Tag: England

COLOMBO: Pakistan were denied a shock victory over England when their ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 match was washed out as Colombo continued to be drenched by unrelenting monsoon showers on Wednesday.

Pakistan, rooted to the bottom of the points table and still searching for their first win in the eight-nation tournament, were left cursing their luck after putting England through the wringer with a brilliant bowling display that restricted the four-time champions to 133-9 in a game reduced to 31 overs.

Chasing a revised target of 113, Pakistan’s openers looked in fine touch, coasting to 34-0 in 6.4 overs, before the heavens opened once more and the game was abandoned at 9:58 pm local time.

Pakistan’s bowlers had their tails up from the outset, with captain Fatima Sana leading from the front.

She swung the ball into the batters and picked up three early wickets before returning after the rain break to snare another, finishing with eye-catching figures of 4-27.

“We showed today that we can beat any team. Disappointed about the rain. We were really good with the ball and the bat, and we would have been happy with a win,” Sana said.

It was the wicked inswinger that undid England’s top order, as four wickets tumbled to seamers, leaving the defending champions in dire straits at 39-4.

Diana Baig drew first blood by rattling Tammy Beaumont’s stumps, while Sana bowled Amy Jones through the gate with a brute of a delivery before removing Heather Knight and Nat Sciver-Brunt in quick succession with deliveries that jagged back sharply.

The spinners then tightened the screws, mopping up the middle order to ensure the seamers’ hard work didn’t go to waste.

Play was initially halted with England teetering at 79-7 after 25 overs.

When play resumed, Charlie Dean and Em Arlott offered some resistance, adding 47 runs for the eighth wicket.

England’s tail added 54 runs in six overs to give their bowlers something to bowl at, but Pakistan were well ahead when the skies opened again.

England had never lost to Pakistan in 16 previous ODIs and it needed bad weather to preserve that record.

It was the third rain-affected game in Colombo this World Cup after Australia and Sri Lanka split points without a ball bowled and Sri Lanka’s fixture against New Zealand also ended in a washout on Monday.

“Pakistan were top today and they never let us come back into the game. We fought back in the end, but we were not good enough. It was seaming quite a lot and we didn’t adapt well,” England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt said.

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COLOMBO: Pakistan women team underwent an intense training session here at the Colombo Cricket Ground on Monday ahead of their encounter against England in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. 

Women in Green underwent fielding, running, and catching training in a three-hour session. National cricketers also practiced bowling and batting in the nets, alongside receiving tips on skill development.

Pakistan will play its next game against England on October 15 at RPS Stadium, Colombo.

For the unversed, the women in Green are winless in the World Cup and are yet to get off the mark on the points table.

Pakistan has suffered defeats at the hands of Bangladesh, India, and Australia. Currently, seven-time winners Australia are on top of the points table with four victories in four games.

Pakistan Team Remaining Fixtures

• 15 October – vs England
• 18 October – vs New Zealand
• 21 October – vs South Africa
• 24 October – vs Sri Lanka

Pakistan squad for ICC Women’s World Cup 2025

Fatima Sana (captain), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (vice-captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), and Syeda Aroob Shah

Non-traveling reserves: Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, and Waheeda Akhtar

READ: Noman Ali eyes big lead after spinning South Africa into trouble

Veteran batter Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the upcoming home T20I series against England as he continues to recover from a minor medical issue, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Sunday.

The 35-year-old, who last represented the Black Caps in the Champions Trophy final against India in March, is expected to be available for the subsequent ODI series against the same opposition later this month.

Williamson, currently on a casual NZC contract, had earlier opted out of the T20I series against Australia and the Zimbabwe tour to fulfil county commitments with Middlesex in The Hundred.

Head coach Rob Walter revealed that Williamson’s recovery required a bit more time, emphasizing that the decision was precautionary.

“He’s obviously a world-class player, and we’re hoping these two weeks will ensure he’s ready for the ODIs against England and the following tour by the West Indies,” Walter said in a statement.

In Williamson’s absence, Mitchell Santner returns from abdominal surgery to lead the side.

However, New Zealand have been dealt a fresh setback with fast bowler Ben Sears ruled out due to a left hamstring tear sustained in training. Sears is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks.

Rachin Ravindra, who missed the T20I series against Australia after suffering a facial injury during fielding practice, makes his comeback.

New Zealand’s injury list remains lengthy, with Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) all unavailable.

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With wristspinner Ish Sodhi missing out, Ravindra joins Santner and Michael Bracewell as part of the spin trio. Mark Chapman could also offer part-time left-arm spin if required.

Walter praised Santner’s leadership and welcomed Ravindra’s return.

“It’s great to have Mitch back. He’s not only our leader but also one of the best white-ball spinners in the world. Likewise, it’s nice to welcome back Rachin, who was unlucky to miss out on Australia and is really excited for this series,” he said.

Veteran allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who recently turned 35, keeps his spot after impressing with figures of 4 for 26 in the third T20I against Australia.

Neesham reiterated his ambition to represent New Zealand at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

“I want to win a World Cup for New Zealand, and that’s the reason I’m still playing,” Neesham said. “Selection ahead of the tournament is out of my hands, but I’ll stay ready and perform when called upon.”

The three-match T20I series against England begins at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on October 18, with the second fixture at the same venue on October 20.

The final match will be played in Auckland, followed by the ODI series from October 26 to November 1, where Williamson could mark his return at his home ground, Bay Oval.

New Zealand T20I Squad

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wk).

READ: Muthusamy spins South Africa back in first Test against Pakistan

COLOMBO: Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round performance powered England to an 89-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in the 12th fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 on Saturday.

Set 254 under lights at the R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka’s batting line faltered and were bowled out for a mere 164 in 45.4 overs.

Vishmi Gunaratne, who came into bat for retired hurt Chamari Athapaththu, fell in the penultimate over of the powerplay after scoring 10 from nine balls.

As a result, Sri Lanka were 37-1, however, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama added 58 for the second wicket which steadied the Islanders in the chase.

England made a roaring comeback in the middle phase of the innings, removing both set batters, which reduced Sri Lanka to 98-3 in 22.3 overs.

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Perera top-scored with 35 from 60 balls, striking three fours, while Samarawickrama made 33 from 37 with the aid of five fours.

Following the wickets, the three lions took control of the match, cutting through the middle order to secure a comfortable third win in the tournament and to go on top of the points table.

For England, Sophie Ecclestone picked up four wickets in her quota of 10 overs while giving away only 17.

Earlier, after being put on to bat first, England managed to post 253-9 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 117 from 117 balls, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

She remained the lynchpin of England’s batting lineup, ensuring that England reached a winning total despite losing wickets at the other end.

For Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranaweera starred with the ball, scalping three wickets, whereas Udeshika Prabodhani and Sugandika Kumari bagged two wickets each.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Dewmi Vihanga, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Inoka Ranaweera, 11 Udeshika Pabodani

England: 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell

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England Test team vice-captain Harry Brook believes Australia ace bowler Pat Cummins’ injury could play into their hands, giving them an extra advantage going into the Ashes 2025.

Cummins is in a race against time to be fit for the first Ashes Test, and according to some reports, he could be ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress injury, suffered earlier this year.

Earlier today, Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, also hinted that Cummins needs at least “four, four-and-a-half weeks” of bowling in the nets to get ready, which has not started yet.

Speaking ahead of the New Zealand tour, Brook hailed Cummins’ bowling and stated that his exclusion from the playing XI will give England an advantage.

“Obviously he is an amazing bowler and has been for many years; he bowls at high pace with high skill,” Brook said at the Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards on Thursday.

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“With him out of their side for the first game, from [the reports] we’ve seen, hopefully that plays into our hands.”

However, the right-hander also mentioned Australia’s bowling depth, emphasizing the threat the likes of benched players pose for them.

“But they have a hell of a lot of good, quick bowlers out there. Guys who can come into the side and, when their tails are up, they can plough through teams. So we can’t take anybody lightly.”

Brook also backed Ben Stokes to feature in all five Tests despite having fitness concerns in the past year. He praised the skippers’ character and mentioned their performances despite having injuries.

“It’s an honour to have any leadership role. But it’s not something that I’m biting at the bit to do. If you want it too much, then it’s not a good thing. And I see Stokesy playing all five Tests, if I’m being honest. I think he’ll power through even if he has a little niggle.

“Everybody in the world knows what he’s like, his character, and the way that he just cracks on. That is the way that the team is built now; everybody keeps going. If you do have a little niggle, just power through – and that is what he does so well.

He further mentioned about Stokes’ bowling long spells and revealed what he would say if it gets too much on him.

“Because he wants to bowl long spells, that can sometimes be to his detriment. But he told us last year as a group that if he gets into a position like that again, then go up and have a word with him.”

The opening Ashes Test between England and Australia will commence on November 21 at Perth Cricket Stadium.

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England ace batter Joe Root has shut down the noise ahead of the 2025  Ashes in Australia, stating that his side is ready to ‘bring the urn home’.

England’s ace batter Joe Root has shut down the noise ahead of the 2025 Ashes in Australia, stating that his side is ready to “bring the urn home.”

Root has 39 Test hundreds to his name; however, the batting maestro is yet to score a ton in Australia. He has nine fifties and has a decent average of 35.68 in 14 Tests.

The Three Lions have not won the Ashes since 2015, and their last Test series victory in Australia dates back to 2010-11.

Speaking on the much-anticipated series, Root admitted to the Ashes drought and sees this time around as a great opportunity.

“It does feel like a long time, and it’d be nice to put that right and bring the urn home. I just see it as a great opportunity for the group,” Root said.

“There’s no other way to look at it, really. It’s a beautiful country, it’s a great place to go and play cricket.

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Joe Root has been under the spotlight from former Australian cricketers, who have highlighted his record in Australia, including Matthew Hayden, who has issued a bold statement.

Hayden had stated that he would “walk nude” around the Melbourne Cricket Ground this summer if Root does not scratch his Australian century itch.

“Just soak it all in and expect a little bit of ‘abuse’ or ‘banter’. It could be six weeks that live long in the memory if we get it right.” “At the end of the day this tour is not about me,” Root continued.

“They are going to say what they want to say anyway, so why bother worrying about it?

“When we look back in five years’ time no-one is going to remember what Matthew Hayden said to me, or Greg Blewett, or Mark Waugh, whoever it is,” Root remarked.

“If I am scoring runs and scoring heavily it gives us a great opportunity to win a series out in Australia and that is the main focus,” he concluded.

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GUWAHATI: On a day when England needed somebody to stand tall, Heather Knight rose to the occasion with a gritty unbeaten 79* run that helped them overcome a spirited Bangladesh challenge in the eighth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

England eventually managed to chase down a partly 179-run target, huffing and puffing to victory by four wickets with 23 balls to spare.

The Three Lions started the chase on a shaky note as opener Amy Jones was trapped lbw after scoring one in the first over.

Bangladesh dealt the second blow in the form of Tammy Beaumont as Marufa Akter got her second wicket. As a result, England were 29-2 in 6.1 overs.

The tigers continued to mount pressure with tight bowling; however, Heather Knight stood in their way. She formed a string of vital partnerships that eventually saw them over the line.

First, she added a 40-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt, who scored 32 from 41 balls with the help of five fours.

Bangladesh had a hold of the match with a double strike in the 18th over. Brunt and Dunkley were removed for nought in quick succession. The slide continued as two more wickets fell in a short span of time.

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Consequently, England were reduced to 103-6 in 29.3. Yet they survived courtesy of Charlie Dean and the Knights’ match-winning partnership of 79* runs.

Dean remained unbeaten on 27 from 56, striking two boundaries, whereas Knight’s masterful knock included eight fours and a six.

For Bangladesh, Fahima Khatun picked up three wickets.

Earlier, England capitalized on the decision to bowl first and, courtesy of Sophie Ecclestone’s three-wicket haul and impressive bowling performance, bowled out Bangladesh for a modest total of 178.

Opener Rubya Haider was sent back on the last ball of the fourth over, whereas skipper Nigar Sultana also perished in the next over, which slumped them to 25-2.

England kept checking Bangladesh with economical bowling and regular wickets in the middle overs.

Sobhana Mostary remained the top-scorer for Bangladesh with 60 from 108 balls with the aid of eight fours. She was involved in a string of partnerships that provided some respite before Rabeya Khan’s brisk knock lifted them out of trouble.

She struck six fours and a maximum on her way to 43 from 27 balls.

For England, Sophie Ecclestone remained the standout bowler, picking up a three-wicket haul. Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, and Linsey Smith took two wickets each.

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GUWAHATI: Linsey Smith’s three-wicket haul helped England women rout South Africa women in the fourth match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, giving them a flying start to their campaign here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Set a meagre 70-run target, England romped to victory by 10 wickets in 14.1 overs.

After a miserable batting display, the Proteas had little to celebrate with the ball either. England’s openers wrapped up the chase with ease, as Tammy Beaumont struck three fours in her 21* from 35 balls, while Amy Jones’ score of 40* off 50 deliveries was laced with six fours.

Earlier, the four-time World Cup champions capitalized on the decision to field first and bowled out South Africa for just 69 runs in 20 overs. This was Proteas’ second-lowest total in the marquee event.

Notably, South Africa’s previous lowest total in a World Cup match also came against England in Cuttack, back in 2013.

Linsey Smith made early inroads with the new ball and tore through the Proteas top order. She removed Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits in the second and fourth over, respectively, both batters being dismissed for five runs.

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After losing early wickets, South Africa could not arrest the slide and were further dented by regular dismissals. Following Smith’s spell, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell chipped in with the ball and broke the backbone of South Africa’s batting lineup.

Sinalo Jafta top-scored for South Africa with 22 from 36 balls with the aid of three fours in an otherwise shambolic batting display.

In England’s all-round bowling display, Linsey Smith stood tall and was excellent with the ball, picking up three wickets in her four overs while giving away just seven. Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, and Charlie Dean bagged two wickets each.

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England all-rounder Chris Woakes has called time on his international career after missing out on Ashes 2025 selection.

Woakes’ last appearance for England came against India in the fifth Test at the Oval, where he dislocated his shoulder. However, the pacer still came out to bat with a sling in his armpit.

Following the injury, the pacer was in a race against time to be fit for the Ashes; however, he was left out of the squad, which drew a curtain on his career.

The right-arm pacer took to his social media handle and announced his retirement, expressing pride in representing the Three Lions in a career spanning 15 years.

 

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A post shared by Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes)

“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket,” Woakes said in a statement.

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“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams.

He thanked his teammates with whom he shared the field with the greatest pride while confirming that he will continue to play county cricket.

Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with teammates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.”

Chris Woakes played 62 Tests for England, picking up 192 wickets at an average of 29.61. In ODIs, Woakes appeared for England 122 times, scalping 173 wickets. He also played 33 T20Is and has 31 wickets to his name.

The all-rounder remained a vital cog in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.

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LONDON: The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday named a 16-member pace-heavy squad for the Ashes tour to Australia with Harry Brook replacing Ollie Pope as vice-captain.

Alongside Ashes, England have also named IT20 and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand, which precedes the Ashes.

The squad features five 90mph seamers: Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue. Among the notable inclusions is the recall of all-rounder Will Jacks, whose last appearance in the longest format came against Pakistan in 2022.

The 26-year-old, who will provide England with an attacking option with the bat, is picked ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach.

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Besides the inclusion of Jacks and the change of Ben Stokes’ deputy, the squad is largely as expected.

The decision to change Pope as vice-captain was looming since Brook took over the captaincy reins from Jos Buttler in white-ball cricket. Notably, Pope has captained the Three Lions five times in the absence of Ben Stokes in the past five months.

England Test squad vs Australia:

Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

England T20I squad vs New Zealand:

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

England ODI squad vs New Zealand:

Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith replace Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, and Phil Salt from the T20I squad.

New Zealand fixtures (all D/N):

T20Is: October 18, 20 (both Christchurch) and 23 (Auckland).
ODIs: October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton), and November 1 (Wellington).

Ashes fixtures:

1st Test: November 21-25 (Perth)
2nd Test: December 4-8 (Brisbane, D/N)
3rd Test: December 17-21 (Adelaide)
4th Test: December 25-29 (Melbourne)
5th Test: January 3-7 (Sydney)

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