Cricket

England's upcoming T20I series against New Zealand will serve as a crucial test for the team as they prepare for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. Captain Heather Knight emphasized that while conditions in England may differ from those in Bangladesh, the team will strive to simulate potential scenarios and combinations.Despite the challenging weather conditions in Southampton, Knight stated that England will focus on playing teams and implementing strategies that they anticipate encountering in Bangladesh. This approach aims to prepare the team for the specific conditions and challenges they may face during the World Cup.England's recent ODI series sweep against New Zealand has instilled confidence in the team, allowing them to maintain an experimental mindset regardless of the pitch or opposition. The team's dominant performances, including a comfortable chase of 212 in Bristol, have showcased their depth and adaptability.Knight revealed that England is nearing the finalization of their squad for the T20 World Cup, with only a few spots remaining to be determined. The selection process has been challenging due to the impressive performances of the players, highlighting the intense competition within the team.Freya Kemp's return as an allrounder and Sophia Dunkley's inclusion in the squad after a disappointing tour of New Zealand earlier this year add depth to England's options. Seamer Lauren Bell's breakthrough performance in Bristol, where she claimed her maiden five-wicket haul, has boosted her confidence and solidified her position in the team.Knight praised Bell's resilience and determination in overcoming a difficult period where she was working on modifying her bowling technique. She believes that Bell's experience will be invaluable for the team going forward.

England Test captain Ben Stokes' passionate post-match speech after the rain-affected fourth Test of the 2023 Ashes series has sparked a debate. Stokes declared that his team would "live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket," despite failing to regain the Ashes urn.The all-rounder's remarks came after the match in Manchester was washed out, allowing Australia to retain the trophy. England had fought back from a 2-0 deficit to level the series 2-2, but the weather denied them a chance to win back the urn.Stokes' speech was captured in a documentary released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He told his players: "Everything we've done up until now isn't going to stop because we haven't managed to win the urn back. The reward for our work isn't what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we've managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket."Stokes' comments were met with skepticism by some, including Fox Sports Australia, who shared the quotes with the caption "right, yeah, sure." However, Stokes defended his remarks, saying he was simply trying to motivate his team."Said this to the team who had watched it rain for 2 days when we had our foot on your throats, just tried to cheer up the disappointment tbh, but anyways rent free and all that," Stokes tweeted.England's last Ashes series win came in 2015, while their last Test victory on Australian soil was in 2009. Despite their recent struggles, Stokes believes his team has made a lasting impact on the game."What we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team - be the team that everybody will always remember," he said.

Lauren Bell's maiden international five-wicket haul sealed a 3-0 sweep for England in their ODI series against New Zealand. The 23-year-old seamer has been working on remodeling her bowling action, which has led to an ability to swing the ball both ways.Bell's journey to this breakthrough has been challenging. After returning from England's tour of New Zealand earlier this year, she was tasked with bowling more upright. This change has been tricky to implement while playing on the international stage, but Bell has persevered with the support of her team-mates and coaching staff."It's been a tricky few months, so yeah, it was nice to come out of today with some real success, it was a great day," Bell said. "I got back from the series in New Zealand and we just thought to push my career on, make me a better bowler, we'd changed a few things with my action.""But obviously when you bowl a certain way for however long, it has been tricky. I don't really have a training block, I've just been playing, but it's definitely for the best in the long term and I guess today shows that it is going to push me forward. But yeah, it is obviously hard doing it on an international stage."Bell's wickets on Wednesday came from a back-of-a-length, top-of-the-stumps approach. However, she believes that her new action will allow her to be more versatile in the future."I fell away a lot, and so we thought if we could get me more upright, it'd be safer. It means I can bowl more and it means I should be quicker and from being taller I get more bounce," she explained. "So it came from that point of view initially, to add pace to my bowling, pace and bounce, and leading me to be more upright allowed me to then be able to swing it both ways."Bell's bowling coach, Matt Mason, has been a key figure in her development. "I think he would've felt like a proud dad today," Bell said. "There's been tears, there's been drama, there's been disagreements. We work really closely and he's put in a lot of time to get me here."Bell is confident that her new action will help her become a more effective bowler in the long run. "I've gone a long time not really having to think much about how I bowl. Now, my change in action, I very much have to concentrate on it, so I've learned that I need to focus and I've got a couple of cues that help me with that. I reset every ball and I focus in on my cues. It is a bit of a routine that I've picked up in the last couple of months that I think will take me a long way, especially in pressure situations."

West Indies Warm Up for England Test Series with Impressive Batting DisplayAhead of the first Test against England at Lord's on July 10, the West Indies Test squad faced off against the First Class Counties XI in a three-day warm-up match in Beckenham. Despite the absence of fast bowler Shamar Joseph and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie due to flight cancellations caused by Hurricane Beryl, the West Indies put up a strong batting performance.Kavem Hodge led the charge with a spirited 112, while Alick Athanaze (74), Kirk McKenzie (73), and Mikyle Louis (50) all contributed half-centuries. The West Indies posted an impressive 339 in their first innings, setting a solid foundation for the upcoming Test series.Joseph and Motie are expected to join the squad in time for the first Test, bolstering the West Indies' bowling attack. Joseph, who made headlines with his stunning spell against Australia in January, is expected to play a key role alongside Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales.Despite the overcast and windy conditions in Beckenham, the West Indies batsmen remained unfazed, showcasing their resilience and determination. The match provided a valuable opportunity for the team to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the highly anticipated Test series against England.

England, the reigning world champions, have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. In the third and final ODI at Bristol, England captain Heather Knight won the toss and opted to field first.Despite heavy rain earlier in the day, the toss proceeded as scheduled. However, a downpour immediately followed, forcing the covers to be reapplied and delaying the start of play.England made three changes to their lineup, giving opportunities to Sophia Dunkley, Sarah Glenn, and Lauren Bell. Dunkley replaced Danni Wyatt, Glenn replaced Sophie Ecclestone, and Bell replaced Lauren Filer.New Zealand also made two changes, bringing in Hannah Rowe and Eden Carson for Jess Kerr and Fran Jonas.England's batting lineup features Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Amy Jones, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Kate Cross, and Lauren Bell.New Zealand's batting lineup consists of Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Lauren Down, Isabella Gaze, Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold, and Eden Carson.The match is currently underway, with New Zealand batting first. England will be looking to complete a clean sweep of the series, while New Zealand will be aiming to salvage some pride.

Legendary Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has expressed his astonishment at the impending retirement of England pace veteran James Anderson, hailing him as the "best ever" fast bowler to grace the sport.Ahead of his final international match on July 10 against West Indies, Anderson has sent out a warning with a devastating seven-wicket haul against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. Lyon, speaking on the Lancashire Cricket Website, praised Anderson's class and skillset, particularly in English conditions."He showed his class. No disrespect to the other bowlers in this game, but you can see the class of Jimmy and the extra zip he gets off the wicket," Lyon said. "I have said this before, I am very much surprised that England have tapped him on the shoulder. He is class, he is world-class. He's probably the best to ever play the game as a fast bowler."Lyon also shared his unusual experience of encouraging Anderson, his former international rival, as a teammate in the County Championship. "I have obviously seen it on the other side. We had a little moment when we said it feels a bit sick for me to say 'Come on Jimmy' and him saying 'nice Garry'. That was a bit different, but it is the beauty of county cricket I guess and it is pretty special to play with arguably the greatest bowler to ever play the game."Anderson's dominance in the County Championship Division One game was evident as he dismissed six of Nottinghamshire's top seven batters for single-digit scores, reducing them to 40/6. His economy rate of 2.18 and three maiden overs showcased his authority and class.Despite his age, Anderson remains a vital part of the England setup. England men's managing director, Rob Key, confirmed that Anderson will continue as a mentor following his retirement from international cricket."Jimmy will continue in our set-up, and he will help as a bit more of a mentor," Key said. "We're trying to set up an elite coach development programme, which Jimmy wants to do, but we will have a look at the end of the summer."Anderson's final Test match will be played at The Lord's on July 10, marking the end of an illustrious career that has seen him take 700 wickets in 187 Tests.

Kate Cross, England's experienced seam bowler, remains hopeful of securing a spot in the T20 World Cup squad despite her recent absence from the format. Cross returned to the ODI side for England's emphatic victory over New Zealand, but her sights are set on the upcoming Hundred tournament as an opportunity to showcase her skills and earn a recall to the T20 team.Cross has not featured in a T20I since December 2019 and has not taken a wicket in the format since the Women's Ashes in 2019. However, she is determined to prove her worth to head coach Jon Lewis and convince him to include her in the squad for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October."Lewy's said, 'never say never,' with T20 cricket, he's said he's definitely not ruled me out for future series or games," Cross said. "But I can just control what I can control and I know I've got the Hundred coming up where I'll be able to open the bowling and try and finish games off for the Superchargers."Cross acknowledges that the competition for places in the T20 team is fierce, but she is confident in her abilities and believes that the Hundred will provide her with the perfect platform to demonstrate her value."So for me, that's my opportunity to showcase to him what I can do and if that's good enough, it's good enough, and if it's not, then I'll obviously support the girls from quite a distance as I won't be in Bangladesh."If Cross is overlooked for the T20 World Cup, she will have the ODI World Cup in India next year to aim for. However, her focus remains on the immediate task of helping England win the current ODI series against New Zealand and continuing to develop her game."We are probably more focused on the T20 World Cup at the minute, obviously that's the one more in front of us, but we're still trying to evolve our 50-over game as well to make sure that we are as well prepared as we possibly can be when it gets to that Ashes series," Cross said.Cross believes that England's recent success in white-ball cricket is a testament to the team's growing maturity and ruthlessness. She is confident that the team can continue to improve and achieve even greater things in the future."That's where winning games of cricket, how we are at the minute, is really pleasing because we're playing what's in front of us and as we keep moving forward as a group and learning how best to play conditions, then hopefully what we're learning from these series, we'll travel over and we'll be able to keep that ruthless nature and take that into big ICC events and obviously that'll stand you in good stead to win trophies."

James Anderson, England's legendary fast bowler, will join the team's backroom staff as a fast-bowling mentor upon his retirement from Test cricket after the upcoming series opener against the West Indies at Lord's. The 41-year-old is the first seamer and only third bowler to have taken 700 Test wickets, following spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.Anderson's decision to retire from Test cricket stems from England's desire to move on ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes. However, England managing director Rob Key has emphasized the value of Anderson's experience and expertise, stating that he will continue to play a role in the team's setup as a mentor.Key believes that Anderson has a wealth of knowledge to offer English cricket and is keen to retain his services. Anderson's future with Lancashire remains uncertain, but Key expects that his plans will become clearer after the Lord's Test.England have included three uncapped players in their squad for the first two matches of the three-Test series against the West Indies. Jamie Smith has been selected as the wicketkeeper ahead of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes. Smith, who averages over 50 in the County Championship this season, is seen as a promising prospect for the future.Key explained that Smith's selection is based on his potential and the belief that he can develop into a top-class international cricketer. He also consulted with former England wicketkeepers Chris Read, James Foster, and Alec Stewart to assess Smith's suitability for the role.Key acknowledged that Bairstow, who has struggled for form lately, needs to rediscover his previous level of performance. He expressed concerns about Bairstow's ability to withstand the demands of keeping wicket for extended periods in Test matches.Key also addressed the recent defeats in the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup, which have raised questions about the future of England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott. He stated that he will take his time in making decisions regarding their positions and will assess the team's performance in the upcoming series against Australia.

England's managing director of men's cricket, Rob Key, has made bold selections for the upcoming Test series against West Indies, prioritizing potential over immediate performance. Jamie Smith, a 23-year-old wicketkeeper, and Shoaib Bashir, a 20-year-old spinner, have been handed their Test debuts despite not being first-choice options for their counties.Key defended the selections, emphasizing the need to identify players with high ceilings. He acknowledged the quality of Ben Foakes, Smith's predecessor as wicketkeeper, but expressed a desire for a more dynamic batsman. Foakes' batting on the recent India tour lacked the aggression expected of the current Test team.Similarly, Bashir's selection over Jack Leach, a veteran spinner, was based on his impressive performances in India. Key praised Bashir's character and potential, believing he has the attributes to become a top-class spinner.Key also addressed the absence of Ollie Robinson, a fast bowler who has struggled for form. He warned that Robinson must prove his worth in county cricket to earn a recall, given the abundance of fast-bowling options available.The Lord's Test will mark the retirement of James Anderson, but Key confirmed that the legendary bowler will remain with the squad as a mentor. Key believes Anderson has much to offer English cricket and wants to tap into his experience.