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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.

Kapp unbeaten on 80 as Sri Lanka’s 230 target is hunted down with 14 balls to spare

Firdose Moonda13-Apr-2024South Africa 233 for 3 (Wolvaardt 110*, Kapp 80*) beat Sri Lanka 229 (Athapaththu 51, de Klerk 3-23, Khaka 3-28) by seven wicketsLaura Wolvaardt’s third century since taking over the captaincy, and sixth overall, led South Africa to the highest successful chase in a women’s ODI in Kimberley and an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series against Sri Lanka. In the process, Wolvaardt became South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODI cricket, in her 94th game.Crucially, South Africa have secured two more points on the women’s championship to solidify their spot in second place. Sri Lanka remain outside the automatic qualification zone for the 2025 World Cup, in eighth spot.Wolvaardt was supported by Marizanne Kapp, who brought up her third half-century in seven innings, and shared in a 143-run fourth-wicket partnership with her captain. On a pitch with low bounce at one end, both batters were strong down the ground and Sri Lanka’s attack lacked the threat to cause them any serious problems.The tone was set in the afternoon, when South Africa’s opening bowlers gave away very little in the opening exchanges and Sri Lanka only scored 15 runs in the first overs before Ayabonga Khaka got an early reward. She removed Vishmi Gunaratne for 7 in the sixth over. Kapp kept the pressure on with an opening spell of 5-0-8-0, including 22 dot balls.The change bowlers were unable to maintain the same stranglehold, especially against the experience of Chamari Athapaththu. She hit the first ball she faced from Eliz-Mari Marx for four and went on to score five more boundaries off her, including four successive fours in the 14th over. Athapaththu and Hasini Perera, who was dropped by Sune Luus at slip, put on 58 for the second wicket before Perera was caught by Delmi Tucker off Nadine de Klerk’s bowling.Athapaththu went on to bring up her 16th ODI half-century off 66 balls but was also dismissed by de Klerk, with more than half the Sri Lankan innings remaining. Hansima Karunaratne and Kavisha Dilhari combined for 61 off 69 balls for the fourth wicket, and Karunaratne hit the only six of the innnings, and Sri Lanka were on track for 250-plus on 152 for 3 after 35 overs.Wolvaardt brought Khaka back and Karunaratne was dismissed and Sri Lanka found the going tough again. Nonkululeko Mlaba took two wickets in her sixth over, and Sri Lanka lost 3 for 20 in less than four overs. A seventh-wicket partnership of 41 off 51 between Oshadi Ranasinghe and Nilakshika Silva pushed them over 200 and they were bowled out with a ball remaining for 229. That left South Africa with the task of completing the highest successful chase in Kimberley, after they claimed the previous best when they hunted down 223 against New Zealand in 2016.Though scoring rates have increased since then, South Africa had to do it without two of the frontline batters. Opener Tazmin Brits was ruled out of the series with a meniscus tear and sprained ligament on her left knee. She will undergo surgery next week and will be in a race against time to regain fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup. And Anneke Bosch was also forced out of the encounter with a mild concussion after being hit on the head at Friday’s training.Lara Goodall, who has not played an ODI since September was brought into the XI and looked tentative on her return. She was out lbw to a full Achini Kulasuriya ball in the seventh over. By then, Sri Lanka should have long been rid of Wolvaardt, who was dropped on 0 by Anushka Sanjeewani. The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper who went for the catch off Wolvaardt’s outside edge one-handed while driving to her right and could not hold on.Sri Lanka’s fielding not only cost them Wolvaardt’s runs but they also allowed Luus – given a life on 11 off a top-edge and went on to score 21 – and Kapp – dropped by Athapaththu in her follow through on 25 – to get away.Lightning strikes were visible throughout the evening and got closer to the match venue as South Africa’s innings went on. The players were taken off the field after 34.2 overs, with the score at 157 for, with South Africa 25 runs ahead of the DLS. They returned soon afterwards to complete the chase. Wolvaardt brought up her century off 133 balls in the 44th over, with South Africa needing 22 runs to win. They got there with 14 balls to spare.

India were left to rue a top-order collapse and five no-balls from Arshdeep Singh

Ashish Pant05-Jan-20233:00

Is Axar Patel India’s No. 1 spin-bowling allrounder?

Axar Patel tried his absolute best with both bat and ball, but Dasun Shanaka continued his all-round domination of India to bring up a 16-run win for Sri Lanka in what turned out to be a thrilling contest at MCA Stadium in Pune.Batting first, the visitors, helped by some shoddy Indian bowling, including seven very costly no-balls, racked up 206 for 6 in their 20 overs. Kusal Mendis (52 off 31) and Shanaka (56* off 22) were their top-scorers.The Sri Lankan bowlers then broke India’s back, reducing the hosts to 57 for 5 in the 10th over. The chase seemed to be done and dusted at that stage, but Suryakumar Yadav and Axar staged a fightback for the ages, adding 91 runs off 40 balls for the sixth wicket. Even as Suryakumar fell, Axar and Shivam Mavi kept the game in the balance.

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However, with India needing 21 to win off the final over, Shanaka picked up the ball for his first over, took two wickets and helped his side get over the line.

Kusal Mendis starts on fifth gear before spinners strike

It started well enough for India. They won the toss and were able to bowl first to avoid fielding in the dew later on. Hardik Pandya bowled the first over and conceded just two runs. And then it all went downhill. Mendis went on a rampage as Sri Lanka smashed 45 runs in the next three overs to trigger panic in the India camp. Mendis raced to a 27-ball fifty.Hardik had to rely on his spinners to pull things back. Axar and Yuzvendra Chahal put a lid on the scoring and picked up wickets at the same time. The duo conceded just 54 runs off their eight overs combined.

Arshdeep and a tale of five no-balls

Arshdeep hasn’t played competitive cricket since the final ODI against New Zealand on November 30 and was bound to be rusty coming into this T20I. He was introduced in the second over and started off with a half-volley on the pads that was clipped through square leg. No fuss – first ball after a fairly long break, happens. The next four balls went for just a run. Then began a saga of inexplicable no-balls – three on the bounce in his first over. The first was sprayed down leg, the next flicked to deep backward square leg for a four and the third smoked over the fielder in the same region.Arshdeep wasn’t brought back till the 19th over, and when he was, the horror no-balls continued. He bowled two more – Shanaka was caught at long-on off one of those – to finish with figures of 37 runs in two overs. His five no-balls changed the complexion of the game.Game recognises game – Dasun Shanaka pats Axar Patel after a fantastic knock•Associated Press

Shanaka continues his India domination

When the Sri Lanka captain walked out to the middle, his side had stuttered to 110 for 4 in the 14th over. He then saw Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga fall to Umran Malik off successive balls and faced the hat-trick ball. One that he pumped straight over the bowler’s head. There was no stopping Shanaka thereon. He brought up his fifty off 20 balls, the fastest by a Sri Lankan in men’s T20Is, as they hammered 93 runs in the last six overs. Later, when the chase got tricky, he took it upon himself to bowl the final over, and picked up two wickets, giving away four runs.

Sri Lanka quicks blow away India’s top order

Seeing how Sri Lanka finished off their innings might have given hope to India’s top order that the Pune surface was full of runs. They were in for a rude awakening. The Sri Lanka fast bowlers bowled with gusto and had the batters in all sorts of trouble. By the time the powerplay ended, the hosts had been reduced to 39 for 4, with all of Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha and Chamika Karunaratne on the board.

Axar, Suryakumar stage a fightback to remember

India were languishing on 64 for 5 after 10 overs. With a long tail to follow, a heavy defeat seemed imminent. Then came a run-out chance, one that saw Axar and Suryakumar almost at the same end. Sri Lanka missed, and that turned a switch. Both Suryakumar and Axar went for their shots like two men possessed. Not one Sri Lanka bowler was spared and a required rate often near 15 was being managed fairly well. Axar brought up his fifty off 20 balls, Suryakumar off 33. Eventually, though, the target turned out to be a peak too big to scale.

Colin Munro made 41 from 28 before rain finally brought an end to proceedings

ECB Reporters' Network05-Aug-2021The men’s Hundred clash between Manchester Originals and Southern Brave ended in a no result as rain limited play to only 71 balls at Emirates Old Trafford.The inclement weather arrived towards the end of the women’s game earlier in the evening and delayed a scheduled 7pm start by 45 minutes. Play was reduced to 90 balls per side, with Brave winning the toss and electing to bowl first.Originals reached 36 for 2 before a 10-minute delay from 8pm reduced the game further to 85 balls per side. They later reached 98 for 3 from 71. Unfortunately, there was no play beyond 8.50pm.This was Originals second no result, and they have moved into a three-way tie on six points at the top of the table alongside Birmingham Phoenix and Trent Rockets, with Rockets having only played four. For Brave, they have moved to five points courtesy of their first no result added to two wins and two defeats.New Zealand batsman Colin Munro pulled Chris Jordan for six over midwicket in an unbeaten 41 off 28 balls, while there were wickets for Tymal Mills, Jordan and the left-arm wristspin of Jake Lintott.Jordan’s first three balls had all gone for four from the blade of Sussex team-mate Phil Salt, but he had him caught behind next ball to leave the score at 36 for 2 after 24.Earlier, Mills had bowled Joe Clarke with his first ball and Liam Dawson suffered a suspected dislocated finger on his right hand having been struck in his follow through by a fierce Salt drive. Lintott’s wicket was that of Colin Ackermann caught at long-on.Munro was moving the Originals towards a competitive total before rain ruled.

Enlarged training group serves as reminder that sport is a brutal business

George Dobell29-May-2020One day in the summer of 1987, Paul Smith found himself in the England dressing room at Edgbaston during a rain break.Smith, a Warwickshire player, was 23 at the time. He had scored 1,500 first-class runs as an opening batsman the previous season and, as a bowler, had been dubbed “the fastest white man in the world” by Bob Willis. He had, he thought, a decent chance of a call-up as England started to contemplate life after Sir Ian Botham.But then he heard Micky Stewart, the England coach at the time, list some of the issues facing his team. And one sentence, in particular, put him back in his place with a jolt. “The problem is, we just don’t have any allrounders,” he recalls Stewart saying.It was a moment of crushing disappointment. A moment when all the hopes and dreams of recent months suddenly seemed foolish and naive. A moment when the door to the England team seemed to have been slammed in his face.There will be a host of England-qualified cricketers feeling the same way today. For as much as it has been encouraging for the likes of Laurie Evans and Richard Gleeson to win inclusion in this extended training group, it is probably the omissions which tell us most. Not to be in included among the 55 – that’s five teams – really does seem like a knockout punch.ALSO READ: Who are the new names in the England frame?The absence of Alex Hales’ name that will draw the most attention. And it’s true that, on form, he should be there. But Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, made it clear on Wednesday that there would be no imminent return.Many might think missing a World Cup – and such a World Cup – was punishment enough. It now seems Hales will miss the T20 one as well. But Morgan has earned the right to lead the limited-overs teams as he sees fit and clearly feels the culture he has inculcated requires further entrenchment. And it is true, it is not so long since some cricketers seemed more motivated by thoughts of their next night out than training or even playing for their country. The treatment of Hales provides a sobering reminder of the consequences and will serve as a deterrent.There’s still a way back. He could win a recall in 2021, if he continues to score heavily and maintain a clean disciplinary record. He really is very good. But he’s 31 now. And some of those who have taken advantage of his absence, notably Tom Banton, are every bit of 10 years younger. That’s an uncomfortable equation for Hales.There’s probably no way back for Liam Plunkett. He is now 35 and, in the year leading into the World Cup, clearly struggled to redress a notable drop of pace. As England look to challenges ahead, conditions in which his cutters may find little grip and that drop in pace might be punished, it is clear they have decided to move on. It’s not necessarily wrong, but it is ruthless.Jake Ball, Liam Plunkett and Alex Hales have all been excluded from England’s training group, three years after playing in the Champions Trophy semi-final•Getty Images

Plunkett really was terrific in that World Cup. England won every match in which he played and, lest it be forgotten, he claimed three wickets – including that of Kane Williamson – in the final. Indeed, it’s probably no coincidence they lost only six of his final 57 ODIs. Maybe, in time, he will reflect that bowing out of international cricket in that Lord’s final was better than doing so in an empty Ageas Bowl in September. Either way, it to be hoped this ending does not leave a sour taste in a mouth that was full of champagne not so long ago.Whatever happens, Hales and Plunkett and even Gary Ballance, who seems destined for a Ramprakashian second half of his career, can console themselves with the memories of many fine days in the sun wearing an England shirt. It has to end sometime and it nearly always ends badly.Jamie Porter and Sam Northeast do not even have that consolation. Porter’s frustration, in particular, is understandable. He was told, in the summer of 2018, that he would play Test cricket at some stage that year. But James Anderson refused to age, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran offered better batting options and Porter fell back among the pack.