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England celebrate another wicket at Worcester © Paul Limmer Photography

England survived a few scares and a determined Australian assault with the ball to win the second Test at Worcester by six wickets. It was their first victory over Australia since December 1984, and after 42 years it meant that England regained the Ashes.

Set a modest target of 76 in two-and-a-bit sessions, Australia reduced England to 4 for 2 in four overs before lunch, Emma Liddell removing Laura Newton and Jenny Gunn with successive deliveries. Charlotte Edwards and Clare Connor weathered all that Liddell and Cathryn Fitzpatrick threw at them after the break, but just as nerves were beginning to settle, Fitzpatrick dismissed them both within an over to leave England 39 for 4.

With Claire Taylor incapacitated with a muscle strain, much depended on Arran Brindle and she responded with a determined 24 not out, as England eked out the runs.

Another pulsating day ended with England in control of the third Test, although Australia fought back after being made to follow on shortly before lunch. Indeed, until Ricky Ponting was run out after tea, Australia were looking relatively untroubled, their battle to wipe off a first-innings deficit of 259 aided by the absence of Simon Jones with an ankle injury.

But Ponting was soon followed by Damien Martyn, although Michael Clarke and Simon Katich avoided any further mishaps in the final hour. Australia hadn't followed on for 17 years, but that moment came when Simon Jones finally removed a stubborn Brett Lee to claim his fifth wicket this innings, his fourth of the morning.

England stand on the brink of regaining the Ashes for the first time in 42 years after making significant inroads into Australia's batting lineup on the third day. By the close, Australia were 179 for 7, a lead of just 21 runs.

But Australia hadn't even looked likely to take the game into the fourth and final day after Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn reduced them to 18 for 4. Kate Blackwell, though, led the fightback, and was 72 not out by the close, having put on an unbroken stand of 112 with Shelley Nitschke as England's bowlers tired.

Janeiro Tucker brought Bermuda right back into the game © ICC

Bermuda produced a major upset by beating the favourites Canada by 48 runs in Toronto, putting them in pole position to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup.

Bermuda had seemed down and out yesterday when they slumped to 116 for 5 in their second innings, only 34 ahead, but a sixth-wicket stand of 119 between Janeiro Tucker and Dean Minors brought them back into the game. The partnership was worth 93 when play resumed and, although Minors soon fell, Tucker marshaled the tail superbly, making an outstanding 123 and giving his bowlers something to get their teeth into.

Canada, with far more experience and on home soil, were still favourites to chase 230, but that changed when Saleem Mukuddem and Kevin Huddle reduced them to 13 for 3. Sunil Dhaniram and Ashish Bagai stopped the rot with a stand of 53, but Dhaniram's departure for a run-a-ball 35 was almost immediately followed by Bagai's wicket, and at 73 for 6, Bermuda scented victory.

England took a stranglehold on the fourth Test at Trent Bridge as the bowlers ripped out five Australian wickets in the final session to follow up Andrew Flintoff's first Ashes century. Matthew Hoggard was the chief destroyer with three wickets while Simon Jones grabbed one and Steve Harmison removed Michael Clarke with the last ball of the day.

Flintoff's partnership of 177 with Geraint Jones allowed England to post their third consecutive first innings total over 400 in the series and for the third time in succession Australia's batting cracked under the pressure. Hoggard - as yet the one England bowler who has not had a major say on the series - then relished conditions which suited his swing bowling and moved the ball considerably, leaving Australia's batsmen playing around their pads and giving the umpires plenty of work.

Shane Bond blazed through India's top order and later prised open a threatening partnership between Jai P Yadav and Irfan Pathan to take New Zealand to victory by 51 runs in the second match of the Videocon Cup in Bulawayo. The pair had put on 118 after Bond's initial spell left India at 44 for 8 and, just as visions of an improbable victory arose, he returned to dash Indian hopes conclusively, ending with 6 for 19.

In seven opening overs of super mayhem, Bond took 5 for 13, and demonstrated that for all the supersubs, powerplays and other hyperbolic terms added to rejuvenate the game, the sport - like other sports - is sustained by drama involving the participants; it should make for a good story. The first over was a tale by itself. Sourav Ganguly opened, and Bond had the new ball. The first ball, slanted across at great pace, looped up off a protective prod and fell between the two. The next, pitched short outside leg, climbed past Ganguly's chest above off, barely giving him time to register the ball. The third, a similar delivery but pushed further up, was fended without conviction. The fourth, again short and cutting across, carried the threat of injury but Ganguly evaded it reflexively. Cricket at this pace had become all about adrenaline, bravery and instinct by the batsman. And one delivery after another, Bond was dissecting the batsman's tools, laying him bare. Yet only four balls had gone by. The fifth was a repeat of the fourth. Even Bond's run-up was intimidating now. The force with which he delivered the last ball was like a farewell explosion, aimed at the head, the edge, the batsman's self-respect. Somehow Ganguly survived. His weaknesses were well-known; Bond hit all the right pressure points.

Ireland eased into the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Cup after their match with Holland petered out into a tame draw, with the poor weather which had washed out the first day returning to bring a premature end to a game which had long since ceased to have any meaning.

Ireland's powerful batting performance yesterday had ended any hopes Holland had of reaching the last four, and they had to be content with some gentle batting practice. Resuming at 56 for 3, they soon lost Eric Szwarczynski but then Ryan ten Doeschate (84) and Alexei Kervezee (46*) put on 115 for the fifth wicket to ensure that at least they were saved the embarrassment of having to follow on. By the time ten Doeschate was caught behind off Andre Botha, the game had meandered into insignificance, and the return of the rain was not unwelcome.

Holland have suffered appallingly from the weather. Their first match at home to Scotland was washed out, and almost half of this game fell victim to the elements, making it almost impossible for them to mount any serious challenge for a semi-final berth. What was, on paper, the strongest of the four zonal groups in the tournament was reduced to a meteorological lottery.

Test-best figures for Katherine Brunt © Getty Images

England ground out a first-innings lead over Australia on the second day of the second Test at Worcester, but it was an affair for the diehards. In 101 overs, they reached 222 for 9 at the close, a lead of 91.

Australia's tail had wagged to great affect in the first Test at Hove, but it succumbed with barely a whimper in the opening overs today as their last three wicket added only five runs to their overnight 126 for 7. In 15 balls Katherine Brunt took all three wickets, giving her a Test-best 5 for 47.

England's innings was solid but never remotely spectacular, with the run rate struggling to stay above two an over for most of the day. Jenny Gunn (38) Clare Connor (37) and Claire Taylor (43) all played themselves in without ever accelerating, but in the context of the match it was important for England to build a lead, and they had the luxury of having the time to do so.

Ireland all but booked their place in October's Intercontinental Cup semi-finals with a clinical batting performance against Holland in Dublin. By the close of the second day - the first was washed out - Ireland had rattled up 407 for 4 and reduced Holland to 56 for 3. With one day left, the best that Holland can hope for is a draw, and that would send Ireland to Namibia.

Ireland won the toss, batted, and were in control from the off. Their top five all reached fifty, with Jeremy Bray and Andre Botha leading the charge. Bray scored a composed 135, while Botha fell three runs short of what would have been a deserved hundred. Holland lacked the firepower to trouble a strong top order, and as the runs flows, their heads visibly dropped.

Faced with a daunting total and a difficult hour before the close, Holland lost three wickets to end any lingering hopes they had of pulling something out of the bag. Adrian McCoubrey, who was instrumental in Ireland's dramatic win against Scotland earlier this month, took two early wickets to send the local supporters home happy.

Bermuda are down but not out © ICC

An unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 94 between Janeiro Tucker and Dean Minors gave Bermuda a fighting chance of victory at the end of the second day of their Intercontinental Cup tie against Canada in Toronoto. While the Canadians remain favourites, the partnership at least delayed a victory which had seemed in the bag shortly after tea.

Canada extended their first-innings lead to 82 despite losing Ashish Bagai early on after he had added four to his overnight 72, with the burly Dwayne Leverock mopping up the tail, finishing with 4 for 46.

Bermuda struggled when they batted again, slipping to 22 for 3 before Clay Smith, who had top scored in the first innings, stopped the rot with a dogged 45. When he fell, Bermuda's lead was only 34, but Tucker and Minors led a spirited recovery as Canada's bowers tired. The pitch remains good, and offered little help to their four spinners who toiled away for more than 50 overs between them at a cost of 94 runs.