England

Daryl Mitchell has been promoted to become chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) after filling the role on an interim basis for the last six months. Mitchell, who scored 39 first-class hundreds and captained Worcestershire, spent four years as PCA chair from 2017-21 before becoming director of cricket operations and then chief operating

James Vince has quit first-class cricket for 2025 in a move that will enable him to play in the Pakistan Super League despite the ECB’s new policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs). Vince will continue to lead Hampshire’s T20 side but has stepped down as club captain after nine seasons in charge, and will play no

Australia keep finding a way to beat England, thanks in large part to the brilliance of Alana King and the bowlers, but the legspinner feels the batting group can make some adjustments ahead of the third ODI in Hobart after an extraordinary collapse almost cost them the game in Melbourne on Tuesday. Australia hold a

England slumped from 68 for 2 and 120 for 5 to be bowled out 21 short of Australia’s 180. Their shot selection and execution was so woeful that Australia could afford to drop four catches and still win. There was a moment late in the match that will be scrutinised when set batter Amy Jones

Saqib Mahmood has been forced to miss an England training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of their white-ball series in India due to a delay in securing his visa. The ECB expects that the issue will be resolved before the rest of the team travel to Kolkata on Friday ahead of Wednesday’s first T20I but

English players are seeking clarity from the ECB over whether they will be granted No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) after they were signed to play in the PSL at Monday’s draft in Lahore. Players reacted furiously in late November when the ECB announced a new policy on NOCs, which chief executive Richard Gould said was designed to

James Anderson will resume his professional playing career and could play his first T20 game in more than a decade after agreeing a one-year contract extension with Lancashire. Anderson has not played since his farewell Test appearance against West Indies in July, subsequently joining England’s backroom staff as a consultant. Having spoken of his desire

England are wary of a “scarred” Australia team determined to overcome the empty celebration of a drawn Ashes series in 2023 and win this edition outright. Heather Knight, England’s captain, led her side back from six points down at home last year to level the contest at eight points each by winning both white-ball legs.

James Anderson looks set to make a professional comeback in Division Two of the County Championship next season, after it was revealed he is in talks with Lancashire about an all-format return that will take his career past his 43rd birthday. Anderson played his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s in July

Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael, is set to follow in his father’s footsteps later this month, after being asked to lead England Under-19s on their tour of South Africa. England’s Young Lions are due to play three youth one-day internationals and two youth Tests against South Africa Under-19s, from January 17. It

Players from Australia and England have called for future multi-format Women’s Ashes series to include three Test matches, although the chances of that becoming a reality are slim, certainly in the next four years. In the upcoming series, the one-off Test – a four-day match under floodlights at the MCG – will be played as

Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, has described himself as “the Bionic Man” after undergoing scheduled surgery on his torn left hamstring. Stokes, 33, suffered a recurrence of the injury while bowling during England’s third Test against New Zealand in December, having first torn his hamstring while batting for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals in the

Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has rejected calls from a group of British politicians for England to boycott their upcoming Champions Trophy clash with Afghanistan in February, saying that the Taliban regime’s clampdown on women’s rights is a matter that requires a “co-ordinated, ICC-led, response” rather than unilateral action from individual countries. England are

Ryana MacDonald-Gay has earned her place in England’s Women’s Ashes Test squad after making a successful debut in South Africa this month. MacDonald-Gay, the 20-year-old seam bowler, has played two ODIs and one T20I after making her international debut on England’s tour of Ireland in September. She impressed both captain Heather Knight and South Africa’s

Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, has vowed he has “blood, sweat and tears” left to give to the team, after being ruled out of all cricket for three months following a recurrence of his torn left hamstring during the third Test against New Zealand last month. Stokes, 33, was forced to leave the field during

Adil Rashid retains his place as England’s premier spinner, with back-up likely to come from Root, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell, who has been selected for his first major tournament, having last month been handed a two-year ECB central contract in recognition of his rapid rise to prominence. Rehan Ahmed, Rashid’s heir apparent, will travel

Ian Botham has been elected as honorary president of Durham, after completing a seven-year term as the club chair, with Phil Collins, his vice-chair, stepping into the role with immediate effect. Botham, who was appointed in 2017 having played for Durham in the club’s maiden seasons as a first-class county in 1992 and 1993, attracted

Bethell rounded out an impressive maiden series with 76 on the final day of the third and final Test, as New Zealand thrashed the tourists by 423 runs to claim a consolation win. It was his third half-century of the tour – all of them in the second innings of games. He finishes the Crowe-Thorpe

Lisa Keightley has been appointed as the new head coach of the Northern Superchargers women’s team. Keightley, who was England Women’s head coach from 2019 to 2022, replaces Dani Hazell, who is leaving Superchargers at the end of her contract, after four years with the team. “The opportunity to be Head Coach of Northern Superchargers

Rocky Flintoff has been handed an official call-up to the England Lions squad for next month’s tour of Australia, where his fortunes will once again be overseen by his father, Andrew. Flintoff, 16, was a last-minute addition to the Lions’ trip to South Africa earlier this month – his father’s maiden tour as head coach

Stokes pulled up on day three as New Zealand racked up 453 in their second innings, setting England a target of 658. The 33-year-old will have a scan on Wednesday morning in Hamilton and had his left thigh heavily strapped as he sat out the final day’s play, in which England were dismissed for 234,

Lunch England 143 and 193 for 5 (Atkinson 19*, Pope 17*) need a further 465 to beat New Zealand 347 and 453 New Zealand claimed three wickets before lunch on day four at Seddon Park as they closed in on a thumping win over England in the third and final Test. Jacob Bethell produced further

If there were loyalty cards in Test cricket, Matt Henry would be in line for a free Zak Crawley. Henry bagged Crawley for the sixth time this series – and eighth overall – late on day three in Hamilton, as England went to stumps on 18 for 2, chasing a ridiculous 658. An earlier lbw

Tea New Zealand 347 and 274 for 4 (Williamson 123*, Mitchell 18*) lead England 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7, O’Rourke 3-33) by 478 runs Kane Williamson‘s century stretched New Zealand’s lead to 478 runs at tea on a rain-hit third day in Hamilton when England were forced to sweat on the fitness of their captain, Ben

England men’s last overseas Test before the 2025-26 Ashes takes place in Hamilton this week – but Ben Stokes has urged his team not to get distracted by next winter’s assignment in Australia. The warning comes as England prepare for their final Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park this week – their 17th of

Lunch England 54 for 2 (Root 15*, Bethell 7*) trail New Zealand 347 (Santner 76, Latham 63, Potts 4-90, Atkinson 3-66) by 293 runs Matt Henry removed both England openers as New Zealand enjoyed the better of the second morning in Hamilton. Henry continued his hold over Zak Crawley, dismissing him for the fifth time

ECB chief executive Richard Gould is confident the Hundred will generate enough money to future-proof the County game for the next “20 to 25 years” after multiple bids were tabled for each of the eight teams earlier this week, in the second round of the equity sales process. Having received over 100 bids from 35

Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, says English cricket must not apologise for attracting the world’s best men’s players, as he faced down claims from the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) that Thursday’s upheaval to the Hundred’s pay structure for the 2025 season will only benefit overseas players. Top salaries in the men’s Hundred will rise

Toss England chose to bowl vs New Zealand England have won the toss and chosen to bowl first in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park. Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead, England are seeking to sweep the series and boost their record to 10 wins from 17 Tests this

Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer have been handed full ECB central contracts for the first time, while a senior core of seven players – including captain Heather Knight and senior allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, have been given two-year deals, ahead of a busy women’s schedule that includes the Ashes in January and back-to-back 20- and 50-over