All posts by n8rngtd.top

Diamonds fall short despite Erin Burns five-for

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Kathryn Bryce, Kirstie Gordon play key roles as Blaze hold nerve in low-scorer

ECB Reporters Network24-May-2024Australian allrounder Erin Burns took a career-best 5 for 25 but it was not enough to win the night for Northern Diamonds as The Blaze defended 136 to make it two wins from two in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.Scotland skipper Kathryn Bryce top-scored with 31 for the home side with England Under-19 captain Josie Groves making 24 not out, before Blaze skipper Kirstie Gordon led a superb effort in the field by taking 3 for 20 as the home side won by four runs.Offspinner Burns, a 35-year-old franchise veteran in her first season with Diamonds, took wickets in each of her four overs, including two in the powerplay and two with her last two deliveries as The Blaze were bowled out for 136 in exactly 20 overs. Legspinner Katie Levick (3 for 22) also had a good night with the ball.But despite Lauren Winfield-Hill and Hollie Armitage – who had arrived on the ground with only 20 minutes to spare after being released from the England Women squad at Derby – seeming to put them on track for a victory, Diamonds could not overhaul the 2023 runners-up.Having been put in on a chilly night under the Trent Bridge lights, The Blaze emerged from their batting powerplay at 38 for 2. Marie Kelly reverse-swept the second ball of the match for four but lost her middle stump playing across the line to the next. Opening partner Teresa Graves picked up two boundaries but after being dropped on 12 she was bowled by Burns.The Blaze were 60 for 3 by the halfway point, Kathryn Bryce having looked in good order before miscuing Levick’s legspin to Armitage at extra cover.Sarah Bryce holed out to mid-off as Burns claimed her third success, sparking a Blaze wobble that saw 80 for 3 become 84 for 6 in the space of six balls as Levick dismissed Ella Claridge caught-and-bowled before bowling Nadine de Klerk.Groves hit a booming six over deep midwicket as she and Michaela Kirk added 36 in three overs before Kirk fell victim to a fine catch on the square-leg boundary by Grace Hall, whose post-catch roll took her perilously close to stepping on the rope.Gordon was caught at deep midwicket before Burns finished off with two in two as Lucy Higham hit straight to extra cover and Grace Ballinger was stumped.Diamonds were 39 for 1 from their opening six, Leah Dobson their sole casualty. Armitage and Winfield-Hill added 49 for the second wicket before Armitage, attempting a reverse, became a second leg-before victim for Gordon’s left-arm spin as the Blaze skipper avenged a six in the same over.At 65 for 2 at halfway, Diamonds had their noses in front but one relatively costly over from Groves apart, the next five overs saw The Blaze dry up the runs and push the required rate up to nine-an-over, the pressure perhaps accounting for two wickets in a single Kathryn Bryce over as the balance suddenly tilted the way of the home side.Winfield-Hill was bowled stepping down the pitch to the medium-pacer before Burns was run out going for a second to Groves at deep square. Beth Heath was well caught at long-on off de Klerk, Stere Kallis run out after a mix-up with Emma Marlow, who was then bowled by Gordon.Diamonds needed an unlikely 19 from the final over by Kathryn Bryce and though Katherine Fraser launched a six over wide midwicket they fell five short.

Scotland romp to statement victory over Oman to leave England feeling the Group B squeeze

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Munsey, McMullen climb into Oman bowling to win in Antigua with 41 balls to spare

Andrew Miller09-Jun-2024Scotland 153 for 3 (McMullen 61*, Munsey 41) beat Oman 150 for 7 (Athavale 54, Ayaan 41*) by seven wicketsAre Scotland about to send them homeward, tae think again? All will be revealed in the final shake-down of a fascinating Group B, but if England thought their defenestration from last year’s 50-over World Cup was the ultimate humiliation, they might have to ready themselves for even greater discomfort, even closer to home.That’s the upshot of a rousing Scotland run-chase against Oman in Antigua, which was ignited by a feisty knock of 41 from 20 balls by George Munsey, and sealed in a pointed hurry with 41 balls to spare, thanks to Brandon McMullen’s combative 61 from 31, whose roar of triumph echoed around the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium as he dragged the winning boundary through square leg off Bilal Khan.It was Scotland’s second victory to go alongside the pivotal wash-out against England that set the tone for each team’s campaign, and it has placed their progression firmly in their own hands. Even a narrow loss to Australia could yet be enough, if England are unable to instigate a near four-point swing in net run-rate in their next two matches against Oman and Namibia.For Oman, three losses from three ends their own hopes, as well as England’s chance to dictate the terms of their own progression in the manner that you’d expect from defending world champions.

Munsey ignites Scotland’s chase

In the final analysis, Scotland outmuscled Oman by 11 sixes to four, but it was two in particular – off consecutive balls in the seventh over of their chase – that ended any prospect of this being a tense tiptoe over the finish line. Munsey’s superb command of the reverse-sweep had been telegraphed in the England wash-out, but when he twice launched Aqib Ilyas onto the grass banks at the left-hander’s backward point, Scotland turned on the afterburners.They hadn’t exactly been sluggish in the powerplay, reaching 50 for 1 in six overs, with Michael Jones’s 16 from 13 containing the first two sixes of their chase, but thereafter Oman had no means to restrict a free-flowing line-up. The final 103 runs of the chase were duly chewed up in just 43 balls, as Scotland’s batters kept raining down the blows, safe in the knowledge that every man in the line-up was primed to do likewise.Munsey fell one over after his bugle-call blows, though not before slamming another sweep onto the grass in a 16-run over that also contained five leg-side wides – an indication of the extent to which Oman had run out of places to hide. Their cause was not helped by another sloppy catching display from the most fallible team in the tournament, including a bad miss by Rafiullah at deep midwicket off McMullen, but in truth, such was the collective commitment to attack, it probably wouldn’t have made much difference.This approach was epitomised by Scotland’s captain, Richie Berrington, who belted Aqib for a six and a four, and was then beaten by consecutive googlies in the same over, the second of which bowled him for 13 from 7. But Matt Cross joined an increasingly free-flowing McMullen to romp towards the line with consecutive sixes of his own, deposited over square leg as Ayaan Khan’s only over was launched for 20.Mark Watt celebrates the wicket of Zeeshan Maqsood•ICC/Getty Images

Oman take first use, to Scotland’s delight

On a fresh pitch, on a fresh island, it was something of a surprise that Oman chose to bat first after winning the toss – Berrington was perfectly happy with the chance to take stock and then chase – but thanks to a diligent 54 from 40 balls from Pratik Athavale at the top of the order, and some late impetus from Ayaan (41 not out from 39), they were nonetheless able to post what might have been a competitive 150 for 7, their highest total in three attempts at the tournament.Athavale made a first-ball duck in his last outing against Australia, but was this time the mainstay of an innings that never quite hit its groove but kept progressing thanks to an energetic attitude that prevented Scotland from dictating the terms of engagement, and arguably induced a handful of lackadaisical moments – most notably Munsey’s spill over the ropes at long-on that allowed Athavale to reach his fifty from 38 balls.But then came a very revealing shot in anger, a huge leading-edge from Naseem Khushi that hung in the breeze, kept three fielders in the hunt, yet sailed clean over the long boundary at extra cover. It was an indication of the riches on offer if teams hit with the wind and committed to their stroke. For some reason, Khushi decided to go in the diametrically opposite direction two balls later, and Mark Watt at short backward square snaffled a miscued ramp. But the lesson, it transpired, would not be lost on his opponents.

Dead ball? Watt do you mean!

Watt, arguably Scotland’s key bowling weapon, had not been at his most incisive, or economical, in the Namibia victory, but this time he was right back into the thick of the action – for all manner of different reasons.After being thrown the ball at the top of the powerplay, Watt burgled his way through a three-run opening over that included, from his third ball, one of his trademark 24-yard long-balls, bowled from behind the umpire to confound the batter’s sense of length. But, after inducing an edge from Zeeshan Maqsood at the end of his second over, that delivery became the cause of a minor rumpus when the new man, Khalid Kail, strayed into his sights.Clearly prepared for the tactic, Kail pulled out of his stance on the first occasion, then did so again – apparently after Watt had informed the umpire he would be producing it again. This time the ball hit the stumps, but was again signalled dead, an upshot that annoyed the Scots, seeing as Kail had clearly been ready to receive. Before it could become a genuine incident, however, Kail pushed his next ball into the covers, was sent back looking for a second run, and Watt whipped off the bails with an additional sense of vindication.The rest of the wickets were shared among a diligent Scotland attack, including two for the returning Safyaan Sharif, who replaced the injured Brad Currie for what was his 200th appearance across formats for his country. If all goes well against Australia next week, he might yet have a chance to add a few more caps to that tally before Scotland’s Caribbean jaunt is done.

Ravindra and Sears offered New Zealand central contracts

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Will O’Rourke and Jacob Duffy also given their first deals but Adam Milne declined to be available for a contract

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2024Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke and Jacob Duffy have been offered their first New Zealand central contracts while left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel returns to the list.Fast bowler Adam Milne has joined Kane Williamson and Lockie Ferguson in declining a contract and Blair Tickner has dropped out of the 20 players.Ravindra was a breakout star of the 2023 ODI World Cup where he made 578 runs and then scored his maiden Test century against South Africa in Mount Maunganui which he converted into 240. He became the youngest recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as the New Zealand men’s player of the year in March.Related

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“Growing up you’d see those contract lists come out each year and think it would be cool to be on that list one day – and for it to eventuate now is a pinch-myself moment,” Ravindra said. “It’s been a really cool past 12 months playing international cricket. I’ve learned a lot and the hunger is definitely there to keep improving and giving to the Blackcaps.”Pace bowlers Sears and O’Rourke impressed on their Test debuts last season. O’Rourke claimed nine wickets against South Africa in Hamilton and Sears took 4 for 90 against Australia in the fourth innings in Christchurch. Sears was also a regular member of the T20I side while O’Rourke debuted across both white-ball formats.Duffy, 29, is not a regular in New Zealand’s teams and is yet to make his Test debut. He has featured in six ODIs and 14 T20Is since his debut in 2020. Last season he took 31 wickets at 24.41 in the Plunket Shield.”It’s especially exciting for Ben, Jacob, Rachin and Will to receive their first contract offers, and well deserved following their hard work and performances,” New Zealand selector Sam Wells said. “These younger guys are the future of the team and it’s been encouraging to see their progress on the international stage.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Patel’s return to the contract list is a reflection of a Test-heavy schedule New Zealand have coming up which includes overseas assignments against Afghanistan (one Test), Sri Lanka (two Tests) and India (three Tests). They then play a three-match home series against England in December.Top-order batter Henry Nicholls retains his contract despite dropping out of the Test side last season. Kyle Jamieson is currently undergoing rehab from another back injury which was diagnosed in February and could keep him out for a year. He, too, is on the contract list.It was announced last month that Williamson would not take up a central contract as he will be heading to the SA20 in January but he is available for New Zealand either side of that and is expected to remain a regular in the Test side.One of the terms in the contract is availability to both New Zealand and the Super Smash T20 competition.”We’re producing international-ready Blackcaps and we’re pleased with the current depth,” Wells said. “The strength of the list is perhaps best measured by the quality of some of the players who weren’t offered contracts.”New Zealand will need a new white-ball captain following Williamson’s contract decision.The retired Neil Wagner is the other player to drop off the contract list from last season.

New Zealand central contracts 2024-25

Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young

Northern Superchargers thrash London Spirit to keep knockout hopes alive

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Adil Rashid’s 3 for 16 sets up rainy win to leave Superchargers with anxious wait

ECB Media13-Aug-2024Northern Superchargers kept their season alive with a rain-affected victory over London Spirit in the Hundred at Headingley.They sit second in the table with 11 points, and now face an anxious wait to see if that is enough to secure a place in the knockout stages. They are relying on either Welsh Fire or Manchester Originals doing them a favour in the next two nights, but will be eliminated if those two teams are beaten by Southern Brave and Birmingham Phoenix respectivley. Either way, it is clear progress after they finished bottom last year.Related

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Adil Rashid was the stand-out performer for Harry Brook and Andrew Flintoff’s side, taking 3 for 16 as part of a bowling performance that restricted Spirit to just 111 from their 100 balls.The England legspinner has troubled batters throughout the competition, and on Tuesday night he removed Matt Critchley, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell across 15 balls in the middle of the innings to knock the stuffing out of a Spirit batting effort that was already flattering to deceive.Michael Pepper had already headed back to the pavilion, caught terrifically by Mitchell Santner, as had Keaton Jennings, who burned brightly for his 12-ball 30 and was on the receiving end of a send-off from Reece Topley, who had him caught at deep point.

Liam Dawson has been Spirit’s leading wicket-taker and top run-scorer and once again he shouldered the burden of trying to keep Spirit in the game, his 27 from 19 alongside the veteran Ravi Bopara’s 31 took the visitors into triple figures.But at the interval, the smart money was on the Superchargers.As it was, their chase was to be limited by the rain, but their openers Graham Clark and Matt Short had done enough to ensure they were miles ahead of Duckworth-Lewis Stern when the game was called off. For Spirit, it was a seventh loss from eight games in a campaign which they will be glad is over.”I think we’ve got a very good squad, good batters and match-winners all the way through,” Rashid said. “We’ve got a bit of a waiting game tomorrow and Thursday, but hopefully one of those two teams do lose and we’re good.”

Sparkling Ashwin-Jadeja rearguard hurts Bangladesh

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Their unbroken 195-run stand lifted India from 144 for 6 on an unusual day of Test cricket in India

Sidharth Monga19-Sep-20241:39

Why did India’s top order struggle in the first session?

On a day that many rhythms of Test cricket in India were meddled with, one incontrovertible truth of India’s recent dominant era remained steadfast: teams can compete with the India batters but don’t have the depth to outdo their lower-middle order. Who knows if Chennai boy R Ashwin, who turned 38 two days before the Test, will play another Test in Chennai? Or indeed the Chennai Super King Ravindra Jadeja? If it is their last, they started the first day in style, rescuing India from 144 for 6 with an unbroken 195-run partnership.Among the two nearly inseparable spin twins, Ashwin was the better batter on the day as he scored his sixth Test hundred, leaving his fellow Chennai people in awe at the rasping shots whose sound reverberated in the stands. Jadeja wasn’t much behind, though, ending the day unbeaten on 86.The pain of watching an Indian seventh wicket breaking their hearts might not be something new for Bangladesh but the way they got to the seventh wicket was unlike any other Test day in recent memory. For the first time in seven years, a side chose to bowl in a Test in India involving India. Even India said they would have done the same. And not because the preparation of the pitch had been hampered by rain: this slightly green, damp pitch was created by design during a week in which temperature records have been broken in Chennai.The overcast sky only reassured the sides it was worth risking batting last in India. Then a Vernon Philander-like, wobble-seam line-and-length bowler, Hasan Mahmud, wrecked the top order with gentle seam movement. India recovered briefly from 34 for 3, thanks to some ordinary bowling around Mahmud, but Bangladesh came back in the second session to take three more quick wickets.Then Ashwin started driving, and punching and pulling and slogging. Jadeja joined. And a whole new game unfolded. Until then Mahmud controlled India. Even when Taskin Ahmed and tearaway Nahid Rana wasted the new ball by bowling too short or too full, Mahmud was unerring. Rohit Sharma was tested thoroughly with seam movement either way before he edged one to second slip. Shubman Gill feathered one down the leg side, but he never looked at ease in his eight-ball stay. Virat Kohli came out full of intent, but that carries a big risk, which ended in an edge away from the body.2:12

What’s special Mahmud’s opening spell in Chennai?

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, playing his first Test in nearly 700 days, then added 62 for the fourth wicket against some indifferent bowling. Jaiswal made this his sixth straight home Test in which he has gone past 50. Pant began to look dangerous and by lunch India had wrested the initiative. After lunch, though, Pant fell to an afterthought of a cut shot, a stroke of luck for the persistent Mahmud.Taskin and Rana then chipped in with a much better session. The ball still seamed around, although not as much as the first session, and they presented a sterner test by bowling the good length. Rana eventually did Jaiswal in with extra pace, nicking him off, and the serene-looking KL Rahul fell to a stunning catch by Zakir Hasan at short leg.While Mehidy Hasan Miraz might have got that big wicket of Rahul, the spinners generally failed to provide any control to the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hasan. In effect, he never had a complete attack to operate with. Mahmud kept them in single-handedly in the first session, and when the other quicks got their act together, they didn’t have spinners keeping them fresh.Related

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It is easy to say all that, but at 144 for 6, it takes some doing to expose this lack of depth. Ashwin began that as soon as he walked to huge cheers; in fact the cheers started as soon as Rahul fell, a treatment reserved only for batters preceding Tendulkar and Kohli. He got a single first ball, and then punched the pace of Rana for a four second ball.There have been many rescue acts carried out by Ashwin and Jadeja, but none so emphatic. There was some flair to how Ashwin batted, staying on the back foot, meeting balls at the top of the bounce, and crashing them through covers and square leg. Jadeja played more of an old-fashioned knock, opening up only after getting himself in, but never missing out on a scoring opportunity. Ashwin, though, batted like he had never been out of Chepauk.As the ball got softer, as the runs began to flow, the field had to spread, and the spinners kept providing easy boundaries. At various points, the two had looking at each other in awe. When Ashwin ramped the pace of Rana over slips for four, Jadeja looked like he was fortunate to have the best seat in the house. Ashwin returned the compliment at one flat slog-sweep from Jadeja. If the edge did arrive, Bangladesh had lost any rights to have enough catchers in place.Six minutes before stumps, Ashwin got to his hundred in just 108 balls to send the home crowd into raptures. Jadeja celebrated it with a drilled boundary back over the bowler in the same over to enter the 80s. Just a gentle reminder that it wasn’t all over, and Bangladesh will have to face them again on day two.

IPL teams likely to be allowed five retentions, one RTM card

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If approved, this would be the highest number of retentions allowed in the tournament’s history

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Sep-2024The ten IPL teams will likely be allowed five retentions each as well as the option of using one right-to-match card during the IPL 2025 auction. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL is most likely looking at approving this option as soon as it finalises the retention rules ahead of the mega auction for the 2025 season.It could not yet be confirmed how many Indian players can be part of the set of retained players or whether there will be a cap on retained overseas players. What is also unknown are the retention slabs. The overall purse, it is understood, will be INR 120 crore.Related

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If the IPL governing council, which was expected to meet this weekend in Bengaluru ahead of the BCCI’s annual general meeting on Sunday, approves this 5 + 1 model, it would be highest number of retentions allowed in the tournament’s history.Ahead of the 2017 mega auction to pick squads for IPL 2018, five retentions were allowed, with a combination of up to three direct retentions or three RTM cards, with a cap of three Indian players.The RTM option, which allows the franchise the ability to buy back its player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise, once the bidding is over, was discarded by IPL ahead of the 2022 mega auction. The eight existing teams were allowed to retain a maximum of four players each, while Gujrat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, the two new franchises, were given the option of selecting three players from the rest of the player pool before the auction. The purse for the 2022 auction was set at INR 90 crore, INR 10 crore more than in 2017.While the IPL is understood to have indicated to the franchises the possibility of the player auction taking place around late November, it has delayed finalising and sharing the retention rules. This despite the IPL telling franchises during a meeting with team owners and representatives in Mumbai on July 31 that retention rules would be finalised and shared by the end of August.Incidentally, the RTM card was one of the key points debated at the July meeting. It is understood that at least three franchises were in favour of having up to eight RTMs, but several other franchises objected to the idea. Among them was Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose owner Kavya Maran said her franchise would favour seven RTMs while adding that there should be no restriction on how overseas or Indian players were retained.Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said he was not in favour of the IPL retaining the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to field an extra specialist batter or bowler during a match, a factor that has contributed to record totals in the last two seasons.One other significant point, which the IPL informed franchises it was in favour of bringing back, was the rule pertaining to capped Indian players who have retired from international cricket or not played international cricket for five years being categorised as uncapped. The rule had been scrapped by the IPL after the 2021 season. If this rule is brought back, it could allow Chennai Super Kings to potentially retain their talisman and former captain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, which could allow them to have a strong purse going into the auction. In 2017 the IPL had listed INR 3 crore as the price for an uncapped player retention which was increased to INR 4 crore in 2021.

New Zealand do the unthinkable and hand India their first 3-0 whitewash at home

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Ajaz and Phillips combined for nine wickets to defend 146 despite Pant’s 64 off 57

Sidharth Monga03-Nov-20241:40

Is this the greatest Test upset of the 21st century?

New Zealand withstood the sublime genius of Rishabh Pant to enter uncharted territory: a whitewash of India in India in a series of three Tests or more. Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips combined for nine wickets to defend 146 despite Pant’s 64 off 57 that took them from 29 for 5 to 106 for 6. Ajaz ended up with an 11-wicket haul, becoming the most successful visiting bowler at a single Indian ground.Apart from poor batting, of course, India were also left looking at a contentious DRS call from the third umpire Paul Reiffel. Pant had all the momentum with India taking six singles and two boundaries in the first two overs after lunch, but New Zealand managed to get a decision overturned in what appeared a desperate review. Pant had padded up to Ajaz after being beaten in the air, was given not-out on a bat-pad catch, the third umpire on first viewing seemed to be ruling that the murmur of UltraEdge came from the bat on the pad. Eventually, though, a possible deflection after the sound signature convinced the third umpire to overrule the on-field call.Related

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Take nothing away from Ajaz, though. Born in Mumbai, representing New Zealand, having taken an all-10 on his previous trip, Ajaz was having an ordinary series when he came into the final Test. Even though he found his groove post lunch on day two, taking five wickets in the first innings, even though he had taken three early wickets in the second innings, he was playing a different Test against Pant.At the moment of the Pant wicket, Ajaz had bowled 167 balls to rest of India for 112 runs and nine wickets, but 41 balls to Pant had gone for 75 runs. Pant was in the middle of an audacious effort that defied the treacherous conditions, asked for by the team management and duly delivered to them.The problem with batting on such tracks is the vast margin for errors bowlers have. Even if you bowl a rank long hop, you can protect the boundaries with in-out fields because the ball comes off the pitch at varying pace. Pant’s genius lay in still managing to manipulate shots enough to beat the deep fielders. A swivel almost onto the stumps to hit squarer. A collapse onto the knee to sweep finer. Almost always sweeping himself off his feet to impart that extra bit of power. All this while maintaining an 84% control rate at lunch.When Pant was not on strike, though, Ajaz was unplayable. Ever since lunch on day two, he bowled perfect lengths and carried it into the second innings. He bowled on a good length, drawing forward-defence from the batters without letting them reach the pitch of the ball.Rishabh Pant wasn’t happy with the review that sent him back•BCCI

Shubman Gill left one alone without covering the line of off, leaving himself open to the vagaries of the pitch. The ball didn’t turn, and took the off stump out. Virat Kohli was a sitting duck as he defended and edged into the big mitts of Dary Mitchell at slip. Ravindra Jadeja, who earlier completed his third career 10-wicket match haul and added 42 with Pant, finally got one that turned too much and was caught at bat-pad. Only Sarfaraz Khan’s wicket was a gift because of the gremlins in the minds. His two-ball innings consisted of two premeditated sweeps to what were otherwise boundary balls. One a single, and the other a full toss helped straight into deep midwicket’s welcoming hands.The openers fell to Matt Henry and Phillips. Rohit Sharma seemed like he wanted to get ahead of New Zealand while the roller’s effect was still fresh after New Zealand refused to get the pitch rolled as their last wicket added three runs to the overnight lead of 143. Two boundaries came, but the third attempt was to a ball not short enough, and Phillips caught the top-edged pull at midwicket.Phillips, who has far exceeded expectations as the second spinner of the side, continued the good work by not bowling any bad balls, and was duly rewarded by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw on the forward-defence.Pant, though, was playing a different game. His first thought was a boundary, then running, and then defence. He opened his account with a flat six back over Ajaz’s head. That forced Ajaz to bowl quicker and shorter to him, getting India a set of two bye boundaries. His reverse-sweeping got rid of short fine leg, and benefitted him when he top-edged a sweep precisely there.After losing Jadeja, he found the boundary two times in the last two overs before lunch to bring up his fifty and leave India hopeful of a miracle. Post lunch, New Zealand sat back. Six singles in the first over. Two fours in the second. Then came the desperate review, which turned it around for New Zealand again.Tom Blundell found something to celebrate with a superb catch off the R Ashwin glove on the reverse-sweep. Phillips found a moment to celebrate all the hard work when he bowled Akash Deep through the gate. Fittingly, Ajaz ended it all as Washington Sundar tried to slog him with not many options left.

Austrian Cricket apologises to Israel Cricket over incident during T20 World Cup qualifier

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The ACA has taken “swift action” and imposed “appropriate disciplinary sanctions” on a player

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2024The Austrian Cricket Association (ACA) has “unreservedly apologised” to the Israel Cricket Association (ICA) and the Israel cricket team “for any hurt or offence that may have been caused” before their Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier A match on June 10.Although the specifics of the incident are yet unknown, an ICC statement said that the ACA has taken “swift action” to address the issue with the player responsible, and with “appropriate disciplinary sanctions” imposed on the player according to the ACA’s disciplinary processes.Following the incident, the ICC conducted a conciliation process between the ACA and the ICA to find a consensual resolution, according to the ICC’s Anti-Discrimination Code. The process was conducted confidentially by Paul Mortimer, an independent expert in the area of anti-discrimination and race relations.The two teams had met in Spinaceto, in Rome, for a Europe Qualifier A match, with the tournament serving as a stepping stone towards eventual qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Austria’s Aqib Iqbal scored an unbeaten 35-ball 52 in that match to seal a seven-wicket win over Israel.

Muzarabani, Ervine and Williams keep Zimbabwe ahead

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Zimbabwe took a 86-run first-innings lead and left Afghanistan three down at stumps

Abhimanyu Bose03-Jan-2025Zimbabwe and Afghanistan wrestled for the advantage on a fast-paced day of Test cricket in Bulawayo, with the hosts only slightly ahead.Two-hundred-and-eighty-three runs were scored and 13 wickets fell on the second day where the momentum see-sawed between the two teams, leaving the Test delicately poised.Resuming from 6 for 0 after bowling Afghanistan out for 157 on a rain-hit first day, Zimbabwe were in early trouble thanks to a top-order collapse. But half-centuries from Craig Ervine (75) and Sikandar Raza (61) and a knock of equal value from an injured Sean Williams (49) saw Zimbabwe take an 86-run lead – one that was significant given the difficult nature of the pitch.Zimbabwe then removed three Afghanistan batters – with Blessing Muzarabani accounting for two – to end the day 40 runs ahead, while Afghanistan have just seven wickets in hand to try and set up a challenging target.There was enough in the pitch for bowlers in the morning and Zimbabwe started off showing a lot of discipline. But Joylord Gumbie’s patience didn’t last long as he edged Fareed Ahmad as Abdul Malik took a good low catch at second slip.Yamin Ahmadzai then had Takudzwanashe Kaitano strangled down the leg side to make it two wickets in two overs.Just as Ben Curran started to gather momentum with a couple of boundaries off both Afghanistan quicks, Fareed trapped him with front with an in-ducker, with Curran playing down the wrong line.Afghanistan applied instant pressure on Zimbabwe’s No. 5 Dion Myers, who was promoted because Williams was nursing a back injury from Thursday. With a catching mid-on in place, Myers opted to hit his way out of trouble. He lofted Ahmadzai down the ground for a boundary, but nicked off trying to cut a short and wide one to leave Afghanistan on 41 for 4.It could have been five down next ball when Fareed drew the outside edge from Raza – who was on seven – only to see a regulation catch go down at first slip. The drop from Riaz Hassan proved expensive. Raza got going with consecutive boundaries off Ahmadzai – an elegant on-drive followed by a cut through point.Raza and Ervine soon added 71 for the fourth wicket, mostly relying on singles, while Raza came up with the occasional boundary. Raza, playing his first Test since 2021, brought up his fifty by driving Rashid Khan through the covers for two in the second over after lunch.In the next over, Raza had another slice of luck as he miscued a pull to deep square leg’s left, but Ismat Alam let the ball slip through his hands, much to Fareed’s frustration for the second time in the day.Sikandar Raza steadied Zimbabwe after an early collapse•Zimbabwe Cricket

However, Raza could only add eight more runs to his total as Hashmatullah Shahidi brought Zia-ur-Rahman into the attack. Rashid changed ends, and Raza ended up missing a sweep the first ball he faced against the left-arm spinner.Rashid also looked sharper from the other end, and soon had Brian Bennett caught behind off the inside edge with a wrong’un. It did the trick again for Rashid as he knocked over Newman Nyamhuri.Zimbabwe were still ten runs behind Afghanistan’s first-innings total and Williams, coming out to bat at No. 9, and Ervine pulled Rashid and Ahmadzai respectively for two boundaries in the next two overs to take Zimbabwe into the lead.With Williams struggling with his back, Ahmadzai targeted him with short balls and nearly created a caught-and-bowled opportunity in the 52nd over, but the ball fell short. One ball later, Williams took on another short ball and crashed it through midwicket, but also went down on a knee holding his back in the process.Williams then decided to go on the attack, lofting Rashid over mid-on before driving Ahmadzai past mid-off twice in an over. In Ahmadzai’s next over, Williams slogged him for back-to-back boundaries. Ervine, who was happy to play second fiddle at the other end, reached his half-century in the final over before tea.Zimbabwe started positively in the final session, with Williams hitting Zia over mid-off for his fourth boundary in the second over after tea. But in the next over, Rashid got a wrong’un to spin away as Williams looked to turn it leg side. There was barely any audible noise but Rashid was loud in his appeal for caught behind. The umpire however, was unconvinced, but Williams, batting on 49, walked.”Obviously the medical staff have been working really hard to get him on the park today, they did a magnificent job there, and we’re going to have to continue to do that,” Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons spoke after the day’s play about Williams’ back issue.”It’s going to be tough, he’s in a lot of pain, but he showed tremendous courage to go out there and he showed what he’s about and what it means to him to play for Zimbabwe. You can see that in the way he goes about his business.”I can’t look too far ahead, obviously we take it step by step with him. We’re just going to try to get him into the best physical state we can as we move forward in this Test.”Ervine tried to the strike once play resumed after a brief rain break, but Ngarava convinced his captain to take a single off the second ball of the 71st over but was knocked over by an Ahmadzai length ball that stayed low.Ervine took Rashid on in the next over, first coming down the pitch to loft him down the ground and then slogging him over square leg for back-to-back sixes.However, another attempt at a slog sweep in Rashid’s next over saw Ervine hole out at deep-backward square leg. Zimbabwe now had an 86-run first-innings lead.Afghanistan’s second innings had a frantic start. Abdul Malik flashed at a full delivery and edged it to gully where Curran dropped him, before a vociferous appeal for caught behind from Ngarava, who got the ball close to Malik’s outside edge, was turned down.In the next over, Muzarabani drew a leading edge from Malik, with the ball popping to mid-on. In the eighth over, Muzarabani struck again, when he had Hassan Riaz edging behind to make it 18 for 2.Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, double-centurions in the last match, then tried to stave off the bowlers, but Raza gave Zimbabwe a late boost with a lovely offbreak that drifted in to pitch on middle before turning away past the outside edge and crashing into off stump, removing the Afghanistan captain in the penultimate over of the day.

Miller puts weight behind New Zealand after 'not ideal' semi-final scheduling

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

South Africa’s centurion frustrated by preparations after to-and-fro flights between Pakistan and Dubai

Danyal Rasool05-Mar-20253:51

Philander: ‘Honest conversations will need to happen’

Soon after New Zealand had wrapped up a convincing victory that secured safe passage into the final of the Champions Trophy, Kane Williamson and David Miller bumped into each other. They were blocking each other’s path in the doorway of the press-conference room; Williamson had just finished media duties, and Miller was about to start. There was a convivial smile, and a warm hug. Williamson left, while Miller, the disappointment on his face writ large, stayed back.That congeniality between the two turned out to be more than just a passing sentiment as Miller expressed his preference for the final that his side will yet again miss out on. “I’ll be honest with you. I think I’ll be supporting New Zealand,” he said.New Zealand and South Africa have often got along with each other, but at this tournament, Miller’s well-wishes may have stemmed from the empathy of shared experiences. Over the last week, New Zealand and South Africa have each made trips to Dubai and back from Pakistan. New Zealand played India in their final group game there on Saturday, before returning in the small hours of Monday morning to play this semi-final.South Africa, meanwhile, flew out to Dubai from Karachi on Sunday after playing against England the previous day, to guarantee they would have enough time to prepare for an earlier semi-final in Dubai. As the results came clear, it turned out that they would not need to play there after all, and took the next flight back to Lahore, barely 12 hours after landing in Dubai.”It’s only an hour-and-40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that [was not ideal],” Miller said. “It’s early morning, it’s after a game, and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4pm. And at 7.30 in the morning we had to come back. It doesn’t make it nice. It’s not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate. But it was not an ideal situation still.”Related

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In this semi-final, however, he acknowledged New Zealand were the better side and deserved winners. The game ended on a bittersweet note for Miller, who got to an unbeaten 67-ball hundred off the final ball of the contest. It gave him the opportunity to rock his arms back and forth to celebrate the recent birth of his son but Miller said he would “rather have played badly” and South Africa had won.”There were really good contributions, a couple of fifties up front. We had a really good foundation. Unfortunately, in the middle, we lost a couple of wickets too many. At the end of the day, it’s a team effort. Everyone’s trying out there to do their best. It would have been nice to have a rematch against India. But life is not fair sometimes. Anyone has to work really hard to achieve trophies.”Ultimately, perhaps, the tie was snatched out of South Africa’s hands in the first innings, despite Miller’s destructive ability. New Zealand won the toss and batted first, having what Miller thought were the better of the conditions, particularly with the lack of assistance for spin under the sun.”It’s not easy chasing 360 [363] even if it’s a good wicket. There was no dew, so I think the wicket just deteriorated as the game went on. They spun the ball a lot more than us. It’s just they got a little bit more purchase out of the wicket.”Though he made his preference for the final clear, it did not amount to a prediction. “They’re both incredibly good teams,” Miller said. “India have shown the world how really good they are. They’ve been playing some good cricket for a number of years now and they’ve got some seriously good players. It’s going to be a great game.”

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