Claire Taylor can still picture the 2009 Oval semifinal. Unbeaten on 76, everything she'd worked on — dominating attacks, building partnerships — came together in one innings. England won the T20 and ODI World Cups that year.

Fifteen years on, she sees a game she barely recognises. Full-time coaches, proper kit deals, access to the best grounds. Players don't have to choose between cricket and a roof over their heads.

Taylor made that choice herself. She left Procter & Gamble knowing there was no salary waiting on the other side. Years later she ran into old colleagues with mortgages and cars; she was still living with her parents. The gamble paid off in silverware, but the trade-off was real.

Sir Alastair Cook believes Joe Root isn't the long-term answer for England's Test captaincy, but he's confident Root can lead the side through the next year and prepare them for the home Ashes in 2027.

Root has been reappointed after Ben Stokes resigned. Cook, who captained England from 2010 to 2016, said Root looked refreshed and ready to take on the job again.

England host Australia in the 2027 Ashes.

Ben Duckett scored 85 off 59 balls as Trent Rockets beat Sunrisers Leeds by five runs at Trent Bridge on Sunday. The win was their fourth in the men's Hundred and kept them top of the table.

Joe Root's side reached 165 for 7 in their 100 balls. Sunrisers Leeds chased hard — Annabel Sutherland went unbeaten on 59, and Harry Brook and Mitchell Marsh made useful contributions — but fell five runs short at 160 for 8.

Mohammad Amir took key wickets that proved the difference after Sunrisers had threatened the target. Rockets stay top, and Duckett's opening partnerships continue to give them an early cushion most teams in the Hundred haven't yet built.

David Miller scored an unbeaten century as Northants secured a victory over Lancashire in the County Championship. Miller's innings helped Northants reach a competitive total before their bowlers dismissed Lancashire for 312.

Joe Moores threatened a late heist with 85 off 59 balls for Lancashire, but Yuzvendra Chahal took 4 for 42 to break the chase. Northants sealed the points with 45 runs to spare.

The result lifts Northants to fourth in Division Two, while Lancashire remain in mid-table after their fourth draw of the season.

Tom Westley and Matt Critchley both scored centuries as Essex defeated Worcestershire on the final day of their County Championship match. Westley made 112 while Critchley remained unbeaten on 108 in Essex's second innings total of 318 for 6 declared.

Worcestershire were set 380 to win but managed only 234 in their second innings. Noah Thain continued his fine form with the ball, taking three wickets to help bowl the visitors out 145 runs short of the target.

The result lifts Essex to third in Division One, while Worcestershire remain in the relegation zone with just one win from their first eight matches.

Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh and Abhishek Sharma will feature in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League that runs from August 30 to September 13. The logo was unveiled at the Punjab Cricket Association International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.

Gill and pacer Gurnoor Brar arrive after India's tour of Sri Lanka ends on August 28. Six teams will play 27 round-robin matches, each side backed by one marquee player and at least two icon players.

Gill said the league offers a platform for young players eyeing a Punjab or India call-up. PCA president Amarjeet Mehta and secretary Gurmeet Singh were at the launch with the players.

The Punjab Cricket Association will conduct its Sher-e-Punjab T20 League as a franchise-based competition from August 30 to September 13. Six franchises representing Mohali, Amritsar, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Bathinda will compete following a player auction on August 9. India captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh headline the list of marquee players.

The New Chandigarh Stadium will host all matches with two games scheduled daily and free entry for spectators. Gill described the tournament as a stepping stone for aspiring cricketers hoping to represent Punjab or India. He noted Punjab currently possesses the country's richest talent pool across men's and women's cricket.

PCA president Amarjeet Mehta confirmed the tournament window was finalised after consulting marquee players to ensure their availability following national commitments.

Stand-in captain Ayush Doseja scored 84 off 52 balls to lead West Delhi Lions to 170 for 5 against New Delhi Tigers at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Mayank Gusain remained unbeaten on 46 as the defending champions posted a competitive total after losing early wickets.

New Delhi Tigers collapsed to 28 for 4 inside the powerplay and never recovered. Manan Bhardwaj took two wickets in two balls to break a rebuilding stand, while Kulwant Khejroliya and Bhardwaj finished with three wickets each.

Manan Sehrawat scored a quick 51 off 26 balls in a lone fight for the Tigers. West Delhi Lions started their title defence with a 19-run win.

Anshuman Hooda claimed 5 for 24 in 3.1 overs to help South Delhi Superstarz bowl East Delhi Riders out for 165 and then chase the target with four wickets in hand. Skipper Ayush Badoni took two wickets and scored a quick 23 off 11 balls in the chase.

Arpit Rana top-scored for East Delhi with 66 off 39 balls, but Hooda's spell triggered a collapse that saw the Riders lose their last six wickets for 52 runs. Anmol Sharma anchored the chase with 64 off 36 balls.

Karan Garg remained unbeaten on 27 as South Delhi reached the target in 18.1 overs. The win keeps South Delhi in contention in the Delhi Premier League standings.

Mumbai Indians have denied that they are in discussions with other IPL franchises about trading Hardik Pandya. A team spokesperson said the post-season review is ongoing and no decisions have been made on player trades.

Earlier reports suggested Chennai Super Kings were interested in Pandya in exchange for Ayush Mhatre and Shivam Dube plus ₹10 crore. Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals have also been linked with the all-rounder.

Pandya has captained Mumbai Indians since 2024, with the team finishing last in his first season and ninth this year after winning just four of 14 matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin named a 15-man India squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup and left out Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The former spinner thinks both will struggle to make the final 15, so he picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar instead.

Samson hasn't played an ODI since the 2023 World Cup. Sooryavanshi is still uncapped in the format. Ashwin's thinking is clear: experience and proven ODI records matter more than T20 form. The 2027 tournament lands in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

India have won two of the last three ODI World Cups and sit among the early favourites. The final squad won't be announced until closer to the event.

Joe Root said he is in a different place mentally compared to when he stepped down as England Test captain four years ago. He will lead the side in the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan. Root cited coach Brendon McCullum as a key reason for accepting the role again.

The former captain had relinquished the position in 2022 after a prolonged period in charge. His return comes as England prepare for their next Test cycle under the current coaching setup.

Root's first assignment will be the Pakistan series, which begins later this year. He indicated that the circumstances and his own perspective have changed since his initial tenure.

Nottinghamshire have signed Pakistan white-ball international Tayyab Tahir on a short-term deal covering their next three One-Day Cup fixtures. The 28-year-old will join the county for matches against Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.

Tahir has represented Pakistan in limited-overs cricket since his debut in 2023, and played in their recent white-ball series against New Zealand and Australia. His availability will hinge on national commitments during the English domestic season.

Nottinghamshire sit mid-table and need wins to reach the knockout stage.

Joe Root stayed unbeaten on 58 from 40 balls as Welsh Fire chased 138 and beat Birmingham Phoenix by seven wickets at Edgbaston. He and Phil Salt knocked off the target without much fuss.

Welsh Fire had lost their opening games, so this mattered. Root didn't force anything — he just found gaps, rotated the strike, and kept the asking rate in check against both spin and pace.

Three matches left in the group stage, and Welsh Fire are back in the mix.

Albie Morkel has been named head coach of Joburg Super Kings for the next SA20 season. The former South Africa all-rounder steps in after Stephen Fleming left to become England's Test head coach.

Gurjapneet Singh said Fleming and MS Dhoni made sure bowlers were used in roles that matched their strengths when he was at Chennai Super Kings. Fleming had already won five IPL titles with CSK before taking the England job.

Fleming won't be in charge for England's Pakistan series and will start preparing for the South Africa tour. Marcus Trescothick is handling the team in the meantime.

Rajat Patidar will lead Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, with Rinku Singh as his deputy. The tournament starts later this month at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Central Zone are the defending champions after beating South Zone in last year's final. Recent India debutants Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur are also in the squad, along with Saransh Jain, who has been picked for the Sri Lanka Tests.

Patidar captains Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Saransh Jain is expected to miss early matches while with the national team.