Latest news with #ChesterleStreet
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
‘A lot of fun' – Harry Brook's England reign starts with West Indies whitewash
Harry Brook is having a 'hell of a lot of fun' as England captain after his first series in full-time charge of the white-ball sides ended in a 3-0 clean sweep of the West Indies. England claimed their first ODI series whitewash in three years – when they beat the Netherlands by an identical scoreline – after prevailing by seven wickets in a one-sided contest at the Oval. Jamie Smith's explosive 64 from 28 balls broke the back of a revised chase of 246 from 40 overs, with Brook's predecessor as skipper Jos Buttler getting them home with an unbeaten 41 off 20 deliveries. English white-ball cricket was in the doldrums after a dreadful Champions Trophy campaign which led to Buttler's resignation as skipper earlier this year but Brook has started on the right track. 'It's a hell of a lot of fun when you're enjoying it with a lot of mates,' said Brook, who will now turn his attention to the three-match T20 series that starts on Friday in Chester-le-Street. 'I think we've got such a good side. The depth in batting is amazing and then we've got a lot of skilful bowlers as well. I'm really looking forward to the future and seeing how it goes.' England were as dominant at Edgbaston last week as they were on Tuesday but they were off the boil at Sophia Gardens on Sunday, dropping four catches and fluffing two run-outs in a ragged fielding display. Only an all-time great 166 not out from Joe Root got them out of jail but Brook believes how close-knit the group are can be emphasised by their reaction to how they fielded in Cardiff. 'I don't feel like we really deserved that win,' he reflected. 'Our fielding was a little bit sloppy. A few lads spoke up about it and said it wasn't good enough, which I think is a really good sign. 'But because we are so tight as a group, we've managed to scrape a victory there. Obviously, having Joe Root in your side is always a big help.' One of the big calls ahead of this series was Smith's promotion to open alongside Ben Duckett. The pair made ducks in Cardiff but rebounded with half-centuries as Duckett contributed 58 off 46 balls. Smith, who replaced Phil Salt as opener, averaged 17.63 after his first dozen ODI innings with a best of 49 but demonstrated the class that has made him an automatic selection for England's Test side. 'He's gone out there and and played extremely well, but he's not a slogger,' Brook added. 'He's playing proper shots, he's putting their bad balls away and he's putting them under immense pressure. 'We've seen in Test cricket how good he is. He knows how to bat. We want batters that can put their best balls under pressure, manipulate the field, and score big runs. 'He's going to have a good go at it at the top in one-day cricket and I think everybody's excited to see how he goes.' The Windies had recovered from 28 for three and 154 for seven to post 251 for nine after arriving to the ground late because of traffic which – combined with a 95-minute rain delay – meant a reduced game. Adil Rashid was the pick of the England bowlers with three for 40, with Brook quick to hail his evergreen Yorkshire team-mate. 'Rash has got so much skill,' Brook added. 'He's a very wily bowler. He's he's been around the block for a while, and he keeps on getting better and better.'
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Harry Brook having time of his life as winning start to England reign continues
Harry Brook is having a 'hell of a lot of fun' as England captain after his first series in full-time charge of the white-ball sides ended in a 3-0 clean sweep of the West Indies. England claimed their first ODI series whitewash in three years – when they beat the Netherlands by an identical scoreline – after prevailing by seven wickets in a one-sided contest at the Oval. Jamie Smith's explosive 64 from 28 balls broke the back of a revised chase of 246 from 40 overs, with Brook's predecessor as skipper Jos Buttler getting them home with an unbeaten 41 off 20 deliveries. English white-ball cricket was in the doldrums after a dreadful Champions Trophy campaign which led to Buttler's resignation as skipper earlier this year but Brook has started on the right track. 'It's a hell of a lot of fun when you're enjoying it with a lot of mates,' said Brook, who will now turn his attention to the three-match T20 series that starts on Friday in Chester-le-Street. 'I think we've got such a good side. The depth in batting is amazing and then we've got a lot of skilful bowlers as well. I'm really looking forward to the future and seeing how it goes.' England were as dominant at Edgbaston last week as they were on Tuesday but they were off the boil at Sophia Gardens on Sunday, dropping four catches and fluffing two run-outs in a ragged fielding display. Only an all-time great 166 not out from Joe Root got them out of jail but Brook believes how close-knit the group are can be emphasised by their reaction to how they fielded in Cardiff. 'I don't feel like we really deserved that win,' he reflected. 'Our fielding was a little bit sloppy. A few lads spoke up about it and said it wasn't good enough, which I think is a really good sign. 'But because we are so tight as a group, we've managed to scrape a victory there. Obviously, having Joe Root in your side is always a big help.' One of the big calls ahead of this series was Smith's promotion to open alongside Ben Duckett. The pair made ducks in Cardiff but rebounded with half-centuries as Duckett contributed 58 off 46 balls. Smith, who replaced Phil Salt as opener, averaged 17.63 after his first dozen ODI innings with a best of 49 but demonstrated the class that has made him an automatic selection for England's Test side. 'He's gone out there and and played extremely well, but he's not a slogger,' Brook added. 'He's playing proper shots, he's putting their bad balls away and he's putting them under immense pressure. 'We've seen in Test cricket how good he is. He knows how to bat. We want batters that can put their best balls under pressure, manipulate the field, and score big runs. 'He's going to have a good go at it at the top in one-day cricket and I think everybody's excited to see how he goes.' The Windies had recovered from 28 for three and 154 for seven to post 251 for nine after arriving to the ground late because of traffic which – combined with a 95-minute rain delay – meant a reduced game. Adil Rashid was the pick of the England bowlers with three for 40, with Brook quick to hail his evergreen Yorkshire team-mate. 'Rash has got so much skill,' Brook added. 'He's a very wily bowler. He's he's been around the block for a while, and he keeps on getting better and better.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
England thrash West Indies in final ODI to secure whitewash after game was delayed because the visitors were stuck in London traffic
A day that began with England crossing the Thames on Lime bikes turned into a stroll in the park as Harry Brook's one-day team completed a 3–0 whitewash over West Indies with a dominant seven-wicket win. With faulty traffic lights at Vauxhall Bridge causing gridlock, several England players got off the team bus after leaving their hotel in Kensington and cycled to The Oval instead. The West Indians, travelling down from Chelsea, got stuck in Parliament Square altogether, and turned up so late that the scheduled 1pm start was delayed by half an hour. They may have wished they had never arrived at all, as England's powerful batting line-up made light work of a chase of 246 after heavy rain shortened the match to 40 overs a side. There were still more than 10 remaining when Jos Buttler pulled Jayden Seales for the winning six. These are early days for Brook's white-ball reset, and sterner challenges lie ahead, but they move into the three-match T20 series, starting at Chester-le-Street on Friday, with a long-absent spring in their step. A total of 400 in Birmingham, a Joe Root-inspired chase of 309 in Cardiff, and now a demolition job in south London: they have done everything they could, and they have done it in style. Only when Gutakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph were thrashing 90 in 11.2 overs for West Indies' eighth wicket did England threaten to lose control, with their three frontline seamers all erring in length. But the excellence of Adil Rashid, who was on a hat-trick after removing Justin Greaves and Roston Chase, had given them breathing space by reducing the tourists to 121 for six. Even with Sherfane Rutherford cracking a run-a-ball 70 – his seventh score of 50 or more in his 11 ODI innings – West Indies were always chasing the game. England's openers then ensured they never caught up, with Jamie Smith hammering 64 in 28 balls on his home ground, including 58 in boundaries, and Ben Duckett 58 in 46. Both players enjoyed a reprieve: Duckett was dropped on 15 at long leg by Rutherford, and Smith on 44 at midwicket by Greaves. But in between they hit the ball hard and often: their opening stand of 93 used up just seven overs and, when Duckett fell in the 16th, the total was already 155. A study in contrasts, Smith and Duckett feel like an alliance that may endure. England's rate of progress removed what little sting there was from the contest, though a near full house still enjoyed an innings of 44 from Root, who took his series haul to 267 runs from 253 balls for twice out. If he can take this form into the Test series against India starting on June 20, his summer will get better still. With Brook – dropped on four by Chase at backward point – almost a bystander, Buttler hastened victory with 41 off 20 balls, bringing England their first one-day clean sweep for three years, and leaving West Indies without a 50-over victory against them in this country since 2007.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
England thrash Windies to seal 3-0 series win
Third one-day international, Kia OvalWest Indies 251-9 (40 overs): Rutherford 70, Motie 63; Rashid 3-40England 246-3 (29.4 overs): Smith 64, Duckett 58England won by seven wickets; win series 3-0Scorecard England romped to a 3-0 series clean sweep over West Indies with a seven-wicket victory in the third one-day international at The 246 in 40 overs after rain, Jamie Smith crashed 64 from just 28 balls - his first ODI half-century - as England reached 100 after just eight was the joint-fourth quickest any men's side has reached three figures in the format and they were able to complete their chase with 10.2 overs to spare with Ben Duckett hitting 58 and Joe Root 44. Smith's assault quickly eradicated fears England would be punished for letting a good position slip in allowing West Indies to post 251-9 in their rain-interrupted 40 an innings split in two by a 90-minute rain delay, Gudakesh Motie's 63 at number eight rescued an innings that was floundering at 154-7 despite Sherfane Rutherford's Adil Rashid took 3-40 and, despite the bowling lacking accuracy throughout, England secured their first ODI series win since before their white-ball downturn began at the 2023 World captain Harry Brook will look to continue his perfect start in charge in the three-match T20 series which starts in Chester-le-Street on Friday.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
James Anderson stars for Lancashire in remarkable return to T20 cricket after 11 years
James Anderson took three wickets in his first T20 match for 11 years as Lancashire beat Durham at Chester-le-Street to claim a third consecutive Vitality Blast North Group win. The 42-year-old former England seamer had not played a sprint-format match since the Red Rose faced Warwickshire at Edgbaston in August 2014. But, having retired from international duty, Anderson returned with a bang by returning figures of three for 17 from four overs to help Lancashire limit the hosts to 150 for six. Michael Jones hit 55 before Jack Blatherwick's single from the final delivery then took Lancashire home by four wickets. Worcestershire condemned Yorkshire to a second consecutive loss, winning by 60 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method at New Road. The Pears racked up 201 for five after 79 from Brett D'Oliveira and Adam Hose's 54, with Yorkshire slipping to 51 for six before eventually making 135 for eight when the rain arrived. Ben Sanderson took four for 15 as Northamptonshire won again, beating Leicestershire by five wickets at Wantage Road. After Sanderson and David Willey (three for 20) helped limit the Foxes to 122, Ravi Bopara's unbeaten 46 helped Northants win with four balls remaining. Sussex skittled Gloucestershire for 93 to win their South Group clash by 80 runs at Hove. Tom Alsop's 58 had lifted the home side to 173 before Tymal Mills took three for 13 to help dismiss Gloucestershire in 13.3 overs. Somerset sit alongside Sussex at the top after beating Essex by eight wickets at Chelmsford. Dean Elgar and Matt Critchley hit half-centuries in Essex's 148, but Will Smeed blasted 81 not out off 54 balls to motor 2024 runners-up Somerset to victory. Asa Tribe and Dan Douthwaite guided Glamorgan to a five-wicket win over Middlesex at Northwood. Middlesex could only manage 124 for nine after Mason Crane claimed four for 28. Glamorgan were struggling on 64 for five in the 10th over until Tribe and Douthwaite, with 40 and 31 respectively, shared an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 64.
