Australia captain Pat Cummins led his side to a remarkable two-wicket victory in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston, holding his nerve in a heart-pounding chase that left Ben Stokes and his England team distraught.
The shadow of the famous 2005 Test between the old rivals had loomed large over this final day but where England edged that one in a dramatic two-run win, Cummins exorcised some of those ghosts as he ushered the tourists home amid unbearable pressure.
Cummins made an outstanding, unbeaten 44 as he led a match-winning stand of 55 with number 10 Nathan Lyon, who clung on for 16 not out. Between them they ensured Australia successfully completed their second highest chase in England conditions, reaching a target of 281 that had seemed beyond them less than an hour earlier.
Stokes looked to have dealt the decisive blow when he landed the key wicket of Usman Khawaja, defying the aches and pains of his chronic knee problems to dismiss the man who seemed to hold the result in his hands.
But the England skipper’s Midas touch evaded him when he leapt to pluck an outrageous one-handed catch out of the sky, only for the ball to slip through his fingers as he fell to earth. Lyon, on two at the time, was able to breathe again and kept his captain company until the climax.
The end came in agonising fashion at 7.20pm – 80 minutes after the scheduled close due to morning rain – when Cummins steered the ball to deep third and a sprawling Harry Brook parried the ball for four.
England were hampered by Moeen Ali’s badly blistered finger, with the first choice spinner barely able to contribute after sneaking the wicket of Travis Head in his first over. It was a gamble England had taken when they asked a player two years into his Test retirement to step into the breach and it left them leaning heavily on Joe Root’s occasional off-breaks.
More surprising was the peripheral performance of record wicket-taker James Anderson, not used at all in the final session as he watched the game slip away from the outfield.
But those questions, alongside those over Jonny Bairstow’s missed chances as wicketkeeper and Stokes’ day one declaration, must wait for another time.
Heavy overnight rain and morning showers kept the players in the dressing rooms until 2.15pm, more than three hours after the scheduled start, but there was still just enough time to create an Ashes classic.
The opening session was something of a false dawn, with Australia nudging defensively to add 76 runs for the loss of two wickets. Stuart Broad got Edgbaston rocking when he had nightwatchman Scott Boland caught behind and Moeen nipped out Head, but with Khawaja bedding in for another long stay the real drama was still ahead.
With 98 runs needed in 38 overs and five wickets in hand there was a week’s worth of heart-stopping moments ahead. With Moeen off the field at the start of the concluding session, Root was charged with holding up the one end while Robinson attacked from the other. The tension was tangible as he ploughed away in the channel outside off stump, searching for a lapse.
And then it came. Tailing one in from wide on the crease, Robinson cramped Cameron Green for space and watched as he dragged down his stumps. Robinson thrust his arms out to the side, twirled in circles and bellowed in triumph.
The game had taken another big swing, but Khawaja’s continued presence increasingly seemed the deciding issue. After a final one-over burst from Moeen went awry, Stokes stepped up to take his turn from the Pavilion End.
His introduction sent another wave of energy through the crowd and within two overs he had worked his magic. Attacking from round the wicket he spread his fingers across the ball, taking pace out of the delivery as it skidded through low.
That was finally enough to trump Khawaja’s defiance, with the opener playing on into middle stump. England’s fielders were ecstatic but the two key protagonists barely reacted, Khawaja momentarily frozen at the crease and Stokes offering little more than a grimace.
His gambler’s instinct kicked in when he delayed the second new ball to extend Root’s spell and paid dividends when the part-timer picked up Alex Carey with a rapid return catch in front of his face.
With 54 needed and two tail-end wickets in hand, it looked too much for Australia. But they came again as Cummins hammered Root for two sixes, an abrupt end to his day’s work and vitally important runs.
The pendulum swung again as Broad returned and Lyon clubbed hooked a short ball high towards square-leg. Stokes threw himself into the air and seemed for a split-second to have taken a sensational one-handed catch – but it slipped through his fingers and the captain sat disconsolate on his haunches before reluctantly returning to his feet.
With 27 needed England finally unwrapped the new ball, only for Lyon to punch Broad through mid-off for four. The target dropped into the teens when Cummins flashed Robinson for four through cover – Pope briefly sensing a chance but failing to get a finger on it.
England’s record wicket-taker Anderson was overlooked in the closing moments, with Stokes trusting the final moments to Broad and Robinson. With Cummins controlling the chase with commendable coolness, England were desperate to get at the more vulnerable Lyon.
When he stepped inside the line and hit Broad over mid-on, it felt like hope had gone and Cummins sealed victory, leaving England to wonder what might have been.
Greaves’ maiden century powers Windies to control on day two as Bangladesh reeling at 40-2
West Indies took firm control of their opening Test match against Bangladesh as Justin Greaves’ maiden century piloted the Caribbean side to a mammoth first innings total of 450-9 declared at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.
The hosts then restricted Bangladesh to 40-2 at the close of day two, leaving the visitors with a steep challenge ahead as they look to recover from a poor start.
Mominul Haque, not out on 7, and Shahadat Hossain, unbeaten on 10, will resume on Sunday with Bangladesh at 40-2, still trailing by 410 runs.
Greaves, who enjoyed sublime form in the Super50 Cup with three consecutive centuries, continued that rich vein of form with an unbeaten 115 that anchored West Indies’ innings and ensured a daunting total on the board.
The 30-year-old’s knock, which lasted just over six hours, had only four boundaries and was crucial in reviving the innings after a mid-session slump.
Scores: West Indies 450-9 dec; Bangladesh 40-2
West Indies resumed the day at 250-5 with Greaves on 11, and Joshua da Silva, 14, looking to consolidate their position. However, early breakthroughs from Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud threatened to derail the West Indies’ momentum.
Mahmud struck in the first session, removing da Silva without addition to his overnight score, and Alzarri Joseph (four), who also fell cheaply to leave West Indies at a precarious 261-7.
At that point, the Bangladesh bowlers seemed poised to bowl the Caribbean side down for a score under 300, but Greaves and veteran pacer Kemar Roach had other ideas.
The two Barbadians countered the pressure with patience, building a partnership of 140 runs for the eighth wicket that pushed West Indies past the 400-run mark.
Roach, who had previously struggled with the bat in Tests, made 47—his highest Test score in his 15-year career. He batted for over four hours, frustrating the Bangladesh bowlers with steady defence and timely strokes.
Together, Roach and Greaves weathered the storm, forcing Bangladesh to toil longer and harder than expected. Greaves, in particular, looked in complete control, while Roach’s composed knock provided vital support.
West Indies then made quick inroads in Bangladesh’s reply and reduced the visitors to 2-21, with both openers back in the pavilion cheaply. Alzarri Joseph was the first to strike, removing Mahmudul Hasan Joy for just five runs before Jayden Seales cleaned up Zakir Hasan for 15.
With Bangladesh struggling at 2-21, it seemed as though West Indies were on the brink of another quick domination as they sought to dismiss the Bangladesh top-order cheaply. However, Mominul Haque and Shahadat Hossain managed to negotiate the remainder of the day without further loss.
Australia have 'serious work to do' against India, McSweeney concedes
Nathan McSweeney conceded Australia have "serious work to do" if they are to get back into the first Test against India.
The Baggy Greens trail by 218 runs heading into day three in Perth after an unbroken century partnership of Yashasvi Jaiswal (90) and KL Rahul (62) put the tourists well in control at 172-0 at stumps.
Though they resumed at 67-7, Australia could only add another 37 runs and were bowled out for 104.
McSweeney acknowledged the hosts must improve, and quickly.
"It definitely hasn't gone to plan in the past couple of days," he told ABC. "We've got some serious work to do to get back into this Test. It looks like it is getting easier to bat, so hopefully we get early wickets tomorrow and get batting.
"It is definitely a new-ball wicket. All the damage was done before we could get through to the 35-40-over mark with the bat, so the trick will be nullifying the new ball and having batters in for the 40-80-over mark."
Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann added: "It was a tough day, but hats off to the two Indian batters. They were excellent today and weathered the storm, and they got to the stage where they could take the game on.
"India are well ahead of the game. The wicket has settled down a little bit, but that is more because the Australia bowlers were tired from the first innings and having to bat two hours today."
Matthews, Molineux propel Renegades to WBBL summit after dominant nine-wicket win over Thunder
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews put on a batting masterclass, smashing an unbeaten 60 off just 37 balls to power the Melbourne Renegades to a commanding nine-wicket victory over the Sydney Thunder at Melbourne's Junction Oval on Friday.
The win catapulted the Renegades to the top of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) standings and once again highlighted their title ambitions as they continue to enjoy fairly decent form. In fact, they required only 14.2 overs to easily get to 137-1, surpassing the Thunders modest total of 133.
Another West Indies star, Deandra Dottin, also played a pivotal role in the victory, chipping in with a tidy spell of 2-24 in 3.1 overs to help restrict the Thunder, with Renegades spinner Sophie Molineux delivering a standout performance by claiming 4-23. Georgia Wareham (2-20) also shared in the wickets.
Scores: Melbourne Renegades 137-1 (14.2 overs); Sydney Thunder 133 (19.1 overs)
Chasing 134 for victory, the Renegades’ duo of Matthews and Molineux made light work of the target. Matthews, who was in imperious form, smashed seven boundaries and two sixes in her unbeaten knock, which displayed her full array of strokes against a Thunder attack that had no answers.
Molineux capped her all-round brilliance with an unbeaten 29-ball 42, including seven boundaries and one six, as she added a steadying hand to Matthews’ aggression.
The pair took the hapless Thunder bowlers to task in an unbroken 95-run second wicket stand that ensured the Renegades raced to victory with 34 balls to spare.
Matthews’ dazzling innings, after losing opening partner Courtney Webb (24), marked yet another high point in her WBBL campaign, demonstrating why she is considered one of the best in the world.
Earlier, the Thunder’s innings never gained sustained momentum, as they lost openers Georgia Voll (11) and Chamari Athapaththu (11) with a mere 26 runs on the board.
Captain Phoebe Litchfield, batting at number three, top-scored with a quick-fire 17-ball 30 that had six boundaries. However, their batting lineup faltered dramatically and collapsed from 95-4 in the 12th over to lose their last seven wickets for just 38 runs.
Tahlia Wilson (27) was the Thunder’s next best scorer, while Sammy-Jo Johnson offered a late cameo with 21 from 19 deliveries, leaving them with a subpar total that was always going to be a challenge for their bowlers to defend.
The Renegades now sit atop the WBBL table with 14 points, relegating Thunder (13 points) to second, with Brisbane Heat (12 points) in third, and needing a massive win against the Sydney Sixers in their final match of the regular season on Sunday to leapfrog the Renegades and secure the coveted hosting rights for the grand final.
Meanwhile, the race for fourth place remains wide open. The Perth Scorchers (nine points) will take on the fifth-placed Hobart Hurricanes (eight points) on Saturday in a must-win clash. The Sydney Sixers, in sixth place with eight points, still have a mathematical chance of advancing if they upset the Heat.
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