Pat Cummins confirmed to return on Boxing Day Test

The Ashes | Day-Night Test, Day 3: Australia chip away as England suffer yet another batting collapse

Just when England gained some momentum and breathing space in the ongoing Day-Night Ashes Test in Adelaide on the back of splendid half-centuries from Joe Root and Dawid Malan, they slipped rapidly into yet another batting collapse in the evening session on the third day. Joe Root was worked over in an impressive spell of seam bowling by Cameron Green while Malan was sent back by a charged up Mitchell Starc. The duo added 138 runs for the third wicket but was sent back in quick succession in a space of seven runs to leave the middle order fighting for England’s survival in the game. They were clearly not up to it and while Ollie Pope paid the price for being too unsettled for the accuracy and guile of Nathan Lyon, Jos Buttler was guilty of becoming greedy against Starc’s away going delivery. Pope looked jittery and was not able to get on top of Lyon and a desperate attempt of reaching out to the pitch of the ball saw him handing an easy catch of Marnus Labuschagne. Four wickets in space of 15 overs or so and 21 runs derailed whatever progress England had made in the afternoon session of the third day and are staring at a big deficit in the first innings. They are left relying once again on the miracles of Ben Stokes and the grit of Chris Woakes.

Yorkshire invites applications for the role of head coach and non-executive directors

In a bid to revamp the system, Yorkshire has begun their search for a new head coach and six non-executive directors.

The Ashes | Day-Night Test, Day 3: Joe Root, Dawid Malan put on century stand to keep England alive

Skipper Joe Root led from the front and found more than capable support from Dawid Malan to lead England with a wicketless session early on the third day of the ongoing Day-Night Test in Adelaide. The tourists started the day at 17/2 and the duo took them to 140 while remaining not out till the dinner break. Malan capitalised on the desperation of Australian bowlers who bowled too full to him in greed of including outside edge of his bat but he was up to the task and motored along to 68. Root was more circumspect of the two against pacers but employed his usual mode of attack—sweep against Nathan Lyon to keep the scoreboard going in the first session. He remained not out at 57 at dinner break on the third day. Australia looked like missing the experience and relentless discipline of Josh Hazlewood and their skipper Pat Cummins as the other duo of Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser were guilty of bowler either too full or too short against the batsmen. It was the partnership between Root and Malan only that carried England towards some sort of respectability in the second innings of the first Test at Gabba as well and England would be delighted to see them going strong with the bat once again.

ICC clarifies England to lose eight World Test Championship points after slow over rate at Gabba

There is no end of misery for England as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has clarified that they will be docked eight World Test Championship points instead of five as announced earlier for falling short of the required over-rate in the first Ashes Test played in Brisbane. The global governing body said that England fell short of the optimum over rate by eight overs and not five and hence they will be denied exactly the same number of points as the number of overs they failed to bowl. Earlier, after the end of the Gabba Test that ended in a big loss for the Joe Root-led side, the ICC had announced a fine of 100 per cent match fees of Root and company and five World Test Championship points. “However, the points deduction for penalty overs is not capped and must reflect the actual number of penalty overs a team is short of the minimum requirement as per Clause 16.1.2 of the ICC Playing Conditions, hence they have been penalised one point for each over they were short,” said the ICC in a statement. “As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, up to a maximum fine of 100 per cent of the match fee,” it added. England are already 0-1 down in the five-match long Ashes series in Australia and they are not in the best position in the ongoing Day-Night Test in Adelaide.