England captain Ben Stokes says he will not make allowances for Australia and change his style for the Ashes as that would render all the progress of the last year “completely pointless”.
The so-called ‘Bazball’ revolution has seen the Test side flourish under the leadership of the all-rounder in partnership with coach and former New Zealand international Brendon McCullum, with the team having claimed 11 wins in 13 matches.
Edgbaston hosts the opening Ashes Test on Friday and Stokes said despite the history between the two sides, the quality of the opposition and what was at stake, he would not deviate from their attacking game-plan against the newly crowned World Test Championship winners.
“Nothing is going to change because we’ve had unbelievable success with it,” Stokes, who said his priority was to make everything “fun”, told BBC Test Match Special.
“If we were to change anything from the last 12 months because we find ourselves in an Ashes series then anything from the last 12 months will have been completely pointless.”
“Even before getting together as a Test team for the first time with me as captain, there was one simple thing I said I had to be doing and that was being completely true to myself.
“I had to stay true to how I’ve gone about things as a player, and do them as a captain. I had 85 or 86 games before I got made captain, and the guys that I’ve played with knew me as a person and a player.
“So if I became captain and started doing things completely differently to what they knew me for, it would raise a few eyebrows.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the match schedule and venues for the highly anticipated West Indies versus India Men’s Series in July and August.
The Series starts with two Test matches as part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. Windsor Park in Dominica will host the first Test match from 12-16 July. The second Test match, to be played from 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, will be historic marking the 100th Test match played between the two teams.
The Test Series is followed by three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five T20 Internationals (T20Is). The CG United ODI Series will start at Kensington Oval in Barbados with the first and second matches on 27 and 29 July. The CG United ODI Series concludes on 1 August at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad which will be hosting a West Indies Men’s ODI for the first time.
The T20Is also bowl off at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on 3 August. Guyana hosts the second and third T20Is at the Guyana National Stadium on 6 and 8 August. The T20I Series concludes in Lauderhill, Florida with a blockbuster weekend of back-to-back matches on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August at Broward County Cricket Stadium.
Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the schedule and venues for the highly anticipated visit by India. One of the highlights will be the 100th Test at the Queen’s Park Oval and this promises to be a fantastic occasion as we celebrate this historic event between these two proud cricketing nations.”
Grave added: “We also look forward to hosting India in the white ball fixtures and welcoming fans to attend the matches across the region, as well as in the United States. It will be 18 days of entertainment for cricket lovers to enjoy and savour.”
Official West Indies Tour Operator packages, including match tickets will be announced first. The Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, available through the Windiescricket.com website, will launch ticket sales by Tuesday 20 June. Fans can sign up to receive the first news of tickets going on sale at https://www.windiescricket.com/updates.
MATCH SCHEDULE
India tour of West Indies 2023
Test Matches
12-16 July: 1st Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica
20-24 July: 2nd Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
* Local start time: 10h00 (09h00 Jamaica time)
CG United ODIs
27 July: 1st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
29 July: 2nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1 August: 3rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
* Local start time: 09h30 (08h30 Jamaica time)
T20 Internationals
3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana
8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana
12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
* Local start time: 10h30 (09h30 Jamaica time)
The Vitality Blast match between Surrey and Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff last Wednesday was a historic one for West Indian off-spinner, Sunil Narine.
While he ended up with relatively pedestrian figures of 1-34 off his four overs to help Surrey defend a mammoth 237, his dismissal of South African Colin Ingram for 11 was extremely significant.
With that dismissal, the 35-year-old Trinidadian became only the third man in history to reach 500 wickets in T20s, joining Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who has 555 and fellow Trinidadian, Dwayne Bravo, who leads the way by a mile with 615.
Narine made his T20 debut all the way back in 2011 when he represented Trinidad & Tobago against Hampshire in the Caribbean T20 at the Kensington Oval and has since gone on to represent a number of franchises in leagues across the globe, most notably helping the Kolkata Knight Riders to a pair of IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, taking over 20 wickets in each season.
In Surrey’s next game, which they also won, Narine was back to his best with figures of 3-12 in 2.5 overs.
In total, Narine has taken 503 wickets in 461 matches at an average of 21.01 including 12 four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
For the West Indies, Narine has taken 52 wickets in 51 matches at 21.25. His last T20 for the West Indies came against India at Providence in 2019.
Jon Lewis believes his England squad are ready for the “great challenge” of trying to win back the Women’s Ashes and revealed he has enlisted the help of an Australian to boost their cause.
Lewis selected a 15-player group for next week’s Test with Australia at Trent Bridge on Monday, with uncapped Western Storm duo Lauren Filer and Danielle Gibson included alongside white-ball international Alice Capsey, who is yet to play Test cricket.
England have not won the multi-format series since 2014, but have gathered information about the current 50-over and T20 world champions from Matthew Mott.
Queensland-born Mott, now England men’s white-ball coach, spent seven years in charge of Australia Women before leaving his role last year.
Lewis said: “I had a really good conversation with Matthew. We talked actually before the World Cup (in February) at quite a length about the Australian team.
“Unfortunately we didn’t get to play them at the World Cup but still got a lot of information from that conversation. He was really open with me about how to play against the Australians, their strengths and them as people.
“Obviously I have my own insight now in terms of the WPL experience. Alyssa (Healy) was the captain of UP Warriorz – where I was coaching – and Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris were there as well, so I have a good insight into how they go about their business.
“Yeah, Matthew was really helpful and shared some good information.”
Australia have won the past two Ashes series by a 12-4 score and while aware of the size of the task at hand, Lewis has belief in his youthful squad.
An aggressive style of cricket has been adopted since Lewis took over in November and it will be replicated again this summer in front of record crowds with more than 11,000 spectators set to attend the five-day Test.
Before the series opener on June 22, England face Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture at Derbyshire on Thursday while England A take on Australia in Leicestershire, which will act as vital preparation considering the lack of red-ball opportunities in the women’s game.
“We will have to play our best cricket. We are very aware of the quality of the Australian side, we are very aware they are a formidable opponent and we are really keen to try and disrupt the flow of their game by playing the game the way we want to play it,” Lewis explained.
“If we can dictate the play more often than not, I think we have our best chance of beating the Australians but we’re incredibly aware of the challenge that lies ahead of us because they’ve been a very dominant team for a long period of time.
“I am really pleased with where the players are at with the preparation time we’ve had. I think they are in a really good head space, they are really clear about how we want to play and they are ready for the challenge ahead.
“Obviously the challenge is a great challenge and what will play out, will play out but in terms of whether they are ready to take on the Australians this week and next week? Yeah I feel they are in a good space.
“I think it is a huge summer for women’s sport in England. Last year it was with the Lionesses winning the Euros and there was a massive following for them.
“This summer it is Ashes and the Women’s Ashes in particular for us. As much as we can, we encourage people especially up in Nottingham to come through the gate and watch what will hopefully be some really entertaining cricket.”
Lewis admitted his final XI for next week’s Test is not decided and placed importance on this week’s warm-up fixtures with Danni Wyatt set to feature for England A to improve her chances of a Test debut while uncapped duo Filer and Gibson will get the opportunity to impress against Australia A.
Both have impressed for Western Storm this season, Gibson hitting two recent half-centuries in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Filer claiming eight wickets in four Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches in 2023.
Lewis added: “Dani for me is one of the in-form cricketers in the country, she is a pretty dynamic player and gives us flexibility in terms of selection.
“Then Lauren Filer is a point of difference bowler, someone that bowls with more pace than probably anyone in the country.
“I’m really excited about both those cricketers.”
England have named uncapped Western Storm duo Lauren Filer and Danielle Gibson in their 15-player group for next week’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Jon Lewis’ side begin their quest to win back the Ashes for the first time since 2014 with a five-day Test against Australia from June 22.
Twelve members of the group have featured for England before in red-ball cricket, but Filer and Gibson, alongside Alice Capsey, are now vying to earn their Test debuts.
All-rounder Gibson travelled as a reserve to the T20 World Cup in February and has had a fine season with recent half-centuries for the Storm in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Seamer Filer has claimed eight wickets in four Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy matches in 2023 and could feature in a warm-up fixture against Australia A at Derbyshire from Thursday.
England have also named their A-squad for a three-day warm-up game with Australia at Leicestershire from Thursday and Danni Wyatt and Alice Davidson-Richards, who are both part of the 15-player Test group, are included.
Lewis said: “We are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting Ashes series.
“We are fortunate that our talent pool is growing fast, this has enabled us to pick a nicely balanced squad.
“Dani (Gibson) is one of the form cricketers in the country, she is improving both with bat and ball and if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game.
“Lauren is a genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing. Again, if selected in the playing 11, she offers us a point of difference in our bowling attack that could impact a Test match at any point in the game.
“Our preparations are going well and this week’s upcoming games against Australia A and Australia give us another great opportunity to rehearse for the Test match next week.
“To have two Ashes series running alongside each other is very special and we look forward to entertaining our fans and gaining some new ones along the way.”
England Test squad to face Australia: H Knight (captain), N Sciver-Brunt (vice-captain), T Beaumont, L Bell, A Capsey, K Cross, A Davidson-Richards, S Dunkley, S Ecclestone, L Filer, D Gibson, A Jones, E Lamb, I Wong, D Wyatt.
England A squad to face Australia in warm-up: L Winfield-Hill (captain), C Dean (vice-captain), M Bouchier, A Davidson-Richards, F Davies, S Glenn, K Gordon, E Gray, B Heath, E Jones, P Scholfield, G Scrivens, D Wyatt.
Colin Graves insists no allegations of racism were ever raised to him during his time as Yorkshire chairman but that regrettable words may have been said as part of dressing-room “banter”.
The club have admitted four charges issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board in relation to their handling of allegations of racism and bullying made by former player Azeem Rafiq.
One of the charges the club have admitted is a failure to address a systemic use of racist and or discriminatory language over a prolonged period.
Graves said there had been “a lot of banter” during his time at the club but that no allegations were ever mentioned to him.
Graves, Yorkshire chairman between 2012 and 2015, told Sky Sports News: “I think there have been odd occasions where words have been said that people may regret afterwards.
“I don’t think it was done on a racist, savage basis. I think there was a lot of – I know people don’t like the word banter – but I think there could have been a lot of banter in there about it, and I know people don’t like that.
“But when you play cricket and you’re part of cricket teams, and you’re in cricket dressing rooms, that’s what happened in the past.
“But the world has changed, society has changed, it’s not acceptable. I understand that, I accept it, full stop.”
On the allegations of racism, Graves – who withdrew his application to return as Yorkshire chairman last week – added: “When I was chairman of the club, when some of these allegations were made, I can tell you now, nothing was brought up within the club.
“Nothing was ever brought up on the table about any racism allegations whatsoever.”
The ECB issued a statement saying it was “disappointed” by Graves’ comments, adding: “We must never again hear of accounts like Azeem Rafiq’s, where racist slurs are used as part of normalised everyday language.
“These events, along with many issues experienced by Azeem and others during their time at Yorkshire have been upheld more than once, including during proceedings overseen by the Cricket Discipline Commission.
“We vehemently disagree that this is ‘just banter’ and believe that any debate in that regard should stop immediately. Racism isn’t banter.
“Yorkshire is of huge importance to cricket in England and Wales with a deep history and an ability to inspire and connect all cricket fans. They are currently working hard to resolve their financial and cultural challenges and the club, and its new management, have our full support.”
A sanctions hearing regarding the charges Yorkshire have admitted is scheduled for June 27.
Six former Yorkshire players were sanctioned last month over the use of racist and or discriminatory language. A seventh – former England captain Michael Vaughan – was cleared of using such language.
Ten years on from his career-best Ashes summer of 2013, Ian Bell has tipped Harry Brook to prove he can be England’s latest middle-order “match-winner” against Australia.
Bell won the urn on five separate occasions as a player, peaking a decade ago when he was named man of the series during England’s 3-0 success on home soil.
He hit centuries in each of his side’s victories, with matching knocks of 109 at Lord’s and Trent Bridge followed by 113 at Chester-le-Street, and topped the scoring charts with 562 runs.
Bell moved up and down the batting order during his 118-cap career but his golden summer came at number five, the position Brook has made his own over the course of a prolific winter.
The Yorkshireman already has four hundreds from his first seven Tests – averaging 81.80 – and Bell is confident he has a game that will hold up to the heat of Ashes cricket.
“In terms of ability and talent there’s no doubt, Harry is a match-winner in his own right and he’s proved it already,” Bell told the PA news agency.
“He has a wonderful technique, which is the first and most important thing. Yes, he has an array of attacking shots and he can be very aggressive, but when you look at his movements and technical game, he is absolutely sound.
“It’s the same thing with Joe Root, who is our best player.
“If Australia are going to hit you with the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, you are going to need a solid technique to stand up to that – then you can add the flair shots.
“I’ve done a bit of coaching with Harry and he is someone who works extremely hard. I really think we’ve got a serious player for the next 10 to 15 years.”
Bell’s work with Brook came 18 months ago during their time together at Hobart Hurricanes in Australia’s Big Bash League.
It proved a tough trip for Brook, who scored only 44 runs in seven innings, but within months he was churning out big scores in the Pakistan Super League and on the cusp of a dominant season of county cricket that propelled him into the Test arena.
“His numbers weren’t stacking up that well at the time but I remember talking to Harry and telling him that I saw a player who wasn’t a million miles away from England,” Bell recalled.
“I knew he was closer to being a Test player than he maybe thought and that he just needed to put the numbers together.
“He went away to the PSL, did brilliantly, hit the ground running when he came back to Yorkshire and he’s never looked back.”
If Brook comes close to the impact Bell had in 2013, England would be more than satisfied. Now 41 and working as a batting coach with Derbyshire, Bell talks fondly of his series-long hot streak against the Baggy Greens.
“I look back and think myself lucky to have won five Ashes out of seven, that’s a nice record to have, but to say you’ve won the Miller-Compton medal and been player of the series is just perfect,” he said.
“It all just came together but to have scored my hundreds when we were winning games is the best part. It was a great time and a dream come true as a kid growing up watching England take on Australia.”
Sir Alastair Cook struck his 74th first-class century as Essex took advantage of perfect batting conditions in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Somerset.
Former England captain Cook converted to three figures in 210 balls before reaching 128 as Essex racked up 360 for four on the opening day with Matt Critchley adding a sublime 119.
A stand of 115 between makeshift opening partnership Phil Salt and George Balderson saw Lancashire take charge against Hampshire at Southport.
Having dismissed the visitors for just 142, helped by three wickets apiece for Tom Bailey and Will Williams, Salt and Balderson made light work of Hampshire’s much-vaunted bowling attack as they powered their way to 139 for one at the close, trailing by three runs.
A stellar century by Jordan Cox rescued Kent as they faced champions Surrey at Canterbury.
The hosts recovered from 41 for five to 301 all out after losing five top-order wickets for seven runs in the space of 31 balls.
Cox led the fightback with 133, exactly 100 of which came after he was dropped by Ben Foakes.
Surrey’s Sean Abbott took four for 52, but the visitors were 18 for two at stumps, trailing by 283 after Agar claimed two late wickets.
Sam Hain’s third century of the season helped Warwickshire get off to a strong start against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
The visitors ended day one on 361 for five after Hain shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 171 with Dan Mousley (87), opener Alex Davies having earlier scored 93.
In Division Two, Matthew Fisher delivered a timely demonstration of his international potential on a day of Yorkshire domination against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.
Fisher – who played a Test Match in the Caribbean 15 months ago and could come into Ashes reckoning if England’s fast bowlers sustain injuries – returned career-best figures of five for 30 to skittle Derbyshire for 111.
Yorkshire skipper Shan Masood heaped further misery on his former county with 67 – his highest score of the season – and Dawid Malan made an unbeaten 76 before rain ended play early with the visitors 272 for five, 161 ahead.
Only 36 overs were possible between Gloucestershire and Leicestershire at Bristol because of heavily overcast skies and rain.
By the close of a frustrating day, Gloucestershire had posted 108 for three, Ollie Price unbeaten on 26.
Kiran Carlson scored a brilliant century to allow Glamorgan to post 390 with the bat against Durham at Seat Unique Riverside.
Carlson was dropped on 67 and 107, and he duly made the hosts pay with his knock of 162 supported by 60 from Sam Northeast and a quickfire 45 from Billy Root.
Tailenders Jack Carson and Henry Shipley helped Sussex mount a respectable score after an early stumble against Worcestershire.
Sussex recovered from 142 for six to reach 338 for nine at stumps thanks to some late-order hitting from Nathan McAndrew, Carson and debutant Shipley, the latter two putting on 85 for the ninth wicket.
Worcestershire’s Joe Leach finished the day with figures of six for 73.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is eyeing up a “legacy-defining” Ashes summer after leading his side to glory in the World Test Championship final.
Cummins’ side succeeded New Zealand as the top red-ball team on the planet as they stormed to a 209-run victory over India at the Oval, but with just five days to go before the first Test against old rivals England, he was already casting his mind towards the next big challenge.
The 30-year-old boasts a glittering CV and has now become a three-format world champion, having previously won the ODI and T20 World Cups in 2015 and 2021, but skippering his country to their first series win over England in over two decades is a prize that potentially awaits over the next six weeks.
“Whether we like it or not, Ashes series tend to define eras and teams,” he said after leading his side’s celebrations the Oval – the same ground where either he or Ben Stokes will be lifting the urn at the end of July.
“An Ashes (in England) is bloody hard to win. It’s been 20-odd years so it’s not going to be easy. If we win, that is legacy-defining stuff.
“But we’ll savour this win too. We played some awesome cricket for two years and being there at the end holding the trophy feels well deserved. Our preparation has been for six matches over here, it’s one big tour with two huge titles to play for so it’s good to tick the first one off.”
England have been spending the last few days on a team-bonding trip in Scotland, mixing the occasional practice session at St Andrews University with plenty of golf, and after five hard days in the field now is the time for Australia to let their hair down too.
They may not have long to bask in their achievement, but with temperatures hitting 30 degrees in London on Sunday, Cummins has an idea of how to make the most of it.
“I think we’ll sit around in the changing rooms for a while and then we’ll find a nice sunny English beer garden somewhere this afternoon to sit back and celebrate,” he said.
“It’s been an amazing two years and we’ve had this final in the diary for a while. It’s been something that we’ve been building up for so it’s something we’re going to savour.
“I know we’ve got a big series but we can worry about that in a couple days’ time. You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement and this is one of these times.”
When the dust settles, Cummins will need to confront a tricky selection conundrum. He all but confirmed that Scott Boland had made himself undroppable for Edgbaston, with the seamer outstanding against India and responsible for the decisive double strike that accounted for Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja on day five.
With Josh Hazlewood now passed fit for the Ashes opener, it appears a straight shootout between him and Mitchell Starc.
“Scotty was fantastic, he’s now my favourite player,” Cummins said.
“He keeps finding another level, doesn’t he? He was just our best bowler all game. He held it together, he didn’t go for many runs and to get two big wickets in an over is just reward for how well he bowled.
“For sure, Scotty has a huge role to play in the Ashes.”
For India skipper Rohit Sharma, there was disappointment. He had set his sights on going one better after India’s defeat to New Zealand in the inaugural final two years ago, and leading his country to their first global title since 2013.
He suggested a full series rather than a one-off match should be considered to crown the next champions, though the international fixture calendar is unlikely to allow for that in its present form.
“I would love that, but is there time?” he asked.
“In a big event like this, you need to have fair opportunities for both teams. A three-match series would be nice but it’s about finding a window.
“You work hard for two years and have only one shot at it. Test cricket is all about finding a rhythm and momentum.”
Former England international Anya Shrubsole announced she will retire from playing at the end of the season after helping Southern Vipers beat The Blaze by seven wickets to lift the Charlotte Edwards Cup for the second year in a row.
The Vipers player-coach, a World Cup winner in 2017, was named player of the match after taking two for 24, having removed both of the The Blaze’s openers before bad weather stopped play on Saturday night.
A half-century from Danni Wyatt helped wrap up a comprehensive victory on Sunday, and it marked a turning point for Shrubsole, who said afterwards it was her last game for the Vipers as she will retire from playing after The Hundred.
“It’s hard to put an exact date on when I made the decision,” the 31-year-old said. “Through the course of this tournament it just became clear to me that my time was up.
“I carried on playing because I really enjoy playing, but I guess the pain element of it – if I’m being totally honest – made it not particularly enjoyable at times, so in lots of ways it was a pretty easy decision to call it a day at the end of this year.
“I told my team-mates on Friday night. I didn’t see it playing out like this, I told the girls because I wanted them to know but I didn’t think they’d make it really obvious.
“I feel very lucky to have played the last few seasons with this group, because they’re an exceptional team and an exceptional bunch of people.”
Shrubsole retired from international cricket last year, but has continued to play for Berkshire, the Vipers and Southern Brave.
She came through the ranks at Somerset and earned her first England call up as a teenager in 2008, going on to eight Tests, 86 ODIs and 79 T20 matches.
Australia will head into next week’s Ashes as Test world champions after they stamped out Indian resistance in ruthless fashion to claim a 209-run win at the Oval.
With just five days to go before they renew their biggest rivalry against England at Edgbaston, Australia soared to victory, dismissing India for 234 on the final morning of the ICC’s second World Test Championship final.
Scott Boland provided the key breakthrough, removing star batter Virat Kohli in the seventh over of the day and making it a double strike by dismissing Ravindra Jadeja two balls later.
Boland was unlikely to play until injury ruled Josh Hazlewood out, but the bustling 34-year-old seamer must now be well fancied to take on Ben Stokes’ side in Friday’s first Test.
Everything was on the line on the fifth day of the red-ball showpiece, with 280 runs needed and seven wickets up for grabs. Ordinarily, such an equation would have made Australia overwhelming favourites, but Kolhi’s presence as a master chaser left Indian fans with real belief that their side could make a record 444 to win the match.
He was in fluent touch on the previous evening, reeling off a punchy 44, but he added just five more to his score as Boland landed the key wicket.
Immediately after beating the outside by a whisker he tossed one wider and drew a lavish drive from Kohli, who sprayed a rapid chance between second and third slip. Steve Smith did the rest, throwing himself into action to take a brilliant catch.
Unlike an equally outstanding take from Cameron Green on day four, there was no debate whatsoever about the legality of this one, nor of its relevance to the final outcome. With Kohli gone for 49, India’s hopes were all but over.
Their fans, who have dominated the stands all week and who poured in on Sunday in the hope of witnessing a famous victory, were dumbstuck.
If anybody doubted it, then Boland wasted no time in hammering home the point. Two balls later he was celebrating again, Jadeja caught behind for a duck as Boland found a hint of movement around off stump.
When Srikar Bharat saw a thick edge squirt off the toe of the bat it looked like three wickets in four deliveries for Boland, but this time the ball kept rising and narrowly beat a leaping David Warner at first slip.
Ajinkya Rahane did his best to reinvigorate the battle, stroking a couple of regal drives down the ground, but Australia held all the cards. He departed for 46, struck clean in front of the stumps attempting a sweep.
Mitchell Starc, who could be vulnerable if Hazlewood comes back in against England, added the wicket of Umesh Yadav, but the rest of the tail was mopped up in efficient style by Nathan Lyon.
He finished with figures of four for 41, nailing Shardul Thakur lbw, collecting a skier of a return catch from Bharat and finishing things up when Mohammed Siraj steered a reverse sweep straight to point.
Australia’s celebrations began in earnest as the formed a circle in the middle of the pitch, while India were once again runners-up, having lost the inaugural final to New Zealand two years ago.
Southern Vipers cruised to a seven-wicket victory over The Blaze to allow coach Charlotte Edwards to lift the trophy that bears her name for the second consecutive season.
Set a target of 115 by The Blaze in this weather-affected final at New Road, the Vipers’ opening pair of Danni Wyatt and Maia Bouchier made a stand of 67 in less than seven overs to leave little doubt about the outcome.
Wyatt, potentially warming up for the Women’s Ashes, reached 50 off 28 balls, defying the damp outfield to hit 10 boundaries, before being trapped lbw by Nadine de Klerk. But by then the job was almost done with the Vipers needing 27 from nine overs.
Captain Georgia Adams got them over the line with 34 balls to spare with an edge going through the slips to find the boundary.
The Blaze, who started the match unbeaten in the competition, had resumed on 53 for four after heavy rain saw play abandoned for the day on Saturday evening and pushed on to 114 for eight as Marie Kelly finished as their top scorer with an unbeaten 26.
But such was the fluency with which Wyatt and Bouchier found the boundaries, there was little doubt the Vipers would retain the trophy.
Debate continued over a contested catch from Cameron Green as Australia moved towards the final day of the World Test Championship final against India as favourites to claim the title.
England’s Ashes rivals declared midway through the fourth afternoon, leaving India needing a record fourth-innings chase of 444 at the Oval.
India were just about hanging in, reaching the close on 164 for three with a fluent knock of 44 not out from the great Virat Kohli bolstering what surely remained a distant long shot.
Australia’s hunt for 10 wickets started in earnest in the final over before the tea break when an outstanding one-handed catch from Green sent Shubman Gill on his way and ended a lively opening stand with Rohit Sharma.
There was enough uncertainty over the legality of the low chance to require attention from third umpire Richard Kettleborough, but his decision to uphold the wicket for Scott Boland was met with jeers and chants of “cheat” from a 24,000 crowd that swayed emphatically towards India.
The replays looked as though Green had his fingers under the ball but Gill wasted no time entering the fray on social media, posting a less conclusive still image of the catch on Twitter shortly after the close.
The picture was annotated with two magnifying glasses and a ‘face palm’ emoji, ambiguous enough to spare him the interest of the match referee but enough to stoke the ire of Indian supporters.
India seamer Mohammed Shami also suggested an element of dissatisfaction at the swiftness of Kettleborough’s decision, telling the post-match press conference: “We could have taken some time. It’s the World Test Championship final, not a normal match that you let go.
“It should have been checked better, zoomed in, but it’s okay, it’s part of the game. It is all about the umpires. They take a call.”
Green, who is fast establishing himself as one of the best close catchers in the business and took a similarly brilliant one-handed effort to his right on day three, insisted nothing felt untoward as he gathered the chance.
“I definitely thought I caught it. In the heat of the moment I thought it was clean, threw it up and obviously showed no sign of any doubt,” he said.
“Then it’s left up to the third umpire and he agreed. Obviously the Indian crowd are so passionate and one of their favourite guys, Shubman Gill, got out…I think they were all kind of looking forward to watching (him bat). We move on.”
If India continue to show defiance and take the chase deep, Australia’s pace attack could be in for some unwelcome hard work as the countdown to the first Ashes Test goes on. The Edgbaston opener gets under way on Friday but Green, who will be taking his share of the load as fourth seamer, insists nobody will be holding back with the size of the prize at stake.
“You’ve always got to play what’s in front of you, 100 per cent,” he said.
“We’ve been working so hard for two years to have any doubts about pushing in this game. We’re not going to focus too much on what’s coming ahead and just focus on the next day.”
Australia stood seven wickets away from claiming the World Test Championship crown heading into the final day at the Oval, but Virat Kohli’s presence was enough to give India a glimmer of hope in adversity.
Needing to pull off a world record chase of 444, India looked down and out at 93 for three but Kohli’s accomplished 44 not out kept Australia wary of a remarkable comeback. The former captain put on an unbroken 71 with Ajinkya Rahane, and looked in determined mood.
He walked off the field at 164 for three with his side still strong outsiders, but were not yet down and out. Having scored their runs at a lively rate of 4.10, India kept in touch with what seemed an unattainable goal.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins set up the final equation by declaring at 270 for eight midway through the fourth afternoon, asking India to score 26 more than any side has ever made to win a Test, 38 more than their own record and 181 beyond the best at Surrey’s home ground.
India’s openers began brightly in the face of stifling odds, but saw their optimism dented by a sensational catch from Cameron Green in the last over before tea.
With Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill racing to 41 from the first seven overs, Scott Boland clipped the latter’s outside edge and watched on as Green flung his 6ft 6in frame to the left to take a quite brilliant left-handed effort in the gully.
Gill stood his ground as he waited to see if the catch was clean, with the heavily partisan India-supporting crowd unanimous that the ball had been grounded as Green held his fingers under the ball. English umpire Richard Kettleborough was the man on television duty and he took a long and deliberate look at the slow motion replays before settling in the bowler’s favour.
There were loud jeers and boos, as well as some chants of “cheat”, from the stands, but while there was some ambiguity around still images of the incident it seemed hard to believe that Kettleborough could have made a different verdict.
It was Green’s second brilliant catch of the match, having produced another remarkable diving effort with his right hand to dismiss first-innings top-scorer Rahane, and reminder to England of the all-rounder’s burgeoning ability to stamp his imprint on proceedings.
The wicket was badly needed given India’s early aggression, scoring nine fours and a six in the first 10 overs and rollicking along at almost exactly a run-a-ball. Sharma was in impeccable touch, producing flowing drives when the seamers went full and swivelling into trademark pulls when they dragged their length back.
At one stage Cummins tested his opposite number out with a bouncer and was hooked over the ropes at fine-leg. It took a change of pace in the form of Nathan Lyon’s to halt his charge, Sharma getting in a tangle as he shaped to sweep over mid-wicket and falling lbw.
When Cheteshwar Pujara followed in the next over, caught behind off the face attempting an uncharacteristic uppercut, India were rocking at 93 for three. But rather than fold, they carried on the the fight through Kohli and Rahane.
Kohli gave no leeway at all on line, flicking away a sequence of boundaries through the leg side. The ball was pinging sweetly from his bat and Rahane was offering solid support as Australia laboured away with minimal joy in the last half-hour.
Australia had earlier progressed with relative serenity towards their declaration.
Marnus Labuschagne failed to add to his overnight score of 41 before nicking Umesh Yadav to slip, and Green ground out a sedate 25 before diverting spinner Ravindra Jadeja into his own stumps as he ploughed away on a leg-stump line, but the runs kept flowing.
Alex Carey banked some vital time in the middle ahead of the Ashes as he made an undefeated 66, while Mitchell Starc swung the bat with freedom to make a lively 41.
All eyes were on Cummins from the moment the advantage snaked past 400 and he finally obliged when he was eighth man out, thrashing Mohammed Shami into the on-side.
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s Selection Panel today announced the preliminary squad of players who will participate in a training camp in preparation for the upcoming six-match Series against Ireland Women.
The training camp will be held at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia from 14 to 21 June, where the players will have training and fitness sessions as well as strategic preparations for the three-match CG United One Day International (ODI) Series. The CG United ODI Series will be played from 26 June to 1 July and is the West Indies Women’s third series in the ICC Women’s Championship, where the top five teams in the ten-team league qualify automatically for the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The preliminary squad includes a mix of experienced players and promising young talents. Cherry-Ann Fraser returns to add depth and experience to the team’s bowling attack after missing the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup due to injury. Left-handed allrounder Qiana Joseph, who last played international cricket in 2021, also returns to the training camp squad. She was among the leading players in the recent Women’s CG United Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze played in St Kitts.
Several West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 players have been included in the preliminary squad. Zaida James, Jannillea Glasgow, Djenaba Joseph, Shunelle Sawh, and Under-19s captain Ashmini Munisar have all earned their place in the squad. Their inclusion reflects CWI’s commitment to developing younger talent and expanding the Women’s talent pool by providing opportunities for younger players to showcase their skills at the international level.
CWI’s Lead Selector for Women’s cricket Ann Browne-John said: “The series against Ireland is an important one for the West Indies Women as the team seeks to build points to qualify directly for the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. It also serves as a perfect opportunity to continue to expose younger players to international cricket. This was a policy that the CWI embarked upon which resulted in Under 19 players being selected to the team for the England Series in December and the ICC T20 World Cup in February.”
Browne-John added: “This is now being taken one step further and there are five players who participated in the ICC Women’s Under 19 T20 World Cup in January, now in the squad preparing for the series against Ireland. This means that there are some senior players who are not able to get a place in the squad at this time. The Selection Panel however believes that this squad has a good mix of youth and experience as we continue to build the West Indies team of the future.”
The Women’s Selection Panel will announce the official West Indies Women’s squad ahead of the three-match CG United ODI Series, with the T20I squad announced later.
WI WOMEN TRAINING SQUAD
Full match schedule:
All matches at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, St. Lucia
Monday 26 June: 1st CG United ODI – 10am (9am Jamaica Time)
Wednesday 28 June: 2nd CG United ODI – 10am (9am Jamaica Time)
Saturday 1 July: 3rd CG United ODI – 3pm (2pm Jamaica Time)
Tuesday 4 July: 1st T20I – 5pm (4pm Jamaica Time)
Thursday 6 July: 2nd T20I – 5pm (4pm Jamaica Time)
Saturday 8 July: 3rd T20I – 5pm (4pm Jamaica Time)
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