South Africa seals victory over England by five runs at Lord’s
South Africa beat England by five runs in the second ODI at Lord’s to win the series with one match left. It was their first ODI series win in England since 1998. Matthew Breetzke played a key role, scoring 85 on his return from injury. Alongside Tristan Stubbs, who made 58, he helped South Africa reach 330 for 8.
England had three players who made fifties, Joe Root (61), Jacob Bethell (58), and Jos Buttler (61), but none of them carried on to make a match-winning score. Buttler played bravely, even celebrating his 50 by looking to the sky after the recent passing of his father.
Needing six off the final ball to force a Super Over, Archer could only manage a single, leaving England stranded on 325 for 9. The victory gives South Africa an unassailable 2–0 series lead with one game to spare, ending a 27-year wait for an ODI series win in England.
South African cricketer Tony de Zorzi is ruled out due to injury
South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi will miss the rest of the three-match ODI series against England after sustaining a hamstring injury during the opening game in Leeds. De Zorzi dived to stop a Jos Buttler shot from reaching the rope. Although he successfully saved it, he was badly injured.
A replacement has not been named, as de Zorzi had only been drafted to cover Matthew Breetzke, who missed the last ODI in Australia and the first in England due to his own left hamstring issue. However, he has since recovered and is available for Thursday’s second ODI, where he is expected to slot back into the No. 4 role.
It was later confirmed that Tony de Zorzi would not return, and with South Africa chasing only 132, he was not required to bat anymore. He will now return home to assess the damage.
Overton sits out of Ashes, takes a break from red-ball cricket
England fast bowler Jamie Overton has ruled himself out of the upcoming Ashes series in November 2025. This follows his indefinite break from red-ball cricket. The 31-year-old shared that the demands of Test cricket have become too much for him to commit to.
In an X (Twitter) post, Jamie mentioned that the year-round schedule in all formats took a toll on both his body and mind. By stepping back from Tests, he aims to focus on white-ball cricket. ‘…I will continue to give everything to play at the highest level for as long as I can,’ he remarked.
His decision comes as a surprise, even to some of his England teammates. Captain Harry Brook shared, ‘It is a little bit of a shock to be honest…I thought he did well in the last Test match at The Oval.’
Though missing out on the Ashes, Jamie will still play in Australia with the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.
Ankle injury rules Rabada out of South Africa's ODI vs England
South Africa is set to start their ODI series against England on Tuesday, September 2, without star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada. He has been ruled out of the opening match at Headingley due to an ankle injury he picked up from their recent tour of Australia.
Team captain Temba Bavuma confirmed Rabada’s absence. It seems the squad didn’t want to take risks with one of their key bowlers. The squad will also miss their opener, Matthew Breetzke. He currently has a hamstring strain and is resting as a precaution.
Playing without Rabada is a big blow for the Proteas, given his experience and strike power. Breetzke's injury also adds to the challenge. This leaves the squad without one of their key batters.
Adding to the list of absentees, young bowler Kwena Maphaka will also not play in the first ODI. He’s part of South Africa’s T20 and ODI squads, so the team looks to manage his workload carefully.
Meanwhile, veteran batter David Miller is also out of the ODI squad. Still, he remains part of the T20 setup. He will also stay as a part of South Africa’s 2027 World Cup squad.
Sharjah tri-series: Rashid Khan urges fans to stay calm
Sharjah hosts the first game of the Bank Alfalah T20I Tri-Series, featuring a big clash between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the UAE completing the three-team lineup.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan asked fans not to cause trouble, saying cricket 'brings people and nations together'. In 2022, Pakistan won against Afghanistan by only one wicket. The close game was exciting, but fights broke out among fans. The Pakistan Cricket Board complained, and local officials had to step in to control the situation.
Before the series, Rashid said Afghanistan would focus on delivering strong performances rather than worrying about form or momentum. He added that 'one or two players can change the whole game'. Afghanistan’s rise in T20 cricket, shown by their semi-final run in the recent World Cup, comes from a strong top order that performs well in key moments.
Led by new captain Salman Agha, Pakistan has a young team that is still learning. Yet, they also have some experienced players who know Sharjah well. Both teams see this series as useful practice for the Asia Cup next month. Afghanistan wants to play steady cricket, while Pakistan is giving young players a chance to learn how to handle pressure.
Vijay Shankar makes a last-minute decision to leave Tamil Nadu
All-rounder Vijay Shankar has made a late call to leave his home team, Tamil Nadu, ahead of the 2025–26 domestic season. After 13 years with Tamil Nadu, he decided that it was time for him to leave the team.
The 34-year-old received a No Objection Certificate from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. This means he can now represent any other state of his choice.
Despite being a senior player, Vijay was not getting consistent opportunities in Tamil Nadu’s playing XI. He was even dropped from the Buchi Babu Tournament’s second round, which made him look for a new team to secure more game time.
His time in TN was full of incredible feats and achievements. Vijay made 3142 runs in 81 Ranji innings at an average of 44.25. He scored 11 hundreds and 16 fifties while taking 43 wickets with his medium pace. His best Ranji season came in 2014–15 when he scored 577 runs at 57.70.
Siraj sets the record straight after India’s recent Test
Mohammed Siraj delivered a statement performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps across five Tests. His efforts proved decisive in India’s two victories, both of which came when Jasprit Bumrah was absent. Siraj’s performance averaged 25 and struck every 44 balls in those crucial games.
The Hyderabad pacer admitted that criticism over India’s reliance on Bumrah pushed him to raise his game. He called it a moment to ‘stop the talk’ and show he could lead the attack. Siraj took six wickets at Edgbaston and nine at The Oval, while also keeping teammates such as Akash Deep motivated throughout the series.
In his words, ‘the world had forgotten who Siraj was’, and he wanted his bowling to provide the answer. While acknowledging Bumrah’s unmatched class, he underlined that he can be India’s most trusted option in his absence.
Despite his heroics, Siraj was overlooked for the Asia Cup 2025 squad, even after bowling a series-high 185.3 overs. Selection may have passed him by this time, yet his role in India’s 2-2 draw with England confirmed his value as a leader of the attack.
Australia dealt a big Ashes blow with Morris’ long-term injury
Lance Morris will be sidelined for the next 12 months after undergoing back surgery. That rules him out for all of Australia’s cricket fixtures, including the big Ashes series against England. The 27-year-old has been on the fringe of being a regular for the Australian national team. He was initially selected for this past week’s One-Day International match against South Africa.
Morris knows this is the right decision
Despite the heartbreak of missing cricket, the back surgery was worthwhile. Morris feels he needed to do this.
He said, ‘I feel this is the most logical way to realise my full potential and return to my very best cricket for the Perth Scorchers, Western Australia, and Australia long in the future’.
Morris would have made his Ashes debut in November 2025. He was on track to be part of that Australian team, but that won’t happen due to this injury.
New Zealand faces three injury issues before the Australia series
New Zealand's cricket team faces a tough challenge as they prepare for the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Three key players will miss the matches due to injuries. Will O'Rourke, a promising young bowler, has a stress fracture in his lower back. This injury will keep him out for at least three months.
Glenn Phillips is also sidelined as he recovers from a groin injury. He’ll be reassessed in a month. Finn Allen, another key player, is set for surgery on his right foot, which will keep him out for three months.
Adding to the team's worries, captain Mitchell Santner is dealing with groin pain. He’ll undergo surgery and needs a month to recover. His leadership and skills are vital for the team, especially in these crucial matches.
New Zealand must adapt quickly and find new talent to step up in this critical series against Australia.
Ravi Bopara at 40: Runs, coaching, and England dream
Ravi Bopara is enjoying the later part of his cricket career with the same energy he’s always had. The former England all-rounder is also starting to move into coaching. Now 40, he still plays for Northamptonshire. This season, he’s scored key runs in T20 games, including an unbeaten 84 from 45 balls against Derbyshire.
While his bowling may have slowed down, he still makes a mark with the bat. Currently, achieving 10,000 career runs is among his goals. So far, he has played 171 games for England in different formats. Since then, he hasn't played international cricket. Still, his career highlights like scoring three Test hundreds in a row in 2009 stand out.
Looking back on his journey, Bopara says he often took on too much and wished he had played with more freedom. After leaving Essex in 2019, his career in franchise cricket has grown. He’s done especially well in the Pakistan Super League, where he’s now head coach of Karachi Kings.
Even though he didn’t play in The Hundred this year, Bopara stays hopeful about opportunities that may come later. Looking forward, his goal is simple: 'One day, I want to coach England’, he says with a smile, still driven by the game’s tests and openings.
