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Cricket

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Cricket news and results shaping the men's game worldwide, from international competition to the players, tournaments, and institutions driving it.

Last Week’s Recap

Oct 12 - 18, 2026

Australia's South Africa win set the week's tone

Oct 12 - Oct 16across 5 daysImpact

Australia seize control against South Africa

Australia turned an early advantage into a 214-run victory, ending South Africa's unbeaten run and forcing changes to the home middle order. South Africa reshaped its lineup for Gqeberha, while Cameron Green's fitness and Kagiso Rabada's return remained important variables.

Recent days

Walk back in time.

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Oct 21, 2026ESPN Cricket

Santner: 'Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand'

Summary

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be especially effective in the conditions for the T20I series opener in Christchurch. He also cautioned his team about India's top order and young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

The conditions could give India an early advantage if Bhuvneshwar finds swing and movement with

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Why it matters

Early movement and India's attacking batting could shape the series opener before either side settles into the contest.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Shami: 'I'm still at my peak, why would I give up hope of playing for India?'

Summary

Mohammed Shami says he remains fully fit and is bowling with good rhythm despite being left out of India's upcoming tour of New Zealand. He insists he is still at his peak and has not abandoned hopes of returning to the national team.

Shami's omission is now a selection question rather than a fitness explanation, at least by

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Why it matters

Shami's return prospects will test how India balances reputation and recent evidence when selecting its fast bowlers.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Bavuma's impeccable 179 turns the Test on its head

Summary

Mitchell Starc struck early for Australia, but Temba Bavuma and Marco Jansen led South Africa's response and pushed Australia onto the back foot.

South Africa absorbed Australia's early breakthrough and regained control through a productive partnership. Australia must

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Why it matters

The match has shifted from an Australian opening advantage to a contest South Africa can control.

Oct 20, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Bavuma epic drags SA back into Test - have they time to beat Australia?

Summary

Temba Bavuma's major innings brought South Africa back into contention in their Test against Australia. The length of South Africa's third day batting effort has raised doubts about whether they left themselves enough time to force a win.

Bavuma has changed the match from a likely Australian advantage into a contest South Africa

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Why it matters

The match now turns on whether South Africa can convert a captain's rescue innings into a result before time runs out.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Arafat Minhas follows fifty with six-for to crown matchwinning display

Summary

Pakistan recovered from 81 for four to post 302, with half-centuries from Nawaz and Minhas driving the revival. England fast bowler Sonny Baker took three wickets, but England's sloppy fielding allowed the hosts to rebuild their innings.

Pakistan turned early pressure into a competitive total because Nawaz and Minhas stabilized the innings

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Why it matters

Pakistan's recovery exposed the cost of England's fielding errors and leaves them facing a demanding chase.

Oct 20, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Sloppy England start winter with Pakistan defeat

Summary

England opened their winter schedule with a sloppy defeat by Pakistan in the one day tri series in Rawalpindi.

The loss exposes England's failure to impose control at the start of a demanding overseas

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Why it matters

A poor opening result puts immediate pressure on England to show that their winter plans can produce reliable performances.

Oct 20, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Kent paceman Milnes praises 'amazing' Hollioake

Summary

Kent fast bowler Matt Milnes says an early season talk from head coach Adam Hollioake helped inspire the team's promotion campaign.

Hollioake's intervention appears to have supplied clarity and belief before Kent's season took shape. The

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Why it matters

Kent's promotion push gives Hollioake an early measure of whether his leadership can translate motivation into sustained results.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Afghanistan stand in Bangladesh's way for spot in final

Summary

Bangladesh face Afghanistan in a decisive match for a place in the final after losing their opening game to Zimbabwe. They must win, and improve their margin substantially, to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Bangladesh no longer controls its fate through a narrow victory alone because the opening loss

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Why it matters

Bangladesh's route to the final depends on overcoming Afghanistan and repairing its net advantage.

Oct 20, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Sussex stalwart Kirtley leaves coaching role

Summary

Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley will leave the role at the end of October after seven years with the county.

Sussex will lose an experienced member of its coaching staff and must now decide whether

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Why it matters

Sussex must protect continuity in its bowling development while replacing a coach with seven years of institutional knowledge.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Edwards and Abbott keep New South Wales in charge

Summary

New South Wales retained control as Edwards and Abbott sustained their advantage, while young allrounder Jake Scott's rapid half-century helped the visitors declare.

The declaration signals that New South Wales judged its position strong enough to shift the

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Why it matters

New South Wales now has both scoreboard control and time to attack for victory.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Fleming: Englishman should coach England

Summary

Brendon McCullum's successor, New Zealander Stephen Fleming, intends to make the development of English coaches a central part of his tenure as England Test coach.

Fleming is tying his appointment to a longer-term plan to build an English coaching pipeline,

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Why it matters

England is pairing an overseas head coach with a deliberate effort to develop domestic coaching expertise.

2 stories · 2 sources

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Wickets tumble in Hobart to leave contest evenly poised

Summary

Victoria collapsed before Tasmania lost four wickets for 14 runs in its second innings, leaving a low-scoring match finely balanced in Hobart.

Tasmania's 4 for 14 has erased the value of its earlier position and turned the

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Why it matters

Repeated collapses have made a close contest vulnerable to one decisive burst of wickets.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Bartlett stars to give Queensland control

Summary

Queensland's narrow lead became substantially more valuable after Xavier Bartlett produced a decisive performance later in the day.

Bartlett converted a marginal advantage into control by putting Queensland in a position to attack

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Why it matters

Bartlett has shifted the contest from a close exchange into one Queensland can dictate.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

England bowl, Rashid and Curran in; Pakistan unchanged

Summary

England chose to bowl first in Rawalpindi, with Adil Rashid and Sam Curran included, while Pakistan named an unchanged side. Harry Brook said England expected dew to influence the chase.

England is betting that a wet ball later will make batting easier, while Rashid and

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Why it matters

The toss and conditions have made England's bowling execution and Pakistan's first-innings scoring the central contest.

Oct 20, 2026ESPN Cricket

Atal 102 and Rashid 4 for 17 seal Afghanistan's comprehensive win

Summary

Afghanistan bowled Zimbabwe out for 136 while defending 295, completing a 158-run victory. The result denied Zimbabwe the 196 runs they needed to reach the final.

Zimbabwe's failure to reach 196 turned a winnable qualification equation into a decisive defeat. Afghanistan's

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Why it matters

The result shows how Afghanistan combined a strong total with disciplined bowling to win both the match and the qualification race.

Oct 19, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Test Match Special Podcast

Summary

Mark Chapman is joined by former England players Phil Tufnell and Steven Finn, alongside Stephan Shemilt, for the latest Test Match Special podcast.

The episode brings together former players and a cricket journalist, combining playing experience with reporting

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Why it matters

It offers listeners a mix of firsthand cricket experience and editorial analysis.

Oct 19, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Boland exposes South Africa's frailties to give Robinson blueprint

Summary

Scott Boland took four wickets as Australia again dismantled South Africa's batting, leaving the hosts in serious trouble in the second Test.

South Africa's recurring top-order weakness is now the central contest, not an isolated collapse. Boland's

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Why it matters

South Africa's inability to withstand sustained seam pressure is turning a home Test series into a tactical problem opponents can repeatedly exploit.

Oct 19, 2026BBC Sport Cricket

Young bowler Minto earns new Durham contract

Summary

Teenage bowling all-rounder James Minto has signed a new two-year professional contract with Durham after emerging as a promising young player.

Durham have committed early to a player who can contribute with both ball and bat,

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Why it matters

A longer contract gives Durham control over a developing prospect while giving Minto the stability to build toward county-level impact.

Oct 19, 2026ESPN Cricket

Chinmay Sutar scores 400* for Mizoram in Ranji Trophy

Summary

Mizoram batter Chinmay Sutar scored an unbeaten 400 in the Ranji Trophy. He became only the second India batter to reach a quadruple century after Bhausaheb Nimbalkar did so in 1948.

Sutar's innings places him in a remarkably small part of Indian cricket history and gives

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Why it matters

The record-breaking innings elevates Sutar and Mizoram while resetting expectations for the tournament's biggest individual scores.

Oct 19, 2026ESPN Cricket

Familiar foes get serious in ODI World Cup build-up

Summary

England enter the ODI World Cup build-up with confidence after making progress in 50-over cricket, while Pakistan carry momentum from their victory over Sri Lanka.

Both teams have strengthened their claims before the tournament, but neither has settled every selection

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Why it matters

The sides are moving from preparation into a credibility test, with early form likely to shape World Cup expectations.

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