Australia will play England under lights at the MCG to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket in 2027.

The match, from 11-15 March, will commemorate the first-ever Test, played between the two arch-rivals in Melbourne in 1877.

It will be the first time the MCG has hosted a men’s day-night Test after a successful women’s Ashes pink-ball clash at the venue earlier last month.

“The 150th anniversary Test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events,” said Cricket Australia newly-installed chief Todd Greenberg.

“Playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game’s rich heritage and Test cricket’s modern evolution.

“This season’s Ashes series will whet the appetite for this clash in exactly two years, and we look forward to celebrating this historic occasion further as it draws nearer,” he added.

Australia host England for five Tests starting in November this year.

The 150th anniversary Test will follow Australia’s home five-Test series against India in 2027, making for a blockbuster summer.

The MCG was the venue for the 100th centenary Test in 1977 where the Greg Chappell-led Australia beat Tony Greig’s England by 45 runs.

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India’s spinners helped them claim a third Champions Trophy crown.

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England boss Rob Key says “it would be stupid” to rule Test captain Ben Stokes out of consideration for the role of skipper of the struggling white-ball team.

Jos Buttler stood down last week following a poor display by the side at the ongoing 50-over Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE, where his team lost all three of their group games.

England have now suffered 10 defeats in 11 white-ball fixtures this year.

Vice-captain Harry Brook had appeared to be the heir apparent to Buttler but he is likely to be a mainstay in all three international formats, meaning a formidable workload.

Key, ECB managing director for men’s cricket, is considering his options, which include expanding Stokes’ remit.

The 33-year-old Durham all-rounder has proved himself an inspirational captain since succeeding Joe Root as Test skipper.

But his age and injury problems mean he has largely operated as a Test specialist for 16 months.

Appointing Stokes as limited-overs captain would mean extending his “Bazball” alliance with Brendon McCullum, now the coach of England’s white-ball teams as well as being in charge of the Test side.

“I think nothing’s off the table really,” Key told reporters at Lord’s. “Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen. It would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means.”

Stokes, currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, has not played a T20I since the T20 World Cup final in November 2022, and has not featured in an ODI since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Former England batsman Key acknowledged England’s limited-overs form had declined sharply and their batting had “fallen off a cliff”.

England won the ODI World Cup under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan in 2019 and triumphed at the T20 World Cup under Buttler three years later.

But they have slumped to seventh in the ODI rankings and are third in the T20I rankings.

“We were very poor in the Champions Trophy,” said Key. “But the truth is, we haven’t been particularly good in white-ball cricket, probably since the last era when [retired captain] Eoin Morgan did it.”

England have been criticised for pursuing an ultra-aggressive approach under McCullum, regardless of the match situation, but Key said the former New Zealand captain’s coaching methods were more nuanced.

“It’s not true that the only thing he says is go harder, go harder, go harder,” said Key. “He speaks all the time about soaking up pressure as well.

“And you’ve got to trust that players can make those decisions at the right time.”

Key also warned against assuming England players do not care when they fail.

“Sometimes they’re reckless, sometimes they make the wrong decision at the wrong time,” he said. “But that’s the game, right?

“But it’s not a case that all we think is you go out there and play one way … You’ve got to be able to put bowlers under pressure, and good bowlers under pressure, and you’ve got to be able to soak it up and you’ve got to be able to make that decision at the right time.”

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Heinrich Klaasen struck 64 as the Proteas booked their place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

The Proteas qualified for the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a convincing seven-wicket win over a hapless England in Karachi.

Wiaan Mulder (3-25) and Marco Jansen (3-39) bowled out England for a paltry 179 in 38.2 overs before South Africa chased down the target for the loss of three wickets in 29.1 overs.

The victory means the Proteas, who topped Group B with five points, a point more than Australia, join the Aussies in the semi-finals while India and New Zealand – who meet in Dubai on Sunday – are in the last four from Group A.

As for England, they have endured a wretched tournament, with this their third loss coming after defeats to Australia and then to Afghanistan which ended their interest in the tournament with a game to spare.

The India-New Zealand clash will determine the semi-final lineups, the first in Dubai on 4 March and the second in Lahore a day later.

India, whose government refused to send its national team to Pakistan over political tensions, will play their semi-final in Dubai irrespective of where they finish in the group.

If India qualify for the final it will be played in Dubai on 9 March. If not, Lahore will stage the final.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer dismissed Tristan Stubbs (nought) and Ryan Rickelton (27) with the score on 47 but Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen kept South Africa on track with a 127-run stand for the third wicket.

Klaasen, who scored a 56-ball 64 with 11 fours, fell to spinner Adil Rashid with just five needed for victory which David Miller completed with a six.

Van der Dussen hit three sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 87-ball 72.

Archer had figures of 2-55 while Rashid took 1-37.

Earlier, Mulder and Jansen destroyed the top order after England won the toss and batted.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj had figures of 2-35 as England’s batting chart presented a sorry picture with Joe Root the highest scorer with 37.

The fact that England were already out with two defeats in as many games and their captain Jos Buttler having stepped down after this match left them dispirited.

Jansen removed opener Phil Salt (eight), Jamie Smith (nought) and Ben Duckett (24) in an incisive first spell of five overs.

He then took a brilliant diving catch at long-on off Maharaj to send Harry Brook back for 19, ending a 62-run fourth-wicket stand with Root.

Just four runs later, England suffered a massive blow when Root was bowled by Mulder and the problems worsened with Liam Livingstone dismissed by Maharaj for nine.

Root’s 44-ball knock had one six and four fours.

Buttler (21) and Archer (25) added 42 runs for the eighth wicket but once Archer was dismissed by Mulder the last two wickets fell with the addition of just eight runs.

The Proteas had to leave out regular captain Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi who were both unwell while stand-in skipper Aiden Markram was also forced to leave the field with a hamstring problem.

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The Proteas hammered England by seven wickets to finish top of Group B.

Jos Buttler says he will step down as England’s limited-overs captain after a disastrous Champions Trophy campaign ended with them failing to reach the semi-finals.

“I’m going to stand down as England captain, it’s the right decision for me and the team,” the 34-year-old said at a press conference. “And hopefully somebody else can come in and work closely alongside [Brendon McCullum] to take the team back to where it needs to be.”

Buttler said: “It was quite clear that this tournament was going to be important results-wise for my captaincy” and felt he had “reached the end of the road”.

England have lost 15 of their last 21 ODIs.

England failed to retain either their T20 and 50-over World Cup titles under Buttler’s captaincy.

The team lost their first two matches and the defeat by Afghanistan in Lahore on Wednesday ended their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the 50-over tournament.

Chasing 326 for victory, England came up just short despite Joe Root’s valiant 120 and fell to 317 all out.

The opening defeat was against Ashes rivals Australia after England failed to defend 351 following a batting onslaught by Josh Inglis, who hit an unbeaten 120.

Buttler has been unable to replicate England’s success as captain of the white-ball team since he led them to a T20 World Cup title in 2022 shortly after taking over from Eoin Morgan.

England won only three of their nine matches as defending champions at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

The team exited in the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup and recently suffered a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India ahead of the Champions Trophy.

The India series was coach McCullum’s first white-ball assignment after enjoying success in the Test role with captain Ben Stokes.

“With Brendon coming in only recently, I was really excited to work closely alongside him and hope for a very quick turnaround and take the team forward,” said Buttler. “But it’s not worked out that way. It feels like it’s the right time for me and also for the team to have a change.”

Buttler has led England in 44 ODIs, with a record of 18 wins, 25 defeats and one no-result.

In T20Is he captained the team to 26 wins, 22 defeats and three no results in his 51 matches in charge.

Buttler said it has been “an immense honour to captain your country”.

England face South Africa in their final group match in Karachi on Saturday.

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Proteas coach Rob Walter says Heinrich Klaasen is available for their last Champions Trophy group match against England in Karachi on Saturday.

The wicketkeeper-batsman missed their opening match against Afghanistan due to an elbow injury.

Batting at No 4, Klaasen has been the accumulator and aggressor for South Africa in white-ball cricket and remains key to their title goals.

“I mean he’s a super player isn’t he?” said Walter on Friday. “And I think that you probably notice his strength also based on who the guys are around him that allow him to play that way.

“Obviously he’s got a skill-set at the moment that is right up there with the world’s best, I think we all agree with that. And it’s great to have him in your team because you know how destructive he can be.”

The sides face off with South Africa still in contention to reach the semi-finals of the 50-over tournament, while England are already out.

A win will take the Proteas to the last four but defeat will make them depend on others and net run-rate.

South Africa hammered Afghanistan but their second match against Australia was washed out without a ball being bowled.

They now take on an England team severely bruised and their captain Jos Buttler under pressure to relinquish the white-ball leadership.

“League cricket around the world, they do well, which should suggest that they’re adaptable,” Walter said. “If you look at the names on the sheet, I think there’s some quality players there. There’s no doubt about that.

“Cricket can be fickle and sometimes that results in you losing. To ask if I’m surprised – as I said I think there’s good cricketers that could turn out tomorrow and deliver an international standard performance.”

Buttler has been unable to replicate England’s success as ODI and T20I captain since he led them to a T20 World Cup title in 2022.

England won only three of their nine matches as defending champions at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

They faltered in the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup and recently suffered a 3-0 ODI whitewash in India before the Champions Trophy

Pressed further on what needs to be done to stem England’s rot, Walter, said: “What I’ve learned in times, you can never judge what’s happening with a team unless you’re actually walking in the shoes of the people that are on the ground with the team.

“I think there are good people there who have done good things in cricket, working with good players, and I would suggest it’s only a matter of time before they find success.”

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England’s sorry exit from the Champions Trophy following defeat against Afghanistan is painful proof of the end of an era for the former kings of white-ball cricket.

Jos Buttler’s men travelled to the 2023 World Cup in India as double world champions following their success at the 2019 50-over tournament and at the T20 World Cup in 2022.

England limped home from the tournament in India with just three wins in nine games.

They were only marginally better in last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA before being hammered in the semi-finals by eventual champions India.

The ongoing Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE provided a chance for redemption but defeats against Australia and Afghanistan have ended their interest in the tournament, with a game against South Africa still to come.

So where now for England, who have sunk to a lowly seventh in the ODI world rankings?

Head coach Matthew Mott carried the can for the last two misfires, sacked last year to make way for Brendon McCullum, with England hoping their Test coach could sprinkle the stardust he has brought to the red-ball team.

This time captain Buttler, criticised for a lack of tactical acumen, is the man facing the flak.

The 34-year-old said after Wednesday’s eight-run defeat against Afghanistan in Lahore that he would consider his future following the group-stage exit.

“I need to work out, am I part of the problem or the solution?” he said.

The destructive Buttler, one of England’s greatest-ever white-ball batters, had the unenviable task of succeeding the highly regarded Eoin Morgan as white-ball captain.

He led England to T20 World Cup glory in Australia in 2022 but their recent ODI record is terrible – just four wins in 16 matches since the 2023 World Cup.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes Buttler’s time is up.

“I don’t think as far as the captaincy goes, Jos Buttler has added that much to this England cricket team, but it’s taken away from his batting,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.

“And when you add the two together, if you’re taking so away from a great player and you’re not gaining on the other side with leadership and captaincy and you are considering all options, I think it is probably time to move on.”

Michael Vaughan, another former England skipper, also believes Buttler will go, but says the team’s problems run “much deeper”.

“In English cricket, we just cannot seem to give full attention to both Test and white-ball cricket,” he wrote in the Telegraph.

“At no stage in our history have we been good at both for any meaningful period of time. That is not good enough and is down to management. Look at Australia, New Zealand, even South Africa now. They can juggle the formats.”

Harry Brook, the team’s vice-captain, is the obvious replacement for Buttler but the 26-year-old is a Test regular and faces a complicated and testing workload.

Brook himself, one of the standard-bearers for the younger generation, has struggled for form recently, along with other batsmen such as Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone.

Jacob Bethell, who missed the Champions Trophy through injury, and Jamie Smith are exciting prospects but are yet to establish themselves.

On the bowling front, England put their faith in a pace-dominated attack that lacked variety and ended up conceding 681 runs in two matches in Pakistan.

England still boast some serious talent despite the exits of big names in recent years such as Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Moeen Ali.

But they are an ageing side. Batsman Joe Root, leg-spinner Adil Rashid and express paceman Mark Wood are all in their mid-30s.

And Ben Stokes’ fitness issues and role as Test captain mean he is likely to have a limited role in future – Stokes was not in the Champions Trophy squad.

The other, structural problem for the England selectors is that the players do not play much 50-over cricket.

The domestic competition has been downgraded to “development” status, meaning top players and the best emerging prospects instead focus most of their energies on T20 and franchise cricket.

McCullum only began his dual role as Test and white-ball coach in January but already he will be acutely aware of the huge task that faces him.

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Ibrahim Zadran’s 177 set up Afghanistan’s eight-run win against England in Lahore.