Tag: England

LONDON: Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze helped England extend their flawless record on the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026, but Jude Bellingham was reduced to a cameo role in Thursday’s 2-0 win against Serbia at Wembley Stadium.

Saka struck in the first half before his Arsenal team-mate Eze netted in the closing stages to ensure England, who had already qualified for the World Cup, made it seven successive Group K victories without conceding a goal.

After scoring 13 times in their previous three matches, this was a more prosaic England display, with Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Bellingham out of his starting line-up capturing most of the attention.

Tuchel opted to select Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers instead of Bellingham before sending on the Real Madrid star with 26 minutes left.

Bellingham had missed England’s previous four matches, with a shoulder injury sidelining him in September before Tuchel left him out in October.

Rogers excelled in the number 10 role while deputising for Bellingham during England’s wins over Wales and Latvia in October.

And Tuchel this week warned Bellingham that he would have to fight for his place in the starting line-up at the World Cup.

There have been reports that Bellingham has sometimes been a polarising figure among the England squad, and Tuchel was forced to apologise to the 22-year-old earlier this season after revealing his mother found the fiery star’s on-pitch behaviour “repulsive”.

After England travel to Albania for their last qualifier on Sunday, Tuchel has only two friendlies remaining in March before he has to name his World Cup squad.

The Germans’ handling of Bellingham will likely be the main topic from now until the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

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England’s 5-0 win in Serbia in September was the first sign that Tuchel was starting to stamp his mark on the team after a slow start to his reign.

England have been revitalised since that impressive victory, securing their World Cup berth by crushing Latvia in October.

Tuchel has now won eight of his nine matches, including seven World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal.

Tuchel had urged Saka to score more often for England after a meagre run in front of goal, and the Arsenal forward responded in the 28th minute.

Serbia keeper Predrag Rajkovic punched Declan Rice’s free-kick to Nico O’Reilly, and when his shot was blocked towards Saka, the 24-year-old guided a composed volley into the far corner from an acute angle.

Saka’s 14th goal in 47 England appearances gave his side a lift and O’Reilly’s deflected cross smacked the post before Harry Kane headed wide from close range.

Rogers nearly doubled the lead with a flicked header that flashed wide just before half-time.

Dusan Vlahovic should have punished England for their profligacy, but the striker back-heeled wide from close range after the interval.

As well as introducing Bellingham, Tuchel sent on Phil Foden — who had been absent from the previous three squads — to play as England’s central striker in place of Kane.

Bellingham and Foden combined with fellow substitute Eze to wrap up England’s win in the 90th minute.

Bellingham found Foden and the Manchester City playmaker teed up Eze for a superb finish into the top corner from the edge of the area.

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PERTH: England have been dealt a potential blow ahead of the first Test of the Ashes 2025, with fast bowler Mark Wood experiencing stiffness in his left hamstring during their only warm-up match in Perth.

Wood, returning to competitive action for the first time in nine months following left knee surgery, bowled two four-over spells against the Australia A Lions at Lilac Hill.

He was forced off the field midway through the second session after completing his second spell, raising concerns over his fitness ahead of the series opener at Optus Stadium on November 21.

“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” the ECB said in a statement.

“He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which kept him off the field for part of the second session of day one.

“He will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow. He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”

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Despite the setback, Wood showed glimpses of his pace and bounce on a relatively slow pitch, although conditions in the warm-up clash were expected to differ significantly from the faster, bouncier surfaces likely for the first Test.

England fielded an all-pace attack against the Lions, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir not featuring in the main XI.

Captain Ben Stokes led the bowling effort, claiming four of the five wickets to fall before tea, marking his first competitive outing since late July.

The news comes amid a flurry of injury updates in the Australian camp. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was cleared of a hamstring issue, while Sean Abbott was withdrawn after scans revealed a moderate strain in his left hamstring.

The upcoming Ashes series, set to begin in Perth, sees Australia historically dominant, having won 140 of 340 Tests against England, who have claimed 108 victories.

In terms of series wins, Australia lead 34 to 32, adding extra weight to England’s injury concerns as they prepare to challenge the hosts on home soil.

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Australia suffered a double injury scare on Wednesday ahead of the first Ashes Test against England, with pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott both undergoing assessments, reportedly for hamstring issues.

Test spearhead Hazlewood and reserve quick Abbott both left the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during New South Wales’s Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria.

Media reports said they were being assessed for hamstring niggles, although neither Cricket Australia nor Cricket NSW confirmed the specifics of the injury concerns.

Australia are already without injured captain Pat Cummins for at least the opening Test in Perth next week, and losing Hazlewood would be a serious blow.

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Scott Boland is set to replace Cummins in the attack, which also contains left-armer Mitchell Starc.

Abbott, who took 4-18 against Victoria before leaving the field, was named in Australia’s 15-man squad for Perth as a replacement quick, with uncapped Brendon Doggett the other pace option.

Following Perth, the five-Test series moves to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

England drew 2-2 on home turf in the most recent Ashes series in 2023, but have not won in Australia since 2010-2011.

Australia squad for first Ashes Test

Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were recalled to the England squad by manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

England, who secured qualification for next year’s tournament with two matches to spare, round off Group K with next Thursday’s match against Serbia at Wembley and a trip to Albania three days later.

Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham was left out of Tuchel’s squad for games in October, when the 22-year-old had just returned from shoulder surgery.

Manchester City forward Phil Foden is involved for the first time since Tuchel’s first camp in March.

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Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is the most eye-catching inclusion in the 25-man squad, with Nico O’Reilly and Jarell Quansah the other uncapped players involved.

There are recalls for Adam Wharton and Nick Pope, while Morgan Gibbs-White, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Myles Lewis-Skelly, James Trafford and Ollie Watkins have dropped out.

Tuchel opted against recalling midfielder Jack Grealish, who is on loan at Everton from Manchester City, while Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold also misses out.

England sealed their place at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States last month with a 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga.

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Ben Stokes has been awarded a fresh two-year contract that will take him through to the end of the next home Ashes series in 2027, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday.

The Test captain, whose previous deal had been due to expire next year, is one of 14 players handed two-year deals by the ECB, including pace bowler Jofra Archer and highly rated young batsman Jacob Bethell.

Stokes, 34, has a chequered injury history and has not played any cricket since July following a shoulder injury.

But he is expected to be available for the first Test of a five-match Ashes series against Australia, which starts in Perth on November 21.

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Jonny Bairstow’s central contract has finally come to an end, while spinner Jack Leach also misses out after falling out of favour.

Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, said the contracts reflect the depth and strength of talent available.

“We have awarded two-year deals to our multi-format players, so we can manage their workloads responsibly and give them the stability they need to perform across formats,” he said.

“We have also secured a number of white-ball players on longer agreements to help us plan effectively around the growing franchise calendar and ensure England remains their priority.”

England Men’s Central Contracts (2025/26)

Two-year contracts): Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue.

One-year contracts: Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Phil Salt, Luke Wood and Mark Wood.

Development contracts: Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Tom Lawes and Mitchell Stanley.

Lapsed contracts: Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes and John Turner.

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WELLINGTON: Blair Tickner and Zakary Foulkes made decisive contributions with bat and ball to secure a tense two-wicket win for New Zealand over England on Saturday and a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series.

The two tailenders put on an unbroken stand of 30 for the ninth wicket to lift the home side to 226-8 in the 45th over after England had once again struggled with the bat to be dismissed for 222.

Seamers Tickner and Foulkes took six wickets between them after England collapsed to 44-5, the visitors’ top-order failing once again.

The dismal form of Test batsmen Ben Duckett and Joe Root will be of concern less than three weeks from the start of the Ashes Test series in Australia.

England’s top four made a total of 84 runs across the three matches, the fewest by any team in a comparable men’s ODI series or tournament.

England were dismissed for 223 in the opening match and 175 in the second.

Captain Harry Brook said his players never adjusted to the movement extracted by New Zealand’s pace bowlers in seam-friendly conditions.

“We didn’t quite get big enough scores to be able to defend them and give the bowlers the best chance to win us the game,” Brook said.

“New Zealand are the second-best team in the world for a reason. They’ve outplayed us in this series. We just haven’t been good enough.”

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Tickner (4-64) claimed four wickets for the second successive game, while Foulkes (2-27) removed Jamie Smith and Root inside the first four overs.

Foulkes’ new-ball partner Jacob Duffy (3-56) then accounted for Duckett, Brook and Jacob Bethell.

Jamie Overton’s maiden ODI half-century was the foundation of an England recovery, with the all-rounder the last man out for 68 in the 41st over.

Brydon Carse also achieved a career-best score in the format, blasting four sixes on his way to 36.

New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra scored a bright 46 and Daryl Mitchell continued his fine form with 44, but a steady loss of wickets set up an exciting finish.

Overton and Sam Curran took two wickets each, while the home side lost two batsmen to the same unfortunate means of dismissal.

Devon Conway and Tom Latham were both run out, caught short of their crease at the bowler’s end following the deflection of straight drives from another batsman.

Foulkes was unbeaten on 14 and Tickner not out 18, with their late heroics extending New Zealand’s exceptional run of ODI results on home soil.

New Zealand have won 25 of 29 ODI matches on home turf since February 2019, with two losses and two no-results.

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GUWAHATI: Laura Wolvaardt’s magnificent 169 and Marizanne Kapp’s all-round heroics powered South Africa to victory over England in the first semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup here at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The emphatic win marked the first time that South Africa women have reached the World Cup final.

Set a daunting 319-run target, England crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for a mere 194 in 42.3 overs.

The Three Lions chase started on a bizarre note as they lost their top-three batters for ducks in the first two overs.

Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka wreaked havoc with the new ball, removing Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, and Heather Knight.

As a result, England were in deep waters with 3-1 in 1.1 overs.

After early setbacks, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Alice Capsey paired up and added 107 runs for the third wicket partnership. The stand provided them with some respite and increased their hopes of reaching the final.

Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt made 64 from 76 balls, while Capsey scored 50 from 71 deliveries.

However, Sune Luus provided South Africa the much-needed breakthrough with Capsey’s dismissal. At this stage, England were 108-4 in 22.5 overs.

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Sciver-Brunt was involved in another partnership of 30 runs with Danni Wyatt-Hodge before a collapse that folded their innings. Wyatt made 30 from 34 balls with the help of five fours.

For South Africa, Marizanne Kapp picked up a five-wicket haul while Nadine de Klerk scalped two wickets.

Earlier, after being put into bat, South Africa racked up 319-7 in their 50 overs.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits laid a strong foundation with a mammoth 116-run stand for the opening wickets. Brits stuck 45 from 65, including six fours and a maximum.

England kept on taking wickets at regular intervals, but it was Wolvaardt’s knock for the ages that held South Africa’s innings. The skipper 169 from 143 balls was peppered with 20 fours and four sixes.

Marizanne Kapp also starred with the bat as she hit four boundaries and a six on her way to 42 from 33 balls.

For England, Sophie Ecclestone was the long, bright star in the bowling. She picked up four wickets in her quota of 10 overs.

The second semi-final between hosts India and defending champions Australia will be played tomorrow in Navi Mumbai.

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HAMILTON: New Zealand produced a dominant all-round performance to seal the three-match ODI series against England with a commanding win in the second game at Seddon Park on Wednesday.

Led by Blair Tickner’s fiery spell and composed half-centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, the Black Caps chased down a modest target of 176 with five wickets and nearly 17 overs to spare, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Tickner’s 4-34 set the tone as England were bundled out for just 175 in 36 overs after being put in to bat.

None of the English batters managed to occupy the crease for long, as regular wickets derailed their innings from start to finish.

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Only Jamie Overton (42 off 27) and captain Harry Brook (34 off 34) offered brief resistance, but both fell to soft dismissals that summed up England’s reckless approach.

In reply, New Zealand’s chase began shakily when Jofra Archer removed Will Young for a duck in the very first over.

However, Rachin Ravindra steadied the innings with a fluent 54 off 58 balls, striking eight boundaries and a six. He shared a 63-run stand with Daryl Mitchell, who once again proved to be New Zealand’s rock in the middle order.

Mitchell remained unbeaten on 56 from 59 deliveries, decorated with six fours and two sixes, while captain Mitchell Santner’s blistering cameo of 34 off 17 balls ensured a quick finish as the hosts reached 177-5 in just 33.1 overs.

Archer was the standout bowler for England, finishing with 3-23 in his 10 overs, while Jamie Overton and Adil Rashid claimed one wicket each.

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Injured Australia captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test against England in Perth next month, head coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday.

McDonald said Cummins had “run out of time” as he recovers from a lower back injury, and that veteran batter Steve Smith would lead the side in his absence.

Australia are clinging to hope the pace spearhead will be ready for the second match of the Five-Test series.

“We’ve grappled with it for a little while, and the nature of the injury is that you grapple with it day-by-day,” McDonald told reporters. “We’re really optimistic and hopeful for the second Test match.”

“He’ll be back bowling this week, that’s a huge step.”

But McDonald conceded Australia were unable to give a firm timeframe for Cummins’ return.

The 32-year-old has not played since picking up a lower back injury in a Test match against the West Indies in July.

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McDonald said Australia were “incredibly fortunate” to call on the experienced Smith in Cummins’ absence.

Scott Boland looms as the likely replacement, joining fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

“Losing your captain is not ideal, but when you’re talking about Scott Boland as a potential replacement — it’s not a bad position to be in,” McDonald said.

Cummins’ race to prove his fitness has become a major storyline leading up to the first Test, starting in Perth on November 21.

“I’m still doing a bit of gym and keeping things kicking over, but with this kind of injury, it’s rest and then we’ll build back and kind of work back from the Ashes,” he said in September.

“Still really hopeful to be able to be part of the Ashes. But it is a little bit of a wait-and-see.”

Pat Cummins has suffered serious back issues several times over the years, including a flare-up in 2018 that kept him out of action for a full off-season.

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VISAKHAPATNAM: Linsey Smith’s three-wicket haul, backed by a strong batting display, led England to a comfortable eight-wicket win over New Zealand here on Sunday in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.

Set a mere 169-run target, England hit the winning runs on the loss of two wickets with ease in 29.2 overs.

Amy Jones remained unbeaten with 86 from 92 balls, a knock peppered with 11 fours and a six, whereas Tammy Beaumont struck seven fours in her 38-ball 40.

For New Zealand, there was nothing much in the bowling charts like batting as Lea Tahuhu and Sophie Devine managed to scalp one wicket each.

Earlier, New Zealand could not capitalize on the decision to bat first as their innings folded on 168 all out in 38.2 overs.

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The Three Lions removed opener Suzie Bates in the fifth over, who departed after scoring just 10 from 16 balls.

Following the early wicket, Amelia Kerr and Georgia Plimmer added 68 runs for the second before the former’s wicket sparked a collapse that the White Ferns could not recover from.

The pair was removed on successive deliveries, reducing New Zealand to 89-3 in 19.1 overs. Kerr made 35 from 43 balls with the aid of five fours, and Plimmer scored 43 from 57 deliveries laced with seven fours.

Besides the pair, there were no significant contributions from the middle-order batters.

For England, Linsey Smith remained the star bowler with three wickets to her name. Alice Capsey and Nat Sciver-Brunt supported her well with two scalps apiece.

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