In a recent development, England's Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler have signed two-year central contracts with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The contracts, which were introduced in 2023, cover both red-ball and white-ball players and take into consideration their likelihood of featuring in England teams in the next period. Rising star Jamie Smith has also been awarded a two-year contract, while players like Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks have one-year deals.
In the ongoing third Test between Pakistan and England, Jamie Smith proved to be an outstanding talent as he top scored with 89 runs in England's first innings. This helped England to reach a decent total of 267, with spinner Sajid Khan taking six wickets. The match is evenly poised on day two, and can be watched live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5:50am. Cricket experts and columnists have praised Smith for his impressive performance and his ability to handle pressure and tire out the Pakistani bowlers.
Jordan Cox is set to make his Test debut for England in New Zealand next month, as Jamie Smith will miss part of the tour for the birth of his first child. With his aggressive batting skills and wicketkeeping abilities, Cox has caught the eye of head coach Brendon McCullum, who has been mentoring him on the current tour of Pakistan. This decision effectively ends any hopes of a recall for veteran Jonny Bairstow, who has been struggling to get a spot in the England squad in recent months. McCullum has also praised New Zealand as a "comfortable place" for wicketkeeping, indicating a bright future for Cox.
In a nail-biting first Test match between England and Sri Lanka, Joe Root once again proved his worth as he led England to a stunning five-wicket victory with an unbeaten fifty. Sri Lanka had set a target of 205 runs on Day 4, with Kamindu Mendis' brilliant century helping them post a total of 326 in their second innings. However, Joe Root's partnerships with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith ensured that England secured their fourth position in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 table, while Sri Lanka slipped to fifth.
After a record-breaking performance by England's Jamie Smith, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis managed to keep their team afloat in the first Test at Old Trafford. However, there is a cause for concern for England as fast bowler Mark Wood leaves the field due to an injury, leaving the hosts with just four wickets to secure victory over Sri Lanka in the remaining two days. Mathews' 65 and Mendis' unbeaten 56 helped Sri Lanka fight back, but England's Joe Root and Chris Woakes managed to make vital breakthroughs to keep their team in the game.
Joe Root's unbeaten 62 helped England secure a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford. After a slow start to the chase, Root and Harry Brook formed a grinding partnership of 49 to steady the innings. Despite losing both Brook and Jamie Smith in quick succession, Root remained composed and guided England to victory with a crucial knock. Sri Lanka showed resilience in the match, but ultimately were unable to defend a target of 205.
In the intriguing series opener between England and Sri Lanka, wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith delivered a crucial innings for his team, scoring 72 runs and leading them to a narrow 23-run lead over the visitors in the first innings. This was Smith's third fifty in just four Test matches and his performance was crucial in the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes. The match ended early due to bad light and rain, adding to the suspense for Day 3.
England's young wicketkeeper Jamie Smith stole the show on his Test debut as he scored an impressive 70 runs against the West Indies at Lord's. Fans can follow the live action of the match between England and West Indies. In a post-match interview, Smith's teammate Atkinson described his debut as "pretty special" while England's coach Southgate shared his thoughts on dealing with criticism. Meanwhile, Smith's friend Watkins revealed that he had a big role to play in his impressive performance.
After winning the toss, England's Ben Stokes decided to bowl first, much to the delight of the home crowd. This decision would prove to be a historic one as it marks the final Test match for veteran bowler Jimmy Anderson. The overcast skies also presented an opportunity for Anderson, who made his debut at Lord's almost two decades ago, to showcase his signature swing bowling. Both teams had already finalized their squads beforehand, with England giving debuts to Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson, while West Indies retained their tried-and-tested players.
In an action-packed match, Surrey's Jamie Smith smashed four sixes and scored 45 runs from just 22 balls to help his team reach a total of 184-8. Sussex struggled in their chase and were bowled out for just 130, with Surrey's Tom Curran taking three wickets. This win propelled Surrey to the top of the South Group in the T20 Blast, overtaking Sussex with a fourth win in six matches.