Stuart Broad says England’s attack is ready to step up in the Ashes if Ben Stokes’ knee injury stops him from playing a full part as a bowler.

Jos Buttler is out for one on his T20 Blast return as Yorkshire beat Lancashire in the Roses match at Headingley.

Following disruption to snooker and rugby union this year, Just Stop Oil protesters have held up the England cricket team on their way to Lord’s for their Test match with Ireland

When Josh Tongue walks out at Lord’s on Thursday he will not only earn his first Test cap, but also £50,000 for a family friend who placed an unlikely bet 14 years ago.

England’s match against Ireland kicks off a hugely important summer for Test cricket and an incredibly exciting six-month period, says Jonathan Agnew.

James Vince passes Luke Wright’s tally of 5,026 runs in Hampshire’s loss to Surrey to become the leading scorer in T20 Blast history.

Josh Tongue contemplated retirement amid 15-month injury nightmare but will now make England debut at Lords; Ben Stokes backs Worcestershire seamer to bring x-factor against Ireland – watch the one-off Test live on Sky Sports Cricket from 11am, Thursday

Josh Tongue was a late addition to the squad following the injury to Olly Stone

Somerset make it four wins from four in the T20 Blast, while Yorkshire break their duck and Essex open their campaign in style.

Highlights from the Indian Premier League final between Chennia Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.

Birmingham Bears beat Lancashire to go top of North Group, Worcestershire also make it three T20 Blast wins from three while Notts hand Durham first defeat.

Coach Brendon McCullum says “there is no greater opportunity” for England to prove themselves than the “formidable” challenge of the Ashes series against Australia.

Batting coach Gary Wilson believes Ireland are in “a very different place” to when they faced England in a Test for the first time four years ago.

The Indian Premier League final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans is postponed until Monday because of heavy rain.

The defeat, their third out of three in T20 cricket this season, means Yorkshire – currently bottom of division two of the county championship – are still winless in all cricket.

Zak Crawley has not been consistent for England but match-defining contributions have kept him in the team; Crawley and Ben Duckett to open for England once again in Ireland Test (live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday – 11am start) and then in Ashes

JASON GILLESPIE: It’s been fun to watch the way England have gone about things over the past 12 months and it will be fascinating to see the clash with a ready Australian attack.

Both MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya will be chasing history as Gujarat Titans square-off against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final.

These players and their dazzling performances at the IPL make a case for their inclusion in India’s national side.

Australia captain Meg Lanning will miss the forthcoming Ashes series against England for medical reasons, Cricket Australia announces.

The former Newcastle United owner does not plan to buy the club but is prepared to make a substantial cash injection, The Telegraph reported last night.

Aussie Ashes hopeful Sean Abbott has paid tribute to the late, great Andrew Symonds after equaling his fastest even century in the English T20 Blast competition

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Ben Duckett has warned Australia’s bowlers to prepare for an Ashes onslaught on English soil this summer.

Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan are among five individuals involved with Yorkshire had been punished by an Independent commission following an investigation into the racism allegations

Shubman Gill scores a stunning hundred as Gujarat Titans beat Mumbai Indians to reach the Indian Premier League final.

Ireland defend the absence of star bowler Josh Little from next week’s Lord’s Test against England, saying the match is not “a pinnacle event”.

He will join the squad ahead of the Lord’s Test when Inglis returns home for the birth of his child | ESPN.co.uk

Surrey beat Middlesex by 73 runs in their T20 Blast meeting as Sam Curran scores 68 and Will Jacks takes 3-17.

Akash Madhwal takes 5-5 as Mumbai Indians thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 81 runs in their Indian Premier League Eliminator.

PAUL NEWMAN – WORLD OF CRICKET: The time is rapidly approaching when England will discover whether the near super-human powers of Stokes have extended to his chronic knee injury.

injury concerns allow England to give another young cricketer the chance to see what life is like in the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum world

Chairs and Chief Executives are regularly consulted and have huge influence on domestic cricket decisions but they are rarely former players

Chennai Super Kings are through to their 10th IPL final after beating defending champions Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1.

England will field a weakened attack in their first Test of this Ashes summer even though a scan on Ollie Robinson’s left ankle on Tuesday revealed no damage.

Sanjay Patel will step down as managing director of The Hundred after this year’s tournament.

Scotland and Ireland are drawn in the same group for the Men’s World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.

Ten quirky stats from IPL 2023, some that just happened, and others with larger import | ESPN.co.uk

The same injury that has plagued Aussie quick Josh Hazlewood for past three years has flared up again, forcing him to come home early from the Indian Premier League.

Cameron Green’s century for Mumbai Indians helps them reach the IPL play-offs with a win against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose to Gujarat Titans.

Ollie Robinson is facing a battle to be fit for England’s opening Test match of the summer against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1 after picking up an ankle injury while playing for Sussex

Michael Neser’s 123 steers Glamorgan to 737 all out to draw against Sussex after an epic effort to register their second-highest ever score.

‘We have outstanding belief.’

Mumbai must win, RCB have the advantage of playing last, and Royals can only wait in hope | ESPN.co.uk

Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants win to book their places in the Indian Premier League play-offs.

Tom Lawes takes a career-best 5-22 as county champions Surrey stretch clear at the top with a three-day win over Kent.

A HOST of tributes have poured in on social media after Cricket Australia confirmed that the legendary Brian Booth had passed away aged 89. The former Australia Test captain and Olympian played 29 …

PAUL NEWMAN: It is that last comment that makes this the most anticipated Ashes series since 2005. Anderson has never been one for big statements in his extraordinary 20-year career.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan will return the to BBC for this summer’s men’s Ashes series and the Test match against Ireland.

Virat Kohli hits a spellbinding century off just 62 balls to keep alive Royal Challengers Bangalore’s hopes of IPL qualification alive.

Jonny Bairstow is confident he can find the same formula for success this summer now that he has recovered from a horrific broken leg which has left him with a visible limp