Leeds-Born Coventry Fan Stuns With Explosive Knock Against England Blues
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Media caption: Australia chase down highest Champions Trophy score to beat England in classic
Published on February 22, 2025 with 556 comments.
Josh Inglis has his priorities straight. After hitting the innings of his life a stunning unbeaten 120 runs for Australia against England in the Champions Trophy he promptly checked his phone to learn about an exciting football match back home. Coventry City had beaten Preston North End 2-1, turning what was already a good night into something truly special for Inglis.
For Inglis, who won this crucial cricket match and was born and raised in Yorkshire, supporting the Sky Blues holds significant personal meaning. The right-hander lived on the outskirts of Leeds until he turned 14 and played for the countys youth teams. When he was named Sportsman of the Year at St Mary’s Comprehensive School in Menston, a local award ceremony hosted by his favorite football club, his presentation included an accolade from the famous musical sons of West Yorkshire: The Kaiser Chiefs.
Inglis even admitted that until 2017, he supported England while striving to make it into Australias national team. “Those days are long gone,” said Inglis shortly after propelling Australia to victory with the highest run-chase in the Champions Trophy’s 50-year history.
Image source: Telegraph & Argus
Caption: A young Josh Inglis receiving an award for outstanding sporting achievement from The Kaiser Chiefs at his school, located near Bradford
Inglis moved to Western Australia when he was 15 years old. His mother, Sarah, and father, Martin (born in Coventry), decided the move would give their son new opportunities on a different continent. Over time, any hints of a Yorkshire accent vanished as Inglis adapted his speech patterns to fit Australian life: now sporting a broad Australian accent, he has grown facial hair typical for an Aussie cricketer and addresses the media with his cap backward, donning sliders on his feet.
In this high-stakes match, Australia found themselves at 136-4 when Inglis joined play. England was heavily favored, especially with Adil Rashid spinning away a former teammate from Yorkshire’s second XI days. Nevertheless, Inglis demonstrated exceptional timing and power, hitting the ball all over Lahore and pummeling English bowlers whenever they made errors.
By matchs end, he had played Joe Roots trademark reverse scoop shot over the third man rope to complete a chase of 352 runs, just 15 balls short of the ninth-highest one-day international score in history. While Inglis has experienced ups and downs in his international cricket career, this victory was undoubtedly his breakthrough moment.
“This is what I’ve worked for,” he stated triumphantly post-match. “To come here with a big team from Australia and beat the likes of England? It’s all been worth it.”
Ingliss achievement left England in disarray, especially as they prepare to face Afghanistan next week followed by South Africa two formidable opponents who could pose significant challenges for Buttler if he fails to turn his squad around.
