LONDON: Joe Root set an England record of 34 Test centuries when he reached three figures for the second time in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
Root, who made 143 in the first innings to move level with the previous England record of 33 hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook, went to a century on Saturday’s third day when he cut Lahiru Kumara for the 10th four off 111 balls faced.
It meant Root surpassed his fellow former England captain’s mark. It is Root’s 145th Test compared to Cook’s career tally of 161 matches.
He was last man out for 103 in England’s second-innings total of 251 on the third day. Sri Lanka faced a mammoth target of 483 to level this three-match series at 1-1.
Root’s seventh Test hundred at Lord’s also gave him sole possession of the record for the most Test centuries at the ‘Home of Cricket’ he had shared with the England duo of Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan, who both managed six apiece.
Root also became the fourth batsman to have scored hundreds in both innings of a Test at Lord’s, joining the West Indies’ George Headley (1939), Gooch (1990) and Vaughan (2004).
Gooch’s combined tally of 456 runs against India at Lord’s in 1990, comprising innings of 333 and 123, remains a record for the most runs scored by a single batsman in any Test.
Root’s latest century also moved him into joint-sixth place in an all-time list of Test century-makers headed by India great Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 51 hundreds in 200 Tests from 1989-2013.
The 33-year-old Root is the only batsman in this group who is still an active Test cricketer.
Most Test hundreds (number of hundreds, matches, player, team (s), span):
51 200 Sachin Tendulkar IND 1989-2013
45 166 Jacques Kallis RSA 1995-2013
41 168 Ricky Ponting AUS 1995-2012
38 134 Kumar Sangakkara SRI 2000-2015
36 164 Rahul Dravid IND/ICC 1996-2012
34 118 Younis Khan PAK 2000-2017
34 125 Sunil Gavaskar IND 1971-1987
34 131 Brian Lara WIS/ICC 1990-2006
34 149 Mahela Jayawardene SRI 1997-2014
34 145 Joe Root ENG 2012 -
33 161 Alastair Cook ENG 2006-2018
Joe Root sets new England record of 34 Test hundreds
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Joe Root sets new England record of 34 Test hundreds
- Root made 143 in the first innings to level the previous England record of 33 hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook
- He went to a century on Saturday’s third day against Sri Lanka when he cut Lahiru Kumara for the 10th four off 111 balls
Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Scotland and Austria secure automatic World Cup spots
- Five automatic spots were still available in Europe
- The 12 group winners qualified directly, while the runners-up will participate in playoffs along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024-25 Nations League that did not finish first or second in their groups
LONDON: A stunning bicycle kick and two stoppage-time goals sealed Scotland’s dramatic return to the World Cup after a 28-year wait.
Austria needed a late equalizer to also make it back to football’s showcase event for the first time since 1998, while top-ranked Spain clinched their spot after equaling Italy’s 31-match unbeaten record in competitive games in Europe.
Belgium and Switzerland also secured their places for the 2026 World Cup as European qualifying finished Tuesday. Five automatic spots were still available in Europe.
Scotland beat 10-man Denmark 4-2 in a winner-take-all match in Group C, with Scott McTominay scoring a superb bicycle kick goal three minutes into the match, sending the Hampden Park crowd into raptures.
A draw would have given Denmark the group win and the Danes were in good position after Patrick Dorgu equalized in the 82nd, but Kieran Tierney put the hosts ahead again three minutes into added time. Kenny McLean then sealed Scotland’s qualification eight minutes into stoppage time when he chipped goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from the halfway line.
“We’ve been on a journey. I spoke to them about it pre-match, about how this is the opportunity we’ve waited for. What a night, eh?” Scotland coach Steve Clarke said. “This was the chance, one game. This was like a playoff final. We put everything on the line. There’s always one last step and it’s always the hardest.”
Denmark, which saw Rasmus Kristensen sent off in the 62nd, finished second in the group, two points behind Scotland.
A 1-1 home draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina was enough for Austria to win Group H and return to the World Cup after a 28-year wait, while Belgium routed Liechtenstein 7-0. Switzerland qualified after a 1-1 draw at Kosovo.
The 12 group winners qualified directly, while the runners-up will participate in playoffs along with the four best-ranked group winners of the 2024-25 Nations League that did not finish first or second in their groups.
The playoffs will be played on March 26 and March 31. The World Cup will be played in the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11-July 19.
Spain’s record
Mikel Oyarzabal scored the equalizer in the 62nd minute and Spain drew 2-2 with Turkiye at home to extend their unbeaten streak — which began in a match against Italy in the semifinals of the Nations League in 2023 — to 31 matches in Europe, according to UEFA and Spain’s soccer federation. Italy’s record came between 2018 and 2021. It ended with a 2-1 loss to Spain in the Nations League final.
The only way La Roja would have lost first place was if they were defeated by seven goals or more. Turkiye were second in the group.
“We wanted to finish without conceding a goal. A bittersweet taste, but we’re happy to qualify for the World Cup,” said Dani Olmo, who scored for Spain four minutes into the match in Seville.
Already eliminated Bulgaria beat Georgia 2-1 at home.
Belgium’s rout
Belgium reached their fourth straight World Cup by trouncing Liechtenstein to win Group J. Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku each scored a pair of goals.
Second-place went to Wales after it routed North Macedonia 7-1 at home with a hat trick by Harry Wilson. A draw would have been enough for North Macedonia. Both North Macedonia and Wales were secured in the playoffs through the Nations League.
Switzerland in
Switzerland drew with Kosovo to win Group B and secure their sixth straight World Cup appearance. Switzerland arrived in good position and could have guaranteed their spot even if they had lost by five goals. Kosovo, seeking their first World Cup appearance, had already secured second place.
Sweden, who will be in the playoffs through the Nations League, drew 1-1 with Slovenia.
Already eliminated Greece and Belarus drew 0-0.
Austria hang on
In another winner-take-all match, Austria held Bosnia and Herzegovina to a draw at home to win Group H and make it back to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 in France. Michael Gregoritsch scored the equalizer that Austria needed to qualify in the 77th.
“It was difficult. It was really difficult,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said. “Conceding a goal naturally made it even more difficult. But then we threw everything into it and were eventually rewarded. If Bosnia play like this, they will progress too.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina, who last played at the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, ended second and will be in the playoffs.
Third-place Romania, in the playoffs through the Nations League, routed San Marino 7-1 at home.
