Ben Stokes will not be bringing the Ashes urn back home after a fifth-day washout in Manchester but the captain believes his England side have played their way into the nation’s hearts.
Relentless rain at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday ruined England’s hopes of putting the finishing touches to a dominant performance in the fourth Test, with five of the last six sessions in the match lost without a single ball bowled.
That was enough for Australia to get out of jail with five wickets in hand, retaining the Ashes with an unassailable 2-1 lead despite being beaten at Headingley and roundly outclassed in the first three days here.
Fans on both sides of the rivalry will now be denied the spectacle of a blockbuster series finale at the Kia Oval, but Stokes is confident his team’s thrill-a-minute style has already secured a place in the game’s folkore.
England have recast themselves as foot-to-the-floor entertainers in the ‘Bazball’ era, drawing in new fans and taking the Test format into places it has not been since the beloved summer of 2005.
“It’s a tough one to take, a tough pill to swallow. We were completely and utterly dominant throughout the hours of play we had, but the weather didn’t help us and we can’t change that,” Stokes said.
“If this game went without rain we probably would have been favourites to be sat here at 2-2 and I think that would have elevated everything that this series has already done for Test cricket.
“But I think what we’ve managed to do has already done wonders for cricket in England. I said in the dressing room that the reward for your work isn’t what you get, it’s what you become. And I think what we’ve managed to become is a team that people will remember.
“We’ve become a team that have been so unbelievably well followed and we will live long in the memories of those who have watched us.
“As much as I would love to be an Ashes-winning captain, I want this team to be a legacy team. Regardless of how the series ends up, people will always talk about us.”
Stokes refused to fumble for distractions, brushing aside questions about reserve days and the tradition of the holders having the right to retain in a draw series.
“Test cricket is five days. I don’t ever see there being a reserve day in a series like this,” he said.
“This is the way it’s always been. We know we can’t get the urn back but we can draw the series and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”
There is precious little time for Stokes to rally his troops for that challenge, with the fifth and final Test starting on Thursday.
Whether England can carry their momentum through remains to be seen, but the prospect of denying Australia a first series win on these shores since 2001 is a motivation in its own right.
“We have to get over the disappointment and focus on that game,” Stokes said. “It is a massive one for us and we know 2-2 sounds a lot better than 3-1.
“The mentality and mindset within this dressing room is to go out and win. Every time we walk out on the field that’s all I encourage the players to do, just concentrate on what you need to do as an individual to influence a game in the right way.
“There’s no doubt if we’d managed to get a result in this game next week would have been a very, very special week in the history of English cricket, not just Ashes cricket. But we’ll be treating it as we do every other game.
“We’re always putting our front foot forward and trying to press the game as hard as we possibly can. As a captain that’s something that makes me very proud as a leader of the 10 other guys out there.”
RCB secures sixth win in a row to eliminate CSK and advance to playoffs
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru held their nerve to secure their sixth win in a row with a 27-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday to book a spot in the Indian Premier League playoffs.
The Super Kings entered Saturday’s game in fourth place on 14 points while RCB were fifth on 12 needing to win by at least 18 runs to overtake their opponents and seal the final playoff spot.
CSK won the toss and decided to put RCB in to bat and that decision looked like the wrong one after openers Virat Kohli and Captain Faf Du Plessis put on a quick 31 off three overs before a quick drop of rain brought a halt to proceedings.
Play eventually started back and the pair brought the score up to 78 in the 10th over before Kohli fell for 47.
The wicket didn’t bring much help to CSK as Du Plessis and Rajat Patidar brought the fire to the Super Kings bowlers to bring the score up to 113 in the 13th before the skipper fell for a top score of 54.
Patidar and new batsman Cameron Green then put on 71 for the forth wicket to further put the Super Kings bowlers to the sword.
In the end, RCB reached 218-5 from their 20 overs. Patidar was eventually dismissed for 41 off 23 balls including two fours and four sixes while Green finished 38* off 17 balls including three fours and three sixes.
CSK, needing at least 200 to advance to the playoffs, fell agonizingly short at 191-7 from their 20 overs.
Rachin Ravindra led the way with 61 while Ravindra Jadeja made 42* against 2-42 from Yash Dayal.
CSK entered the final over, bowled by Dayal, needing 17 to qualify to the playoffs. Captain MS Dhoni smashed the first ball out the ground before he was dismissed off the second ball.
Dayal then held his nerve to concede only one run off the next four balls and seal RCB’s spot in the last four.
Full scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 218-5 off 20 overs (Faf Du Plessis 54, Virat Kohli 47, Rajat Patidar 41, Cameron Green 38*, Shardul Thakur 2-61)
Chennai Super Kings 191-7 off 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 61, Ravindra Jadeja 42*, Ajinkya Rahane 33, Ms Dhoni 25, Yash Dayal 2-42)
CWI President congratulates Hayley Matthews on ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award
Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, has extended congratulations to West Indies captain Hayley Matthews for being named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2024.
Matthews’ exceptional all-round performances against Pakistan earned her this prestigious accolade for the third time, a testament to her consistent excellence on the international stage.
She amassed 325 runs in the ODI series at a remarkable average of 162.5 and took six wickets. In the T20I series, she continued her stellar form, scoring 126 runs at an average of 42 and securing six wickets. Her outstanding contributions earned her four Player of the Match awards and the Player of the Series title in the ODIs.
President Shallow praised Matthews' achievements, stating, “Hayley continues to be an inspiration and a beacon of excellence for West Indies cricket. Her dedication, skills, and leadership are evident in her performances, and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”
Matthews edged out strong competition from South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu to claim the award. Her latest triumph adds to her previous wins in November 2021 and October 2023, making her one of the most decorated players in this category. Only Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award more times than Matthews.
Reflecting on CWI’s commitment to women's cricket, Dr. Shallow remarked, “CWI’s continuous efforts to support and develop women’s cricket are yielding remarkable results. Hayley’s success is a clear indicator of the growth and potential of women’s cricket in the West Indies. We remain steadfast in our mission to provide our female cricketers with the best opportunities to excel.”
President Shallow also emphasized the broader impact of Matthews' success: “Hayley’s achievements not only bring pride to West Indies cricket but also inspire young girls across the Caribbean to pursue their dreams in the sport. Her journey is a powerful narrative of what can be achieved when desire meets hard work and determination.”
CWI remains committed to fostering the development of women’s cricket through robust programs, dedicated support, and investment in talent. The success of players like Hayley Matthews showcases the progress being made and the bright future of women’s cricket in the region.
Ambrose bullish on West Indies’ chances at T20 World Cup
West Indies great and ICC Hall of Famer Curtly Ambrose believes his former team have enough talent to win an unprecedented third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title next month.
While the West Indies are just one of the two sides to have won multiple men’s T20 World Cup titles, the Caribbean team will need to overturn some poor form at recent ICC tournaments, if they are to become the only three-time winner of the event.
The West Indies didn't make it out of the first round of the most recent T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and failed to even qualify for last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.
But Ambrose thinks the West Indies' fortunes are turning under skipper Rovman Powell and pointed to T20I series successes over powerhouses South Africa, India, and England in the last 14 months as evidence of this.
These returns have the legendary fast bowler confident of a strong showing from the West Indies in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, an event they will co-host with the USA.
"We have a very, very good team. As we speak they (West Indies players) are in Antigua at a camp preparing themselves for the start of the T20 World Cup which is a couple of weeks away," Ambrose said while speaking at the launch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York earlier this week.
"I believe once the guys start playing consistent cricket and smart cricket, I believe we can take the trophy. It is not going to be easy, but we are one of only two nations to have won it twice so we are going to try and make it three. And no other nation has ever won it on home soil, so all that is motivation for the guys to do well and I am hoping they can do it,” he added.
The West Indies are drawn in Group C at the T20 World Cup and face the champions of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier Papua New Guinea first up in Guyana on June 2, before their remaining opening round fixtures against Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Ambrose expects to see some upsets at this year's edition of the T20 World Cup as he knows every side has plenty of talented players at their disposal.
"I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20 World Cup) and I am looking forward to them doing well. As a proud Antiguan and being from the West Indies, I want the West Indies to win,” he said.
"It is not going to be easy because in T20 cricket every team has an equal chance of beating any other team and that is just the nature of T20 cricket. It is going to be exciting, but I am going to be rooting for the West Indies,” Ambrose ended.
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