Category News

In the men’s draw for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, which will be held alongside the women’s and wheelchair competitions, England has drawn drawn Australia and New Zealand.

In their opening matches of the tournament, which will take place between October 15 and November, Shaun Wane’s team will face Tonga, France, and Papua New Guinea.

Australia, the 12-time champion, defeated Fiji and the Cook Islands to draw them in the same group as close-ups New Zealand, who defeated Australia 3-0 in the recent Ashes series in England.

The men’s competition, which was scheduled to take place this year in France but the hosts pulled out due to financial constraints, will feature a total of 10 teams, including Samoa and Lebanon, the other two teams.

Group A teams compete against each other in Group B matches, which is a part of the tournament structure, and vice versa.

The top two from Group A will advance to the semi-finals, along with the top two from Group B and Group C combined tables.

In Group B of the women’s World Cup, France, Fiji, Australia, and Samoa are drawn together while England and Wales are drawn separately for Group A.

Australia or New Zealand have won each of the six women’s titles.

Fifth day of the fifth Test will take place at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Bangladesh 476 (Das 128, Mushfiqur 106, McBrine 6-109) &amp, 297-4 (Mominul 87, Shadman 78, Hoey 2-84)

Ireland 265 (Tucker 75, Neill 49, Doheny 46, Taijul 4-76) &amp, 291 (Campher 71*, Tector 50, Murad 4-44)

By 217 runs, Bangladesh triumphed.

In the final day of the second Test, Bangladesh triumphed 2-0 in the series against Ireland in Mirpur.

After winning the first Test by an innings and 47 runs, they won the second Test by 217 runs.

Heinrich Mallan’s Ireland team knew Sunday would be a tough test because they needed 333 more runs on day five to deliver an unexpected surprise.

Curtis Campher impressed as he dug in for 71 not out of 259 balls despite being under the 509 target.

As he and Campher continued into the middle of the day, Gavin Hoey, who had a 104-ball season with him and enjoyed a four-fourth of a score, joined him.

Ireland’s total reached its highest fourth-innings Test score by a visiting team shortly after lunch.

In the final inning, Hasan Murad dismissed Hoey and Matthew Humphreys before ending the series and wrapping up the victory.

Murad finished with 4-44 as Ireland came out on top with 291 total.

The main focus of the day was “fight,” according to Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie.

We anticipated facing it for the majority of the day, but Curtis and Gavin and even Jordan [Neill] were really impressed with his application and his play, in particular Curtis’ willingness to stay put for as long as he was.

Bangladesh were deserving of their victory, despite their great resilience, but at the same time, we were unquestionably outplayed.

You wonder what scars the England team will leave behind if they win the first Ashes Test with the same vigor they did.

What will they accomplish throughout the series?

Nobody, in my opinion, had anticipated what transpired on Saturday. It was Test cricket on fast forward when you consider how many overs were needed to finish the match.

At lunch on the second day, England were 105 points clear with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still making a lot of noise. Australia’s chances of winning the match looked so slim.

The big mistake made England’s shot selection right away. In the first innings of an Australia shirt, Scott Boland probably had his worst performance, but in the second, he turned things around to make a comeback and led the charge.

England’s batters were attempting to hit balls through the covers, up, and off stump.

You as a batter in Australia simply do not try to score those deliveries off those shots.

It demonstrated that England had neglected to do their homework, were unable to adapt, or were unwilling to adapt.

There is a lot of discussion about England’s strategy and aggressiveness. During the UK’s Ashes in 2023, I got a close look at it. When it comes to sticking with that approach, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum can be a little reticent.

On slow, low pitches, it works fine. It is a dangerous approach on Australia’s fast, bouncy pitches. England will struggle the entire series if they don’t make a new one.

I would have always felt when I played for this England team as a bowler.

I leaned on my accuracy, backing myself with a little bounce and nip to hit the same spot on or off stump.

Even if this England team was performing well, I would be licking my lips knowing that three or four mistakes could happen to them.

England can play a high-quality team at times. They possess skilled players. Great players possess skill, but great players possess the mental toughness and attitude to handle any situation.

They would be devastated by the beatings they received at Perth Stadium and shellshocked by how they were treated there. We’ll see what they’re made of at this point. Part of me wants to see them change even as a true blue Australian in order to demonstrate that they can improve.

Their bowling was essentially the same. The first evening’s attack was excellent, but the plot was lost when the second night’s attack was carried out.

In fairness to England’s bowlers, Travis Head’s Ashes innings was one of the best.

I played in the Ashes cricket team that I played in 19 years ago, where he set the record for the second-fastest century by an Australian man in that same year, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist.

My former teammate Gilly claimed Head’s innings was the better of the two. I concur. Head’s knock will be remembered as an Ashes moment because of the pitch’s difficulty and the match situation’s context.

Australia’s promotion of Head up the order for the second innings was a bold and brave move.

Because he couldn’t start either innings, Usman Khawaja did it. I don’t think there was a connection between the two incidents, but he did experience back spasms after playing golf the day before the test.

Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and became embroiled in a situation where Khawaja fell short on day one.

Australia were able to defeat England by moving Head, who has the confidence to start playing white ball cricket.

What will Australia do in the second Test, then? I want them to continue using the highest-order method of aggression.

Head could stay in place, leading to the introduction of someone like Beau Webster, or Head could return to number five and Josh Inglis could take the spot. Khawaja would be tough, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable.

Some are wondering if the series’ remaining short, low-scoring Tests will be followed by the bowlers after the first Test was predominated by the bowlers.

The batters should enjoy a little respite from now because Perth Stadium is essentially the fastest, busiest pitch in the world.

The pitch is not all that important. The bowlers deserve praise for consistently placing the ball in the right spot. Overall, batters on both sides will need to consider how they exited.

Moving on to Brisbane and the dramatically different day-night conditions for the second Test.

I played for the Australia team that overcame England in 2006-2007 and won 5-5. This nation’s ashes series often departs quickly from England.

England are currently tied with Japan 1-0. Without a 2-0 victory, no one would be able to win.

They must change, or the Ashes will disappear altogether.

For Australia to fight back and win the first Ashes Test as decisively as they did, you wonder what scars will be left on the England team.

What are they going to do for the rest of the series?

I do not think anyone expected what happened on Saturday. When you look at the number of overs taken to complete the game, it was Test cricket on fast forward.

England were well on top at lunch on the second day, 105 ahead with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still doing plenty. It looked so tough for Australia to get back into the match.

From that point, England’s shot selection was their big undoing. Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback.

England’s batters were out trying to hit balls outside off stump, on the up, through the covers.

Trying to score off those deliveries, with those shots, is the one thing you just do not do as a batter in Australia.

It showed that England had not done their homework, are not able to adapt or are unwilling to adapt.

There is a lot of talk about England’s method, their aggressive style. I witnessed it up close during the 2023 Ashes in the UK. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, they can be pretty stubborn when it comes to sticking with that method.

It is fine on slow, low pitches. On the fast, bouncy pitches of Australia it is a method fraught with danger. If England do not reassess, they will struggle for the whole series.

As a bowler, I would have always felt in the game against this England team.

I relied on my accuracy, backing myself to hit the same spot on or outside off stump, with a bit of bounce and nip.

Even if this England team was going well, I’d be licking my lips at the prospect of bowling to them, knowing one mistake could bring three or four.

There are times when England can be a high-quality team. They have good players. Good players have skill, but great players have the mental toughness and attitude to be adaptable enough for the conditions.

They would been shellshocked at the way things unfolded at Perth Stadium, devastated at the way they were beaten. Now we will see what they are made of. Even as a true blue Australian, part of me wants to see them change, just to show they can improve.

It was almost the same with their bowling. England’s attack was very good on the first evening, then lost the plot when they were attacked on the second night.

In fairness to England’s bowlers, they were hit by one of the great Ashes innings by Travis Head.

His 69-ball hundred was the second fastest by an Australian man in Ashes cricket, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist at the Waca 19 years ago – a game I played in.

My old mate Gilly said Head’s innings was the better of the two. I agree. Given the difficulty of the pitch and the context of the match situation, Head’s knock will go down as a moment of Ashes history.

It was a bold and brave move for Australia to promote Head up the order for the second innings.

Usman Khawaja has copped it for being unable to open in either innings. He had back spasms after playing golf the day before the Test, but I do not believe the two were linked.

When Khawaja missed out on day one, Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and got bogged down.

In moving Head, who has the confidence of opening in white-ball cricket, Australia were able to take the attack to England.

Now there is the question of what Australia will do for the second Test. I’d like to see them stick with the method of aggression at the top of the order.

That could mean Head remains, meaning someone like Beau Webster comes into the middle order, or Head could go back to number five and Josh Inglis could go to the top. It would be tough on Khawaja, but sometimes you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable.

After the first Test was dominated by the bowlers, some are wondering if the rest of the series will be short, low-scoring Tests.

Perth Stadium is pretty much the fastest, bounciest pitch in the world, so the batters should get a little bit of respite from now on.

It is not all about the pitch. Credit has to be given to the bowlers for getting the ball in the right place so often. Overall, batters on both sides will need to look at how they got themselves out.

Now we move on to Brisbane, and the vastly different day-night conditions for the second Test.

In 2006-07, I was part of the Australia team that overwhelmed England to win 5-0. Ashes series in this country have a habit of getting away from England quickly.

At the moment, England are only 1-0 down. There would be no coming back from 2-0, which is why Brisbane is such a massive game.

They must adapt, or the Ashes will be gone once more.

You wonder what scars the England team will leave behind if they win the first Ashes Test with the same vigor they did.

What will they accomplish throughout the series?

Nobody, in my opinion, had anticipated what transpired on Saturday. It was Test cricket on fast forward when you consider how many overs were needed to finish the match.

At lunch on the second day, England were 105 points clear with nine wickets in hand. The pitch was still making a lot of noise. Australia’s chances of winning the match looked so slim.

The big mistake made England’s shot selection right away. In the first innings of an Australia shirt, Scott Boland probably had his worst performance, but in the second, he turned things around to make a comeback and led the charge.

England’s batters were attempting to hit balls through the covers, up, and off stump.

You as a batter in Australia simply do not try to score those deliveries off those shots.

It demonstrated that England had neglected to do their homework, were unable to adapt, or were unwilling to adapt.

There is a lot of discussion about England’s strategy and aggressiveness. During the UK’s Ashes in 2023, I got a close look at it. When it comes to sticking with that approach, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum can be a little reticent.

On slow, low pitches, it works fine. It is a dangerous approach on Australia’s fast, bouncy pitches. England will struggle the entire series if they don’t make a new one.

I would have always felt when I played for this England team as a bowler.

I leaned on my accuracy, backing myself with a little bounce and nip to hit the same spot on or off stump.

Even if this England team was performing well, I would be licking my lips knowing that three or four mistakes could happen to them.

England can play a high-quality team at times. They possess skilled players. Great players possess skill, but great players possess the mental toughness and attitude to handle any situation.

They would be devastated by the beatings they received at Perth Stadium and shellshocked by how they were treated there. We’ll see what they’re made of at this point. Part of me wants to see them change even as a true blue Australian in order to demonstrate that they can improve.

Their bowling was essentially the same. The first evening’s attack was excellent, but the plot was lost when the second night’s attack was carried out.

In fairness to England’s bowlers, Travis Head’s Ashes innings was one of the best.

I played in the Ashes cricket team that I played in 19 years ago, where he set the record for the second-fastest century by an Australian man in that same year, 12 balls behind Adam Gilchrist.

My former teammate Gilly claimed Head’s innings was the better of the two. I concur. Head’s knock will be remembered as an Ashes moment because of the pitch’s difficulty and the match situation’s context.

Australia’s promotion of Head up the order for the second innings was a bold and brave move.

Because he couldn’t start either innings, Usman Khawaja did it. I don’t think there was a connection between the two incidents, but he did experience back spasms after playing golf the day before the test.

Australia promoted Marnus Labuschagne and became embroiled in a situation where Khawaja fell short on day one.

Australia were able to defeat England by moving Head, who has the confidence to start playing white ball cricket.

What will Australia do in the second Test, then? I want them to continue using the highest-order method of aggression.

Head could stay in place, leading to the introduction of someone like Beau Webster, or Head could return to number five and Josh Inglis could take the spot. Khawaja would be tough, but occasionally you have to do what the opposition would find most uncomfortable.

Some are wondering if the series’ remaining short, low-scoring Tests will be followed by the bowlers after the first Test was predominated by the bowlers.

The batters should enjoy a little respite from now because Perth Stadium is essentially the fastest, busiest pitch in the world.

The pitch is not all that important. The bowlers deserve praise for consistently placing the ball in the right spot. Overall, batters on both sides will need to consider how they exited.

Moving on to Brisbane and the dramatically different day-night conditions for the second Test.

I played for the Australia team that overcame England in 2006-2007 and won 5-5. This nation’s ashes series often departs quickly from England.

England are currently tied with Japan 1-0. Without a 2-0 victory, no one would be able to win.

They must change, or the Ashes will disappear altogether.