England cricket

Big win for England

Bairstow hit the winning runs as England claimed the first of the two-match series, but players have little option but to celebrate back at their accommodation near the ground, where they are hunkered down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is something that does take its toll because you're going from a hotel to a cricket ground and back to the hotel," he said.

The players had to quarantine in their hotel rooms after arriving in Sri Lanka and return negative COVID-19 tests before being allowed to start their pre-test preparations.

English cricketers take pay hit

The pay cut for players on central contracts was made up of match fees, win bonuses and retainers with the 12-month period starting from 1 October.

"We need to recognise that our players, led by captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, have conducted themselves with great maturity and responsibility throughout this challenging time," England men's cricket managing director Ashley Giles said.

Rain ruins the return of cricket

After all the anticipation, day one of the first of three Tests turned out to be a damp squib. If any fans had been allowed in they would have been jeering and complaining as the players remained in the pavilion for more than 90 minutes because of bad light, despite Southampton's Ageas Bowl having floodlights.

If that frustration, an issue administrators appear powerless or unwilling to address, was all-too familiar, much else about the occasion felt very different.

England level series after beating Australia in final Test

On a beautifully sunny day at The Oval, England set Australia 399 to win and bowled them out for 263 to square the contest with their oldest enemies in a year when they lifted the World Cup for the first time.

Australia retain the urn they won in 2017-18 but miss out on a first series win in England since 2001, while an Ashes series is drawn for the first time in 47 years.

From 313-8 overnight, England added 16 to be all out for 329 and leave Australia in need of pulling off the highest run-chase in an Ashes Test since 1948.

England win Cricket World Cup

In an emotional and electric atmosphere at Lord's, both sides scored 241 in their 50 overs and were level on 15 when they batted for an extra over apiece.

It meant England were crowned world champions by virtue of having scored more boundary fours and sixes - 26 to New Zealand's 17 - in the entire match.

That it even got to that stage was astonishing in itself and came as a result of a barely believable conclusion at the home of cricket - the first tie in a World Cup final.