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Big picture: The Basin revisited

Twenty-one months later, there’s still so much to unpack from that last extraordinary contest between New Zealand and England at Wellington. A packed crowd at the Basin Reserve had been invited in for free to witness one of the most extraordinary finishes in Test history – one that left even the vanquished James Anderson smiling at the absurdity of it all, after he gloved another bumper from the indefatigable Neil Wagner to traipse off to a defeat by the barest of all margins.It was the best of Bazball, but arguably the worst of Bazball too… utter commitment on the one hand to the cause of entertaining, engaging Test cricket, but – after enforcing a needless follow-on that loosened their grip on the game – the first example, too, of Brendon McCullum’s charges going “too far” in their exploration of the limits of attacking cricket. “We look at the bigger picture of what everyone’s enjoyed and seen here today,” Ben Stokes said after that loss. “It’s probably bigger than the disappointment at the moment.”Do they dare feel quite so flippant about Test setbacks anymore? That loss was followed soon afterwards by two further defeats from winning positions in the 2023 Ashes, and until their victory in last week’s first Test at Christchurch, England had won seven, lost seven in 14 previous matches in 2024. Seeing as Stokes had launched that match with another apology to his team for losing his cool during their 2-1 series loss in Pakistan, it’s clear that something has hardened in the interim. Now, he’s reserving his rattiness for the ICC’s over-rate adjudicators, which probably won’t get him very far on the WTC front, but it might just be a more galvanising outlet for his frustrations.And yet, what might have been had New Zealand held their chances in Christchurch? An extraordinary eight drops in England’s first innings mean the teams are probably all-square in the generosity stakes now – and given that five of those came off the bat of the “jammy” Harry Brook, it’s little wonder the rest of that match was one-way traffic.Brook’s 171 was a formidable knock in spite of the let-offs – and it hoisted his record in New Zealand to precisely 500 runs at 100.00. Now, however, he’s back at the scene of, quite possibly, his most domineering knock of all. His first-innings 186 back in 2023 began, much like last week’s effort, with England on the ropes, at 21 for 3 after Matt Henry and Tim Southee ripped out the top-order in the space of 40 balls. But for the rest of a truncated opening day, it was one-way traffic. Had the weather not lopped off 25 of the day’s overs while he was sitting pretty on 184, Brook would surely have surged past his double-century there and then, and – who knows – maybe that Multan triple-century wouldn’t have been his first either.New Zealand bounced back then, as they can now – and Kane Williamson’s ominous form on his return from a groin strain was hugely encouraging in that regard. But their flaws at Christchurch extended beyond their fielding lapses. Despite Devon Conway’s important contributions to that epic series win in India, he is averaging 21.10 across the past 12 months, while Tom Blundell’s form is of even greater concern. He’s managed one fifty in 25 innings since that epic Wellington win, when his vital 90 was instrumental in turning the tide.And then there’s the question of Tim Southee, into the final approach of his magnificent Test career, but so visibly the weak link in Christchurch as Brook and Ben Duckett took turns to take him down. Nevertheless, he still had his moments, particularly in that window of opportunity, early in England’s first innings, when the clouds had rolled over and the ball was talking loudly. England’s flaws against the moving ball, be it spin in Asia or seam and swing elsewhere, have not been adequately disproved in their uneven displays this year. If there’s a way back into the series for New Zealand, it’s surely to be found on a good length, and nipping back through the gate.Harry Brook gives the thumbs-up on his return to the Basin Reserve•Getty Images

Form guide

New Zealand LWWWL
England WLLWL

In the spotlight – Brydon Carse and Will O’Rourke

Brydon Carse’s ten-wicket haul at Christchurch confirmed what we had already gleaned from his formidable displays in Pakistan: England have found themselves a real contender here. His pace and aggression was once again unstinting, while his accuracy was barely less of a factor in his penetrative displays across both innings. His match haul of 10 for 106 emulated that of Ryan Sidebottom at Hamilton in 2008, the last England seamer to claim ten wickets in an overseas Test, and caps a remarkable resurgence following the betting ban in the summer that prevented his debut from occurring any sooner. His three-month sidelining may have been a blessing in disguise, given that he’s hit these winter tours with a freshness that Gus Atkinson is arguably lacking after his summer’s exertions, but the challenge of backing up last week’s efforts will be a significant one all the same.With a little more luck on his side, Will O’Rourke might have delivered figures to rival those of Carse. He’s not quite as tall as the much-missed Kyle Jamieson, currently sidelined for a year with another stress fracture, but he used his 6ft4 frame to wonderful effect at Christchurch, generating speeds in excess of 145kph to hassle England’s batters to a far greater extent than his match haul of 2 for 165 would suggest. Three of those eight first-innings catches went down off his bowling, and even with 104 to defend second-time around, he struck with his first ball to dislodge a rampant Ben Duckett, then came within a whisker of delivering Joe Root’s first Test pair. No-one was ever entirely comfortable with his sharp pace and bounce, even when the runs were pouring in the victory charge. A blank slate and a fair wind at Wellington is the least he deserves.

Team news: Both sides unchanged

New Zealand have a few worries, and not simply their catching. A stronger all-round batting contribution, bolstered by big scores from Conway and/or Blundell wouldn’t go a miss, nor would Southee getting fully into his groove. Nevertheless, the hosts have opted for an unchanged side for this second Test, in keeping with captain Tom Latham’s assessment post-defeat in Christchurch that no major overhaul of their approach was required.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Nathan Smith, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeOllie Robinson (the Durham version) has arrived in New Zealand as a wicketkeeping replacement for Jordan Cox, but it looks like it will have been a futile search for a valid passport. England named an unchanged XI two days out from the toss, with Ollie Pope having proved more than adequate behind the stumps – just as he did in similarly emergency circumstances against Pakistan in 2022. Factor in his vital 77 from No.6, and Jacob Bethell’s precocious debut at No.3, and England seem to found a handy balance in adversity. England have opted against rotating their seamers, while Stokes is expected to be fit to bowl after sustaining a mid-over back niggle in New Zealand’s second innings.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ollie Pope (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Brydon Carse, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Pitch and conditions: Another run-fest in store?

England may be forewarned after the placid conditions they faced on day one in Christchurch, having won the toss and bowled on an apparent greentop. This Wellington deck “is green, but I’m not sure if it’s as green as what last week was,” said Chris Woakes, two days out from the Test. With a brown tinge in places, it looks set to dry out further and is likely to prove full of runs, if the events of England’s last visit to Wellington are any guide. Speaking on match eve, Latham didn’t expect the pitch to turn, based on first-class games played this year.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won 23 and lost 21 of their previous 68 Tests at the Basin Reserve, with 24 draws.
• Six of those wins, however, have come in their last eight Tests at the venue since 2017, with one draw against Sri Lanka in 2018, and a loss in their most recent outing against Australia in February.
• Tim Southee, who has a maximum of two Tests left in his career, needs five more sixes to reach 100 in Tests, having struck two in defeat in Christchurch.
• Southee also needs 13 wickets to reach 400 in Tests, although that is as many as he has claimed in nine Tests this year.
• The Test will feature four of the top-five batters in the ICC’s rankings, with Joe Root and Harry Brook occupying positions 1 and 2, with Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell at 3 and 5.

Quotes

“Looking at the surface here, looking at the games that have been played here this year, we saw last year that the wicket took a little bit of spin which surprised us a little bit. Going by the games here, the Wellington first-class games, I think the balance that we’ve gone in with is the right balance for this wicket. We obviously have some spin options in that top seven anyway. We think it’s the right fit and the guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
“”I don’t regret doing it. It ended up being a good game and we were only ever one run away from winning. It would be nice to be in that situation this time, and scratching my head wondering whether we enforce the follow on or not.”

Kyle Verreynne believes his 114 against Bangladesh is the best innings of his short career. He said that handling spin in the heat and humidity of Dhaka, particularly with South Africa under pressure when he came to the crease, made it a special occasion.Verreynne spent just over four hours to get his second Test century after South Africa had slipped to 99 for 5 in reply to Bangladesh’s 106 all out. The visitors ended the first day on 140 for 6 before Verreynne added 119 runs with Wiaan Mulder, who made 54. By the time he was dismissed on the second afternoon, South Africa were ahead by 202 runs, a big lead on the Shere Bangla National Stadium wicket.Verreynne said that since his maiden Test century in New Zealand came in conditions he is familiar with, he rated his Dhaka knock slightly higher.”It is definitely the best innings of my Test career,” Verreynne said. “It is probably the toughest conditions I have played under in terms of heat and humidity. Back home we don’t face long periods of spin bowling. Around 90% of that innings was just against spin. Things happen quickly. You don’t have much time to reset from a concentration point of view. This was certainly my most rewarding innings.Related

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“This (century) felt like better just in terms of the context of the game and the conditions. I think New Zealand is a lot similar to our conditions back home. To do in the continent in quite a tough wicket and tough circumstances, it is probably a better innings. The impact will hopefully be bigger than the first (century). I am really happy with it. It has been a long time since the one in NZ, so it is nice to get in another one.”Verreynne was particularly strong on the sweep. According to ESPNcricinfo’s stats, he got 49 runs off the 29 sweep shots he attempted which included the slog sweep. He struck five fours and a six in that region. The Bangladesh spinners, usually very good in Dhaka, didn’t have much of an answer against Verreynne.He said that a discussion on the second morning with batting coach Ashley Prince really helped him get a perspective of what to do for the rest of the day. “Wiaan Mulder and I, and the batters chatted this morning. We spoke to batting coach Ashy P (Ashwell Prince) about how we are going to try to go about things. There was no specific emphasis put on playing the sweep.”It was more just about how we back our options. Make sure we try to score and not go into our shells. We tried to play positively, get into better positions. We spoke to Ashy P about batting with the tail. It gave me a lot of clarity when I was batting with (Dane) Piedt and KG (Kagiso Rabada).”Verreynne said that he usually plays the sweep shot against spin so he just implemented it regularly in this game but other batters have different styles of scoring runs in their side.”I don’t think there’s been any extra emphasis (on the sweep shot). It is something that I have worked on quite a bit against spinners. It is not really a subcontinent specific thing. I would play it back home against spin as much as possible. I faced a lot of spin out there today so it is kind of what I am trying to do.”A lot of guys have different ways of going about playing it. For me, this is something that I worked on. You saw Wiaan (Mulder), (Tony) de Zorzi and Ryan (Rickelton) scored runs through other areas. It is one of my strengths so I want to stick to it.”Verreynne said that the pitch played better in the morning session but expects it to deteriorate further in the game.”I think this morning (the pitch) played better than yesterday morning. I don’t know if it dried out or there wasn’t as much moisture. It seems to be getting tough as the day has gone on, so tomorrow and going further in the Test, (the pitch) will get tougher and tougher.”

Big Picture: Ashes comeback redux?

Here we go, then. After finding themselves 2-0 down through a combination of hubris, inexperience and self-sabotage, Harry Brook’s bucks got themselves on the board up in Durham – from here on it’ll be Bazballs to the wall as they look to emulate last summer’s rip-roaring Ashes comeback (with the potential for a similarly underwhelming final outcome if the weather forecast holds true).Or perhaps not. Certainly, there won’t be the accompanying levels of interest, even if England can prove victory at Chester-le-Street to keep the series alive was not a flash in the pan. But there was undoubtedly something invigorating about the performance, with England’s one-day cricket perhaps at its lowest ebb since the disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign.Brook was to the fore as stand-in skipper, and one of the batters expecting to carry the side forward, scoring his maiden ODI hundred to make a chase of 305 look relatively straightforward (even if the rain meant England didn’t quite get to knock off the requirement themselves). With England seemingly floundering again at 11 for 2, the 156-run stand between Brook and Will Jacks was not only timely but demonstrated their ability to go through the gears in a format that requires stickability as well as crash, bang, wallop.It helped, of course, that Australia were missing their two best performers, in Travis Head and Adam Zampa – as did Brook winning the toss for the third time in a row. While England’s bowlers could not fully capitalise on useful seam-bowling conditions early on, as Alex Carey again lifted Australia clear of trouble, the pitch became more conducive to buccaneering strokeplay as the day wore on.For Australia, the end of their 14-game winning streak – second only to that put up by the legendary class of 2003 – will unlikely be cause for much lamenting. Steven Smith gave a reminder of his old-school qualities with his first fifty of the tour, while Aaron Hardie’s late-order cameo provided a glimpse of the future for this Australia side. The bowlers were not at their best but they have the experience and knowhow to saddle up and go again in a bid to seal the series at Lord’s.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLLW
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight: Will Jacks and Alex Carey

While Brook took the headlines, Will Jacks was equally important to the Chester-le-Street turnaround. Although he was unable to press on to a maiden hundred, an innings of 84 from 82 balls was, by his own evaluation, his best international performance to date. Following his half-century at Trent Bridge, it suggested he is beginning to acclimatise to the format and his role at No. 3. Curiously, despite a body of work in T20 that dwarfs his List A experience (186 appearances to 32), it is in ODIs that he has currently had more of an impact with England.There was weather around as the teams trained at Lord’s•PA Photos/Getty Images

Alex Carey may have arrived back in the UK with a touch of trepidation, given his turbulent experience during last summer’s Ashes, but after being handed an unexpected opportunity with the ODI side after Josh Inglis’ injury he has seized it with both hands. Showing absolutely no ring-rust despite having not batted in a competitive scenario since March, Carey has top-scored for Australia two matches running while continuing to be an assured presence behind the stumps. It has, in the words of head coach Andrew McDonald, created a “good problem” for the team as preparation for the Champions Trophy gears up.

Team news: Archer set to play

Jofra Archer is expected to play back-to-back games so England could well be unchanged. Reece Topley has left the squad after suffering from illness.England: (possible) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Olly Stone, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsAfter the illness issues that dogged the start of the tour, Australia have reported a clean bill of health, which includes Adam Zampa, whose absence was significant at Chester-le-Street. The only issue is whether Inglis is yet match-fit, though Carey’s form makes that academic.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

Lord’s is not foremost among English grounds when it comes to playing like a billiards table, although England did put up 311 in their previous ODI in north London against New Zealand last September. Given the amount of rain around recently, it could well be another seamer-friendly track – that’s if the weather relents enough to get a game, with showers forecast for the morning and early afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• With two wickets in Durham, Starc overtook Mitchell Johnson to go clear in fourth on Australia’s ODI wicket-takers’ list. He has a bit of a climb to reach Shane Warne in third.
• Brook’s hundred was only his second in the 50-over format – and first since 2019, when he scored 103 off 105 balls for Yorkshire against Leicestershire. In the intervening period, he made 13 first-class centuries (five in Tests) and three in T20.
• Australia have a strong record at Lord’s, winning six of their last seven ODIs against England at the ground – including their 2019 World Cup group stage encounter.
• England have only played three ODIs at Lord’s since the 2019 World Cup final, winning all three.

Quotes

“We said once we were 2-0 down, we’re going to stay true to how we play. And I think we’d done that at Durham and backed everyone to play their own game. It paid off at Durham, so I don’t see there’s any reason [to change].”
Matt Potts says England are on the comeback trail again“None of the blokes are training, we’re only here for lunch.”

“There’s no better place to do it than here,” Jofra Archer said, on the outfield at Lord’s, fresh from 2 for 33 to help England claim the fourth ODI against Australia, squaring this five-match series 2-2.The venue has hosted legacy-making performances for what has been a stop-start international career for Archer. That ODI World Cup final against New Zealand in 2019, headlined by his Super Over, was followed a month later by a thrilling Test debut in the second Ashes Test. Both displays were confirmation of a supreme fast-bowling talent that England were lucky to have.Five years on, this latest performance offered more vindication for the ECB’s investment in that talent, through stress fractures of the back and elbow, which currently takes the form of a two-year central contract handed out last October. But the emotional and physical tax has squarely been Archer’s. And for the first time in a while, if you forgive tempting fate, the light at the end of the tunnel seems a whole lot brighter.Coupled with Monday’s third ODI in Durham, this is the first time Archer has played back-to-back 50-over matches in four years, even if the 29-year-old only bowled seven overs on Friday night. Should he feature in the series finale in Bristol on Sunday, he will have played 24 competitive matches this summer, a figure which includes the 2024 T20 World Cup. That would be the most since 2019, which was the last time he sent down more than the 681 deliveries he has managed this season.Considering his return, back in May, came off the back of 14 months out, things have gone as well as could be hoped. Particularly for a man who began this latest chapter wondering if he could go through the darkness of another injury setback.”I’m still on the park and we’re almost approaching the end of the summer,” Archer said. “So for me, that’s a take. I wanted to play a summer, and then I want to play a year, and then I want to play a few years. So everything is going to plan.Related

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“I think the World Cup was a good check mark. This was a good check mark. The Caribbean [England’s white-ball tour in November] will be another good check mark. Hopefully I play more games there. For now, I am happy to be playing. Sorry to echo myself but I don’t have anything else to say on it. I know I’ve been out, it’s been a while, but I am playing cricket again and I’m just happy.”In removing Mitchell Marsh’s off stump with a delivery that moved like a legbreak at close to 90mph, and snaring Glenn Maxwell caught behind, Archer showed his skill and pace is as prime as ever. Even at the end of a four-month period that has been relatively full-on given his recent output, he looked at ease. “I feel fine – do I look fine?” he asked. He did.The next stages of his progression will be improvised by design. A well-intentioned attempt to roadmap a return at the end of 2022, involving stints at the SA20 and IPL to facilitate his recovery, ended in tatters when he suffered a recurrence of his right elbow stress fracture at the start of the 2023 summer. Lessons have been learned, and any talk of Test cricket has been parked until 2025, with England’s first Test that year at the end of May against Zimbabwe. At Lord’s, of course.With five Tests against India to follow, and the 2025-26 Ashes, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are desperate for Archer to feature in those marquee series – particularly the latter. As such, men’s managing director Rob Key is essentially running point on his recovery, with England physio Craig de Weymarn in constant dialogue with the Sussex quick.Archer remained coy on his next assignment, partly because it is not solely in his hands. As he himself hinted, he’s expecting to feature in the limited-overs series in the Caribbean which is sandwiched between the Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. McCullum will no doubt want him for the Champions Trophy in February, which will be the head coach’s first major assignment when he takes control of the white-ball sides at the start of next year.”Well, you got to speak to Craig or Keysy, to be honest,” Archer said, when asked what was on the horizon. “But for me, I’m just going series by series. And what’s next is I’m going to have some time off after Bristol, so looking forward to that.”Archer has been eased back into action but could be a key weapon at the Champions Trophy•Getty Images

As for Archer’s role in regeneration of England’s white-ball set-up, his experience in the dressing room will be just as vital as his skills. He turns 30 next April and has two World Cups under his belt, alongside franchise experience across five different overseas competitions. This particular return to action comes with added responsibility.”I’m one of three senior players, two World Cup winners,” he said, referring to his long-time team-mate Adil Rashid, who is a dual-format champion following his part in the 2022 T20 World Cup success. “So yes and no.”A lot of the guys who are in and around, yeah, they didn’t play in 2019, but a lot played just after. They have been around and have played big roles for their counties. It’s not like you are babysitting anyone here. Everybody looks after themselves, and Brooky [stand-in captain Harry Brook] looks after everyone.”It’s weird seeing the team change. Just the other day I was playing warm-up football on the young side and a couple of weeks later I’m on the old team. It’s been a bit of a shock, but everybody is looking forward.”

Surrey saw their romp towards a third consecutive Division One title lose a little momentum as they were forced to settle for a draw against relegation-threatened Nottinghamshire in the Vitality County Championship at Trent Bridge.On a day when their teenage off-spinner Farhan Ahmed’s 10-wicket match haul claimed a 159-year-old record set by no less a cricketing legend than WG Grace, the home side, who had been set a target of 298 to win from a minimum 48 overs when Surrey declared at 177 for nine in their second innings, were 121 without loss when the sides shook hands on a draw at 5pm, openers Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater having each made half-centuries.The result means that Surrey’s lead of 35 points at the start of this round of matches, after winning seven of their previous eight matches, is cut to 24 thanks to Somerset’s victory over Durham at Taunton. Surrey and Somerset meet at Taunton next week.At the other end of the table, after Warwickshire and Worcestershire both won, the points taken for the draw – a merit worthy achievement after trailing by 120 on first innings – leaves Nottinghamshire 10 points ahead of Lancashire in the battle to avoid being relegated alongside Kent. All sides have three matches to come.Rory Burns made 71 to go with his first-innings 161 with Liam Patterson-White finishing with five for 94 before the declaration came, but the Nottinghamshire left-arm spinner’s achievement was again upstaged by his young team-mate Ahmed, with whom he shared all 53 overs of the Surrey second innings.Already in the record books on his Championship debut as the youngest player to bag five wickets or more in a first-class match in Britain, he achieved another mark of distinction, arguably even more prestigious, when he claimed Jordan Clark as his 10th wicket of the match.This enabled him to replace Grace as the youngest to take 10 or more wickets in a first-class match in Britain – in fact anywhere other than in South Asia.Grace returned the extraordinary match figures of 13 for 84 – on his first-class debut – for Gentlemen of the South against Players of the South at the Oval in June 1865, at the age of 16 years 340 days.With a match analysis of 10 for 247 at the age of 16 years and 192 days, Ahmed lowers the record by 148 days. He bowled a staggering 76.4 overs in the match, which may be a record in itself for a debut appearance.Surrey, who had missed out on a fourth first-innings batting point that seemed theirs for the taking, arguably made another mistake when they declared just shy of an hour after lunch.The timing meant Nottinghamshire would have to score at more than six runs per over to win the contest on a pitch that had yielded at barely three-and-a-half all game, with the Kookaburra ball reportedly hard to get away on a slow surface.Surrey were banking on England off-spinner Will Jacks, who had matched Ahmed by taking seven first-innings wickets, and leg-spinner Cam Steel to exploit the fourth-day pitch but Hameed and Slater were rarely troubled as neither could find a way through.Earlier, Surrey had advanced from 13 for one overnight to 104 for four by lunch, playing in light for that period so gloomy that bowling spin was the only option for Nottinghamshire skipper Hameed.A second-wicket stand worth 57 was broken by Patterson-White, who induced a miscue to short midwicket by Ryan Patel, following up by turning one sharply to bowl Will Jacks three balls later.Patterson-White had Burns dropped at square leg on 39, after which the Surrey captain’s stop-start dithering over a single into the offside off Ahmed saw new partner Ben Foakes run out by Hameed’s throw to keeper Kyle Verreynne.As the tempo increased after lunch, with Surrey now chasing runs for the declaration, Ahmed completed his 10 for the match by bowling Burns and having Clark caught behind in a botched scoop attempt.Patterson-White raised his five for the innings by having Sai Sudharsan caught at deep midwicket and bowling Conor McKerr and Tom Lawes, for his pains getting clubbed for two meaty sixes by Dan Worrall before Burns signalled the declaration.

Sussex Sharks secured a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast after thrashing Middlesex by nine wickets in front of a sell-out crowd at Hove.They leapfrogged Somerset, who lost heavily to Glamorgan in Cardiff, and back into second place after securing a ninth win in the South Group and will host the team who finish third in the North in the last eight when the competition resumes in September.The pitch at the 1st Central County Ground was being used for the third time but Middlesex’s 159 for 9 never looked like being enough and conditions were put into perspective by Sussex openers Harrison Ward and the Australian left-hander Daniel Hughes, who put on 141 in 15.1 overs, Sussex’s fourth highest stand for any wicket in T20.Hughes is now the top scorer in what is his debut season in the Blast after taking his aggregate to 560 runs with an unbeaten 96 while Ward, who had been drafted into the Hundred for the first time with Oval Invincibles earlier in the day, celebrated by easing to his third half-century in this season’s competition.Apart from a mix-up which nearly ended in Hughes being run out, the Sussex pair did much as they pleased until Ward was caught at deep mid-wicket for 56 (42 balls, 5 fours, 1 six).Hughes faced just 54 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes – the third to win the game with 22 deliveries to spare as he equalled his T20 career-best with his fourth fifty.Some disciplined bowling had set Sussex up. They had reduced Middlesex to 22 for 3 by the third over with Ollie Robinson picking up a wicket with the first ball of his first two overs. The dangerous Leus du Plooy was superbly caught at short-cover by Daniel Hughes and Danny Lamb produced an even better effort to remove Max Holden, flinging himself to his left to hang on to a full-blooded slash at backward point.Later in the same over Lamb put down a much more straightforward chance to reprieve Jack Davies on nought and had to go off with an injury to his right shoulder. It left Sussex a bowler light but slow left-armer James Coles (2 for 28) and off-spinner Jack Carson (2 for 23) strangled Middlesex’s attempts to accelerate, although Davies celebrated his reprieve by making 52.Davies hit four boundaries in an over off Scott Currie and also swiped three sixes but Carson got him in the 14th over courtesy of one of three catches on the mid-wicket boundary by Tom Clark.Luke Hollman made 28 at the end but Hughes and Ward soon had Sussex’s chase under control as Middlesex finished another disappointing campaign second from bottom after winning just three games.

India will host Bangladesh, New Zealand and England during their 2024-25 home season, in which they will play five Tests, three ODIs and eight T20Is.The season will kick off on September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Chennai will host the first Test and Kanpur will host the second Test from September 27. This will be Bangladesh’s third Test tour to India. They played a one-off Test in 2017 and a two-match series in 2019.After the Test series, Bangladesh will play three T20Is as well, in Dharamsala, Delhi and Hyderabad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand will be the next to visit, for a three-match Test series starting on October 16 in Bengaluru. Pune and Mumbai will host the second and third Tests, respectively.Just before Champions Trophy 2025, England will tour for five T20Is and three ODIs. They had visited India earlier this year for a five-match Test series, which the hosts won 4-1.The Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand will count towards India’s push to qualify for their third successive World Test Championship final. They currently lead the WTC 2023-25 standings with six wins in nine Tests and a points total of 74, or 68.51% of their points contested. Other than these two home series, India’s remaining WTC assignment in this cycle is a five-Test tour of second-placed Australia in 2024-25.

Rehan Ahmed has been ruled out of any further participation on the England Lions tour of Australia after suffering a right lower leg strain during the Ashes warm-up match against England in Perth.Legspinner Rehan batted at No. 5 for the Lions, making 16 off 41 balls on day one before becoming one of six wickets for England captain, Ben Stokes. He played no part with the ball, or in the Lions’ second innings, with the ECB announcing afterwards that he would return home to begin his recovery.Related

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• Anderson says 'weak' Australia are still Ashes favourites

Rehan had signed up to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025-26 BBL, but the BBC reported that the injury was not expected to impact his involvement in the competition, which starts in a month’s time.England Lions are scheduled to play another four-day match at Lilac Hill, against a Cricket Australia XI, next week, before a one-off unofficial Test against Australia A in December. The Lions are also expected to be involved in a pink-ball tour game between England and the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra between the first and second Ashes Tests.It had been speculated that Rehan, who missed out on selection as the second spinner in the main Ashes squad to Will Jacks, could stay on with England after the Lions programme concluded.

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi has doubled down on his refusal to give India, the winners of the Asia Cup, the trophy unless the team accepts it from him in person.”As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now,” Naqvi said in a post on X. “If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”Naqvi’s statement follows the most recent ACC meeting, which he chaired in Dubai on Tuesday. The BCCI, represented by vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former board treasurer Ashish Shelar, attended remotely. It is understood no resolution was reached on whether Suryakumar Yadav’s team would be handed the trophy and the winners’ medals.In the minutes following the Asia Cup final on Sunday, there was a standoff between the Indian team and Naqvi, who is also the PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, that delayed the presentation ceremony for more than an hour. The Indian captain and team refused to accept the trophy and medals from Naqvi, who had made his way on to the podium. Ultimately, Kuldeep Yadav, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, while the trophy was carried off by an ACC official. India ended up celebrating on stage, but without the trophy or winners’ medals.The standoff was the culmination of an acrimonious relationship between India and Pakistan throughout the Asia Cup. India refused to shake hands with any of the Pakistan players on the field, either before the toss or after the games – a stance Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha repeatedly criticised them for. After the first India-Pakistan game in the Asia Cup on September 14, India captain Suryakumar Yadav made comments that ended up costing him an ICC charge and 30% of his match fee.In the second game on September 21, Haris Rauf’s gestures to the crowd cost him a similar monetary fine. Following the second game, Suryakumar suggested that the lopsided win-loss record between the two sides meant it wasn’t a rivalry anymore, before India won a thrilling final against Pakistan – the first ever India-Pakistan clash in an Asia Cup final.With the Indian and Pakistani men’s teams having played in the Asia Cup on three successive Sundays, the women’s teams are set to face each other in the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup in Colombo on October 5.

Afghanistan completed their third successive ODI series win against Bangladesh, all in the last three years, as they defended a modest 190 in the second ODI in Abu Dhabi. It was the lowest first-innings total at the Zayed Cricket Stadium but in response, Bangladesh folded for a mere 109.Just like the first ODI, the Azmatullah Omarzai and Rashid Khan combination wrecked Bangladesh. Omarzai took three early wickets before Rashid’s 5 for 17 blew away the Bangladesh middle and lower order. It was his sixth five-wicket haul in ODIs.Afghanistan’s series win is a comeback after their early exit from the Asia Cup and the 3-0 loss in the T20I series against Bangladesh. Even though they dropped a few experienced players for the series, they had plenty of top performers in the side.Ibrahim Zadran’s 95 was an invaluable contribution, especially when the rest of their batters couldn’t muster up enough runs. Omarzai failed with the bat but showed his worth by contributing with the ball. He did the early damage by having Tanzid Hasan caught at fine leg when the left-hand opener top-edged in the first over. Najmul Hossain Shanto was next to go, run out trying to complete a second run.Saif Hassan once again threw away a good start. He made 22 off 23 balls but having hit Omarzai for a four and a six of the previous two balls, he went for the uppercut and was pouched by Bashir Ahmad at the deep third. Omarzai’s third wicket was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was trapped lbw for 4.Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with 95 off 140 balls•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Towhid Hridoy offered a semblance of hope before playing a needless slog sweep against Rashid to be bowled in the 17th over. He made 24 with four boundaries, but the dismissal betrayed his earlier approach. Nurul Hasan played the same shot in the 23rd over and missed the googly. He, too, was bowled.Next ball, Rashid had Tanzim Hasan Sakib lbw. Rishad Hossain used the review to deny Rashid the hat-trick after he too was ruled out lbw. Jaker Ali fell in the following over as Bangladesh lost three wickets without adding a run. Tanvir Islam fell for a duck, lbw to Rashid, before Rishad was stumped in the 28th over.Earlier, Zadran held Afghanistan’s innings together after they decided to bat. He made 95 off 140 balls with only four boundaries while wickets kept tumbling at the other end. He started with a straight six off Mehidy before hitting two more fours within the first 13 overs. His only other boundary came in the 30th over but his strike rotation kept Afghanistan going for most of the innings. He fell in the 44th over when Mehidy had him caught at deep midwicket.Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal paid for their aggression, falling inside the first nine overs. Rahmat Shah’s calf injury, too, disrupted Afghanistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai also fell cheaply, and in quick succession, to leave Afghanistan at 79 4.Mohammad Nabi and Nangeyalia Kharote offered a bit of support to Zadran before No. 10 AM Ghazanfar, whose 22 consisted of two fours and a six, helped the side get closer to 200.