Apparently, Sri Lanka are about to begin a Test series against West Indies today [Thursday]. Huge if true, because that would mean that Sri Lanka still have a Test team. And that West Indies also still have a Test team. Sri Lanka haven’t played this format for exactly a year, and West Indies haven’t played since December 2025. Sri Lanka have 12 Tests in the entire two-year World Test Championship [WTC] 2025-27 cycle, which is the minimum allowed amount. West Indies have 15 Tests, one of those being a non-WTC game against Afghanistan.

This is the lay of Test cricket in 2026. It doesn’t matter that West Indies produced very arguably the greatest Test team in the history of the sport in the 1980s. It doesn’t matter that Sri Lanka produced Test cricket’s most prolific wicket-taker, in Muttiah Muralitharan. It mainly matters that both have tiny cricket economies in comparison to most other sides, and as such, they have each been shunted deep into Test cricket second-classhood – for this cycle at least.

But here is a chance to prove they deserve more matches in this format. Sri Lanka have been a mid-table team in the three WTC cycles so far; they ended seventh, fifth and sixth, respectively. West Indies, meanwhile, have generally been a lower-table team; they finished eighth each of the three times. Both sides will see this as an opportunity to push for more matches.

England became the first team to reach the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 38-run victory over West Indies built on a gutsy half-century from Danni Wyatt-Hodge in challenging conditions.

On a scorching evening at Lord’s, where temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius just before the toss, Wyatt-Hodge scored a 42-ball 65 and was well supported by Heather Knight’s  43 off 26 deliveries.

In their defense, England’s bowlers tied West Indies down, with spinners Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith sharing four wickets between them. For West Indies, Chinelle Henry and Jahzara Claxton resisted stubbornly in a 63-run stand for the fifth wicket, with Henry remaining unbeaten on 51.

Earlier, there was controversy when Hayley Matthews, West Indies’ captain and key player, was given out caught behind for 14 on an England review with one camera angle showing an apparent mismatch between the vision and UltraEdge. That prompted Matthews to argue her case animatedly with the umpires on and off the field. While her efforts, and those of her team, were in vain, her side remains in contention for the knockouts.

Henry let out an almighty roar when she struck with the fifth ball of the match. It was a fuller one outside off stump with a hint of away swing which lured a drive from Amy Jones and found the edge, looping to Afy Fletcher at short third. But Henry conceded 17 runs off her next over as Wyatt-Hodge settled in with a pull through midwicket and a top edge which beat Fletcher.

Offspinner Ashmini Munisar entered the attack and responded to Sophia Dunkley’s reverse sweep for four with a fuller ball next – too full for Dunkley’s attempted sweep as she was pinned lbw. Despite the early falls of wicket, though, Wyatt-Hodge and Alice Capsey managed to outfox the field and take England to their best powerplay of the tournament so far at 57 for 2.

Heather Knight scored quickly [Cricinfo]

Wyatt-Hodge jumped to the top of the tournament run-scoring charts by backing up her century on the opening night with another pivotal score, having endured two lean innings in between. She punished some short bowling early, and then peppered the off side with some classic and lofted drives. Wyatt-Hodge brought up her fifty off 32 balls with a back-footed flick off the pads to cover.

Capsey, meanwhile, unfurled a lovely reverse for four off Karishma Ramharack but then advanced to a length ball two deliveries later and lobbed it to Henry at long-on, thus ending a 65-run stand with Wyatt-Hodge for the third wicket. Wyatt-Hodge and Knight put on 40 more, but when they ran on Knight’s cut straight to the cover fielder, Wyatt-Hodge didn’t have the legs in the sapping heat to make it to the other end.

There was to be no reprise of the high-powered union between Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson which blew Scotland away at Headingley on Saturday night when Matthews bowled Kemp attempting to sweep. Knight was eventually run out after surviving a couple of near misses. Gibson too fell cheaply on the penultimate ball of the innings, but by then, the home side had plenty on the board.

Matthews was nonplussed when England managed to overturn a not-out decision for caught behind as she attempted a cut off Linsey Smith in the fourth over. Matthews was adamant she hadn’t made contact with the ball, and one angle on the replay showed a gap between bat and ball while UltraEdge indicated a spike. TV umpire Nimali Perera ruled that Matthews was out, but the West Indies captain spent a good deal of time making her case to the on-field umpires.

Hayley Matthews has a heated discussion after her dismissal [Cricinfo]

Matthews watched more replays in the West Indies dugout and continued to disagree with the decision in conversation with the fourth umpire on the sidelines. It was reminiscent of last year’s Ashes Snicko controversy when TV umpire Chris Gaffaney upheld a not-out decision for Australia’s Alex Carey when a clear spike appeared several frames before the ball had passed the bat. But, in this instance, the scorecard showed Matthews out for 14.

In the last over of the powerplay, Deandra Dottin helped herself to 15 runs off Dean’s first four balls, including back-to-back fours followed by a thumping six over long-on. But Dean’s riposte on the last ball was to toss one up on middle and leg as Dottin looked to clear long-on once more. She didn’t connect fully, and found Capsey just inside the boundary.

West Indies were 46 for 2 after six overs, and some frugal bowling by Ecclestone, followed by Dean’s second wicket in as many balls when she had Jannillea Glasgow chopping on with the first ball of her next over, kept England in control.The last time these sides met at a T20 World Cup, in 2024, a rash of fielding errors cost England the match and the chance to progress to the knockout phase. While they are a vastly improved side, the hosts missed two chances in three balls as Claxton and Henry dug in.

SCORES:
England Women 186 for 7 in 20 overs (Danni Wyatt-Hodge 64, Sophia Dunkley 14, Alice Kapsey 28,  Heather Knight 43; Chinelle Henry 1-25, Hayley Matthews 1-32, Ashmini Munisar 2-42, Karishma Ramharack 1-23) beat West Indies Women 148 for 5 in 20 overs  (Hayley Matthews 14, Deandra Dottin 19, Shemaine Campbell 20, Jahzara Claxton 21, Chinelle Henry 51*;  charlie Dean 2-31, Lauren Bell 1-20, Linsey Smith 1-35, Sophie Eccleston 1-22) by 38 runs

[Cricinfo]

Daniel Munoz has fired ‌Colombia into the World Cup round of 32 with a ⁠1-0 win over the Democratic Republic of the ⁠Congo in Group K after goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi had threatened to turn the match into a night of frustration.

Munoz struck the winner from the right ⁠side of the penalty area in the 76th minute on Tuesday, finally beating Mpasi, who had repeatedly denied Colombia with an inspired performance.

Colombia, who opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, commanded possession and created numerous chances.

James Rodriguez, making his 10th World Cup appearance to equal the Colombian record jointly held by Freddy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama, forced Mpasi into action with a powerful strike in the 11th minute.

The goalkeeper stood firm, repelling efforts ‌from Jhon Arias and winger Luis Diaz, who came close to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute, controlling a chipped pass inside the penalty area, turning smartly, and firing a shot goal-wards, only for Mpasi to save it with his foot.

The African side, buoyed by their opening 1-1 deaw with Portugal, threatened sporadically through Edo Kayembe, Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa, but lacked a clinical finish.

By half-time, Colombia had registered 15 ⁠shots, including six on target, with nine of their 10 ⁠outfield players attempting efforts.

In the stands, DR Congo had support from Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the team’s famous “living statue” fan, who made his World Cup debut after missing the opener against Portugal because of Ebola quarantine requirements.

Colombia resumed ⁠on the front foot after the break, with Diaz forcing another fine save from Mpasi in the 51st minute before Arias dragged ⁠the rebound wide.

Wissa almost snatched the lead for DR Congo ⁠in the 73rd minute, when his shot from Simon Banza’s assist was blocked, but Colombia struck shortly after through Munoz.

Diaz later thought he had doubled the advantage with a finish into the top corner, only for the ‌effort to be ruled out for offside.

Colombia moved to six points from two matches and guaranteed their progress to the knockout stage ahead of their final group game against Portugal, ‌who beat Uzbekistan 5-0 earlier on Tuesday.

DR Congo remained on one point and will need a result against Uzbekistan to keep their qualification hopes alive.