England's stand-in captain Phil Salt took plenty of positives from Wednesday's defeat to Australia, claiming "everything was good bar the result".

Travis Head's superb knock of 59 from just 23 balls, which included plundering 30 from a single over, set Australia on their way.

England fought back with the ball, though, and were ultimately set a target of 180.

But big hitters Salt (20), Sam Curran (18) and Liam Livingstone (37) all went in quick succession as England failed to get going and lost by 28 runs.

"Everything was good apart from the result," said Salt, who was standing in for the absent Jos Buttler.

"They played well. Heady came out swinging in the powerplay and gave them a head start.

"We were a couple of wickets too far down. Heady's done that for a couple of years, it's about how do we shut that down?

"[But] good signs. They played well, we dragged it back, we should have chased it realistically. At times we could have taken partnerships deeper. But we've had a good look at them now."

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, as the hosts failed to win a third straight T20I at The Rose Bowl.

"It was a nice start. Nice to get under way," said Head.

"To set a platform like that with the hitters we had behind us, it was nice to do the job."

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh added: "We certainly looked on course for 200 but did our best to stuff it up, so it's nice to start the series with a win."

Travis Head led the way for Australia, setting them on their way to a comfortable 28-run victory over England in their first of three T20Is on Wednesday.

England had salvaged some pride during Australia's late collapse, only to fumble their chance with the bat as they failed to reach their target of 180.

Australia got off to a flying start, with Head hitting 59 off 23 balls, including 30 off Sam Curran in a single over with three fours and three sixes.

Liam Livingstone helped to slow the tide with 3-22, including taking opener Matt Short (41), before the tourists collapsed, losing their last five wickets for 14 runs, with Jofra Archer taking two in two (2-31), to finish 179 all out.

The hosts just could not get going though, as Phil Salt was caught for 20 before Curran (18) and Livingstone (37) both departed in the space of four deliveries to stunt any England progress.

Jordan Cox (17), one of three debutants, had already been dismissed, thanks to Tim David's stunning catch at full stretch, before the lower order slumped to 151 in the final over. 

The second T20I takes place on Friday in Cardiff, where England will attempt to force a decider for the final contest on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Unhappy homecoming

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, but the hosts would have expected much better when they saw the target set for them.

Instead, they failed to win a third consecutive T20 match at The Rose Bowl, their longest outright losing streak at the venue in the history of the format.

 Captain Kieron Pollard smashed a rapid half-century under pressure to lift Trinbago Knight Riders to a four wicket victory over Saint Lucia Kings in an entertaining Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) clash at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.

After the Kings posted 187-6, the Knight Riders were well on track thanks to a belligerent 57 from 33 balls from Shaqkere Parris before stuttering in the middle overs.

 With 27 runs needed off 12 balls, Pollard (52 not out off 19 balls) whacked four sixes off seamer Matthew Forde in the penultimate over before the Knight Riders ran down the target with five balls remaining to inflict defeat on the Kings. The Knight Riders moved to a record of 2-1, while the Kings are 2-2.

 After being routed for just 100 by Guyana Amazon Warriors, the Kings paced their innings well after being sent in to bat.

 Opener Johnson Charles got the Kings off to a flier with two sixes in three balls to spoil the 23th birthday of quick Jayden Seales.

 Skipper Faf du Plessis also chanced his arm and was dropped twice before his middle stump was knocked over by left-arm spinner Waqar Salamkheil in the eighth over.

 The Kings went through a lull in the middle overs, with Sunil Narine enjoying the spin-friendly conditions to finish with 2/13 from four overs.

 But Roston Chase (56 not out from 40 balls) stepped up in the latter overs and powered the Kings to a strong total.

 The Knight Riders needed a fast start and Narine obliged before falling to debutant left-arm quick Khari Campbell, who picked up the wicket with his sixth delivery.

 But Campbell was brought back to earth when he misjudged a skier in a lucky let off for Jason Roy on 10. Campbell's confidence was shaken and he succumbed to an assault from a rampaging Parris who cracked a trio of sixes in the fifth over.

 Parris raced to 31 off 9 balls as the Knight Riders continued to soar above the required run rate. He fittingly hit a six to reach his half-century off 20 balls as the Knight Riders reached triple figures in the ninth over.

 But Parris was less assured against vicious short-pitched bowling from Alzarri Joseph and on 54 he gloved a rearing delivery only for wicketkeeper Tim Seifert to fumble the chance after diving forward.

 Parris' momentum was halted and a clever bowling change led to his downfall when spinner Noor Ahmad lured him into a false shot. Keacy Carty struggled for fluency and in the 17th over was brilliantly caught by substitute fielder David Wiese, who dived at long on to take a stunner.

 The pressure fell on Pollard, who kept his calm with his first CPL half-century since 2021 to leave the local fans once again stunned.

England captain Ben Stokes is back in the squad for their tour of Pakistan in October, with uncapped duo Brydon Carse and Jordan Cox both included.

Stokes missed England's 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka this month with a hamstring injury and is continuing his recovery, as is opener Zak Crawley, who is also back after missing it with a broken finger.

Durham fast bowler Carse has made 14 ODI appearances and played three T20Is for England, while Essex batter Cox is expected to make his T20I debut against Australia on Wednesday.

Spinners Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach, who has not played since January, are recalled, having also played in the 3-0 Test series away to Pakistan in 2022.

Seamer Josh Hull is included in the squad for his first senior tour after making his Test debut at The Oval.

Dan Lawrence, who was given the opportunity to open in Crawley's absence, struggled to make an impact and registered a highest score of just 35 in six innings, with that coming in England’s final Test, which they lost on Monday.

England's tour of Pakistan begins with the first Test on October 7.

England squad for Pakistan tour: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva labelled his side's triumph over England as "special" following their eight-wicket win in the final Test at The Oval. 

Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten century led the tourists to victory, having started day four needing just 125 runs with nine wickets in hand. 

Despite the loss of Kusal Mendis (39), Sri Lanka were able to halt their seven-match losing streak in Tests against England, claiming their first win against them since June 2014.

Nissanka's unbeaten 127 from 124 deliveries also made him only the fourth batter to log a strike rate of more than 100 when scoring a ton in men's Tests.

De Silva hailed Sri Lanka's resilience in claiming the deserved victory, believing his opening batsman is the best in the business for the Lions.

"It is very special, winning in England. The boys were tough enough to handle the pressure and get into some scenarios," De Silva told BBC Sport.

"It is not comfortable. There was hard work put in by the bowlers and batters. We were there in every match - had positive points. The boys wanted to win in the end.

"Credit to all of the bowlers. They have been on target from ball one. In the second innings, they were spot on.

"He [Nissanka] was in form the last couple of years and doing well in white-ball format. He has proved he is the best opener in Sri Lanka right now."

Kamindu Mendis, who struck 113 from 183 deliveries in the Lions' five-wicket defeat in the first Test, was handed Sri Lanka's Player of the Series after the triumph.

Mendis was consistent with the bat throughout the series, scoring 267 runs across the five innings he was in at the crease. 

"It's a good win in these conditions. We did really well, especially the seamers and the batters did really well today," Mendis said.

"In these conditions, you have to face very difficult situations but I just wanted to enjoy it. That's it.

"I just made small changes, not big ones. It's a big deal but you have to be confident in your ability and enjoy your game.

"It's always a challenge facing seamers in England."

Sri Lanka's attentions will now turn to a two-match Test series on home soil against New Zealand, starting on September 18 at the Galle International Stadium.

England have much to be positive about despite losing the final Test of their three-match series against Sri Lanka.

That is the view of Joe Root, who was named England's Player of the Series.

England were firmly second best as they lost by eight wickets at The Oval in the third Test, with Sri Lanka picking up just their fourth win in the longest format on English soil.

Yet after winning the first two Tests, and their three matches against West Indies earlier in the summer, England have plenty to be happy with, so says Root, who used a musical comparison to emphasise his point.

"Not so much this week, but it has been a good summer," Root told BBC Sport.

"We have played some really good cricket along the way. We have had new faces come into the team and some really exciting prospects off the back of that. We are constantly learning and evolving as a group, and it is nice to contribute to that.

"I don't think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time. Coldplay can't be number one every week.

"My point being is we are always trying to move the game forward. We wanted to keep our catchers in and as batters want to find ways of putting the opposition under pressure.

"We are not always going to get it right all of the time. For 90% of the summer we have. We have shown what a good team we can be when we play in that matter.

"It is important we are authentic to what we are as a team and what brings out the best in our individual players."

Root plundered 375 runs across six innings in the series, including two hundreds in the second Test.

However, only scoring 25 in the third Test means he is 14 runs short of 1,000 for 2024.

He will likely get the chance to surpass that milestone, and equal Alastair Cook as the only other English player to score 1,000+ runs in five calendar years, when England tour Pakistan in October.

"You can laud it when it comes off," Root continued on England's approach. "When it doesn't always come off it might not look like traditional dismissals, but [Pathum] Nissanka was hitting over mid-on and mid-off last night.

"When you are 127 not out you can look back and say what a brilliant innings it was. He was brave enough to take the challenge on and that is what we pride ourselves on as well - how can you knock bowlers off a length, how can you make it difficult for them to build pressure on you.

"Some of our guys have a different method to how I would do it and that is what makes us such a good team when we are at our best, because we compliment each other really well and find a different way of getting teams to bowl away from where the danger is.

"Over the last couple of years, that is what has made us have the success we have had."

England's focus now switches to an ODI series against Australia, with bowler Gus Atkinson having been rested after sustaining an injury at The Oval.

Pathum Nissanka's unbeaten century guided Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win over England in the final Test of the three-match series.

Sri Lanka went into day four at The Oval in a commanding position, needing just 125 for victory with nine wickets to spare.

And despite Shoaib Bashir taking a fantastic catch in the deep to dismiss Kusal Mendis (39), the tourists ultimately cruised to just their fourth Test win on English soil.

Nissanka's hugely accomplished innings was the highlight, as the opener clipped his way to 127 not-out.

Angelo Mathews (32) provided a steady pair of hands at the other end, but the day belonged to Nissanka, as he fittingly struck the winning runs when he sent Bashir for four.

England may have won the series 2-1, but Brendan McCullum's team were well below their best in the third Test, and attention will now turn to the ODI series against Australia, which starts on Wednesday.

Data Debrief: Take two for Nissanka

Nissanka was in excellent form throughout this match, and followed up his excellent 64 with a sublime knock in the second innings, sealing his second Test ton in the process.

His performance helped Sri Lanka snap a seven-match losing run in Tests against England, and claim their first win since a 100-run victory back in June 2014. It had been England's longest winning run against Sri Lanka in the format.

 Sherfane Rutherford has announced his departure from the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the remainder of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to personal reasons. The Patriots, who have struggled throughout the season, will name a replacement for Rutherford in the coming days as they look to bolster their squad.

 Rutherford's exit leaves a significant gap in the Patriots’ lineup, as the all-rounder was a key player for the team. His departure adds to the Patriots’ challenges as they aim to improve their standing in the tournament. With his hard-hitting ability and useful contributions with the ball, the Patriots will be eager to find a capable replacement soon.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons pulled off a stunning two wicket victory over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots with just two balls to spare in a tense match at the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

After winning the toss and inserting the opposition, the Falcons restricted the Patriots to 153-8 off their 20 overs. Mohammad Amir picked up three wickets for the Falcons and Mikyle Louis starring with the bat for the Patriots.

Louis’ lusty order lower order hitting ensured 33 runs were scored off the last few overs as he cruised to 63 runs off just 36 balls, including seven sixes. A target of 153 was a success of sorts for the home side after they were earlier reeling at 60-4 in the ninth over.

In response, the Falcons seemed to be hauling in the target without too many alarms, Brandon King and Justin Greaves striking their way to 55 before King fell in the fifth over – trapped in front of the stumps by the pace of Anrich Nortje. From then on the plain sailing was over as the Falcons lost regular wickets and the match remained too close to call.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the main architect of the damage with the ball for the visitors, the Sri Lankan all-rounder’s leg-breaks and assorted varieties posing a constant threat. Justin Greaves, Sam Billings, the dangerous Jewel Andrew and Shamar Springer were all pocketed by Hasaranga in a devastating period of top-quality spin bowling.

At 110-7 when Billings departed the scene, it looked as if the Falcons’ wings had been clipped and that the duel was going the way of the Patriots. Roshon Primus and Imad Wasim combined effectively to hit the gaps in the field and take every single run on offer in order to eke their way closer to the target. With three overs to go the Falcons required 22 runs to win with three wickets in hand.

Dominic Drakes was summoned into the attack and bowled a frugal over that was hit for just six runs to leave the equation as 15 runs needed from 12 balls. Primus was then caught off backward point off Nortje as the pendulum swung towards Patriots in the penultimate over.

With 11 runs needed from the final over, Fabian Allen stole the game at the last for the Falcons, smiting consecutive Drakes short balls for six and four into the leg side and scampering the single needed for victory with two balls remaining.

Imad Wasim was named Player of the Match for his 17 not out and 2-24 with the ball as the victory took the Falcons to third in the table and left the Patriots bottom of the table after suffering their fifth defeat on the bounce.

Sri Lanka enjoyed a profitable third day at The Oval, with the tourists in a strong position to win their final Test against England despite Jamie Smith's efforts.

The day started well for England. Dhananjaya de Silva (69) and Kamindu Mendis (64) had steered Sri Lanka into an excellent place at stumps on Saturday, though the duo did not last too long in Sunday's first session.

It took just 11 more overs for England to rattle through Sri Lanka's tail as they were bowled out for 263, 62 short of the hosts' first innings total.

Yet England were skittled out for 156 in the space of just 34 overs.

Dan Lawrence plundered 35 runs from as many balls, but he was the only player in England's top order to score more than 12, and it needed a flurry from wicketkeeper Smith to dig Brendan McCullum's team out of a real hole.

Smith smashed 67 from 50 deliveries, with his knock including 10 fours and one six, before he picked out Kusal Mendis with the final ball of the second session.

Lahiru Kumara (4-12) was the pick of Sri Lanka's bowlers, and he sent Olly Stone packing after tea, prior to Shoaib Bashir succumbing after debutant Josh Hull struck a huge six.

Chasing 219 to win, Sri Lanka's openers swiftly set about the pace, and though Dimuth Karunaratne was caught and bowled by Chris Woakes, Pathum Nissanka (53 not out) and Kusal Mendis (30) ensured the tourists will go into day four requiring just 125.

Data Debrief: England's Oval record on the rocks and Root is forced to wait

Sri Lanka are on the brink of just their fourth Test win in England, having previously won at Headingley, Trent Bride and The Oval, where England have won five of their last six five-day matches, only going down to India in 2021 in that run.

That record looks shaky, while Joe Root, having only managed 12 runs to add to his 13 from the first innings, will not be able to reach 1,000 overall in Tests in 2024 on home soil. 

He is now on 986, but will have to wait until at least October, for England's Tour of Pakistan, to equal Alastair Cook as the English player to have hit 1,000 runs in a calendar year on the most occasions (five), after previously doing so in 2022, 2021, 2016 and 2015.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, defending champions of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), put in a swaggering performance to claim three wins in three games to sit at the head of the standings after ten games of this year’s tournament.

Their opponents, Saint Lucia Kings, suffered their first loss of the 2024 tournament on what for them was a chastening night at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet. A thumping six wicket win with 10 overs to spare was a real statement of intent from the Warriors.

Imran Tahir won the toss and elected to insert the Kings. The defending champions put in another impressive performance with the ball, Tahir claiming 3-29 and Player of the Match Gudakesh Motie taking 3-13 as the Kings failed to recover from a PowerPlay that saw them reduced to 43-4.

Some lower order striking from Matthew Forde managed to haul the Kings to three figures exactly but the Warriors made extremely short work of the target.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz lit up the Saint Lucia sky with sixes as he struck 47 runs off just 19 balls that included not a single four but saw seven sixes clear the ropes.

Gurbaz eventually fell with just nine more runs needed for victory, pinned lbw by Noor Ahmad attempting a reverse-sweep that would have brought him a rapid fifty. Noor also bowled Tim Robinson but not before the Warrior’s debutant opener had got the chase off to a breezy start with 33 off 20 deliveries - including a deliciously driven lofted six down the ground.

A fired up Alzarri Joseph had Azam Khan caught at short third and was thrilled with the wicket. Joseph then greeted Shimron Hetmyer with a stare and another short delivery but Hetmyer launched the next ball high and long over mid-on for six and then scampered the winning runs off the next over to have the decisive final say.

It was a day to forget for the Kings but one to savour for the Warriors, Barbados Royals are the only other side that remain unbeaten in this year’s competition.

Westmoreland has claimed the title of champion in the 33rd Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition after overpowering Kensington in the final at the Ultimate Cricket Ground in Discovery Bay, St. Ann. This victory marks Westmoreland's first time as sole champion, having previously shared the title twice. They went undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all matches in the preliminary round, quarterfinals and semifinals.

In a thrilling final match, Westmoreland’s 115 all out in 28.4 overs looked vulnerable, as Kensington posed a real threat during their chase and a lengthy rain delay added further uncertainty. However, Westmoreland’s bowling unit held firm, restricting Kensington to 77 all out in 34.4 overs, securing a 38-run victory.

The star of the final was Westmoreland's Humario Reid, who carried the team with an impressive 80 runs from 81 deliveries. He was the only Westmoreland batsman to reach double figures, with Kensington’s Zachary Buchanan wreaking havoc on the batting lineup by taking seven wickets for just 33 runs. Andrew Lloyd also chipped in with two wickets for 32.

Kensington's chase began positively, but they quickly lost their first wicket at 15 and never fully recovered. A steady flow of wickets left them reeling at seven for 27. After a rain delay, they briefly steadied their innings, but once their eighth wicket fell on 73, Westmoreland sensed victory. Kensington's captain Andrew Lloyd fought valiantly with a top score of 45, while Abraham Waugh contributed 14 runs, the only other batsman to reach double digits. Westmoreland’s bowling attack was led by Jemar Morgan (3 for 12), captain Ryan Littleton (3 for 23), and Davere Buchanan (2 for 17).

Coach Grantley Reid was elated with his team’s triumph, reflecting on the journey it took to finally win the competition outright. “I am happy because we have been here before but we had to share. For the work that was put in, because the journey did not begin with this competition. Most of the boys have been to quarterfinals but we never made it through, but I knew we had the depth to win this competition and they delivered,” Reid said. He also praised Kensington's resilience, saying, “They played well to come back from where they were... They had heart. They have a young team.”

Following the final, an awards ceremony recognized individual and team achievements. Humario Reid was named the MVP of the final, while Westmoreland captain Ryan Littleton was named his team’s MVP with 13 wickets and 236 runs during the competition. Kensington’s MVP, Abraham Waugh, bagged 21 wickets and scored 156 runs throughout the tournament.

This year's Kingston Wharves U15 competition recorded several highlights, including four centuries, 15 five-wicket hauls by 12 different bowlers, and four batsmen scoring over 200 runs each.

Simone Murdock, corporate services and client experience manager at Kingston Wharves, expressed her satisfaction with the competition’s return to pre-Covid standards. “We are glad to see a successful year come to an end. As said in the ceremony, we are finally returning to scores similar to the years before Covid so we are glad to see that we are on the right track and to celebrate with Westmoreland,” she said.

Jamaica Cricket Association president Dr. Donovan Bennett, who watched most of the final, promised an even better competition in the future as the association increases its investment in junior cricket. “We are working hard to ensure that where we were pre-Covid, that we get back there as soon as we possibly can,” Bennett remarked.

Westmoreland’s win has solidified their dominance in the 2023 Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket competition, a tournament that continues to provide a platform for the next generation of cricketers.

England's Moeen Ali has confirmed his international retirement.

Moeen played across all formats for England over the past decade, and was part of the squads that won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and T20 World Cup two years ago.

Having come out of Test retirement to feature for England against Australia in 2023, Mooen has now confirmed his retirement from international cricket altogether.

"I could hold on and try to play for England again, but I know in reality I won't," Moeen said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"Even retiring, I don't feel it's because I'm not good enough – I still feel I can play.

"But I get how things are, and the team needs to evolve into another cycle. It's about being real to myself.

"I've played a lot of cricket for England. It's time for the next generation.

"It felt [like] the time was right to move on. I've done my part."

He bows out having played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is.

Moeen made five Test centuries, taking 204 wickets in the longest format.

The off-spinner made three tons and took 111 wickets in ODIs, while clinching 51 wickets in T20Is.

Olly Stone denied complacency played a part in England's performance on day two of their final Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval.

England were bowled out for 325 after 69 overs, as Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis helped the tourists reach 211-5 at stumps. 

Stone was the pick of the hosts' bowling attack, taking the wickets of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal while also running out Dimuth Karunaratne. 

De Silva, however, was crucially dropped by debutant Josh Hull, as he ended the day on 64 runs from 106 deliveries alongside Mendis (54). 

And while England handed Sri Lanka a potential route back into the final Test, Stone was confident that on another day, they could have been out of sight.

"I wouldn't say we were complacent. We've always said about taking the positive option, sometimes you can sit there and take a few blows," Stone said.

"If you put a few chances away it can come out differently. On another day it goes another way, and we get a few on the board."

As it had done on the first day, bad light was a constant threat, resulting in fast bowler Chris Woakes delivering four balls of off-spin.

England had started brightly with the ball in hand, working through Sri Lanka's top order before being stopped in their tracks by De Silva and Mendis. 

But the bad light inside The Oval played its part, with the tourists able to chip away at their target after tea.

Stone acknowledged the difficulty of the conditions but had words of praise for Hull after taking his first wicket on his debut. 

"It was too dark for our seamers but we tried to take the positive option. We thought we could take wickets with our spinners," Stone said.

"We feel we have the bowlers in any conditions but Sri Lanka played well.

"Hull has been brilliant. He hasn't looked nervous - he has been smiley, he has enjoyed it.

"I know he will be better for taking that wicket and hopefully he can take more in the morning.

"There is no greater job in the world. Going out there with a smile on our face, enjoying it.

"It doesn't feel like international cricket, you are nice and relaxed and out there with your mates."

West Indies pace bowler Chemar Holder has signed for Durham to bolster the side for their final three Championship games of the county season.

The 26-year-old will replace New Zealand's Neil Wagner, who damaged his shoulder against Nottinghamshire in August.

Holder played his sole Test in New Zealand in December 2020 and also appeared in a one-day international against Bangladesh the following month.

“With international call-ups and a number of injuries, it was extremely important to bring in an additional seamer, and we are pleased to have secured a bowler of Holder’s quality," said director of cricket Marcus North.

Holder, who had a spell with Warwickshire in 2021, has taken 89 wickets in 27 first-class matches at an average of 29.60, claiming five or more in an innings on five occasions.

"It feels very good to be a part of Durham and to be playing county cricket for a second time," the Barbadian said.

He will be available for Monday's game against Lancashire at the Riverside.