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The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
England to host next three World Test Championship finals
England will stage the next three World Test Championship finals, the International Cricket Council has announced. All of the first three showpieces have been held in England, most recently last month with Lord's the venue as South Africa were crowned champions for the first time by defeating holders Australia. Nearly 110,000 people went through the gates of the so-called home of cricket over the course of a Test that lasted four days, although India were reportedly keen to stage the next edition in two years' time. The influence the country wields in global cricket affairs led to the assumption India would get their wish but England have instead been awarded the finals of the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions by the ICC. At its annual conference in Singapore, the ICC noted England's "successful track record in hosting recent finals", even though Ben Stokes' side are yet to reach the one-off, winner-takes-all showdown. England finished fifth in the 2023-25 cycle although they were deducted 22 points - by far the most of the nine teams involved - for slow over-rates. Without those punishments, they would have placed third. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould said: "We are absolutely delighted that England and Wales has been chosen to host the next three ICC World Test Championship finals. "It's a testament to the passion that fans in this country have for this treasured format of the game and the willingness of supporters from around the world to travel here for these games. "Hosting these finals is a privilege, and we look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions." Also on the agenda for the ICC in southeast Asia was an update on the support for the displaced women's cricketers of Afghanistan, many of whom were forced into exile when the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and effectively outlawed female sport. Amid increasing political pressure for the global game to act, the ICC formed a task force in April also involving the ECB, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA). The ICC confirmed the programme "aims to deliver structured support through high-performance initiatives, domestic playing opportunities, and engagement at key ICC global events". It is understood Afghanistan women's cricketers, many of whom are now living in Australia, could attend this year's 50-over World Cup in India and the 2026 T20 World Cup in England and engage with the teams there, although details are still to be ironed out.


Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inside Marcus Rashford's move to Barcelona: The key figure at the club who always wanted the Man United man ahead of Nico Williams - and the reasons why
Despite recent suggestions that Marcus Rashford was Barcelona 's third-choice option as they looked to sign a striker this summer, Mail Sport can reveal the forward was always the player Barca sporting director Deco wanted to bring to the club. The Spanish champions came close to signing the 27-year-old in January but their financial difficulties saw the deal fall through. Then, when it was back on track this summer, Nico Williams's attempt to join Barca almost wrecked Rashford's dream.


Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Randall backing England to blossom further after summer tour triumph
Harry Randall believes England are 'building something really special' after they rounded off their summer tour with an eventful 40-5 win over the USA. The Bristol Bears scrum-half, 27, was one of six try-scorers in Washington DC as Steve Borthwick's side completed a transatlantic clean sweep of victories after an impressive 2-0 win in Argentina. Fellow Bear Gabriel Oghre also capped a memorable international debut when he dotted down for England's final try after coming on in the second half. The match in the American capital kicked off an hour later than planned due to a lightning strike in the area, with the game then halted by a further half an hour on 29 minutes when another struck within 10 miles of the ground when England were 14-0 up. But Borthwick's side, missing several key players on the British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia, kept their composure to extend their resurgent run that has now seen them rack up seven wins on the spin – their longest streak since back in 2020. Randall has loved life in the camp over the last few weeks and is relishing the prospect of returning ahead of crunch autumn internationals against the likes of Australia and New Zealand. 'It's really satisfying – I think we're building something really special here over last few campaigns,' he said. 'There are a few boys away with the Lions – that strength in depth comes through really nicely. 'I think we've showed that over the last few weeks. 'It's one of the tightest groups I've been a part of – generally everyone gets on with everyone and ultimately that's what makes a great team at the end of the day. 'Having that camaraderie – we're definitely building that really nicely.' Randall, Oghre, Curtis Langdon, Luke Northmore, Cadan Murley and Jack van Poortvliet all scored in a commanding albeit imperfect display at DC's Audi Field. USA grabbed a late consolation through Shilo Klein to give the home fans who remained something to cheer about but England's work was done as they ended their triumphant tour in style. Replacement Randall admits he has never experienced anything like the delays that led to the game finishing 90 minutes later than planned but hailed the group for dealing with it in the best way possible. 'It was a bit of a disruptive game but you've got to adapt to these things, which I think we did pretty well,' he said. 'It was tough conditions – the ball got greasy and slippery but we got what we wanted in the end. 'It's the first time in that situation – it's a weird one. 'It was just a case of when that delay came, switching off, relaxing and keep sipping away fluids as it's so hot. 'When the time comes to get back out there again, it's about getting switched, warming back up and ready to come on when needed.'