England

Scotland and Ireland will face hosts England at the Women’s T20 World Cup after the draw for this summer’s tournament was finalised.

Scotland and Ireland booked their place at the World Cup in the qualifying tournament in Nepal earlier this month.

They join England in Group Two, alongside West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

The game between England and Scotland at Headingley on 20 June will mark the first occasion the two countries have met in any kind of cricket World Cup fixture, men or women, in the UK.

Ireland meet England in Southampton on 16 June, while Ireland and Scotland start their campaigns against each other at Old Trafford on 13 June.

The tournament begins a day earlier when England take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

Bangladesh and the Netherlands were the other two teams to come through the qualifier and join Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan in Group One.

With the 12-team field confirmed – the largest in the 17-year history of the Women’s T20 World Cup – the full groups and fixtures have been published for the first time.

New Zealand will defend the title they won in the United Arab Emirates two years ago in the first Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in England since the inaugural tournament in 2009.

As well as Old Trafford, Headingley and Southampton, group matches will be played in Bristol. The semi-finals will be at The Oval on 30 June and 2 July, with the final at Lord’s on Sunday, 5 July.

The last in this series of underexplored, overlooked, bypassed towns revisits three places loosely linked to somewhere I’ve lived at different stages of my life. Relocating is grand-scale vacationing, as there are a few months when the new place feels like a holiday destination – fresh, strange, not filtered and tainted by habit or prejudice. Going back years later is part-pilgrimage, part-funeral.

Harrow

The lexicon of suburbia – commuting, dormitory, cul-de-sac, privet hedge – resonates with not seeing. In densely peopled north-west London, you have to dig – with eyes, books and boots – to find the occluded past.

In a 767 charter, Harrow is Gumeninga hergae, the “heathen temple of the Gumeningas [tribe]”. The small hill – pronounced on old sketches – was a natural spot for practising worship; harrows are found all over England. Later it was part of the archbishop of Canterbury’s estate and by Domesday had 70 ploughlands, 117 households and 102 villagers, two cottagers, three knights, two slaves and a priest – a sizeable place for 1086.

Trees outnumbered people. The medieval manor boasted a 100-hectare (250-acre) deer park in Pinner. The name of Harrow Weald derives from the Old English for woodland, a reference to the Forest of Middlesex that once stretched from Houndsditch in the City of London, through Highgate and Mill Hill, to these outer reaches. It provided pannage (autumn feeding) for 20,000 pigs.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Harrow attracted gentry, who could easily reach court and parliament by coach and four. The wealthy landowner John Lyon founded Harrow school by royal charter in 1572.

On an 1868 map, Harrow on the Hill is a mere scattering of houses surrounded by parks, groves and school fields. The only nearby railway line is the London and North Western, arrowing away to Birmingham and Crewe. In 1930, there was enough greenery and wildlife to inspire Harrovian Tom Harrisson (later involved in the Mass-Observation project) to publish Birds of the Harrow District.

Metro-land would, by the 1950s, submerge the hill and its environs in housing, lasso it to London, spawn North, West and South Harrows and other subdistricts, and provide suburban living for more than 200,000 people. A more populous, less planned version of this greeted me when I moved there in the summer of 1987, to travel, as Betjeman puts it, “Smoothly from Harrow” on the Metropolitan line “fasts” to a dreary office job in Blackfriars.

Knowing, now, a little about this lost town’s historical layers helps explain the still tangible sacrificial feel of the place, the amorphous sensation of inhabiting a populous nowhere.
Things to see and do: walk section 9 of the Capital Ring; Headstone Manor Museum; Zoroastrian Centre (former Ace Cinema).

Clitheroe

I recommend a slow approach to Clitheroe, to take in the setting. A walk into town allows time to admire the hill, the steep-sided lump on which sit the ruins of the Norman castle, with the “second smallest surviving stone keep in England”. From the top of the hill, the views are uplifting: weather coming in from the west, the Bowland Fells, slivers of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks, Pendle Hill.

The A59 Lancs-Yorks trunk road became a bypass at the end of the 1960s. Before then, cars and vans chugged up Moor Lane and along Castle Street, which remain the traffic-cluttered sections of the high street. The narrowness and low-slung 17th– and 18th-century shopfronts remind me, in a way, of Totnes, which is largely Tudor. There was a continuity to towns into the modern era, warped by redbrick Victorian pomp and finally shattered by the 20th-century’s brutal raze-and-redevelop wave of shopping precincts (many of them since condemned).

In some respects, Clitheroe is archetypal Lancashire. The struggling one-time textile boomtowns to the south of Pendle Hill show what industry did and offshoring took away. Clitheroe, relatively speaking, is intact. Old places seem to weather booms and busts better. New money helps, of course.

There were factories here, though. Two former spinning blocks, a weaving shed and offices have been given a creditable makeover to create Holmes Mill: a combined deli-cum-bar, “luxury” cinema, brewery and alehouse, hotel and wedding venue, ticking aspirational boxes for affluent Lancastrians. Lively local boozers are dotted all around town, and Camra groups are probably Clitheroe’s main excursionists. The New Inn is riotously cosy. Georgeonzola does cheese and wine. There are three cocktail bars, at least. No clogs or caps there.

I live a couple of miles outside Clitheroe. It’s sometimes strange to think it belongs to the same county as St Helens and Warrington, where I was born and raised. Locals say “Pennine Lancashire”. I’m from the Plains. The rain is worse here, and the wind can be evil, but this north-facing town is a likable knot of streets and stonework; plenty to discover, still.
Things to see and do: Edisford Bridge (a swimming spot in summer); walk up Pendle Hill or on the Ribble Way (ideal for winter); Whalley Abbey (by bus or train); the No 11 bus to Bowland and for Pen-y-ghent.

Princetown

Devon is the least bleak county I know. It has balmy summers, rolling pastures of red earth and green grass, cove-serrated coasts, hamlets, high hedgerows and long lanes, an ecclesiastical city, a maritime city, and mild winters. Princetown is its sole flirtation with grim. Tourists do come, and not as seldom as other spots in this series, but they often look shocked when they get out of their cars or dismount their bikes.

The granite-grey Dartmoor prison is the dominant feature of Princetown, as well as the township’s reason for being. Thomas Tyrwhitt MP secured land from the Duchy estate of the Prince of Wales to establish a “depot” for prisoners taken in the Napoleonic wars. It was remote enough to deter escape and sufficiently inhospitable.

The first prisoners arrived in 1809 and soon Princetown prison was overcrowded. When US prisoners from the war of 1812 began arriving, conditions deteriorated, and diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid and smallpox became “natural” death sentences. The Depot closed when the conflicts ended, reopening in 1850 as a penal establishment for “common criminals” – which included, over time, the future Irish premier Éamon de Valera, the conscientious objector and MP Frank Longden and Zen poet Reginald Horace Blyth.

Tyrwhitt – now Sir Thomas – built a railway to shift quarry stone down to the port and bring up farm produce, coal, timber and lime for fertiliser. Prisoners and passengers used the line at various times until its closure in 1956. The prison was temporarily closed in 2024, due to “higher than normal” levels of radon, a cancer-causing gas formed by decaying uranium in rocks and soils.

The old railway is now a track down which runners and cyclists hurtle away from Dartmoor’s anti-twee, anti-wild camping, anti-tourism, possibly radioactive town, or “village”, by population if not for its looks. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stayed at the Duchy hotel, now the national park visitor centre. An escaped convict, Selden, has a pivotal role in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Between two farmhouses called High Tor and Foulmire and the great prison “extends the desolate, lifeless moor. This, then is the stage upon which tragedy has played, and upon which we may help to play it again.” For the modern, leisure-age gaze, the moor is a wild camping backdrop and, at least potentially, full of vitality, thanks to its airy solitudes; HMP Dartmoor in Princetown, emptied for now, is the tragic set.
Things to see and do: Princetown to Burrator Reservoir mountain bike tracks; Dartmoor Prison Museum; Foggintor Quarry.

Chris Moss’s latest book, Lancashire: Exploring the Historic County That Made The Modern World, is published by Old Street Publishing at £25. His book based on this series, Where Tourists Seldom Tread will be published by Faber in 2026

Who: Pakistan vs England
What: 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight
When: Tuesday, February 24, at 7pm (13:30 GMT)
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Click here to follow our live coverage.

The second Super Eight ties of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starts on Tuesday with an intriguing contest between former champions who both consider themselves legit title contenders: Pakistan and England.

Pakistan, despite being humiliated by India in the group phase, possess a stacked roster who, on their day, can compete with any cricket team in the world.

England, listed as the pre-tournament joint-second favorite to raise the T20 world crown, are slowly building momentum in the competition, as exhibited by their dismantling of host nation Sri Lanka in their Super Eight opener on Sunday.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the matchup, which may turn out to be a pivotal outcome affecting both nations’ semifinal qualification hopes.

What’s at stake in the Pakistan-England Super Eight tie?

Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out on Saturday.

A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka out for just 95 runs, through to the semifinals with a game to spare.

Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.

History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in three previous Twenty20 (T20) World Cup clashes.

“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.

“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”

Weather watch for Pakistan in Pallekele

Persistent rain in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo forced the abandonment of Pakistan’s opening Super Eight game with New Zealand without a single ball being bowled, forcing the sides to split the points at R Premadasa Stadium.

Pakistan will be hoping that the weather does not play a factor in their crucial second tie as another split result would all but end their semifinal aspirations.

Thankfully, the forecast looks good for Tuesday’s match against England at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, with 33 degrees Celsius (91F) predicted with only a 25 percent possibility of rain. In short, there should be a result and a full match is a strong possibility.

England rounding into form

England kicked off their Super Eight campaign with a 51-run victory over Sri Lanka, a statistically dominant result that vaulted them to the top of the Group 2 standings on net run rate.

The two-time champions have now won their last three matches at the tournament.

Will Jacks has been the breakout star with the bat at the tournament, averaging 65 on a scintillating 195 strike rate.

Pakistan to put England in a spin

Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting lineup to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash.

Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.

The in-form opener said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground on Tuesday night.

“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said Farhan on Monday.

“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners, but we have five in all, so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” he added.

Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.

‘Will not be difficult’: Farhan on Archer express

Farhan, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.

“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Farhan.

“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”

Pakistan team news

Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s omission from the final group stage match against Namibia and the Super Eight opener against New Zealand was a huge shock.

The bowling superstar was expensive in the group phase, with his side pivoting to a spin-dominant strategy.

With Pakistan desperately needing a win against England, the left-arm quick is expected to return to the starting XI.

England team news

England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.

Form Guide:

Pakistan

W-W-L-W-NR (most recent result last)

England

W-L-W-W-W (most recent result last)

What is England’s T20 World Cup record?

England has won the T20 World Cup title twice, in 2010 (defeated Australia) and in 2022 (defeated Pakistan).

They jointly hold the record for the most T20 World Cup titles alongside India (2007, 2024) and the West Indies (2012, 2016).

What is Pakistan’s T20 World Cup record?

Pakistan are three-time finalists, but have only lifted the trophy once.

The first appearance in the final came in the inaugural competition in 2007, when India claimed a five-run win.

The second edition, in 2009, saw Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the final, but a 13-year wait ensued for the next appearance in the showpiece finale – only for England to sweep to a five-wicket victory.

What happened the last time England played Pakistan in a T20 match?

England and Pakistan have not played each other in a Twenty20 fixture since before the last T20 World Cup in 2024.

The sides competed in a four-game series in England with the home side winning 2-0, capping off their triumph in the last fixture with a seven-wicket victory at The Oval on May 30, 2024.

Head-to-head

This will be the 32nd meeting between the countries in cricket’s shortest format.

England has won more than two-thirds of matches with 21 victories, while Pakistan has nine wins. There has been one “no result”.

Possible Pakistan playing XI

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq

Possible England playing XI

Jos Buttler (wk), Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

England and South Africa have postponed a T20 international series which was originally planned for next winter.

The two sides will play three Test matches and three one-day internationals across December 2026 and January 2027.

In addition to the ODIs the white-ball leg of the tour was supposed to include three T20s as per the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme.

Cricket South Africa and the England and Wales Cricket Board are planning to rearrange the 20-over series to a later date.

South Africa’s domestic T20 franchise tournament – the SA20 – is set to be played from 9 January until 14 February 2027 and a number of players from both sides are expected to participate.

“The originally planned T20 series has been removed from the schedule due to scheduling conflicts,” said an ECB statement.

“Both parties are exploring opportunities to reschedule it at a later date.”

England’s Test series in South Africa starts on 17 December at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

The second Test between the sides will start on 26 December at SuperSport Park at Centurion while the final Test at Newlands in Cape Town begins on 3 January.

The ODI series starts at Boland Park in Paarl on 10 January, with the final two matches of the series at the Manguang Oval in Bloemfontein on 13 and 15 January.

Farrell was also pleased with how his more seasoned Test players stepped up after questions over their form as they supplemented headline-stealing displays from Stuart McCloskey and Rob Baloucoune.

“Caelan [Doris] was back to his best, Joe McCarthy was outstanding,” observed Farrell, who also praised player of the match Jamison Gibson-Park.

“Josh [van der Flier] was immense in that first half, wasn’t he? You know, with his line running and stuff like that.

“They know they’ve a responsibility. We said before the game, big-game players turn up and make big-team performances happen.

“They set great examples, but for the lads that I just mentioned, for Rob Baloucoune to come here and do that, you know you’re on for a good day when he’s got a poach, a turnover ball…just his belief to take people on, and for Stu to dominate at this type of level, it was a joy to see.”

With McCloskey and Baloucoune establishing themselves in the Test arena, experienced players recapturing their form and the likes of Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan and Andrew Porter still to return from injury, Farrell’s squad suddenly seems in good shape 18 months out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

“That’s the point. That’s the best part of it,” he said.

“We know that and we have to take a bit of stick along the way. I suppose a win like this gets people a little bit back on board.

“As long as we know where we’re going.”

Ireland host winless Wales on 6 March (20:10 GMT) before finishing the campaign against fellow Triple Crown chasers Scotland in Dublin on 14 March (14:10).

A superb bowling performance breathed life into England’s T20 World Cup campaign as Harry Brook’s side beat co-hosts Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their opening match of the Super 8s phase.

England remained unconvincing with the bat in posting 146-9 but their bowlers took full advantage of a tricky surface to knock over their hosts for 95.

Jofra Archer dismissed key batter Pathum Nissanka and fellow opener Kamil Mishara but even more impressive were the three wickets for all-rounder Will Jacks inside the powerplay.

Jacks, who has struggled with the ball at times in this tournament, removed Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake in consecutive deliveries and added the scalp of Dunith Wellalage as Sri Lanka crumbled to 34-5 under the pressure of a chase.

After Kamindu Mendis chipped back a catch to Liam Dawson and Dushan Hemantha hit his own wicket, Jacks combined with Tom Banton to complete a fine relay catch on the boundary to dismiss Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s captain and the last recognised batter, for 30.

That England’s batting remains far from perfect is pushed to another day. Jos Buttler made a tortured seven from 14 balls, Jacob Bethell fell to a wild slog and Tom Banton ran himself out.

Phil Salt’s 62 and 21 from Jacks, who was the next highest scorer in a fine all-round display, were crucial.

England play Pakistan on Tuesday and New Zealand on Friday in their remaining Super 8s matches.

One win should be enough to qualify for the semi-finals.

After seven dynamic caps off the bench, 21-year-old back rower Henry Pollock finally gained a first Test start.

The idea was his energy would help avoid a repeat of last week when Scotland blitzed England in the opening 20 minutes.

“What do you do? Two weeks in a row conceding so many points in the first 15 minutes,” prop forward Ellis Genge told BBC Sport.

“Everyone has to take a look at themselves. No-one knows what the answer is right now or we would have sorted it out.

“It opened up scar tissue from last week – we have to be better at managing that period and stop turning the ball over.

“It’s brutal, professional sport because if you get 5% wrong it’s gone. We probably believed the hype from the first week too much. We can’t let the noise in now.

“We have let everyone down. Apologies for that but I promise we will make it better. We are going to go away and work as hard as we can to go away and rectify things.”

England found themselves deep in Ireland’s 22 on multiple occasions but lacked any clinical edge, making 14 handling errors in the game.

George Ford also missed touch with a penalty that could have put the hosts in a scoring position.

“As players, senior players and the leadership team we have to take responsibility for not starting the game right,” said Itoje.

“It was just our inaccuracy. We turned the ball over too much, and when we did get into positions to hurt Ireland we were not accurate and then gave ourselves a mountain to climb.”

Allianz Stadium.England head coach Steve Borthwick feels his side left themselves a “mountain to climb” after an error-strewn first half in the 42-21 defeat by Ireland at Allianz Stadium.

MATCH REPORT: Ruthless Ireland hit record away win over England

The last time Ireland visited Allianz Stadium, in 2024, they had just equalled England’s Six Nations record of 11 straight wins and were chasing the rarefied air of back-to-back Grand Slams.

Since that 23-22 defeat, however, Ireland have lost six times in 20 Tests. All six of those losses have come against the other three nations – South Africa, New Zealand and France – currently ranked higher than Andy Farrell’s side.

In the 12 months since beating England in last year’s Six Nations, Ireland have lost to France (twice), the All Blacks and the Springboks by a combined 61 points.

Their miserable return to Paris a fortnight ago ended with their heaviest Six Nations loss in 16 years, giving fuel to the ‘Ireland in decline’ debate.

Indeed, a succession of humbling in-ring experiences with the game’s heavyweights have intensified the scrutiny on a team who have slipped to fifth in the world rankings after entering the 2023 World Cup as number one.

Whether it’s been age profile, a creaking scrum, a sputtering attack, the unsettled fly-half situation or a British and Irish Lions hangover, most of the discussion has been largely negative.

But from an Irish perspective, there is no better way to flip the narrative than a big win over the English, who are wounded from last week’s Calcutta Cup defeat by Scotland.

Of course, having left Stade de France empty-handed before failing to secure a bonus point in the win over Italy, Ireland know another loss would dash their title hopes for another year.

“I think the lads are going to be a bit annoyed at the negative chat that’s surrounding the team for the past while,” legendary Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray said on the Ireland Rugby Social.

“There’s so many quality, world-class players and leaders in that team. I hope they just go there and say ‘let’s go for it here, lads, we’re sick of people talking about us in a negative light, look at the quality we have in the room.”

Furlong and the Ireland squad have turned their attention to Saturday’s trip to face England in Twickenham (14:10 GMT) where he will likely come into direct contact with Lions team-mate Ellis Genge who he acknowledges is “not a fella with a Lions hangover”.

While England lost their Calcutta Cup match against Scotland, Furlong felt Steve Borthwick’s side were strong in the scrum and this is an area Ireland are seeking to improve after some struggles in their win over Italy.

“We were negative three in the penalty count so that was a disappointing result,” Furlong acknowledged.

“Italy do have a good scrum and we saw what they did to South Africa in November.

“The fixes are the simple stuff – height, entry and angles, but they did a good job of isolating the two on ones in the scrum.”

Furlong won his 83rd cap as a replacement against the Italians and is now firmly in the veteran category in the squad.

Ireland have suffered a number of injuries for this Six Nations, especially in the forwards, which has resulted in a number of new faces promoted into starting line-ups and match-day squads.

Despite a chastening defeat by France in their opener and struggles in victory against Italy, Furlong remains optimistic as to regards the trajectory of the team.

“There are players missing through injury or retirement and it changes the feel of the group,” he acknowledged.

“I remember travelling off to Portugal (pre-Six Nations training camp) and there were a load of new faces there and I was thinking ‘this feels a bit different, I feel a bit older’.

“As the weeks went on with the younger players and come of the others came back into camp, the younger players have come out of themselves a bit from a rugby point of view.

“Where that leaves us? The rest of the championship will tell that story but I like where the group is going, there’s a lot of promise.”

The top two teams in each group – A to D – will progress to the Super 8s, which will be made up of two groups of four.

If any teams are level on points after the four group-stage fixtures, they will be separated by number of wins and then net run-rate.

The International Cricket Council has pre-determined the Super 8 groups if the eight seeded sides qualify:

X Group: India (X1), Australia (X2), West Indies (X3), South Africa (X4)

Y Group: England (Y1), New Zealand (Y2), Pakistan (Y3), Sri Lanka (Y4)

If any of those sides do not progress, the teams who do in their place will just fill the spot.

Each team plays three more matches in the Super 8s phase, facing each of the other teams in their group once.

After those fixtures, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winner of each Super 8s group facing the runner-up from the other.

Henry Pollock has been handed his first Test start as Steve Borthwick makes three changes to his starting XV for England’s must-win Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday at Allianz Stadium.

Pollock, 21, is named at number eight alongside fellow British and Irish Lion Tom Curry, who has featured off the bench in the past six Tests, and Ben Earl in the back row.

Centre Ollie Lawrence returns after missing out on selection for Saturday’s crushing defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield.

Tommy Freeman, who started the first two rounds at outside centre, shifts back to the right wing.

England struggled in the air against Gregor Townsend’s side – an area of strength during a 12-game winning run that was ended on Saturday.

Tom Roebuck loses his spot on the right wing after struggling to assert himself aerially, but Henry Arundell, who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards – the second for taking a player out in the air – is given a chance to redeem himself on the left wing.

The 23-year-old has scored four tries in the opening two rounds and was cleared to play after being cited for the incident.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has been clear about his desire to use Freeman at outside centre, but the 24-year-old is arguably England’s best player at winning the ball in the air and those skills have been missed.

Fit-again Lawrence, who missed the opening game through a knee injury, was always likely to play a role in this Six Nations after a standout performance against New Zealand in the autumn, with his powerful ball carrying a point of difference.

England’s attack failed to click against Scotland and Lawrence’s strengths would have also been a factor in forcing the Freeman switch.

Captain Maro Itoje will earn his 100th cap, becoming the ninth England man to reach the milestone.

Half-backs Marcus Smith and Jack van Poortvliet both missed out on selection last week and are named on a 6-2 bench spilt.

Ireland, like England, have one win from their opening two games in the tournament, making the fixture a must-win for both sides to keep their championship hopes alive.

WITH Heathrow Airport set to add a third runway, there are growing fears that it could increase the price of flights.

Airlines warn that the planned expansion could result in a £250 price increase for passengers on a family fare.

With the expansion set to cost £33billion, The Times has reported that airlines are “seriously worried” that Heathrow’s landing charge will increase to pay back the cost of the project for investors.

Their landing fees are already the highest in the world.

In July 2025, Heathrow Airport proposed to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to increase airport charges to fund the expansion.

The average charge over the next five years could increase to around £33.26 per passenger, up from the current average of £28.46 per passenger.

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Now, The Times added that airline bosses have pointed out that the cost of the project would add “at least” £60-£65 to average ticket prices.

This means that the additional cost for a family of four could be as much as £250.

Officials from IAG – the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus – raised their concerns to Downing Street.

Another group called ‘Heathrow Reimagined’ have written to Rachel Reeves about the expansion.

The letter raised points that going ahead with the current model will “deliver a scheme which negatively impacts connectivity, competitiveness and the wider UK economy“.

It added that increased charges that are “already the highest in the world” would undermine the “government’s commitment to reduce the cost of living.”

The letter was signed by the boss of IAG, the chief of Virgin Atlantic and the director-general of the airline trade body International Air Transport Association (Iata).

However, a Heathrow spokeswoman told The Times: “Expansion provides a rare opportunity to drive real economic growth for the UK and deliver value for future generations of passengers.

“With demand consistently outpacing supply, incumbent airlines currently compete to charge a premium and the evidence speaks for itself: airfares at Heathrow have risen by 30 per cent in real terms since 2014, whilst the airport passenger charge has decreased by 19 per cent.”

They added that the analysis has “shown fares will be lower with expansion than without it” and said that they did not “recognise those numbers nor have we seen calculations that would support them.”

The huge expansion for the UK’s busiest airport was given the green light in November 2025.

The Heathrow proposals involve building a 3,500-metre runway which will require a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.

The expansion is estimated to cost £33billion which includes building a 3,500 metre runway.

It will see Heathrow’s capacity increase to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers per year.

The project has received government backing and is moving forward, but it has not yet received final planning approval or development consent.

Heathrow Airport is making other big changes this year…

London Heathrow will undergo a series of developments this year starting with Terminal 2 and 4…

The airport will improve the passenger experience by using AI-technology and has plans to make flights more punctual along with better baggage facilities.

 Heathrow Airport revealed it will start upgrading Terminal 4 next year costing £1.3billion.

The first step will be building a new multi-storey car park and upgrading its check-in area.

The works will be phased to ensure that there’s no disruption to the running of Terminal 4 – and these are expected to be completed in 2031.

Over in Terminal 2, Heathrow has announced that work will also begin on a new baggage system that will be able to handle 31,000 bags each day.

In order to speed up flights and improve punctuality, it will install AI-powered turnaround tech. This will involve a network of cameras being installed across Heathrow.

Using AI to analyse data, the airport will speed up turnaround times between flights, which will make journeys more punctual.

Coverage is expected to be across all terminals by the end of 2026.

KNOWING when to fly or when to book your next holiday without breaking the bank can feel like an impossible task.

However, travel experts Expedia has looked at both the data and customer research for their best flying tips for Brits heading abroad in 2026.

Included in Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks Report is everything you need to know about travelling this year. Here’s what you need to know.

Fly on Fridays – and avoid Saturdays

Friday has become the cheapest day of the week to fly.

Compared to travelling on a Saturday, jetting off the day before can save up to 18 per cent.

But be warned that Friday is also the busiest  day to fly – with Tuesdays being the least busy.

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As for what day you’ll find the find the cheapest deals this is likely to be a Sunday – but Expedia adds that “flying on lower‑demand days unlocks bigger savings.”

Fly in June – and avoid December

The most affordable month to fly is June with flights 68 per cent cheaper on average than December – the most expensive month.

This saves holidaymakers roughly £250 per ticket. 

Yet this changes depending on where you are flying.

If you’re hopping on a domestic flight then the cheapest month to book is January – with the most expensive being the height of summer in August.

Risk-takers might think that the closer you get to your holiday, the better deal you’ll get on flights – and you’d be right.

Book 30 days ahead – not six months

Expedia found that international travellers can save £93 on average by booking between 15 and 30 days ahead, instead of six months out.

For those who don’t want to leave it until the last minute, booking 31 – 45 days out can still save £85  compared to booking six months out. 

Fly from Bournemouth and Belfast – and avoid Manchester and Heathrow

When it comes to actually flying, the choice of airport also makes a difference.

The most expensive UK airports to fly from are London Heathrow, Humberside and Manchester

Meanwhile, Belfast, Liverpool and Bournemouth are the most affordable UK departure airports.

Some destinations are seeing prices drop up to 67 per cent year-on-year too.

So if you head to Gdansk, Cork or Bordeaux, so you’re likely to get a good, cheap deal.

And lastly, while it might not save money – this hack may save you time.

Obviously some of the busiest times to travel are during summer, but other dates that see more travellers are October 24 and 25 and May 24, being near school holidays.

The quietest days based on bookings are March 4, 5 and 9 and December 31.

For more savings – here how one holidaymaker travelled to 41 countries and used a simple hotel trick to save her family hundreds.

And here’s 50 money-saving tips you NEED to know before booking your next holiday – from 5* hotel hacks to free tours and cheap booze.

England were given another major fright but held off tournament debutants Italy by 24 runs to secure a place in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.

After England posted 202-7, Italy threatened to pull off the greatest shock in World Cup history in pursuit – a result which would have left Harry Brook’s side facing an embarrassing group-stage exit.

Ben Manenti crashed 60 from 28 balls to take Italy within 89 of victory and, after his wicket became the first of four in quick succession, 31-year-old Grant Stewart thrashed a 45 from 25 balls to keep the contest very much alive.

Italy needed 30 from the last 12 balls but Sam Curran had Stewart caught at short third.

With 25 runs needed from the last over and two wickets in hand, Jamie Overton wrapped up the innings to leave Italy 178 all out.

But it was another unconvincing day for England, who progress after a final-ball win over Nepal, a defeat by West Indies and two nervy wins against Scotland and Italy.

Even in making their highest total of the tournament so far, they were not convincing with the bat.

They were 105-5 before Will Jacks hit 53 not out from number seven. It was his first fifty in T20 internationals and, coming in 21 balls, England’s quickest at a T20 World Cup.

The result eliminates Italy, whose tournament ends in Mumbai on Thursday against West Indies.

England’s Super 8 opponents are still to be confirmed but they will play that phase in Sri Lanka, starting on Sunday, and surely must improve to have any chance.

A BUDGET hotel chain with self-serve bars and private pod rooms is looking to open in the UK.

There’s talk of the brand, LyLo, opening several sites across the country, and it has its sights set on Southwark in London.

Hotels in the city, and across most of the UK can be expensive – but if it opens in the UK LyLo is set to be very affordable.

Its ethos is ‘lower prices and higher comfort at the centre of everything’.

If priced like they are in Australia and New Zealand, a stay in a pod could cost as little as £20.24 (AUD$39).

LyLo promises fuss-free check-in, on-site drinks and eats, WiFi, workspaces, and spaces to play encouraging guests to socialise with various events.

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Some of current pod hotels even have rooftop spots where guests are welcome to relax and play games.

LyLo also holds events like welcome drinks, pop-up dinners, local tours, surprise gigs, wellness activities and film screenings.

Some of the LyLo hotels like the ones in New Zealand’s Queenstown and Australia’s Brisbane, even have their own self-pour cocktail and beer wall.

Guests have to show ID to the bar manager, load up their hotel card, then tap and pour – when the balance runs low, just top up and carry on.

Visitors can help themselves to lager, beer, cider and even cocktails like espresso martinis on tap.

For those who need some peace and quiet for work, the hotel also offers a range of ‘quiet spaces’.

Each hotel has a kitchen fully kitted out with ovens, microwaves, fridges, freezers and plenty of cutlery.

At the current sites, guests can either stay in self-contained pods or private rooms.

Visitors can rent out a self-contained pod with a king size mattress, USB charging port and WiFi.

These pods are within a shared room which can sleep up to 10 guests – so each cabin comes with its own privacy screen.

There’s also the option for a female-only space.

Guests can also opt for a private room, or an ensuite room which comes with private bathroom facilities.

If travelling with a number of travellers, there’s also an option to book out a full room of pods for one large group.

LyLo managing director Tim Alpe said: “We are thrilled to introduce LyLo to Europe, with London as the perfect city to launch our first property.

“Our innovative pod hotel concept has already proven successful in New Zealand and Australia, and we are confident that the European market will embrace our unique blend of affordability and community-focused design.

“London’s dynamic and diverse traveller base makes it an ideal location to begin this exciting new chapter, and we look forward to bringing LyLo’s fresh approach to hospitality to the city.”

The brand currently operates 608 pods across New Zealand and Australia.

Here’s another cheap pod hotel that’s already opened in London…

Travel Writer Helen Wright recently spent the night in London’s newest pod hotel – Zedwell – here’s how it went…

“Zedwell is one of the city’s newest hotels to open, right in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. Being so central, you can normally expect hotels to have high prices – the nearby Ritz and the W Hotel can command nightly rates of £500 or more.

“Not Zedwell – the new hotel claims to be the world’s biggest capsule hotel, and with that, comes the small price of just £30 a night. That definitely makes it the cheapest hotel room in the city (unless you want to bunk up in an 18-bed dorm).

“Inside, decked out with a modern concrete and timber design, there are nearly 1,000 individual sleep capsules over five floors. Guests use an iPad to self-check in, before being directed to one of the correct floor and room.

“Each dorm needs a key card to access, too, so you can only enter the dorm you are assigned, which definitely makes it feel secure. It’s a twist on the traditional ‘dorm style’ hostel set up as each guest gets privacy and security of being tucked up in your capsule, with the ability to lock it from the inside. 

“Inside, I was surprised to find a cute little space, with mood lighting and welcoming interiors. Each capsule is made from oak and come with a single Hypnos mattress, Egyptian cotton bedding, individual mini aircon or heat, smart climate control, noise reduction, and ambient lighting.

“There is also a plug socket inside, two USB plugs and a mirror.  Make sure to bring your own padlock too, so you can lock your pod if you plan on going out (although reception let you buy them on-site as well).

“There are clean common areas, which felt more adult then teen-backpacker, which includes a lounge and co-working space. I was impressed with how clean the communal bathroom and toilet area as well, with light jazz music playing overhead.”

For more budget hotels that are currently open in the UK, check out the new 532-room that’s just opened in one of the priciest tourist destinations.

And one writer reveals how she takes her family on city breaks all over the UK – and stays at this budget accommodation for just £6 each night.

Scotland delivered a magnificent Calcutta Cup triumph for under-pressure head coach Gregor Townsend after a week of “guilt”, says captain Sione Tuipulotu.

Off the back of an opening Six Nations defeat by Italy in torrential Rome rain which triggered a sharpened focus on Townsend’s tenure, Scotland’s title chances were on the line as they welcomed in-form England to Murrayfield.

And they delivered a spectacular opening burst, racing into a 17-0 lead inside 15 minutes, one which they never looked like surrendering.

Townsend’s side played with pace and verve as Finn Russell stamped his mark on this famous old fixture.

The Scotland fly-half set up Huw Jones’ first try with a gorgeous tap-on pass before spreading the play right and then left for Jamie Ritchie to go over.

Even when England hit back through Henry Arundell – who was subsequently sent off for a second yellow card offence – Scotland continued to play with freedom and confidence and they added a third after Ellis Genge failed to gather Russell’s chip over the top and Ben White capitalised.

The visitors, having won their past 12 Tests, came back into the contest after half-time but Scotland stood strong in defence and scored a bonus-point try through Jones after George Ford’s drop-goal attempt was charged down.

“I’m extremely proud,” Tuipulotu said.

“To go through what we went through last week really hurt and we understood because we deserved it. Ultimately Italy were better than us.

“We really felt like our backs were against the wall and we showed up today.

“I felt guilty. Head coaching is a hard job because when it is going well you get all the positives but when it is not going well you get all of the criticism.

“We got behind our coach this week. I’m proud of the boys for getting behind our coach and delivering a performance.”

England beat Scotland by five wickets in India to recover position in group at 2026 T20 World Cup.

Tom Banton’s unbeaten 63 led England to a five-wicket T20 World Cup victory over Scotland in Kolkata on Saturday that kept Harry Brook’s side on course for the Super Eights.

Victory in their final Group C match against Italy on Monday at the same Eden Gardens stadium will see England safely into the next round.

After bowling Scotland out for 152, England racked up 155-5 in 18.2 overs, with Jacob Bethell scoring 32, Sam Curran 28 and Will Jacks (16 off 10 balls) hitting a six and a four to finish the job.

England wobbled at the start of their chase as the new white ball swung under the floodlights with the sun going down.

Phil Salt fell third ball to Brandon McMullen for just two and when Jos Buttler picked out McMullen off Brad Currie, they were 13-2.

Scotland bowled tightly until Bethell broke the shackles by hitting McMullen for a six and two fours in the fifth over.

Spinner Mark Watt also came in for some punishment, conceding 22 off his first over as Banton took him for three huge sixes.

A 66-run partnership ended when the left-handed Bethell, on 32, helped a leg-side delivery from Oliver Davidson into the grateful hands of Brad Wheal at short fine leg.

Captain Brook did not last long, scooping Michael Leask over his shoulder to Wheal to make it 86-4, but England were always in control and got home with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, England’s bowlers found their mojo and vindicated Brook’s decision to field on winning the toss.

After being smacked to all parts of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in conceding 196 to the West Indies on Wednesday, England’s attack exerted much more control at Eden Gardens.

Captain Richie Berrington top-scored for Scotland with 49 off 32 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He and Tom Bruce put on 71 for the fourth wicket, but it was their only notable partnership.

Spinner Liam Dawson ended it in the 13th over when Bruce was caught for 24, Curran providing the safe hands at deep square leg.

When Adil Rashid trapped Berrington lbw in the next over, Scotland collapsed, losing their last seven wickets for 39 runs from 113-3.

Jofra Archer had been expensive in the two previous outings but made the early breakthroughs before finishing with a brilliant 2-24 off his four overs.

In his second over, he hurried George Munsey into top-edging to Banton and two balls later had McMullen caught by Salt in the deep.

Michael Jones (33) holed out to Bethell off Curran, and Scotland were 42-3 at the end of the six-over power play and never threatened a competitive total.

Rashid was the best of the England bowlers with 3-36 from his four overs, while Dawson took 2-34.

TODAY is the day that Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights is out in cinemas.

The adaptation of Emily Brontë‘s novel is set to wow movie fans – and viewers will be stunned by the beautiful backdrop which was filmed across the sprawling Yorkshire Dales.

It was reported that the two Hollywood stars were filming in the Yorkshire Dales National Park early in 2025.

Cast and crew took over spots across the moors like Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.

Both valleys are known for their wild moorland scenery.

For those visiting, Swaledale is a great spot for hiking the Pennine Way, or take a drive to explore the Buttertubs Pass.

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It’s essentially a mountain road with steep climbs that crosses the moorland between Wensleydale and Swaledale.

It’s popular with cyclists and motorcyclists, one visitor called it “one of the best driving routes in the whole country.”

The village of Low Row in Swaledale which has traditional stone cottages also featured in the film.

Anybody wanting to stay nearby can pop into The Punch Bowl Inn.

They serve up ‘Yorkshire food with a modern twist’ – in the evenings you can munch on the likes of fish and chips, burgers and Cajun salmon salad.

Rooms are available there too with a one night stay priced at £160.

Arkengarthdale is quiet hiking spot and is known for being home to the highest pub in the country called the Tan Hill Inn.

The historic pub is 1,732 feet above sea level, and it dates back to the 17th century it has exposed beams, stone-flagged floor, and a cosy fire.

Dig into some hearty Yorkshire meals, or book a room from £119 per night.

Another backdrop from the film is Surrender Bridge – it’s a Grade II listed, 19th-century stone bridge just outside of Swaledale.

It first became famous for appearing in the opening scenes of the 1980s All Creatures Great and Small TV series.

Another spot that wasn’t actually used for filming, but could see more visitors, is Haworth.

It’s heavily tied with the Brontës, sisters Emily, Charlotte and Anne – as their family lived there.

The village is still described by visitors as like ‘stepping back in time’ thanks to its cobbled streets and old English pubs.

It pays tribute to the sisters with its Brontë Parsonage Museum.

These spots are set to see a boom of tourists this year – along with a hotel that housed the actors whilst on their shoot.

Jake Dinsdale, from Simonstone Hall Hotel, near Hawes, told the BBC that the “set-jetting” concept is a reality.

He added: “We are getting visitors coming in from Canada, Germany and the States.”

The Simonstone Hall Hotel is in heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park – rooms have boasting four-poster beds, soaking tubs and stunning views.

Room rates start from £118 per night.

For more on Yorkshire, this town has been dubbed the ‘Italy of England’ with historic viaduct and river boats.

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