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West Indies crumbled in their chase after the home side had put up a massive 200 for 6

Shashank Kishore13-Dec-2021
Pakistan were provided a peek into their middle order future in the absence of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. Haider Ali showed why he’s the next big thing, overcoming a slow start before springing the innings to life with a robust 39-ball 68 to set the tone for a dominant batting display. Pakistan’s 200 for 6 was more than sufficient as West Indies unravelled easily against spin. The Karachi faithful went home perhaps wishing for a more even contest.An eventful start
Babar Azam was out second ball after West Indies elected to bowl. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein got one to spin sharply to take the edge to Shai Hope, the wicketkeeper. Then, Fakhar Zaman fell to Romario Shepherd’s change of pace as he toe-ended a slog to long-on. Inside the powerplay, Pakistan were two down and sputtering like a two-stroke engine running on kerosene.Rizwan and Haider’s recovery
Mohammad Rizwan kept the runs ticking along with timely boundaries, extremely quick on the pull. His picking of lengths against pace was immaculate as he raised a 34-ball half-century. However, he had to hold his end of the bargain against spin, especially off Hosein, who finished his four overs with 1 for 19 by the 11th over. At that stage, Haider was on 12 off 14, looking for the big hits without being able to hit them clean. Then, like a flick of a switch, it all turned around.Off the 12th over, he climbed into Odean Smith’s medium pace, hitting him for three fours and six to get his innings going. It proved to be the trigger for a run-surge from there. Under his bus were debutant Dominic Drakes, who also struggled for consistency, as Haider raised his half-century with an 83-metre six. It had come off just 28 balls, with Pakistan at 140 for 2 at the 15-over mark. Off the first ball of the 16th, Rizwan was out as Odean’s running catch around the ropes at deep midwicket sent him back for 78. A 105-run third-wicket stand had been broken.Nawaz’s finish
Rizwan’s exit gave six-hitter Asif Ali the platform to launch into an inexperienced attack, but he managed just 1. With Iftikhar Ahmed too failing, Pakistan needed someone to side with Haider. As it turned out, Mohammad Nawaz did more. His three fours and two sixes blindsided the visitors, who until then were hoping to restrict Pakistan to 180. That was to change, however, as the 19th over by Romario Shepherd went for 21, thereby allowing for a massive finish.Wasim’s rip-roaring spell
First ball: a glorious cover drive on the up. Third ball: a short-arm jab for six. Enough to demoralise a rookie 20-year old wanting to impress the team management? Not Mohammad Wasim. He responded with pin-point yorker to flatten Nicholas Pooran’s off-stump as he was late on the shot. Perhaps he underestimated Wasim’s pace. Then, off the second legitimate delivery off his next over, the sixth of the innings, he struck comeback man Devon Thomas flush on his boot. Gone, he didn’t even bother reviewing. West Indies were 46 for 3 inside the Powerplay.Nawaz, Shadab apply the choke
With the target already looking beyond reach and the asking rate spiralling by the minute, Nawaz and Shadab Khan spun a web around the batters, using the crease and variations in length superbly to tie the batters down. Hope was out lbw sweeping, Shamarh Brooks bowled trying to heave into the leg side and Rovman Powell caught brilliantly by a diving Nawaz at long-on. At 88 for 7, West Indies were in danger of being bowled out well inside 20 overs. However, Odean (24 off 16) and Shepherd (21 off 16) got together to swing their bats for some powerful blows. although they merely served to reduce the margin of defeat.

Teen Dan Lategan scores maiden List A fifty before Kashif Ali’s 80 and Jake Libby’s unbeaten half-century seal result

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Worcestershire Rapids secured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank One Day Cup after cantering to a six-wicket win over Surrey at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Making an unexpected appearance, Gus Atkinson top-scored for the visitors with 60, but Worcestershire’s bowlers took wickets with frequency to restrict their opponents to 266 for 6.In reply, 19-year-old Dan Lategan registered a maiden List A fifty at the top of the order for the Rapids, before Kashif Ali (80) propelled the home side into pole position.Skipper Jake Libby’s unbeaten half-century steered Worcestershire to a comfortable win as the Rapids secured top spot in Group A and now wait to learn who they will face in Sunday’s semi-final.Tom Taylor vindicated Libby’s choice to bowl first as he castled Adam Thomas in his third over of the morning, with a full ball that angled back in and rattled into off stump providing the home side with the ideal start.Ben Foakes joined Rory Burns at the crease as the former England duo looked to steer Surrey back into the contest, but Foakes’ cameo was short-lived as he departed for just 6.Ben Gibbon impressed with an economical spell either side of a brief rain delay, that included the scalp of Burns, who looked impressive on his way to 43 before losing his wicket when he dragged a length ball straight to Rob Jones at short midwicket.Despite being reliant on Gloucestershire’s result against Hampshire that was unfolding simultaneously to events at Visit Worcestershire New Road, only a win would suffice if the Rapids were to stand any chance of hosting a semi-final.Ollie Sykes (36) and Josh Blake (43) both looked to be the batters to kick on, but Tom Taylor (2 for 59) first dismissed the Surrey skipper, before Fateh Singh trapped Blake lbw to reduce the visitors to 160 for 5.Making only his third List A appearance for the club, England star Gus Atkinson showed why his batting capabilities have earnt him a Test match century, as he struck nine boundaries in his 48-ball-60 that took his side up towards 250 in the face of some disciplined Worcestershire bowling.Khurram picked up his second wicket as he removed Atkinson to stall the visitors once more, but some lusty blows from Nikhil Gorantla saw the away side finish their 49 overs 266 for 6.Brett D’Oliveira and rising star Lategan catapulted the hosts to a flying start, with D’Oliveira making an enterprising 45 as the pair added 83 for the first wicket.Lategan continued in the wake of his opening partner’s dismissal, recording his maiden List A half-century from 45 balls, but he could only add four more before he was bowled by Sykes.Kashif Ali showed no signs of slowing, making a typically explosive start to his innings by racing to 34, as Worcestershire passed 150 in the 21st over.Libby, averaging 62 in this year’s competition as he made his way to the middle, helped guide the Rapids beyond 200 despite losing Kashif in the process for an exhilarating 80 from 58 balls, caught in the deep looking to clear the boundary.Yousef Majid (2 for 57) returned the best figures for Surrey on a day where only one bowler registered an economy below six-an-over.With the required run rate dropping below two-an-over, Libby guided his side to victory.

Beuran Hendricks, Dane Peterson, Pieter Malan and Rudi Second also in line to make their Test debuts

Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2019South Africa have named six uncapped players in their squad for the first two Tests against England, the first of which begins on Boxing Day. Fast bowlers Beuran Hendricks and Dane Paterson, opening batsman Pieter Malan, allrounder Dwaine Pretorius, wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second and middle-order batsman Rassie van der Dussen are all in line for a debut.Aidem Markram has also been named in the squad after he had fractured his wrist while on tour on India and hasn’t played since, but Lungi Ngidi, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring tear ahead of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) playoff, was not considered. The squad includes only a single specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj, with Dane Piedt and Senuran Muthusamy both left out from the party that toured India. Theunis de Bruyn, the No. 3 batsman, was the biggest casualty from the India whitewash and has been dropped while allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo has been recalled.”The high number of uncapped players coming into the squad is a reflection of our policy to acknowledge players who do well at franchise level and have put their hands up for selection,” Linda Zondi, CSA’s recently reinstated independent selector, said.Paterson is the best example of that. He is second on the list of wicket-takers in the 4-Day Franchise Series, with 18 wickets at 21.55. The leading wicket-taker, Malusi Siboto, was not considered while the third-placed bowler, 19-year-old Gerald Coetzee, suffered a hamstring injury at the Mzansi Super League (MSL) and will play in the Under-19 World Cup instead. Paterson’s competition is likely to be Hendricks, who has only played in two first-class matches this summer and has taken three wickets at 32.33.”Paterson has been the second leading wicket-taker in four-day cricket this season, including a seven-wicket haul in an innings, and we want to go into the Test series with a full arsenal of fast bowlers who have always provided one of our traditional strengths. Beuran Hendricks is also part of this strategy and adds variety to the attack as a left-arm swing bowler,” Zondi said.This means South Africa’s first-choice attack is likely to be made up of familiar names: Rabada, Philander, Maharaj and the recently-capped Anrich Nortje. Paterson and Hendricks could come into the mix if an all-pace attack is considered, especially at the usually spicy Centurion wicket where the first Test will be played.South Africa may also consider a seam-bowling allrounder, which is where Pretorius and Phehlukwayo could be in contention. Pretorius has recovered from a broken hand he suffered during the MSL, and is fit for today’s final. Phehlukwayo, meanwhile, has been a regular white-ball player for South Africa. He has played just four Tests – two against Bangladesh, one against Zimbabwe and one against India – but scored 156 runs in six innings and took five wickets in his three matches for Dolphins this summer. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in February, was not considered because of a back injury.South Africa’s bigger conundrum will be in the batting line-up, where everything from Elgar’s opening partner to the middle order is up for debate. Markram has not played any cricket since punching a wall in Pune, but will have a chance to prove his worth in a round of 4-day fixtures starting Thursday. If he doesn’t impress, Malan may come into the reckoning. He lies 10th on the list of run-getters, with 199 runs in six innings at an average of 33.10, identical figures to his younger brother Janneman, who has also been overlooked.At No.3, Zubayr Hamza has been preferred to de Bruyn, who scored 82 runs in five innings in India (one as a concussion substitute) before being dropped. De Bruyn has instead been picked in the South Africa A side that will play England in a warm-up match from Friday, and could make a case for selection during the second half of the Test series. Temba Bavuma will captain the A team, which also includes Reeza Hendricks and Kyle Verreynne, both of whom may consider themselves unlucky to have missed out on the Test squad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Verreynne sits fourth on the first-class run-charts and Hendricks ninth, but van der Dussen is the batsman the selectors have gone with for the first two Tests.Van der Dussen was South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer during the World Cup where he showed remarkable composure. He also hung around the Test squad for the first match in India before returning home to score 307 runs in three matches for the Lions at an average of 76.75, including one hundred and two fifties. Van der Dussen is currently 10th on the Franchise 4-day charts and third on the averages.The wicketkeeper position, which has been Quinton de Kock’s for most of his career, is also in competition. Second, who was included in the squad to tour India but withdrew after an injury, is back in contention. Second has scored 220 runs in four Franchise first-class matches this season at 31.42 and has been included in the squad, leaving no room for Heinrich Klaasen, who made his debut in India.The A team, meanwhile, will be coached by former Test opener Ashwell Prince, and includes MSL stars such as batsman Pite van Biljon and bowler Nandre Burger. Prince will be assisted by former national assistant coach Malinbongwe Maketa and former Warriors coach Piet Botha.”The selection of the A side to play England in a three-day tour match is confirmation of our policy to make this team our official South African second XI and it has a good mix of experienced and young players,” Zondi said.Squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Beuran Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Pieter Malan, Aiden Markram, Zubayr Hamza, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second, Rassie van der DussenSouth Africa A squad: Temba Bavuma, Nandre Burger, Theunis de Bruyn, Reeza Hendricks, Pieter Malan, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Piedt, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman, Pite van Biljon, Kyle Verreynne

Former 2nd XI player has had successful stints in global franchise tournaments including CPL

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2023Donovan Miller, the former Essex 2nd XI player whose coaching credentials include stints in charge of Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League and Jozi Stars in South Africa’s Mzansi Super League, has been appointed the club’s Pathway Fast Bowling Lead Coach.Miller, 43, also assisted England’s World Cup preparation in 2019 and worked closely with the Ashes squad. He has also previously worked with several current Essex first-team bowlers, including Jamal Richards, Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and Aaron Beard, who have all graduated through the Club’s academy system.”I want to thank Essex Cricket for giving me this opportunity,” Miller said. “I have been involved with the county in different roles for several years and it’s an environment I know very well with there being some exciting talents right throughout the pathway.”The chance to help develop the next generation of bowlers excites me. Furthermore, the county is very flexible regarding the franchise work I have been involved with and continue to encourage me to gain more experience abroad.”I was in the final interview process for a head coach role with another first-class county however, when this opportunity comes along at a county I call home, I decided to take on the role.”In 2021, Miller was assistant coach at St Kitts and Nevis Patriots when they won the CPL, after which he spoke out about his lack of opportunities to prove his coaching credentials in English cricket.”It feels as if I have to work 250 times harder to achieve half as much as some other coaches,” Miller told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t think of myself as a boastful man, so this is not easy to say but, if you look at my record, it is far better than many of those who seem to go from job to job without problem.”

They put up a 96-run first-wicket stand to take India to a strong total as Bangladesh fell 59 short in the chase

Sruthi Ravindranath08-Oct-2022A superb batting display from openers Shafali Verma – who also picked up two wickets – and Smriti Mandhana helped India bounce back from a loss to Pakistan to secure a 59-run win against Bangladesh in Sylhet. With this win, India also put one foot into the semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup.Mandhana and Shafali put up a 96-run first-wicket stand in 12 overs, following which Bangladesh fought to pull back things a bit. But Jemimah Rodrigues stepped in and made sure India did not lose the momentum, bringing up an unbeaten 24-ball 35 to take India to 159 for 5. Bangladesh were never in the chase from the outset, as they dawdled to 48 for 1 after 10 overs against India’s disciplined bowling, ending up with 100 for 7 in their 20 overs.Mandhana, Shafali lead the way
With Harmanpreet Kaur out with a niggle, Mandhana had said at the toss that they were targeting a total of 140-plus, and she looked set to achieve that from the get-go. With Shafali by her side, she started aggressively, coming down the track to hit Fariha Trisna and Salma Khatun for boundaries. Shafali then took over, slamming a six and two fours off Trisna’s second over. The duo feasted on Nahida Akhter’s left-arm spin in the sixth over, taking her for 17 runs, which included four fours. India’s score at the end of the powerplay stood at 59, the highest in this tournament so far.The duo used their feet adeptly, often trekking out of their ground to work balls into gaps. Bangladesh struggled to create chances as they let the stand go past 91 in the 10th over. But they finally found some relief – with the partnership just four short of touching 100, a mix-up resulted in Mandhana’s run-out for 47 at the non-striker’s end.It was a much-needed fifty for Shafali. She had scored a 39-ball 46 against Malaysia earlier this week following a slew of low scores. Her last T20I half-century had come in March 2021, against South Africa in Lucknow. She did not make the XI in the match against Pakistan, though she kept gloves while wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh was off the field due to a heat-related issue. With the Bangladesh bowlers bowling too straight, she targeted her favoured leg side and looked effortless doing that, as she brought up her half-century off 40 balls – her first fifty in 20 T20Is. Her innings came to an end in the very next over, when she missed a reverse sweep off Rumana Ahmed and was bowled.Rumana jolts India, but Rodrigues continues fine form
Rumana came back in the 17th over and dealt India further blows. With the run rate already having dropped after Mandhana’s dismissal, Rumana struck back-to-back in the last two deliveries of the over to remove Ghosh and Kiran Navgire to get her tournament tally to eight wickets. But in the very next over, Rodrigues struck two boundaries to ease the pressure. Rumana missed her hat-trick opportunity when she came on to bowl the 19th over and dropped a caught-and-bowled chance off Rodrigues. The batter then went on to slog-sweep Rumana for a four a couple of balls later while Deepti Sharma helped amp up the run rate with a six over long-on. Rodrigues had helped push India’s total to an above-par 159 for 5.Bangladesh stumble in chase
Bangladesh had to go at eight an over to chase the total down. But a superb effort by the India bowlers in the powerplay meant the openers couldn’t attack as much as they would have liked. Sneh Rana drew first blood, breaking the 45-run opening stand, following which Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana, who was coming off a 34-ball 53 in the match against Malaysia, joined Fargana Hoque at the crease in the 10th over, with the required run rate having zoomed above 10.With Fargana struggling at one end, Sultana made sure she compensated by showing intent to attack. She went after left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, scoring two boundaries off her in the 12th over. But wickets kept falling at the other end, with Deepti removing Fargana for a 40-ball 30 and Rumana departing for a duck after a run-out.Sultana continued to find the gaps occasionally but found no support, with Bangladesh needing 69 off 12 balls. She was one of the victims of Shafali’s double-strike in the 19th over, falling for a 29-ball 36. Bangladesh huffed and puffed to 100 for 7 as they went down by 59 runs.

Ahead of his expected debut, Jofra Archer warns England not to expect ‘miracles’ but says he is ready for Test cricket

Andrew Miller at Lord's12-Aug-2019Two days out from a Test match that England cannot afford to lose, a metaphorical passing of the baton took place on the Lord’s outfield. James Anderson, the captor of 103 Test wickets at 23.89 on this hallowed ground, walked almost unnoticed past a press huddle beneath the Media Centre, where the new Lord of Lord’s was sheepishly holding forth on the Test debut that he has still yet to make.For the second time this season – or even the third, if you take his ODI and World Cup debuts as incremental step-ups in expectation – Jofra Archer is braced to make another Rumsfeldian leap into the known unknown.His methods, his mien, have been so scrutinised and mined for so long, it is once again all too easy to overlook the truth of his situation. Archer is not the messiah, he is a 24-year-old international rookie whose evisceration of Gloucestershire twos at Blackstone last week can’t entirely disguise the fact that he has not played first-class cricket for 11 months and counting.ALSO READ: Nicholas: England’s allrounders give Root options and flair“I’ve got to make my debut first. If selected, I’ll probably be over the moon,” Archer said, with typical deadpan accuracy, when quizzed on his readiness for action. “I don’t know how to feel as yet.”But when you’ve won a World Cup at the first time of asking, and done it the hard way too, by claiming 20 wickets at 23.05 before withstanding unconscionable pressure to close out the decisive Super Over in the most emotionally fraught sporting finale of all time, ordinary expectations no longer apply. If General Melchett were presiding over the tactics for the coming week, he’d be granting permission to get really rather carried away.No pressure then, Jofra. It’s only England’s 18 years of home Ashes hegemony at stake.”What I would say is don’t expect any miracles firstly,” Archer said. “I can’t work miracles – I’ll try to, but I don’t think that’s how it might pan out. I’ll try my best and I can only give my best.”Nice try, but it’s not going to wash. Archer’s challenge in the coming days is not to play down the expectation, but to reframe it to manageable proportions.For Australia, certainly, are ready and waiting. Justin Langer, their coach, has declared himself “really curious” to see how Archer goes, speaking in bullish tones of getting him into his “second, third and fourth spells” and testing his physical endurance in the wake of a much-reported side strain that left him in “excruciating” pain at the latter end of his white-ball stint (but which, he now reports, is “never better” after a week’s R&R in Barbados).Up and running: Jofra Archer prepares for a potential Test debut•Getty Images

And yet, not for the first time this summer, Archer has exuded a sense of belonging ahead of his grand unveiling, and one that belies his softly spoken responses.Part of that, you sense, stems from his obvious delight in doing what he does for a living. After all, it is not for nothing that Archer’s “Jofradamus” reputation precedes him in the media – his litany of archival tweets wouldn’t be capable of “predicting” each and every event in this summer’s itinerary were it not for the fact that he has clearly been emotionally invested in the rhythms of his sport for years.And as a consequence, he may not be able to tell you yet how he will feel to walk through the Long Room in his whites to open the bowling in a Lord’s Ashes Test, but you can be surer than most debutants that he’ll have an idea of what to do when he gets there.”I’m probably more ready than I’ve ever been,” he said. “I’ve bowled 50 overs in one game already for Sussex [on his Championship debut against Essex in August 2016] and I’m usually the one bowling the most overs anyway. I think Justin Langer has another thing coming.”And therein lies an under-appreciated truth about the groundwork to Archer’s career. For all that he has made his mark globally with his pace and variety in 24-ball outings on the global T20 circuit, it was his red-ball education for Sussex that earned him those opportunities in the first place. And for all that his three first-class seasons at Hove pale in the public imagination compared to his subsequent white-ball exploits, a haul of 131 wickets at 23.44 is not an insubstantial body of work.”I’ve played a lot more red-ball than I have white-ball. I do think it’s my preferred format anyway,” he said. “Test cricket is pretty much almost the same as first-class. You know what you’ve got to do, you know what your strengths are. Especially to stick with them.”Red-ball isn’t really shown on TV so a lot of people won’t know, and looking at the scorecard, it doesn’t really tell the full story of how a game panned out anyway. But it was actually the first format I played in when I started at Sussex. It was a bit hard to get into the white-ball team, I think I played the second half of the red-ball season and only two white-ball games.”Ben Stokes was in jofra Archer’s ear during the Super Over, and all over him afterwards•Getty Images

As for the Lord’s factor – such a significant aspect for your average aspirational debutant – well, without being glib about such things, it’s safe to presume that the old ground will harbour nothing but happy memories following that unforgettable last visit in the World Cup final, if not serve up anything approaching such all-or-nothing jeopardy over the coming five days, no matter how many times he is sent back to the well by an insuperable Steve Smith.”It was a really, really good day,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing most of the guys that were in the Test team were part of it as well, so I don’t think I’m the only person that will feel that way. But when I came in today it looked a bit different. All the World Cup boards were down. It just looked normal again. It’s a good ground to come back to and hopefully we can keep up our winning ways here.”Those winning ways, incidentally, don’t quite extend to his only visit here for Sussex in red-ball cricket – but on a personal level he is exonerated for their 55-run defeat against Middlesex in August 2018. With eight wickets in the match, including 5 for 69 in the second innings, he not only carried his side close, but made a strong early acquaintance with the infamous Lord’s slope.”I think the slope did have a hand in some of the dismissals,” he said. “If one nips down the slope it’s a good ball, if it doesn’t nip down the slope it’s still a good ball. The margin of error sometimes can be a lot bigger than at most other grounds.”Whether that might help him to formulate a specific plan against Smith, however, remains to be seen.”I think my ideas will be the same as the guys, it’s just that the guys haven’t been successful. He played really well at Edgbaston, I think he had a day out – or days out – but Lord’s is a bit different to Edgbaston. Hopefully one can do a bit more coming down the slope and hopefully he gets out for 90 runs less.”

Australia’s Test stars make a quiet return while Nathan Ellis doesn’t notice his hat-trick

Andrew McGlashan15-Jan-2023

Slow start for Test players

The much-heralded return of Australia’s Test starts didn’t quite begin with a bang. Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with 46 in Brisbane Heat’s win over Adelaide Strikers where Travis Head and Alex Carey made three runs between them. David Warner couldn’t really get going against Perth Scorchers although there wasn’t much he could have against the yorker from Riley Meredith that cleaned him up in Hobart. Likewise for Usman Khawaja, he got a good delivery from Harry Conway in the game against Strikers. Steven Smith was in good touch against Scorchers at the SCG but Nathan Lyon didn’t have things all his own way as Nick Hobson sent him for a 105-metre six.

Lynn departs

Chris Lynn won’t see out the competition with Strikers after his much-publicised deal which allowed him to leave early to join the ILT20 after there had been a chance of him missing the BBL entirely. But he’s certainly brought value and departs as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer (he and team-mate Matt Short are way out in front). Early in the tournament Lynn couldn’t quite make the most of his starts, but he turned that around with consecutive scores of 87, 64 and latterly an unbeaten 69 off 37 balls as Strikers piled up 202 against Melbourne Renegades.Related

• Renegades take Melbourne derby thriller as Stars bottle chase

• Nathan Ellis hat-trick, Tim David's sixes hand Thunder their third straight loss

• Abbott helps down leaders Scorchers to keep Sixers in touch at the top

However, whether he’ll be back next year remains uncertain. “You can’t say ‘no, I don’t want to come back’ or ‘I’m locked in’ or whatever it may be,” Lynn said. “There’s a lot of conversations to be had and I’m sure the right decision will happen.”

Davies a shining light amid batting woes

Sydney Thunder’s batting is stuttering badly (although not quite 15 all out badly) which is putting their finals prospects at risk. However, Ollie Davies is building himself a very good season. He has now passed 300 runs – one of just five batters to do it so far – with two more impressive innings. He was head and shoulders above the rest of the Thunder batting against Scorchers with a rapid half-century then also top-scored against Hurricanes amid another top-order collapse.

Memories of the derby final

In a re-run of the 2018-19 when Renegades and Stars faced off, it was a question of how did Stars manage to lose that? The Melbourne derby clashes have certainly not been dull this season with the first game lit up by Adam Zampa’s failed attempt at a run out backing up. In the return fixture Renegades again came out on top when Stars somehow failed to complete their chase having needed 21 off 25 balls with seven wickets in hand. Kane Richardson was superb and Will Sutherland held his nerve in the final over with 12 to defend, but it compounded what is becoming a miserable season for Stars. Injuries haven’t helped – Glenn Maxwell has missed the whole tournament and Marcus Stoinis recent games with a hamstring niggle – and it has left their campaign all-but done.

Hurricanes’ relief

Hobart Hurricanes nearly messed up a chase of their own. Needing 132 against Stars, they were seemingly home with ease at 94 for 1 in the 12th over before mayhem set in. Caleb Jewell had made 70 off 44 balls out of those 94 runs when he departed with Hurricanes then almost falling in a heap. Tim David fell over his own bat as he was run out and the rest of the middle order disappeared to a range if indiscreet shots. No. 10 Nathan Ellis, captaining in place of the absent Matthew Wade, walked out with three needed in the 18th over and finally got the job done, although even the winning runs came from a thick inside edge. However, after that alarm, earning back-to-back wins with victory over Thunder made it a good few days for Hurricanes.

Performance of the week

It felt like a good week for the bowlers. Jason Behrendorff was superb against Heat as was Sean Abbott against Scorchers at the SCG as he made it three three-wicket hauls in a row. But Nathan Ellis takes it for his 4 for 27 against Thunder, a career-best T20 haul, which included a hat-trick that he didn’t notice. Having removed Matthew Gilkes with the last ball of the fourth over, Ellis did not bowl again until the 15th when he had Davies superbly caught at cover before spearing one through Nathan McAndrew but the time between overs meant the significance of the moment passed him by.

The opener was dropped four times on the way to his second BBL hundred

Peter Della Penna05-Jan-2020D’Arcy Short made the hosts Perth Scorchers pay for a sloppy fielding display, making the most of a string of reprieves to post the slowest century in the history of the Big Bash, but one that served to set up victory for the Hobart Hurricanes by eight runs in front of more than 30,000 on Sunday night. Short was spilled on 21, 38, 53, and 68 in an explosive but charmed knock, striking seven sixes by the end of his innings as he brought up three figures on the final ball that served to produce a total which wound up being just out of reach of a valiant effort led by Mitchell Marsh in pursuit.The Hurricanes victory was all the more impressive in light of injuries to James Faulkner before the night began and Riley Meredith during the match itself as an understrength bowling unit withstood a late charge from the hosts. The Hurricanes moved up into fifth place with the win while the Scorchers sit in seventh on the BBL points table.Short’s record long stayThe Hurricanes opener set a new mark for the most deliveries spent at the crease to reach three figures in the history of the Big Bash League, taking 70 balls to do it for his second career ton in the BBL and first since an unbeaten 122 two seasons earlier against the Brisbane Heat. He had some help along the way though, including a pair of key assists from Tim David.Getty Images

The Singapore international David took four excellent catches and produced a runout in a brilliant fielding display to help knock off Scotland in a thriller at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai this past October, but his fielding on Sunday night was unrecognizable from that occasion. The easiest of the four chances offered by Short was the first one of the night put down by David, who charged in from the sweeper-cover boundary in the fifth over for a skied drive off the bowling of Matt Kelly. But David nearly overran the ball while covering the ground and as he slid to cushion the catching attempt, the ball wound up clanging off his chest instead of his hands and wound up going to ground.It was Short’s 14th delivery at the time and he continued to struggle for rhythm by the time he was dropped again. Three balls after Liam Livingstone broke the opening stand having Caleb Jewell caught at long-on, Livingstone could not hold onto a sharp one-handed return chance, which pushed Short to 39 off 38 balls.Short used his feet to strike Ashton Agar over long-on in the 13th for six and a single later in the over took him to a 44-ball fifty. Another tough return chance was put down by Jhye Richardson in his follow-through in the next over before Fawad Ahmed was the last bowler to miss out on claiming Short in the 16th. David could not clasp onto a top-edged sweep at deep backward square for what would have been another double-wicket over after Fawad claimed David Miller with a missed sweep. Short then struck three sixes in his final two overs, including a scoop over fine leg on the final ball of the innings to bring up his ton.Perth’s Rocky PowerplayThe Scorchers chase was blunted by three wickets in the first 15 balls. Having just struck two boundaries, Livingstone was overambitious in attempting a third in a failed attempt to go across his stumps to scoop Meredith’s 145 kph pace and was bowled for 13 in the second over. Cameron Bancroft’s waft outside off stump in the third gave Scott Boland a wicket. Boland then dropped Marsh on the first delivery to the Scorchers captain but the fumble caromed onto the non-striker’s stumps with Josh Inglis comfortably out of his crease.However, the Hurricanes early inroads were neutralized somewhat by an injury to Meredith in the fourth over. The fast bowler began clutching at the left side of his ribcage mid over and had to come off the field by the end of it. He never returned, leaving Hurricanes captain Ben McDermott pondering his options to fill in two overs later on.Mitchell Marsh is quite strong down the ground•Getty Images

Marshalling the FightbackScorchers captain Marsh kept his side in the hunt with a 75-run partnership alongside Cameron Green. He was content knocking singles while waiting for loose balls to hit for six that rarely came, however. The stand ended when Nathan Ellis pinned Green leg before missing a flick to midwicket for 33. Chris Jordan was promoted to No. 5 but fell three balls later swatting a half-tracker from legspinner Qais Ahmad to Short at long-on.After a few lusty blows from David, Boland struck in the 16th with a slower ball before Marsh’s stay finally came to an end for 48 with a skied flick to deep midwicket to make it 129 for 7. A late flurry from Richardson made the scorecard more flattering for the Scorchers, who entered the final over needing 29 to win with two wickets in hand and wound up eight runs short.

The current application of the rule, he says, would make it very difficult for any former India player to take up a new role

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2019Former India captain Sourav Ganguly does not agree with the existing conflict-of-interest rule within the BCCI constitution, which supports the one-man-one-post concept. Ganguly, who was found to be breaching the rule recently, said the BCCI had to make the conflict rule more “practical” and allow people to perform multiple roles.Ganguly has been a strong opponent of the conflict rule ever since he and his former team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were accused of being in conflict. All three were part of the inaugural Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) set up by the BCCI to make hig-profile cricketing appointments including that of India head coach.Ganguly, who is president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, is also on the coaching staff of the IPL team Delhi Capitals, and has also been doing media work as a commentator and columnist. Laxman writes columns in newspapers and is also a commentator in addition to being a mentor at Sunrisers Hyderabad.The Committee of Administrators (CoA) asked the BCCI’s ombudsman, Justice (retired) DK Jain to adjudicate. Tendulkar withdrew himself from all the BCCI committees even before the final judgement was released. Eventually Justice Jain found merit in the allegation and confirmed that under the BCCI constitution both Ganguly and Laxman were in breach of the conflict rule since they were performing multiple roles.”I wouldn’t say an exception be made to the rule [for celebrated former players such as himself, Tendulkar and Laxman, but] the rule has to be practical,” Ganguly said on Friday, during an event in Mumbai.If the rule remains in its current form, every former India player would find it impossible to take up a new role, Ganguly said. He took the example of Rahul Dravid, whose possible conflict of interest has been put in the spotlight by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, the same person who pulled up Laxman and Tendulkar.Recently Dravid took charge as head of cricket at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Gupta has said this will put Dravid in a conflict of interest since he is also employed by India Cements, which is owned by the former BCCI president N Srinivasan. Justice Jain is yet to pronounce his findings in the Dravid case, even though the CoA has given him its view, which is that he is not in conflict since he has frozen his employment with India Cements.Rahul Dravid has been tasked with turning the NCA into a high-performance centre•Getty Images

“And what is conflict of interest?” Ganguly asked. “Today Rahul Dravid is appointed NCA head and there are issues about his conflict of interest of his job with India Cements. So you’ve got to be practical on that. You never know whether you would become NCA head or not, three years later you may not remain NCA head, but these jobs are permanent and these jobs remain with you. So it has got to be practically solved – even when you do commentary or coaching, I don’t see it as a conflict of interest. “Ganguly also took the examples of former players from other countries performing multiple roles, such as the former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is head coach of Delhi Capitals. “Look at Ricky Ponting. He coaches Australia (Ponting is a consultant with Cricket Australia), he commentates, he is commentating in the Ashes now, and in the month of April next year he will be with Delhi Capitals.”I really don’t consider this as a conflict of interest; because these are all skill-based. You don’t decide whether you commentate or whether you coach or you are part of a franchise, because of your skill you get picked by people, and I don’t think it can be a conflict. It has to be bit more precise otherwise everything is going to be conflict.”Ganguly pointed out that the conflict issue had to be taken seriously, otherwise every appointment would be questioned. He provided the example of Vikram Rathour, the former India opener who is set to become India’s batting coach from September. Rathour, who was part of the previous national selection panel, has been facing conflict allegations since he is a relative of the former India offspinner Aashish Kapoor, who is the chairman of the junior men’s selection committee.Ganguly said it was “ridiculous” to call Rathour’s case one of conflict. “I was reading in the newspaper that there is issue of Vikram now with conflict with Aashish Kapoor being a junior selector. I find it ridiculous. If somebody else is a junior selector and somebody else is batting coach, how does it influence and how it is conflict? So these things need to be a lot clearer. I am firm believer that skills have to be kept separate because you cannot influence skills, it’s about one’s judgement of who’s better and who is not better.”Speaking at an event in Delhi on Wednesday, former India opener Virender Sehwag had also weighed in on the conflict-of-interest issue.”I understand that if I am a selector, and I have a cricket academy, then I might pick boys from my academy,” Sehwag said. “But as a coach, I don’t understand how will I be in conflict of interest if I have a cricket academy. Or if I am part of any association, then I cannot become a selector.”

England are in the process of rebuilding their T20I team, while Bangladesh, in what isn’t their favourite format, have made a whole host of changes

Mohammad Isam08-Mar-2023

Big picture – England favourites despite missing stars

England will hope to keep their white-ball juggernaut rolling in the first of three T20Is against Bangladesh, to be played in Chattogram on Thursday. This is England’s first time out in their T20I strip since becoming world champions. Up against them are Bangladesh, who are pretty good in ODIs – though they just lost the series 2-1 to England – but quite a way behind in T20Is. So Bangladesh will start as the underdogs if one considers recent records and overall quality of personnel.Keeping that in mind, Bangladesh have made a lot of changes to their squad, bringing in five players including newcomer Towhid Hridoy. Shamim Hossain has come in after two years and Rony Talukdar after eight years. While Talukdar has done consistently well in domestic cricket – he was the BPL’s second-highest scorer this season – Shamim’s return was probably based on one good knock in this season’s BPL, the 51-ball 71 for Rangpur Riders against Fortune Barishal.Related

• How might England line up for their World Cup defence?

• Bangladesh determined to develop big-hitting skills

Bangladesh have also included fast bowler Rejaur Rahman Raja and left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam, perhaps as reward for their BPL performances. Tanvir was the top wicket-taker in the competition with 17 wickets in 12 games at an economy rate of 6.36, while Rejaur picked up 13 wickets in eight games at an economy rate of 8.41.England have a T20I squad similar to their ODI set-up, with Ben Duckett and Chris Jordan coming in to add firepower. They are, however, without Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Alex Hales and Liam Livingstone, a development that prompted Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha to call it an “experimental” squad.But he was quick to point out that he would take notes from how England rebuild their team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, to be player next year. That’s how good England are at the moment.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLWLW
England WWWWL

In the spotlight

Rony Talukdar has made his international comeback after eight years, when, in 2015, he played a solitary T20I against South Africa. It’s a rare occurrence in Bangladesh, where once a player is dropped, it is usually the end for him. Talukdar has scored consistently in domestic cricket, and capped it with a strong run at the BPL this season. He scored 425 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 129.17, often giving Riders fast starts.England would be hoping for Phil Salt to start the T20I series with a big score. He managed only 54 runs in the three ODIs, and that came after he had scored just 37 in two ODIs against Australia in November. His last big show in international cricket was against Pakistan, in a T20I in Lahore in September last year, when he made an unbeaten 88 in 41 balls. It’s time to get some runs.

Team news

Hridoy and Talukdar are likely to be in Bangladesh’s playing XI, and they are leaning towards three fast bowlers. They usually don’t use spinners at the death in T20Is.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rony Talukdar, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Mustafizur RahmanEngland don’t have too many players to choose from because of injuries. It is likely that Reece Topley, who is nursing a slight niggle, and Mark Wood will miss out from the first game.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Rehan Ahmed, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra ArcherEngland have not played a T20I since winning the World Cup last year•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

The first T20I will be played on the same pitch where the third ODI was played earlier in the week. So expect a slow pitch and no real lateral movement. The weather will be dry.

Stats and trivia

• This is the first bilateral T20I series between Bangladesh and England. They have played each other only once before in the format, at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where England won by eight wickets.
• Bangladesh have played 106 T20Is since Talukdar’s solitary appearance in 2015. If he plays on Thursday, he will have the longest gap between T20I appearances, beating Adil Rashid’s 92 missed matches between 2009 and 2015.
• If picked, Rehan Ahmed will become England’s youngest men’s player in T20Is as well. He has already set the same record in Tests and ODIs. The previous youngest for England in T20Is was Stuart Broad at 20 years and 65 days.
  

  Quotes

  “[England] have a very settled 50-over team. They are experimenting with the T20 team. I don’t think the team that won the 2022 World Cup will play in 2024 World Cup. That’s why they are trying new players. They are systematically building the team towards that. We can keep an eye on how they do it, as well.”
  “It’s a great opportunity for us to hopefully lay down a marker again as world champions. We haven’t played a series since we won that World Cup so it’s a challenge for us in these conditions but it’s exciting to play here against obviously a very good Bangladesh side.”