Youthful England rejuvenate Test prospects

BASIL D'OLIVEIRA TROPHY ENGLAND WON THE SERIES 3-1

26-29 Dec	1 South Africa 284 & 272 beat England 181 & 268 by 107 runs	Centurion
03-07 Jan	2 England 269 & 391-8d beat South Africa 223 & 248 by 189 runs	Cape Town
16-20 Jan	3 England 499-9d beat South Africa 209 & 237 by innings and 53 runs	Port Elizabeth
24-27 Jan	4 England 400 & 248 beat South Africa 183 & 274 by 191 runs	Johannesburg

Player of the series Ben Stokes (England)

ENGLAND overcame a whole slew of early issues to complete a 3-1 series win over South Africa with victory in the fourth Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Player of the match Mark Wood (9-100) returned the best overseas figures for an English seamer in almost 12 years as the tourists wrapped up a comfortable 191-run win inside four days.

Indeed, the relative ease of this victory - and the positive outcome of the Test tour as a whole - is a far cry from how the campaign began.

A viral illness spread like wildfire through the touring party ahead of and during the first Test at Centurion in what was a rare case of England having too many runs.

Meanwhile, talisman Ben Stokes was understandably unsettled by news on the eve of the Boxing Day match of his father Ged being taken to a Johannesburg hospital in a critical condition.

It was rather surprising then that, with everything going on, captain Joe Root opted to bowl first after winning the toss.

Sam Curran and Stuart Broad (both 4-58) did their best in restricting South Africa to 284 - but England were left well behind in the game when subsequently bowled out for 181.

Set a record 376 to win with the amazing chase at Headingley in the Ashes still fresh in the memory, England started well and were 139-1 at one stage.

But this chase ultimately proved the exceptionalism of the heist on that sunny day in Leeds as Root's men were all out for 268 to lose by 107 runs.

It meant that - excluding the series in 2018 against a severely weakened Sri Lanka team - England had lost nine of their previous 13 away Tests dating back to start of Root's tenure.

Somehow, matters got even worse ahead of the second Test when opener Rory Burns, ended his series prematurely by injuring his ankle while playing football in training.

The practice of playing football was banned on the following day - but the injury to the team's top scorer from Centurion meant such a move had not come before seemingly significant damage had already been done.

Bowling trio Jofra Archer, Jack Leach and Wood were also unavailable for the match in Cape Town so thankfully, this time, skipper Root opted to bat when again he won the toss.

England began tentatively, struggling to 269 - and looked set to concede another first innings deficit when South Africa reached 200-5.

But, after Curran accounted for the dangerous Rassie van der Dussen, England's record wicket-taker James Anderson added to his haul by cleaning up the tail for his 28th five-for in Tests.

South Africa had collapsed to 223 all out - and, rather than facing a deficit, the tourists bounded into their second innings with a lead of 46.

Warwickshire's 24-year-old batsmen Dom Sibley - opening in the absence of Burns with 21-year-old Zak Crawley - made 133 not out for his maiden Test century. 

Sibley also found support from Root (61) and especially Stokes with the latter making 72 off just 47 balls.

It meant England were able to declare on 391-8 shortly after lunch on the fourth day - and, to Root's credit, the timing of the declaration would end up turning out to be an excellent use of judgement.

From this point onwards, the hosts never threatened to get anywhere near to their notional target of 438 - but, nonetheless, they dug in and scored at around just two runs-per-over to take the match beyond tea on the fifth day.

Shortly after the break, though, the Proteas' chance of rescuing the draw disappeared as they lost Quinton de Kock and van der Dussen in quick succession, before Stokes dealt with the tail.

It really should not be underestimated just how much heart and confidence was gained by skipper Root and his recovering team from their second Test declaration and triumph.

And, at the beginning of the third match in Port Elizabeth, each of the top four got themselves in before disappointingly getting out for scores between 25 and 44.

Consequently, the contest had reached an important early juncture at 148-4 when 22-year-old Ollie Pope joined Stokes at the crease.

But England need not have worried - the pair put on a massive 203 for the sixth wicket as Stokes scored his ninth Test century.

Even after his departure, young Pope found ample support lower down the order from Curran (44) and Wood (42) who ensured the Surrey man had enough time to make his own maiden Test ton.

Pope, indeed, was 135 not out when England declared on the fall of the ninth wicket with their score on 499.

Remarkably, in the South African response, England unearthed another gem as 22-year-old spinner Dom Bess ravaged the Proteas' top order.

Bess - who was not even part of the original touring party - in fact became the first English spinner to take the first five wickets in an innings since Derek Underwood against Australia in 1975.

Nevertheless, the poor weather in Port Elizabeth looked set to provide South Africa with a lifeline and made it inevitable that they would be asked to bat again if they could not make it beyond the follow-on target.

South Africa duly failed - and in rather spectacular fashion - as they lost their last four first innings wickets for a single run before then being reduced to 102-6 in their second innings, still a hopeless 188 runs behind. 

Bizarrely, in their second knock, the main threat came from Root himself as he took four wickets with his occasional off-spin to ensure he would pick up his best Test figures.
 
The Proteas did survive into a fifth day - an argument, if any was really needed, against the push in some quarters for four-day Tests.

But it did not look as if their resistance would last for too long when Vernon Philander was out to Broad in the first over of the final day.

Kagisa Rabada and Anrich Nortje quickly followed - but, as Root strived for his first five-for in any First Class cricket, England temporarily lost their way completely against the final pair.

Thankfully, the weather overhead had cleared to leave England with plenty of time - and, after an incredibly entertaining stand of 99, Curran threw a direct hit from mid-on to run out Keshav Maharaj.

At 2-1, the series had inextricably moved in England's favour - and the visitors immediately hammered home their advantage in the fourth Test as Crawley (66) and Sibley (44) combined for a century opening stand.

The runs continued down the order with Root (59) and Pope (56) contributing again - and, even after South Africa had taken the ninth English wicket, their pain did not end.

Wood (35 not out) and Broad (43) enjoyed themselves in a record 10th-wicket stand at the Wanderers as England reached 400, and only no more than that because Broad skied a pull.

Next, Wood (5-46) starred with the ball as - except for a singular stand between De Kock and Dwaine Pretorius - South Africa struggled again with the bat.

At 183 all out, the Proteas had once more failed to make it beyond the follow-on target - but, on this occasion, with plenty of time left in the game, Root understandably opted to bat again.

England played fast and loose to pile up a target and still make the best use of the time remaining.

Indeed, such was the South Africans' form with the bat, the 248 runs put on the board in the second innings always looked sufficient to guarantee victory.

So it proved - although at least the hosts did not go down without a fight and their second innings total of 274 was their best effort since the very first innings of the series.

That, in itself, speaks volumes, however - and this sad farewell to fast-bowler Philander has left yet another hole in a side which is now in a complete state of flux.

Until this defeat, it had been 70 years since South Africa had lost two consecutive home series - while this was a fifth defeat in their last six home Tests.

Still, that should not take anything away from England who have had to overcome their own difficulties to produce this excellent comeback victory.

Youngsters Sibley, Crawley and Pope threaten to provide some much-needed stability to the England batting order - while this series has revealed a hitherto unseen depth to the bowling options.

No fewer than eight separate players - Root, Wood, Broad, Anderson, Stokes, Bess, Archer, and Curran - took at least four wickets in a single innings at some point in the series.

Meanwhile, six batsman - Pope (88.66), Sibley (54.00), Wood (47.50), Burns (46.50), Root (45.42), and Stokes (45.28) - averaged more than 40 across the whole campaign.

England may still be some way yet from gaining a reputation as a Test team to be feared at home and away - but this was undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

As a matter of fact, England have indeed moved up one place to third in both the Test rankings and the inaugural ICC World Test Championship behind India, the leaders, and Australia.

The tour to Sri Lanka in March before home series against West Indies and Pakistan appear to present Root's team with further opportunities to close the gap to the top two. 

However, England simply cannot get too carried away.

Young teams often provide exuberance and inconsistency in almost equal measure - and the next step will be just as important as this one has been.

ICC TEST CHAMPIONSHIP 2019-2021

Date	Tests
Aug-Sep 2019	(5)	ENGLAND 2-2 AUSTRALIA
Aug 2019	(2)	SRI LANKA 1-1 NEW ZEALAND
Aug-Sep 2019	(2)	WEST INDIES 0-2 INDIA
Oct 2019	(3)	INDIA 3-0 SOUTH AFRICA
Oct 2019	(2)	PAKISTAN 1-0 SRI LANKA
Nov-Dec 2019	(2)	AUSTRALIA 2-0 PAKISTAN
Nov 2019	(2)	INDIA 2-0 BANGLADESH
Dec-Jan 2020	(3)	AUSTRALIA 3-0 NEW ZEALAND
Dec-Jan 2020	(4)	SOUTH AFRICA 1-3 ENGLAND
Jan 2020	(2)	PAKISTAN v BANGLADESH
Feb-Apr 2020	(2)	BANGLADESH v AUSTRALIA
Feb-Mar 2020	(2)	NEW ZEALAND v INDIA
Mar 2020	(2)	SRI LANKA v ENGLAND
Jun 2020	(3)	ENGLAND v WEST INDIES
Jul 2020	(3)	ENGLAND v PAKISTAN
Jul 2020	(2)	SRI LANKA v BANGLADESH
Jul 2020	(2)	WEST INDIES v SOUTH AFRICA
Aug 2020	(2)	BANGLADESH v NEW ZEALAND
Nov 2020	(3)	NEW ZEALAND v WEST INDIES
Nov-Jan 2021	(4)	AUSTRALIA v INDIA
Dec 2020	(2)	NEW ZEALAND v PAKISTAN
Jan 2021	(3)	BANGLADESH v WEST INDIES
Jan 2021	(5)	INDIA v ENGLAND
Jan 2021	(2)	PAKISTAN v SOUTH AFRICA
Jan 2021	(2)	SOUTH AFRICA v SRI LANKA
Feb 2021	(3)	SOUTH AFRICA v AUSTRALIA
Feb 2021	(2)	WEST INDIES v SRI LANKA
Jun 2021	(1)	FINAL

Pos		Series Won	Tests Won	Tests Drawn	Tests Lost	Points	Runs Per Wicket	Remain
(1)	INDIA	3	7	0	0	360	2.897	360
(2)	AUSTRALIA	2	7	1	2	296	1.604	360
(3)	ENGLAND	1	5	1	3	146	1.068	480
(4)	PAKISTAN	1	1	1	2	80	0.765	480
(5)	SRI LANKA	0	1	1	2	80	0.589	480
(6)	NEW ZEALAND	0	1	0	4	60	0.698	480
(7)	SOUTH AFRICA	0	1	0	6	24	0.521	480
(8)	WEST INDIES	0	0	0	2	0	0.411	600
(9)	BANGLADESH	0	0	0	2	0	0.304	600

• Top two teams qualify for the Final at Lord's in June 2021.
• Teams on equal points are ranked by number of series won then Runs Per Wicket.
• Remain = points still yet to be played for

Points distribution is based on number of matches in a series
(2) 60 points for a Test win, 20 points each for a draw
(3) 40 points for a Test win, 13.3 points each for a draw
(4) 30 points for a Test win, 10 points each for a draw
(5) 24 points for a Test win, eight points each for a draw
NB A team that is behind the required over-rate at the end of a match will have two competition points deducted for each over it is behind

Index 2019

FOOTBALL
▪️ Season 2018/19
30.04 Man City inch closer to historic domestic treble
05.06 For the record: Red-emption for Salah and Liverpool
▪️ Season 2019/20
10.08 Preview: Man City line up title hat-trick
▪️ Euro 2020
17.11 Kane treble leaves England feeling grand
30.11 England and Wales avoid Group of Death

CRICKET
▪️ World Cup
30.05 Preview: England drawn back into the pack
26.06 Hanging by a thread
08.07 Bairstow and Roy send England to the semis
14.07 England win epic Cricket World Cup Final on boundaries
▪️ The Ashes
01.08 England attempt audacious double in Ashes
27.08 Amazing chase
09.09 Scintillating Smith puts Ashes beyond England

RUGBY UNION
▪️ World Cup
19.09 Preview: Rise and shine
14.10 Japan weather the storm to make historic progress
28.10 England meet Boks in Final after beating All Blacks
05.11 Springboks release shackles to leave England kicking stones

POLITICS
▪️ May-Johnson transition
03.05 Conservatives take a kicking in local elections
27.05 The end of May
23.07 Bugger Boris
▪️ General Election
31.10 General Election comes in with the cold
12.12 Johnson's Conservatives crush Corbyn's Labour

MISCELLANEOUS
▪️ Snooker
06.05 Champion Trump triumphs in record-breaking Crucible final
▪️ Ice hockey
11.05 Journey into the unknown for Team GB
▪️ Index
31.12 Index 2019

 

Johnson's Conservatives crush Corbyn's Labour in General Election

GENERAL ELECTION 2019

Conservative majority of 80

	SCOREBOARD	Seats	Diff	Votes%	Diff%
•	Conservatives	365	(+48)	43.6	(+1.2)
•	Labour	203	(-60)	32.1	(-7.9)
•	Lib Dems	11	(-1)	11.6	(+4.2)
•	Scottish Nationals	48	(+13)	3.9	(+0.8)
•	Green Party	1	(-)	2.7	(+1.1)
•	Brexit Party	-	(-)	2.0	(+2.0)
•	Democratic Unionists	8	(-2)	0.8	(-0.1)
•	Plaid Cymru	4	(-)	0.5	(-)
•	Others	10	(+2)	2.8

Turnout 67.3%

EXIT POLL • CON 368 • LAB 191 • LD 13 • OTH 78  • Conservative majority of 86

BORIS JOHNSON received a huge mandate for his promise to "get Brexit done" as the Conservatives crushed Labour in its heartlands in the north, the Midlands and Wales to gain a comfortable majority of 80.
 
On a catastrophic night for Jeremy Corbyn, the Tories took seats such as Blyth Valley, Bishop Auckland, Sedgefield, West Bromwich West, and Wrexham, all of which had been Labour-held since 1935.
 

Leigh - the former seat of Andy Burnham, the current Mayor of Manchester - had been a Labour stalwart since 1922 but has now returned a Conservative MP.

It was a picture repeated all over the country throughout the night from early on when the Blyth Valley result came through just after 11.30pm.

The Sedgefield result - a constituency previously represented for 24 years by former Prime Minister Tony Blair - came in around four hours later.

Well before that, the exit poll at 10pm - giving a Conservative majority of 86 - had caused its usual stir and ultimately proved to be just about as accurate as it was in 2017 when Theresa May lost her majority.

This time, Labour lost by some ridiculous margins in supposedly solid seats and so was also defeated in many other places which had never previously come under consideration for the Tories.

Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire provided the biggest successful swing of the night - 18% - as the Conservatives ended a history of Labour control which stretched back to 1929.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Derbyshire, 87-year-old Dennis Skinner lost Bolsover after representing the area for just short of half a century.

Indeed, it is perhaps difficult to quantify fully what a horror show this election was for Labour on Friday 13th. It really was the nightmare before Christmas for the party.

The unashamedly pro-Remain Liberal Democrats - who stood on a platform of revoking Article 50 - had a similarly poor night following a lacklustre campaign.

Their eventually tally of 11 seats was one fewer than last time as leader Jo Swinson lost her own Dunbartonshire East seat to the Scottish National Party.

Few tears around the country will have been shed for her on either side of the political divide.

The Scottish Nationalists have plenty to smile about, though. Having regressed somewhat in 2017, Nicola Sturgeon's party augmented their already dominant position north of the border.

It may well take another big win in the Scottish Parliament elections in 2021 to transform their dream into reality - but, while Mr Johnson might not like to hear it, the question surrounding Scottish independence is certainly not going to disappear anytime soon.

At least this election has appears to have provided a solution to the Brexit quandary which has stalled the country since the vote to leave the European Union three-and-a-half years ago.

Still, though, Mr Johnson has been re-elected to a country which is in dire need of investment in its public services while Brexit finally gets sorted.

In fairness, the Tories have pledged to reverse some of the damaging cuts made during the post-2010 period of austerity in terms of nurses and police officers, even if they have been rather economical with the truth regarding the actual numbers.

And therein lies the problem, really. Mr Johnson has won this election in spite of his poor personal ratings, aided by the fact that Mr Corbyn's popularity was, of course, worse still.

On the question of trust, Mr Johnson rated woefully - which must surely come as no surprise to a man who has literally been sacked from top jobs for lying - twice.

But Mr Corbyn ultimately had more historical mud which stuck - and, having been an asset to his party when still relatively unknown at a national level in 2017, he was equally a liability for Labour this time.

Labour's vote went down all across the UK - in both strongly Remain and Leave seats - so, while this was a Brexit election, the party must come to accept that Brexit was not the only reason for its defeat.

A period of introspection now follows for the Opposition - might the party have done better with the same manifesto with someone more popular fronting the campaign?

Or if Labour risked replacing Mr Corbyn with a more centrist outlook, how much of its fanatical membership will the party lose - and how many votes might it win back?

Instinctively, it does not feel as if it is going to be pretty either way - and, in the last few years, Labour has given the impression that it specialises in mass infighting.

In any case, the next leadership election will merely provide a potentially messy sideshow to the early decisions of the Johnson government.

Finally, for now, a word on the media - specifically the BBC - which, by any standards, had a wretched campaign from the start.

After a dishevelled Mr Johnson made a mess of placing a red wreath at the Cenotaph, ahead of the silence on Remembrance Sunday, BBC Breakfast instead showed footage of him in much smarter dress placing a green wreath in 2016 when he was Foreign Secretary.

Then there was the rather more serious matter of the BBC editing a clip for its main bulletin to cut out the audience laughter at the Prime Minister during the party leaders' Question Time, after he was asked whether he believed it was important to tell the truth. The edited clip showed only applause.

Now, only the most ardent Corbynite would suggest that the poor editorial decisions of the BBC was truly the reason why the Conservatives have enjoyed so much success in this election at the expense of Labour.

But, in a world ravaged by fake news on social media and newspapers in the traditional media which stick rigidly to their own agenda, it would be difficult to suggest the BBC in any way provided a much better service.

Sky News is now widely available in the UK on Freeview, not just by subscription - and, out of the clutches of Rupert Murdoch, appears to provide a genuinely more balanced output. 

Certainly, it must be said the BBC cannot consider itself to be the almost untouchable national institution which it once was.

GENERAL ELECTION 2019

REGION-BY-REGION

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

• Conservative

Berwick-upon-Tweed - Hexham - Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland | Gains: Bishop Auckland, Blyth Valley, Darlington, North West Durham, Redcar, Sedgefield, Stockton South

• Labour

Blaydon - City of Durham - North Durham - Easington - Gateshead - Hartlepool - Houghton & Sunderland South - Jarrow - Middlesbrough - Newcastle upon Tyne Central - Newcastle upon Tyne East - Newcastle upon Tyne North - South Shields - Stockton North - Sunderland Central - Tynemouth - North Tyneside - Wansbeck - Washington & Sunderland West

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

• Conservative

Altrincham & Sale West - Blackpool North & Cleveleys - Bolton West - Carlisle - Cheadle - Congleton - Copeland - Eddisbury - Fylde - Hazel Grove - Macclesfield - Morecambe & Lunesdale - Pendle - Penrith & The Border - Ribble Valley - Rossendale & Darwen - South Ribble - Southport - Tatton - Wyre & Preston North | Gains: Barrow & Furness - Blackpool South, Bolton North East, Burnley, Bury North, Bury South, Crewe & Nantwich, Heywood & Middleton, Hyndburn, Leigh, Warrington South, Workington

• Labour

Ashton Under Lyne - Birkenhead - Blackburn - Blackley & Broughton - Bolton South East - Bootle -  City of Chester - Denton & Reddish - Ellesmere Port & Neston - Garston & Halewood - Halton - Knowsley - Lancashire West - Lancaster & Fleetwood - Liverpool Riverside - Liverpool Walton - Liverpool Wavertree - Liverpool West Derby - Makerfield - Manchester Central - Manchester Gorton - Manchester Withington - Oldham East & Saddleworth - Oldham West & Royton - Preston - Rochdale - St Helens North - St Helens South & Whiston - Salford & Eccles - Sefton Central - Stalybridge & Hyde - Stockport - Stretford & Urmston - Wallasey - Warrington North - Weaver Vale - Wigan - Wirral South - Wirral West - Worsley & Eccles South - Wythenshawe & Sale East

• Liberal Democrats

Westmorland & Lonsdale

• Speaker

Chorley

YORKSHIRE & HUMBER

• Conservative

Beverley & Holderness - Brigg & Goole - Calder Valley - Cleethorpes - Elmet & Rothwell - Haltemprice & Howden - Harrogate & Knaresborough - Morley & Outwood - Pudsey - Richmond - Scarborough & Whitby - Selby & Ainsty - Shipley - Skipton & Ripon - Thirsk & Malton - York Outer - East Yorkshire | Gains: Colne Valley, Dewsbury, Don Valley, Great Grimsby, Keighley, Penistone & Stocksbridge, Rother Valley, Scunthorpe, Wakefield

• Labour

Barnsley Central - Barnsley East - Batley & Spen - Bradford East - Bradford South - Bradford West - Doncaster Central - Doncaster North - Halifax - Hemsworth - Huddersfield - Kingston-upon-Hull East - Kingston-upon-Hull North - Kingston-upon-Hull West & Hessle - Leeds Central - Leeds East - Leeds North East - Leeds North West - Leeds West - Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford - Rotherham - Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough - Sheffield Central - Sheffield Hallam - Sheffield Heeley - Sheffield South East - Wentworth & Dearne - York Central

EAST MIDLANDS

• Conservative

Amber Valley - Boston & Skegness - Bosworth - Broxtowe - Charnwood - Corby - Daventry - Derbyshire Dales - Mid Derbyshire - North East Derbyshire - South Derbyshire - Erewash - Gainsborough - Grantham & Stamford - Harborough - Kettering - North West Leicestershire - South Leicestershire - Loughborough - Louth & Horncastle - Mansfield - Newark - Northampton North - Northampton South - South Northamptonshire - Rushcliffe - Rutland & Melton - Sherwood - Sleaford & North Hykeham - South Holland & The Deepings - Wellingborough | Gains: Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Derby North, Gedling, High Peak, Lincoln

• Labour

Chesterfield - Derby South - Leicester East - Leicester South - Leicester West - Nottingham East - Nottingham North - Nottingham South

WEST MIDLANDS

• Conservative

Aldridge-Brownhills - Bromsgrove - Burton - Cannock Chase - Dudley South - Halesowen & Rowley Regis - Hereford & South Herefordshire - North Herefordshire - Kenilworth & Southam - Lichfield - Ludlow - Meriden - Nuneaton - Redditch - Rugby - Shrewsbury & Atcham - North Shropshire - Solihull - Stafford - Staffordshire Moorlands - South Staffordshire - Stoke-on-Trent South - Stone - Stourbridge - Stratford-on-Avon - Sutton Coldfield - Tamworth - Telford - North Warwickshire - Worcester - Mid Worcestershire | Gains: Birmingham Northfield, Dudley North, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent Central, Stoke-on-Trent North, West Bromwich East, West Bromwich West, Wolverhampton North East, Wolverhampton South West

• Labour

Birmingham Edgbaston - Birmingham Erdington - Birmingham Hall Green - Birmingham Hodge Hill - Birmingham Ladywood - Birmingham Perry Barr - Birmingham Selly Oak - Birmingham Yardley - Coventry North East - Coventry North West - Coventry South - Walsall North - Walsall South - Warley - Warwick & Leamington - Wolverhampton South East

EAST ENGLAND

• Conservative

Basildon & Billericay - South Basildon & East Thurrock - Mid Bedfordshire - North East Bedfordshire - South West Bedfordshire - Braintree - Brentwood & Ongar - Broadland - Broxbourne - Bury St Edmunds - North East Cambridgeshire - North West Cambridgeshire - South Cambridgeshire - South East Cambridgeshire - Castle Point - Chelmsford - Clacton - Colchester - Epping Forest - Great Yarmouth - Harlow - Harwich & North Essex - Hemel Hempstead - Hertford & Stortford - North East Hertfordshire - South West Hertfordshire - Hertsmere - Hitchin & Harpenden - Huntingdon - Maldon - Mid Norfolk - North West Norfolk - South Norfolk - South West Norfolk - Norwich North - Rayleigh & Wickford - Rochford & Southend East - Saffron Walden - Southend West - Stevenage - Central Suffolk & Ipswich North - Suffolk Coastal - South Suffolk - West Suffolk - Thurrock - Watford - Waveney - Welwyn Hatfield - Witham | Gains: Ipswich, North Norfolk, Peterborough

• Labour

Bedford - Cambridge - Luton North - Luton South - Norwich South

• Liberal Democrats 
Gains: St Albans

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

• Conservative

Aldershot - Arundel & South Downs - Ashford - Aylesbury - Banbury - Basingstoke - Beaconsfield - Bexhill & Battle - Bognor Regis & Littlehampton - Bracknell - Buckinghamshire - Chatham & Aylesford - Chesham & Amersham - Chichester - Crawley - Dartford - Dover - Eastleigh - Epsom & Ewell - Esher & Walton - Fareham - Faversham & Mid Kent - Folkestone & Hythe - Gillingham & Rainham - Gosport - Gravesham - Guildford - East Hampshire - North East Hampshire - North West Hampshire - Hastings & Rye - Havant - Henley - Horsham - Isle of Wight - Lewes - Maidenhead - Maidstone & The Weald - Meon Valley - Milton Keynes North - Milton Keynes South - Mole Valley - New Forest East - New Forest West - Newbury - Portsmouth North - Reading West - Reigate - Rochester & Strood - Romsey & Southampton North - Runnymede & Weybridge - Sevenoaks - Sittingbourne & Sheppey - Southampton Itchen - Spelthorne - East Surrey - Surrey Heath - South West Surrey - Mid Sussex - North Thanet - South Thanet - Tonbridge & Malling - Tunbridge Wells - Wantage - Wealden - Winchester - Windsor - Witney - Woking - Wokingham - Worthing East & Shoreham - Worthing West - Wycombe | Gains: Eastbourne

• Labour

Brighton Kemptown - Canterbury - Hove - Oxford East - Portsmouth South - Reading East - Slough - Southampton Test

• Liberal Democrats

Oxford West and Abingdon

• Green
Brighton Pavilion 

LONDON

• Conservative

Beckenham - Bexleyheath & Crayford - Bromley & Chislehurst - Chelsea & Fulham - Chingford & Woodford Green - Chipping Barnet - Cities of London & Westminster - Croydon South - Finchley & Golders Green - Harrow East - Hendon - Hornchurch & Upminster - Old Bexley & Sidcup - Orpington - Putney - Romford - Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner - Richmond Park - Sutton & Cheam - Uxbridge & Ruislip South - Wimbledon | Gains: Carshalton & Wallington, Kensington

• Labour

Barking - Battersea - Bermondsey & Old Southwark - Bethnal Green & Bow - Brentford & Isleworth - Brent Central - Brent North - Camberwell & Peckham - Croydon Central - Croydon North - Dagenham & Rainham - Dulwich & West Norwood - Ealing Central & Acton - Ealing North - Ealing Southall - East Ham - Edmonton - Eltham - Enfield North - Enfield Southgate - Erith & Thamesmead - Feltham & Heston - Greenwich & Woolwich - Hackney North & Stoke Newington - Hackney South & Shoreditch - Hammersmith - Hampstead & Kilburn - Harrow West - Hayes & Harlington - Holborn & St Pancras - Hornsey & Wood Green - Ilford North - Ilford South - Islington North - Islington South & Finsbury - Lewisham Deptford - Lewisham East - Lewisham West & Penge - Leyton & Wantstead - Mitcham & Morden - Poplar & Limehouse - Streatham - Tooting - Tottenham - Vauxhall - Walthamstow - West Ham - Westminster North | Gains: Putney

• Liberal Democrats

Carshalton & Wallington - Kingston & Surbiton - Twickenham | Gains: Richmond Park

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

• Conservative

Bournemouth East - Bournemouth West - Bridgwater & Somerset West - Camborne & Redruth - Cheltenham - Chippenham - Christchurch - North Cornwall - South East Cornwall - The Cotswolds - Devizes - Central Devon - East Devon - North Devon - South West Devon - West Devon and Torridge - Mid Dorset and North Poole - North Dorset - South Dorset - West Dorset - Filton & Bradley Stoke - Forest of Dean - Gloucester - Kingswood - Newton Abbot - Plymouth Moor View - Poole - St Austell & Newquay - St Ives - Salisbury - North Somerset - North East Somerset - Somerton & Frome - North Swindon - South Swindon - Taunton Deane - Tewkesbury - Thornbury & Yate - Tiverton & Honiton - Torbay - Totnes - Truro & Falmouth - Wells - Weston-Super-Mare - North Wiltshire - South West Wiltshire - Yeovil | Gains: Stroud

• Labour

Bristol East - Bristol North West - Bristol South - Bristol West - Exeter - Plymouth Sutton & Devonport

• Liberal Democrats

Bath

SCOTLAND

• Conservative

Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine - Banff & Buchan - Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk - Dumfries & Galloway - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale - Moray

• Labour
Edinburgh South

• Scottish National Party

Aberdeen North - Airdree & Shotts - Argyll & Bute - Ayrshire Central - Ayrshire North & Arran - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East  - West Dunbartonshire - Dundee East - Dundee West - Dunfermline & West Fife - East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow - Edinburgh East - Edinburgh North & Leith - Edinburgh South West - Falkirk - Glasgow Central - Glasgow East - Glasgow North  - Glasgow North West - Glasgow South - Glasgow South West - Glenrothes - Inverclyde - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey - Kilmarnock & Loudoun - Lanark & Hamilton East - Linlithgow & Falkirk East - Livingston - Motherwell & Wishaw - Na h-Eileanan an lar - Paisley & Renfrewshire North - Paisley & Renfrewshire South - Perth & North Perthshire - Ross, Sky & Lochaber | Gains: Aberdeen South, Angus, Ayr-Carrick & Cumnock, Coatbridge-Chryston & Belshill, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfewshire, Glasgow North East, Gordon, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Midlothian, Ochil & South Perthshire, Rutherglen & Hamilton West, Stirling

• Liberal Democrats

Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross - Edinburgh West - Orkney & Shetland | Gains: North East Fife

WALES

• Conservative

Aberconwy - Brecon & Radnorshire - Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire - Clwyd West - Monmouth - Montgomeryshire - Preseli Pembrokeshire - Vale of Glamorgan | Gains: Bridgend, Clwyd South, Delyn, Vale of Clwyd, Wrexham, Ynys Mon

• Labour

Aberavon - Alyn & Deeside - Blaenau Gwent - Caerphilly - Cardiff Central - Cardiff North - Cardiff South & Penarth - Cardiff West - Cynon Valley - Gower - Islwyn - Llanelli - Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney - Neath - Newport East - Newport West - Ogmore - Pontypridd - Rhondda - Swansea East - Swansea West - Torfaen

• Plaid Cymru

Arfon - Carmarthen East & Dinefwr - Ceredigion - Dwyfor Meirionnydd  

NORTHERN IRELAND

• Democratic Unionists
Belfast East - East Antrim - East Londonderry - Lagan Valley - North Antrim - South Antrim - Strangford - Upper Bann 

• Sinn Fein

Belfast West - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - Mid Ulster - Newry & Armagh - South Down - West Tyrone | Gains: Belfast North

• SDLP 
Gains: Belfast South, Foyle 

• Alliance
Gains: North Down

Euro 2020: England and Wales avoid Group of Death

EURO 2020 FINALS DRAW

12 June 2020 - 12 July 2020
 

	GROUP A  Rome Baku		GROUP B Copenhagen St Petersburg		GROUP C  Amsterdam Bucharest		GROUP D London Glasgow
[A1]	TURKEY	[B1]	DENMARK	[C1]	NETHERLANDS	[D1]	ENGLAND
[A2]	ITALY	[B2]	FINLAND	[C2]	UKRAINE	[D2]	CROATIA
[A3]	WALES	[B3]	BELGIUM	[C3]	AUSTRIA	[D3]	PLAYOFF [C]
[A4]	SWITZERLAND	[B4]	RUSSIA	[C4]	PLAYOFF [D]	[D4]	CZECH REP
			GROUP E  Bilbao Dublin		GROUP F Munich Budapest
		[E1]	SPAIN	[F1]	PLAYOFF [A]
		[E2]	SWEDEN	[F2]	PORTUGAL
		[E3]	POLAND	[F3]	FRANCE
		[E4]	PLAYOFF [B]	[F4]	GERMANY

SEEDING POTS
Teams were seeded based upon their performance during the Euro 2020 qualifiers

Pot (1) Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Spain, Ukraine
Pot (2) France, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Netherlands, Russia
Pot (3) Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic
Pot (4) Wales, Finland, four playoff winners

ENGLAND and Wales were both given seemingly manageable tasks at the Euro 2020 finals next summer after the draw was made in Bucharest last night.

The Three Lions will meet some familiar foes in Group D, most notably a Croatia outfit who they lost against in the 2018 World Cup semi finals but then beat last year in group stage of the inaugural Nations League competition.

Gareth Southgate's men will also face the Czech Republic - who they played twice in qualifying with mixed results - and the winner of Playoff Path [C] which could set up a Battle of Britain clash against Scotland.

England are one of 12 tournament hosts - spread across the width of the continent - with groups having already been allocated to each host nation.

That means if the Scots make it through the playoffs at the expense of Israel and either Norway or Serbia away in late-March, the Tartan Army would also get to watch their own team in two of their three games at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

But, having qualified directly rather than through the playoffs, England will have home advantage in any match between the pair.

Reacting to the draw, Three Lions head coach Southgate said: "I'm never sure whether it's a good draw. We have played two of the teams before and for us to play at Wembley is something special. We are looking forward to the tournament.

"We have to accept that expectations have changed from where we were. We are very critical of ourselves. We would rather be a team that are fancied than a team with no chance."

Wales - who, memorably, reached the last four at Euro 2016 in France - were drawn into Group A, which is headlined by Italy, with matches in the section to be held in Rome as well as Baku in Azerbaijan.

Along with the resurgent Azzurri, the Welsh will also come up against Switzerland and Turkey, neither of whom could exactly be considered as giants on the world stage.

Both did win their qualifying groups, though - and Turkey impressively finished above France - but it could have easily been worse for Ryan Giggs and his fledgling Dragons.

Giggs said: "Logistically looking at it, it's Baku, Baku, Rome, rather than having Rome in the middle - so for the fans it's much better.

"Switzerland are a good team, talented. Turkey were in a group with France and Iceland so have done well to come through that - and Italy have won every game so that will be tough.

"I'll get around and watch the players as much as I can. You hope that, come June, you have a group of healthy players to choose from and if we have that, we're a match for anyone.

"We want to take our chance, just like in 2016."

Of course, Northern Ireland were also in the finals four years ago - and reached the Last 16 before being beaten by the Welsh.

This time, Northern Ireland - like Scotland - will have to navigate their way through the playoffs if they are going to make it into the finals.

Playoff Path [B] firstly takes the Northern Irish to Bosnia-Herzegovina - although, if they win in Sarajevo, they will have home advantage for the final against Slovakia or Ireland.

Meanwhile, Ireland - as one of the host nations - have the additional motivation of knowing they will play two Group E finals games in Dublin if they make it through themselves.

Three-time champions Spain head that section with Sweden and Poland rounding it off.

Elsewhere, the intricacies of the tournament resulted in Group B having been almost completely decided ahead of the draw.

Hosts Denmark and Russia qualified directly and were automatically assigned to the group, of course - while Belgium, as one of only two top seeds without hosting rights, also had no option other than to join them.

That is because Ukraine were the only other non-host among the top seeds - and, for political reasons, the Ukrainians cannot be put into the same section as Russia.

Facing two away games is not something with which the world number one-ranked Belgians were particularly happy - and midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has not been shy about expressing his feelings on the matter.

“It’s a disgrace," he told HLN Sport in Belgium. "For me this feels like competition distortion, a fake competition.

"Football is not really football any more, it's becoming a business."

Nevertheless, the allocation of major finals debutants Finland to the same group will surely go some way to softening the blow suffered by the Belgians.

Meanwhile, Ukraine were instead allocated to Group C - alongside the Netherlands, Austria, and the winner of the lowest-ranked playoff route.

Playoff Path [D] features Georgia versus Belarus and North Macedonia versus Kosovo - with one of those four going on to make it to a finals tournament for the first time.

It would be fair to suggest that the group as a whole does not look like the toughest exercise for the Dutch.

However, the same cannot be said of Group F - and, after much concern that England could get both the current world champions France from pot two and defending European champions Portugal from pot three, the pair were perhaps inevitably drawn together.

Instead, though, they landed in the section headed by Germany in what can only be termed a Group of Death.

At least it would have been in past championships - but, as in Euro 2016, four third-placed teams join the top two from each group in the Last 16 of the competition for the start of the knockout stages.

Therefore, it seems more likely that the Germans, French and Portuguese will all make it through in some shape or form, rather than any of them heading for an early exit.

Rather bizarrely, the foibles of this mis-shapen tournament do not end with the group stage draw - as the path into the latter stages has already been mapped out.

The winners of Group D involving England will take on the runners-up from that top-heavy Group F in Dublin for a place in the quarter finals.

Could it be better then to finish runners-up in Group D and instead run into the runners-up of Group E, most likely Sweden or Poland in Copenhagen?

Either way, if England progress through the group stage, they will head off to neutral territory for the Last 16 - while the hosts of the quarter finals will be Munich, Saint Petersburg, Rome, and Baku.

Of course, both semi finals and the Final itself on 12 July will be hosted back at Wembley - but let us not get too far ahead of ourselves.

After all, not even the full line-up of teams has yet to be decided.

GROUP A

12-June	(8pm)	TURKEY v ITALY	Rome
13-June	(2pm)	WALES v SWITZERLAND	Baku
17-June	(5pm)	TURKEY v WALES	Baku
17-June	(8pm)	ITALY v SWITZERLAND	Rome
21-June	(5pm)	SWITZERLAND v TURKEY	Baku
21-June	(5pm)	ITALY v WALES	Rome

GROUP B

13-June	(5pm)	DENMARK v FINLAND	Copenhagen
13-June	(8pm)	BELGIUM v RUSSIA	Saint Petersburg
17-June	(2pm)	FINLAND v RUSSIA	Saint Petersburg
18-June	(5pm)	DENMARK v BELGIUM	Copenhagen
22-June	(8pm)	RUSSIA v DENMARK	Copenhagen
22-June	(8pm)	FINLAND v BELGIUM	Saint Petersburg

GROUP C

14-June	(5pm)	AUSTRIA v PLAYOFF [D]	Bucharest
14-June	(8pm)	NETHERLANDS v UKRAINE	Amsterdam
18-June	(2pm)	UKRAINE v PLAYOFF [D]	Bucharest
18-June	(8pm)	NETHERLANDS v AUSTRIA	Amsterdam
22-June	(5pm)	PLAYOFF [D] v NETHERLANDS	Amsterdam
22-June	(5pm)	UKRAINE v AUSTRIA	Bucharest

GROUP D

14-June	(2pm)	ENGLAND v CROATIA	London
15-June	(2pm)	PLAYOFF [C] v CZECH REPUBLIC	Glasgow
19-June	(5pm)	CROATIA v CZECH REPUBLIC	Glasgow
19-June	(8pm)	ENGLAND v PLAYOFF [C]	London
23-June	(8pm)	CROATIA v PLAYOFF [C]	Glasgow
23-June	(8pm)	CZECH REPUBLIC v ENGLAND	London

GROUP E

15-June	(5pm)	POLAND v PLAYOFF [B]	Dublin
15-June	(8pm)	SPAIN v SWEDEN	Bilbao
19-June	(2pm)	SWEDEN v PLAYOFF [B]	Dublin
20-June	(8pm)	SPAIN v POLAND	Bilbao
24-June	(5pm)	PLAYOFF [B] v SPAIN	Bilbao
24-June	(5pm)	SWEDEN v POLAND	Dublin

GROUP F

16-June	(5pm)	PLAYOFF [A] v PORTUGAL	Budapest
16-June	(8pm)	FRANCE v GERMANY	Munich
20-June	(2pm)	PLAYOFF [A] v FRANCE	Budapest
20-June	(5pm)	PORTUGAL v GERMANY	Munich
24-June	(8pm)	PORTUGAL v FRANCE	Budapest
24-June	(8pm)	GERMANY v PLAYOFF [A]	Munich

LAST 16

27-June	(5pm)	[38]  RUNNER-UP A v RUNNER-UP B	Amsterdam
27-June	(8pm)	[37]  WINNER A v RUNNER-UP C	London
28-June	(5pm)	[40]  WINNER C v THIRD PLACE D/E/F	Budapest
28-June	(8pm)	[39]  WINNER B v THIRD PLACE A/D/E/F	Bilbao
29-June	(5pm)	[42]  RUNNER-UP D v RUNNER-UP E	Copenhagen
29-June	(8pm)	[41]  WINNER F v THIRD PLACE A/B/C	Bucharest
30-June	(5pm)	[44]  WINNER D v RUNNER-UP F	Dublin
30-June	(8pm)	[43]  WINNER E v THIRD PLACE A/B/C/D	Glasgow

QUARTER FINALS

03-July	(5pm)	(45)  WINNER [41] v WINNER [42]	Saint Petersburg
03-July	(8pm)	(46)  WINNER [39] v WINNER [37]	Munich
04-July	(5pm)	(47)  WINNER [40] v WINNER [38]	Baku
04-July	(8pm)	(48)  WINNER [43] v WINNER [44]	Rome

SEMI FINALS

07-July	(8pm)	WINNER (46) v WINNER (45)	London
08-July	(8pm)	WINNER (48) v WINNER (47)	London

PLAYOFF DRAW
The home team in each of the one-off semi finals was decided on the basis of the respective teams' Nations League ranking. The venues of the four one-off finals in each Path were determined by a draw held on 22 November.

Path
[A]	Semi finals ICELAND v ROMANIA BULGARIA v HUNGARY Final BULGARIA or HUNGARY v ICELAND or ROMANIA	Group F
[B]	Semi finals BOSNIA-HERZ v N IRELAND SLOVAKIA v IRELAND Final BOSNIA-HERZ or N IRELAND v SLOVAKIA or IRELAND	Group E
[C]	Semi finals SCOTLAND v ISRAEL NORWAY v SERBIA Final NORWAY or SERBIA v SCOTLAND or ISRAEL	Group D
[D]	Semi finals GEORGIA v BELARUS N MACEDONIA v KOSOVO Final GEORGIA or BELARUS v N MACEDONIA or KOSOVO	Group C