In setting an England record of scoring 50 in 11 successive Tests despite having to face the new ball again, Root showed demands of leadership lie easy with himNestled within Joe Root’s serene cruise to a 13th Test century was an England record that has stood for 46 years. At 5.10pm, with the sun still shining in Birmingham and the fuchsia pink Duke ball just 34 overs young, he swished a cut off Jason Holder over the slips for four. Related: England v West Indies: day-night Test at Edgbaston, day one – live! Continue reading...
Two batting places are up for grabs in Test series against West Indies as selectors search for settled line-up in time for the Ashes in AustraliaIt is quite an achievement to beat South Africa for the first time in two decades in this country with what was to all intents a nine-man side. England were dependent on their old guard for victory while those seeking to establish a place in the side were unable to make telling contributions.The combination of Liam Dawson, Gary Ballance and Dawid Malan mustered 138 runs in 12 innings in this series – though one should not discount Dawson’s five wickets. At the top of the order Keaton Jennings scored 127 runs in eight visits to...
England all-rounder dismisses Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in two balls to leave South Africa on the brink of defeat in the third Test at The OvalAfter seeing what was arguably the most complete of his five Test centuries to date bumped off the back pages by some both‑barrelled delight at Toby Roland-Jones on the second day, Ben Stokes was damned if he was not going to get his moment in the sun this match.And so, on a day when England’s batsmen tightened their grip during the first two sessions before the bowlers punched four almighty holes in South Africa’s hopes of a draw, Stokes made sure he was front and centre. Related: England turn screw on South...
Innings of 184 not out started scratchily but soon developed into something startling and special by England’s new leaderAs Joe Root and Ben Stokes punched and clipped their way towards a recuperative century stand on a heavy, woozy afternoon at Lord’s it was, as ever, easy to forget the presence of pretty much anything else beyond those high Victorian garden walls. There were gurgles of pleasure around the basking bleachers; a parade of triumphantly bared male lower-leg beneath pleated chino shorts in the garden behind the pavilion; and everywhere the standard, quietly fevered consumption of jugs, pints and flutes.It was, though, simply a prelude to the main action, a genuinely startling innings from Root that decorated the opening day of...
For all the bold talk when the Yorkshireman was appointed, the squad for his first game as England captain against South Africa hints at a pragmatic approachNow for something completely different: white kit, red ball and a week in the same hotel. It is finally Test match time. The first one against South Africa starts at Lord’s on Thursday and then there will be six more this summer inside eight weeks. Related: Gary Ballance recalled to England Test team against South Africa Related: Joe Root can bring aggression to England captaincy in new big-hitting era | Vic Marks Related: Joe Root was not always earmarked for England captaincy but rarely shirks a test | The Spin Continue reading...