England

England overcome early tremors to win ⁠third Test against Pakistan by eight wickets, clinching a series whitewash.

Joe Root led from the front as England survived a major wobble to beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third Test at Edgbaston on Saturday, sealing a 3-0 series whitewash.

The home team, chasing just 130 to win, were in deep trouble when openers Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay were dismissed in the first over, bowled by Mohammad Abbas.

Root, England’s record runscorer, edged his first ball, bowled by Razaullah, through the slips for four in a nervy start but settled and scored quickly to take the sting out of the situation.

The skipper was given a huge reprieve when he chopped onto the stumps off Mohammad Ali, only for the umpire to signal a no-ball, leaving the bowler distraught.

Root, with Jordan Cox at the other end, had another let-off when he edged an Abbas delivery between first and second slip, with neither fielder moving.

But he reached his half-century off 57 balls with a cut for four, and Cox matched him shortly afterwards.

England reached their target in the 25th over, with Root unbeaten on 62 and Cox 59 not out.

Root, in his second spell as England skipper after the departure of Ben Stokes, admitted his team were not the finished article but said he was delighted with their series win.

“The amount of uncertainty, noise and I guess chaos there was coming into the series, the way the guys have dealt with that – being so clinical with what we’ve had in front of us – and be stood here with a 3-0 win is really pleasing,” Root told Sky Sports.

“It sets us up nicely looking ahead to the start of a new era with (new head coach) Stephen Fleming coming in.”

Pakistan woes

It is England’s first Test series win since 2024, while Pakistan have now lost 16 of their last 21 games and are bottom of the World Test Championship table.

Root’s men had appeared set for a quickfire win inside three days on Friday before debutant fast bowler Razaullah launched an audacious assault with the bat, clubbing nine sixes as he raced to 81 off 63 balls.

The 21-year-old number nine, who also took four wickets in England’s first innings, put on 121 for the ninth wicket with fellow paceman Abbas (42) as England floundered.

“We had a little bit of pushback yesterday which, in a strange way, was quite a good thing for the group,” said Root.

“Fair play to Razaullah; he made things difficult for us. He played some wonderful shots and made it very difficult to set fields to. He struck the ball nicely – I don’t know how he didn’t pull a muscle, swinging the bat that hard.”

Razaullah’s heroics have changed the mood music, but they came too little, too late for Pakistan, who have endured a miserable series, losing the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs.

The tourists sent seven players home after their crushing defeat in the second Test at Lord’s and brought in seven replacements, with Razaullah among them.

They also sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul as their tour plunged into chaos.

Pakistan made four changes to their side for the third Test, and they put up a fight despite being dismissed for a paltry 133 in their first innings.

Captain Babar Azam admitted his team would have to take stock after a one-sided series.

“Before we came here, we had to think about different things and to decide our team,” he said.

“We had a couple of changes after losing two matches. Playing in England is very difficult. We were trying to do our best in the third match.

“We need to sit down and look hard at our mistakes, decide our playing XI.”

The 3-0 whitewash is a huge tonic for England, who were in turmoil just weeks ago following a series loss to New Zealand and the exits of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Stokes.

But tougher challenges lie ahead, starting with a Test series in South Africa in December and January, while a home Ashes looms next year.

Captain Joe Root and Jordan Cox helped England fight back from an early scare as the hosts recovered from 2-2, to successfully chase down 130 and wrap up an eight-wicket win and a 3-0 series clean sweep against Pakistan at Edgbaston.

READ MORE: England survive scare to sweep Pakistan series

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FOURTEEN British cities are eyeing up a new “tourist tax” meaning tourists and Brits heading on staycations will face paying hundreds more for their trip.

This comes as Andy Burnham approved the plans yesterday (September 10) to add five per cent to overnight stays.

Yesterday, the prime minister announced plans to allow mayors to impose an uncapped charge on overnight stays, although Labour mayors have pledged to cap the new fee at 5 per cent or below.

The additional fee would be added to hotel bills, and apply to those staying overnight in hotels and holiday lets including Airbnb and guesthouses.

All visitors, regardless of nationality and reason for visit, will have to pay it. It will be uncapped, meaning mayors can choose how much to charge.

The money would then be used to fund local amenities such as public transport and infrastructure.

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Cities and regions that may soon introduce the additional charge include London, Liverpool, Bristol and Bath.

As well as cultural hubs such as Durham, Manchester, York and Newcastle.

Earlier, the government had promised to protect budget holidays “by making sure low-cost accommodation always pays lowest levy” and said the extra cash would be invested in high streets.

However, the chief executive of UKHospitality, Allen Simpson, warned the BBC that the new charge could add nearly £100 to £120 to the average cost of a UK family holiday.

This also comes at a time where the hospitality industry has already suffered from rises to Employer National Insurance and the minimum wage, costing the sector billions.

However, these would not be the first regions in the UK to implement the new charge – which could come as early as 2028.

In Manchester, a “city visitor charge” of £1 per room per night already applies to some hotels, however the new tourist charge would replace it.

BIRMINGHAM, England: Rain prevented England from putting Pakistan in a deeper hole than 52-2 and 268 runs behind on day two of the Edgbaston cricket test on Thursday.

Pakistan walked out after tea 320 runs behind to begin its second innings in gloomy, lights-on conditions perfectly suited for England’s four-man pace attack which has dominated the series.

Pakistan has yet to crack a 200 total, and Ollie Robinson was the man of the moment again.

Robinson got Saim Ayub to nick to the slips off the first ball and became only the fifth bowler in test history to twice take a wicket with the first ball of an innings in a series. The last person was Zaheer Khan for India against Bangladesh in 2007. Bill Voce was the only previous Englishman in 1937 against Australia.

Ayub was playing Twenty20s in the Caribbean 10 days ago but was summoned in mid-series in a panic call by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play his first test in 20 months. He bagged a pair.

Robinson struck again with his fourth ball, nicking off Abdullah Shafique.

That made Pakistan start 0-2 for the sixth time ever in tests and the second time against England. The other was at the same ground in 1982. The bowler was Ian Botham.

From 0-2, Azan Awais and Shan Masood dug out Pakistan to 52-2 in 12 overs. Awais had 29 and Masood 21 after being dropped on 13 by Ben Duckett off the luckless Gus Atkinson.

Wet weather came sooner than forecast and guaranteed Pakistan lived to fight at least one more day in a three-test series already lost. England, up 2-0, should complete the sweep on Saturday with no test going the distance.

Fifties and no hundreds again

England began the day already in front with a lead of 23 at 156-4.

In two sessions, 50 overs, they added 297 runs at a pacy 5.9, its fastest rate on any day all summer. Three more batters scored fifties to add to Emilio Gay’s gritty 60 and Harry Brook’s unbeaten 52 on Wednesday but the effort looked nothing like Bazball.

However, Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith and less so Robinson would have thought a century was at their mercy.

The former trio spent more than two hours at the crease, three hours in Brook’s case, but all fell tamely and showed obvious frustration to miss out on a century on a fair pitch against a popgun attack.

Brook ran himself out on 75, Lawrence dragged on on 65, and Smith chipped back to fast bowler Razaullah Khan on 69.

Robinson’s breezy 50 from 47 balls highlighted the merciless contribution from the tailenders of 116 runs and 15 boundaries.

Brook resumed on a restrained 52 and Dan Lawrence on 5, and in sunny conditions they plundered seven runs per over in the first hour.

Brook then mistakenly took on Shan Masood at midwicket and has now been involved in five run outs in tests — only Virat Kohli (6) has been in more. Brook has gone 11 tests without a century but was still averaging more than 40.

Lawrence, filling Ben Stokes’ old spot, had in hand his third fifty in three tests when he chopped on. He gave up an agonizing “No” and Mohammad Imran’s first test wicket.

“Bitterly disappointed to get out in the 60s,” Lawrence said. “Something I’ve prided myself on this season is kicking on. I really wanted a big hundred today.

Pakistan still went to lunch with an air of resignation as Smith collected an unbeaten 47 of the 143 runs in the session.

Smith got his third 50 of the summer straight after lunch by crashing Razaullah through the covers, but Razaullah got him caught and bowled on 69.

No. 9 batter Robinson greeted the new ball by lofting Mohammad Abbas for six over cow corner and got his second 50 of the season from 46 balls. The entertainment was ended by a good catch from Masood in the covers.

Demoralised tourists reach 52-2 before rain ends play early on day two, needing 268 runs to make England bat again.

Ollie Robinson continued his outstanding summer with two wickets in his opening over as England pushed Pakistan towards ⁠defeat in the third Test ⁠at Edgbaston.

Robinson, man of the match in the first two Tests, struck with the first ball of Pakistan’s second innings on Thursday and again three deliveries later to leave England closing in on a 3-0 series ⁠whitewash.

The demoralised tourists reached 52-2 before rain ended play early on day two, needing 268 runs to make England bat again.

Robinson, 32, has been almost unplayable in this series, taking 21 wickets at an average of under seven runs each.

He continued in the same ⁠vein in Birmingham, removing Saim Ayub, who was dismissed for a duck in both innings, and then Abdullah Shafique to finish the day with figures of 2-10 from his six overs.

“He’s probably one of the most consistent bowlers in world cricket. He knows what he’s doing with the ball, and he wears you down a bit so it’s a challenge,” said Pakistan batting coach Mike Smith.

“He has bowled exceptionally well, and he’s in a little purple patch as a player. We need to find a way to combat that as well as we can.”

Shan Masood, who was dropped at slip by Ben Duckett off Gus Atkinson, was still there on 21 at the close, alongside opener Azan Awais on 29, but Pakistan’s position appears hopeless.

England, who led by 23 overnight, had earlier pressed the accelerator to extend their first-innings advantage to a daunting 320.

They made 453 with Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence extending their fifth-wicket partnership to 86 until Brook set off for an impossible single and was run out by Masood for 75 from ⁠97 balls.

Lawrence went on to make 65 from 82 balls before dragging a wide ball onto his ⁠stumps to give Mohammad Imran his first Test wicket. It was a third Test half-century in a row for Lawrence, who was recalled after a two-year absence for this series.

“I’m really happy with how I’ve contributed,” said Lawrence. “I was feeling really good today, got on a bit of a roll with Brooky and ⁠went with it.

“I thought I was going to make a really big score, to be honest. It wasn’t to be, but I think if I’d been offered 65 at the start of the ⁠day, I’d have taken it.”

There was also a welcome half-century from the out-of-form Jamie ⁠Smith, who overcame an uncertain start and a finger injury, which caused him to hand over the wicketkeeping gloves to Jordan Cox, to strike 69 off 84 balls including one six and nine fours.

It was his highest Test score since a second-innings 88 against India on the same ground 14 months ago.

Robinson chimed in with ‌a 50 of his own, which included a huge six into the Hollies Stand off Mohammad Abbas, before becoming Razaullah’s fourth victim.

The blooding of the 21-year-old, who had only played eight first-class games prior to his call-up, was one of the few positives for ‌Pakistan.

While ‌he was expensive – he conceded 148 runs off his 23 overs – he posed a threat with his pace and aggression.

Razaullah may represent a brighter future for Pakistan, but the present remains bleak for a team that has lost 15 of its last 20 Tests.

Jamie Smith reaches his half-century, becoming England’s fourth batter to score a 50 in the innings against Pakistan, helping them build a strong lead in day two of the third Test at Edgbaston.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Third Test, day two

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Holidaymakers will face a nightly levy on hotel and Airbnb-style stays across large parts of England in a move welcomed by many mayors but described as risking “irreparable harm” to the tourism industry.

Regions across England will be able to charge an uncapped “tourist tax” on overnight stays to potentially generate tens of millions of pounds that would then be spent in those areas.

The move will bring England into line with many European nations and the US, where holidaymakers have for years been paying overnight visitor levies.

However, tourism and hospitality bosses warned it would have a “hugely damaging” impact on an industry already under pressure from a rise in tax and employment costs.

UKHospitality, the industry’s trade body, said a 5% overnight levy across England could result in 33,000 job losses and a £2bn hit to the economy, with regions more reliant on tourism, such as the Lake District, being worst affected.

The owner of Premier Inn, Britain’s biggest hotel chain, said it would be “hugely damaging” and urged ministers to “avoid inflicting what could be irreparable harm on this large and vital sector of the economy”.

The proposal for an overnight levy was backed by Keir Starmer’s government in November and is similar to a scheme running in Scotland.

Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, outlined the details behind the levy to England’s regional mayors in a meeting at No 10 North in Manchester on Thursday.

Under the proposal, which is expected to be introduced as a bill in parliament within months, mayors will be given the power to decide what is best for their area, but ministers do not expect the levy to become overly expensive.

Allen Simpson, the chief executive of UKHospitality, said the plans would put jobs at risk in some communities, and that the new tourism tax in Edinburgh was “already having damaging effects”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme holidays in the UK were “already more expensive” than they appeared because of higher VAT.

“What we’re talking about here is an open-ended power for mayors to set tourism taxes at any level they want,” said Simpson. “And remember that if you go to Paris, if you go to Rome, if you go to Berlin, you’re paying a small tourism tax, but it’s capped.”

He added: “It will be the case that you’ll have holiday parks which can’t open in the shoulder seasons, and of course people who go on holiday will just have that little bit less money in their pocket.”

The overnight visitor levy was outlined in the king’s speech in May, but legislation was not brought forward before Starmer stood down as prime minister. Andy Burnham is likely to pitch the policy as part of his wider devolution agenda. No 10 has previously said local leaders would be “able to set out plans for how revenues will be invested by March 2028”.

As mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham introduced the city visitor charge in April 2023 – a £1 per room per night fee – to pay for measures aimed at attracting more tourists. Last year other mayors, including Sadiq Khan in London, wrote a letter to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, and the then chancellor, Rachel Reeves, urging the government to introduce a visitor levy.

Sources from the London mayor’s office said a plan to make the payment a percentage rather than a flat fee was welcome. No decisions had been made on the design of the scheme or how revenues would be allocated, they said, but any levy would not be more than 5% of accommodation costs. “This will really help us support London’s growth and our offer to visitors,” they said.

Edinburgh became the first city in Scotland to introduce a tourist tax, at 5% in July, after the Scottish parliament passed a law last year granting councils the power to implement their own visitor levies. In Wales, councils will have the power to charge £1.30 a person a night in tax for most accommodation from April 2027.

But UKHospitality, which represents thousands of restaurants, hotels and pubs, has said a levy of 5% would be one of the highest tourist tax rates in Europe and hit households continuing to struggle with the cost of living. It has written to Burnham urging him instead to consider plans for a “holiday bonus”, under which central government revenues would be devolved to local authorities based on the number of visitors they attract.

Tourist taxes are common in Europe and the rest of the world, and are used in cities such as New York, Barcelona and Venice to fund local services.

RAIN has arrived and it seems summer is truly over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out in nature – especially if its indoors.

Around the UK are lots of attractions with indoor conservatories and glasshouses full of plants – and we’ve highlighted some of the best to explore this autumn.

The Eden Project, Cornwall

Go big or go home, right? The Eden Project has two biomes one of which is home to the world’s largest indoor rainforest.

The Rainforest Biome can be as hot as 35C so make sure to wear layers if you visit this autumn and winter.

Inside are beautiful waterfalls, a canopy walkway, wobbly bridges, free-roaming partridges and over 1,000 varieties of plants.

The Mediterranean Biome is slightly cooler but can still get up to 25C with pretty flowers and plants from the Mediterranean, California and even Western Australia.

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Make sure to follow the path to the olive trees, stop by the perfume garden for some scented plants and spot the sculptures hidden amongst the greenery.

You can book during events throughout the year too.

Across September 26-27 will be the Celebration of Stories Weekend where children’s authors will read stories from their books, along with workshops and family activities.

From November 20-January 2 will be its Christmas event. General tickets for adults start from £35.50 and tickets for children (5-15) start from £12.50.

Kew Gardens, London

Kew Gardens is known for its incredible landscape gardens and lakes – but there’s plenty of it that’s indoors too.

One of its most impressive attractions that’s inside is Palm House which is an indoor rainforest full of endangered plants – some of which are even extinct in the wild.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens has 10 different zones with different climates including topical ones – so you can warm up inside.

Discover Venus flytraps, succulents and tropical orchids inside.

Other indoor attractions include Davies Alpine House where plants that thrive in cool, dry and windy conditions live.

There’s also Temperate House which is the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse with around 10,000 different plants from around the world.

If you want to find out more on Kew Gardens, check out Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding’s full guide on it, here.

General admission tickets start from £17 for adults – an offer for £10 tickets starts later this month. Tickets for children (between 4-15) start from £2.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire

In the heart of Carmarthenshire is the National Botanic Garden of Wales which has a claim to fame as being the largest single-span great glasshouse in the world.

It was even designed by Foster + Partners which are behind buildings like The Gherkin.

Inside the raindrop-shaped glasshouse are endangered plants from Mediterranean climate regions like the Canary Islands, Chile and South Africa.

Along with its various species of plants are rocky terraces and sandstone cliffs.

There are places for snacks too at the Caffi Botanica which serves up snacks, sandwiches, hot meals – some ingredients are even grown in the conservatory itself.

Tickets start from £16.49 for adults and £8.44 for children (between 2-17).

The Winter Garden, Sheffield

The Winter Garden in Sheffield is one of the largest temperate glasshouses to be built in the UK in the last 100 years.

The building is so big that it could actually fit 5,000 regular-sized greenhouses inside of it.

It’s full of greenery with over 2,500 plants from around the world inside of it and paths for a relaxing stroll inside.

There’s everything from tall trees to bamboo, bedding plants which change seasonally and flowers.

It might not be a place that you can spend a day in – but it’s attached to connected to the Millennium Gallery and the Peace Gardens which you can explore too.

It’s completely free to walk through The Winter Garden and it’s open Monday to Saturday between 8am-8pm, on Sunday it’s open from 10am to 5pm.

David Welch Winter Gardens, Aberdeen

David Welch Winter Gardens is found inside Duthie Park in the Ferryhill area of Aberdeen.

The glasshouse was added to the park in the 1900s and is now one of the most visited indoor plant collections in Scotland.

Inside is Europe’s largest indoor plant collection where you can explore the enormous Temperate House.

There’s also the Corridor of Perfumes which is a fragrant zone within the glasshouse, Fern House, Victorian Corridor, Japanese Garden, Tropical House and Arid House.

If its not too cold outside, take a stroll around Duthie Park which has a bandstand, fountains and a boating pond too.

Entry to the David Welch Winter Gardens at Duthie Park is completely free.

The Barbican Conservatory, London

This one might be slightly harder to visit – but it’s still worth mentioning as the Barbican Conservatory is the second biggest of its kind in London (behind the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens).

The conservatory is part of the Barbican Centre in central London and is full with over 1,500 species of tropical and subtropical plants, trees and even fish.

There’s very much limited time to visit though as the Barbican Conservatory will close to the public and undergo a major restoration in January 2027.

But if you want to see inside before its closure, tickets are released one month in advance online with a number day tickets released from 9.30am on the day that the conservatory opens – entry is completely free.

If you want to find out when new tickets are available, you can join the waiting list.

And if you want to take a rare piece of the Barbican Conservatory home with you, check out the plant adoption event happening later this year.

Defending champions the Seattle Seahawks came from behind to beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in the opening game of the NFL season.

For the first time in 10 years the season began with a rematch of the Super Bowl, in which the Patriots were dominated by a Seahawks defence known as ‘the Dark Side’.

Again they stepped up after Seattle lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury in the game’s opening drive, claiming three interceptions in the final quarter at Lumen Field.

The Patriots went into a 10-0 lead, with rookie tight end Eli Raridon scoring the first touchdown of the season in the second quarter.

Back-up quarterback Drew Lock got the Seattle offence going late in the third quarter, with Jason Myers cutting the gap with a field goal.

Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett claimed his first career interception at the start of the fourth quarter, after a Drake Maye pass was deflected by rookie Rodney Thomas.

On the next possession Lock found wide reciever Jaxon Smith-Njigba in space and last season’s offensive player of the year charged through the Patriots defence for a 45-yard touchdown.

Julian Love then picked off Patriots quarterback Maye, giving Myers the chance to edge the Seahawks in front with a 26-yard field goal.

New England were well within field-goal range with 21 seconds remaining, but chose to go for the win rather than settle for overtime, and the move backfired as Maye’s hopeful pass towards Mack Hollins was intercepted by Josh Jobe in the end zone.

The only game in which Maye threw multiple interceptions last season was the Super Bowl, and he was picked off on the Patriots’ final three possessions in the season opener.

Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said initial tests showed Darnold had not fractured a hip.

Week one continues with the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. The Los Angeles Rams meet the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday (01:35 BST, Friday).

BIRMINGHAM, England: Pakistan’s new-look team was unable to shake off old problems as it was bowled out for a paltry 133 after being put into bat by England in the third and final cricket test at Edgbaston on Wednesday, before Emilio Gay and Harry Brook carried the hosts further into the ascendancy.

Josh Tongue claimed 4-42 while Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer shared six wickets as Pakistan’s shake-up since going 2-0 down in the three-match series had minimal impact.

Gay and Brook then made fifties to lift England to 156-4 at stumps on day one, leading by 23 despite captain Joe Root being out lbw for the 10th time in 13 innings.

Robinson conceded just 15 runs in 11 overs, as he went from 99 to 102 test wickets, while his average of 19.1 is the best post-war of any bowler with more than 100 dismissals.

England claimed a first breakthrough when the recalled Saim Ayub was trapped lbw for a duck to give quick bowler Robinson his 100th test wicket.

Jofra Archer then forced Azan Awais into offering mid-on fielder Josh Tongue a low, diving catch off a leading edge.

Abdullah Shafique was next to go, caught low down by Dan Lawrence at third slip off Robinson.

Shan Masood became the fourth wicket to fall when he lobbed the ball to mid-wicket off fast bowler Archer following a poor cross-bat stroke.

Fellow paceman Tongue then removed Pakistan captain Babar Azam before dismissing debutants Ghazi Ghori and Imran Randhawa, lbw and clean bowled respectively, before lunch.

Razaullah Khan, another debutant, fell for 11 in the afternoon session. Saud Shakeel, who made a fighting 97 in a losing cause at Lord’s, was the one shining light for Pakistan as he top-scored with 43 before being clean bowled by a sharp inswinging delivery from Tongue.

Archer took the final wicket when he had Mohammad Abbas caught in the slips for 21 to finish with figures of 3-25. Robinson picked up 3-15 in a miserly 11-over stint and Tongue 4-42.

Then, in England’s first-innings reply, Ben Duckett was removed by Mohammad Ali for 11 before Jordan Cox fell to Abbas for 4.

England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after beating Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord’s.

Emilio Gay produces a gritty, determined innings to guide England out of early trouble as he hits 60 off 114 balls to help his side recover from 39-3 to 143-4 on day one of the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Third Test, day one

Available to UK users only.

The only thing gloomier than the leaden skies at lunch on day one of the third Test at Edgbaston will have been the mood in the Pakistan dressing room as things went from bad to worse.

Downcast might be understating it.

A raft of controversial changes made by the Pakistan Cricket Board were supposed to act as a defibrillator to this team.

Despite the shock treatment there was little sense the tourists will be sparked back to life to finish this series with a flourish as they slumped to 133 all out.

There may have only been 33.5 overs in the game but already their cause in Birmingham looks a forlorn one. If you have tickets, even for day three, it might be worth considering making other plans.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said Pakistan’s “technique and mindset” were “pretty ordinary”.

“There’s mental fatigue and turmoil in the dugout, I can understand that,” he told Test Match Special.

“They have not been proactive at all. They have to have a plan. This is a flat pitch, it’s not a demon-like pitch, like the third day at Lord’s.”

In mitigation, CricViz’s bounce inconsistency rating had this pitch at 5.7 which is higher than at Edgbaston in 2025 (2.6 vs India), 2024 (3.2 vs West Indies) and 2023 (3.3 vs Australia).

England, of course, bowled well. Their four-pronged seam attack hitting their straps after Joe Root had won the toss in Autumnal conditions.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that Pakistan were “clearly shot for confidence” after such a disastrous morning.

“I feel for Pakistan because this is embarrassing with everything they’ve had to cope with in the last week,” he said.

Pakistan’s top five were all gone with the score on the Thwaite Memorial scoreboard showing just 48.

It meant unwanted history for the tourists.

It was the 12th time a team’s top five have all been out for single figures in a Test match – but the first time it has happened in the first innings.

They are closing in on a second record too.

A team has never started an innings worse than Pakistan during a series in England.

Their second wicket in this series has fallen with the score of 6 and 13 at Leeds, 16 and 7 at Lord’s and 14 when the second wicket fell on Wednesday.

That is a total of 56 runs for the first two wickets – an average partnership of 5.6 and 11.2 runs for the fall of the second wicket this series.

They are set to break a record set by Australia in 1888, who averaged just 16 for the fall of their second wicket in that series.

It’s hard not to feel some sympathy.

For example opener Saim Ayub, one of those called up for this Test, is playing in a first-class match for the first time since October 2025.

Facing Ollie Robinson in these conditions meant that his dismissal felt like a fait accompli from the moment the opener marked his guard.

Yet there was an end-of-term feel to some of the strokeplay from the Pakistan batters, too. At odds with the discipline they needed to show.

Four wickets down and Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam were extravagantly flashing their blades outside off stump. Two players into their thirties with plenty of experience, who should know better.

Pakistan’s false-shot percentage in the morning session was 40%, the second highest in the opening session of a Test since 2006.

Saud survived until lunch but Babar perished 40 minutes before the interval – bowled by Tongue – gesticulating at the pitch.

“He [Babar] disintegrated. It’s tough for him,” added Ramiz.

“He’s got to explain all this mayhem and then he has to look after himself and then he’s got to work with the lot that are more T20 in nature than Test cricket.”

There has only been two teams in a three-match series that have been bowled out six times for under 200 and they were both in the 19th century – the 1888 Australians and South Africa in 1895-96.

Pakistan need to find some resolve when they bat again to avoid joining them.

Even had you never read Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” or even known of its existence, the odds are good that you have somewhere encountered its much quoted opening and closing lines: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” and (spoiler) “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known,” respectively, the latter possibly in the course of a Ronald Colman imitation. (Please do not ask who Ronald Colman is.)

Reckoned to be Dickens’ most popular novel, it has been several times filmed for the big and small screens, going back to 1911 — the big-budget Colman version came in 1935 — but has not been mounted in this century, until now, with a four-part adaptation premiering Sunday on MGM+ in a co-production with BBC One. It stars Kit Harington, whom “Game of Thrones” people know as Jon Snow, as Sydney Carton, a disheveled, cynical, self-loathing, alcoholic, yet clever London lawyer. London is one of the two cities whose tale this is. Paris, before and during the Revolution, is the other.

Daniel West’s adaptation hits the major plot points and select lines of dialogue, but has typically, unavoidably, been streamlined and compressed. Characters disappear, or have their attributes and actions assigned to different characters. But much has been added as well. Most of these alterations are trivial, although one major change, coming near the end, is a very bad idea. I can’t tell you what it is, though.

Francois Civil, left, and Kit Harington in “A Tale of Two Cities.”

(Marcell Piti / MGM+)

Other than that, the most substantial changes are to Lucie Manette (Mirren Mack), the female lead, in order to give her a more active, heroic role in the story, this being 2026. (Not that Dickens didn’t write a heroine or two.) So we meet her, a Frenchwoman raised in England, sneaking out at night to dissect corpses in a sort of one-woman underground medical school — knowledge that will come in handy when Charles Darnay (François Civil), a Frenchman living in London, shows up at the place where she lives, dying from a knife wound acquired in the process of chaperoning into England a young woman in danger from the French ancien régime (the king is still in his counting house); laying him out on the dining room table, she cauterizes the wound.

Darnay has also been tasked with delivering the message “Recalled to life,” which refers to the fact that the father Lucie believed dead has merely been languishing in the Bastille for 18 years and is now out. In the novel, he is simply released, but here he has escaped — or rather, has been escaped, since he is something of a wreck, as you might imagine — and is being hidden at the wine shop of the pre-revolutionary Defarges, Ernest and Thérèse. Like the novel’s first and last lines, Madame Defarge (Roxane Duran), with her knitting needles, has transcended the text into folklore.

“A Tale of Two Cities”

(Marcell Piti / MGM+)

But before a recovering Darnay can clear any of this up, he’s dragged away by English police, accused of spying for the French for the benefit of the Americans — our own revolution is in progress at this point — and put on trial. Lucie, having exhausted all other possibilities, and needing Darnay in order to find her father, hires a very reluctant Carton, who in a trick worthy of Perry Mason, gets him off when a witness cannot tell him and Darnay apart. (Make a note of their resemblance; it will be important later.) By this time, both men are in love with Lucie, which, historical action scenes and social commentary aside, is the real point of the story, which might as easily be titled “A Tale of Three Citizens.”

All this gets the miniseries off to an energetic start. After this, there will be a lot of going back and forth across the Channel; crimes of the aristocracy; Darnay’s own Big Secret revealed; more trials, more imprisonments. Still, though it wakes up when we get to the storming of the Bastille, economically but effectively rendered, and, later the Reign of Terror, in between it can turn into a murky, mopey slog. It is often dark, visually and temperamentally; the music tends to moodiness. The actors speak quietly, as if fearful of being overheard, whether or not there is anyone around to hear, and often regard one another with pained or stunned expressions. It’s not necessarily inappropriate — there’s a lot of death in the book, and in a love triangle, someone is bound to lose, at least in the pre-polyamorous 19th century. But this “Two Cities” does lean into the worst of times.

Nevertheless, as Lucie, Mack makes a consistently vital impression — one can see why everyone’s in love with her. (Harington, the big name here, is less vivid; he’s more interesting before Carton falls for Lucie, when he’s still a bit of jerk and not simply sad most of the time.) And as Madame Defarge , who will become the symbol of the revolution’s bloodthirsty overreach, Duran is splendid; she’s a monster, finally, but layered and human. She has her reasons.

Former Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy has joined Burnley until the end of the season.

The 39-year-old, who is Leicester’s record Premier League scorer with 145 goals, departed for Cremonese in 2025.

Vardy left the Italian side in the summer and now joins the winless Clarets who are bottom of the Championship.

“This club has a proper footballing history and passionate fans who deserve a team that represents them and their town,” Vardy told the club website., external

“I can’t wait to get going on the pitch and help the team move in the right direction.”

Vardy, who won 26 caps for England, scoring seven goals, spent 13 years at Leicester after signing from non-league Fleetwood Town in 2012.

He went on to score 200 goals in all competitions in 500 appearances.

Burnley, relegated from the Premier League last season, have made a poor start back in the second tier and have not won in five matches under new boss Nicky Hayen.

On Saturday they conceded two goals in the final 10 minutes to lose 2-1 at home to Bristol City.

“His experience and leadership will be invaluable to our squad, and we believe he can make a significant impact on our campaign,” Hayen added.

“Jamie has a proven track record, and we are looking forward to seeing him in a Claret shirt.”

Manchester City have signed England goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse on a short-term loan from Orlando Pride.

The 31-year-old will join the Women’s Super League champions until January, subject to international clearance.

Moorhouse has established herself in the National Women’s Soccer League after joining Orlando Pride from French side Bordeaux in January 2022.

She helped them win the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship in 2024 and earned herself a call-up to the England squad that year.

Oldham-born Moorhouse, who has two England caps and was part of the Lionesses squad that won Euro 2025, counts Arsenal and West Ham among her former clubs.

ACROSS 10 days in September, Brits can enjoy thousands of free events courtesy of Heritage Open Days.

The festival has thousands of free things to do from checking out Silverstone race course to ghost walks and even football tickets are up for grabs.

Between September 11-20, lots of England’s best-known attractions and destinations will open to the public for free.

Events will be held across the country – here are some of the places to explore with Heritage Open Days.

For racing fanatics, book a day out at Silverstone where the collections team take you through its history with a guided tour.

At Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, families can check out the codebreaking trail, try hands-on activities and have a go themselves.

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Other spots to explore include the grand Lyme Park in Cheshire, Wightwick Manor and Lyveden.

Transport museums around the country are open with lots of vintage trains and buses for viewing.

This includes Aldridge Transport Museum, Dover Transport Museum and East Anglia Transport Museum.

At the Museum of Transport in Manchester, visitors can ride on its historic buses.

Depending on who you support, some people might be interested to know that you can get free football tickets.

Head into Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum and then enjoy the match as the team plays Wycombe Wanderers (make sure to prebook).

Activities for kids include medieval crafting like decorating shields, crowns, princess hats and horse puppets at The Garage in Norfolk.

Over at Acorn Bank Watermill in Cumbria, see the mill in action and even taste some of baked goods yourself.

In Milton Keynes, head to the Midsummer Place Shopping Centre for the Caribbean carnival village celebrations with hands-on workshops.

At museums across the UK, kids can dress up and see what life was like in different eras – like the 1800s in the National Justice Museum.

Some of the best events take place during twilight hours.

Onboard the Tudor ship, the Golden Hinde, there’s a reconstruction of living, working and sailing.

At the Rosse Observatory, get up close to the impressive telescope itself – and if it’s a clear night, you could even see Saturn or Jupiter.

Or if you’re into ghosts, head to Ripon Market Place in North Yorkshire for some spooky walks.

Make sure to look at activities and events in advance as you may need to pre-book before attending.

For more on attractions – check out all the ones that you pay for once and then return all year for free.

Pakistan have responded to their series defeat by England by taking the extraordinary step of dropping seven players, calling up five uncapped players and releasing their head coach.

After two one-sided defeats in the first two Tests, the tourists have revamped their squad and backroom staff for the third and final match of the series at Edgbaston.

Five of the players dropped – Muhammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad – have featured in the series so far, while Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Jafar have been sent home without playing.

A total of seven players have been called up. Batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have previous Test experience and join the quintet of uncapped newcomers.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas, left-arm seamer Mohammed Imran Jr, wicketkeeper Said Baig and all-rounders Mohammad Imran and Razaullah have all received call-ups.

In addition, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his assistant Umar Gul have been released to be replaced by Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke.

The third Test in Birmingham begins on 9 September.

Pakistan have been abject in the opening two Tests, losing the first at Headingley by an innings and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs. They have been bowled out for less than 200 in each of their four innings.

The response is remarkable. For a touring team to send home seven players and the head coach mid-series is unprecedented.

Pakistan have a history of making eccentric decisions in the wake of defeats. On England’s last tour of Pakistan in 2024, the hosts responded to losing the first Test, when England made a total in excess of 800, by playing the second Test on the same pitch in Multan.

On that occasion, Pakistan used garden heaters and fans to dry the surface, to assist their spinners. The home side won the next two Tests to win the series 2-1.

WITH the average museum or attraction entrance fee costing between £12 and £21 a day in the UK, you might expect annual passes to be budget-obliterating.

Yet there are tourist spots across England that let you pay for a day and return all year for free, which is a great option for families on a budget.

If you were to boomerang back to some of the below attractions once a month, the cost of a visit works out as little as 41p a time. 

So here are all of the best places across the UK – by region – where you can pay once, then visit again and again for the whole year, absolutely free…

North East 

Preston Park, Stockton on Tees

Centred around a 19^th century mansion on the banks of the River Tees, this 100-acre site features history galleries, a replica Victoria street, and gardens with a poison plot and honeybee hives.

Adults £12, children (3-16) £8. 

Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham

Set within a former steelworks, this interactive science museum has four pavilions dedicated to the concepts of earth, air, fire and water. Plus, there’s a splash park for summer.

Adults £19, children (4 to 15) £17 or (2 to 3) £9. 

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, County Durham

Spreading out across 350 acres, Beamish has revived dozens of 19^th and early 20^th century buildings like post offices, pubs, and sweet shops, and filled them with costumed characters to interact with.

Adults £35, children (5-16) £20.50. 

York Castle Museum, York

Plunge into 400 years of York’s history in the museum’s exhibition rooms, replica Victorian street, and the former cells of York Castle Prison.

Adults £18, children (5-16) £10.80. 

Yorkshire Air Museum, York

The UK’s largest independent aviation museum set on a former WW2 airfield with historic aircraft, displays, a cafe and shop.

Adults £17, children (4-17) £7.

The Deep, Hull

More than 2.5 million litres of water provide shelter to 3,000 fish, sharks, rays, and even penguins at this 24,000 square metre aquarium.

Adults £24, children (3-15) £18. 

North West 

Port Sunlight, Wirral

Built for soap factory workers in the 19^th century, this model village offers a history museum, art gallery, and 130 acres of parkland.

Adults £8, children (5-16) £5.50.

Jodrell Bank, Cheshire

The UK’s largest radio telescope, an immersive planetarium, and a series of hands on exhibitions about space and the universe await visitors to this Unesco World Heritage Site in the Cheshire countryside.

Adults £15, children £10.50. 

Eureka! Science + Discovery, Wirral

Walk through a pair of lungs, design your own toothpaste, and hug a heartbeat tree within four interactive zones themed around the science of bodies, homes, and nature.

Adults and children (3+) £15.95. 

National Football Museum, Manchester

Everything from trophies and football shirts to Subbuteo tables and VR games are on offer at this museum dedicated to the beautiful game.

Adults £16, children (5 to 15) £10. 

Fusiliers Museum, Bury

This museum documents 300 years of The Lancashire Fusiliers and the latter Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, with artefacts like Victoria Cross medals and replica First World War trenches.

Adults £4.95, children £2.95. 

Windermere Jetty Museum, Bowness-on-Windermere

Get to know the 200-year boating heritage of England’s largest lake through vessels, interactive displays, and oral histories.

Adults £12, children (5-15) £6. 

Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole

A six-acre acre swatch of countryside with 20 heritage buildings such as a 1950s village store, Victorian cottage, and thatched Tudor longhouse.

Adults £12, children (4-15) £10. 

Yorkshire Museum 

Featuring displays on everything from the Vikings and Romans to Yorkshire during the Jurassic period – with iPads that showcase what the dinosaur skeletons on show really looked like when they were alive.

Adults £10, children (5-16) £6.  

Murton Park, Murton

Discover 14 acres of countryside exhibits including a farming museum, railway, farm animals, and a Viking village and Roman fort that are open on weekends and school holidays.

Adults £20, children (1-16) £17. 

East Midlands 

National Tramway Museum, Crich

Set around a recreated period village compete with tea rooms and a sweetshop, this museum displays more than 80 historic trams and features a working rideable tramway.

Adults £24, children (4-15) £15. 

Silverstone Museum, Northamptonshire

The two floors of exhibits at Silverstone Museum are crammed with racing memorabilia, F1 cars, immersive experiences like break tests, and photo ops.

Adults £24 online, children (5-15) £20. 

Lamport Hall, Lamport

Wander through period rooms dripping in antiques before ambling around 10 acres of gardens, which once boasted the first ever garden gnomes.

Adults £16, children (11-17) £9. 

Nottingham Castle, Nottingham

Brush up on your knowledge of Robin Hood, Nottingham lace, and the history of rebellion in Nottinghamshire at the hilltop castle that was first built by William the Conqueror in the 11^th century.

Adults £18, children free. 

Bakewell Old House Museum, Bakewell

11 rooms of exhibits spill the secrets of Bakewell’s oldest standing residence and its inhabitants from the past 500 years.

Adults £7.50, children (5-16).

King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester

Immersive exhibits recount how King Richad III’s body was discovered under a carpark in Leicester and backtrack through 500 years of history, feuds, and intrigue linked to the King.

Adults £12.50, children (5-15) £6.25. 

Eyam Museum, Hope Valley

This museum lifts the lid on how the residents of sleepy Eyam responded to the outbreak of Bubonic Plague in the 17^th century. Additional displays on local prehistory, mining, and the silk and shoe industry.

Adults £6, children (5+) £4. 

National Space Centre, Leicester

Amongst the 150 plus exhibits at this final frontier-themed museum, visitors will find two genuine rockets, real moon rock, and the UK’s largest domed planetarium.

Adults £22, children (5-15) £20. 

1620s House & Garden at Donington le Heath, Coalville

Explore the stone-walled home and gardens that once belonged to the relatives of Sir Everard Digby, who was executed for taking part in the Gunpowder Plot.

Adults £6.65, children (3-15) £3.95. 

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Sutton Cheney

Nine interactive exhibition rooms walk visitors through the dramatic War of the Roses and the resulting battle that changed the course of British history.

Adults £10, children (3-15) £6.95.

Peak District Lead Mining Museum, Matlock Bath

Hundreds of rocks, minerals, tools, and three interactive mock mine tunnels evoke a time when lead mining was one of the Peak District’s most important industries.

Adults £8.50, children (4-17) £5. 

National Justice Museum, Nottingham

Five floors of exhibits on crime, the law, and punishment, including a Victorian courtroom and Georgian jail. Daily mock trials and free workshops.

Adults £16, children (5-15) £11.50. 

Wollaton Hall, Wollaton

Cocooned within 500 acres of parkland, this Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion is home to a 750,000 item Natural History Museum.

Adults £18, children free. 

Louth Museum, Louth

Learn about brickmaking, carpets, archaeology, the devastating Louth flood of 1920, and the ghost of the green lady at this four gallery town centre museum. Open April to October.

Adults £5, children free. 

City of Caves, Nottingham

Burrow through the caves beneath Nottingham, learning about the people who worked and even lived in them over the years as you go.

Adults £12, children (5-15) £9.50. 

West Midlands 

The Fusilier Museum, Warwick

Artefacts like drums, bearskin hats, uniforms, memorial plaques and even wedding gifts illustrate the personal stories of the soldiers of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Adults £5, children (under 16) free. 

Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry

Cast your eyes over more than 300 cycles, 120 motorcycles, and 250 cars, including penny farthings, Triumphs, E-type Jaguars, and the world land speed record-breaking Thrust SSC.

Adults £15.50, children (5-16) £8.50.

Museum of Royal Worcester, Worcester

Starring the largest display of Worcester porcelain in the world, with a sensory trail and regularly updated temporary exhibitions.

Adults £11.95, children (5-17) £4.50.

British Motor Museum, Gaydon

More than 400 classic cars welcome visitors to the British Motor Museum. Free guided tours take place twice a day and there’s an outdoor play area for sunny days.

Adults £18, children (5-16) £9, when booked in advance. 

East of England 

Museum of the Broads, Stalham

This dog-friendly museum spotlights the natural and human history of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads through more than 6,000 artefacts.

Adults £9.50, children (12-17) £5.50. 

Ely Musuem, Ely

Root around in Ely’s history through exhibits on the city’s prehistoric settlers, folk traditions, local trades, the importance of eel fishing in the area and plenty more.

Adults £7, children (5 and up) £3. 

Denny Abbey & The Farmland Museum, Waterbeach

This yawning site brings together a 12^th century abbey, a vintage village shop, rural trade exhibitions, a nun’s refectory, farming equipment displays, a 1940s farmworker’s cottage, and a clutch of gardens and play areas.

Adults £9.50, children (5-17) £6.50. 

Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton

More than 60 aircraft, 30,000 artefacts, and individual museums on Suffolk’s 446^th Bomb Group, RAF Bomber Command, and the Royal Observer Corps come together on this 11 acre site.

Adults £10, children (5-17) £5. 

Verulamium Museum, St Albans

Occupying the site of one of Britian’s largest Roman cities, Verulamium depicts what everyday life was like for the people who once lived here. Count on coin hoards, mosaics, and reconstructions of Roman rooms.

Adults £10, children (under 16) £5.  

Great London and Outer London

London Transport Museum, Covent Garden

Charting 200 years of transportation developments in London, including exhibits on riverboats, omnibuses, the underground, and the capital’s iconic red Routemasters.

Adults £27, under 18s free. 

Foundling Museum, Bloomsbury

Artworks by Tracey Emin and music scores by classical composer Handel are some of the surprising items on display at the UK’s only museum dedicated to the experiences of people who have been in care.

Adults £14.50, 21 and under free. 

The Postal Museum, Clerkenwell

See rare Penny Black stamps, dress up in postal uniforms, and have a ride on the narrow gauge underground Mail Rail railway at this museum that documents 500 years of postal history.

Adults £20.50, children (2-17) £11. 

Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

The hub of Greenwich’s Unesco World Heritage Site, this former hospital treats visitors to an ornately frescoed Painted Hall, an elegant chapel, and an interactive visitor centre.

Adults £19, children free. 

The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace

Discover what goes on behind the scenes at the stables responsible for all the road travel arrangements for the Royal Family, including a peek at the Cinderella-esque golden state coach.

Adult £18, young person (18-24) £12, children £9. 

Windsor Castle, Windsor

The largest occupied castle in the world, Windsor Castle welcomes visitors to explore its state apartments, ceremonial rooms, and castle precincts.

Adults £32, young person (18-24) £21, children £16. 

South East 

Milton Keynes Museum, Wolverton

With displays on prehistoric times, Victorian life, farming, printing, and a street of replica shops from yesteryear, this museum looks into the stories that have shaped Milton Keynes.

Adults £17, children (5-16) £12.   

Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

The former top-secret workplace of Britain’s World War Two codebreakers features 11 historic buildings, 12 hands-on exhibitions, recreated period rooms, and a cinematic experience.

Adults £28.75, children £7.50. 

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock

Exploring how conflict has shaped Oxfordshire, the permanent exhibition at this museum looks into everything from The Liberation of Bergen Belsen by the Oxfordshire Yeomanry to the county’s secret agents.

Adults £9, children (5-16) £5.50.

Wallingford Museum, Wallingford

This two-floor, wood beamed museum tackles almost 3,000 years of local history including Wallingford’s links to Queen of Crime fiction, Agatha Christie.

Adults £6, children free.  

Milestones Museum, Basingstoke

The replica streetscapes at this film set style museum chart the history of Hampshire from the Victorian era to the swinging sixties.

Adults £18.50, children (5-15) £12.50. 

Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Great Missenden

Based in the village where Roald Dahl lived and worked for almost four decades, this museum celebrates the life of the BFG author through memorabilia, hands-on activities, moving images, and craft offerings.

Adults £13.95, children (5-18) £9.95. 

Aldershot Military Museum, Aldershot

Highlights at this local military history museum include tank collections, a rifle handling area, recreated army barracks, and a World War Two inspired outdoor assault course.

Adults £11, children (5-15) £8. 

Cowper and Newton Museum, House and Gardens, Olney, 

Deep dive into the lives and careers of writers William Cowper and John Newton, co-authors of the hymn Amazing Grace, in the restored 18^th century mansion where Cowper lived.

Adults £12, children (under 16) free. 

Jane Austen’s House, Chawton

This red brick cottage is where Jane Austen lived and wrote her novels. Highlights include Jane’s personal letters and first editions of her stories.

Adults £15.50, young people (17-26) £11, children (6-16) £7.25. 

SeaCity Museum, Southampton

Covering 2,000 square metres, SeaCity unveils Southampton’s links to the ill-fated Titanic and reveals how they city became known as The Gateway to the World.

Adults £5, children (5-16) £3.50. 

Leeds Castle, Kent

A favourite residence of King Edward I and dwelling place of Catherine of Aragon, this turreted castle treats visitors to a ‘1930s castle experience’, children’s playground and maze, 500 acres of parkland, and a bird of prey centre.

Adults £38.50, children £28. 

Huguenot Museum, Rochester

Britian’s only museum about the Huguenots – the French protestants who took sanctuary in Britain after fleeing religious persecution in the early 18^th century.

Adults £5.50, children £4.50. 

Museum of the Iron Age, Hampshire

This two-floor museum offers an insight into the history of the nearby Danebury Hill Fort and the people who lived there more than 2,500 years ago.

Adults £5, children (5-15) £3.50.  

South West

National Maritime Museum, Falmouth

15 galleries spread across five floors explore how the sea has shaped human history and culture with remote-controlled boat pool, play zone and more. 

Adults £19, children (five to 18) £10.

Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, Truro

Swot up on all the elements that have helped forge Cornwall’s identity, from its ancient civilisations and geology to its myths and biodiversity.

Adults £10, under 18s free. 

Wheal Martyn Clay Works, Carthew

Learn about Cornwall’s 250-year clay mining history and find out how the industry contributed to the formation of landmarks known as The Cornish Alps.

Adults £17, children (5-15) £7.50. 

Newlyn Art Gallery and the Exchange, Penzance

A twin set of contemporary art galleries where the walls are hung with the works of regional, national, and international artists alike. Exhibitions change regularly.

Adults £9, children free.

The Eden Project, Bodelva

30 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens, including two iglu-like biomes filled with rainforest and Mediterranean flowers and plants.

Adults £35.50 online, children (5-15) £12.50.

Torquay Museum, Torquay

More than 400 artefacts on Egyptology – including a mummified body – accompany displays on natural history, archaeology, planetology, world cultures, and ceramics at this eclectic museum.

Adults £10, children (5-17) £5. 

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, Dorchester

Four floors of displays spill the beans on Dorset’s natural history, 500,000 years of people’s history, Hardy’s Dorset, and the county’s artistic heritage.

Adults (26+) £13.95, young people (16-25) £11.70, children (0-15) free. 

The Tank Museum, Bovington

The world’s largest collection of tanks and armoured vehicles spreads out across six hangar-sized exhibition halls here, showcasing more than 300 artefacts from 26 nations.

Adults £19.60, children (3-15) £4.80. 

The Etches Collection, Kimmeridge

This modern space is filled with Late Jurassic marine fossils with a ‘sea-rex’ skull, a sea dragon skeleton, and CGI imagery that brings all the information to life.

Adults £9.50, children (5-16) £4.75. 

Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne Minster

The 11 galleries inside this Grade II listed house catalogue the social and local history of East Dorset, touching on subjects from childhood to agriculture.

Adults £12.50, children (5-16) £6. 

Lyme Regis Museum, Lyme Regis

Overlooking Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, this museum lays bare Lyme Regis’ geological heritage, history, culture, and literary connections using audio, touchscreen displays, and handleable objects. Adults £9.95, children (6+) £6.95. 

Bridport Museum, Bridport

The displays at Bridport Museum switch from Jurassic Coast fossils to local rope making history, Anglo Saxon history, and the ‘beastly Bridport’ topic of disease and the ‘deadly Bridport dagger’.

Adults £5, under 21s free. 

Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury

Scattered across the cow shed, farmyard, barn, and orchard of a former abbey farm, the exhibits of this heritage attraction shed light on the working life and rural crafts of countryside Somerset over the ages.

Adults £11, children (5-17) £5.25.   

Haynes Motor Museum, Sparkford

15 exhibition rooms showcase more than 300 vehicles here, whilst displays touch on topics from the birth of the internal combustion engine to sustainable transport.

Adults £22.45, children (4-15) £12.74, when booked online. 

The Food Museum, Stowmarket

17 historic buildings spread across 84 acres highlight how food is grown, made, and eaten. With daily talks and regularly changing exhibitions.

Adults £17.50, children £12. 

Lewes Castle, Lewes

An 850-year-old Norman Castle, where you can climb the keep for views of the South Downs, check out Medieval artefacts in the museum, and picnic in the grounds.

Adults £18, children (5-17) £6.50.  

Anne of Cleves House, Lewes

This timber-framed wonky-roofed building was gifted to Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, after their royal marriage ended. Wander through the Tudor style rooms to gen-up on this period of history.

Adults £7.50, children (5-17) £4.50. 

Fishbourne Roman Palace and Gardens, Fishbourne

See the remains of a once lavish Roman villa, complete with mosaics and artefacts, and mooch around the reconstructed period gardens.

Adults £15, children (5-17) £7.50. 

Michelham Priory House & Gardens, Upper Dicker

Get stuck into 800 years of history at this moated building with its period rooms and seven acres of grounds and gardens.

Adults £15, children (5-17) £7.50. 

Archer, Tongue and Atkinson are all capable of high speed, while Robinson often operates below 80mph with the wicketkeeper standing up. His accuracy and ability to extract movement have seen him take 23 wickets this summer at a remarkable average of 8.3.

“We’ve got a good contrast in what we’re trying to do at the moment,” said former opener Trescothick.

“What we do have is three guys bowling at 92 miles an hour, which is really nice to have in your armoury and to have the potency in what you’re trying to do.

“And the more that they play together and the more experience that everyone gets together, then it fits into place to how you want it to be.”

Writing for the Telegraph on Monday, England’s captain in 2005 Michael Vaughan said the current attack can only be compared to his bowlers when they win a major series.

But Vaughan added: “They are certainly capable of doing something really special, and winning back the Ashes for England next summer.”

England will aim for a 3-0 clean sweep of Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston, beginning on 9 September.

The home side will confirm a squad for the series finale in Birmingham in the coming days.

There were seven pace bowlers in the squad for Lord’s. Brydon Carse was originally included, only to be removed following an incident outside a nightclub in Derby. He is not expected to be considered for England again until the conclusion of investigations by the police and Cricket Regulator.

In Carse’s absence, England’s back-up seamers are Sam Cook, Sonny Baker and Matthew Fisher.

The trio have only four Test caps between them, yet Trescothick hinted England are likely to resist the temptation to give the reserves more Test experience.

“First and foremost I want to win the series 3-0, and I think if you’re going to do that you want to play the most consistent team possible,” said the 50-year-old.

“We’ve got to see how they all pull up from this game, and they’ve got four or five days now of break which they’ve not had for a good period of time because the schedule has been so busy.

“Once we know that then we’ll be able to make that decision, but emphasis massively on winning the series 3-0.”

READY to take your next day out to new heights? Grab an exclusive 50 per cent off first-time flyer experiences at iFLY indoor skydiving and enjoy savings of up to £100 – that’s the best price guaranteed!

Join Sun Club for £1.99 per month — don’t miss out.

From excited three-year-olds to grandparents, iFLY is the kind of experience that you will be talking about long after you have landed.

So, if you fancy doing something a bit different, or just want to give your usual day out a lift, this could be just the ticket.    

At iFLY you will meet your instructor before you fly and they will run through everything you need to know before you get kitted out.

Next, you will step inside iFLY’s state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnel, where powerful fans create wind speeds of up to 150mph, lifting you off your feet and into the air.

First-Time Flyers can choose from 2 Flights, 4 Flights or 10 Flights, depending on how much airtime they fancy. The 2 and 4 Flight packages both include a virtual-reality experience at an extra cost, while the 10 Flight option is great for groups looking to enjoy the experience together.

Get 50% per cent off iFly

To book your tickets, follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Join thesun.co.uk/club for just £1.99 per month or £12 for the first year, then £19.99 therafter.

• Step 2: Head to Offers Hub and find the 50 per cent off iFLY indoor skydiving page. You do not need to collect Sun Savers codes.

• Step 3: From Monday, August 31 click the book button, where you will receive an email containing your discount code and steps on how to book your tickets to iFLY. 

• Step 4: Follow the steps and book your tickets by Tuesday, September 29.

T&Cs: Visits are valid up to Thursday, December 31, 2026. A £3 booking fee will apply at checkout when purchasing your tickets.

Or you can pick up The Sun Newspaper from Saturday, August 29 and collect Sun Savers codes to book your tickets.

Step 1: Download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk.

Step 2: Go to the Offers section, click Start Collecting on the iFLY page.

Step 3: Collect THREE out of eight Sun Savers codes. We will print one daily from Saturday, August 29 to Saturday, August 5. Once you have your THREE Sun Savers codes, enter them on the Sun Savers app or website to unlock booking. Booking opens at on Monday, August 31.

Step 4: You will receive an email containing your discount code and steps on how to book your tickets to iFLY. 

Step 5: Follow the steps and book your tickets by Tuesday, September 29.

T&Cs: Visits are valid up to Thursday, December 31, 2026. A £3 booking fee will apply at checkout when purchasing your tickets.

18+ England, Scotland and Wales residents only. Sun Savers multiple code collect 29/08/26-05/09/26 or subscription to Sun Club or digital subscription required. Online access required. Booking closes 23:59pm on 29/09/26. Non-transferable & non-refundable. Offer valid on a first-time flyer experience only at all iFLY locations across England. Flights must be booked between August 29- September 29 and must take place before Friday January 1, 2027. Subject to availability. Not valid on voucher purchases. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other other offer, discount, voucher or promotion.  T&Cs apply, see sunsavers.co.uk or club.thesun.co.uk/sun-club. Sun Club new customer offer: £1.99 per month or £12 for the first year, then £19.99 thereafter unless you cancel at least seven days before your next billing date. Full T&Cs apply, see thesun.co.uk/club.

Join Sun Club for £1.99 per month — don’t miss out.

After winning the toss, Pakistan take full advantage of the conditions at Lord’s, as they take four wickets in the opening session of the second Test against England, with Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Harry Brook all falling, with the hosts reaching 80-4 at lunch.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Second Test, day one

Available to UK users only.

Ashley Cole has left his role as an England Under-21 coach after five years in the position.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal defender was part of Lee Carsley’s coaching team which guided the side to back-to-back European Under-21 titles.

Carsley said the 45-year-old Cole, who retired from playing in 2019 before going into coaching, had a “positive, inspirational impact on his players”.

“I want to pay tribute to Ashley who played a major part in our two Euro wins and also had a key role in the current campaign with his tactical and technical knowledge,” he added.

“I am certain he will have even more success in his coaching career whatever the future holds.”

After completing his coaching badges at Derby County under Frank Lampard, Cole worked in Chelsea’s academy before further spells assisting managers at Everton, Birmingham City – under Wayne Rooney – and then England during Carsley’s brief spell as interim boss of the senior side in 2024.

Cole took over as head coach of Serie B club Cesena in March after feeling “discouraged” within the English football pyramid from succeeding in a managerial role.

He left the role in June, external after discussions with the club’s sporting director regarding a “change in the club’s strategy”.

As a player Cole won 107 England caps and secured multiple trophies with Arsenal and Chelsea, including three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, seven FA Cups and one League Cup.