The England bowling all-rounder, Jamie Overton, has decided to quit red-ball cricket for a long period as he has taken an indefinite break from the longest format of the game. In a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), he revealed the decision after ‘a great deal of thought.’

Overton, whose last of the two red-ball encounters came during the recent fifth Test of the five-match series against India at the Kennington Oval in South London, has picked up four wickets and smashed 106 runs in international cricket at an average of 35.33 with the best score of 97 runs against New Zealand.

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“Red-ball, first-class cricket has provided the foundation for my professional career and has been the gateway to every opportunity I’ve had in the game so far. It’s where I learnt the game, and it fueled the goals and ambitions that have driven me for so long.” Overton expressed the statement of the ECB quoted.

Jamie Overton decides to take indefinite break from red-ball cricket

In 99 first-class cricket for the Surrey side, Overton has overall clubbed 2410 runs at an average of 21.51, scoring one century and 13 half-centuries, while with the ball, the right-arm pacer has grabbed 239 wickets at an average of 31.66, thanks to the best bowling figure of 6/61 in an innings with seven five-wicket hauls.

“However, at this stage of my career, with the demands of cricket across a 12-month calendar, it’s no longer possible to commit fully to all formats at every level, both physically and mentally. Going forward, my focus will be on white-ball cricket, and I will continue to give everything to play at the highest level for as long as I can.” The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder addressed.

The 31-year-old’s decision has come just seven weeks before the opening Test of the five-match series against Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth for Ashes 2025/26. The national side will now need to find a suitable replacement in the all-rounder’s position for the series down under.

It was during the commentary stint for the BBC of the recent clash of The Hundred 2025 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham between the Trent Rockets and the Manchester Originals. The two former England players, captain Sir Alastair Cook and fast bowler Steven Finn, were working together.

Shoaib Bashir, the off-spinner of the Three Lions, was also present in the commentary box. He is currently recovering from the finger injury that he picked up during the third Test at Lord’s of the England-India series and was ruled out of the last two clashes in Manchester and Oval. That was when Cook and Finn got involved in a hilarious sledging incident.

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“If only we could teach you to move the ball when you bowled, you would have been a far better bowler, Steven,” said Cook, to which Finn replied, ‘Well, if only I had a captain that empowered me like Ben Stokes empowers Shoaib Bashir. I had a dour captain, sat on the negative side of life, but it’s good to see you again, Cooky.”  

Watch: Alastair Cook involved in hilarious sledging interaction during The Hundred 2025

Cook, the former captain and the left-handed opening batter of the England side, ended as the sixth leading run-getter in the longest format. He smashed 12472 runs in 291 innings at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 46 with the help of 33 centuries and 57 half-centuries at the best score of 294 runs against India.

 

 

 

 

 

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Steve Finn also earned decent success for England in international cricket. The right-arm pacer picked up 254 wickets in 154 innings at an average of just under 30 and a strike rate of 41 and an economy rate of 4.23, with 10 four-wicket and seven five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/79 in an inning.

Trent Rockets won the contest against Manchester quite comfortably. They lost a couple of wickets early in the chase before Rehan Ahmed smashed a fine, unbeaten knock to shoulder them over the line, while Tom Moores also contributed immensely in the second innings.

Just 48 hours after he walked out to a standing ovation with a dislocated shoulder on the fifth morning of the fifth Test against India at the Kennington Oval, Chris Woakes looked back at the day as he awaited the scans on the injury. He finished the series with 11 wickets in five games at an average of 52.18 as his absence left a huge mark on the home bowling set-up.

With the selfless act, he crossed the boundary to bat at the number 11 position, walking on the same lane as Malcolm Marshall in 1984, Colin Cowdrey in 1963, and India's Rishabh Pant at Old Trafford a few days ago. He could have suffered a potentially career-threatening injury, but the veteran had only one focus.

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“I don’t know what it is. You just know you’re part of something bigger. It’s not just you that you’re playing for out there. It’s your team and your teammates, all the hard work and the sacrifices they put in, the people watching at home, and on the ground. You just feel a duty to do it for everyone.” Woakes expressed in The Guardian in a recent interaction.

Chris Woakes devasted not to get the fairytale with series-winning victory

Woakes didn’t only walk into the middle. But he was in severe pain when Gus Atkinson pushed him for two singles on the last balls of two consecutive overs. He sustained the injury on the opening evening session while diving to stop the boundary on the wet outfield.

“I’m still gutted, devastated really, that we couldn’t get the fairytale. But I never considered not going out there, even if it had been 100 runs still to win or whatever. It was nice to have the ovation, and some of the Indian players came over to show their respect. But any other player would have done the same. You couldn’t just call it off at nine wickets down.” The Birmingham-born recalled.

“The pain came on pretty quickly, and my arm was just hanging there. It was grim, and my thoughts were racing. ‘Is it game over? Is the career done?’ It was a horrible place to be. We got it into a makeshift sling with my jumper and got off the field.” Chris Woakes added, who is unlikely to get picked for the away Ashes 2025/26 trip down under.

A few weeks ago, the young England spinner, Rehan Ahmed’s brother, Farhan Ahmed, picked up 10 wickets in a first-class game, while representing the England Lions against India. However, he has made a new record by becoming the youngest spinner of the side to celebrate a hat-trick, including a five-wicket over during the ongoing T20 Blast competition in 2025, as he featured for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire. 

It was the last group-stage clash of the side in the T20 Blast against the Roses at the Trent Bridge ground. The visitors’ captain, Keton Jennings, won the toss and decided to bat first on a surface which looked to slow down by the end of the encounter. They were bundled out for just 126 runs in 20 overs, with Matthew Hurst ending with the highest individual score of 36 runs.

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On the third-last ball of the first innings, Farhan Ahmed picked up the wicket of Luke Wood. The spinner used the air to flight the delivery as the southpaw looked to play the reverse-sweep. But he could only get a top edge as the third-man fielder took a comfortable catch to send the batter back in the hut.

Watch: Youngest England spinner celebrates T20 hat-trick during Vitality Blast 2025 against Lancashire 

On the very next delivery, Farhan went for a flat delivery on the legs of the number 10, Aspinwall, who clubbed the delivery straight into the hands of the fielder on the boundary line. Being the penultimate delivery of the innings, the right-handed batter looked to fetch it outside the park to take the most advantage.

FARHAN AHMED HAS A VITALITY BLAST HAT-TRICK AT 17 YEARS OLD!!!!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/dTThC98cwB

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 18, 2025

On the last ball of the innings, it was the number 11 batter, Stanley. The right-arm spinner slowed the pace down and invited the batter to use his power on the ball. And it happened exactly, as Stanley used his feet to smack it outside the ground, but once he missed it, the wicket-keeper did the rest and broke the stumps as Farhan completed his hat-trick and bagged the figures of 5/25 in four overs.

Notts chased down the score in 15.2 overs with four wickets in hand. The wicket-keeper batter, Tom Moores, nailed 75 runs in just 42 deliveries at a strike rate of around 180, thanks to seven boundaries and four sixes.

Despite the victory, they ended in the sixth position in the points table with the help of seven victories in 14 games at a net run rate of -0.492.

England are sweating for the fitness of their lone off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir, after he damaged his little finger during the third day of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s. Ravindra Jadeja drilled a shot straight down the ground as Bashir, trying to stop the ball, came before it and got hit on the little finger. It was technically a caught and bowled chance though

Bashir was stuck firmly on the hand as he signaled to the dressing room and rushed to the hut with the injured finger, expecting a dislocation, before Joe Root completed the over. The Ben Stokes-led side was hopeful, at the initial stage, of the bowler being available to bowl in the evening session.

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However, the spinner sat with the substitute fielders and didn’t take the field. He bowled on a practice surface before the start of the fourth day’s play with heavy strapping on the fifth and fourth fingers. He will likely bat only if required badly. The official confirmation has put the home side a little on the back foot as there is a huge importance of the bowler on the uneven surface.

England give a massive injury update on Shoaib Bashir in the ENG vs IND 2025 series

‘Following his left little finger injury, Shoaib Bashir continues to be monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of this Test. A decision on whether he will bat in the third innings will be made in due course. His involvement in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be assessed at the end of the match.’ The official statement by the England Cricket Board (ECB) was made on the fourth morning.

Bashir has taken nine wickets at nearly 60 in this series, including the wicket of KL Rahul, who drove the spinner lazily on the third day at Lord’s. However, the rest of the wickets have come only by the fielders on the boundary rope. With over a week to go, the spinner will get ample time to recover. If he is not deemed fit to play in Manchester, England will have to find different options.

Liam Dawson or Jack Leach could make a return to the side. Rehan Ahmed could be another option, who will be valuable even with the bat in hand. Jacob Bethell, however, by the head coach, is seen as the spare batter, rather than the number eight.

In a surprising turn of events, an English Cricket Club has implemented a ban on hitting sixes following complaints from neighbors about property damage. Southwick and Shoreham Cricket Club, established in 1790 and located near Brighton, has introduced a strict new rule: players will not score runs for hitting a six, and a second six will result in the player being dismissed.

Neighbors complain as English Cricket Club bans sixes

The English Cricket Club is believed to have introduced the new rule banning sixes due to damage to residents’ cars and windows. Residents living near The Green in Southwick, the club’s home ground, had lodged complaints with the club.

According to the Daily Mail, one player expressed frustration with the decision, suggesting that people buying houses near a cricket ground should expect occasional cricket balls in their gardens. “Everything is about health and safety these days, and insurance companies are charging a fortune to cover sports clubs against accidental damage or injury. If you buy a house next to a cricket ground, you should anticipate a few cricket balls in your garden,” the player was quoted as saying.

Another player called the ban ‘ridiculous,’ arguing that it detracts from the enjoyment of the game. “How can you ban it? It’s ridiculous. Taking that away removes the joy of playing. I don’t agree with tinkering with the rules in this way,” the player stated.

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“It seemed like a sensible decision,” said the treasurer of Southwick and Shoreham Club

Mark Broxup, the treasurer of Southwick and Shoreham Club, defended the decision to ban sixes, citing the financial strain caused by property damage. “We decided to ban sixes after several incidents where cars, houses, and even roofs were damaged. We want to avoid expensive insurance costs and potential legal claims, so it seemed like a sensible decision,” Broxup told the Daily Mail.

Conversely, local resident Mary Gill welcomed the ban, noting that the small size of the ground has consistently led to damage from cricket balls. “I’ve lived here all my life, and I think the ban is a positive step. The ground is too small for the enthusiastic young players who just want to hit the ball as far as possible,” Gill said. She added, “My parents and grandparents lived here before me, and cricket balls have always caused damage.”

Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes that relying solely on pace won’t be enough for England to make history in the upcoming Ashes series in Australia. The next Ashes series, scheduled for the end of 2025, is already prompting England to prepare a competitive team for the historic challenge.

Ahead of the first Test against the West Indies, England captain Ben Stokes emphasized that the team is building with the future Ashes series in mind. England last secured the Ashes in 2015 with a thrilling 3-2 victory at home, but Australia has retained the trophy since then.

In Ashes series played in Australia, the home team has shown formidable dominance. England has not won a Test match in Australia since 2011, with recent series results being particularly disheartening: 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0 losses in their last three visits.

“Pace Isn’t Everything”, warns Nasser Hussain ahead of Ashes 2025

In his column for the Daily Mail, Hussain cautioned England that having sheer pace alone won’t be enough; skill must complement speed. He identified Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood as the two bowlers certain to make the trip to Australia.

“Pace alone isn’t enough,” Hussain wrote in his column. “If you go to Australia and just bowl fast without control, you’ll be easily taken apart. The key to success down under is a blend of pace and skill, as Gus Atkinson demonstrated in the first match of the series and Mark Wood showed here, even though he didn’t get the wickets he deserved. England can’t afford to rely on the same old strategies. It’s crucial to find solutions beforehand.”

“Pace alone isn’t enough. If you go to Australia and just rely on speed, you’ll end up all over the place. The key is combining pace with skill, as Gus Atkinson demonstrated in the first match of the series and as Mark Wood, despite not getting the wickets he deserved, showed here. England can’t afford to arrive in Australia with the same old approach; they need to find a solution in advance,” Hussain wrote in his column.

Gus Atkinson recently impressed in James Anderson’s farewell Test at Lord’s, where he claimed 12 wickets on his debut and was named Player of the Match. Meanwhile, Mark Wood delivered a spectacular spell in the second Test but was unlucky not to secure any wickets. Both Atkinson and Wood, known for their high pace, could be crucial on the fast and bouncy pitches in Australia.

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Nasser Hussain commends Shoaib Bashir

Nasser Hussain also praised Shoaib Bashir for his outstanding off-spin performance on Day 4 of the Test.England’s choice of Shoaib Bashir reflects their strategy of balancing immediate needs with future prospects. Since Muttiah Muralitharan in 2006, no spinner had taken a five-for in a Test at Nottingham. Bashir earned his accolades by demonstrating key qualities of an off-spinner—he extracted a beautiful drop on the ball to dismiss Alick Athanaze and bowled Jason Holder with a stunning delivery.

This performance will benefit him and the entire England bowling attack.England won the second Test against the West Indies by a commanding 241 runs. Despite West Indies initially taking a first-innings lead, England’s aggressive Bazball approach in their third innings allowed them to set a formidable target.

Chasing 385 for victory in the fourth innings, the West Indies faltered and were dismissed for just 143 runs. Shoaib Bashir took 5 wickets for England, while Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson each claimed 2 wickets.