Ben Stokes revelled in England seizing an Ashes lifeline at Headingley again but he admitted being a hostage to fortune this time as he was a bundle of nerves four years on from his virtuoso heroics.
Stokes produced an innings for the ages at this ground in 2019 in one of the tensest finishes to a Test but any prospect of a repeat on Sunday was extinguished when he was strangled down the leg side on 13.
England still needed 90 to reach a 251 target with five wickets left on the penultimate day, but Harry Brook put himself on the map in the Ashes with an assertive 75 that broke the back of the chase.
Brook was seventh man out with 21 still required but while Chris Woakes and Mark Wood got them home with three wickets to spare, Stokes was pacing the changing room unable to bring himself to look.
“Headingley, day four yet again,” said the England captain after his side narrowed their deficit in the series to 2-1 with two Tests to play. “It’s some place to play cricket.
“I don’t know what it is about the place but it seems to bring out great games and unforgettable moments. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous at the end.
“I walked about two kilometres around the Headingley dressing room in the last half hour, I didn’t actually watch the last 20 runs being scored.
“It’s a completely different place when you can’t do anything, you can’t influence the game any more, you’re left watching and hoping things are going to go your way.”
Brook was the last recognised batter when joined by Woakes but the 24-year-old defied the magnitude of the occasion – falling short of the target meant England would lose the series at the earliest possible opportunity – and nudged the hosts to the brink of victory before top-edging Mitchell Starc to mid-off.
Woakes (32 not out) and Wood (16no), who had taken six and seven wickets in the match respectively on their returns to the Test side, then made sure England got over the line in slightly less dramatic fashion than four years ago.
“It was just an unbelievable effort from everybody,” Stokes said. “There’s been little moments when people have stood up and swung the game back towards us.
“The way Brooky controlled the game from ball one with the bat was amazing. he went out there and put the pressure straight back on to them.
“The way he played with Woakesy in that partnership was high class. For such a young lad in a high-pressure situation in the Ashes was incredible.
“We’ve all seen what he can do with the bat, he’s an incredibly gifted player, and I think he’s only going to get better and better the more pressure situations he’s put in.”
Wood made a breathtaking impact in his first outing of the series, touching a breakneck 96.5mph with the ball while he contributed 40 entertaining runs with the bat off just 16 deliveries.
Stokes acknowledged having such a vibrant ace up his sleeve, one he has known for the better part of two decades having come through the youth ranks together at Durham, is invaluable.
“I’ve known Woody for 16 years now,” Stokes said. “He’s never changed since he was a kid. He just loves playing for England and playing cricket fullstop.
“Whenever he has the ball in his hand, he will give everything he can, whether he’s fresh or tired, he will just keep running in and running in. Even with the bat, he is willing to take it on.
“Having players like that is great, not only for me but for the team. He brings energy and excitement. Everyone watches him bowl because of what he can do. He’s a special talent and we are lucky to have him.”
There was a surprise on Sunday morning as Moeen Ali was catapulted to number three and while the gamble did not pay off as he was dismissed for five, Stokes was impressed by his team-mate’s idea to move up.
“When I took the role on I asked for 10 other selfless cricketers, and that little moment of Mo going to Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) and saying, ‘I want the opportunity’ is everything that we’re about as a team,” Stokes said.
Stokes feels England are yet to hit their ceiling this summer but was pleased this result has kept the series alive, with a week’s break before they reconvene for the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford, starting on July 19.
“I still think we can be better,” he added. “Obviously this is really big in the context of the series. We knew we needed to win this one to keep alive our hopes of winning the Ashes. So a good win.”
Turning the tide: Windies captain Powell cautiously optimistic about comeback in T20 series against England
Though facing an uphill task in their five-match T20 series against England, West Indies captain Rovman Powell is cautiously optimistic that they can produce a comeback to not only overturn a challenging 2-0 deficit but to go all the way in the series.
Powell’s sentiments served as a rallying cry of sorts as they stare down a must-win situation in the third encounter at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Thursday to keep the series alive.
Still, Powell expressed confidence that the Caribbean setting, coupled with a few strategic changes, will bolster their fightback.
“St. Lucia is always a good place for us. It provides an opportunity for us to play good cricket, and the wicket is generally a good one, probably the best one in the Caribbean,” Powell said in a pre-game interview.
“The people of St Lucia always come out to support us, which is also good, and so we're looking forward to the next three games. Hopefully they can come out and support us, and we can deliver some good cricket,” he added.
After two tough matches in Barbados, which England won by eight wickets and seven wickets, respectively, Powell emphasized the significance of a renewed focus while also pointing to the need for every player to take personal accountability heading into the crucial contest.
“I think it’s a case of each guy reflecting on how things have gone so far from an individual perspective to see if we as individuals are bringing enough to the table, and then we try our best to try to put it together as a team. We have areas that definitely need work, but the guys are in good spirits. We had a good training session today, so we’re hoping to hit the ground running,” Powell explained.
St Lucia is not only familiar territory but also presents a new beginning, especially with the return of key pacer Alzarri Joseph from a two-match suspension.
Powell believes Joseph’s presence will fortify a bowling attack that has struggled in the opening games, as England easily chased down 182 and 158 in both games.
“If you should look at our bowling department, we really needed him in those games. So, it's important for him to come and hit the straps and hit the ground running. As a bowling group, we have areas where we need to control the power play because the middle overs generally take care of themselves, and he will come to bowl some of those overs in the backend,” he shared.
Despite the uphill battle, Powell cited the Caribbean side’s recent successes over the past 18 months as a reminder of their potential.
“It's a little uncomfortable being 2-0 to be honest; it's a position that we haven't found ourselves in in a long time, but it's an opportunity for us to show what we are made of as a T20 team,” Powell declared.
“England is a team that we have played quite often these days, and we have had good results against them. It's just unfortunate that Barbados wasn't good for us in terms of T20 cricket, but St Lucia provides a new opportunity for us to come out and play some good cricket,” the Jamaican reasoned.
Finally, Powell reiterated the importance of a victory on Thursday, not only to stay in the series but also to set the stage for an exhilarating weekend of cricket. The final two encounters are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
“It's a case of us getting back into the series; we just need a win, and once we get the win tomorrow, we can go from there. The guys are upbeat; even though we are 2-0 down, they are in a good frame of mind and ready to play good cricket,” the captain ended.
Tilak's unbeaten ton helps India take lead against South Africa
Tilak Varma smashed an unbeaten 107 as India went 2-1 up in their T20I series against South Africa, claiming a nail-biting victory in Wednesday's third match in Centurion.
Following their surprise defeat in Sunday's second match, the tourists bounced back to earn their 10th win in their last 12 outings in the format, putting them on the brink of a series triumph.
Tilak was the star of the show as he produced comfortably the best score of his T20I career, surpassing a knock of 55 versus Bangladesh last year in some style, while only facing 56 balls.
He hit eight fours and seven maximums to set South Africa a target of 220 for victory, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 50 from 25 deliveries in support before Keshav Maharaj broke their partnership in the ninth over.
Despite six of India's batsmen scoring 18 runs or fewer and four – Sanju Samson (0), Suryakumar Yadav (1), Rinku Singh (8) and Axar Patel (1) – being limited to single figures, the damage had largely been done already.
South Africa were then dropped to 84-4 within their first 10 overs as Varun Chakravarthy claimed the crucial wickets of Reeza Hendricks (12) and Aiden Markram (29).
Heinrich Klaasen's incredible 54 off 17 balls dragged South Africa back into contention, and they required 18 runs from four deliveries in a grandstand finish, but Arshdeep Singh trapped the hosts' dangerman lbw to secure India's victory.
Having fallen short of their target by just 11 runs, the Proteas must now win Friday's fourth match to salvage a 2-2 draw from the series.
Data Debrief: Big-hitting India on the brink
Tilak recorded a strike rate of 191.07 while Abhishek was at 200.00 as their early partnership powered India towards victory.
India have now hit over 200 sixes in T20I matches this calendar year, only previously surpassing that figure in the format in one previous year – recording 289 in 2022.
Kusal and Avishka centuries take series opener for Sri Lanka
Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando guided Sri Lanka to a 45-run victory via the DLS Method in the first match of their ODI series against New Zealand on Wednesday.
On a rain-soaked day, the hosts ended their eight-match losing streak at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium with a dominant display from start to finish.
After electing to bat, Sri Lanka were dealt an early blow when Pathum Nissanka (12) was caught by Nathan Smith from Jacob Duffy's delivery in the second over.
However, Kusal would join Avishka at the crease and put the hosts in control, with the pair putting on a 206-run stand.
The duo's contribution formed the bulk of Sri Lanka's 324-5, with Sadeera Samarawickrama (five), Charith Asalanka (40) and Janith Liyanage (12 not out) concluding their innings.
New Zealand started well in their run chase through Will Young (35) and Tim Robinson (35) before the latter was stumped by Mendisb Theekshana in the 13th over.
That kickstarted the tourists' collapse, with the dismissals of Young, Henry Nicholls (six), Mark Chapman (two) and Glenn Phillips (nine) leaving New Zealand 110-5 after 17 overs.
Michael Bracewell's 34 from 32 deliveries steadied the ship somewhat but the damage had been done, with the tourists falling short of their target by 45 runs.
Data Debrief: It's coming home
Sri Lanka have won five of their last six multi-game bilateral men’s ODI series (L1), including each of their last two, and they got off to a perfect start in Dambulla.
The Lions' victory was their first in the format at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium since a seven-wicket win against Pakistan back in August 2014.
They were helped by Kusal's knock of 143 from 128 deliveries, which was his fourth ODI century but his first on home soil since 2020.
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