England to host the next three World Test Championship finals in 2027, 2029 and 2031
All of the first three WTC showpieces have been held in England, most recently last month at Lord's when South Africa beat Australia .
Cricket's governing body confirmed the decision at its annual conference in Singapore.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Broncos' Gem has big contract decision looming large
Gehamat Shibasaki has gone from unwanted to hot property on the player market and now a tough call awaits the Brisbane and Queensland star. The 27-year-old, known as 'Gem', is off is contract at the end of next year and on a modest salary but his manager Wade Rushton has told Wide World of Sports that the Broncos have been unable to offer him a deal beyond that. On Tuesday, Shibasaki said his next deal was not on his mind right now. His stellar season has been founded on "staying present" and not looking too far ahead. Other clubs will be able to field offers for Shibasaki, who is now one of the game's form centres, from November 1. "When it comes to (November 1) I will think about that but what I have been doing is narrowing my focus to now. That has been a big part of my success so far," Shibasaki said. Gehamat Shibasaki scores the Broncos first try of the season 👏 📺 Watch #NRLRoostersBroncos on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: BLOG MATCH CENTRE — Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 6, 2025 He added that "the Broncos mean a lot to me" but he is expected to be offered a hefty pay increase by other clubs and financial decisions will have to be made. "That is another thing I have got to sit down with my family and talk about," he said. "You look at my age now and I am coming to the older side of things. I will focus on that when the time comes." The fairytale rise of Shibasaki has been steep but there is another mountain he wants to climb. The message from the blockbusting centre to his increasing number of fans will be music to their ears. There's a premiership for the fifth-placed Broncos to win. "That's been the goal since the pre-season once I did get that contract done," Shibasaki said ahead of Friday night's home clash with Parramatta. "The next step was to play and aim for that premiership at the end of the year. We still have seven more weeks left and then finals kick in. This is the time where we knuckle down and get ready for that. After linking with Wynnum Manly, Shibasaki started the 2025 pre-season started with no NRL contract. He earned a train and trial deal and then a development list contract, which he is still on, then an upgrade to the top 30 for next year. Then followed an incredible Queensland call-up for the State of Origin decider where he set up a try and outplayed gun NSW opposite number Stephen Crichton. "Origin was an unreal experience for me and my family. I'm still pinching myself now. It's about taking all that experience and bringing it back here and doing well for the rest of the season," he said. This season Shibasaki has played 16 games in which he has scored 12 tries, made 13 line breaks and 61 tackle busts. To put just one of those impressive statistics in perspective, that is twice as many tries as he had scored in his previous 30 NRL matches in seven seasons since debuting in 2018.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
P27, W0, D1, L26: Why England v Italy offers that rarest of prospects – a ‘big six' Euros upset
There are a couple of paradoxes in international women's football in Europe at the moment. The first is that, while the overall quality of the game is steadily improving year on year, it is difficult to make a case that any individual side has dramatically improved in relation to the others. The accepted hierarchy is still in place. In other words, the six favourites going into Euro 2022 were the same six favourites going into Euro 2025: England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. No one has yet evolved from being one of the 'other' nations to being one of the favourites. The second is related. While the outsiders have become better at competing with the favourites — there are no longer any huge thrashings at the European Championship, and the biggest margin of victory at this tournament has been by a fairly respectable five goals — they are not actually managing to defeat them. Or, in actual fact, even get a draw against them. The statistics demonstrate this nicely. At Euro 2022, there were 16 matches between one of the 'big six' and the 'other 10'. Those matches produced 15 victories for the favourites, and a single draw. That draw was recorded with the final kick of the group stage, when Iceland scored a 112th-minute penalty against a France side who were already assured of top spot in Group D, and therefore had made six changes for a game played in 36-degree heat. The equaliser, admitted France manager Corinne Diacre after the game, 'wasn't that important given the situation'. It's fair to suspect that, had France needed to beat Iceland, they would have. It's been a similar story this time around. The 11 matches between one of the favourites and the 'other 11' at Euro 2025 have produced 10 victories for the favourites. And only Denmark have (twice) held the opposition to merely a one-goal victory, losing 1-0 to neighbours Sweden, and 2-1 to Germany, ensuring their elimination after two matches. Denmark, of course, will not be celebrating this as much of an achievement. Indeed, Denmark are the side who inflicted the last genuine shock at the European Championship, in 2017. Going into the quarter-final, they were given little hope against a Germany side who had won eight of the previous nine European Championships. But after the match was postponed by a day due to torrential rain in Rotterdam, Denmark produced a huge upset by coming back from a goal down to win 2-1. It was only the second time since 1989 that Germany had not won the European Championship. The Danes subsequently reached the final in 2017, beating relative minnows Austria on penalties in the semi-final, before losing to hosts the Netherlands 4-2 in the final. But that seems a long time ago. And now, the underdogs' record against the 'big six' at the past two tournaments is played 27, won none, drawn one, and lost 26. Which does not make for a particularly appealing competition for viewers hoping for the unexpected. On Tuesday in Geneva, Italy have the final opportunity in this European Championship to provide the Euros' first genuine shock, when they take on holders England. In some ways, it is a shame to be speaking about Italy in such a fashion, considering their period of relative success in the 1990s. As other European nations have put more resources into women's football, Italy stood still and therefore slipped behind. The Italian game remains something of a mystery to many, with almost all the national team players remaining at home, and relatively little Italian involvement in the final stages of the Champions League. It is clear, from speaking to four-time Serie A-winning manager Rita Guarino before the tournament, that English football and the Women's Super League is considered a template for Italy to follow. That includes bidding to host this tournament in four years' time, having witnessed the success of Euro 2022. It might seem patronising to consider Italy underdogs, but then the general pattern from this tournament is players and managers declaring the opposition are favourites. And, after all, Italy are suited to the role. For all the brilliance of playmaker Manuela Giugliano, they probably do not have the guile to dominate the game against England. But they have centre-backs who will relish a physical duel against Alessia Russo (of Italian descent, as it happens), full-backs who have provided a stream of good crosses throughout this tournament, attacking midfielders who make direct runs on the break, and a major penalty-box threat in Cristiana Girelli. Andrea Soncin's side showed enough against Spain in their final group game to suggest they will cause England problems, primarily on the counter-attack. An Italian win would be popular across Europe — it would not merely be a victory for themselves, but for everyone outside the established 'big six'. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Italy, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man running marathon in every English city heads to Worcester
A MAN attempting to run a marathon in every English city for charity is coming to Worcester. Adam Rodriguez, 28, will be completing the fourth city on his list - Worcester - on Saturday, July 26. His monumental 55 marathons in one year challenge is in aid of Move Against Cancer. He started on Saturday, July 5 in Hereford. Mr Rodriguez said: "I'm passionate about trying to raise money for Move Against Cancer because they bring hope, movement and community to people navigating the weight of cancer, reminding us that no one goes through it alone. "A few years ago my mother bravely battled large B-cell lymphoma in 3 places and while she survived, the journey tested every part of our family. "I'm doing this challenge to see every corner of England, to test both my body and my mind, and to embrace the adventure that comes with pushing beyond comfort - one marathon, once city, and one story at a time." His final marathon of the challenge will take place on June 28, 2026, in Salisbury. He will run a marathon in London the day prior to finish on back-to-back marathons. READ MORE: Scenic River Severn and canal walk to support St Richard's Hospice READ MORE: Thousands thanked for unwavering support of air ambulance charity READ MORE: South Worcestershire's best and worst GP surgeries revealed after annual survey Being full-time employed, Adam will be running every marathon of the challenge on either a Saturday or a Sunday. "I've always been active and I've always loved running," he added. "In terms of the fitness side of things, I've run many marathons and half marathons before. Although it won't be easy I'm confident I can make it work." CONFIDENT: While he accepts it will be a tough, Adam Rodriguez is confident of making his challenge work (Image: Supplied) Along the way, Mr Rodriquez will be meeting with ambassadors and participants from the charity's 5k initiative. "It's going to be such an honour joining the participants and ambassadors across the country," he said. "These are the people creating community, encouragement and strength at a local level. "I'm excited to hear their stories, share the miles with them and highlight the real impact Move Against Cancer is making on the ground." His mother, Sharon, added: "Adam loves a challenge. I have every faith he will complete this and look forward to watching his journey."
