everton Weekes and Herbert Sutcliffe needed 12 Test innings to reach 1000 runs, while Don Bradman got there in 13 innings.The Sri Lankan record was previously held by Roy Dias, Michael Vandort and Dhananjaya de Silva, all in 23 innings.1 – Kamindu became the first player with a fifty-plus score in each of his first eight Test matches. The previous longest streak of fifty-plus scores in consecutive Tests from debut was seven by Saud Shakeel.2 – Sri Lankans with fifty-plus scores in eight or more consecutive Test matches. Kumar Sangakkara is the other, with fifty-plus scores in nine successive Tests in 2014.13 – Innings needed for Kamindu to score his fifth hundred in Test cricket. Only three batters needed fewer innings – Weekes (ten), Sutcliffe (12) and Neil Harvey (12). Bradman and George Headley also scored their fifth in 13 innings.The Sri Lanka record – in 38 innings – was previously held by Aravinda de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal. The most number of hundreds any Sri Lankan had in their first 13 Test innings before Kamindu was three by Vandort.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Test hundreds for Kamindu, all while batting at No. 5 or lower, and all in 2024. Only two other batters have scored five or more centuries while batting at No. 5 or lower in a calendar year in Tests – six by Jonny Bairstow in 2022 and five by Michael Clarke in 2012.3 – Number of Sri Lanka batters with five or more Test hundreds in a calendar year before Kamindu. Tillakaratne Dilshan was the last one, with six in 2009. Aravinda had seven centuries in 1997, while Mahela Jayawardene also had five in 2009.91.27 – Kamindu’s batting average in Test cricket is the second-highest among players with 1000-plus runs, behind only Bradman’s 99.94.His average is also fourth-highest after 13 Test innings, behind Harvey (106.56), Bradman (99.67) and Sunil Gavaskar (91.80).6 – Number of century partnerships involving Kamindu in 2024 for the sixth (or lower) wicket. Only one batter was part of more century stands for the sixth (or lower) wicket in a calendar year in Tests – seven by Bairstow in 2016.

The T20I series ended with a lengthy list of bowlers ruled out and Australia’s selectors will hope it doesn’t extend to their Test resources

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2024Australia’s pace-bowling depth is often talked about, and for good reason, but right now it is being tested. The list of injuries and absentees around the limited-overs tour of the UK has become a lengthy one.Xavier Bartlett was the latest to be ruled out after suffering a side strain in the first T20I against England. Nathan Ellis was scrubbed from the trip early in the Scotland leg after aggravating an injury sustained in the Hundred. Spencer Johnson (side) was ruled out before the tour began. Riley Meredith did not feature after first T20I in Scotland, also due to a side issue.Related

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Josh Hazlewood had a delayed arrival because of a minor calf strain but bowled superbly in Southampton before being rested in Cardiff. As one of the big three, he is central to Australia’s plans for the five Tests against India in the home summer. All the cricket before that, especially for the fast bowlers, is played through the lens of making sure Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc make that series and can sustain throughout it.”A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told last week. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”While those who have picked up injuries in England would not be the next in line for Test spots, there are also question marks over the red-ball reserves. Lance Morris will be given a careful reintroduction to the Sheffield Shield after another off-season beset by back problems while his Western Australia team-mate Jhye Richardson remains a longer-term project in terms of red-ball cricket.Scott Boland and Michael Neser have also nursed injuries in pre-season, with the former likely to be managed through the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield, although neither are considered major worries. Sean Abbott, whose first over in Cardiff on Friday would not have looked out of place in Test match as he nipped the ball around sharply, could come into the planning depending on the progress of others.Starc will be part of the ODI series in England but will be carefully managed through the matches. Cummins has remained at home to work on strength and conditioning. It would be a surprise if Hazlewood played more than three of the one-dayers with the series taking place across just 11 days, although the washed out game in Manchester allowed for some extra downtime.”There aren’t many breaks in the calendar unless you manufacture one,” Cummins said last month about missing the England tour. “The medical staff and coaches and everyone thought this is a good opportunity to have a month or so off bowling for my body, and then build up and hopefully be in as good a position as possible for the five Tests.”Mitchell Starc has arrived for the ODIs but also faces a big Test summer back home•Getty ImagesAustralia are far from alone in how they manage their valuable multi-format fast bowlers. India are careful with how much Jasprit Bumrah plays while Mohammed Shami’s recovery from an ankle injury is slightly behind schedule and may require careful management ahead of the Australia tour. For England, a major theme over the next year will be how they ensure Mark Wood reaches the 2025-26 Ashes after he recently suffered another elbow problem to rule him out of the upcoming Pakistan and New Zealand tours.The lengthy list of injuries around Australia’s pace bowlers is a reminder both of the incredible resilience of Cummins, Starc and more recently Hazlewood but also that it would not take much for best-laid plans to unravel. Aided by none of the Tests going five days last season, they played throughout against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand having also featured throughout the ODI World Cup, barring the one game Starc was rested for.Cummins has missed just one Test through injury since 2018; the others have been due to Covid and compassionate leave. Starc missed three in a row against South Africa and India in early 2023 due to a finger injury and was left out of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, but has been almost as durable, often bowling through the pain of various injuries. Hazlewood, meanwhile, has emerged from a two-year period between 2021-2023 where he played just three Tests to keep himself on the park throughout except for being rested at Headingley in last year’s Ashes.Cummins has already flagged things might be different against India, referencing the importance of Australia’s allrounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, the latter who hasn’t bowled since the IPL. “The last couple of summers have been pretty light [with] quick Test matches,” he said. “I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time.”Even the first reserve, Boland, who boasts a home Test average of 12.21, had expected an opening to emerge somewhere last season. “I was expecting to play at some stage,” he told . “The coaches and selectors were saying, ‘You’ll probably get a go at some stage, so be ready’.”It’s hard, especially when my mindset is ‘It’s seven Tests, I’ll get a crack at some stage’. But [the big three] are just so resilient and they kept bowling teams out quickly, that they just don’t need that much of a break.”At the moment, the injuries have been a disappointment for those involved in the England tour, and a juggling action for the selectors to fill the gaps, rather than an imminent concern for the India series. But that much-vaunted depth in Australia’s bowling stocks may yet be face a defining summer.

India conquering Gabba, or the Ben Stokes one-man show at Headingley, or India felling Australia at Eden Gardens – which one is your pick?

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Kolkata Test has been voted by fans as the greatest Test of the 21st century so far.

India crush Australia’s dreams, Kolkata, 2001

Australia had won the first Test of the series Steve Waugh had famously called the “final frontier” in Australia’s charge towards world domination. This, the second, started with Waugh winning the toss and choosing to bat. Batting last was going to be tough, after all. And they did everything right for the first two-and-a-bit days, scoring 445 and then bowling India out for 171 for a 274-run lead.Harbhajan Singh had picked up seven wickets – including a hat-trick – in that first innings, so Australia knew what they were risking when they enforced the follow-on. But how much of a risk was it? They were 274 ahead. How much would India score: 200? 300? 400? The answer was 657 for 7 declared. All courtesy one of the greatest partnerships in Test history, between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.They came together late on the third day, when India were 232 for 4, still behind. They batted, and they batted, and they batted, all the way into the final day. And Australia, ragged by then, had 384 to chase. In the time left, there wasn’t much hope of winning. But they could still draw it. Not with Harbhajan, again, and Sachin Tendulkar whipping up some magic. Harbhajan took six, taking his match tally to 13, while Tendulkar got three – including Shane Warne with a googly – and India were celebrating, at Eden Gardens, outside Eden Gardens, and everywhere they could.

Stokes’ one-man show, Leeds, 2019

England, 286 for 9 in a chase of 359. Against Australia. Against Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon and James Pattinson. All over?But two men believed. One believed that he could smash the 63 runs that were left. The other that he could just hang in there, keep an eye on what the other man does. And between them, Ben Stokes and Jack Leach pulled off one of the great miracles in Test history.And to think that it had come after England had rolled over for 67 in the first innings.Australia took a lead of 112 and bolstered it with a second-innings total of 246 to set a steep target. Three-fifty-nine looked steeper when England went from 141 for 2 to 159 for 4, and then 245 for 4 to 286 for 9.Then Stokes and Leach came together. At the time, Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61. Off 174 balls. He then hit four fours and seven sixes, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Cummins. Leach contributed 1 from 17 balls – the greatest ‘1’ in England’s Test history, perhaps?

India conquer Gabba, Brisbane, 2021

When Mayank Agarwal became the fifth India batter out, they were still 63 away from victory. Against Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, on a fifth-day pitch, albeit in Brisbane, and Rishabh Pant as the only recognised batter left, it was Australia’s game to lose. But that’s what they did. As Pant, batting with Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini – some of those, like some others in the series, not meant to be in India’s starting XI at all but forced to because of injuries – knocked off the runs. Pant’s 89 not out, included a six and nine fours, the last of which brought up victory, giving India a 2-1 series win.It didn’t look likely when Australia, opted to bat and took a 33-run first-innings lead. That feeling stayed as Australia then put up 294 in their second to set India a daunting 328 for the win. There was no Virat Kohli – as was the case after the first Test – and the batting, as the side on the whole, wore an inexperienced look.India pulled it off, though. First, Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara put up 114 runs for the second wicket, and it was game on. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, scored a quick 24, but Agarwal fell cheaply, and then it was five down with a lot to get. Not for Pant, though, not on the day, and not for Washington, who chipped in with a 29-ball 22.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum tried to protect their players, but it has left them exposed when it mattered most

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Dec-20256:09

‘Australia have sat back, waited for England and pushed them over’

For all the fight shown by Ben Stokes and Will Jacks with the bat, there was an indignity to England coming out to bowl on day four. Somehow, an innings defeat at the Gabba might have been less embarrassing.The sun was setting, the floodlights in play. By virtue of the longest partnership by either side across the first two Tests, Stokes and Jacks had managed the situation in front of them, meaning that witching hour was England’s to exploit. Just as Australia had done on Saturday.They gave it a go, to be fair. Jofra Archer bowled like the wind. Gus Atkinson found his snap off the pitch. And Australia blazed to their target of 65.Related

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“Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion,” was Steven Smith’s retort to Jofra Archer looking to start something. It was a sentiment many shared. Why bring this energy now? Where was this when it mattered? Smith may as well have been talking to England as a group. A pulled six off Archer and another off Atkinson sealed the match.Stokes looked bereft in his press conference. And why wouldn’t he be? Sunday brought us up to six days cricket in this Ashes series. Barely a week and yet a three-and-a-half-year project to make dreams for a lifetime is already being pulled apart before we have even got to the third Test. This was his Everest and they are somehow still at base camp tending to the frozen.It is true that England series in Australia have often gone this way, but this one was supposed to be different. The score at present is 15-0 to the hosts since England’s last successful venture in 2010-11, and somehow these two defeats carry the weight of the previous 13. Because it was from those that Bazball’s free spirit was forged. And it is here, under the Australian sun, that it is being broken down and held up to the baying masses.But the sweating, shame-ridden harshness of cricket in these parts cannot be blamed. England are solely at fault for their own catastrophe.Ben Stokes leads his beaten team from the field•Getty ImagesAt Brisbane, a first-innings collapse of 6 for 88 was followed by one of 5 for 38 two days later, sandwiching a truly woeful bowling performance. If the first Test in Perth could be chalked off as simply a team losing their footing in a downhill sprint race with Australia, this was England choosing to sprint again while the hosts decided to take the winding roads of sensible batting and straightforward bowling plans that were available to both sides.They will wonder how so little cricket can carry so many regrets.They flunked the opener against a Pat Cummins- and Josh Hazlewood-less Australia, and have now done the same in the second with Nathan Lyon thrown out of the mix.Even Australia’s bankers in the schedule had their edge blunted. The Perth Test was a month earlier than usual, taking place in a more amenable climate and at the Optus Stadium, rather than the furnace of the WACA ground, and the English skeletons that lie within, which sat dormant across the way. Likewise for Brisbane, which saw Australia roll their most-statistically dominant venue and format into one while dialling down the heat, given the day-night timings. Worse still, England won both tosses.It is also worth considering the waste. A chastening experience during the 2021-22 tour, blighted by Covid, triggered a more holistic approach: investment in people and roles within the team that now seem so blurry. Perhaps worst of all, Joe Root’s first hundred in Australia reduced to a footnote in the rot.

“Stokes has long taken it upon himself to set fields, believing bowlers should just concentrate on bowling. The result of that is when the team are under pressure in the field, they cannot think off the cuff”

Atkinson has dulled, the sharp metronome anointed as James Anderson replacement already adding 2.59 on the bowling average of 22.01 he arrived with, with just three wickets in 54 overs. Atkinson’s pull shot straight to Smith at midwicket was a shot to rival Harry Brook’s grim drive to the first ball he faced off Mitchell Starc in the first innings. Unbecoming of a Test vice-captain but worryingly in keeping with his recent work.Jamie Smith’s no-nonsense start to Test cricket has given way to a worrying meekness that speaks to the fact that keeping is taking its toll. Scores of 0 and 4 accompanied a drop off Travis Head that saw him the subject of sarcastic cheers for the vast majority of the 117.3 overs spent behind the stumps in Australia’s first innings. This is as tough as it gets and Smith is shrinking.Stokes has blame to take for this. His insulation of the team for their own good has resulted in group seemingly unable to learn from mistakes and consequence. Worst still is a lack of collective nous.The bowling attack is a particularly interesting case study. Stokes has long taken it upon himself to set fields, believing bowlers should just concentrate on bowling. The result of that is when the team are under pressure in the field, they cannot think off the cuff. And this week, with Mark Wood missing, the most inexperienced bowling attack Stokes has had to work with – Archer, the “veteran”, with 17 caps – were unable to correct themselves, particularly when wasting the first 21 overs of the new ball on day two, with Australia racing to 130 for 1 in response to the 334 that England had clawed for.At the same time, it is maddening at this juncture that the likes of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have not lightened Stokes’ load. The pair have 124 caps between them but seemingly none of the experience that is supposed to come with that number.Stokes’ rearguard at the Gabba went in vain•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThen again, that’s not all their fault, nor Stokes’. There are coaches who should know better, who should be improving these players but end up hurting them with their public utterances.On Saturday, for instance, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick (charged with priming the batters) said they had not spoken about the perils of driving on the up after being found out in Perth. It was odd for two reasons.The first being that Stokes, ahead of England’s training session at Allan Border Field last Saturday, revealed the team had reflected behind closed doors about how they let that second day at the Optus Stadium slip from their grasp. And they did, as individuals, discuss the best ways to approach Starc. They even workshopped ideas to combat the pink ball under lights – both as batters and fielders in the lead-up to this Test. Stokes had taken it upon himself to disseminate bowling and batting information around the quirks day-night brings to each pack.The second, and more infuriating, part of Trescothick’s sugarcoated dead-batting was that he was actually trying to shield a group already wallowing in misery. Instead, he perpetuated the notion that they do not care. That they are free of consequence and devoid of true ambition.That was compounded on Sunday by Brendon McCullum’s assertion they trained too hard ahead of this match. A passionate English fanbase – many of whom truly believed in this group and what it was about – have never been more riled, now fully of the mind they are being gaslit.It didn’t have to be like this. But now, this group need to wise up and open their eyes to reality. Their walls are falling around them, and life is coming at them quick.This tour, genuinely the best opportunity since 2010-11 to win an overseas Ashes, and the most optimistic since 2013-14 after retaining the urn months earlier, may be the end of this chapter of English Test cricket.On paper, the remaining three Tests are a shot at redemption. But right now, it looks like it could break Stokes and the players he has taken it upon himself to protect.

Already one of UAE’s mainstays with his explosive batting, Alishan Sharafu is trying to be the team’s man for all situations

Shashank Kishore14-Sep-2025Alishan Sharafu, 22, has lived almost all his life in the UAE. But the love of cricket began in Kerala, when he would visit family in the summers. As he grew older, he naturally gravitated towards the game without really knowing if he could make a career out of it.Nearly 15 years after he first started playing, Sharafu is one of UAE’s batting mainstays, and has grown into a valuable retain-worthy local talent in the ILT20, where he represents Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.In UAE’s Asia Cup opener against India, Sharafu was their top scorer in an otherwise forgettable batting performance. What he is unlikely to forget is the range of shots he displayed – backing away to smash Axar Patel inside-out over cover for six, or whipping Jasprit Bumrah off his hips. It’s the confidence from those shots that he is hoping to carry forward when UAE play gulf-rivals Oman on Monday.Related

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“My first memory of cricket was the 2011 World Cup,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “I was supporting India, obviously, and they went on to win it. It was Sachin’s [Tendulkar] last World Cup, and that was the point where I wanted to play the game. That was when cricket became a passion.”Today, that passion has allowed him opportunities to face Sunil Narine in the nets, and train and learn from Andre Russell and Phil Salt, among others. And in the UAE, such exposure is gold.”Every game is a big opportunity,” Sharafu says. “Because there are only two local players in the XI [at ILT20], you never know how many chances you’ll get. Maybe just one in the whole season. So you have to do well. Fortunately, I played every game in my first season [2024], which was a privilege. You learn from the best – just watching how they go about their game.”For Sharafu, while cricket continues to be the priority, he has ticked off another box along the way on his parents’ insistence. He has completed a degree in cyber security, even though he is fairly certain he won’t have to use it anytime soon.”Initially, my mom was a little skeptical about cricket, because for every parent, education comes first,” he says. “But once I started playing international cricket, she understood. I think I did okay to manage both. I met her expectations, whatever she wanted. But yeah, it was difficult once I got to university. I had to do both. There was no option.”

“Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for”Alishan Sharafu

But pulling off balancing acts isn’t new for Sharafu. When he was 15, he broke into the UAE Under-16s and Under-19s the same year, all while managing high school. He made his T20I debut at 17 and ODI debut at 18, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.Sharafu was first spotted by Knight Riders at a trial by former analyst AR Srikkanth, first came into the setup in the ILT20 under Ryan ten Doeschate, the franchise’s then coach who is currently assistant coach of India. Sharafu was shortlisted for his ability to take the bowlers on right from the outset.”I don’t know where it comes from,” he says of his fearlessness. “But I’ve always liked taking bowlers on. That’s how I’ve always wanted to bat. Even as a kid, I just loved hitting sixes.”For the past two seasons at the ILT20, Sharafu says he’s learnt “something school or university doesn’t teach you”.”Andre Russell is one I always watch. I asked him about how he hits sixes consistently, what his secret is,” Sharafu says. “With Narine, he’s probably one of the calmest and smartest cricketers I’ve seen. He just reads the game one step faster. Even batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, but just having those conversations is special.””Batting with Phil Salt, he told me a few small things that could help my game”•ILT20Asked of his biggest improvements since playing in the ILT20, he says, “I think my batting evolved after last season with Knight Riders. Even though you’re the same player, playing alongside guys like Russell and Narine just gives you confidence. Once you have that validation, you take that confidence into the UAE team too. It’s 80% about how you feel. And I think that experience has added another gear to my batting.”That improvement has been visible in his ability to alter between roles. “I’ve always been a top-order batter, but I’m also adjusting to batting in the middle. If we lose early wickets, I know I have to stabilise the innings and take it deep. If we’re going well, I just go in and bat with freedom. The clarity from the team management has been excellent.”Off the field, Sharafu likes to unwind watching football, playing FIFA on PlayStation, or just relaxing by a pool or a beach. His cricketing ambition is a lot more focused: “Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I’d like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That’s what I want to be known for.”This drive, Sharafu says, comes from his dad for all the sacrifices he has had to make. “From when I was 10-15, every Friday and Saturday, he’d take me to training and games, sit at the ground, pick me up, drop me back. He’s a very passionate supporter, sometimes hard on me too, but I think that’s where I get it from.”At 22, Sharafu is still very much work-in-progress, but he carries the confidence and drive of someone who has clarity on what he wants to do.

As has been widely reported, Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is now the overwhelming favourite to become the new Celtic manager.

The Frenchman has held talks with the Celtic board over the weekend, as the Scottish champions continue to search for a replacement for Brendan Rodgers, who surprisingly resigned last month.

Nancy has won MLS Cup and Leagues Cup in charge of the Crew, also leading the Black and Gold to a first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, and could be appointed Celtic manager sooner rather than later, after Columbus’ season came to an end in the first round of the MLS play-offs, ousted by cross-state rivals FC Cincinnati.

Across all 136 matches in charge of Columbus, as well as 79 as CF Montréal head coach beforehand, Nancy has always deployed a back three, usually a 3-4-2-1 shape, so it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks with that, in a Rúben Amorim-esque fashion, or is more adaptable, given the depleted squad at his disposal.

Currently seven points adrift Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, irrespective of who the new manager is, expect Celtic to be busy in the January transfer window, so here is the dream XI they could build should Nancy take over.

1

GK – Kasper Schmeichel

Despite the fact he’s now 39 years old, Kasper Schmeichel remains a consistent performer in the Celtic goal.

To date, the Danish veteran has kept 33 clean sheets in 67 appearances for the Celts, conceding only 63 goals, seven of these shutouts coming in 11 Premiership outings so far this year.

On top of this, according to Squawka, he boasts a save percentage of 75.35% in the Premiership across this season and last, which does drop slightly to 69.57% when looking at the Europa League, albeit only Jari De Busser of Go Ahead Eagles and Ștefan Târnovanu of Steaua București have made more than his 16 saves in this season’s league phase.

Thus, with Schmeichel’s contract expiring next summer, following the World Cup, who knows what his future holds but, for now, Nancy can rely on the Great Dane.

2

RB – Alistair Johnston

Right now, Alistair Johnston is one of numerous key Celtic players sidelined due to injury, seeing just 26 minutes of action since suffering a serious hamstring tear against Kairat in mid-August, but, once fit again, will be a key figure in Nancy’s side, as he was in Québec three years ago.

3

CB – Cameron Carter-Vickers

Another major absentee right now is Cameron Carter-Vickers.

In the same match Johnston reaggravated his hamstring issue, the 2-1 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz, Carter-Vickers suffered a ruptured achilles tendon which will see him sidelined for around six months, all but ending his hopes of representing the United States on home soil next summer.

Since arriving under Ange Postecoglou in the summer of 2021, Carter-Vickers has been one of the first names on the team sheet at Parkhead, racking up 172 appearances in hoops, in the opinion of many, Celtic’s best centre-back since Virgil van Dijk, so Nancy will surely make him a central pillar, even if he’ll have to wait to do so.

4

CB – Axel Disasi: new signing

In the absence of Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey​​​​​​​ are Celtic’s current central defensive options, hence why they’re expected to target a reinforcement or two in January.

Well, according to reports, Celtic have been offered the chance to sign a trio of Chelsea exiles this winter, namely Raheem Sterling, Deivid Washington and, the one likely to be of the most interest, Alex Disasi.

The France international signed for the Blues for £38.5m from Monaco in the summer of 2023, putting pen to paper on a six-year contract, but has been completely frozen out by Enzo Maresca.

After spending the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, Disasi did not find a new club before the summer transfer window slammed shut, thereby in the proverbial wilderness at Cobham, so could be available on loan in January, and the arrival of his compatriot Nancy could tempt him north of the border.

5

LB – Kieran Tierney

​​​​​​​

Back at the very start of the summer transfer window, when Celtic supporters were optimistic and loving life, Kieran Tierney’s return was celebrated like a title triumph.

Since rejoining, the left-back’s minutes have been carefully managed, albeit a long-term injury suffered by deputy Marcelo Saracchi means that won’t be quite so straightforward.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether Nancy wants to play a back three or a four, he’ll surely relish working with Tierney.

6

CDM – Callum McGregor

Celtic managers come and go but no matter who is in charge, Callum McGregor is an omnipresent figure.

The 32-year-old has now made 538 appearances in hoops, winning 24 major honours, looking to add to his haul in December when he will lead the side out in the League Cup Final against St Mirren, having scored this thunderbolt against Rangers in the semis.

McGregor’s in-possession quality, off-the-ball work-rate and leadership skills will be invaluable for any incoming manager, so his name will continue to be written in permanent marker on the team sheet.

7

CAM – Benjamin Nygren

While many of Celtic’s summer signings have been underwhelming, Benjamin Nygren has been very impressive.

Many believed the Swede had been signed to replace Nicolas Kühn on the right-wing, but instead he has established himself as a first-choice member of the midfield trio, scoring six times already, including this winner against Sturm Graz, securing the Celts’ sole Europa League victory to date.

The 24-year-old then increased his stock further this weekend, bagging his third goal for Sweden as they were beaten by Switzerland at Stade de Genève. Thus, Nancy, or any other manager, will surely be impressed by what he’s seen.

8

CAM – Reo Hatate

There are plenty of candidates to complete Celtic’s midfield trio, with Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan among those vying for this spot, but Reo Hatate is still the Celts’ best option.

Since arriving in January 2022, the Japanese midfield maestro has scored 29 goals and registered 29 assists for the club, including this thunderous strike at Pittodrie in August.

Hatate’s form has been a bit up and down in recent times, but his quality remains undeniable, so he’ll be hoping to get back to his best under Nancy.

9

RW – Jota

​​​​​​​ We’ve already mentioned Carter-Vickers and Johnston, but the other Celtic star on the sidelines long-term is Jota.

Similar to Tierney, Jota returned to Celtic to a huge amount of fanfare in January, but suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury at Tannadice in April, so is expected to return around Christmas time, which will be a timely mid-season boost.

The Portuguese winger remains the Celts’ joint-record sale, moving to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia for £25m two years ago, but back in Glasgow, he will look to further enhance his reputation among the fan base.

10

LW – Diego Rossi: new signing

According to a report by Give Me Sport, Daizen Maeda will push to leave Celtic in January, having been denied the opportunity to depart during the summer, looking to cement his spot in Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan squad ahead of the World Cup; numerous Premier League clubs are reportedly interested.

Maeda would leave a huge void, but could Nancy replace him with a player he knows rather well?

Having starred at LAFC before an unsuccessful stint at Fenerbahçe, Nancy brought forward Diego Rossi to Columbus Crew, worth every penny of the $6.63m transfer fee paid, considering the Uruguayan international scored 45 goals in 101 games for the Black and Gold, including 16 in MLS last season.

Now, according to the Daily Record, he is top of Nancy’s shopping list, should he move to Glasgow.

A diminutive, versatile forward, Rossi has a similar profile to Maeda and has just a year to go on his contract in Columbus, so everything suggests he would be a shrewd addition. That said, they may have to pay a pretty penny considering he is worth £7.5m, as per Transfermarkt.

Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 64 sets up hosts before three wickets apiece for Sonny Baker, Josh Tongue take Superchargers down

ECB Media17-Aug-2025Originals are right back in the shake-up of the Hundred men’s competition after an ultimately emphatic victory against in-form Northern Superchargers.Jos Buttler’s rich vein of form continued, registering his seventh fifty in the history of tournament to go top of this year’s run-scorers chart.He was ably supported by the classy New Zealander Rachin Ravindra, playing his first match for this year’s edition and striking 31 from just 14 balls, and then Heinrich Klaasen, who roared back into nick with a savage 25-ball 50.Only Matthew Potts offered much counter-thrust, picking up two wickets; but even he was helpless to halt the carnage at the death as Buttler and Klaasen combined for 27 runs from the final 11 balls. In all the Superchargers gave up nine sixes.Much then hinged on the Superchargers getting off to a flyer. Zak Crawley clattered two cover drives from the first set bowled by Sonny Baker, and then smashed a six off his England team-mate Josh Tongue. But a sharp catch at backward point from Matty Hurst saw Crawley depart for a nine-ball 16, and thereafter their chase flatlined.The key moment was the dismissal of Harry Brook, who top-edged an attempted sweep for 11 to give Ravindra his first wicket of this year’s competition.Originals have an enviably varied attack, with Tongue, Scott Currie and the effervescent Baker – last week called into England’s white-ball squads – providing the cutting edge and the Afghan mystery spinner Noor Ahmad offering the sparkle.Tongue and Baker shared three wickets apiece – Baker taking a hat-trick after bowling Dawid Malan for 19 off the 50th ball before returning to claim the final two dismissals, Tom Lawes caught by Lewis Gregory at deep midwicket and yorking Jacob Duffy next ball to wrap up victory.Tongue is now top of the wicket-takers’ list with nine, one ahead of his teammate Currie – while Ahmad was irresistible, taking two wickets and conceding less than a run a ball. Ravindra, with his left-arm spin, offered further control in the middle sets.For the Superchargers it was an afternoon to forget. Only David Miller, with 38, managed to make it past 19. They nonetheless remain in the mix, in a three-way tie at the top, ahead of a crucial week in this intriguing tournament.Meerkat Match Hero Buttler said: “It was hard work but I tried not to get frustrated. We built some partnerships and having guys set was crucial. We’ve played a couple of games here, and seen how the wicket can be. We tried to keep it simple and not to put pressure on our bowlers.”There’s nice variety in our attack, Josh and Sonny complement each other, and adding someone like Noor is a trump card. To put together a performance like that with bat and ball is very exciting.”Phil Salt, Originals skipper, was thrilled with the performance. “It’s been a chasing competition so far, so we’re really pleased with what the top order did today, batting first. Bowling-wise we’ve been pretty strong, with Sonny [Baker] and Scottie [Currie] and the rest doing really well.”Sonny’s brilliant as always, mad as a box of frogs. You just wind him up and let him go! In the last couple of weeks, he’s executed more often than not. It’s now about picking up momentum.”

Managing director Vikram Banerjee on tournament’s challenges ahead of transformative sixth edition

Matt Roller28-Aug-2025The Hundred’s squads will be overhauled ahead of the 2026 season in a “reset” evoking the IPL’s mega-auction, marking the arrival of new investors in the eight franchises. Vikram Banerjee, the tournament’s managing director, expects the move to prove unpopular with coaches but believes it is necessary to maintain the league’s competitive balance.Teams were allowed to retain up to 10 players from their 2024 squads for the ongoing season, which concludes at Lord’s on Sunday. Women’s squads were overhauled between the second and third seasons but some men’s teams – most notably Oval Invincibles, who are hunting a third successive title – have kept a consistent core throughout the Hundred’s short history.The ECB have started to discuss retention rules with teams, with some new investors pushing for an auction model to replace a draft. The regulations are yet to be finalised, but Banerjee – who has spent every day of the Hundred’s fifth season at a match – believes the timing is right to refresh squads as he bids to “supercharge” the tournament in its new era.”I’d like next year to be a bit of a reset,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo. “All these leagues do it over time, and next year should be one of those. There are three things that are non-negotiable. You want to make sure whatever you do brings the very best players in; whatever the mix is between draft, auction, direct signings, retentions, the very best players in the world choose to play here.Related

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“But you also need competitive balance… That ‘Any Given Sunday’ philosophy, that you don’t know who’s going to win this game, that’s a good thing. Coaches won’t like that, but from a league level, that’s an important thing. The third thing is that it has to work [for both] men and women, and that’s really important to us.”A handful of men’s players signed contracts this year aligning with new investors – such as Rashid Khan at the Invincibles (Reliance) and Steven Smith at Welsh Fire (Washington Freedom) – and that trend is likely to accelerate, with the four IPL owners involved seeking greater continuity across their global networks of franchises.The risk of a “reset” is that significant player turnover will further dilute the identities of teams that have only existed for five years. The Hundred will undergo significant change over the next 11 months, with centralised kit manufacture (New Balance) and sponsorship (KP Snacks) deals expiring. At least three team names are set to change, along with some colourways.But Banerjee believes the 2025 season has shown that the “tribalism” he hoped would develop around Hundred teams has started to emerge. “I stand by that objective,” he said. “I love the amount of yellow [in the stands] when I go to Nottingham, or green when I go down to Southampton… That fan affinity is something that we need to keep building on.”He was buoyed by the occasional needle between teams, most evident when Liam Livingstone, riled by Tom Curran allegedly calling him a “fat slob”, blazed a match-winning 69 not out: “I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is great… It’s so important for the high-performance element that this is the [league] that they love playing in.”The glut of flags in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston has been a sign of the Hundred’s growing ‘tribalism’, according to Banerjee•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty ImagesWhile new investors will not assume operational control of their franchises until October 1, they have all attended games this season: Sanjiv Goenka rang the bell at Emirates Old Trafford, the ‘Tech Titans’ posed for photos on the Lord’s pitch, and Akash Ambani visited the dressing room after an Oval Invincibles home win.”We take a lot of what we do for granted, but a full house at The Oval or Emirates Old Trafford, or 6,000 flags in the Hollies Stand, is something special,” Banerjee said. “We’re having some great conversations already about the tournament in general and while the 2026 season will come around fast, we’ve got a decent amount of time.”I would like us to be the unmissable event of the summer for families… If we can be that, then in season 20 – or whatever the number is, season 50 – I would love us to be standing shoulder to shoulder with all of the great sports brands… If I ask you what the very best sporting leagues are in the world, I would like us to be in that list [with] NFL, IPL, Wimbledon.”It is a lofty ambition, and one that many believe will only be possible if the Hundred becomes a T20 tournament. The 100-ball format does have some advantages – it suits the double-header model well, shaving an hour off each matchday, and fits into a tighter broadcast window – but has also proved unexpectedly bowler-friendly.While overwhelming support for a shift to T20 among new investors could, in theory, prompt the ECB to attempt to change ongoing broadcast contracts, a change appears highly unlikely for at least three more seasons. “People have bought into a product that is hugely successful,” Banerjee said. “[The format] allows it to go onto the BBC… It’s quite a complex conversation.”Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, set a long-term target to sell out a women’s Hundred match earlier this year, but the double-header model will remain for next season. Banerjee said he is “absolutely not” concerned that investors will only focus on the men’s competition: “The excitement, growth and equality that we’re trying to drive, they have all bought into that.”

I can’t condone the exact choice of words, but the fact that this means something to them is greatBanerjee on the ‘fat slob’ spat between Curran and Livingstone

Slow pitches remain a concern, with groundstaff stretched by the sheer volume of fixtures staged at major venues by the time the Hundred starts. “It’s easy for me to say, in my position, that I’d like, on every pitch, the ball to fly through at 90mph and scream into the middle of everyone’s bat so it goes flying out of the park,” Banerjee said. “They have a lot on their plate.”This season has been something of a holding year for the Hundred, the bridge between the tournament’s inception as a product run entirely by the ECB and its reincarnation as a league between privately-owned franchises from 2026. But Banerjee believes it has been the best edition yet, citing strong ticket sales and high attendances at women’s fixtures.”We were really keen that it wasn’t a transition year and it wasn’t a nothing year. Actually, I think this year has been the best year. It’s important that the tournament that people have bought into continues to grow, continues to be successful… It is a great tournament and it’s great fun to be at. I’m very pleased that it’s not really been a ‘transition’ [season]. It’s been a great start.”I see no reason why we can’t be that unmissable event of the summer… We need to be brilliant at knowing our fanbase on TV, digital, and in-bowl, and serving them brilliant cricket and brilliant entertainment… If we continue with our fan-first approach and philosophy and continue to invest in the things that are important to us, we can achieve that aim.”