Cricket News

Andrew Strauss, whose 106 at Old Trafford guided England's successful chase of 294 to beat New Zealand, has backed his struggling team-mates

The plays of the fourth day between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

A composed 12th Test hundred from Andrew Strauss guided England to a comfortable six-wicket win over New Zealand on the fourth day at Old Trafford, chasing down 294 - the highest fourth-innings run-chase at the ground - to take a 1-0 lead in the series

The plays of the third day between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

Sixteen wickets fell on the third, enthralling day of the second Test at Old Trafford as New Zealand set England a daunting 294 to win, on a crumbling pitch. It was a spinner's day, with five-wicket hauls for Daniel Vettori and Monty Panesar, and both sid

Ian Bell has rejected the criticism of England batsmen's apparent "cosiness", or lounging in their comfort zone, insisting that the weather has been as much as to blame in the first Test-and-a-half against New Zealand

The plays of the second day between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

New Zealand dominated the second day's play at Old Trafford with Ross Taylor's magnificent 154 providing the backbone to a solid first innings of 381

The plays of the first day between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford

Ross Taylor is many things: gifted, certainly; confident of course. Predictable? Perhaps not. Yet on a day which saw four New Zealand wickets fall, his breathless 67 has given his side the edge when England had their tails up. When bad light forced an ear

After the dramatic scenes in Moscow on Wednesday night there will be only one sporting occasion being talked about in the days to come, even on the cricket side of Old Trafford

There is nothing to split England and New Zealand after a truncated opening Test at Lord's, but the visitors will have travelled north to Old Trafford heartened by their performance

Matthew Hoggard will not be available for England's second Test against New Zealand after breaking his thumb in Yorkshire's Championship match against Durham yesterday