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Shikhar Dhawan’s 72 off 39 balls led India to a total of 203, which they defended comfortably thanks to a five-wicket haul from Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy18-Feb-2018On a flat pitch, in the thin air of the Highveld, India’s batsmen piled up 203 for 5, and that total proved more than adequate against a South African line-up missing a number of its biggest names. A 28-run win, with starring roles for Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, but they may not have left the Wanderers entirely thrilled about their performance, particularly with the bat.India’s batting in T20s often seems more risk-averse than the format demands, built on a platform-setting template borrowed from ODIs. This innings was different. Short and wide bowling from Dane Paterson to Rohit Sharma allowed them to plunder 18 from the first over, but they kept going after the bowling even when it wasn’t so charitable. Suresh Raina took it to an extreme, exposing all his stumps and slogging at everything to score a chancy 15 off 7 at No. 3. Dhawan also kept going hard, his top-edged hoicks over the keeper making the same impact on the scorecard as his pristinely-timed flicks over square leg and slaps either side of point.This approach, aided by the bang-it-in tactics of South Africa’s seamers, who didn’t vary their pace nearly as much as they could have, brought India 78 runs in the Powerplay. By the time a Tabraiz Shamsi skidder trapped Virat Kohli in front in the 10th over, their score had already motored past 100. A pair of leg-side boundaries from Dhawan in the 14th over, off the debutant Junior Dala, moved India to 149 for 3. Getting to 200 seemed like a given now; the question was how much more they could get.BCCI

Dhawan fell in the 15th over, lap-scooping an Andile Phehlukwayo slower ball to the keeper. From that point, India simply weren’t able to keep their momentum going; they only managed 46 off the last five overs, with Manish Pandey only managing one boundary in an unbeaten 27-ball innings. South Africa’s bowlers, particularly Paterson who nailed his slower balls and yorkers in the 18th and 20th overs, brought the innings back under some sort of control at the death, but Pandey struggled to come up with answers to the questions he was being asked.Still, 203 seemed like a winning total, despite the last four T20Is at this venue going to the chasing side – but how might things have panned out had South Africa fielded a full-strength batting line-up, or even if they had AB de Villiers available?Even without de Villiers and the rest of the big names, there were moments during South Africa’s innings when they seemed capable of chasing down this total. The first 15 balls of their innings, for instance, brought 28 runs, with Reeza Hendricks and JJ Smuts hitting merrily on the up. But, in Bhuvneshwar, India had a bowler who could get the ball to move sideways as well as use imperceptible changes of pace. His knuckle ball brought them the wickets of Smuts and JP Duminy, and put India firmly back on top. When Hardik Pandya followed up with a slower-ball dismissal of his own to send back David Miller, South Africa were 48 for 3 in the seventh over.South Africa weren’t done yet. Hendricks and Farhaan Behardien clattered 81 in 8.4 overs, and at one point during their fourth-wicket partnership the equation was a difficult but doable 86 off 41 balls. With all the risk-taking that task demanded, however, a wicket was always around the corner. It fell to Yuzvendra Chahal, Behardien holing out to long-on for 39. Then Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen took 25 off the next two overs, leaving 50 to get off the last three, with six wickets in hand.It took only six balls for India to wipe out four of those wickets and end the contest abruptly, South Africa crumbling in their desperation for boundaries; Bhuvneshwar grabbed three of them, in the process picking up his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is, and a run-out did for the other.

Both batsmen made sparkling fifties to carry Pakistan to their highest T20I total before West Indies surrendered meekly again in Karachi

The Report by Danyal Rasool02-Apr-2018
A significant difference in quality between teams isn’t like jetlag; it doesn’t wear off in 24 hours. Pakistan turned in another dominant performance in the second game, as they had in the opener on Sunday, thumping West Indies by 82 runs to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series. An unbeaten 58-ball 97 by Babar Azam powered Pakistan to their highest ever T20I score, two more than yesterday’s 203. Hussain Talat, Man of the Match on Sunday, more than played his part in a 119-run partnership with Babar, smashing 63 off 41 balls.Fakhar Zaman fell early to a sharp bouncer from Rayad Emrit, but it wasn’t going to prevent the bowlers from copping relentless punishment.
The fielding by West Indies was well below par again. Like replays from the first game, fielders on the boundary let simple pick-ups slip through their fingers for fours. Under pressure from a confident, ruthless Pakistan batting line-up, the bowlers’ lengths went haywire.A side that has won 16 of its last 19 T20Is now, Pakistan’s batsmen were getting help they didn’t need. Even more poignant was the lack of self-belief with which West Indies carried themselves. At one point, they barely appealed for an lbw that, on review, saw Babar saved by inches on the umpire’s call.Pakistan would be encouraged by the cameo Asif Ali played, because it bodes well for the future of their power-hitting. Long bemoaned as a striking weakness in Pakistan’s game, Asif, whose penchant for big sixes came to light in the recently-concluded PSL, showed he could be the solution. It was only 14 off 8 balls, with one six, a bottom-hand jab off the back foot, would have caught batting coach Grant Flower’s eyes, who singled him out as an exciting prospect from this year’s PSL.The only disappointment for Pakistan in the first innings was Babar’s failure to get to his hundred. Incredibly, Ahmed Shehzad’s 111 against Bangladesh is still the only time a Pakistan batsman has scored a century. Babar had his chance in the final over, but his timing deserted him. Kesrick Williams hit his lengths and varied his pace well enough to keep the ball away from Babar, but his hunger, undimmed so far, bodes well for Pakistan.West Indies, in response, avoided the catastrophe of the first game, but it was clear within a few overs that the result would be the same: a comfortable win for Pakistan. The asking rate, over 10 at the start of the innings, stifled West Indies before the chase had even begun, and other than Chadwick Walton, no top-order batsman looked even close to being up to the task.West Indies scored only 30 runs in the Powerplay, and though they had lost only one wicket by then, the required rate had already ballooned to almost 13. Once Shadab Khan cleaned Walton up – with a beautiful flipper – he had scored 40 of his side’s 50 runs, it was only about how many Pakistan would win by.Mohammad Amir found his lengths and hit his yorkers often. Hasan Ali was his usual wily self and Shadab was lethal and potent. Pakistan hadn’t let the lack of competitiveness dim their intensity, keen to drive home the advantage as much as possible. Amir looked especially sharp; the yorker that castled opposition captain Jason Mohammed worth waiting for even in the backdrop of rather dull cricket. His disguise of the slower balls was also world-class as he finished with figures of 4-0-22-3.West Indies mentally checked out of the game well before it officially ended, the point epitomised in the 18th over. Emrit cut Amir to the boundary, wide enough of third man to allow the batsmen to comfortably run two. Williams on the other hand, never so much as looked at his partner, and both batsmen found themselves at one end. Emrit didn’t even bother looking back, never breaking his stride as he jogged back to the pavilion.Hasan and Talat picked up the final two wickets to seal the demolition, as West Indies were bowled out for 123, just about more than double their total from the first match.

Central finished day two with a lead of 235 runs after South Zone folded for 149 on day one

Ashish Pant12-Sep-2025Centuries from Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod, on the back of a 53 from Danish Malewar, gave Central Zone firm control of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Patidar scored 101 off 115 balls while Rathod remained unbeaten on 137 as Central finished on 384 for 5 on the second day, leading South Zone by 235 runs.The day began with Central in arrears but by only 99 runs. The conditions were in the bowlers’ favour: it was overcast and windy, and Vasuki Koushik was on point. He sent Akshay Wadkar back with a peach of an inswinger that pitched outside off and decked back in sharply. Wadkar, who had shouldered arms, lost his off stump.With Kerala’s MD Nidheesh not as incisive, Gurjapneet Singh was brought into the attack early, and he immediately made the Central batters uncomfortable. He bowled in the mid-130kph range, and got the ball to move both ways.Gurjapneet was soon rewarded when Shubham Sharma tried to drive a fuller-length delivery outside off, and got a thick inside edge which sent his middle stump cartwheeling. Malewar reached his fifty off 113 balls, driving Gurjapneet on the up through covers, but fell soon after edging the fast bowler to first slip.Gurjapneet Singh dismissed Danish Malewar and Shubham Sharma before lunch•PTI

At 93 for 3 in the 33rd over, and with the ball moving around, South would have eyed a few more wickets. But Patidar drained all their optimism. He got off the mark by punching Koushik off the front foot past mid-off, and then clipped him through midwicket. In his next over, Patidar drove Koushik on the up past mid-off again. Rathod, at the other end, took a little more time to get going, with Gurjapneet testing him outside the off stump.Patidar, however, was untroubled as he continued to consistently fetch the boundaries. The confidence rubbed onto Rathod, who sent Nidheesh for two successive fours in the 43rd over.This was the first time Patidar and Rathod were batting together in first-class cricket. While there was some miscommunication early, once they settled in, the quick singles to mid-off and mid-on became a feature of their partnership. Patidar took Central into the lead in the last over before lunch by sweeping Ricky Bhui to the deep square leg fence, as he and Rathod went into the break unscathed.Patidar had a slice of luck in the first over after play resumed, when, on 44, he shouldered arms to a straight delivery from Ankit Sharma, and was struck on his pad. Up went the umpire’s finger, but while the replays showed the ball to be clipping off stump, Ankit had overstepped. The Central captain reached his fifty off 72 balls, gliding Ankit past point before nudging him fine again through the same region.A key feature of Patidar’s innings was the way he manouvered the field. That was on display in an over from Bhui, when he first whipped the offspinner through midwicket, then slog swept him over wide long-on, and again swept him behind square.Yash Rathod was unbeaten on 137 after day two•PTI

Patidar then went after Gurjapneet, first driving a half-volley through covers before upper-cutting him for six over deep third’s head. Patidar had raced into the 90s with Central’s lead going past 60.There are no fans allowed to watch the Duleep Trophy final, but around 20 of them found a small opening from the side of the road to witness Patidar reaching his 15th first-class century. He got there with a single to mid-off, and while there were muted celebrations, Central’s lead had swelled.Rathod also reached his fifty, clipping Gurjapneet through midwicket and then driving Ankit through covers. The 167-run fourth-wicket stand between the two finally came to an end when Patidar edged a sharp, short-of-a-length delivery from Gurjapneet down leg to depart for 101. Central lost Upendra Yadav, too, with Nideesh strangling him down leg, but Rathod kept going.It didn’t take Rathod long to reach his seventh first-class century after tea, getting there with a push to point. He roared in celebration before removing his helmet and gloves and pointing upwards. With the milestone complete, Rathod attacked Ankit, thumping him over wide mid-on and pulling him through midwicket.New batter Saransh Jain, fresh from a half-century in the semi-final, also got going, with the lead past the 200-mark. South took the new ball only in the 101st over, but with the pitch flattening out, both batters had no trouble dealing with it. They added 108 runs in the last session off 32 overs, with Central ending the day firmly on top.

Young batsman stranded two runs shy of maiden century

Paul Edwards04-Jun-2019
This has been a fine week for officials at Liverpool CC. While they could do nothing about the rain that allowed only one session’s play on this second day, they have proved themselves perfectly capable of hosting first-class cricket, a claim some had doubted in the very recent past.However, when this game is over and a review is taking place, someone should suggest the value of a scoreboard people can see in bright light. Many spectators squinted in vain at the small electric effort in the corner of the ground and their irritation was only aggravated by the placement of a completely blank, old-style board directly alongside its wretched counterpart. Perversely, of course, as the rain fell the dratted board displayed for hours the one number which had disappointed Lancashire supporters. Underneath No. 20 shone 98, the career-best score Josh Bohannon had made when last man Richard Gleeson edged Dieter Klein to Harry Swindells just before lunch.Until that reverse Liverpool’s green stage had offered fine cricket to a sparse audience. Indeed, the attendance on Tuesday morning suggested people might have paid too much attention to the regional weather forecast and nothing like enough to a microclimate which often ensures Aigburth remains dry while rain falls in the city centre. The most famous instance of this meteorological quiddity occurred late in Lancashire’s championship season when Simon Kerrigan bowled his side to a tremendous victory over Hampshire while adjoining districts were cursed with storms, tempests and plagues of frogs.Perhaps forgetting that day of glory, Merseyside folk remained by their hearths this morning, and that was a shame because those who stayed at home missed an entertaining session, albeit under lowering skies. The best fun was supplied by Bohannon and Tom Bailey, who had extended their eighth-wicket stand to 131 before Bailey carved Chris Wright to Neil Dexter on the deep point boundary. In the previous over Bailey had reached his fifth first-class fifty with a siege-gun six off Wright which arced over the sightscreen at the River End.However, the changed balance of the contest was shown by Wright’s almost impassive reaction to his dismissal of both Bailey and Graham Onions. By then the crowd’s interest had shifted to Bohannon and the few dozen spectators wondered if he could reach his century.He couldn’t. All he was able to do was watch as Gleeson fenced fatally at Klein. Bohannon immediately turned on his heel and casually tossed his bat into the air, catching it in the manner of juggler with a club. It was the gentlest of gestures, one which revealed more phlegm than fury. Then, mindful of his responsibilities to his team, Bohannon slapped reconciliatory gloves with Gleeson as the pair returned to the pavilion.Yet there is surely consolation available to this fine player, who only celebrated his 22nd birthday in April. Josh Bohannon, you see, county cricket in a way that cannot be coached. In just seven first-class matches he has proved himself well-suited to his chosen trade. And so when he scores his maiden hundred, which he should do quite soon, let us hope he achieves the feat before a few thousand spectators in a match blessed by generous skies and a kind sun.

Kathryn Bryce spearheads bowling as Freeborn-Wraith stand falls short of rescuing Warwickshire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Jul-2025A rain-hit 50-overs match on a club ground might bear little resemblance to a T20 at the Kia Oval but The Blaze will draw some confidence from a 47-run victory over Warwickshire Women in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as a dress rehearsal of sorts for Sunday’s Vitality Blast semi-final.After Marie Kelly’s List A career-best 66 and opening partner Georgia Boyce’s 46 had laid the foundations for a total of 218 for 6 after opting to bat first in a match reduced to 39 overs-a-side, The Blaze dismissed Warwickshire for 171, despite a determined effort by Abbey Freeborn (56 off 73 balls) and Nat Wraith (75 off 71) to give the visitors a chance after being reduced to 13 for 4.Kathryn Bryce (3-18), Georgia Elwiss (3-26) and Grace Ballinger (3-26) shared the bowling honours for The Blaze, for whom Sarah Bryce had made an unbeaten 32, with two wickets each for Warwickshire’s Georgia Davis and Amu Surenkumar.Winning the toss and electing to bat in a match reduced to 39 overs per side after morning rain at the Lindum Sports Club Ground in Lincoln, The Blaze established a strong foundation as Kelly and Boyce shared an opening stand of 106, Kelly hitting eight fours and a six.Kelly, making her first List A appearance of the season, pulled Surenkumar for her maximum early in the innings, generally driving and pulling strongly. She found the boundary three times in the same over off Davis, completing a 47-ball half-century against her former county when she swept Millie Taylor for her seventh four.Taylor, making her List A debut for Warwickshire and unique in the English county women’s game as a left-arm wrist spinner, broke the stand when she turned one past Kelly’s bat for a stumping. Boyce, back with The Blaze after playing for Yorkshire in the Women’s Vitality Blast, was in sight of a fifty of her own when she miscued to mid-off.Kathryn Bryce – reprieved when given out leg before on 13 on the grounds of being distracted by bowler Hannah Baker’s cap dropping out of her pocket – added another 10 before she was stumped.Elwiss, Heather Graham and Ella Claridge all fell cheaply, but Sarah Bryce (32 off 19) and Sarah Glenn added 37 off the last 18 balls of the innings – 26 at the expense of England seamer Issy Wong.Needing to chase at 5.6 an over, Warwickshire suffered a disastrous start, slumping to 13 for four inside five overs.After Bethan Ellis had been caught at square leg off the next, Ballinger took wickets with the last ball of her second over and the first of her third as Lucy Higham took a fine catch at backward point to remove Davina Perrin and Sarah Bryce an easy one as Sterre Kalis skied a top edge, Kathryn Bryce holding a return catch as Surenkumar departed.An inswinging delivery from Bryce accounted for Katie George, leaving Warwickshire 28 for 5 after 10 overs.Freeborn and Wraith rebuilt well, the former clocking up her third half-century off 60 balls, Wraith her second of the campaign off 50, with three boundaries each and some enterprising running between the stumps, their partnership passing 100 in the 28th over.Yet once the breakthrough came, breaking the stand at 112, the home side made it count. Freeborn, who had survived a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Kirstie Gordon on 52, fell shortly afterwards, leg before attempting to ramp Elwiss. Wong then came and went quickly, top edging Elwiss into the off side, before catcher Glenn combined with Elwiss again to run out Taylor off the next ball.Ballinger returned to have Davis caught on the legside boundary before Wraith departed as the last wicket to fall, caught at wide mid-off off Elwiss.

Marsh suffers fractured forearm after being struck by a ball from Pat Cummins during a net session

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2019Shaun Marsh is out of the World Cup with a fractured forearm after the Australian batsmen endured a brutal net session at Old Trafford. He was struck by a ball from Pat Cummins while batting at Old Trafford two days before Australia’s final round-robin match against South Africa.Peter Handscomb will replace Marsh in Australia’s squad. Handscomb is already in England with the Australia A team that is touring the country concurrently and is set to join up with the World Cup squad on Friday.Marsh wasn’t the only batsman to suffer a blow to the arm at Australia’s training session. In the same net, Glenn Maxwell was hit on the right forearm by a short ball from Mitchell Starc. Both batsmen aborted their net sessions and went for scans immediately.Australia coach Justin Langer has confirmed that while Marsh has been ruled out, Maxwell hasn’t suffered extensive damage.”Shaun Marsh has had scans on his right forearm after being struck while practicing in the nets at training today,” Langer said. “Unfortunately, the scans have revealed Shaun has suffered a fracture to his forearm which will require surgery.”This is obviously shattering news for Shaun and the squad. Throughout this tournament, his spirit, professionalism and the way he has competed has been typically outstanding. We are right behind Shaun in his recovery and rehabilitation.”Glenn Maxwell also underwent scans after he was struck on his right forearm in the nets. The scans have cleared Glenn of any serious damage and we’ll continue to monitor him over the coming days. We are hopeful he will be fit to perform for us on Saturday against South Africa.”We have made the decision to call up Peter Handscomb to replace Shaun in our World Cup Squad of 15. Pete is a like-for-like player, in terms of batting in the middle order, and he performed very well for us during our recent tours in India and the UAE.”Handscomb narrowly missed out on a spot in Australia’s original World Cup squad, showing impressive form in the lead-up to the tournament but having to make way for the returns of Steven Smith and David Warner from their ball-tampering bans.Since the turn of the year, the wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 479 ODI runs at an average of 43.54 and a strike rate of 98.15, with three fifties and a match-winning century in a chase of 359 against India.

Vanuatu kept their slim hopes of avoiding relegation alive with the four-wicket win while also eliminating Bermuda’s chances at promotion

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Kuala Lumpur03-May-2018Player-coach Shane Deitz top-scored – with an unbeaten 114-ball 71 over Bermuda – for the third time in four matches since his international debut at the start of WCL Division Four. Dietz’s maiden half-century propelled Vanuatu to a four-wicket win – their first win in the tournament – and kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding relegation.After their disastrous decision to bat second on a wearing track, Bermuda opted to go the other way on Thursday. But the slipped to 24 for 3 inside the Powerplay. The big scalp in that bunch was Kamau Leverock, who decimated Jersey with a belligerent 28-ball half-century.Dion Stovell, who took four wickets on Wednesday, teamed with captain Terryn Fray to grind out a 110-run stand across 32.1 overs to get Bermuda back into the match. But Nalin Nipiko’s medium pace broke the stand in the 38th over and new-ball bowler Patrick Matautaava returned at the death to claim three more wickets, including Fray for 77 to finish with 4 for 41.Bermuda began their defence of 181 with spin and Stovell struck on his fifth delivery to claim Jonathon Dunn leg before. Matautaava was dismissed for 10 as his nightmarish tournament with the bat continued. And in walked Deitz. The former South Australian wicketkeeper added 54 for the third wicket with Joshua Rasu (31 off 67 balls) before Leverock and Stovell struck six balls apart to remove Rasu and then captain Andrew Mansale.Deitz held firm, and with nuggety contributions from Nipiko (26 off 34 balls), Ronald Tari (15 off 39 balls) and Trevor Langa (13 not out off 25 balls) along the way, Vanuatu sealed victory with an over to spare and also put an end to Bermuda’s chances of promotion.

Venkatesh Iyer has been named vice-captain after being bought back by KKR for INR 23.75 crore

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2025Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for IPL 2025. Venkatesh Iyer has been named vice-captain.”It’s an honour to be asked to lead KKR, which has been one of the most successful franchises in the IPL,” Rahane said in a team statement. “I think we have an excellent and balanced squad. I look forward to working with everyone and taking up the challenge of defending our title.”Based on KKR’s strategy at the IPL mega auction last November, Rahane may not have been part of their initial plans, going by how the bidding unfolded. He was unsold when his name came up the first time on day one of the auction, and was only bought by KKR at his base price of INR 1.5 crore when his name came up again as part of the accelerated round on the second day, just before the auction ended.Related

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• Venkatesh Iyer 'definitely ready' to captain KKR at IPL 2025

“We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader,” KKR chief executive Venky Mysore said. “Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defense of our title.”This will be Rahane’s second stint at KKR, having played for them in 2022, when he scored only 133 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 103.90. After that year, Rahane had a rejuvenation at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), for whom he scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.48 in 2023. IPL 2024 wasn’t as productive for Rahane and he was released by CSK after making 242 runs at a strike rate of 123.46 last year.Rahane’s leadership has been highly rated in the past – he was captain when India won a Test series in Australia in 2020-21 – and he is respected on the domestic circuit where he has led Mumbai to several titles, most recently the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rahane was the highest run-scorer in that tournament – 469 runs at a strike rate of 164.56 and an average of over 58.His previous captaincy experience in the IPL spans 25 matches: one for Rising Pune Super Giant in 2017, and 24 for Rajasthan Royals across 2018 and 2019. He was replaced by Steven Smith midway through the 2019 season.KKR are the defending IPL champions•AFP/Getty Images

Iyer, after not being one of KKR’s six retained players ahead of November’s mega auction, was bought back by the franchise for INR 23.75 crore. He was the fourth-most expensive purchase in IPL auction history.KKR is Iyer’s only franchise in the IPL so far. He has been with them since 2021. He was a key player in their title-winning campaign last year, scoring 370 runs at a strike rate of 158.79. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he said he was “definitely ready” to lead KKR if offered the captaincy.KKR are hosting the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on March 22 by virtue of having won the title in 2024. They beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in last year’s final – their third title – under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who was not retained and is now captain of Punjab Kings (PBKS).With KKR announcing Rahane, the only team yet to name a captain is Delhi Capitals (DC). Rishabh Pant had led DC last year but was not retained and will lead his new team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025.

Sussex captain will be without Jofra Archer due to England’s T20Is against Australia

Matt Roller05-Sep-2024Tymal Mills’ delight at leading Sussex to Finals Day in his first season as their T20 captain was tempered by his frustration that Jofra Archer will be unavailable, due to a scheduling clash that he described as “pretty stupid” and “a real shame”.Blast Finals Day – which sees the two semi-finals and the final played back-to-back-to-back at Edgbaston – will be staged on September 14, with England playing the second and third T20Is of their series against Australia on September 13 and 15. The ECB is working through scenarios but players will only be released if they are not required for the final two T20Is.”As far as I’m aware, no England players will be available – which is pretty stupid, to be honest,” Mills said after captaining Sussex to an eight-wicket win over Lancashire in Wednesday night’s quarter-final at Hove, in which Archer took 2 for 20. “Obviously no England players will be there from any side, but it is a real shame for us to lose a player like Jof. Whoever comes in for him will have big boots to fill.”Surrey, who beat Durham at The Oval on Tuesday, will be worst affected, with Jamie Overton called up by England as injury cover on Thursday and joining Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley in the T20I squad. They are waiting for confirmation of the availability of their four Test players: Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith.Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell, the uncapped allrounders, are also in England’s T20I squad. “I know Warwickshire will be without Mousley and Bethell – two of their better players – if they beat Gloucestershire on Friday,” Mills said. “It’s disappointing. This is a big day of the year and you’d like your best players there.”For us, it hurts us a lot, because you take Jofra Archer out of your team and it is a huge loss. Other counties – Surrey, for example – can maybe cover their losses a bit better than what we can, but it is what it is. The XI that’s taking the field on the 14th will have to step up. But I’m sure you won’t find many people that will agree with the schedule and say, ‘Yeah, it’s great.'”Surrey will be without Sam Curran on T20 Finals Day•Harry Trump/Getty Images

The Blast’s quarter-finals took place more than six weeks after the end of the group stage, which Kent captain Sam Billings branded “ridiculous” earlier this year. But many counties prefer a long gap as it allows them a bigger window to sell tickets, with a record quarter-final crowd at The Oval on Tuesday and a sellout at Hove on Wednesday.Sussex have thrived under Mills’ leadership this year. They missed out on the quarter-finals under Ravi Bopara’s captaincy in 2023, but have won 10 out of 15 games this season. Daniel Hughes, their Australian overseas player, is the Blast’s leading run-scorer, Mills himself is the third-highest wicket-taker and James Coles has enjoyed a fine all-round season.”I love the club,” Mills said. “This is my 10th year now, and I don’t just want to waste my last few years ticking over and then ride off into the sunset without anything to show for it. I put myself forward for the captaincy when Ravi left… I could have gone elsewhere at some point over the last few years and gone to a bigger club but I live here and this is where I want to be.”I’ve never even captained in a club game before, but I’ve really loved it. I’ve always been a senior player and I like to think about the game a lot: I don’t just stand at fine leg, look at the sky and twiddle my thumbs… One thing I’ve learned is just to trust your gut. There were a couple of times when I’ve got a little bit defensive with fields or bowling changes, and it comes back to haunt you.Related

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“I take T20 cricket very seriously, because it’s all I do, whereas I felt maybe as a club, there were players that maybe didn’t quite take it as seriously – which is hard, when guys are playing all formats. I’m 32 now. I’m not going to be playing forever. I want to win as many games as I can and nothing would mean more to me than winning [the Blast] for Sussex.”Mills has been particularly pleased at Sussex’s aggression with the bat, having reached 200 in five out of seven innings while batting first. “We’re playing positive, entertaining cricket,” he said. “We were poor here [at Hove] for the last few years, and our record here has really improved. I’m really proud of everything that the coaching staff and the players have done to get this far.”First of all, you want to get out of the group. We did that, and to win a knockout game against a very experienced and talented Lancashire side was obviously really pleasing as well. We’ll wait to see who we will play at Edgbaston next Saturday, but we’ll turn up expecting to win. That’s the attitude now that the team have.”

Webster posted his fifth century in his last 22 Shield innings to put his name up in lights

Alex Malcolm10-Oct-2024The Sheffield Shield’s leading allrounder Beau Webster has produced a timely century while Brad Hope posted his second Shield ton as Tasmania batted the entire third day against Victoria at the Junction Oval.Tasmania piled up 527 for 9 on a turgid surface to take a 99-run lead into the final day with Jordan Silk making 84 and No. 9 Kieran Elliott also making his highest first-class score of 63. But the surface is offering very little for the bowlers and it will be difficult for either side to produce a result.On a day when news emerged that Australia’s Test allrounder Cameron Green is facing a grim diagnosis on his injured back, Webster put his name up in lights scoring 113 to start the new Shield season as he finished the last. It was his 12th first-class century and his fifth in his last 22 Shield innings. He has averaged 69.94 in that time and made six other half-centuries including an unbeaten 97. Last summer he became only the second player behind Garry Sobers to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in a single Shield season.But these runs came in a game where both sides have piled up more than 428 in their first innings and only 18 wickets have fallen in three days. Webster wasn’t getting too carried away given how placid the pitch is.”It’s a nice one to cash in on,” Webster said post play. “I’m batting well. I feel like I’ve been batting really well for 18 months now, and I’ve got a routine down pat. Whatever the conditions offer, I feel like I’ve got a game plan that can have some success.”He did note, however, that the media speculation surrounding Green was hard to shut out.”It’s hard to ignore,” Webster said. “It sits everywhere, all through the media, whether he’s going to bowl or not, or bat or not, or surgery and things like that. But there’s a lot of other good allrounders around the country, and lot of allrounders that have had good performances in the last 12 months. Hopefully I can just keep doing what I’m doing and if they see something they like, and I get an opportunity, I’ll jump at it and grab it with both hands hopefully. But not reading too much into it though.”Silk played with typical class and composure in a 149-run stand with Webster before Hope then cashed in.Hope made an unbeaten century as Victoria tried everything to find a wicket. Having removed Silk and Webster with two excellent deliveries from Sam Elliott and Fergus O’Neill respectively there was precious little support from the surface otherwise. At one stage late in the day, O’Neill bowled with the keeper up and eight catchers in front of square on either side of the pitch with a sole fine leg.Hope and Tasmania No. 9 Kieran Elliott shared a 127-run stand in the afternoon to take the score beyond 500 as Victoria took a third new ball. The partnership was finally broken by the new ball as Hope edged behind for 111. Elliott fell shortly after for 63.