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Mustafizur Rahman secures Chattogram's place in final after seven-wicket win over Dhaka

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Chattogram will now play Gemcon Khulna in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup final

Mohammad Isam15-Dec-2020Gazi Group Chattogram didn’t make a mistake in their second chance to qualify for the Bangabandhu T20 Cup final, beating Beximco Dhaka by seven wickets in the second qualifier. They are now pitted against Gemcon Khulna in the final on Friday, with both teams being touted favourites from the start of the tournament.After being hammered for 210 by Khulna in the first qualifier on Monday, Chattogram’s bowlers brought back their A-game in this match, bowling out Dhaka for 116 in 20 overs. Dhaka’s constant experiment with their opening pair – they tried their sixth combination today – hardly got them anywhere, while their middle order also failing to put their house in order.Openers Sabbir Rahman and Muktar Ali were removed by the fourth over, caught at midwicket and cover, respectively. Mohammad Naim holed out at deep midwicket five overs later, but captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Yasir Ali gave them a sense of recovery. But both fell in their twenties, like Al-Amin Hossain, who also made 25.From being 94 for 4 at one stage, Dhaka suffered a collapse of 6 for 22. Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets while Shoriful Islam picked up two, as Rakibul Islam, Nahidul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and Soumya Sarkar chipped in with a wicket each.In Chattogram’s reply, openers Liton Das and Sarkar had calmly added 44, until a call for a near impossible run resulted in Sarkar’s run-out for 27 in the seventh over, having struck five fours in his 23-ball stay.But Das and captain Mohammad Mithun nearly had a cakewalk during their second-wicket stand of 57, before both fell to catches at deep midwicket with Chattogram inching closer to a place in the final.Das made a sedate 40 off 49 balls with four boundaries, while Mithun got 34 off 35 deliveries and fell with Chattogram nine away. But Shamsur Rahman and Mosadek Hossain completed the victory with five balls to spare.Going into Friday’s final, Chattogram have a slight advantage of a 2-1 win-loss record against Khulna in this tournament. Khulna, however, have a major disadvantage after having lost the veteran allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is scheduled to leave for the US due to a family reason, and the impressive seamer Shohidul Islam, who too has left the team after his father passed away on Sunday.

Matthew Wade, D'Arcy Short half-centuries keep Hobart Hurricanes' finals hopes alive

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They survived a scare from Jordan Silk, who took the game to the final over with his 78 off 49 balls

Peter Della Penna24-Jan-2021A 145-run opening stand between Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short, the highest of this year’s Big Bash League, laid a sturdy foundation for the Hobart Hurricanes in a seven-run win over the Sydney Sixers, keeping the Hurricanes’ hopes alive of reaching the finals stage. Both made half-centuries in what ended as the joint 12th-best stand in BBL history, leading to a total that was too much for the Sixers to overhaul.The Hurricanes were in control with the ball for the majority of their defense as well, as entering the final over, the Sixers needed 28 to win. Riley Meredith bowled two waist-high full tosses for no-balls, the second of which went for six, thus reducing the equation from an improbable 28 off six balls down to 15 off four. But the Sixers’ last hope was snuffed out two balls later when Jordan Silk heaved a length delivery to Short on the rope at deep midwicket for 78.The Hurricanes are in control of their own destiny for a place in the playoffs, needing a win over the last-place Melbourne Renegades in the regular season finale to keep their season going. Whereas despite the loss, the Sixers only need a bonus point from their final match against the Melbourne Stars to secure their place in the top two, guaranteeing them two shots to make the tournament final.Wade and Short go long
The roaring stand had got off to a quiet start as the Hurricanes’ opening pair only managed four runs off the first 11 deliveries of the match. But a strike over mid-on by Short off Ben Dwarshuis got the ball rolling and spurred Wade to attack Carlos Brathwaite for three more boundaries in the third over, working his way across from midwicket to mid-off before capping the sequence slicing over point. Short then punched two more boundaries through the off side against Jake Ball in the fourth over to keep the momentum flowing, as they ended the powerplay at 33 without loss.The spinners fared no better as Short seized on the introduction of Ben Manenti in the fifth, heaving his second ball over midwicket for six before tonking him straight for another after he switched ends for the eighth over. Wade got to his half-century first off 28 balls, flicking a short ball angled down the leg side for a boundary off Ball to start the 11th, as the century stand was brought up with a single two balls later. The pair called for the Power Surge to begin the 12th as Short surged past 50 off 36 balls in the process, smacking a full toss from Dwarshuis back over his head for six during a 19-run over.The partnership finally came to an end three overs later, as Wade’s license for risk-taking with all ten wickets in hand finally brought about his downfall while ramping Sean Abbott to short third man. Abbott claimed Short as well a few overs later with a well-directed yorker. With the set pair finally gone, the Sixers continued to gain confidence through disciplined death bowling from Ball and Dwarshuis, as five wickets fell off the last 12 balls to give a brief lift to the Sixers while heading into the break.Jordan Silk’s 78 off 49 balls went in vain, as Sydney Sixers fell short in the chase•Getty Images

Short nearly goes from hero to villain
The Sixers suffered an unlucky setback early in the chase when Josh Philippe was given out lbw on a delivery which ball-tracking showed was heading past leg stump. James Vince and Daniel Hughes fell soon after to make it 37 for 3, which could have been even worse had Short held onto a straightforward chance at short midwicket for what would have been Scott Boland’s third wicket in the powerplay. The Sixers meandered through the next several overs as the required run rate reached 11, but captain Moises Henriques jolted the Sixers back to life while taking on Short’s left-arm spin. Consecutive sweeps sailed over the leg side for six and four during a 14-run over, but even bigger damage followed.Henriques flicked Meredith over long-on for six, who created a chance next ball as Henriques mistimed a length ball that fluttered gently towards Short at midwicket. For the second time in the innings, Short spilled Henriques on a painfully simple chance only for the former to rub salt into the wound by smashing Meredith behind square for six off the next delivery he faced in what ended as an 18-run over.Sandeep Lamichanne to the rescue
Nepal legspinner Lamichhane had conceded 13 runs off his first two overs and began his third by leaking a boundary to Silk through wide long-on. But by the end of it, he had inflicted severe damage. Henriques looked like he was going to clear the ropes again when Lamichhane sent down a half-tracker on the fourth ball, which he pulled too fine to pick out Ellis at deep backward square. Silk’s inability to cross strike with the ball in the air meant Dan Christian entered and was straightaway exposed by a googly that ripped past his forward prod to put Lamichhane on a hat-trick at 107 for 5.Whereas Wade and Short blitzed the Sixers in the Power Surge, the Sixers stumbled immediately when trying to utilize it for a rebuild, as Brathwaite chipped Ellis to extra cover at the start of the 15th over. Silk lacked the support to be able to meaningfully attack down the stretch even as he passed 50 off 35 balls. He survived a drop on 58 at fine leg in the penultimate over, but a comeback seemed unlikely until Meredith briefly left the door ajar in the final over with the pair of no-balls. However, Short redeemed himself for the earlier pair of drops by denying Silk a six on the midwicket rope, taking the catch that sealed the match.

IPL 2021 to kick off on April 9; will be played across six Indian cities

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The tournament will be played behind closed doors “to begin with”, and all games will be at neutral venues

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2021IPL 2021 will be played entirely in India, starting on April 9, with the final set for May 30. The tournament will be played across six cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.Chennai will host the tournament opener, in which defending champions Mumbai Indians will face Royal Challengers Bangalore. The playoffs and the final will be held at the Motera in Ahmedabad.In a significant change from previous IPLs played in India, the organisers have decided to conduct all games at neutral venues. The league phase will be played behind closed doors “to begin with”, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media release on Sunday. A final call on if and when spectators will be allowed, Shah said, will be taken at a “later stage” of the tournament.ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is utilising the IPL, a multi-team event, as a dry run for the men’s T20 World Cup, which is slated to be held in India in October-November this year, and thus wants to ensure all precautions are in place accordingly.Eleven double-headers, less travel

This season, the afternoon games – there are 11 double-headers lined up – will begin at 3.30pm IST, while the evening games start at 7.30pm, both 30 minutes earlier than usual start time for IPL games played in India.Each franchise will play at four out of the six venues during the league phase, which includes 56 games. Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata will host 10 games each, while Delhi and Ahmedabad will host eight each. The first 36 league matches will be split across Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi, while the next 20 will be played in Bengaluru and Kolkata in May – this is because elections in West Bengal will be held late March to late April, while, in Bengaluru, it is understood that the floodlights at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium are being replaced.”The fixtures of the tournament have been mapped in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage, thus reducing commute and minimising risk,” Shah said.Venues – the key reason for the delay in announcing the schedule

Immediately after successfully hosting IPL 2020 in the UAE, the BCCI had said it would be hosting the 2021 edition in India subject to the state of the pandemic. The UAE remained a back-up, but having conducted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in India in January, the BCCI was confident of playing the IPL in the country.However, the franchises were concerned as the IPL had not disclosed the final venues with roughly a month to go for the tournament. The reason behind the franchises’ concerns was they had to book hotels, secure visas for overseas players, figure out logistics, all within the framework of the Standard Operations Procedures required to maintain the tournament’s biosecure bubble.With Covid-19 infections on the rise in several places in India, both the franchises as well as the IPL were sceptical about going with the usual routine of eight venues. As per the original plan, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad were meant to host the entire tournament. However, the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, the most severely affected state in India, forced the IPL to rethink. Then, in the second plan, Mumbai was set to be left out as a venue.This week the IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel and the IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin met former BCCI president Sharad Pawar, who is head of the Nationalist Congress Party that shares power in Maharashtra government.The meeting, which was also attended by representatives of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, was called to get the nod from the Maharashtra government for the IPL to run in the state, which has imposed a cap on gatherings even for outdoor sport. The IPL wanted Pawar to allow Mumbai to host, and also to discuss the whether the grounds could be filled to a certain capacity.Why no crowds?

The BCCI wanted to play it safe. This, despite the fact that it had opened the final three Tests of the four-match series against England to 50% capacity. The key reason behind this decision was that the IPL is an eight-team event, as opposed to a bilateral series where two teams can be more easily managed in a biosecure environment.Also, with many of the IPL venues listed, crowds can be in the vicinity of the dressing room and there is always a danger of safety protocols being breached, which could endanger the entire bubble.There is also the upcoming T20 World Cup, which the BCCI will be hosting, to keep in mind. The abrupt suspension of the Pakistan Super League due to Covid-19 cases within the bubble will offer “learnings”, ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney had said, as the global governing body readies for the World Cup that will feature 16 teams. The final schedule for that tournament, including the venues, could be shaped by how the IPL goes.Chennai Super Kings’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rajasthan Royals’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kolkata Knight Riders’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Punjab Kings’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai Indians’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Delhi Capitals’ full schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Martin Guptill leads New Zealand charge to series victory

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Australia’s batting fell away from a solid platform then a century stand took the game away

Daniel Brettig07-Mar-2021New Zealand 143 for 3 (Guptill 71, Conway 36, Phillips 34*, Meredith 2-39) beat Australia 142 for 8 (Wade 44, Finch 36, Sodhi 3-24, Boult 2-26) by 7 wicketsA dreadful finish to Australia’s innings opened the way for New Zealand to rumble to a seven-wicket victory and a 3-2 T20I series triumph, as Martin Guptill and Devon Conway finished the bout the way they had started it in Christchurch.A pair of wins in spectator-free games had allowed Australia to turn up for the final game with a chance to win from 0-2 down, but on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a crowd again present, Kane Williamson’s side scotched early momentum enjoyed by the visitors when Matthew Wade and Aaron Finch were in harness to completely dominate the closing overs and leave a target of just 143 to win. Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult all made valuable contributions.Guptill and Conway, joining forces as openers, then powered to a stand worth 101 to mean that a rapid second spell from Riley Meredith was nowhere near enough to prevent the match and series going comfortably New Zealand’s way. Having been eliminated from the World Test Championship final by India’s victory over England the night before, it has not been a happy 24 hours for the Australians.Wade roused by his demotionOn a surface that promised to be tired by its third consecutive use for a T20I, Finch was very happy to bat first, but with one significant change: switching Josh Philippe up to open and demoting Wade to No. 3 after four underwhelming games. The move did not work out for Philippe, who took a huge swing at his first ball from Boult and was extremely lbw as it swung back just enough down the line of the stumps, but it had the effect of rousing Wade into action.Finding the boundary on either side of the wicket, and taking his runs with equal alacrity off pace and spin, Wade allowed Finch to bat comfortably in his slipstream, and at 74 for 1 in the 10th over a tally of at least 160 beckoned. Even after Finch fell, cutting Sodhi, and Glenn Maxwell picked out deep backward square leg second ball, Australia were well placed at 99 for 3 with seven overs remaining – or so it seemed.Australians swing themselves off their feetIn addition to Philippe, the tourists also elected to promote Ashton Agar to join Wade, but the shuffling did not aid their efforts to build a second set of momentum in the closing overs. Wade found himself starved of the strike once wickets began to fall, and while still seeing the ball well, ended up miscuing a Boult knuckle-ball from the bottom of the bat to find deep midwicket. Marcus Stoinis and Agar threatened briefly, but upon being presented with consecutive friendly full tosses from Sodhi, both found fielders.Mitchell Marsh averted a full tosses hat-trick, and clumped one big blow beyond wide of long-on, but when he was comprehensively yorked by Tim Southee after an ordinary start to the final over, the innings had slipped well away from Australia in terms even of putting up a total beyond 150. The tally for the final seven overs of the innings was to read 43 runs at a cost of five wickets, a strong endorsement of the way Williamson marshalled his bowlers and fielders to frustrate Australia after such a promising start.Martin Guptill regularly peppered the Wellington boundary•Getty Images

Guptill, Conway take controlThe day’s second change in opening partnerships had Conway promoted to start New Zealand’s chase alongside Guptill. This time, the fresh union was to prove decisive to the match and the series, as they were not parted until New Zealand had 100 on the board and a small Wellington crowd dancing in the aisles. There was some useful assistance for spin, and Meredith’s speed was again considerable, but Guptill and Conway got themselves set before launching with telling effect.Thirteen came from the third over, 11 from the fifth, 12 from the sixth and then a monumental 23 from the ninth twirled down by Adam Zampa, including a Guptill six that landed on the “cake tin” lid, aka the roof of the stands. A partnership ultimately worth 101 before Conway’s exit provided a more than useful extra option for New Zealand in terms of their thinking for the T20 World Cup later this year: Conway, though, seems adept at most batting tasks.Meredith’s speed can’t turn the gameFinch brought back Meredith for a final tilt at the rush of wickets needed to turn the game, and the swift Tasmanian was at least able to have plenty of watchers take notice by grabbing two in as many balls. Conway’s slice to deep point was only partly to do with the bowler, but the fast off cutter that pinned Williamson in front of leg stump – meaning Meredith had dismissed the New Zealand captain twice in three balls this series – will be remembered by the Australia selectors.Glenn Phillips’ first few balls from Meredith were also uncomfortable for their sheer pace, but once New Zealand’s No. 4 got used to the velocity, he was able to respond with shots that meant the fast bowler’s analysis was a seemingly unexceptional 2 for 39. That left the stage clear for the finish, as Phillips delivered the series to his side after Guptill fell, swatting Zampa for two sixes in three balls to win with 28 balls to spare.

Babar Azam: 'Fearless is the best way forward'

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‘We have a settled top order and with any one of them going till the end with finishers in late middle order we can easily touch 350’

Umar Farooq01-Apr-2021Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, wants his side to be done with the traditional style of playing one-day cricket. He wants his batsmen to eradicate any sense of doubt in their minds; to be fearless so they can post totals in the region of 350 a lot more often. And all that might just start with the first ODI against South Africa on Friday.Pakistan teams have shown improvement in this regard in the domestic circuit, with run-rates on a steady increase over the past few years – 2016 (5.25), 2017 (6.34), 2018 (6.62), 2019 (6.45). But in 2020 it plummeted to 5.90. The trend of 320-plus scores, however, has increased. There were 15 of these in last year alone – a marked rise from the seven each in 2018 and 2019.Having played only five ODIs since the end of the 2019 World Cup, Pakistan haven’t had a lot of occasion to translate those numbers into international cricket. But the chance has finally come now.”Definitely, we need improvement all the time,” Babar said ahead of the Centurion ODI in a virtual press conference. “You might see a fluctuation in performance between two games but we need to be consistent and with every passing day and the more games we play, we are gaining more experience as a team. We try to go fearless and we understand that is the best way forward. The World Cup is in two years and we have to be consistent in playing a set of players and keep on playing the same combination which will eventually bring in confidence in the team as well as in individual players.”Pakistan have been tweaking their combination a lot lately, but their focus now appears to be on finding a set of seven or eight players who can serve as the team’s nucleus. “When you play the same group of players, this will actually set the momentum and then you see a difference in every aspect of the game either about strike-rate, total we score, or the overall performance,” Babar said. “We definitely have to match up with modern-day cricket and we are figuring out how to adapt the approach.”There is a sense of responsibility among players to keep on lifting their strike-rate and only then we are able to have our required total. We have a settled top order and with any one of them going till the end with finishers in late middle order we can easily touch 350. We have given everyone their individual plans and even they themselves know how to go out and play according to the demanding situations these days. Going fearless isn’t impossible. We have to eradicate this sense that we cannot do it, rather we should instill that we can, we will and we have the capability. We have an approach in mind in line with what is required in modern-day cricket and prepared accordingly.”Pakistan were the first subcontinent side to win a bilateral ODI series in South Africa in 2013-14, and either side of that lost two five-match series by the deciding game. Since 2010, Pakistan has a 6-7 win-loss in 50-overs cricket in South Africa and Babar hopes they can be competitive again.”Of course you have to move on according to the modern cricket and set your targets but you have to be watchful about the opponent’s strength as well,” he said. “They are good at home in their own conditions but we have played well in the past. The difference has been the bounce, but in white-ball cricket, it actually helps batsmen. These are true pitches and as a batsman when you settled in, you have the ball coming on your bat nicely and you enjoy a lot. South Africa have got a good combination but we have our bases covered and expect a good series. We are here with a point of view to win it as the games are going to win us important points for World Cup qualification.”

Rob Yates puts his Gorilla studies on hold to ambush Essex with match-winning century

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First defeat in 22 matches for champions as Warwickshire seal another impressive run-chase

George Dobell25-Apr-2021Warwickshire 284 (Briggs 66, Harmer 4-89) and 256 for 3 (Yates 120*, Hain 60, Vihari 52) beat Essex 295 (Browne 68, Walter 66, ten Doeschate 56, Stone 4-89, Hannon-Dalby 4-73) and 244 (Harmer 82*, Lawrence 55, Miles 4-70) by 7 wicketsAn outstanding century from Rob Yates helped Warwickshire inflict a first defeat on Essex in two years in a slow-burning classic that was decided at 6.10pm on the final evening, with just eight scheduled deliveries of the match remaining.To put the result in perspective, it was Essex’s first defeat in first-class cricket since 2019 – they had gone 21 games without a loss – and the first time since Simon Harmer arrived in 2017 they had conceded more than two – yes two – to lose a game in the fourth innings. Warwickshire, by contrast, went into this game having won only one Division One Championship match (or Bob Willis Trophy match) at home since September 2016. Harmer has not conceded more runs in an innings when he has not taken a wicket in his period at the club.This feels like a significant moment for Warwickshire. Their new coach, Mark Robinson, has only been with the club a few months but already there is an added resilience to their cricket. They have now pulled off two challenging run-chases on successive Sundays, demonstrating not just ability but character. The victory at Trent Bridge gave them confidence, no doubt, but Essex present the toughest test in Championship cricket at present. To go toe-to-toe with them for four days and prevail represents an impressive performance.It will be especially pleasing to them that Yates and Hain should have played such a prominent role in the victory. Both are, to a greater or lesser extent, products of the club’s system – Hain was scouted as a 14-year-old; Yates has played for the county at every level from U10s – and are seen as foundation stones in building for the team’s future. As Robinson put it afterwards, “It feels like we’re heading in the right direction. We’re not perfect, but I hope we’ve made the club proud today.”Related

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He described Yates’ innings – his second first-class century – as “a coming-of-age moment” and it was hard to disagree. A 21-year-old with a year left of his English Language degree at Birmingham University, he should have been studying over the weekend. He has an overdue essay to write on the significance of Gorilla chest beating – yes, really – but instead spent it defying the best team in England over the last few years in front of Alastair Cook, his boyhood hero. Nobody could have measured their innings better.He had made an impression on Cook previously. Indeed, Cook had named him several months ago as one to watch when discussing players with the temperament and well-organised method to go on and play Test cricket. The calm way he judged this run-chase belied his youth and inexperience and suggested Warwickshire may have uncovered a gem. It would be a surprise if he is not still serving them in a decade.He gave his only chance – a sharp edge that flew to slip – when the scores were level. Alastair Cook, of all people, was unable to hold on and Warwickshire scrambled the winning run. Essex, changing at the opposite end of the ground due to Covid protocols, made a point of escorting Yates to the pavilion to ensure he was afforded the ovation he deserved. It was a nice touch at the end of a match which has been played with terrific intensity.”Cook was my idol growing up,” Yates said afterwards. “So to do it in front of him is very special.”It wasn’t until we had about 30 more to get that I thought we had it won. Before then, I thought we had taken defeat out of the equation. But I felt focussed and the guys I batted with helped me through things.”In Hain he had an ideal partner. No one in history (who has played a minimum of 50 innings) has a higher List A average and, with this match resembling a 50-over chase, there were moments when it was Hain who kept things on track. So while Yates, with his conventional approach, might have become bogged down against this fine attack, Hain was able to reverse-sweep Harmer for four or flick Porter over mid-wicket for six whenever it seemed the run-rate was starting to feel uncomfortable. He has now recorded three half-centuries in his four most recent innings and appears to have matured into the senior player this side in transition requires.That is not to say Yates lacked strokes. Like many of the best, he plays within himself for much of the time and likes to build a foundation before unveiling his range. But here he demonstrated a welcome ability to change gear, at one stage skipping down the pitch to loft Harmer for six, at another going deep in his crease to late-cut him for four. In terms of temperament and talent this was a deeply impressive display.It was something of a triumph for the coaching staff, too. Robinson noted, after Yates’ disappointing first innings, that his trigger movements had changed from the pre-season period when he so impressed the coaching staff. So deciding it was best to make an intervention mid-match, he suggested Yates and the club’s batting coach, Tony Frost, arrive early for sessions in the indoor school so he could recover his rhythm and confidence. The results speak for themselves.Hanuma Vihari deserves credit, too. He looked in fine touch in recording his first half-century for the club and did much in establishing the tone of this run-chase. He looked aghast to be adjudged caught behind and may well face some censure for his reluctance to leave the crease. As things stand, he is expected to play one more match for Warwickshire – the game at Durham later this week – before Pieter Malan replaces him as overseas player.Harmer could not have done more to win this game for Essex. After top-scoring for them in their second innings, he bowled an unbroken 26-over spell in Warwickshire’s in which he delivered perhaps one loose ball. And while there was some turn – particularly from the footmarks quite wide of off stump – it was relatively slow and negated by some quality batting.His latter spell was not quite as impressive. Maybe he was tired, or maybe he felt forced to try a few variations as the match slipped from Essex’s grasp. But this was not a case of Harmer bowling poorly so much as it was a case of Yates and co batting exceedingly well. There was little assistance from the conditions or the surface for seamers.Essex will, instead, reflect that they should have scored more runs in their first innings when the pitch was at its best and that they should have held more chances when Warwickshire made their reply. Some of their ground fielding on the final day was also below the high standards they have set over recent years. Both Dan Lawrence and Paul Walter conceded boundaries from mis-fields. Given the final margin of victory, it may have been significant.”It is our first defeat in 22 matches so we shouldn’t get too downbeat about it,” Essex head coach, Anthony McGrath said afterwards. “But it is upsetting. We are not used to losing and the boys are hurting in there but, having said that, all credit to Warwickshire, they paced that innings really well. Nothing should deflect from the quality of their victory.”He’s probably right. The only shame was that Yates did not have the opportunity to walk back to the pavilion cheered on by his club’s supporters. But he has given notice of a significant talent here. You suspect those supporters will have other opportunities to make their appreciation apparent.

Hundred experience will boost India Women's World Cup hopes, says BCCI

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“The idea is for them to get exposure in England,” BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal says

Reuters12-Jun-2021The BCCI has said the participation of its top women players in The Hundred in England will give them much needed experience and exposure to elite opposition ahead of the 50-overs World Cup in New Zealand next year.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow its male players to participate in overseas T20 leagues, though some of the Test specialists play county cricket in England.The inaugural edition of the 100-ball competition, which features eight clubs with separate men’s and women’s teams, begins at The Oval on July 21 and will feature five India players: T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur, her deputy Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and explosive opener Shafali Verma.Related

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Kaur and Mandhana have also previously played in Australia’s Big Bash League.”The idea is for them to get exposure in England,” BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal told Reuters by telephone. “Some of our boys have played county cricket, and that has given them a great opportunity and exposure. We want to take women cricket forward similarly.”This experience will definitely come in handy in the World Cup next year.”After a year without international cricket due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the India women’s team hosted South Africa for a limited-overs series in March and the calendar suddenly looks a lot busier.The team, under captain Mithali Raj, will play their first Test in seven years next week when they face England in Bristol, with the tour also including three ODIs and three T20Is.India will play their maiden pink-ball Test in Australia later this year and there could be more action in September-October if the BCCI can organise the Women’s T20 Challenge in the UAE. The Challenge would run alongside the remainder of the men’s Indian Premier League, which was suspended last month because of the Covid-19 pandemic.”We’re trying to figure out if that can be played with the UAE leg of the IPL,” Dhumal said. “Hopefully we’ll get a window. We’ll have to see venue availability as well.”

16-year-old Noor Ahmad leads Karachi Kings to nail-biting win

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Karachi Kings were given a scare at the death by James Faulkner and Tim David, but held on to keep their qualification hopes alive

Danyal Rasool17-Jun-2021There was almost a repeat of Lahore Qalandars’ stunning win over Karachi Kings earlier this season, but this time, the Kings held on – just, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 7-run win over their biggest rivals.That was in large part to a sensational bowling effort, spearheaded by Afghanistan teenager Noor Ahmad, whose figures of 4-0-19-2 derailed Lahore’s chase at a time when the game hung in the balance. That didn’t mean the game was over, though, with an astonishing onslaught from Tim David and James Faulkner at the end briefly taking the Qalandars to the brink of victory. But when they holed out, the Kings established control again, and despite a brief scare in the final over from Rashid Khan, the Kings finally got themselves into a situation even they couldn’t fluff up.The Kings had won the toss and opted to bat, perhaps buoyed by the way the earlier game panned out, where Islamabad United racked up 247 in the first innings. The innings began somewhat unsteadily and stuttered throughout, with the Kings never quite able to pick up the pace when required, but crucially, never decelerating either. Qalandars were especially profligate in the field, dropping Babar Azam no fewer than three times, and even if Kings’ star batter wasn’t close to his best, his 44-ball 54 helped build a platform that took his side to 176. Martin Guptill at the other end was more free-flowing, and the two combined for an 88-run partnership that ensured Kings would not have to worry about wickets as they chased a final flourish.Lahore began the chase breezily, Fakhar Zaman depositing a couple of sixes off Imad Wasim in the first over, but the wheels soon came off. Mohammad Ilyas got rid of Sohail Akhtar early before Noor began to strangle the batters. The asking rate had ballooned past 16 when he was done with his spell, but lapses of concentration with the ball allowed David and Faulkner to blaze their way to a 24-ball partnership that added 58 runs and left Qalandars needing 27 off two. However, Abbas Afridi had David hole out to long-off, and Qalandars finally had the fight knocked out of them.Noor’s teenage dreamIt’s impossible not to be left awestruck by the magnitude of Noor Ahmad’s talent, embodied as it in within a slight, unassuming 16-year old boy’s frame. When he was brought on in the seventh over, Qalandars were behind in the game, but it was the Afghan teenager who blew them out of the water. He toyed with Mohammad Hafeez – a man who made his debut before Noor was born – in the first over, keeping him honest with a quirky, unplayable mix of googlies, flippers and conventional left-arm legspin. But it wasn’t until the end of his third over that the rewards for his skill began to show up in the wickets column. Ben Dunk, who had been beaten by prodigious turn off the previous ball, was taken at first slip by Azam as he looked to play with the turn.The cherry on top came off the last ball of his spell, though, when Hafeez was finally dealt the knockout punch. Hafeez tried to drive him inside out over cover, but the this particular delivery had been pushed through, and Hafeez struggled to get height on it. It would go straight to Imad Wasim at extra cover, and Noor had his second, conceding just 19 in his spell.Azam’s charmed inningsIt’ll be a while before Azam can complain about fortune not favouring him. After he was perhaps a shade unlucky against Peshawar Zalmi to be deemed lbw when the ball might have missed leg stump, the cricket gods made it up to him, and then quite a bit more. It was only the second over when Dunk grassed an outside edge off Azam’s bat, but lady luck was only just getting to work at that point. He survived an lbw shout from Faulkner by about the breadth of a hair in the fourth over, struggling to quite get his rhythm going.Not that he wouldn’t get further chances. Haris Rauf rushed onto him with a sharp bouncer he skied towards midwicket, where substitute fielder Zaid Alam made a mess of a routine high catch. In the 9th over, he was stranded in the middle of the crease after a mix-up with Guptill, only for Rashid to scupper the run-out chance. Rauf soon turned from aggrieved bowler to the man responsible for reprieving him yet again, putting down an absolute sitter at third man off Ahmed Daniyal’s bowling. Daniyal’s suffering wasn’t over, though as Rashid allowed Babar another life by putting him down at point.It almost seemed as if the Qalandars had forgotten just because he was from Lahore didn’t mean he was on their side. Hafeez finally put paid to the scratchiest of innings from Pakistan’s premier batter, holding onto one at point as Azam finally fell for a forgettable 44-ball 54.The Karachi squeezeA stodgy batting effort from the Kings was followed up by a wayward start with the ball, and for the first three over of the Qalandars chase, elimination beckoned. Thirty-four runs were plundered off the first three overs, with Wasim, Mohammad Amir, and Ilyas all taking a pounding. But Amir’s second over proved a momentum shifter, mixing up changes of pace with a couple of yorkers to put the brakes on. Ilyas carried the momentum from there, a wicket maiden accounting for Akhtar, in addition to putting Qalandars on the back foot. Noor did much of the rest through the middle overs, but without arresting a seemingly irresistible Qalandars top order, the task for the 16-year old would have proved significantly more complicated.Where they standKarachi Kings move up to eight points, and are behind fourth-placed Multan Sultans on net run rate. Lahore Qalandars remain stuck on ten points after their third defeat in a row, but maintain their hold on third place for now.

'I'll remember this day for a long time' – Sophia Dunkley on debut feat

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

England batter reflects on “crazy day” as hosts hit back after Shafali Verma fireworks

Valkerie Baynes17-Jun-2021Two debutants, two excellent Test innings, but Sophia Dunkley said her unbeaten half-century was more about putting England in a good position on the second day of their match against India.Dunkley, the first black woman to play Test cricket for England, was not out 74 when captain Heather Knight declared her side’s first innings on 396 for 9. But her composed knock was somewhat overtaken by that of Shafali Verma, the 17-year-old India opener whose 96 in a 167-run stand with Smriti Mandhana threatened to overhaul the hosts’ impressive total.Related

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That was until five wickets fell for 16 runs in the final hour of the day, leaving India still 209 adrift and England very much back in the ascendancy.”It’s a very exciting day for me,” Dunkley said. “[I was] just trying to get the team in a good position. To get fifty was very, very special and nice to have mum in the crowd.”It’s definitely been a crazy day today, getting a half-century on debut is definitely very special for me, and then going into the fielding innings, [Smriti] Mandhana and Verma got a good partnership going and gave us a few chances at times but things didn’t really go our way.”Then we got the breakthrough and five wickets fell and [it was] really exciting going into the evening and a lot of momentum to go into the morning with as well.”Dunkley had resumed on 12 and, after Katherine Brunt fell on the 12th ball of the day, she shared a 56-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Sophie Ecclestone. She also put on 70 runs with Anya Shrubsole, whose 33-ball 47 spurred England on after lunch.Dunkley overturned an lbw decision that would have seen her out for 46 when her review showed Sneh Rana’s delivery was missing leg stump, and she went on to bring up her fifty by running two after turning Rana through fine leg to warm applause from the stands.”I was just thinking about getting the team in a good place really,” Dunkley said. “It was all a bit of a blur. I was very, very happy but my main aim was to try and get us in a good position to go into the afternoon but to get fifty on the way is a very special moment to me and I’ll remember this day for a long time.”Dunkley played 10 T20 internationals for England in 2018-19 but spent the next 18 months on the fringes of selection, battling for a place in what seemed like an impenetrable top six.But after impressing during some intra-squad 50-over warm-up matches last summer and in the first edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she earned a recall for the final two matches of England’s T20Is series against West Indies.She was part of England’s T20 side which toured New Zealand earlier this year and, after scores of 104 not out, 0 and 92 in this year’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Knight said Dunkley had made herself “impossible” to leave out of the Test squad.Dunkley could also appreciate the feats of Verma, who posted the highest score by an Indian woman on Test debut, showing off the hallmarks of her power game with 13 fours and two sixes as well as the maturity to adapt to the tempo of Test cricket.”She played a few good shots and played a really good innings,” Dunkley said. “We just fought hard and just stuck in there and just trusted that a chance would come.”We did have a few early on close chances but just keep kept fighting and kept being ruthless and it came and I think that that really helped us to get through the end of the day.”

Tom Latham to lead New Zealand in Bangladesh and Pakistan with IPL-bound players unavailable

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Ross Taylor not included for the tours keeping NZ’s upcoming home summer and the red-ball tour of India in mind

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2021Tom Latham will lead New Zealand in the absence of Kane Williamson on their white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh starting September. The opener will stand in as leader on both tours across white-ball formats.Several first team players, including Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson will be unavailable owing to their involvement in the IPL, which clashes with part of the tour.New Zealand take on Bangladesh in five T20Is in September, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is in Pakistan.New Zealand squad for Pakistan ODIs and Bangladesh T20Is•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand chief executive David White said managing players’ workloads and their wellbeing was the main priority ahead of a busy season, with a tour of India and the T20 World Cup to follow the Bangladesh and Pakistan legs.”The need to safeguard the wellbeing of our players and support staff is now very real, and we’ve endeavoured to do this by carefully managing their workloads over this winter’s massive playing programme”, White said. “I’m satisfied we’ve selected strong squads for all our touring commitments this winter. As the Black Caps proved in England earlier this year, we have good depth in the New Zealand game and I’m confident all the squads chosen will acquit themselves well.”Related

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The inclusion of some young players with growing domestic reputations is likely to be one of the more closely watched aspects of the tour for New Zealand. The 21-year-old left-hand batter Rachin Ravindra is in the squad for the T20I tour of Bangladesh and the Pakistan ODIs, while 22-year-old Finn Allen is part of all three squads. Allrounder Cole McConchie and pace bowler Ben Sears are the other uncapped players to travel to Bangladesh and Pakistan.New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20Is•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

White said that the IPL dates coinciding with the Pakistan tour had presented a “unique” challenge. Originally scheduled to be held in April and May, the IPL was postponed midway after a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases. The remainder of the tournament will now be played September 19 onwards in the UAE.”It’s a pragmatic approach,” White said. “We’ve always tried to be realistic about the IPL and this particular issue is very much a one-off, caused by a unique set of circumstances.”The New Zealand Cricket statement said Ross Taylor was originally scheduled to be included for the ODI leg of the Pakistan series. But with quarantine protocols and the fact it will be a three-match series, they decided to rest Taylor keeping the upcoming home summer and New Zealand’s red-ball tour of India in mind. Taylor was also left out of the 15-man squad NZC picked for the T20 World Cup.The squad leaves for Bangladesh on August 23 for the T20I series. After that, they move to Pakistan, their first visit to the country since a five-match ODI series in 2003-04. That tour will start with the first of three ODIs on September 17, followed by five T20Is.Squad for Bangladesh T20Is and Pakistan ODIs: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (ODI only), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (T20 only), Blair Tickner, Will Young.Squad for Pakistan T20Is: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young.