Lords

England’s poor form in white-ball cricket continued as they were beaten by South Africa to lose the second one-day international and the series with a game to spare.

Though not nearly as one-sided as the hammering at Headingley on Tuesday, a five-run margin did not reflect the nature of the contest.

Set 331, which would have represented the highest successful chase in an ODI on this ground, England fell short on 325-9.

The series defeat is England’s first since Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball team at the beginning of the summer, and their fifth in six ODI series since the 2023 World Cup.

In damp conditions, England chose to field and reduced South Africa to 93-3, only for Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs to rebuild. Breetzke made 85 and Stubbs 58.

Dewald Brevis’ 42 from only 20 balls lifted South Africa to 330-8. Though Jofra Archer claimed four wickets, a combined 10 overs of spin from Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks cost 112.

England lost Jamie Smith to the first ball of the reply and Ben Duckett for a scratchy 18, yet the chase was ignited by Bethell’s 58. With Joe Root in superb touch for 61, England were in in the hunt at 143-2.

Bethell cut to point and Root was stumped by a distance, the two wickets falling for the addition of only four runs.

From then on, England never got on top of the chase. Jos Buttler made 61, Brook 33 and Jacks 39 without ever being in control.

Archer kept a thinning crowd entertained and, in the company of last man Saqib Mahmood, needed 16 from the last over. Spinner Senuran Muthusamy held his nerve and Archer could not find the six from the final delivery that would have tied the scores.

England must win the dead rubber in Southampton on Sunday to avoid being on the wrong end of a home ODI series clean sweep for the first time since 2006.

A RIGGING row has erupted after Labour rebuffed Nigel Farage’s demand for Reform representation in the House of Lords.

The Brexiteer has no peers in the upper chamber and asked Sir Keir Starmer to grant some.

He sent a letter to the PM — who has ultimate say over appointments — arguing the “seismic shifts” in British politics merits some Reform seats.

Although they have just four MPs, Mr Farage’s party is leading national opinion polls.

He has in the past called for the Lords to be replaced with an elected chamber akin to that in the US.

Mr Farage said: “Whilst Reform UK believes in a reformed House of Lords, the time has come to address the democratic disparity there.”

But Defence Secretary John Healey told LBC: “This is the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords and now wants to fill it with his cronies.

“I’m not sure Parliament is going to benefit from more Putin apologists like Farage.”

While PMs technically have the final say on House of Lords appointments, they grant opposition parties some peers.

When Sir Keir nominated 30 Labour lords in December, he allowed six Tories to be elevated to the upper legislature.

Hitting back at Mr Healey’s remarks, Reform deputy Richard Tice last night accused Labour of not playing fair.

Denying they were “Putin apologists”, he told The Sun: “It’s a democratic outrage and another old-fashioned establishment stitch-up. They are essentially rigging the system against the new party, changing the rules of the game.”

In his letter, Mr Farage noted Lib Dems have 76 peers but received 600,000 fewer votes than Reform last year.

Sir Keir previously pledged to abolish the Lords but he is not expected to carry out plans before the next election.

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All times BST

England women v New Zealand

10 May: First ODI, Chester-le-Street, 11:00

13 May: Second ODI, Northampton, 13:00

16 May: Third ODI, Cardiff, 11:00

20 May: First T20, Derby, 18:30

23 May: Second T20, Canterbury, 14:30

25 May: Third T20, Hove, TBC

England women v India

28 May: First T20, Chelmsford, 18:30

30 May: Second T20, Bristol, TBC

2 June: Third T20, Taunton, 18:30

10 July: One-off Test, Lord’s 11:00

England women v Ireland

1 September: First ODI, Leicester, 13:00

3 September: Second ODI, Derby 13:00

6 September: Third ODI, Worcester, 11:00

England men v New Zealand

4 June: First Test, Lord’s, 11:00

17 June: Second Test, Kia Oval 11:00

25 June: Third Test, Trent Bridge, 11:00

England men v India

1 July: First T20, Chester-le-Street, 18:30

4 July: Second T20, Emirates Old Trafford, 14:30

7 July: Third T20, Nottingham, 18:30

9 July: Fourth T20, Bristol, 18:30

11 July: Fifth T20, Southampton, 18:30

14 July: First ODI, Edgbaston, 13:00

16 July: Second ODI, Cardiff, 13:00

19 July: Third ODI, Lord’s, 11:00

England men v Pakistan

19 August: First Test, Headingley, 11:00

27 August: Second Test, Lord’s, 11:00

9 September: Third Test, Edgbaston, 11:00

England men v Sri Lanka

15 September: First T20, Southampton, 18:30

17 September: Second T20, Cardiff, 18:30

19 September: Third T20, Emirates Old Trafford, TBC

22 September: First ODI, Chester-le-Street, 12:30

24 September: Second ODI, Headingley, 12:30

27 September: Third ODI, Kia Oval, 10:30

England survived a courageous second innings fightback by India’s Ravindra Jadeja on the final day of the third Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

England beat India by 22 runs on a final day of simmering tension and high drama in the third Test at Lord’s to move 2-1 up in the best-of-five series.

Shoaib Bashir bowled Mohammed Siraj for four to seal victory, India’s number 11 playing a defensive stroke before the ball trickled down the face of his bat and rolled on to the stumps as he watched on in disbelief.

As the England players celebrated wildly late on Monday, Ravindra Jadeja trudged off the field after making a valiant unbeaten 61 to take India to the brink of an extraordinary win.

The hosts had looked on course for a far more comfortable victory when they reduced India to 112-8 at lunch, but Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah battled for nearly two hours to inch their team towards a target of 193.

Jadeja was given out leg before wicket to Chris Woakes by the umpire. But the decision was overturned on review, and the left-hander heaved the next delivery over mid-wicket for six, prompting loud cheers from the Indian fans.

England finally made the breakthrough when Bumrah, on five, skied an attempted pull off Ben Stokes and was caught by substitute fielder Sam Cook.

The majority of the crowd erupted with a mixture of joy and relief, but Jadeja continued to frustrate England, reaching his 50, off 150 balls, by edging Stokes over the slips for four.

Siraj survived 30 deliveries for his four runs as Jadeja farmed the bowling and took a succession of singles off the fourth ball of the over to dominate the strike.

Siraj suffered a painful blow to his shoulder after being struck by a Jofra Archer delivery and shortly afterwards his resistance was finally broken.

A good morning for England

England had claimed four wickets in the morning to take charge of the match after India resumed on 58-4.

Rishabh Pant played an extraordinary one-handed straight drive for four off Archer to move to nine, but the fast bowler responded two balls later with an excellent delivery which uprooted his off stump.

Stokes snared KL Rahul lbw for 39, the England captain dropping to his knees and imploring the umpire to give him out.

He refused to do so, but England called for a review and the decision was overturned to huge cheers from the crowd.

Washington Sundar was next to fall for a duck, Archer leaping to his right to take a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling.

Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy frustrated England with solid defence in a partnership of 30 until Woakes found the edge of Reddy’s bat just before lunch to give the hosts a huge lift as they left the field to warm applause from a packed crowd.

The fourth Test will begin on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester.

England’s magnificent win came six years to the day since Eoin Morgan’s white-ball side memorably lifted the World Cup at the same venue, with Jofra Archer bowling the hosts to victory against New Zealand in the super over.

Stokes said he felt Archer – in his first Test match since 2021 – would produce another special performance on day five against India.

“He cracked the game open with those two wickets,” said Stokes of Archer’s dismissals of Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar in the morning session.

“I just had this gut feeling something was going to happen, with it being Jofra’s first time back.

“It’s been awesome to have him back out there, every time he gets announced you hear the whole ground erupt. When he turns it on, the speeds come up on the screen, and the feeling in the game just changes.”

With two Tests remaining, the on-field tensions during the Lord’s encounter have added a little extra heat to the series, which will motivate both sets of players.

India seamer Mohammed Siraj was fined 15% of his match fee and given one demerit point by the match referee for his celebration after dismissing Ben Duckett on day four, which followed an altercation between Zak Crawley and Shubman Gill the preceding evening.

On the final day, there was a collision between Ravindra Jadeja and Brydon Carse in the middle of the pitch as the batter set off for a run, with Stokes eventually separating the pair.

“It’s a massive series, emotions are going,” added Stokes. “All 22 players are playing for their country and I don’t think anyone in the either dressing room is going to be complaining about what was said.

“A bit of niggle out in the middle gets over-egged from people watching.

“I’m all for it. I don’t think it went over the line whatsoever. It adds to the theatre.”

India post 387 to match England’s first innings in the third Test but tempers flare before stumps on third day.

KL Rahul scored a century while Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant pitched in with crucial fifties as India posted 387, equalling England’s first innings, on a heated third day on and off the field at Lord’s

An injury to Shoaib Bashir blunted England’s pace-spin attack strategy when India looked vulnerable with five wickets down after losing Pant and Rahul in quick succession, before Jadeja steadied their innings with his third fifty-plus knock in a row.

England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who played a single over from Jasprit Bumrah before stumps, remained unbeaten at 2-0 as the five-match series remains tied as both sides look to go 2-1 up with a win in the third Test.

With two overs scheduled to be bowled before stumps, tempers started to flare when Crawley pulled out of his stance four times – and later in the over called for the physio in what would be the only over of England’s second innings.

The tourists were irate with Mohammed Siraj displaying a thunderous look, before Bumrah slow handclapped and India skipper Shubman Gill confronted Crawley, pointing a finger in the opener’s face.

India started well from an overnight score of 145-3 as left-handed batter Pant, who scored twin centuries in the first test, battled through an injured finger on his left hand as he hooked England captain Stokes for six to bring up his fifty.

The 27-year-old survived when an awkward hook on a short ball from Stokes almost got him caught near the fine leg boundary, but a diving Crawley could only lob the ball back inside to prevent a six.

But Pant was run out for 74 on the last ball before lunch as he tried to take a quick single after playing Bashir towards cover point, where Stokes made a quick turn to hit the stumps on the non-striker’s end with a swift, direct throw.

Opener Rahul was the next to fall, edging Bashir’s flighted ball to Harry Brook in the slip on his very next ball after reaching 100, leaving India on shaky ground at 254-5 under a warm London sun.

But Bashir had to leave the ground when he injured a finger on his non-bowling left hand while attempting a low catch from his own delivery as Jadeja shot down the wicket, with commentators saying the 21-year-old might need extra treatment in the evening.

Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, new to the crease, looked unsteady as England’s bowlers piled on the pressure. Mix-ups between the batters put Reddy at risk of getting run out on two occasions, but Ollie Pope’s direct throws missed the target both times.

However, as England returned to using two pacers soon after Bashir’s injury, the pair put together a 72-run partnership before Stokes claimed his second wicket of the match, getting Reddy to nick it to keeper Jamie Smith for 30.

Jadeja drove Joe Root down long off for four to complete his half-century, while Washington Sundar took a slow, cautious approach on the other end.

Their 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket got India within 11 runs of England’s total, before Chris Woakes dismissed Jadeja for 72 as the batter’s attempt to send the ball down fine leg only took a thin edge and landed in Smith’s gloves.

Akash Deep, in at number nine, was given out leg before wicket twice by umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat during the same over, but Hawk-Eye showed the ball was missing the stumps when the batter reviewed them, overturning both decisions.

But Deep fell soon after to Brydon Carse for seven, with Brook trapping him at third slip with a low dive.

Sundar brought the scores level with a flick to the mid-wicket, before Woakes dismissed Jaspreet Bumrah for a duck in the very next ball to bag his third wicket.

Jofra Archer got Sundar out for 23 to bring an end to India’s innings, leaving the match finely poised going into the final two days.

Well-oiled South African fans had filtered out of Lord’s yesterday evening buoyantly going through their repertoire of songs after a blissful day of batting.

They shuffled through the gates on the fourth day decidedly more sombre, with the sobering reality there was still 69 runs to get.

Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s batting coach, acknowledged getting some sleep before Saturday’s date with destiny might prove difficult for their players.

So, almost inevitably, there were some sweaty palms and a few jitters. At least until the runs required trickled down to single figures when consternation turned to celebration.

There were audible gasps when Cummins’ eighth ball of the morning skidded through low completely deceiving Markram.

Then four deliveries later Bavuma dabbled at one which Cummins got to seam away and edged into the gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Australia couldn’t do this, could they?

Bavuma, who played the majority of his innings limping with a hamstring twang, hobbled off. It was an appropriate metaphor for the rest of the chase.

Markram did provide flashes of aggression – cutting and pulling Cummins for four to raucous encouragement – before another Starc reality check.

Stubbs’ footwork had looked suspect to the Aussie left-arm quick round the wicket but and he bowled by a one which nipped back through his defensive prod and pad to hit the top of off.

Next ball Bedingham played and missed at a peach of a delivery from Starc which nipped away and narrowly avoided the edge of his bat.

For a few moments, the tension was palpable.

Having burned both their remaining reviews – a potential caught behind off Stubbs’ glove and flimsy lbw appeal against Bedingham – Cummins left himself no wriggle room in the event of some late drama.

But when the dependable Bedingham – South Africa’s top scorer in the first innings – settled in his rhythm alongside the ice-cool Markram the game was up for the Aussies.

Markram whipped Josh Hazlewood for four then did the same next ball for three to bring the amount needed down to single figures.

Sadly, Markram missed his opportunity to provide the champagne moment when he whipped one off his pads to Head, who barely celebrated.

Australia’s players practically to a man came to shake his hand and Markram departed to a standing ovation.

It would have annoyed Makram for a fleeting moment but soon South Africa’s players were errupting in celebration on the balcony in the home dressing room.

Verreynne fluffed a ramp – UltraEdge showing he had in fact got some bat on it – before he delivered the winning moment in a more orthodox fashion on the drive.

They are chokers no more.