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Kyle Jamieson took three wickets as New Zealand pressed for a series-levelling win in the second Test after leaving England with a record-breaking run-chase at the Oval on Saturday.England were 182-5 at stumps on the fourth day, needing a further 281 runs to reach a mammoth target of 463 runs.The most any side have made to win in the fourth innings in 149 years of Test cricket is the West Indies's 418-7 against Australia at St John's in 2003.But stand-in England captain Joe Root was still there on 75 not out having become just the second batsman after retired India great Sachin Tendulkar to score 14,000 Test runs.Not for the first time in his 165-Test career, however, Root came in with England deep in trouble -at 13-2 after towering fast bowler Jamieson took two wickets in five balls.Root and Harry Brook (58) kept New Zealand at bay before New Zealand first-innings bowling hero Matt Henry ended the Yorkshire duo's entertaining stand of 97. Jamieson returned to have James Rew, one of three England debutants at the Oval, lbw on review shortly before stumps as he ended the day with fine figures of 3-37 in 14 overs.The situation was tailor-made for the kind of counter-attacking innings associated with regular England captain Ben Stokes.But all-rounder Stokes, who made 95 for county side Durham on Saturday, is missing from this match after being dropped for breaking a team curfew following England's 115-run win in the first Test at Lord's a fortnight ago.Stokes will reportedly return for next week's series finale at Trent Bridge but Root will have debutant Jordan Cox for company at the start of Sunday's play in south London as England try to stop New Zealand from levelling this three-match series at 1-1.The fourth over of England's chase saw Emilio Gay (11) clip Jamieson to midwicket and four balls later the paceman had No 3 Jacob Bethell plumb lbw for a duck. ROOT REACHES 14,000Root, the England captain before Stokes took over four years ago, needed just two runs to join Tendulkar in an exclusive club and a quick single off Henry took him to 14,000 Test runs.The 35-year-old, somewhat shyly given he was two not out, raised his bat as the Oval crowd applauded his achievement.Tendulkar's 15,921 runs from 200 Tests could be Root's next target.But Root could only watch as Ben Duckett, on nine, recklessly tried to hook a Will O'Rourke delivery way above his head and spooned a simple catch to short midwicket.New batsman Brook, showed better judgment in what to hit, with England needing to attack to have any chance of chasing down their imposing total. SUPERB LEGSIDE SIXHe lofted Nathan Smith for a superb legside six and went down the pitch to drive Jamieson for four during a 33-ball fifty featuring 46 runs – 10 fours and a six – in boundaries.Brook, however, could only manage seven more runs from his next 21 deliveries as the Black Caps regained control in the field and he eventually edged Henry, who had taken five wickets in England's first innings, to slip.Root, who overturned being given out lbw on 44, went to his fifty by elegantly guiding Jamieson to the third man rope for an eighth four in 81 balls faced.Earlier New Zealand were dismissed for 362 in their second innings after resuming on 252-3.Henry Nicholls, in for retired New Zealand great Kane Williamson, added just two runs to his overnight 119, but Daryl Mitchell kept the runs coming with 68 after being dropped off Saturday's first ball. BRIEF SCORESEngland 291 (Henry 5-80) and 182 for 5 (Root 75*, Brook 54, Jamieson 3-37) need 281 more runs to beat New Zealand 391 (Phillips 101) and 362 (Nicholls 121) Source link
Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna’s 5-23 and an unbeaten 110 by Yashasvi Jaiswal powered India to a nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in the third ODI and sweep the series 3-0 on Saturday.Krishna registered his first five-wicket haul in ODI cricket to help bowl out Afghanistan for 218 in 44.2 overs despite skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 102 in Chennai.The left-handed Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma then put on 170 for the first wicket and the hosts romped home in 28.4 overs.Jaiswal raised his second ODI ton with a six and put another one over the fence to take India to victory after senior partner Rohit departed on 79 off 69 balls.The series – the first bi-lateral ODI fixture between the two nations – kickstarts the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Krishna started India’s domination as he took the first four wickets as Afghanistan slumped to 36-4 before Shahidi struck his maiden ODI ton.Afghanistan elected to bat first, but Krishna sent back Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5), Rahmat Shah (5) and Ibrahim Zadran (11), all three batters caught by Rohit.Darwish Rasooli was next out for one before Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai, who made 50, put on 105 for the fifth wicket to thwart the opposition bowling. It was only temporary, though, as Prince Yadav broke through to dismiss Omarzai after the batters’ ninth ODI half-century.Mohammad Nabi made 21 in another stand with Shahidi before wickets tumbled.Shahidi suffered cramps in hot and humid Chennai and limped towards the back end of his innings but reached his hundred with a four off Washington Sundar.The captain soon fell to Krishna, who took his fifth to wrap up the innings.Jaiswal and Rohit came out and hit regular boundaries to pummel the opposition attack and put India on course. Rohit miscued a pull to be caught at deep mid-wicket off spinner Mohammad Nabi but Jaiswal kept up the pace.He added 54 with Shreyas Iyer, who made 20 not out, to take the team home. It gives India a sweep across formats after they hammered Afghanistan in the one-off Test. BRIEF SCORES: India 224 for 1 (Jaiswal 110*, Rohit 79, Nabi 1-47) beat Afghanistan 218 (Shahidi 102, Omarzai 50, Prasidh 5-23) by nine wickets. Related Story Source link
Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia scorched to victory in the Czech MotoGP sprint in Brno on Saturday ahead of pole sitter Ai Ogura on an Aprilia and Ducati teammate Marc Marquez.Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi started from fourth on the grid but failed to hold on to the spot and crashed out with two laps to go.He has however retained the overall lead with 180 points ahead of Aprilia Racing teammate Jorge Martin with 165 and Fabio Di Giannantonio on a VR46 Ducati with 144.The 29-year-old Bagnaia started from third on the grid and capitalised from a rocket start that saw him top the pack into turn one.He hailed Ducati’s decision to use soft rear tyres on the burning hot tarmac.”Luckily it was the correct one,” he said. “The first two laps made everything. I started well, I tried to push, open the gap and then I tried to control a bit,” he added.Ogura settled for second and never got close enough to attack the Italian in the lead.”I thought that I could have something more at the end of the race,” said Ogura, riding on medium tyres both front and rear.The 25-year-old Japanese rider topped Friday’s practice and then also dominated Saturday’s qualifying to clinch his first-ever MotoGP pole position.Seven-time world champion Marc Marquez in turn did not find the pace to try to overtake Ogura, but he safely held off Di Giannantonio in the fourth spot.Marquez won the last GP in Hungary two weeks ago and also dominated both the sprint and the race in the second Czech city of Brno in 2025.Brazil’s Diogo Moreira got off to a great start from sixth on the grid, settling in the third place until turn 12 of the first lap when he crashed out.Pedro Acosta, fourth overall, also crashed out of the sprint on lap five. Related Story Source link
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to vessel traffic, citing alleged violations of a ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel, Iran’s Mehr state news agency reported.It said that the closure was the “first step” in response to what it described as breaches of commitments and warned that further measures would be taken if “aggression” continued. Source link
Image by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP Switzerland continues to provide a “discreet and reliable setting” at Bürgenstock to facilitate discussions on implementing a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Saturday.It added in a statement that no further details would be disclosed about participants and the content of the talks, citing confidentiality. Source link
Volunteers transfer the body of a victim, killed in twin roadside blasts, to a hospital in Bannu on June 20, 2026. Twin roadside blasts killed at…
Japan and Tunisia will meet Sunday at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico in the second round of Group F matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the game marking the 1,000th match in the history of the World Cup finals since the tournament began in 1930.The milestone comes during the largest edition of the tournament, which expanded to 48 teams. A record 209 national teams entered the qualifying process, compared with 13 teams in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.The 2026 tournament has also increased representation across regions. Asia and Africa received 17 direct qualification places combined, in addition to two spots through the intercontinental playoffs, while the Oceania Football Confederation secured a direct qualification place for the first time.Japan enters the match after a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in its opening game, while Tunisia is looking to recover from a 5-1 defeat by Sweden and keep its hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said the 1,000th World Cup match carries special significance for his team and that players are eager to deliver a performance befitting the occasion.Tunisia captain Ellyes Skhiri also highlighted the importance of being part of the milestone, saying the match holds symbolic value for the players and the national team.Tunisia will enter the match under new coach Herve Renard, who was appointed this week to replace Sabri Lamouchi after the defeat by Sweden.Renard said teamwork, discipline and determination would be crucial to reviving Tunisia’s campaign. He added that the team must move past the previous result and approach Japan with respect rather than fear. Source link
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team produced a complete performance in its 3-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday in a Group C match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Speaking after the match, Ancelotti said Neymar's recovery was progressing well and suggested the forward could return against Scotland in Brazil's final group-stage match on Wednesday in Miami. The result could determine the group winner and affect the teams' paths in the knockout stage.Neymar, 34, has not played for Brazil since October 2023 and remains in rehabilitation after recovering from a calf muscle injury. He recently returned to training.Ancelotti said Neymar would complete individual training on Sunday before rejoining the squad on Monday, adding that he expects the forward to be available for the match against Scotland. Source link
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios said on Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over U.S.-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising oil supplies.That followed a 14-point memorandum the two sides signed this week to halt fighting and open a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, as well as other thorny issues needed to forge a more durable deal.U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce.The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff’s travel.A senior U.S. official said the ceasefire took effect around 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) in Lebanon following an exchange of fire, adding that negotiators for the United States and Qatar had worked out the agreement with help from Iran.Two sources from Hezbollah and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters.”If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,” the Israeli official said, adding that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon, where it has occupied an area along its northern border.Two Lebanese security sources said Israel had carried out a dozen airstrikes in the first hour of the ceasefire but none were recorded after 5 p.m.Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes after midnight into Friday had killed 47 people and wounded 97, while the Israeli military said four soldiers had been killed in an incident in Lebanon, without giving further details.The conflict in Lebanon could weigh on negotiations because ending fighting there is a condition for the broader U.S.-Iran accord.TOUGH ISSUES STILL UNRESOLVEDFollowing Wednesday’s signing of the memorandum of understanding, preparations for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock were well advanced when the White House said on Thursday that Vance would not attend.The Swiss foreign ministry said the talks had been postponed but Switzerland stood ready to facilitate them and preparatory work was continuing.The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the deal.Araqchi, in a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Friday, said the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the deal, including ending the fighting in Lebanon, his ministry said.NEW ROUND OF ISRAEL-LEBANON TALKS DISCUSSEDLebanon was sucked into the regional war when Hezbollah opened fire at Israel on March 2, prompting it to launch an offensive against the group and invade the south of the country.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest Israeli attacks but said the escalation would not hinder efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Aoun and reiterated the need to disarm Hezbollah, while reaffirming U.S. support for a “fully sovereign” Lebanese state.It said they also discussed holding a next round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations in Washington from June 23 to June 25. The Lebanese presidency said a comprehensive ceasefire was a fundamental pillar for these talks.TRUMP DEFENDS INTERIM DEALThe Iran war, which began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli air attacks on Iran, has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It also pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide.Brent crude ticked higher on Friday, but was set for a weekly fall of about 8% after the Lebanon ceasefire, and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz picked up after the signing of this week’s deal.The strait carried nearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before it was blockaded by Iran during the war.The body set up by Iran to manage the strait said on Friday it would waive planned fees during the interim deal’s negotiation period.The MoU foresees relief for Iran from economic sanctions, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate U.S. waivers for its exports of oil. It also provides for a $300-billion reconstruction fund for Iran and other financial incentives.Trump again defended the deal after criticism in Washington, including some from Republican allies in Congress who question whether he conceded too much to end a war unpopular with most Americans ahead of midterm elections in November.”The War has diminished Iran!” he wrote on social media on Friday, adding, “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not 10 cents!” (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Timothy Heritage, Gareth Jones, David Brunnstrom and Nathan Layne; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Alistair Bell and Clarence Fernandez) Related Story Source link
Image Source: Mohsin Naqvi on X Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi departed for Tehran on Saturday for meetings with senior Iranian officials, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported.IRNA said Naqvi would discuss the progress of negotiations between Iran and the United States during his visit, without providing further details Related Story Source link