Latest updates from the cricket world
During the second day of the County Championship Division Two match at New Road, Worcester, Toby Roland-Jones delivered a strong bowling performance that propelled Middlesex into a commanding position over Worcestershire. Roland-Jones took four wickets for 41 runs, helping dismiss Worcestershire for 265 runs, while Middlesex posted 339 in their first innings. Notable contributions included Matthew Waite's 69 for Worcestershire and solid support wickets from Sebastian Morgan and Tom Helm for Middlesex. Middlesex holds a 79-run lead going into the third day, with openers Sam Robson and Ben Geddes ending day two without loss.
Sussex secured their fourth win in seven matches to move to the top of County Championship Division One by defeating Glamorgan by an innings and 98 runs at Hove. Sussex captain Tom Haines and bowler James Coles played key roles, with Haines taking three wickets for five runs and Coles taking three, including pivotal wickets in the final stages. Glamorgan battled hard with notable contributions from Asa Tribe and Ben Kellaway but ultimately fell short. The match concluded in just three days, with Sussex dominating in both batting and bowling departments. Sussex now have an extra day's rest before their next game against Hampshire.
In the County Championship Division One at Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicestershire, batting for a second time after following on, resisted strongly against Essex. Despite being 214 runs behind, Leicestershire recovered from 184-5 to finish at 326-7 declared, leading by 112 runs with three wickets in hand. Lewis Hill remained unbeaten on 64 after facing 214 balls, supported by Ben Cox who scored 49. Shane Snater was notably effective for Essex with 3-64, while Simon Harmer bowled 41 overs. Essex, aiming for a top spot in the division, had their hopes challenged by this sturdy resistance from last-placed Leicestershire. Jordan Cox of Essex did not bat in the second innings as he joined the England team for the upcoming Test match against New Zealand.
In their opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Edgbaston, India defeated Pakistan by 64 runs, posting 170-6 with Smriti Mandhana scoring an unbeaten 68. Deepti Sharma was the standout performer, taking five wickets for just 10 runs, effectively dismantling the Pakistani batting lineup. Pakistan started their chase well, reaching 52 for one after the powerplay, but Sharma's bowling restricted their scoring and caused significant damage, including a direct hit run-out of Muneeba Ali. The victory marks India's continued dominance over Pakistan in T20 matches, as Pakistan has now lost four consecutive encounters to India in this format. The match also had a political subtext, reflecting tensions between the two nations, with no handshakes exchanged between captains before or after the match. The contest drew a strong crowd with 18,814 attendees, reflecting the growing interest in women's cricket.
The Indian Women's cricket team is preparing to face Pakistan in their opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, a highly anticipated rivalry game scheduled at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 14, 2026. Key players like Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have expressed excitement about experiencing the crowd and the significance of facing Pakistan. Deepti Sharma emphasized the importance of winning the match to maintain high team spirits. Former England captain Nasser Hussain highlighted Mandhana's potential to significantly impact the match, noting her strong record against Pakistan with 239 runs in 10 matches. The match is expected to draw a full house due to the long-standing competitive rivalry between the teams.
Babar Azam extended his support to the Pakistan Women's cricket team ahead of their crucial group stage match against India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. In an Instagram story, Azam urged the team to make the nation proud, emphasizing that the responsibility and hopes of Pakistan are in their hands. This will be the first match for both teams in the tournament. India is favored based on past head-to-head records, holding a 13-3 advantage over Pakistan in T20 internationals and leading 6-2 in Women's T20 World Cups. Pakistan Cricket Board, including team mentor Wahab Riaz, expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and potential for a top-four finish after recent series and rigorous training.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra praised the selectors for debuting Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey in the ODI series against Afghanistan. Chopra emphasized that player selection should not rely solely on statistics, noting that Brar was chosen for his height, pace, high-arm action, and ability to generate bounce rather than just numbers. Brar impressed on debut with figures of 3/27 in 4.5 overs in the first ODI. Chopra also highlighted that Harsh Dubey was selected for his multifaceted bowling and all-round abilities, making him a better fit for white-ball cricket than Manav Suthar. Harsh repaid the selectors' trust by taking 3 wickets in his first match. The selectors and team management are focused on grooming players suitably for different cricket formats.
Rovman Powell has become the West Indies' leading run-scorer in T20 internationals, surpassing Nicholas Pooran during the second T20I against Sri Lanka at Sabina Park. Powell scored 43 runs off 26 balls in the match, overtaking legends like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, with a total of 2,314 runs in 119 matches from 2017 to 2026. Despite this personal milestone, the West Indies lost the match, scoring 157 runs against Sri Lanka's 194. Sri Lanka's notable performances included half-centuries by Kamil Mishara and Dasun Shanaka, and three wickets each by Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranaga. Powell expressed pride in his achievement and commitment to scoring more for his team.
During the first ODI between India and Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on June 13, 2026, Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a stunning innings scoring 102 off 51 balls, including the fastest ODI century for Afghanistan and the second-fastest hundred scored against India. Gurbaz's knock featured eight fours and eight sixes with a strike rate of 200.00, showcasing his dominance despite wickets falling around him. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy provided a pivotal moment for India by bowling a precise inswinging yorker at 134 kph to bowl Gurbaz out, ending his innings and halting Afghanistan's momentum. Gurbaz's hundred also extended his record as Afghanistan’s most prolific century-maker in ODIs and marked an outstanding conversion rate of fifties to hundreds at 56.25%.
Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz set a new record by scoring the fastest century for Afghanistan in ODIs, reaching 100 runs off just 48 balls against India on June 13, 2026. This achievement is the second-fastest ODI hundred against India, only behind Shahid Afridi's 45-ball ton in 2005. Gurbaz was dismissed for 102 runs from 51 balls, hitting eight fours and eight sixes during his innings in Dharamsala. He also surpassed Mohammad Shahzad's previous fastest hundred record for Afghanistan, which was 72 balls. Additionally, Gurbaz holds the best conversion rate from fifties to hundreds in ODIs at 56.25%, having scored at least nine centuries. Gurbaz credited his performance to a positive approach and mentioned a helpful conversation with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir after a recent Test match.
The controversy surrounding Ben Stokes and a nightclub incident has led the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to drop Stokes and fellow player Gus Atkinson from the team. Former South African bowler Dale Steyn has questioned whether cricket boards should interfere in players' private lives, emphasizing that cricketers, like others, need personal time and space. He highlighted that senior players like Stokes should be more careful given their status but also warned against restricting adult cricketers' freedoms to avoid rebellion. Steyn further stressed the need for professional conduct outside the ground and recalled his own experiences dealing with public attention.
India faced Afghanistan in the first ODI of their three-match series at Dharamsala, where Rohit Sharma achieved a significant milestone. At 39 years and 44 days old, Rohit became the oldest Indian to play an ODI, surpassing Mohinder Amarnath, who played his last ODI at 39 years and 36 days. Despite facing recent injury challenges, Rohit was declared fit and played, aiming for further milestones including becoming the first Indian opener with 16,000 international runs and surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for most centuries by an Indian opener. Rohit's presence comes as India prepares for an extensive series of ODIs before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann has expressed strong disapproval of the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to impose a midnight curfew on players, arguing that it restricts celebrations after significant victories. Swann defended England captain Ben Stokes, stating Stokes did nothing wrong apart from breaking a rule that should not have been implemented. The curfew followed an incident at a nightclub involving Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson after England's 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's, leading to their exclusion from the second Test. Swann emphasized Stokes' importance to the team both as a leader and as an irreplaceable all-rounder on the field, and criticized the ECB for focusing on public relations rather than fostering a positive team culture.
