All posts by csb10.top

Lanning and Rodrigues fifties help Capitals start Delhi leg with a win

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Delhi Capitals couldn’t have asked for a better start in their home stretch. They saw off the Mumbai Indians quite comfortably courtesy half-centuries from Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues, before all their bowlers enjoyed a wonderful evening out. They’re now perched at the top of the standings with eight points and a healthy net run rate that increasingly looks difficult to catch.The match had plenty of moments: dropped catches, stunning wrist work, cuts with precision, a world record broken and prodigious swing from a veteran. The result, though, was mostly one-way traffic, with Mumbai left to regroup quickly after a demoralizing defeat.Related

  • Innovative Jemimah Rodrigues makes it count with boundary-laden half-century

  • Shabnim Ismail bowls fastest recorded ball in women's cricket

Ismail shatters record on return

It was a loud thud into Lanning’s pad in the third over. The umpire was unmoved and Ismail had hands on her head. Unknowingly, though, Shabnim Ismail had shattered the record for the fastest recorded delivery in women’s cricket. It was clocked at 132.1kph. The same Ismail, who was walking with a slight limp four days ago in Bengaluru, was firing away.

The drop, shovel and send-off

Ismail should’ve had Shafali Verma in the same over, when she miscued an attempted cross-batted swat to mid-on, but Saika Ishaque grassed the opportunity. Ismail was seething. But there was more agony in store, when Shafali hit her for back-to-back sixes in the next over; the bottom-handed shovel down the ground like a body blow. But Ismail had the last laugh when she had Shafali nicking off next ball. Ismail roared, gave Shafali a mouthful along with a send-off. It broke a dangerous opening stand as the Capitals ended the powerplay at 56 for 1.Meg Lanning hit two sixes in her 53•BCCI

Lanning comes into her own

Early in her innings, Lanning connected a full-length ball Nat Sciver-Brunt served up. It went soaring over the long-on boundary and Lanning held her shape until the ball bounced onto the seats. It told you how much she enjoyed it. It told you Lanning was in the mood, an avatar of hers we hadn’t seen yet in WPL 2024.After the first six, her range of shots got better. The trademark cuts were there, she pulled well, even to deliveries that hardly bounced, showing how much control she had and how well she was maneuvering the low bounce, and in general, seemed to enjoy taking the spinners on.She was particularly severe on legspinner Amelia Kerr, taking her for a sequence of 4, 6, and 4 in the 12th over. Soon enough, she raised her third half-century of the season off 36 balls with her patented cut. She fell playing a pull, brilliantly caught at deep midwicket by Kerr.

The Jemimah Rodriguesshow

When Lanning was dismissed, Rodrigues was on 8 off 8. And going into the last five overs, she was on 13 off 14. Then she flicked a switch. She decided it was time to go, and she took down the bowlers by following a simple mantra. She set her base by shuffling outside off, crouching low and then allowing herself to react.When Ismail went slow and full outside off, Rodrigues swung her cleanly into the midwicket fence. When she went wide yorker, Rodrigues scythed her over point. And when Pooja Vastrakar bowled short, Rodrigues helped her along to the fine leg boundary.There was more in store, as she sliced and lofted Sciver-Brunt for 17 off the penultimate over, accessing all corners of the field. The last five overs produced 69, and Rodrigues finished 69 not out off 33 balls; quite an astonishing acceleration after failing to connect early on in her innings.

Mumbai flattened early

Yastika Bhatia was out in the first over, defeated by Marizanne Kapp’s skid to be bowled. Sciver-Brunt was castled in the second, playing all around a Shikha Pandey inswinger. When Harmanpreet Kaur fell in the fourth, getting a leading edge to point off Kapp, it was nearly curtains for Mumbai.They kept hurtling from one wicket to another from there on, with only Amanjot Kaur and S Sajana offering some kind of fight to make 42 and 24 not out respectively to reduce the margin of defeat that puts Mumbai in a slightly precarious position with three league games remaining.Jess Jonassen, who forced her way into the XI three games ago, seems to have now made the allrounders’ spot her own, having now picked up eight wickets on top of the leaderboard.

Josh Little's record 6 for 36 puts Ireland 1-0 up

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Josh Little returned the best-ever figures for an Ireland player in ODIs to help his team claim a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket win.Little blew away the Zimbabwe top-order with four wickets – including three in an over – reducing the hosts to 19 for 4. Ryan Burl, Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza all held fort for a bit as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 166 in 42.5 overs with Little claiming 6 for 36 in 10 overs. In reply, Curtis Campher struck a 71-ball 66 as Ireland completed a win in 40.1 overs.Sikandar Raza elected to bat under blue skies, but was in for a rude awakening. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe struck two fours off Mark Adair but failed to keep a Little short-of-a-length ball down pulling to George Dockrell who took a good catch diving forward. Two balls later Miton Shumba poked at an away-swinger only to offer Lorcan Tucker a simple catch behind the stumps. Little struck for the third time in the fourth over when Joylord Gumbie’s tough stay at the crease ended with him bottom-edging an in-decker back onto his stumps.Zimbabwe were reduced to 16 for 3 after four overs and Little added to their miseries by taking out their captain Raza the next over, who also chopped a length ball onto his off stump.Burl and Madande then staged a brief revival. The duo added 45 off 74 balls for the fifth wicket with Madande being the aggressor scoring a 42-ball 33. He did get a life on 5 when Harry Tector dropped a tough chance at backward point but grew in confidence. His innings was ended by Andy McBrine with deep midwicket moving excellently to his left.Brandon Mavuta came and went as Zimbabwe were reduced to 70 for 6 in 22 overs. But Burl and Masakadza stemmed the collapse through a 63-run stand for the seventh wicket.Masakadza came in and whacked Little for two fours before clobbering McBrine into the stands over deep midwicket. Burl, too, having been circumspect till then broke the shackles by depositing Graham Hume over mid-on.Tector then broke the promising stand by taking out Burl before Little came back to complete his first five-wicket haul in ODIs by removing Masakadza and then cleaned up Ngarava for 1. Mark Adair closed out the Zimbabwe innings in the 43rd over. Burl, who was ruffled by a Little short-ball in the 10th over was concussed out of the game and replaced by Tony Munyonga in the second innings.Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher put up a 43-run stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

The surface was not a belter for batters and Andy Balbirnie found that out straightaway when he saw his off pole take a walk first ball courtesy of a Richard Ngarava away-swinger. Paul Stirling got off the mark with a crisp drive but Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani kept things tight. Stirling was dropped by the keeper on 13 but failed to cash in, getting castled by Muzarabani soon after. Ireland could only manage 29 for 2 after the first powerplay with the two frontline seamers bowling unchanged.The first-change bowler Tanaka Chivanga, however, failed to keep up the pressure. He leaked 15 runs off his first over with Campher taking him for three successive fours. Muzarabani then went four two fours in his next as Ireland kept chugging away.Tector and Campher added 52 for the third wicket before the former was bowled by a peach of a legbreak by Mavuta. Campher, though made sure to keep going and found an ally in Lorcan Tucker.The two pushed Ireland closer to the target when rain interrupted play with the visitors on 101 for 3 after 25, needing 66 off 25 overs. Campher hobbled off into the changeroom holding his side at the rain break but made it back into the middle once play resumed.No overs were lost but Zimbabwe did strike a couple of blows to cause a few flutters in the Irish camp. Campher reached his fifty off 58 balls and then struck a couple of fours. But Mavuta soon had him clean bowled when he missed a sweep to a full-length ball. Muzarabani then saw the back of Tucker for 28 as he finished with excellent figures of 10-2-23-2.Adair and Dockrell, however, kept their composure adding 34 for the sixth wicket. Dockrell fell when just a run was needed for victory before Adair closed the game with a ramp over the wicketkeeper’s head.

Ngidi ruled out of India T20Is with ankle sprain, also doubtful for Tests

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the T20Is against India with a left ankle sprain and is also in doubt for the two-match Test series.Ngidi was due to play in the first two T20Is and then a domestic four-day match starting on December 14 in preparation for the Tests. But he will now be assessed by Cricket South Africa’s medical team before a decision is made on his availability for that fixture.Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who has played 19 T20Is for South Africa but none since July 2021, has been called up as a replacement.That leaves South Africa without three first-choice bowlers for the T20Is, after Kagiso Rabada was rested for the series and Anrich Nortje was ruled out for the entire tour as he recovers from a lower-back stress fracture. But they still have a strong selection of quicks to pick from. Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams, Ottniel Baartman and Hendricks, along with allrounders Nandre Burger and Andile Phehlukwayo, are all in the current squad. However, Jansen and Coetzee will be released after the first two games to play red-ball cricket ahead of the Tests.None of the frontline quicks will play in the ODIs, with Baartman and Williams to lead an attack that includes Burger, Wiaan Mulder and uncapped Mihlali Mpongwana.South Africa’s two experienced spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, have been included in both white-ball squads with Maharaj also part of the Test set-up.

Stop-clock trial begins with T20I series between West Indies and England

by csb10.top Uncategorized

The first T20I between West Indies and England on Wednesday will see a stop clock used for the first time in international cricket. Part of a six-month experiment announced last month by the ICC, the stop clock will aim to restrict the time taken between overs and quicken the pace of play.The bowling team will need to be ready to bowl the first ball of their next over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. After two warnings, a third default by the bowling side will result in a five-run penalty imposed against them.The third umpire will start the clock at the completion of an over – the countdown would be displayed on the big screen at the ground, too. In case the batters have called for equipment change, drinks or if there is an injury break, and the 60 seconds are over the fielding time will not be penalised.In the scenario where the bowler is ready, but the batter is not ready, the match officials will deduct the time allowance from the batting team. For example if the batting team exceeded their allowances by two minutes, and are fielding second, then that additional time will be deducted from the overall time which could potentially lead them incurring both in-game and financial penalties if they fail to finish the overs before the cut-off time.As it stands, the stop clock will be used only in men’s ODIs and T20Is and goes one step further from the ICC’s change in playing conditions from 2022 where slow over-rates would force fielding sides to keep one fewer fielder outside the circle in the final over of a game. These in-game sanctions are in addition to any monetary fine that teams have to pay for slow over-rates under the ICC’s playing conditions.Stop clocks aimed at speeding up play are not new in sport. In major tennis tournaments, a player gets 25 seconds to get ready to serve between points. The idea of a stop clock in cricket was proposed in 2018 by the MCC’s World Cricket Committee that included Ricky Ponting, Saurav Ganguly and Kumar Sangakkara, among others, to reduce the ‘dead-time’ between overs in international games.The five-match T20I series between West Indies and England runs from December 13 to December 22, with the sides playing the series opener in Bridgetown, then moving to St George’s for two fixtures and finishing the series with two matches in Tarouba.

ILT20 Season 2: Warner, Shadab, Wood, Rayudu among high-profile overseas signings

by csb10.top Uncategorized

David Warner, Mark Wood, Shadab Khan and Ambati Rayudu are among the major overseas players signed up for the second season of UAE’s ILT20, which will start in January next year. Warner and Wood, rivals at the Ashes recently, will team up at Dubai Capitals, while Shadab joins Pakistan team-mates Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan at Desert Vipers.Rayudu, who retired from all Indian cricket after IPL 2023 and is currently playing in the CPL, has been signed up by MI Emirates, while Martin Guptill and Maheesh Theekshana will play for Sharjah Warriors alongside Lewis Gregory.Apart from Warner and Wood, Capitals have also signed up Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sam Billings. Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Ravi Bopara and David Willey have been signed up by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman, part of Capitals last season, has moved to defending champions Gulf Giants. Qais Ahmed, meanwhile, has moved from Giants to Warriors.Related

  • Ashes stars Brook and Crawley headline BBL draft nominations but schedule crunch looms

  • Warner to fulfil BBL commitments with Thunder before heading to ILT20

  • Shaheen Afridi signs with Desert Vipers for three seasons

  • Hales, Russell, Narine, Hetmyer among top retentions

  • ILT20 2024 to kick off on January 13

Kusal Perera, Akeal Hosein and Corey Anderson have been drafted in by MI Emirates apart from Rayudu. They have also acquired up and coming Sri Lanka mystery spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar and Noshtush Kenjige have been picked by Giants and MI Emirates respectively, while Bas de Leede and Roelof van der Merwe are the two Netherlands players in the mix, as part of Vipers and Capitals respectively. Scotland team-mates Chris Sole and Mark Watt will be part of Warriors while Brandon McMullen is part of Knight Riders.The last stage of the squad-building process will involve selecting the UAE players.The second season of the ILT20 will run more or less concurrently with the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, and will overlap with the last stages of the BBL, too. That aside, there’s England’s five-Test tour of India starting January 25, which could force players like Root and Wood to leave the ILT20 early.

The squads at this stage

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New signings: Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara and Sam Hain
Retentions: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah KhanDesert Vipers
New signings: Adam Hose, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Retentions: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu HasarangaDubai Capitals
New signings: Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nuwan Thushara, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings
Retentions: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar RazaGulf Giants
New signings: Dominic Drakes, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Saurabh Netravalkar and Jamie Smith
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron HetmyerMI Emirates
New signings: Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kusal Perera, Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil
Retentions: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor KhanSharjah Warriors
New signings: Chris Sole, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madhushanka, James Fuller, Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Maheesh Theekshana, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Sean Williams and Qais Ahmed
Retentions: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore

Woakes' four-for holds together the day for England

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Australia 299 for 8 (Labuschagne 51, Marsh 51, Woakes 4-52, Broad 2-68) vs EnglandFor a cricketer so often shorn of the limelight, the opening day of this fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford was one hell of a moment for Chris Woakes to set himself apart.Stuart Broad became only the second seamer to make it to 600 Test wickets, following James Anderson who returned to the XI for what could well be his last appearance on his home ground. But it was Woakes, with 4 for 52 to give England a foothold in this match, who stole the show. Australia’s 299 for 8 means neither team can say with any real confidence that they are in control– a recurring theme throughout this compelling series. But Woakes’ performance ensured Australia were never allowed to get too far ahead.Coming into this match on 598 career dismissals, Broad trapped Usman Khawaja lbw before bouncing out Travis Head five balls after tea to reach his milestone. His 18 dismissals this series have seen him emerge as the banker in a constantly tweaked attack – he is the only England bowler to have been selected in all four matches – covering for the fact that Anderson has struggled, with just three wickets so far. That the 40-year-old was without success today was merely down to luck, beating the bat numerous times, along with the odd inside edge that evaded stumps. Nevertheless, his current series average is an eye-watering 89.66.Related

  • James Anderson nears his End-game with a rare point left to prove

Woakes’s display, however, held everything together. Having made a strong impression in last week’s victory at Headingley to cut down Australia’s lead to 2-1, the Warwickshire allrounder took over as leader of the attack. David Warner, off the back of an engaging start, was snicked off for 32, before Woakes ensured the enginge room of Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green and Alex Carey had false starts.Indeed it was the wicket of Marsh which felt most crucial. Having reached 51, the Western Australian was squared up for an edge which was brilliantly taken by Jonny Bairstow. The wicketkeeper, who had an untidy day behind the stumps, stuck out a right hand after veering to his left, pouching the ball at full-stretch. It was the first time Marsh has passed fifty against England and not made it to three figures, having done so for a third time in the third Test.That Ben Stokes won a fifth toss of the summer was one thing, but upon choosing to bowl, he followed up seduction of luck with a flirtatious wink at history. No side has ever called correctly, stuck the opposition in and finished on the winning side in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford.Having spoken before the match of the need for his side to go hell for leather over the next five days given a woeful weather forecast, Stokes will be happy they have made as many inroads as they have on an uninterrupted opening day of 83 overs. And while they can credit themselves for keeping Australia in check, the tourist will reflect on opportunities spurned to control this match from the get-go.They were 61 for 1 after 14 overs before Warner was dismissed for an engaging 32. At 120 for 2, Steve Smith fell lbw to Mark Wood for 41. When Marnus Labuschagne, having pocketed his first half-century of the series, and Head (48), were in the midst of a rebuild, both were dismissed in the space of 23 deliveries for the addition of just six runs to leave Australia 189 for 5.Then came some immediate de-ja-vu as the biggest stand of the innings so far was broken on 65 when Cameron Green was trapped lbw by Woakes, who then removed Marsh four balls later to make it 255 for 7. Carey’s edge attempting to leave Woakes for the second innings in succession brought the skipper, Pat Cummins, to the crease, joining Mitchell Starc who looks set.With questions over Warner’s place in the XI before Australia opted to drop Todd Murphy and bring Green back in, the left-hander began with the verve of a man hell-bent on repaying that faith. The first ball of the innings, a loosener from Broad, was carved to the extra cover boundary for four.This was the first time in 15 years that England have bowled first in a Test featuring Anderson and not given him the first over. Given Broad and Warner’s history, it made sense to go against convention. And with Anderson opening matters from the James Anderson End, that quirk made up for any perceived slight.Warner looked in good touch, particularly when whipping a short ball off Woakes through square leg with ease for his third boundary. It meant by the time he was dismissed – Bairstow taking a regulation catch off Woakes, who was bowling at Warner from over the wicket – there was a platform in place to allow Smith and Labuschagne to bat at their own pace.A stand of 59 had Smith as the aggressor, a role he assumed at the very start of his knock when he hooked the first ball from Woakes over Wood at backward square leg. Had the Durham quick not charged in, he might have been on the fence to take the catch. Instead, it bounced once before crashing into the advertising boards.Both batters would make it through to lunch before Wood struck five overs after the break to make amends for his eagerness. Smith strayed outside the line to work a delivery to the leg side, only for extra pace through the air and nip off the surface to trap him in front of off stump. Umpire Joel Wilson did not give the decision on the field, and it was only after Stokes called for a DRS review that the impact with the pad, and projected path of the ball into the stumps, confirmed Smith needed to be sent on his way.Labuschagne’s dismissal required similar confirmation from the television umpire. Wilson again turned down the on-field appeal, this time after Moeen Ali had turned one into the right-hander who had pressed forward. Too much turn might have been the issue, but down came confirmation the top of leg stump would have been struck.Moeen Ali and England celebrate as Marnus Labuschagne is given out on review•Stu Forster/Getty Images

Labuschagne was understandably crestfallen. He had grafted for his half-century from 114 deliveries, a 26th Test score of fifty or more, after what has been a poor six innings so far by his lofty standards. His patience to make this knock count was evident in the 62 deliveries between his fourth and fifth boundary, which was timed crisply through cover, breaking a streak of 20 balls without a run.At the other end, Head was emerging out of the usual barrage of short balls with decorum, making it to 48 having worn blows from Wood under the armpit second ball and then on the helmet, via a deflection off his shoulder, when on two.After some expertly guided boundaries through the leg side, he was able to convince England to go short to him. And after making it to tea on 47 from 62, he emerged slack to meet a short ball from Broad with an uncontrolled hook behind square. Joe Root scampered around from fine leg to take a smart catch.Though England did not miss any clear-cut chances, the botched opportunity to run out Marsh on 35 from Stokes, when the former was sent back by Green, could have been terminal. Marsh looked in the same mood as he did when he struck 118 in the first innings at Headingley. And maybe only a man in this kind of form, having struck seven fours and a gorgeous straight six off Moeen, could have got anything on the delivery served up to him by Woakes in the 63rd over.A bit of movement in, followed by seam away drew the merest tickle and provided those in the stands with the most spectacular moment of the day. Bairstow’s troubles this summer are well known, and it spoke of the support his team-mates have for him that all charged towards him after pulling off one of the catches of the series. The crowd, too, were particularly buoyant, though only when the jaw-dropping nature of his one-handed take was replayed on the big screen were they able to fully gauge what Bairstow had done.

'It might bring more out of us' – Stokes and England hope to beat the weather

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Ben Stokes says England must shift up a gear to beat both Australia and the weather to keep their Ashes hopes alive with significant rain forecast throughout the fourth Test.After Australia won the first two matches, victory in the third Test at Headingley got England back into the series, with the squad arriving into Manchester buoyant they could square the series here to set up a decider at the Kia Oval next week.However, the persistent rain that greeted their arrival on Sunday will continue into the weekend. Showers of varying degrees are expected throughout all five days of the Test, which begins on Wednesday at Emirates Old Trafford.Related

  • Chris Woakes admits overseas days are numbered as he targets career longevity

  • Two wins for the title: England seek that semi-final mindset in do-or-die Ashes outing

  • Switch Hit: Ashes and chill?

  • Australia's prep for Old Trafford 2023 vs 2019

  • Moeen Ali targets Ashes win 'to finish Test cricket properly'

As captain, Stokes has been reticent to pay too much attention to forecasts, though England do keep an eye on the radar in the changing room in case they need to shift their approach during play. With Australia able to retain the urn with a draw here, the onus is on Stokes to try and squeeze a result out of however much play is possible if England are to prolong their hopes of a first Ashes win since 2015.”You never want to look too much into the weather but in the position we find ourselves in we might have to,” Stokes admitted. “We know we have to win this game to take it to the last game for us to have a chance of getting the urn back.”Going into the last game we were 2-0 down and knew we had to win that, so think that helped us a bit and maybe again with the weather that’s predicted that it might bring more out of us again knowing we might have to push the game on even more than we normally do. But we’ll just have to wait and see. If the weather is what it’s predicted to be then we might have to.”While he stopped short of declaring England will be more attacking than normal, the speed of play throughout this series has been conducive to quick results. The third Test, for example, which the hosts won by three wickets, lasted 230.2 overs – essentially, under eight sessions of play, with the match concluding on day four through a combination of wet weather and slow over rates.Last summer, England were able to beat South Africa twice within three days. The first came in Manchester by an innings and 85 runs, before a nine-wicket win in the decider at the Kia Oval. No play took place on the first two days following the passing of Queen Elizabeth, with the match officially getting underway on day three.This is also not the first time Stokes has considered getting funky to combat unhelpful conditions. During the Pakistan series last December, he posited the idea of forfeiting an innings when it looked like early morning smog in Multan would reduce each day’s play of the second Test. Though it did not come to pass, it is something England could employ here provided they bat first for a sizeable score.Though Australia can play this match and the weather straight, Pat Cummins has stated they will begin this Test focussed on victory as they seek a first overseas Ashes series win since 2001.”The first preference is always to try to win,” Cummins said. “We drew the 2019 series and we’ve all come back pretty clear we want to win this one. I think it’s one of things, as the game progresses you maybe start working out how risky you want to be, but looking at the forecast it looks like it’s okay so sure we’ll get a match in.And while Australia do not need to engage with anything England try and concoct, Cummins is excited to see what Stokes has in store.”It would be fun. Prepared for anything, really. We’ll see how it plays out. We have already seen a lot of different things from both teams this series. I’m sure this one will be another cracker with some random stuff thrown up.”

Hardik Pandya: Rashid's catch to dismiss Mayers was 'match-changing'

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Hardik Pandya has hailed Rashid Khan’s athletic outfield catch to dismiss Kyle Mayers that broke Lucknow Super Giants’ strong opening stand as a “match-changing” effort, after Gujarat Titans prevailed by 56 runs in Ahmedabad.Chasing 228, Mayers had powered to 48 off 31 balls in a partnership of 88 with Quinton de Kock in just 8.1 overs. Then, he top-edged a pull over square leg off a Mohit Sharma slower ball. Rashid came sprinting in, running diagonally from fine leg, then slid and dived to take the catch to his right after making a last-minute adjustment.Super Giants lost momentum after losing Mayers and scored only 33 runs between overs 9 and 14, leaving them with too much to do in the last six.Related

  • Saha and Gill's aggression sets up huge Titans win

  • At 18, Noor Ahmad is living his cricket dream

  • Rashid, out of form? Try telling Royals that

Hardik said that Rashid’s catch was the game-changer at a time when his team was under pressure. “The way the game changed after that… at one point of time at the eighth or ninth over we were even-stevens but that catch just changed the momentum and we were able to squeeze in a couple of tight overs,” he said after the match. “And after that I think they were chasing the game more than us.”We started controlling the game. Before that they were taking [us] on and we had to chase the game and make sure that we don’t concede as many runs and let them get into the game. So I think that catch was match-changing.””I think we both were driving at 100 kilometers per hour as a team but I think that bump in their innings cost them the game and got us back in the game.”Hardik also praised his team-mates for producing a match-winning performance after only one day’s rest. Titans’ last game was on Friday night and their match against Super Giants was the afternoon game on Sunday.”I don’t think I can ask anything better from the boys, Hardik said. “Especially, playing after one day’s gap and playing an afternoon game, the boys showed up and how.”Mohit, who gave Titans that vital first wicket, finished with 4 for 29, his best figures in the IPL since 2014. He has 12 wickets in eight matches in IPL 2023 with an economy rate of 6.96 despite bowling many of his overs at the death.”We keep discussing how to go about it, especially once the ball gets a little old how we can mix it up,” Mohit told broadcasters after the game. “And if I get the chance with a new ball, then what can I do with it. Today it was a day game so I knew that the wicket could get a little drier and be on the slower side so how we can mix it up in those conditions, that’s the kind of stuff I discuss with Shami.”I have practiced the knuckle ball, but I have a slight injury on my fingers so it’s not holding, so I am not able to bowl the knuckle ball. But I am using back-of-the-hand deliveries. When it’s the second innings and there’s a bit of dew, I can’t pitch it up too much, I have to bowl it away from the batter. So I am trying to stay as far from the batter’s range as possible.”I keep talking with Ashu Pa [Nehra] off the field. We talk a lot about bowling, what kind of balls I can bowl to different batters. Especially how we can mix up the length ball,” Mohit said. “He keeps saying that it shouldn’t be too short. It should be around top of off.”The win against Super Giants was Titans’ eighth victory in 11 games, giving them a three-point lead over Chennai Super Kings at the top of the table.

Babar Azam, Haris Rauf star as New Zealand brushed aside twice in two nights

by csb10.top Uncategorized

It wasn’t quite the comprehensive mismatch Friday’s game was, but that didn’t mean the outcome was ever in any doubt. A sumptuous Babar Azam century, his ninth in T20s – he’s now behind only Chris Gayle – powered Pakistan to 192. Babar was supported by a half-century from Mohammad Rizwan and a useful unbeaten 19-ball 33 from Iftikhar Ahmed as Pakistan posted another total well above par.Babar and Rizwan more than made up for their failures yesterday with an outstanding opening partnership. After taking three overs to get set, they caught up with the rate superbly across the first half of the innings, powering at about ten an over across their 99-run stand. And while a cluster of wickets immediately after threatened to derail Pakistan’s progress, an unbroken 87-run stand between Babar and Iftikhar in 43 balls ensured Pakistan were firmly on top once more.In response New Zealand offered a more representative account of their abilities than they had in the first game, with a classy half-century from Mark Chapman headlining the chase. Showcasing both his technical ability and long-range hitting, he clubbed an unbeaten 40-ball 65 in what was largely lone resistance, keeping his side’s flame flickering until the final three overs.But the damage Haris Rauf was doing at the other end proved too much to counter. He followed up his career-best performance last night with another scintillating display, ripping through the New Zealand middle order and killing off any hopes of a nascent chase with figures of 4 for 27. Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan snuffed out the chase at the death, and even as Chapman finished off the game with a magnificent six over cover, Pakistan coasted to a 38-run victory.The stutterAs was the case yesterday, there was a wobble midway through the Pakistan innings, and just like yesterday, it was Matt Henry-inspired. After Pakistan’s crisp start, Henry sent down a priceless 11th over that saw one run scored and two wickets fall. Rizwan was the first to go, miscuing a slog soon after he brought up his half-century. Then, for the second successive game, Henry found himself on a hat-trick, forcing Fakhar Zaman to chop one back onto his stumps. Saim Ayub kept his first ball out to deny the fast bowler consecutive hat-tricks, but New Zealand were suddenly on top.Matt Henry struck twice in two balls to pull Pakistan back•Pakistan Cricket Board

For Ayub lasted just one more ball before Rachin Ravindra struck to send him packing, drawing him into holing out at deep midwicket. Pakistan couldn’t find a way to stanch the bleeding at this point as Imad Wasim feathered Jimmy Neesham through to the keeper in the following over. Pakistan had lost four wickets for six runs over two overs, and New Zealand had stormed back into the game.Final-overs frenzyHaving slowed down somewhat after the powerplay, as Babar is wont to do, not even his most ardent backers entertained notions of a ninth T20 hundred for the Pakistan captain. With three overs to go, Babar was still 35 runs away, but two sixes and a four of Henry’s final over saw him climb into the 80s. A canny penultimate over from Ben Lister though, with Babar deprived of the strike, looked to have dashed those hopes once more. He was still 15 away with the innings’ final four balls to go, and Gaddafi began to dream once more.By the time Neesham was powered back over mid-off for six and Babar crept into the 90s, the crowd had been whipped up into a fervour. Seven runs away with two balls to go, he thumped another over mid-off for four to take it down to the wire. And, almost as if it were scripted, he would save his best shot for last, a glorious drive over cover that sailed to the boundary and brought up the most unlikely of his nine hundreds. He rocked back and let out a roar, and Lahore roared with him.Babar Azam roars after getting to his ton•Pakistan Cricket Board

Rauf razes through middle orderIf Chapman had someone to keep him company at the other end, New Zealand would have found themselves in with a real shot, but Rauf guaranteed that wouldn’t be possible. After a fledgling third wicket stand with Will Young where a 95-metre Chapman six off Shadab Khan was the highlight, Babar turned to Rauf for the wicket he wanted.Pakistan’s fastest bowler answered his captain’s call, and then some. With his fourth ball back, he beat Young for pace, forcing him to hole out to Shadab Khan to set New Zealand back, but he was only getting started. He topped and tailed his third over with two more wickets. First, Daryl Mitchell found the speed too hot to handle, before he sent in a bouncer to new man Neesham who could only fend it to Shaheen Afridi at mid-off. And there was no escape for Rachin Ravindra from Rauf’s wiles either, as the young allrounder lobbed an offcutter straight to deep midwicket to effectively end New Zealand’s resistance.

Amid the drama, new coach Simmons wants Bangladesh to 'focus on the cricket'

by csb10.top Uncategorized

A lot is happening in Bangladesh cricket at the moment, but new head coach Phil Simmons wants the focus to be firmly on the upcoming Test series against South Africa.Things are messy. Simmons took over as Bangladesh’s head coach on Tuesday, replacing Chandika Hathurusinghe, who was sacked earlier this week and has since hit back at the BCB. Shakib Al Hasan, who hasn’t returned to Dhaka because of protests against him (for political reasons), has withdrawn from the Test side.When Simmons attended Bangladesh’s training session at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday, protests for and against Shakib were on. All this, two days out from the first Test.Related

  • Bangladesh look to begin post-Shakib era on winning note

  • Hyderabad hammering sums up Bangladesh's need for change

  • Shakib 'unavailable' for first South Africa Test

  • Hathurusinghe sacked for 'assault' on player

“[Keeping distractions away from the players] is a big part of our job over the next few days, to make sure the focus is on the cricket, and not on the outside of cricket,” Simmons said. “We can control how we prepare for Monday, that’s how we are trying to get the team to focus.”The good thing is we have a very important Test match to prepare for. We win the next few Tests, and we are in contention for the [WTC] final. My first port of call is cricket and about getting the squad ready for Monday. The last two days [of training] have been brilliant. We have tried to leave out the confusion that’s around the cricket, and concentrate on preparing for Monday.”Simmons comes in with vast coaching experience, having worked with Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies, Afghanistan and PNG as well as several T20 franchises in the last 20 years. He was one of the candidates interviewed for the Bangladesh job in 2017 – to fill the role left vacant by Hathurusinghe – but was not selected.”All these experiences [with other teams] will help me in the next few days to get me ready for Monday,” Simmons said. “Afghanistan helped me with the language barrier sometimes. Ireland helped me with developing young players. It all comes in [handy] at the end of the day. I have to use all those experiences in this assignment.”Conversation with the captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto] has been about his thoughts on players and direction he wants to take the team. It was also about what we do before Monday. It is generally about how we go into the first Test match. As we get to know each other, there will be more discussions about ODIs etc. Now it is about Test cricket, and what we are going to do in these two matches.”Shakib Al Hasan’s fans show their support for the cricketer outside the Shere Bangla Stadium•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Simmons said he took more interest in the role after Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan and was particularly impressed by the youngsters in the side.”The interest comes from seeing the quality of the young players. They handled themselves well against Pakistan,” he said. “They didn’t do well in the T20Is against India but they played against the best T20 team in the world, so you have things to take out of there. It all added up to an assignment, which I enjoyed. One, [there are] young players to develop. Two, there’s Tests and ODIs involved. It wasn’t a hard decision [to take the job].”He believes Bangladesh have a good chance to beat South Africa, who haven’t won a Test series in the subcontinent in the last ten years, but was wary of taking them lightly.”It is definitely a good opportunity. Bangladesh are usually very strong at home. So it is a very good opportunity for us to win the Test series,” Simmons said. “South Africa has that [record in the subcontinent] hanging over their head but they are a resilient team. They will work hard to change that.”