England defeat Pakistan at Headingley as ground set for two-year men’s Test absence
England wrapped up a comfortable victory over Pakistan at Headingley on Thursday as the ground prepares to be without men’s Test cricket for the next two years.
Headingley was omitted from the England and Wales Cricket Board’s allocation for Pat Cummins’s Australia tour in 2027, meaning the venue will not host that men’s Test and will have to wait until 2031 for the fixture, the report said; Old Trafford was also left off the list, leaving no men’s Ashes Test in the north next summer. Yorkshire chief executive Sanjay Patel described the absence as "devastating", and the club’s annual report added: “Any year without a men’s Test match will unfortunately still result in a £2m-£3m loss.” The report also notes Patel’s company SMP73 Limited was paid a commission of £1.75m for "certain services" related to the sale of Northern Superchargers, while Yorkshire’s sale of their Hundred franchise granted them £52.1m and cleared their debts.
On the field, Pakistan’s innings collapsed as Salman Ali Agha’s side failed to construct a lasting partnership and never posed a sustained challenge to England; after two rain-interrupted days, the sunshine and packed stands at Headingley could not produce a close contest. Mohammad Rizwan played his shots but there remained a significant chance the match would finish before the weekend, and England secured their seventh successive Test win at the ground.
Harry Brook was England’s top-scorer, reaching 91 before being dismissed by Ali Usman’s left-arm spin, and remains without the hometown ritual of removing his helmet after a Test hundred at Headingley. Joe Root celebrated what the piece describes as the perfect return, recording his 28th Test victory as England captain — five years after his 27th on the same ground — and he "made a few and grabbed one at leg-slip to get things moving in Pakistan’s second innings."
Headingley’s recent history of memorable red-ball moments was recalled in the wake of a one-sided game: Shai Hope’s twin centuries for West Indies in 2017; Baz-stoked successful chases against New Zealand and India; a tight 2023 Ashes Test; and Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 135 in 2019, when Jack Leach famously wiped his specs.
Club leadership continues to press for change off the field, with Patel and chair Colin Graves pursuing the controversial demutualisation of the members’ club as they seek external investment to improve facilities. Despite the men’s Test absence, a women’s Ashes Test is scheduled at Headingley next June, and there remains a one-day international against Sri Lanka to be played on 24 September.