'Bittersweet' feeling for player of the series Beirne
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BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Woakes 'all in' on helping England win
All-rounder Chris Woakes is "all in" on helping England secure a series win over India despite his shoulder injury, says Joe Root. Woakes suffered the injury while trying to prevent a boundary on the opening day of the fifth Friday, England said "at this stage, the injury has ruled him out of any further participation in the Test".England go into the final day on Monday needing 35 more runs to secure a 3-1 series win, with four wickets in hand. Woakes was seen in the England changing room late on Sunday in his whites, but still with his left arm in a by BBC Test Match Special if Woakes will bat if required, Root said: "I assume so. He is desperate to do what it takes. "There is a lot of things that have to happen before that." England were well positioned in their pursuit of 374 at 301-3 after Root and Harry Brook shared 195 for the fourth wicket. However, Brook miscued to cover, Jacob Bethell was bowled and Root edged behind with England still needing 37 to win and complete their second highest chase in light forced the players off the field shortly after before rain arrived to bring a premature end to day three quick wickets had given India renewed hope and raised the prospect of Woakes being needed to bat. "He's all in, like the rest of us," Root added."It's been that kind of series where guys have had to put bodies on the line. "Hopefully it doesn't come to that but he had some throw-downs in here at one point so he's ready if needed."It shows the character and the person that he is, that he's prepared to put his body on the line like that for England and hopefully he doesn't have to, but if it does, to get us across the line and win us an incredible series."
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Late Dainton try sees Wales beat debutants Scotland
Captain Bethan Dainton scored a late try as Wales inflicted defeat on Scotland in their first women's rugby league international at Neath's made the perfect start inside the opening four minutes with Grace Field scoring her country's first ever responded through tries from Lucia Davies, Kathryn Salter and Dani McGifford which saw them take the lead before Sarah Smart scored Scotland's second score remained 12-10 until 15 minutes from time Smart's kick brought the visitors level but Dainton scored the crucial winning try for Wales with two minutes remaining.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
England forced into final-day decider despite Joe Root and Harry Brook tons
Joe Root and Harry Brook hit what looked to be series-clinching centuries in England's classic fifth Test decider before India stormed back to set up an agonising day five finish. Facing a towering target of 374 at the Kia Oval, England looked to be home and dry on 301 for three but Brook (111) and Root (105) both stumbled with victory in sight. Jacob Bethell also fell to a dreadful shot as they faltered to 339 for six when bad light and rain intervened – needing another 35 amid unbearable tension and increasingly unplayable bowling. They had been all set to peel off perhaps the most audacious chase of the Bazball era, and the second highest in their history, with apparent ease when they fell foul of a nasty twist in the tale. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton will be the men at the frontline on Monday morning, with the live prospect of Chris Woakes being needed to bat at number 11 with a badly dislocated shoulder. England's late stumble started when Brook threw his bat and wicket away, hurling the kitchen sink at Akash Deep and skying a catch to mid-off. Then the jittery Bethell produced an ugly swipe to drag down his stumps, before Root succumbed to spiralling tension under leaden skies. An India team who looked like they had thrown in the towel a couple of hours earlier were now flying, working Root over with a series of big lbw appeals then having him caught behind for 105 as the pressure got to the calmest player in the England set-up. Things had been following an entirely different script as he Brook shared a 195-run stand and Root looked primed for the central role. Upon reaching his 39th Test ton, Root produced a white headband featuring Graham Thorpe's name and likeness and wore it while looking to the skies. Thorpe, one of Root's batting mentors, took his own life last year and the headbands have raised more than £150,000 for the MIND charity this week. India now have a chance to leave with a 2-2 draw and avoid a bitter case of deja vu. Having watched England make 378 for three at Edgbaston in 2022 and 373 for five at Headingley in the first match of this series, they were in grimly familiar territory as Brook and Root feasted. India dismissing Zak Crawley with the last act of Saturday evening and made a promising start by removing Ben Duckett (54) and Ollie Pope (27) to make it 106 for three in a testing morning session. Prasidh Krishna, gamely filling the considerable boots of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, came desperately close to pinning Root lbw for just three but saw a huge appeal rejected. There was no DRS call and although ball-tracking showed it clipping leg stump, it would not have been enough to overturn the decision. India's fielders were chirpy as Brook stepped to the middle but his arrival brought a screeching gear shift. He went for all-out aggression, at one stage lashing 27 runs in eight balls. That included a crunch through midwicket and a lavish six over cover off Deep before a near miss at fine-leg, risking his wicket but picking up six more as a mortified Siraj carried a catch over the boundary rope. A combination of defensive fields, passive captaincy and tired bodies left India short of answers as Brook and Root ruthlessly milked the situation, scoring a steady stream of low-risk runs and waiting for the chance to hit fours. A ragged full toss from Ravindra Jadeja and a woeful misfield from Deep, who kicked the ball over the ropes after declining to use his hands, suggested the game was up as the required runs dropped to double figures. Brook looked to speed up after reaching a well-deserved hundred, lashing Deep for back-to-back fours, but chipped a bizarre catch to mid-off as he launched his bat in the opposite direction. It was now England's turn to have a crisis of confidence. Root took tea on 98 and safely ticked off his hundred, but the sense of safe progress evaporated as soon as Bethell paid for a rush of blood to the head. Stuck on five from 30 balls, he aimed a flat-batted swipe at Krishna and dragged down his middle stump. Suddenly India had the ball nipping around and Root in their sights. He survived three lbw appeals in rapid succession amid stifling tension, then wafted carelessly outside off to edge Krishna behind. With 37 still needed and the pressure peaking, he was furious with himself. India held all the cards when the weather turned and both sides will resume with hopes of a famous win.
