Report
Siraj the star as India square series with epic six-run victory
India sealed their closest-ever Test win in terms of runs as Siraj picked up a five-for
Andrew Miller
04-Aug-2025
India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33) and 396 (Jaiswal 118, Tongue 5-125) beat England 247 (Crawley 64, Prasidh 4-62, Siraj 4-84) and 367 (Brook 111, Root 105, Duckett 54, Siraj 5-104, Prasidh 4-126) by six runs
A dank, grey morning in South London, a packed crowd at the Kia Oval, and 53 of the most extraordinary deliveries in Test-match history… all of which culminated in the inevitable, indefatigable redemption of Mohammed Siraj, whose gut-busting five-wicket haul trumped a very different, but every bit as heroic, intercession from England's incapacitated Chris Woakes, in one of the greatest climaxes in all of Test history.
Twenty years ago, on this very day, the legendary Edgbaston Ashes Test of 2005 got underway, but even that match's breathless two-run finish paled against the agonising drama that spanned a solitary hour of play of this, the 25th and final day of another all-timer of a Test series. By the end of it all, India had landed their closest victory in Test history, by six runs. Their players were doing a lap of honour in front of a sea of their jubilant fans, grins beaming out from their battle-weary bodies, safe in the knowledge that they had earned every drop of the acclaim.
Full postFarhan, Ayub set up Pakistan's series-clinching win in Lauderhill
This is the seventh successive time Pakistan have won a T20I series against West Indies
Danyal Rasool
03-Aug-2025
Pakistan 189 for 4 (Farhan 74, Ayub 66, Chase 1-31) beat West Indies 176 for 6 (Athanaze 60, Rutherford 51, Muqeem 1-20) by 13 runs
After the drama of the second game came something of a repeat of the first today. Pakistan edged out West Indies by 13 runs to seal a 2-1 series win, a seventh successive such outcome in bilateral T20I series between the two sides. Pakistan proved just a touch too good for their hosts with both bat and ball, inspired by a 138-run opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan and a flurry at the death. They held their nerve with ball in hand, a clutch few overs at the death shutting the door in West Indies' face, leaving their pursuit of 190 just short once again.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat again, but this time avoided losing early wickets as they had on Saturday. Ayub and Farhan saw through the first few overs with solidity, if not quite the aggression this new-look Pakistan may have desired, and before long found the innings drawing to a close without having lost a wicket, but also bereft of the explosiveness that would put the game out of West Indies' reach.
Full postIndia claw back after Brook, Root tons to set up thrilling finish
Prasidh got Root and Bethell in nine balls to keep India's hopes alive, but the hosts need only 35 more
Matt Roller
03-Aug-2025
Stumps England 247 and 339 for 6 (Brook 111, Root 105, Duckett 54, Prasidh 3-109, Siraj 2-95) need 35 more runs to beat India 224 and 396
An extraordinary series will head into its 25th day on Monday, with its outcome still undecided. Powered by sparkling hundreds from Harry Brook and Joe Root, England were cruising towards a target of 374 without breaking sweat. But Prasidh Krishna kept India's hopes alive with two wickets in nine balls, before bad light first and then heavy rain sent a fifth Test out of five into a fifth day.
The equation is tantalising. England only need 35 more runs with four wickets in hand. But one of those, Chris Woakes, has his arm in a sling following a shoulder injury; he is expected to bat - as last man - if required. A new ball is available to India in 3.4 overs, and their seamers will return rested and refreshed after an exhausting workload on Sunday.
Full postHolder's 4 for 19 and last-ball heroics keep series alive
He took four wickets across phases, took two catches and finished things off with a last-ball boundary to end West Indies' losing streak
Danyal Rasool
02-Aug-2025
West Indies 135 for 8 (Motie 28, Hope 21, Mohammad Nawaz 3-14) beat Pakistan 133 for 9 (Hasan Nawaz 40, Agha 38, Holder 4-19) by two wickets
This was not so much a game as an exhibition to showcase the brilliance of Jason Holder. The allrounder opened the bowling, took four wickets across phases of the Pakistan innings, walked in to bat when the equation was steepest, and won West Indies the second T20I with a boundary off the final delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi. The two-wicket win sees the hosts level the series following a pulsating contest, one that ended with a savage Holder swipe past fine leg when they needed three off one, and a yell of unadulterated joy that ripped through Florida.
West Indies had won just two of their last 19 completed T20Is before this, but began the better of the two sides, puncturing Pakistan with early wickets that left them trying to catch up through the middle overs. They accomplished this to a point thanks to a counter-attacking 60-run fifth-wicket partnership between Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz, only for Holder's double-strike to peg them back again. The hosts dominated the final five overs which saw Pakistan produce just 23 runs, setting Shai Hope's side an eminently manageable 134 for victory.
Full postJaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites
England lose Zak Crawley to last ball of day after being set 374 to win with series on the line
Matt Roller
02-Aug-2025
England 247 and 50 for 1 (Duckett 34*) need 324 more runs to beat India 224 and 396 (Jaiswal 118, Akash Deep 66, Jadeja 53, Washington 53, Tongue 5-125, Atkinson 3-127)
The fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be sealed at The Oval on Sunday. England need another 324 runs to pull off the second-biggest chase in their history and win 3-1; India need eight wickets - or nine, in the improbable event that Chris Woakes walks out to bat one-handed - to square the series. The draw is no longer on the table.
India are the favourites, and owe that status to four men: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his sixth century, and second of the series; Akash Deep, the nightwatcher whose maiden Test fifty wore England's seamers down; Ravindra Jadeja, who passed 500 runs for the series; and Washington Sundar, whose late blitz took the target from 335 to 374 inside five overs.
Full postSiraj, Jaiswal and Prasidh put India in front on 15-wicket day
England dominated till lunch with bat and ball, but India reversed the momentum from there and didn't look back
Vithushan Ehantharajah
01-Aug-2025
Stumps India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33) and 75 for 2 (Jaiswal 51*, Tongue 1-25) lead England 247 (Crawley 64, Brook 53, Duckett 43, Prasidh 4-62, Siraj 4-86) by 52 runs
Now this, party people, is what it is all about. We had to wait until the last Friday of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but here it was. The best day's play so far has, at this juncture, put India in control, 75 for 2 in their second innings, leading by 52.
That it was day two of this fifth and final Test added to the spectacle. The jeopardy of it all felt keenly, a slalom through angst and nerves. Gus Atkinson's fourth five-wicket haul after two months out closed India's first innings for 224. And the same man delivered the final meaningful act, removing B Sai Sudharsan lbw, the last of Friday's 15 wickets to fall.
Full postLibby makes twin hundreds as Worcestershire chase comes close
Teams settle for enthralling draw after Hampshire's enterprising declaration
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
01-Aug-2025
Hampshire 293 (Middleton 79, Weatherley 62, Taylor 5-55) and 313 for 7 dec (Gubbins 84, Organ 45*) drew with Worcestershire 249 (Libby 100*, Hose 82, Baker 5-72) and 303 for 8 (Libby 106, Kashif 65)
Worcestershire produced a bold and spirited run-chase on the final day at Visit Worcestershire New Road, before the Rothesay County Championship Division One fixture against Hampshire ended in a gripping draw.
Chasing a daunting target of 358 in just 53 overs after Hampshire's enterprising post-lunch declaration on 313 for 7, the home side carried hope of completing one of the Championship's most dramatic final-day turnarounds.
Full postPhillips hundred highlights final-day scramble for bonus points
Middlesex promotion push takes a hit as Gloucestershire No. 3 notches maiden century
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
01-Aug-2025
Gloucestershire 404 for 9 dec (Phillips 136, Hammond 71, Bancroft 58) drew with Middlesex 445 (Williamson 153, Hollman 60, De Caires 58, Du Plooy 57)
Gloucestershire's Joe Phillips hit his maiden first class century as the rain-ruined Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Middlesex ended in an inevitable draw.
After the third day washout, a still wet outfield prevented any play until 1.25pm, with a minimum of 68 overs left in the game. Resuming their first innings on 54 for 1, a deficit of 391, Gloucestershire extended it to 400 for 9 by stumps, 21-year-old Cornishman Phillips making 136 from 182 balls, with 19 fours.
Full postNorthants frustrated by Reece, Guest and rain
Home side only manage one wicket on truncated final day
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
01-Aug-2025
Derbyshire 377 (Andersson 105, Chahal 6-118) and 185 for 5 (Reece 61*, Guest 60*) drew with Northamptonshire 550 for 9 dec (Broad 171, Keogh 125*, Proctor 71, Bartlett 66)
With heavy morning rain preventing play until 3.30pm, Northamptonshire were unable to press home their overnight advantage, having reduced the visitors to 52 for 4 on the third evening, still 121 behind.
Full postAbell, Banton do the needful as Somerset secure draw
Result dents both teams with Surrey pulling away at top of table
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
01-Aug-2025
Nottinghamshire 544 (Haseeb 208, James 72, Haynes 70) drew with Somerset 438 (Rew 166, Abell 156, Abbas 3-60) and 200 for 5 (Abell 51, Banton 43*)
A half-century from the experienced bat of Tom Abell was key as Somerset secured the draw that had seemed inevitable for much of their Rothesay County Championship visit to Trent Bridge.
In the context of the race for the title, the result leaves Surrey, who won at Durham earlier in the week, with a nine-point advantage over Nottinghamshire at the top of Division One as they seek a fourth consecutive title, although they still have to meet Haseeb Hameed's side at The Kia Oval next month.
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