Wicket milestones, Crawley’s heroics and collapses – England’s summer of cricket
After two-and-a-half months, 18 matches and six series across all formats the ride is over for the men’s team.
After the national lull of lockdown England’s cricketers brought international sport back to the table this summer with the help of the West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and Australia.
After two-and-a-half months, 18 matches and six series across all formats the ride is over for the men’s team.
Here the PA news agency looks back on 10 of the most memorable moments.
Black Lives Matter
The Broadside
England decided to stand down Stuart Broad for the first Test, opting instead for the combined raw pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Broad gave an unusually forthright interview to Sky during the match, which his side lost, describing himself as “frustrated, angry and gutted” and revealing he had sought talks with national selector Ed Smith. Having set high stakes for himself, the 34-year-old produced some of the best form of his career and did not miss another game.
Stokes’ second Test
Milestone moments for the old firm
Hove sweet Hove?
Going green
Ireland completed the upset of the summer when they gave their neighbours a bloody nose in the third and final ODI at the Ageas Bowl, Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling making twin centuries to chase down an imposing 329 against the world champions.
Buttler and Woakes’ Pakistan pursuit
A star is born
England expose Australian nerves
Eoin Morgan’s white-ball warriors were not at their indomitable best when they reconvened against their old rivals but twice they pulled results out of the fire to showcase their never-say-die approach. Their bowlers pulled off an unbelievable two-run win in the first T20, then repeated the trick as the tourists choked from a rock solid position in the penultimate ODI to set up a winner-takes-all decider.