Off-spinner Dane Piedt raised hopes of an unlikely South African victory as he grabbed three wickets on Wednesday to leave England on 155 for six at tea on the final day of the high-scoring second Test.
Joe Root returned to form with a fluent 93 to lead England to a crushing 122-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one-day international in Cardiff on Saturday.
Images from Day 2 of the third Test between India and England, at the Narendra Modi stadium, in Ahmedabad.
Potent England pace bowling after an unbeaten 155 from Moeen Ali put Alastair Cook's side in complete control on a one-sided second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, born in Barbados and who represented West Indies at Under-19 level, was not in England's provisional squad and only made his ODI debut little over a fortnight ago.
Ireland attack ruthlessly exposed the cracks in England's batting as the hosts posted their lowest home total since scoring 77 against Australia in 1997.
England leg spinner Mason Crane will make his debut in the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia this week after all-rounder Chris Woakes was ruled out of the match by injury, captain Joe Root said on Wednesday.
Images from the Day 3 of the 2nd Ashes Test played between Australia and England in Adelaide on Monday
Fast bowler Jofra Archer got his maiden Test call up as he was included in England's squad for the Ashes series opener against Australia.
England have already announced their 11-man team for the match against Ireland. Pacer James Anderson has been ruled out of the match as he was unable to recover from his calf injury.
England opener Michael Carberry looks set to make his Ashes debut next week after being included in the team to face an Invitational XI in a warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was left out of the first Test, is back in the mix as Shardul Thakur seems to have done his hamstring some damage during the training session at Lord's on Monday.
Kevin Pietersen's Test future may be in doubt but the mercurial batsman was named in England's provisional 30-member squad for this year's Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Steve Smith's brilliant hundred and a clinical show by the bowlers at the death helped Australia beat England by 12 runs in their World Cup warm-up match, in Southampton.
England's batsmen failed to take full advantage on a first day of swinging fortunes in the second Test against Sri Lanka, finishing on 310 for six after outstanding catching kept the touring side in contention on Friday.
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
Misbah helped steady his side after two brilliant morning catches by the indomitable Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson's 418th Test wicket from the first ball of the afternoon had reduced Pakistan to 85-3.
England's Jason Roy hit a superb century and Ben Stokes carried them home as they beat Pakistan by three wickets at Trent Bridge on Friday, surviving a middle-order wobble to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Images from Day 5 in the second Test between England and India, at Lord's, on Monday.
Battle commences at Edgbaston on Thursday and the last time Australia won there was the opening match of the 2001 series which they ended up dominating 4-1.
Joe Root went serenely past 150 as England moved on to 427 for five at lunch on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan in Manchester on Saturday.
Spinner Yasir Shah has scaled the number spot in the International Cricket Council Test rankings, becoming the first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed achieved the feat in December 1996.
Penpix of England players in England's Ashes squad.
The skipper, however, hinted that there would be a bit more lateral movement with the pink ball which can 'work in their favour'.
India suffered a heartbreaking 31-run loss to England as skipper Virat Kohli's heroics went in vain amid yet another abject batting capitulation in a riveting opening Test in Birmingham.
Jimmy Anderson showed he remains a deadly proposition in English conditions, taking 5-20, as England bowled out India for a miserly 107 on the second day of the second Test at Lord's, on Friday.
Dawid Malan hit an unbeaten century to lead England's superb fightback on Day 1 of the third Ashes Test against Australia in Perth on Thursday.
The South Africa-born 33-year-old has not played for the senior England team since the first Test in Brisbane 18 months ago, after which he returned home with stress-related problems.
The England attack were heavily criticized in media back home for their lack of penetration
England skittled out shell-shocked Australia for 60 and piled up 274 for four in reply to take control of the fourth Ashes Test on a dramatic first day at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Images from Day 5 of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval in London on Tuesday:
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list IPL 2020's 50 Most Valuable Players up to Game 46.
England Lions cricketer Ben Duckett was suspended for pouring a drink on a senior England player reported to be paceman James Anderson after an argument in a Perth bar.
England have included pace bowler Graham Onions in a 13-man squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia starting at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Wednesday.
'With a lead of 260 going into the day session, we're in the drivers' seat'
England's bid to win the second Test against New Zealand and level up the series was hindered by bad light on Monday when play was abandoned early with the hosts 42 without loss chasing an unlikely 382 for victory.
South Africa bowled England out for 181 in their first innings and had built up a significant 175-run lead by the close of play on the second day of the first Test at Centurion Park on Friday. Images from Day 2 of the first Test between South Africa and England at Supersport Park in Centurion on Friday.
England named an unchanged 13-man squad for the second Ashes Test against Australia starting at Lord's on Thursday.
Images from Day 4 in the second Test between England and India, at Lord's, on Sunday.
England have named an unchanged squad for their tour of India with their all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson not included in the initial 16-man list for the five-Test series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
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