Jacob Bethell will captain England in the T20 series against Ireland, becoming the youngest man to lead the side at 21 years old. He stepped in with Harry Brook rested, taking charge in the first of three matches in Malahide, just north of Dublin. The role marks a quick rise for Bethell, who only made his England debut last year in September.

Bethell said he was surprised when Brendon McCullum called to tell him he would be the skipper. He noted that no clear reason was given, but he believes it shows trust from the staff. He also said he looks forward to handling the pressure of fast-paced games and hopes to guide the squad with calm, effective man-management. 

Furthermore, he has experience as captain of the England Under-19s and scored his first professional century last month. Ireland, missing Josh Little through injury, still poses threats with Harry Tector and Paul Stirling. The series begins on Wednesday, September 17.

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Thomas Tuchel’s first five games as England manager have brought mixed reactions. While England won four matches, the style of play has left many unimpressed. Critics say the football looks too much like Gareth Southgate’s era as safe, slow, and lacking excitement.

England opened Tuchel’s run with a 2-0 win over Albania, then followed it with a 1-0 victory over Andorra, where Noni Madueke stood out. A stronger 5-0 result over Ireland came earlier under interim coach Lee Carsley, making Tuchel’s scorelines look modest in comparison. Against Latvia, ranked 137th, England managed only a 3-0 win, with two late goals and a free kick from Reece James securing the victory.

The low point came in a 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal at the City Ground, marking the first time an African side beat England. Tuchel’s side closed this stretch with another win over Andorra, 2-0, though one goal was an own goal.

Fans now question whether Tuchel can lift performances before the World Cup. Results have come, but the lack of spark has raised concern about England’s readiness for tougher tests.

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England smashed South Africa on Sunday with a record win in the third one-day match at the Rose Bowl. The gap was 342 runs, the largest in one-day cricket. The result topped India’s 317-run win over Sri Lanka in 2023.

England, sent to bat first, stacked up 414-5 in 50 overs. Joe Root held the line with a steady 100. Young Jacob Bethell stole the show with 110 from 76 balls, his first ton.

His stand of 182 with Root drove the charge and made him England’s second-youngest one-day centurion after David Gower. Jos Buttler then struck hard, blasting 62 off 32 balls unbeaten, while Jamie Smith added a sharp 62.

Then, Jofra Archer ripped through South Africa’s top order with heat and bite, grabbing 4-18 in nine overs. The chase fell apart fast, as the visitors slumped to 7-4 and never found ground. They were skittled for 72 in just 20.5 overs. Brydon Carse and Adil Rashid wrapped it up, sharing five wickets to seal the rout.

Despite the heavy loss, South Africa had already won the series 2-1. Still, England’s huge win sent a bold note. The teams now turn to a three-match T20 run, starting September 10 in Cardiff. England will aim to ride their spark into the shorter game.

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Ravi Bopara is enjoying the later part of his cricket career with the same energy he’s always had. The former England all-rounder is also starting to move into coaching. Now 40, he still plays for Northamptonshire. This season, he’s scored key runs in T20 games, including an unbeaten 84 from 45 balls against Derbyshire.

While his bowling may have slowed down, he still makes a mark with the bat. Currently, achieving 10,000 career runs is among his goals. So far, he has played 171 games for England in different formats. Since then, he hasn't played international cricket. Still, his career highlights like scoring three Test hundreds in a row in 2009 stand out.

Looking back on his journey, Bopara says he often took on too much and wished he had played with more freedom. After leaving Essex in 2019, his career in franchise cricket has grown. He’s done especially well in the Pakistan Super League, where he’s now head coach of Karachi Kings.

Even though he didn’t play in The Hundred this year, Bopara stays hopeful about opportunities that may come later. Looking forward, his goal is simple: 'One day, I want to coach England� he says with a smile, still driven by the game’s tests and openings.

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England’s top cricket batter, Joe Root, has responded to a playful pre-Ashes jab from Australia’s David Warner. Warner joked that Root needs to ‘take the surfboard off his front leg,�referring to Root’s occasional leg-before-wicket (lbw) dismissals.

Root brushed it off, calling it ‘all part of the fun,�and said he’s more focused than ever on finally scoring his first Test century in Australia.

Root will be central to England’s Ashes campaign in November, as they seek their first win since 2015. With over 150 Test caps and 537 runs in five Tests against India this summer, he feels ready. He is ranked second among all-time Test run-scorers.

He admits past Ashes tours were marred by distractions, from captaincy pressures to COVID-19 rules and off-field incidents. This time, Root wants to enjoy the experience, focus on his game, and help England win their first Ashes in Australia.

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Fresh legs are needed after a long fourth Test. England are bringing in Jamie Overton for the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval starting July 31. The fast-bowling all-rounder joined to help a tired pace attack after a long fourth Test in Manchester, where England bowled for 143 overs. That match ended in a draw.

Captain Ben Stokes said the team may need fresh legs. England must avoid losing the final Test to win the series. Overton joins other fast bowlers Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue. All three might be used, with Atkinson and Overton seen as uncertain picks due to a lack of match time.

Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse have played in all four matches. Jofra Archer played in two after returning from four years out with injury. Stokes had some pain in the last game but said it’s very unlikely he will miss the series decider.

There’s not much time between games. England were still playing on Sunday night, and the last Test starts on Thursday, July 31. Overton has played just once since May due to a finger injury. Atkinson has not played top-level cricket in over two months after a hamstring injury. Tongue, who took 11 wickets earlier in the series, has stayed with the squad.

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England pulled off a big comeback to beat Sweden in an intense UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 quarter-final. They won 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a tough 2-2 tie. England was already two goals behind just 25 minutes in, after quick goals from Kosovare Asllani and Stina Blackstenius.

At first, it looked like the Lionesses were going to lose early. However, late goals from Lucy Bronze and young sub Michelle Agyemang sent the game into extra time. This kept England’s dream of keeping their title alive.

Coach Sarina Wiegman made a game‑changing second‑half substitution. She put in Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, and Agyemang, and all three helped turn the game around. During the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made two important saves.

Sweden’s Jennifer Falk saved multiple penalties but missed her own shot. Lucy Bronze scored England’s last kick. Then, Sofia Jakobsson and Smilla Holmberg both missed theirs, locking in the win for the Lionesses.

This is the first time any team has come back from two goals down in a Women’s EURO knockout game. England now head to the semifinals, where they’ll face Italy on Tuesday in Geneva, as they keep fighting to keep their title.

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India’s run-chase in the third Test at Lord’s got off to a bad start when Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for a duck after facing just seven balls. He was once again beaten by the speed of Jofra Archer.

Archer, who returned to Test cricket after a long break, got Jaiswal out in both innings, first for 13 runs, then for 0. The left-handed batter seemed off his game. Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said, 'He didn’t look comfortable, he didn’t look watchable'.

In the fourth innings, Archer bowled a short ball at 141kph that Jaiswal hit high in the air. It went straight to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Earlier in the match, Jaiswal also got out while trying to hit a ball with extra bounce, stepping back. Both teams scored 387 runs in their first innings. Then, England made 192 in their second innings and gave India a target of 193 runs to win. 

By the end of Day 4, India was in trouble at 58 for 4. Team captain Shubman Gill made only 6 runs, and Karun Nair got out for 14. Nightwatchman Akash Deep was bowled by Ben Stokes for just 1 run. India now faces a hard task on the last day.

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England captain Ben Stokes is getting more heat after another weak game with the bat in a huge 336-run loss to India at Edgbaston. India scored over 1,000 runs across two innings, adding more pressure on Stokes during his two-year drop in form. 

The 34-year-old got out for a golden duck and then scored just 33. It’s now been two years since his last Test hundred. Since then, his average is only 30.55, and he’s had a hard time with spin bowling, getting out to spinners 16 times in his last 25 dismissals, with an average of 18.43.

Stokes�choice to bowl first on a flat pitch didn’t work out. Critics, including former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif, have raised questions about his decisions and current form. His rival, Shubman Gill, scored 397 more runs than him in the match, setting a new record.

Even with knee and hamstring problems, Stokes is still bowling and has taken nine wickets this summer. However, many believe trying to stay a full-time all-rounder may be hurting his batting. As England gets ready for the next Test, the pressure on Stokes is growing. He needs to get back in form or face hard questions about doing both roles.

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The organisers of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup have announced the venues for the 12-team tournament in 2026. This includes the news that Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the final on July 5, 2026, which will conclude a 24-day and 33-match tournament.

The biggest stage for women’s cricket

Lord’s is the setting for the historic 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup final where England beat India. Now almost a decade later, it will again host the final—this time for the Women’s T20 World Cup.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould is glad Lord’s will be the official ground for the T20 World Cup once again. He said, ‘This will be the biggest women's cricket event ever staged in England and Wales and is undoubtedly an opportunity to take the game to more people than ever before and welcome in new fans�

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