Archive July 1, 2025

‘Tests defended like a subculture for good reason’

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Test cricket is brilliant.

You may have known that long before England’s defeat of India in the first Test, or discovered it through what happened at Headingley.

Last Wednesday morning, the day after England strolled a chase of 371, there was a spike in social media engagement with posts giving love to the five-day game. “Test cricket is the best format”, “the Rolls Royce of our great game”, “there’s nothing else like Test cricket”. Naturally, there was a bit of Hundred bashing in there, too.

These outbursts of support each time there is a half-decent Test are a strange phenomenon, akin to a subculture being vindicated for a passion in something that would otherwise seem a bit weird. Like admitting to a love of Warhammer, pro wrestling or McFly (no, yes, sometimes – in case you’re wondering).

Compared with other sports, there is not the same fervour after a Premier League thriller, tense final round of a golf major or five-set epic at Wimbledon. Not the same need to proclaim “that is why (insert sport here) is the best”.

There are good reasons for Test cricket devotees to feel under attack, and therefore moved to defend their corner.

This is not meant to be a dig at franchise and short-form leagues. They can be excellent in their own right. In a competitive global market, it is remarkable that what is essentially a new sport has become so lucrative in little more than 20 years.

Where all the different elements of cricket should be able to rub along together for the betterment of each other, we have somehow landed in a civil war, almost exclusively fuelled by the game’s administrators.

Take The Hundred as an example. English cricket is right to have a franchise league and the money due to come in should be lauded as a fantastic opportunity for the sport in this country. Instead, The Hundred has never recovered from the awful PR of its launch, a message of ‘cricket for people who do not like cricket’. It alienated those already enthralled by the game, who are now stirred to protect their bit of it.

The fabric of Test cricket has been chipped away by poor scheduling and the pursuit of dollars, pounds and rupees. If it is eradicated to nothing, leaving a revolving roadshow of leagues, cricket will be infinitely poorer for it.

An obvious solution is to separate the calendar into dedicated windows for the different formats, just like football and rugby ringfence various times for international and domestic competitions. Now it is down to cricket’s governors to show the required guts and gumption.

The irony of Test cricket being under attack is the on-field product has never been so good.

Since the beginning of 2024, West Indies have won in Brisbane, England in Hyderabad and Sri Lanka at The Oval.

Even in the past week, away from Leeds, West Indies flirted with pulling off something special against the Aussies in Barbados, and in Zimbabwe 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius became the youngest man to make a hundred for South Africa. Keep an eye on him, a megastar of the future.

More broadly, runs are being scored faster, wickets taken more regularly, there are more close matches and fewer draws than ever before.

The run-rate across all Test cricket in the past three years has been 3. 60, the highest of any three-year period. Over the same time, less than 10% of Tests were drawn, down from more than 20% across the previous 20 years and more than 40% historically.

It is a disregard for draws that marks England’s Bazballers out as innovators.

It would be hyperbole to say they have saved Test cricket, still not unreasonable to say they have altered the perspective on the way it could be played – 37 Tests and counting since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum united, only one soggy draw among them.

Draws can be thrilling – some wonderful Tests have been drawn – but by being so bullish about not considering a stalemate as a possibility, this England team have added a thrilling aspect to the five-day narrative.

For those watching, it leaves the wonder of how England will attempt to force a result, regardless of the situation. For opponents, it leaves the fear of always being in danger, the confusion of what it will take to beat Stokes’ team. For England, it gives the clarity of thought to attempt and comfortably complete a run chase like the one in Leeds, removing the seed of doubt sewn by the safety net of a draw.

As an opening chapter of a 10-part story, comprising this India series and the Ashes against Australia this winter, Headingley was perfect, more than living up to the pre-match billing. There will have been plenty of other series with as much expectation as the two England are undertaking, though it is hard to remember a time when Test cricket has been in such sharp focus for a period of time as prolonged as the next seven months.

England were favourites at Headingley and could, probably should, have lost. India paid the price for dropped catches, a crucial Harry Brook wicket off a no-ball and a tail that refused to wag.

As a result, the tourists are in a muddle at Edgbaston. Do they play another one of their Jasprit Bumrah chips, leaving only one for the rest of the series? Will they find a place for magician wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and simultaneously boost their lower-order batting?

England are settled, with the prospect of Jofra Archer returning for the third Test next week at Lord’s, the ground where he made his electrifying debut six years ago. Steve Smith and all that.

It would be good for the series if India won this week. Level at 1-1 is all to play for, 2-0 down is as good as over. The visitors will have to battle history – they have never won in eight visits to Edgbaston spanning 58 years.

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  • England Men’s Cricket Team
  • India
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Israel kills 102 in Gaza as Trump says he will be ‘firm’ with Netanyahu

Israeli forces have killed at least 102 Palestinians in attacks across the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera, even as United States President Donald Trump claimed that he would be “very firm” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on ending Israel’s war on the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli attacks on Tuesday destroyed clusters of homes in the north and south of Gaza, amid fears of yet another looming ground invasion.

The attacks come ahead of a planned visit next week by Netanyahu to Washington, DC. Trump said on Tuesday that the Israeli prime minister wanted to end the war on Gaza, even as his forces ramp up attacks in Gaza.

Among the Palestinians killed were 16 hungry aid seekers who died when Israeli soldiers attacked crowds at aid distribution hubs run by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to medical sources.

They are the latest victims in a wave of daily killings at these sites, which have killed nearly 600 Palestinians since GHF took over limited aid deliveries in Gaza in late May amid a crippling Israeli blockade.

More than 170 major international charities and nongovernmental organisations have called for an immediate end to GHF, which rights groups say is operating in violation of international principles.

“Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” a joint statement read.

GHF brings “nothing but starvation and gunfire to the people of Gaza,” it added.

Israeli forces also attacked Gaza City in the north, where it recently issued forced evacuation orders for residents of the area, which has already been bombarded into rubble. At least five people were killed when an Israeli quadcopter struck a gathering of people, local news agency Wafa reported.

At least 82 percent of Gaza is now an Israeli-militarised zone or under forced displacement threats, according to the United Nations, warning people have nowhere to go.

Ismail, a resident of the Sheikh Radwan suburb of Gaza City, said that newly displaced families were setting up tents in the road, after fleeing from areas north and east of the city and finding no other ground available.

“We don’t sleep because of the sounds of explosions from tanks and planes. The occupation is destroying homes east of Gaza, in Jabalia and other places around us,” he said.

‘Waiting room for death’

In Khan Younis and its al-Mawasi area in the south, at least 12 Palestinians were killed when a home belonging to the al-Zanati family was targeted. Separately, a child was killed and several others wounded when an Israeli air strike struck a displacement camp.

Several more were killed in an Israeli attack west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to sources at al-Awda Hospital, while two others were killed and several wounded in a separate attack on a UN-run school sheltering displaced families in the al-Maghazi refugee camp.

In a statement, the Israeli army said it attacked Gaza more than 140 times in the past 24 hours, claiming all those hit were “terror targets” and “militants”.

The attacks come as hospitals in the devastated enclave struggle to cope with the influx of people amid a severe shortage of medical supplies and much-needed fuel.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said critical services at the al-Shifa Hospital – which has come under attack and besieged several times throughout Israel’s assault on Gaza – will soon come to a halt.

“Critical services at al-Shifa Hospital have either stopped or will stop in the coming hours as backup generators are running out of fuel,” Mahmoud said.

“This hospital was once the largest healthcare facility in Gaza, but has slowly turned into a waiting room for death, not just because of the war wounds, but because of a lack of fuel that keeps everything running,” he said.

Hope for deal ‘next week’

The desperate situation in Gaza is increasing the pressure on world leaders to secure a deal that would end the war.

Trump continues to maintain that a ceasefire deal is close, and that he hopes one will be secured “sometime next week”, during Netanyahu’s White House visit.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close Netanyahu ally, is in Washington this week for talks with senior officials on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said pressure by Trump on Israel would be key to any breakthrough in stalled ceasefire efforts.

“We call upon the US administration to atone for its sin towards Gaza by declaring an end to the war,” he said.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, said there is “cautious optimism” in Israel regarding a ceasefire.

“But there are still a lot of concerns, especially among family members of Israeli captives who have been calling for a deal,” Salhut said, adding that Netanyahu “has never signalled he wants to end the war”.

NEMA Receives 104 Nigerians Repatriated From Algeria

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the arrival of 104 Nigerian returnees from Algeria under the Assisted Voluntary Returns programme facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Federal Government.

According to a statement shared via its official X handle on Tuesday, NEMA said the returnees were received by its Lagos Operations Office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport cargo terminal on Sunday, 30 June 2025, at approximately 13:50 hours.

The group arrived aboard an Air Algerie flight with flight number 70-BKT.

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The returnees comprised 80 adult males, 14 adult females, two male children, five female children, and three infants.

Upon arrival, the agency said the returnees underwent biometric registration and documentation by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

They were also provided with immediate humanitarian support, including food and water, medical assistance, ambulance services, luggage handling, and other logistics support.

Louis Tomlinson shares first loved-up snap with Zara McDermott after Glastonbury

One Direction star Louis Tomlinson went Instagram official with Zara McDermott as the pair’s blossoming romance continued as they enjoyed a weekend at Glastonbury together

Louis has posted an image of himself with Zara, sending fans wild(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Louis Tomlinson and Zara McDermott looked very much a happy couple as they showcased their love at Glastonbury over the weekend. And now the new romance has made its way to being Instagram official as the One Direction man shared a sweet snap.

Louis, 33, shared a photo of himself and Zara, 28, in his Instagram reel from this year’s festival. Captioning the post: “Glasto 25,” Zara also gushed in the comments: “Best weekend ever. “

In the upload, Zara and Louis were seen posing with a group of pals before a gig. Louis was seen wearing a red baseball cap, baggy t-shirt with Hopeless romantic on the back and black trousers while holding a drinks cup.

Louis shared a snap of him with Zara enjoying Glastonbury
Louis shared a snap of him with Zara enjoying Glastonbury(Image: louist91/Instagram)

Zara stood close to her man in a white crop top and black trousers. She paired it with black shades and a black baseball cap.

The duo had also been spotted taking in the Prodigy’s set at Worthy Farm on Sunday. While Zara looked a bit more subdued during the high-tempo performance of Fire Starter, the former One Direction star appeared to let his hair down.

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They were also joined by his sister Lottie, 26, and her fiancé Lewis Burton. Of the occasion, a source told The Mirror: “Louis was loving The Prodigy. He dragged her along to the Other Stage and had a ball dancing to their hits. Zara danced along before leaving hand in hand with Louis before the set ended.”

Lottie Tomlinson posts at Glastonbury
Lottie Tomlinson posts with her brother at Glastonbury (Image: Lottie Tomlinson/Instagram)

The latest image is the first time Zara and Louis have shared a snap together online. But Zara has now met the singer’s family and posed for pics, showing the pair are ready to continue their blossoming romance in the public eye.

The pair first struck up romance rumours earlier in the year after being photographed on a cosy date in Suffolk. The moment in March came just a short time after Zara’s split from her long-term boyfriend Sam Thompson.

Sam recently admitted to “panicking” ahead of a possible run-in with Louis at Soccer Aid last month. With the pair’s potential meet gaining a lot of attention, Sam admitted he felt a wave of panic at the thought of a potential run-in.

The former Made In Chelsea man revealed he was caught off guard months ago when asked how he’d feel sharing a pitch with the One Direction singer. He said: “I panicked and thought, ‘I don’t have this. “

Speaking on his Staying Relevant podcast, he continued: “So I said, ‘It’s not about me and Louis. It’s not about who’s dating who – it’s UNICEF, it’s charity. ”

”Everyone’s here for the same reason: to raise money. And if he’s got anything about him, which I’ve heard he does, he’ll say the same. ”

Sam and Zara called time on their relationship for good in December. They had initially met in 2019 after she shot to fame on Love Island. Despite breaking up briefly, the pair got back together before calling it quits after five years together.

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‘Hunger To Win’: Arsenal Sign Goalkeeper Arrizabalaga Kepa From Chelsea

Arsenal bolstered their goalkeeping options on Tuesday with the signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea for a reported £5 million ($7 million) fee.

The 30-year-old Spaniard remains the most expensive goalkeeper in history after his £71 million move to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.

However, Kepa failed to deliver on that price tag as he fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge before spending the past two seasons on loan at Real Madrid and Bournemouth.

He is expected to act as back-up to established Arsenal number one David Raya.

The Gunners reportedly exercised a £5 million buyout clause in a Chelsea contract Kepa signed last year.

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Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for the past three seasons but have not won a major trophy since 2020.

“I think we are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it,” Kepa said in an Arsenal statement.

The Spanish international becomes Arsenal’s first signing of the close season.

Martin Zubimendi is also on the verge of arriving at the Emirates from Real Sociedad, while talks are at an advanced stage for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.

“We are really happy to have Kepa joining us,” said Arteta.

“He brings a wealth of experience, which his teammates will benefit from, and he has a real hunger to win.

“Kepa works hard and will elevate our levels. I know he will fit in perfectly, already knowing some of his teammates, and we are really excited about his future with us. ”