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Having been promoted to No.4, Shadab stepped up with the bat to dominate NZ’s attack

Danyal Rasool08-Oct-2022
On a day where everything clicked into place for Pakistan, they swept aside New Zealand to cruise to a six-wicket win. A day after Bangladesh had been given short shrift, another near-flawless bowling performance against a rusty, stilted New Zealand batting-line-up saw the hosts restricted to 147 with Haris Rauf yet again the star. In response, Babar Azam steered Pakistan’s chase with an effortless, unbeaten 53-ball 79. Quickfire cameos from Shdab Khan and Haider Ali helped Pakistan seal the win with 10 balls to spare.New Zealand struggled to get going early on, with Devon Conway and Kane Williamson struggling for fluency during their 61-run partnership off 52 balls. The pacers cramped New Zealand for room during the fielding restrictions, while Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz kept things tight during the middle. A one-over blip, during which Mark Chapman hammered Nawaz for 22, threatened to see New Zealand claw back some ground they had lost, only for the visitors to hit back and ensure there would be no further shift in momentum. The last three overs saw 17 runs scored with five wickets lost, by which stage New Zealand were hobbling.Mohammad Rizwan couldn’t find the fluency that has been characteristic of his game for the past two years and was trapped in front by Tim Southee, before Blair Tickner sent Shan Masood back for a duck. Shadab was the wrecking ball through the middle order, complementing his captain especially well in a fluent, destructive partnership that also yielded 61 – though they took just 42 balls to get there. By then the required rate was effectively around a run-a-ball, where it stayed for the next few overs. Haider Ali and Babar smashed Tickner for 21 in the 18th over, and sealed a second successive win.Shadab’s promotion
The clamour to have Shadab bat higher up the order has occupied much social-media real estate in Pakistan, and its immediate vindication upon its deployment could potentially have ramifications for Pakistan through the next five weeks. It is in the top four that Shadab has boasted the highest average and strike rate for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, and Pakistan’s tendency to slow down in the post-powerplay overs had led to baying calls to promote Shadab reaching a crescendo.On Saturday, Shadab showed why. Everything seemed to fall into place after Rizwan and Masood both fell towards the end of the powerplay. It prompted the allrounder’s first-ever promotion to No.4 with Pakistan, and in the absence of the high pace of Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne, it was a very fruitful match-up. Tickner was slashed through point first ball he faced, before Ish Sodhi’s first ball was hammered over cow corner and out of the stadium.In just six balls Sodhi bowled to Shadab, Shadab would plunder 19. In all, Shadab scored 34 off 22 balls to easy any pressure in a fairly small chase, allowing his team-mates to cruise along at a much more sedate pace. The option he gives Pakistan would appear to add another dimension to their batting, though how frequently they deem fit to ustilise it is very much an open question.Haris Rauf dented New Zealand at the death•Getty Images

Williamson and Conway struggle

Conway is New Zealand’s highest-ranked batter, and Williamson perhaps the most reliable, but in their first home game of the season, both looked off-colour. Williamson acknowledged his side’s performance had been “scrappy”, and the 61-run second-wicket stand between the two exemplified that. Pakistan in top form with the ball aren’t an ideal opponent for your first home game of the season, and perhaps that showed.Conway was able to find the odd four or six, but the dot balls interspersed between those boundaries only continued to add the pressure. It was perhaps telling that only after they fell did New Zealand enjoy their best passage of play with the bat, thanks to Chapman who briefly raised hopes of New Zealand posting a total in excess of 160.It contrasted heavily with the Babar-Shadab stand, which also saw 61 runs scored. But the ten fewer balls it took made all the difference – that was exactly the number of deliveries Pakistan had to spare when the target was chased down.An all-round bowling performance
Really, though, this game was about Pakistan with the ball. The old adage around bowlers winning tournaments bodes particularly well for Pakistan in this tri-series as two superb bowling performances see them sitting pretty at the top of the table. Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani and Mohammad Wasim each kept the hosts on a leash during the powerplay, and backed up by the spinners later on, there wasn’t a weak link to go after.Aside from that 22-run over, not once did New Zealand score 12 runs or more in any over, making it difficult to catch up to what the par score might have been. Rauf, Dahani, Wasim and Shadab’s 15 combined overs went for just 91, while even the one over Iftikhar bowled cost Pakistan only five. There was simply no place to hide.

Australia also enter Super Six with an all-win record after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2024Arshin Kulkarni’s 108 off 118 balls, Musheer Khan’s 76-ball 73, and Naman Tiwari’s frugal spell of 4 for 20 led India to a big 201-run win over USA in the Under-19 World Cup on Sunday. The win meant they kept their unblemished record intact going into the Super Six of the tournament.India piled up 326 for 5 in their 50 overs with Kulkarni and Musheer doing the bulk of the scoring. In reply, medium pacer Tiwari picked up 4 for 20 in nine overs as USA were kept to 125 for 8 in Bloemfontein.After India were sent in to bat, Adarsh Singh struck three fours in the first over, but the USA bowlers kept both him and Kulkarni in check for a while. India could only manage 40 after ten overs, which led to Adarsh getting a bit desperate and chipping Ateendra Subramanian, the medium pacer, to mid-off when on 25.Kulkarni and Musheer, however, dug in to add 155 runs off 142 balls for the second wicket. Both the batters took their time in settling in before opening up. Kulkarni had a lucky escape when he was dropped on 16 at mid-off and made sure to cash in. He hacked quick bowler Aarin Nadkarni for six over deep midwicket and clobbered Rishi Ramesh, the legspinner, around the same region before reaching his half-century off 70 balls.Naman Tiwari rattled the USA batters with his pace•ICC via Getty Images

Musheer continued from where he had left off against Ireland. He got going with a cover drive off Nadkarni and then hit Utkarsh Srivastava across the line for six. It took him 56 balls to reach his half-century and with both batters now set, they got the boundaries away more frequently.Musheer fell to Ramesh, but Kulkarni reached the three-figure mark with a four past fine leg off 110 balls. Captain Uday Saharan struck a 27-ball 35 to keep the momentum going, but he and Kulkarni fell in the space of six balls as USA looked for a way back. India, however, were 259 for 4 in the 44th over at that stage, and Priyanshu Moliya (27* off 19 balls), Sachin Dhas (20 off 16) and Aravelly Avanish (12* off seven) played important cameos to take India past the 325-run mark.USA were never really in the chase. They lost openers Prannav Chettipalayam and Bhavya Mehta in the first two overs. Tiwari then removed Ramesh for 8 as USA slipped to 12 for 3 after 7.5 overs. Siddarth Kappa and Srivastava stayed firm for a bit, adding 43 runs off 93 balls for the fourth wicket, before offspinner Moliya got into the act, sending back Kappa for 18.Tiwari then added to his wicket tally as he removed Srivastava and Manav Nayak in successive overs to have USA at 79 for 6, which soon became 90 for 7 after 30 overs. Amogh Arepally (27* off 71) and Nadkarni (20 off 44) added 31 off 78 balls for the eighth wicket, which delayed the inevitable and ensured India couldn’t bowl the opposition out.India headed into the Super Sixes topping their group and will face New Zealand on Tuesday.Callum Vidler picked 3 for 28 from his nine overs•ICC/Getty Images

Hicks and Vidler ensure Australia enter Super Six with all-win record

Callum Vidler and Ryan Hicks starred with ball and bat respectively to help Australia beat Sri Lanka and go into the Super Six of the Under-19 World Cup undefeated, with a healthy net run-rate of 2.6.Quick bowler Vidler started the match by nicking Pulindu Perera off in the first over. Sineth Jayawardena, who had won the toss and batted, moved Sri Lanka forward with a 47-run stand with Supun Waduge, but Vidler and Tom Campbell, the offspinner, removed them in successive overs to rebuild the pressure.Dinura Kalupahana, top-scoring with 64 with nine fours and three sixes, stitched two 40-plus stands in the middle overs with Ravishan de Silva and Rusanda Gamage. But medium pacer Harjas Singh and offspinner Raf MacMilllan cut short the promising partnerships before Vidler’s return took out Kalupahana and left Sri Lanka stuttering at 166 for 6 as the final powerplay got underway.Campbell and his new-ball partner Mahli Beardman took out the tail as Sri Lanka were all out seven balls short of their 50 overs.Harry Dixon’s flier, comprising three fours and a six off his first 13 balls, allowed Australia to cruise through a 71-run opening stand with Sam Konstas. Left-arm spinner Vishwa Lahiru, the pick of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, dismissed Dixon and Hugh Weibgen in consecutive overs and with legspinner Malsha Tharupathi getting Konstas, Australia were wobbling for a bit.Hicks ensured it was just that by accumulating a slow but steady 49-run stand with Harjas before joining forces with Campbell. The two shared eight boundaries in their partnership and did not allow the asking rate to rise over five at any point. Their unbeaten 82-run stand took Australia home with seven balls to spare.

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.”

Left-arm seamers will split 14 games between them during Blast group stages

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2024Nottinghamshire have signed left-arm seamers Ben Lister of New Zealand and Fazalhaq Farooqi of Afghanistan for the T20 Blast group stages this season in the hope that they can replicate Shaheen Shah Afridi’s success for them last summer.Lister has won 13 limited-overs caps for his country but is considered unlikely to feature in their World Cup plans, and will join Notts for the first eight games of the Blast’s group stages this season before he being replaced by Farooqi. And subject to a No-Objection Certificate from the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Farooqi will feature in county cricket for the first time in his career, following the T20 World Cup, where he will spearhead Afghanistan’s seam attack.Shaheen took 22 wickets in his 14 matches for Notts last season, including four in a single over in a defeat to Birmingham Bears. But he will be unavailable for the Blast this summer due to a clash with the T20 World Cup, where he will captain Pakistan, thus leading Notts to turn to two alternatives.Related

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“Given the success Shaheen had with us last year, bringing in left-arm seam options again made sense,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, said in a press release. “It creates a different set of challenges for batters. In Ben and Fazalhaq, we have proven wicket-takers who can make an impact on the game in crucial moments, which is what we are after.”Ben is an exciting talent who is establishing himself on the world stage after consistent performances domestically. He’s made a difference in the teams he has played for, and has the potential to do the same with us. Meanwhile, Fazalhaq is a world-class player with experience on the franchise circuit and in international cricket, with a proven ability to bowl at the death. His knowhow under pressure will be important in our group stage run-in.”Notts had finished fourth in the North Group last year and were beaten by eventual champions Somerset in the quarter-finals. They will have a new-look Blast team this year following the departures of Samit Patel (Derbyshire) and Jake Ball (Somerset), with Steven Mullaney expected to feature predominantly for Notts Second XI after taking on a player-coach role.Alex Hales will also be unavailable for the second half of the group stages after signing a lucrative offer to play for Galle Marvels in the Lanka Premier League, while Jack Haynes, Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue have all joined from Worcestershire. New Zealand’s Will Young will feature in the T20 set-up, and Joe Clarke will take over as T20 captain.

Baroda felt Hardik’s absence while Naman Dhir continued to impress in the fifth round of SMAT 2024

Shashank Kishore02-Dec-2024

Saurashtra stay alive after blockbuster show

Saurashtra smashed 266 for 6, the second-highest total in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy history, en route to a 78-run win over Group B table-toppers Baroda. Their fourth win in five games vaulted Saurashtra to second place on the points table, with the top three, Baroda, Saurashtra and Gujarat, all separated only by net run rate.A Baroda attack sans the rested Hardik Pandya, the leading six-hitter in the tournament at this stage, came under fire from Harvik Desai, the wicketkeeper, who set the tone early on, with a 39-ball 76. There were handy contributions from opener Tarang Goel (15-ball 40) and Jay Gohil, who smashed an 18-ball 53 at No. 6.Baroda’s chase was dented early as they were reduced to 29 for 3 inside the powerplay. They managed to limit the damage to their net run rate by finishing with 188 for 8, thereby remaining table-toppers.Related

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Karnataka knock Tamil Nadu out

Karnataka quick Vasuki Koushik made use of the early morning moisture in Indore to rip past Tamil Nadu in a sensational new-ball burst that fetched him three wickets in his first two overs. Tamil Nadu, who were reduced to 7 for 4 by then, were bowled out for 90, with Karnataka, fuelled by Manish Pandey’s 42, chasing down the runs in just 11.3 overs.Given how close the table is stacked, with all of Gujarat, Saurashtra and Baroda ahead of them, this was a virtual knockout. The result meant Tamil Nadu will be eliminated from the group stages of a tournament they have dominated in the recent past (they won back-to-back in 2020-21 and 2021-22).

Dhir, Ramandeep keep Punjab alive

Punjab continue to live on the edge. After clinching a Super Over win two nights ago against Mizoram, they beat Hyderabad by seven runs to keep their slim knockouts hopes alive. Their win on Sunday was fuelled by Naman Dhir, highly rated by Mumbai Indians, and Ramandeep Singh, who was retained by Kolkata Knight Riders before the recent auction.Having scored 196 for 6, thanks in part to Anmolpreet Singh’s 60 and Ramandeep’s unbeaten 11-ball 39, Punjab managed to bundle out Hyderabad for 189, with Dhir picking up his first five-for in T20s. Tilak Varma, the Hyderabad captain, managed just a run-a-ball 9.File photo: Ramandeep Singh’s cameo helped Punjab put up a winning score against Hyderabad•Associated Press

This was a clear case of the scorecard not revealing how one-sided the game threatened to be when Hyderabad were 141 for 8 in 17 overs. Then Chama Milind, the left-arm seamer, unleashed a barrage of sixes in his 22-ball 55 to take the game closer before Arshdeep Singh dealt the final blow to seal victory.

Bharat, Bhui lead Andhra’s charge

Unbeaten for four games running, Andhra are in with a good shout of making the knockouts. But their task gets tougher from here on as they still have games remaining against Kerala and Mumbai, both of whom are also in knockouts contention, and right behind them in Group E.On Sunday, KS Bharat and Ricky Bhui combined to help Andhra ransack 222 for 8 against Services for a 23-run win. Opening the batting, Bharat scored a 39-ball 63, while Bhui’s 84 came off just 35 balls and contained five sixes. Services made a good fist of the target with captain Mohit Ahlawat smashing 74 off 37. But an impressive 3 for 26 from Cheepurapalli Stephen eventually restricted them to 199.

Semi-final against India awaits host nation after knocking off paltry target of 72

Valkerie Baynes04-Aug-2022England will play India in the Commonwealth Games semi-finals after a fiery start from Katherine Brunt spurred them to a thumping win over New Zealand in their final group stage match at Edgbaston.New Zealand will face gold-medal favourites Australia in Saturday’s other semi-final after crumbling to their third-lowest T20I total as Brunt, Issy Wong and Sarah Glenn claimed economical hauls of two wickets each.Playing without Heather Knight, their captain who was ruled out of the entire tournament with a hip injury that is expected to take some months to heal, Alice Capsey top-scored for England for the third straight match as the hosts overhauled a tiny target with 50 balls to spare, treating the 10,892-strong crowd to a stirring home victory.NZ bear the BruntBrunt set England off to the perfect start when she sent Sophie Devine’s leg stump cartwheeling with a brilliant offcutter as the batter tried to defend on just the fourth ball of the match.In Brunt’s second over, she removed Amelia Kerr with an equally impressive delivery that beat the bottom edge as Kerr tried to heave over the leg side and clipped the top of middle stump in what turned out to be a wicket maiden, leaving Brunt with 2 for 2 from as many overs at that point. She ended the match with 2 for 4 from three overs.No let-up from EnglandWhen Wong entered the fray soon after, she struck with her fourth ball as Suzie Bates – by now New Zealand’s great hope – picked out Nat Sciver at midwicket. All of a sudden, the White Ferns were 12 for 3, and they only managed to stretch their score to 21 for 3 by the end of the powerplay.Their woes deepened when Brooke Halliday ran herself out, charging down the pitch after Maddy Green had worked Sciver to the leg side but not taken more than a half step before holding her hand up. By the time Green screamed, “no, no!” her team-mate was virtually standing next to her and had to keep walking on to the dugout as Sciver gathered wicketkeeper Amy Jones’ throw and whipped off the bails at the non-striker’s end.Wong claimed her second when Hayley Jensen chipped to Danni Wyatt at point to leave New Zealand 35 for 5 at the halfway point of their innings. Spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn – the latter taking two wickets in two balls – put England on the brink of bowling their opposition out before 10th-wicket pair Hannah Rowe and Fran Jonas managed to bat out the 20 overs.Runs reeled inEngland’s run-chase stuttered when Wyatt skied the last ball of the opening over, bowled by Jonas, towards midwicket and keeper Isabella Gaze ran into the gap to take the catch.Capsey, the 17-year-old England have thrown into the No. 3 position whenever they lose a wicket in powerplay – she is their leading scorer of the Games with 117 runs and second only to Bates overall – set out to marshall the pursuit once more. Fresh off her maiden international half-century in the previous match against South Africa, Capsey sent highly experienced White Ferns seamer Lea Tahuhu to the boundary four times in one over, thrice with authority through the off side before swinging her through square leg.Compounding New Zealand’s problems, captain Devine brought herself into the attack but was found to have overstepped when she had Capsey well caught on the ramp by Rowe. The damage was limited, however, when Capsey chipped Kerr to Devine at mid-off in the next over without adding to her 19-ball 23.Sophia Dunkley remains yet to pass 20 in this competition after she was bowled by a Kerr googly for 19 but then Jones, supported by Sciver, made light work of the deficit, finding the boundary four times to see their side home inside 12 overs.

Moeen four-for seals series as Southee thumb fracture leaves NZ with World Cup worry

Andrew Miller15-Sep-2023England 311 for 9 (Malan 127, Ravindra 4-60) beat New Zealand 211 (Ravindra 61, Nicholls 41, Moeen 4-50) by 100 runsDawid Malan completed the century that eluded him on Wednesday, and in the process surely confirmed that he will be the first name on England’s team-sheet for their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad in three weeks’ time, after underpinning his team’s emphatic 100-run victory with a display of unrelenting serenity at Lord’s.Moeen Ali duly sealed the match, and the series, with figures of 4 for 50, including two in two balls under the floodlights. But Malan’s innings – 127 from 114 balls all told – remained the stand-out performance on a night when only Rachin Ravindra, with some entertaining late blows to go alongside his own four-wicket haul, passed fifty.By the contest’s end, however, all thoughts were already turning to more pressing matters looming in India next month, and on a day when Jason Roy’s hopes of a World Cup berth were left in limbo as he missed out on selection once again, New Zealand were left with worries of their own after a string of injuries in the field, most devastatingly a blow to the right thumb for Tim Southee, which was later confirmed to be a potentially tournament-ending fracture.For Malan, however, this was just another opportunity to live in the present – and in a peculiar era for English ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup, few players have done so with more gusto than he. His fifth 50-over century in 21 innings also took him past 1000 runs in the format, equalling the England record set by Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, while his haul of 14 fours and three sixes by far outshone the rest of his team-mates. It showcased a player flushed with form, focus and utter confidence.With 54 and 96 to his name in this series already, Malan displayed his compact power from the get-go, smoking a brace of fours through the covers and point in Southee’s opening over, to reaffirm the sense that the “shirt is his”, as Stuart Broad once put it when his Test place was under threat. Roy, who was not considered match-fit after a series of back spasms, may yet be given a chance to prove himself against Ireland next week, but already it feels he’s fighting for a back-up role.After England won the toss and chose to bat, Roy’s habitual partner, Jonny Bairstow, fell in Matt Henry’s third over, flinching outside off for Daryl Mitchell to scoop up the chance low at slip. Bairstow initially stood his ground, doubting whether the ball had carried, but though the third umpire confirmed he had to go, the chance had not been entirely cleanly taken – Mitchell quickly followed him off the pitch nursing a dislocated finger, though he did return to bowl a useful spell with the ball.Jos Buttler ran out Devon Conway with a direct hit•PA Photos/Getty Images

Out came Joe Root – a lock in England’s World Cup plans, no doubt, but even a player of his indisputable class needs the reassurance of form ahead of such a marquee tournament. Instead, he arrived at the crease with scores of 6, 0 and 4 to his name, and proceeded to grind out his scratchiest display of the lot.Root has form for this lack of form on this ground. In the World Cup final four years ago, he was hounded by Colin de Grandhomme’s lack of pace and limited to 7 from 30 balls. Here, he was dropped twice in the gully before he had reached double figures, and incredibly on both occasions it was the offending fielder who left the field instead – first Finn Allen, nursing a cut finger, and then, more ominously, Southee, who looked in some pain after a hard blow to his thumb. NZC subsequently confirmed a dislocation and fracture, adding that he would undergo further assessment on Saturday. Ben Lister, himself a replacement in the party for Adam Milne, later hobbled off the field with a hamstring strain, and likewise did not return – although, unlike Southee, he did come out to bat in the contest’s final throes.As in the World Cup final, Root found his options limited by the presence of a deep third to deny him value for his deflections down through the cordon, let alone his trademark scoop shot, and it wasn’t until his 24th ball that he finally got his first boundary away, a cathartic pull through wide long-on off Ravindra. The drinks break seemed to have settled him down as he took Ravindra for two more boundaries through midwicket in his next over, the latter a flat six, only for the shot to let him down soon afterwards, as he mowed across the line to be bowled for an unconvincing 29 from 40.Root wasn’t alone in finding the going tough, however. Harry Brook, recalled at his preferred No. 4 berth with Ben Stokes understandably resting up after his record 182 on Wednesday, made a scratchy 10 from 15 – and 37 from 68 for the series, which is hardly the form he required to demand a rethink in England’s World Cup plans. His innings ended in grim fashion too, as he yanked a half-tracker from Ravindra straight to mid-on.Even Jos Buttler, with 36 from 31 including a trademark wristy thump for six over long-off, was arguably a notch below his fluent best, as he attempted to launch Mitchell’s medium-pace in a similar direction only to pick out the substitute Trent Boult at mid-off.Malan, by contrast, was unperturbed by the struggles around him. Having ignited England’s powerplay with three fours in a row off Southee, the best of them another crunching drive through the covers, he cruised through to his fifty from an even 50 balls, then reset his focus to complete the landmark that had eluded him twice before in the series.He accelerated into the 80s with a vicious burst of speed – three fours in a row, including the reverse-sweep that he reserves for his most composed knocks, then a massive flat six over midwicket off Kyle Jamieson to reach his 1000th ODI run. He had a moment of alarm with his century looming, edging Henry inches past the keeper to move to 99, but after permitting himself three dots to recompose himself, he tucked a brace off his pads, before peeling off his helmet to salute an appreciative Lord’s.Tom Latham was bowled swinging across the line•Getty Images

And, having matched one Viv Richards record, for a time it looked odds-on that Malan would surpass another – Richards’ 138 in the 1979 World Cup final, still the highest ODI score on this ground – and maybe even, with ten overs remaining, Stokes’ newly minted England record. Instead, on 127, he chased a wide one from Ravindra and slumped to the crease in self-admonishment after feathering a nick to Tom Latham.Not for the first time this series, however, Malan’s efforts were made to look even better once he’d left the field. Much as they had done in adversity at The Oval too, New Zealand turned the screw on England’s lower-order in the death overs. Moeen chased an even wider one from Ravindra to hole out for 3, while Liam Livingstone was repeatedly guilty of losing his shape on the big wind-up, as he drifted along to 28 from 38 with a solitary six, before being nailed lbw by Jamieson.Sam Curran connected lustily on three off-side boundaries in his 20 from 13, before Henry scrambled the seam to nip one down the slope, but not for the first time, David Willey applied some late humpty with 19 from 11, before Brydon Carse launched the final ball of the innings for a massive six over long-off, as England pushed their target well past 300.If New Zealand were to pose any threat, then Devon Conway – the star of their startlingly comprehensive win in the first ODI – was the obvious man on whom to anchor their chase. However, on 7 from 12, he called himself through for a sharp single off Will Young’s pad, but Buttler scooted round quickly behind the stumps, discarding his glove in the process to ping down the stumps with the batter a foot short.Young himself couldn’t hang around to pick up his partner’s mantle, nicking an excellent delivery in the channel from David Willey through to Buttler for 24, while Daryl Mitchell – still batting at No. 4 despite his finger injury – managed just 4 from 14 balls before the impressive Carse bowled him through the gate with the third delivery of his spell.And from that point onwards, there was little threat of a fightback, particularly once England’s spinners, Moeen and Livingstone had settled into a constrictive tandem spell.Moeen could have struck first-ball had he reviewed an lbw against Latham, but then got him two balls later anyway as Latham swung across the line to be bowled off his pads for 13, and though Henry Nicholls shored up New Zealand’s challenge with a doughty 41 from 48, he became Moeen’s second victim after Buttler this time decided to gamble on the review, and got three reds.When Glenn Phillips took on a rare full-toss from Livingstone, and launched it down Brook’s throat at deep midwicket, New Zealand knew it was not going to be their night. Ravindra resisted with a flurry of boundaries, including three in a row to ruffle Carse’s figures, but Curran yorked him for 61 to cement the 3-1 win.

Women’s team to face South Africa for the first time in a four-day Test; West Indies come visiting as well

ESPNcricinfo Staff and AAP14-May-2023Test cricket will return to the WACA in Perth, with the Australia women’s team set to face South Africa for the first time in the format as part of their multi-format series early in 2024.It will be one of three Tests Australia will play in nine months following the Ashes encounter in June and one on the multi-format tour of India set for December and January. However, unlike the five-day Ashes Test, the match against South Africa will be over four days.Cricket Australia (CA) announced the home fixtures for the 2023-24 season on Sunday, which sees Pakistan men visit for three Tests, including the traditional Melbourne and Sydney fixtures, while both West Indies men’s and women’s sides will feature.West Indies men are touring in consecutive seasons due to a quirk in the next FTP, with their Tests taking place in Adelaide, which will revert to a day game for one season, and then Brisbane which will host a day-night encounter.Australia men’s home summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The men’s Test summer stretches deep into January next season due to the 2023 ODI World Cup then a five-match T20I series tacked on afterwards, meaning Australia won’t return home until early December. However, the T20 and Test teams are likely to look very different.Their summer begins with the first Test against Pakistan in Perth from December 14, before the teams meet in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test at the SCG.Adelaide will host a red-ball Test against West Indies from January 17, before a day-night Test at the Gabba from January 25. It means all Tests will fall in the holiday period.White-ball players will be available for the entire men’s BBL, before they enter camp for three ODIs and three T20s against West Indies between February 2 and 13.But the opening of the international season risks being completely overshadowed by the National Rugby League (NRL), with the first match scheduled for Sydney on grand final day with Australia’s women playing West Indies in a T20I at North Sydney Oval on October 1.That game will finish only hours before the NRL grand final, asking fans to choose which event to attend and viewers to switch off rugby league’s grand final lead-up games.CA takes the view that in a cluttered schedule, a Sunday start in Sydney is the right way to go, hopeful they can benefit from Channel Seven promoting the match during the AFL grand final the previous day.They are also adamant October 1 should be the start of the cricket season, that scheduling clashes with other sports are inevitable and that their world champion women’s team can win out.But privately there are concerns from some over the significant challenges the sport will face promoting the T20 match in Sydney, with a second game to be played the day after the grand final.Australia women’s summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia vice-captain Alyssa Healy was hopeful the situation would not impact crowds while acknowledging there could be some hurdles to overcome in drawing fans.”It could be [a problem], maybe we might get washed out a little bit in that,” Healy told AAP. “But in saying that, it’s the start of the cricket summer. So hopefully that is spoken about that week.”Yes, the headlines will be dominated by AFL and NRL, but they are anyway. Come and watch some world-class athletes do their thing at North Sydney if the NRL is not your thing. I don’t think we need to compete against the NRL grand final, we can work around it.”It is not the first time concerns have been raised around the scheduling of women’s fixtures.Players were unhappy when they were switched to play on January 26 last summer, with Indigenous woman Ashleigh Gardner vocalising her opposition to the decision.Another match in the same series, against Pakistan at North Sydney Oval, clashed with the Sydney Smash in the BBL.There is some good news for the women in the upcoming fixtures, however. After three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies early in the summer, they host a multi-format series against South Africa in January and February.Included is a day-night ODI at a major venue, Adelaide Oval, on February 3, followed by the Test on the pacy WACA wicket from February 15.

Sussex now just 151 ahead as Middlesex make use of their turn on a flat Lord’s pitch

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2024Sam Robson and Ryan Higgins continued their fine form with centuries as Middlesex’s run-fest of a game with visitors Sussex continued on day three at Lord’s.Robson underpinned the hosts response to Sussex’s mammoth 554 for 9 with 136, the 35th first-class hundred of his career, while Higgins added the flair his third century of the campaign – an effort of 106 in Middlesex’s total of 403 for 6.Sussex, for whom Jack Carson returned figures of 3 for 89 will rue dropping Robson twice on 51 and 129, while Higgins was also given a life on 67 – England seamer Ollie Robinson the unlucky bowler on each occasion.Given Robson’s heroics it’s important to reflect he may have departed the scene in the opening over of the day. Responding to a call from partner Holden for an injudicious single, the right-hander running to the striker’s end would have been gone for all money given a direct hit. It set the tone for some sketchy running by the opener who suffered at least two other close calls.Robson’s driving however, whether square or through the covers was exquisite, one such stroke taking him to his half-century. The landmark came amid a testing morning burst from Robinson, Robson surviving a confident lbw shout from one which was just going over the top before Clark grassed the first of the two chances offered a slip, a tough one, but an expensive miss nonetheless.At the other end, Max Holden, a man revitalised this season moved to 50 with a minimum of fuss, helped by five boundaries, allowing the pair to steer the hosts to lunch at 140 for 1.Holden however, as on a few occasions this year fell soon after a resumption when the ball after dancing down the pitch to strike Jack Carson back over his head for four, he flashed at a wide one from the spinner to be caught at slip for 61.Leus Du Plooy’s contribution was brisk but brief, the acting captain paddling an innocuous ball wide of leg stump from Jaden Seales straight down the throat of long leg.Robson, though, found another ally in the form of all-rounder Higgins, who came out as ever bristling aggression, reverse sweeping Carson for four before playing the shot in the more orthodox fashion for the first six of the innings into the Grandstand.Robson meanwhile crunched his 14th four through cover to raise his hundred as the stand realised 79 by tea. The opener was given a second life shortly after the restart, Clark again the culprit at slip, Robinson again the unlucky bowler. Clark beat the ground in frustration, but the second top at least didn’t prove costly as Robson fell to the new ball, chipping a tired shot straight to mid-wicket.Higgins continued to be aggressive while Robinson continued to curse his luck. The seamer first found the inside edge of the Zimbabwean’s bat only for the ball to trickle onto the stumps without dislodging the bails, before Higgins flashed hard at a wide one on 67 to be reprieved again as James Coles failed to cling on at third slip.That scare survived, and with the luckless Robinson finally retreating into the outfield, Higgins forged on, striking Coles for successive boundaries to reach his hundred, before dancing down the pitch to Carson and missing the ball to be stumped by John Simpson.Tom Helm, promoted to seven, fell only two balls later in identical fashion to cause a few nerves, but 20-year-old Nathan Fernandes underlined his promise with a composed unbeaten 50 to leave the hosts just two short of the follow-on figure of 405 at stumps.

Sterre Kalis fifty sets foundation for Birmingham side as The Blaze suffer first defeat of campaign

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jun-2025Warwickshire handed The Blaze their first defeat of the Women’s Vitality Blast campaign, by 25 runs, in a clash of two of the competition’s front-runners at Edgbaston.Warwickshire’s total of 172 for 6 was built upon strong contributions from their top three with Sterre Kalis hitting 54 (41 balls), Meg Austin 39 (30) and Davina Perrin 25 (18). Thereafter runs came less freely as Kathryn Bryce dismissed those three on the way to an excellent 4 for 21.The Blaze replied with a scrappy 147 for 8. Tammy Beaumont hit 44 off 29 but the rest of the powerful batting line-up misfired against the home side’s excellent and varied attack led by the pace of Em Arlott, with 3 for 33 and the spin of Millie Taylor (2 for 23).Warwickshire chose to bat and were given a strong foundation by openers Austin and Perrin who added 59 in 40 balls. Both then fell to the Bryce sisters – stumped by Sarah off Kathryn. In each case it was excellent glovework by the wicketkeeper as Perrin was lured down the pitch and Bryce (S) did well to take a ball that bounced, and then Austin missed an attempted cut and lifted her back foot just momentarily but long enough for Bryce to pounce.Kalis added another polished half-century to the one she lodged for Netherlands against USA in Utrecht eight days ago but the rest came and went fleetingly.Laura Harris tried to slog-sweep from outside off stump and skied Kirstie Gordon to midwicket. Pavely, Warwickshire’s match-winner two days earlier, lifted Grace Ballinger to long-on.Kathryn Bryce returned to have Kalis caught at mid-off and Nat Wraith pouched at extra cover as Warwickshire came in with a decent but by no means daunting total on a good batting pitch.The Blaze soon lost former Warwickshire batter, Marie Kelly, who pulled Issy Wong to deep square. Beaumont, who hit seven fours and a six, and Kathyn Bryce added 49 from 48 balls but then fell in successive overs, caught in the deep off Taylor and Georgia Davis respectively. When Heather Graham chipped Hannah Baker to midwicket, three wickets had fallen for 12 runs in 18 balls and the required rate had climbed above ten per over.As the equation came down to 64 from the last five overs, the Blaze needed a huge over but it never came. Georgia Elwiss sought six over midwicket off England pace bowler Arlott but was well-caught by Perrin just inside the rope. Ella Claridge lifted Taylor straight and Perrin was under that one too as Warwickshire’s diverse and disciplined attack extinguished the Blaze chase.