Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

1st Test: New Zealand struggle as England close in on victory

England are now poised to claim the first Test victory, with New Zealand's hopes hanging by a thread.

At stumps, New Zealand were 155-6, trailing by four runs with only four wickets remaining. (Photo: Getty Images)
At stumps, New Zealand were 155-6, trailing by four runs with only four wickets remaining. (Photo: Getty Images)

CHRIS WOAKES and Brydon Carse's effective seam bowling, combined with a dominant batting display, put England in a commanding position on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.

At stumps, New Zealand were 155-6, trailing by four runs with only four wickets remaining. Daryl Mitchell was unbeaten on 31, accompanied by Nathan Smith on one. England had earlier posted 499 in their first innings, gaining a 151-run lead, thanks to Harry Brook's 171.


"We're in an amazing position to go on and win the game," said Brook, who capitalised on five dropped catches during his innings. "I had a lot of luck, didn't I? Thankfully I cashed in."

New Zealand rued their fielding errors, with Matt Henry expressing disappointment: "Fielding's something we pride ourselves on, and that's the part that hurts. We work hard on it, and it's usually where we turn a game on its head."

Brook's innings was supported by Ben Stokes' 80 and Ollie Pope's 77, helping England recover from 71-4.

England's seamers strike

England's seamers capitalised on the strong lead, with Tom Latham falling for one in the third over to give Woakes his first wicket. Devon Conway added eight before miscuing a shot off Carse, leaving New Zealand at 23-2.

Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra briefly steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership. However, Ravindra departed for 24, pulling a short ball from Carse to mid-wicket.

Woakes struck again, removing Williamson for 61 and Tom Blundell for a golden duck. Williamson was trapped lbw, while Blundell edged a delivery to the keeper. Glenn Phillips survived Woakes' hat-trick ball but later fell to Carse for 19 after a review upheld an lbw decision.

England’s batting domination

Earlier, England resumed on 319-5 and scored briskly at six runs per over before being bowled out after lunch. Brook, who was dropped five times, made the most of his chances. He reached his 150 in style, charging Tim Southee and driving to the cover boundary.

Brook's innings included 15 fours and three sixes before he edged Matt Henry to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Henry ended with figures of 4-84, while Smith took 3-141.

England are now poised to claim the first Test victory, with New Zealand's hopes hanging by a thread.

(With inputs from AFP)

More For You

Comment: Last summer’s riots could erupt again without sustained action on cohesion

FILE PHOTO: Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport, England

Getty Images

Comment: Last summer’s riots could erupt again without sustained action on cohesion

Could this long, hot summer see violence like last year’s riots erupt again? It surely could. That may depend on some trigger event – though the way in which the tragic murders of Southport were used to mobilise inchoate rage, targeting asylum seekers and Muslims, showed how tenuous such a link can be. There has already been unrest again in Ballymena this summer. Northern Ireland saw more sustained violence, yet fewer prosecutions than anywhere in England last summer.

"We must not wait for more riots to happen" says Kelly Fowler, director of Belong, who co-publish a new report, ‘The State of Us’, this week with British Future. The new research provides a sober and authoritative guide to the condition of cohesion in Britain. A cocktail of economic pessimism, declining trust in institutions and the febrile tinderbox of social media present major challenges. Trust in political institutions has rarely been lower – yet there is public frustration too with an angry politics which amplifies division.

Keep ReadingShow less
Beyoncé

Beyoncé performing during her Cowboy Carter tour in Atlanta

Instagram/beyonce

Beyoncé’s unreleased music stolen from car in Atlanta days before Cowboy Carter shows

Highlights:

  • Choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue’s rental car was broken into on 8 July in Atlanta.
  • Five hard drives with Beyoncé’s unreleased music, show visuals, and setlists were among the stolen items.
  • Police tracked the location of missing devices and issued an arrest warrant, but no suspect has been publicly named.
  • The incident occurred two days before Beyoncé’s four-night tour stop at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Just two days before Beyoncé was set to take the stage in Atlanta for her Cowboy Carter tour, a major security breach rocked her team. Unreleased music, private show material, and luxury items were stolen from a rental vehicle used by her choreographer and dancer, police confirmed.

Atlanta authorities say the break-in happened on 8 July around 8 pm in a parking garage near Krog Street Market. The SUV, a black Jeep Wagoneer, was briefly left unattended by choreographer Christopher Grant and dancer Diandre Blue while they grabbed food. When they returned, the rear window had been smashed, and two suitcases containing sensitive material were missing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Communities face 'powder keg' of unrest risk, report warns

Social media emerged as a significant threat to community cohesion, the British Future report said. (Photo: Getty Images)

Communities face 'powder keg' of unrest risk, report warns

COMMUNITIES remain at risk of fresh unrest unless urgent action is taken to address deep-seated social tensions, a new report, published one year after last summer's riots, has cautioned.

Titled 'The State of Us' by British Future thinktank and the Belong Network, the report published on Tuesday (15) said successive governments have failed to take action and warned that a "powder keg" of unresolved grievances could easily ignite again without immediate intervention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Metropolitan police

The Metropolitan Police said the sentencing followed a 'comprehensive operation'. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Gang jailed for stealing £1 million jewellery from London’s Indian community

FOUR members of an organised crime network that stole more than £1 million worth of jewellery from Indian and South Asian families in London have been sentenced to a total of 17 years and one month in prison.

The Metropolitan Police said the sentencing followed a “comprehensive operation” that led to the imprisonment of Jerry O’Donnell, 33, Barney Maloney, Quey Adger, 23, and Patrick Ward, 43. All four were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday after previously pleading guilty to burglary.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ramayana
Producer Namit Malhotra reveals how AI will make Ramayana resonate globally with native-language realism
IMDB/Reddit

Ranbir Kapoor and Yash starrer 'Ramayana' becomes India’s costliest film with £375 million budget

Highlights:

  • Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, will be released in two parts on Diwali 2026 and 2027.
  • Producer Namit Malhotra confirmed the combined budget is over £375 million (₹4,000 crore).
  • The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, and Sunny Deol, with music by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.
  • It will use AI dubbing and IMAX-scale VFX from Prime Focus for a global cinematic release.

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is officially the most expensive Indian film ever made, with a staggering production budget exceeding £375 million (₹4,000 crore). Confirmed by producer Namit Malhotra, the two-part epic is being developed at nearly £400 million, placing it alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest projects in terms of scale and ambition.

The project, backed entirely by Malhotra’s team without outside investment, is being hailed as a landmark cultural and cinematic moment for India. With its use of cutting-edge technology, an international musical collaboration, and a cast of some of the country's biggest names, Ramayana is being positioned as a visual retelling of India’s most revered epic for global audiences.

Keep ReadingShow less