England overcomes early scare to win 3rd cricket test against Pakistan and sweep series

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Joe Root admits England descended into “chaos” before he returned as the test captain and believes things are back on track after sealing a cricket series whitewash over Pakistan on Saturday.

England survived a scare before Root and Jordan Cox scored unbeaten half-centuries to knock off the target of 130 and win the third test at Edgbaston by eight wickets with five sessions to spare.

The dramatic retirement of Ben Stokes in June followed by coach Brendon McCullum being stripped of his red-ball responsibilities briefly left the test side with a worrying leadership vacuum.

Root, who served as skipper for five years before standing down in 2022, accepted the captaincy again and, in concert with interim coach Marcus Trescothick, brought a hat trick of comfortable wins at Leeds, Lord's and now Edgbaston, steadying the ship ahead of Stephen Fleming's arrival as McCullum's long-term successor.

The Kiwi is due to arrive in the country in the coming days and Root believes he will find a team that has put its turbulent recent past to one side.

“There's been a lot of chaos around this series before a ball was bowled,” Root said.

"The way we've handled it on and off the field, the way everyone understands what is expected of them — both as a player and how we want to carry ourselves — is a really good thing.

"It's been a very unusual summer, hasn't it? We had a resignation mid-series, there has been a few off-field incidents and we've got a new coach. Whether you call it chaos, whether you call it unusual, whether you call it unsettling, all of those are fair.

“But ultimately, the thing that I care about and the most important thing is what happens from that. The way that we've responded to that has been excellent. And the fact that there's now clarity in what is expected of the group moving forward is quite evident. We build on that now.”

Pakistan finally put England under some pressure in Birmingham after flaccid efforts in the first two games.

A stunning 81-run cameo from debutant Razaullah Khan on Friday left England chasing 130.

In Saturday's first over, the host was reduced to 2-2 when Mohammad Abbas got Ben Duckett to edge behind and Emilio Gay lbw.

“We thought this morning that anything is possible,” Abbas said. “My specialty is taking wickets with the new ball ... and we tried our best.”

England could have been 35-3 when Root dragged on but Mohammad Ali overstepped.

Root and Cox shared an unbeaten stand of 128 with Root finishing on 62 and Cox 59 when they won at 133-2 just before lunch.

Seam bowler Ollie Robinson was named the player of the series for taking 21 wickets at an average of 8.76.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

England's Joe Root and Pakistan's Razaullah shake hands following England's victory on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England players, including captain Joe Root, celebrate following their series win over Pakistan, on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Jordan Cox plays a shot on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Pakistan's Muhammad Abbas, left, celebrates the wicket of England's Ben Duckett on day four of the third Test in Birmingham, England, Saturday Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Emilio Gay, right, walks off the pitch after being dismissed by Pakistan's Muhammad Abbas on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

England's Joe Root hits the ball on day four of the third cricket Test at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Gabby Williams led France to the final of the women’s FIBA World Cup with an 86-64 win over host Germany on Saturday.

Willams scored 22 points and had five rebounds to put France in touching distance of the title after a dogged performance from the host, which refused to give up in front of a partisan crowd at Berlin Arena.

“A tricky game,” France coach Jean Aime Toupane said.

Janelle Salaün had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Marine Johannès, who contributed three 3-pointers among her 13 points, slowed the game down in the final quarter.

“It was really a fight tonight, I think we were ready for that,” Johannès said.

It was the first semifinal appearance for both teams since the stage was introduced in 1986.

France will play Spain or the United States, the four-time defending champion and tournament favorite, in Sunday’s final. Their semifinal was later Saturday.

There was an air of nervous anticipation around the arena before tip-off as Germany, already further than ever before in its second tournament appearance, would need another major upset to make the final.

Germany coach Olaf Lange spoke of “ German basketball’s best day ” after the quarterfinal win over European champion Belgium.

France scored more than 90 points in each of its four games, while Germany managed that in its last two after recovering impressively since losing its opening game to Spain by 30 points.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

France's Marieme Badiane guards Germany's Marie Guelich during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

German fans cheer during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Valeriane Ayayi, left, Marine Johannes, center, and Mamignan Toure react during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Marine Johannes guards Germany's Alexandra Wilke during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Gabby Williams scores over Germany's Marie Guelich during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)