IT’S not just England’s cricketers who like playing in the summer. With the temperature soaring in both Malta and Manchester, the nation’s footballers have scored 11 goals in the space of four days to move another major step closer to qualifying for next summer’s European Championships.

Admittedly, the standard of the opposition over the course of the last two games has been poor, but in comprehensively disposing of both North Macedonia and Malta, Gareth Southgate’s side have avoided the kind of pitfalls that previous England sides have sporadically experienced. Roll on Germany next summer to see if the final hurdle of succeeding in a major tournament can finally be overcome.

Bukayo Saka was the star performer last night, claiming his first hat-trick in an England shirt as he maintained the sizzling form he was displaying for Arsenal throughout this longest of seasons. Harry Kane weighed in with his usual two goals, another one of which came from the penalty spot, with Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips completing the scoring.

The seven-goal victory was England’s biggest since they hit double figures against San Marino in 2021, and came against a North Macedonia side that, while limited, do boast a degree of recent international pedigree, having beaten both Germany and Italy in the last two-and-a-half years. Last night, they did not know what had hit them, such was the vibrancy of England’s attacking and the scale of the threat posed by their opponents’ front three in particular.

Southgate will justifiably feel as though he is in an extremely good place just one year out from the Euros, with all the signs pointing towards next summer’s squad boasting an experienced core comprised of hungry, improving players who have taken England to the last eight of the last two major tournaments.

Last night’s starting side boasted a combined total of 590 senior caps, making it the second most experienced team in English football history. A lot can happen in the space of 12 months, but it would be a major surprise if the vast majority of those who played last night were not also featuring in Germany next summer.

England’s players initially had to be patient last night, but once they made the breakthrough, they were rampant. Saka saw an early effort saved by Macedonian goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and John Stones directed a tenth-minute header over the crossbar from a corner, but for most of the first half, England’s midfielders were unable to unlock the opposition defence.

Had the Macedonian backline been able to hold out until half-time, a degree of tension might have begun to build within the home ranks. Instead, England’s captain fantastic kicked off the scoring with a goal that means he has now scored in 21 of his side’s last 22 matches in the qualifying tournaments for either the Euros or World Cup.

Rashford started the move that led to England’s opener, releasing Luke Shaw towards the byline on the left-hand side of the box. Shaw slid a low cross across the face of the area, and from eight yards out, Kane swept a first-time finish into the net. When he scored again later on in the night, England’s all-time record scorer took his tally to 58 goals for his country.

Saka started the night 39 goals behind him, but finished it a goal closer to his skipper’s record mark. The Arsenal forward has now scored seven goals in his last seven international matches, and while he might have been a promising youngster looking to break into the England team at the last Euros, he will head into the next major tournament as a fundamental part of Southgate’s first-choice line-up.

His opening goal last night was a fine one, with Saka taking a couple of touches to set himself in the area after Kyle Walker played the ball in from the right before rifling an excellent finish into the roof of the net.

That made it 2-0 to England, and a third goal arrived on the brink of half-time as Macedonia’s previously-disciplined resistance collapsed entirely.

Kane’s willingness to close down those around him enabled him to win back possession in the opposition half, and he slipped a low pass infield to Henderson, who squared across the area. Rashford had missed a decent chance moments earlier when he shot at the goalkeeper, but the Manchester United forward made no mistake second time around as he fired home a low finish from the edge of the six-yard box.

The floodgates had opened, and Saka completed his hat-trick in fine style with two goals in the opening six minutes of the second half.

His second of the evening was the pick of England’s collection as he effortlessly controlled a high ball that was dropping over his shoulder in the right channel. A couple of juggling touches took him to the edge of the area, from where he lashed a vicious dipping strike that flew past a helpless Dimitrievski.

His treble was sealed four minutes later, with Kane turning provider as he sent him galloping through the middle. Saka steadied himself as he broke into the box before slipping home a slick low finish.

Southgate sent on four substitutes with the game effectively over, and one of them, Phillips, scored England’s sixth midway through the second half. Jack Grealish’s cross was cleared to the Manchester City midfielder, who was left with the easy task of slotting home.

Six became seven with 17 minutes left, with Kane drilling home his second successful spot-kick of the week following last Friday’s effort in Malta after Stones was wrestled to the floor from a corner.