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A round-up of the action from the fourth day of the fourth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2011Sadaf Hussain bowled Rawalpindi to an unlikely 25-run victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, despite a battling half-century from Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider. Having begun the day on 37 for 2, ZTBL slipped to 108 for 5 as Hussain picked up two more wickets to go with the two he had taken the previous evening. But Haider and Haris Sohail added 72 for the sixth wicket to resurrect ZTBL’s chances. Hussain had Haider caught behind for 76 to swing the pendulum back in Rawalpindi’s favour. Sohail continued to resist but once he holed out for 47, Rawalpindi were able to complete their win. Hussain finished with match figures of 12 for 168.Ali Azmat’s hundred helped Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) overcome Mohammad Ayub’s double-hundred to retain their 100% record for the season with a five-wicket win over Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. WAPDA were in early trouble at 64 for 3, but Azmat (106*) kept the chase on track, sharing vital partnerships with captain Aamer Sajjad (47) and Bilal Khilji (33*) to take his side over the line.Faisalabad held on for a draw against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) despite having to follow-on at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Mohammad Salman made 68 and shared in a 102-run partnership with Shoaib Shah to push Faisalabad to 376, but they were still facing a deficit of 163. Asked to bat again, Faisalabad lost both openers with only 10 on the board, but with a limited number of overs available, NBP were always going to struggle to take all 10 wickets and though they made regular inroads, Faisalabad were able to hold on.

Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test captain, has said the criticism of his surprising appointment was unfair until he had an opportunity to prove himself as a leader

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s latest Test captain, has hit back at criticism over his surprising elevation, arguing that he hasn’t even had the opportunity yet to show his capabilities as a leader. Misbah has at least two Tests as captain against South Africa in the UAE next month.”I do not agree with what they [former cricketers] are saying, doubting my abilities as a captain, and saying I am not capable of delivering,” Misbah told reporters in Lahore. “I know the task assigned to me is not easy. However, underestimating me as a captain and batsman is not fair as one always learns with time and improves.”Wasim Akram was one of those surprised by the decision to give Misbah, who is 36, charge of the Test team a day after he was named in the squad for the first time since the tour of Australia in 2009-10.Misbah, however, said he had spent time away from the team training and preparing for any comeback. “I did not give up. I used to train to keep myself in prime form,” he said. “And I was engaged in cricket because I was confident that I can make a comeback, which eventually happened.”The series against South Africa will be Pakistan’s first since the controversy-ridden trip to England, during which then captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, were provisionally suspended by the ICC over their alleged involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.Pakistan had problems on the field as well, their batsmen struggling in bowler-friendly conditions; they were bowled for under 100 twice in four Tests and rarely made it past 200. Misbah, however, was confident of a better showing in friendlier conditions in the UAE.”I think it’s a bit unfair to judge the batsmen solely on the tour of England, as batting appeared to be very difficult,” Misbah told . “The batsmen at my disposal are much better than their statistics in England suggest. The conditions in the UAE will be more akin to what the Pakistani batsmen are used to seeing, and I am confident that the batting lineup will deliver against South Africa.”With Amir and Asif missing in action, Pakistan’s bowling attack will rely heavily on Umar Gul and the spinners – Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman. “Our strength in the spin bowling department could be the key in the UAE,” Misbah said. “We have three spinners in the squad and all are different styles of spinners, so the variety is there. There should be turn and bounce on offer, and it’s up to them to make the most of those conditions.”The fielding – shockingly shoddy in England – remains a concern, as Misbah – one of the side’s best slippers – acknowledged. “We cannot overcome it [poor fielding] in short time as we have been lacking in this department for years,” he said. “Only sincere efforts and hard work by players can bring improvement in fielding.”South Africa, on the other hand, are likely to be in their usual, top fielding form when the first Test begins in Dubai on November 12.

Jensen picked up the injury in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2025New Zealand will be without seamer Hayley Jensen for the ODIs against Sri Lanka after she picked up an injury while warming up in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield final. She has been replaced by left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, head coach Ben Sawyer said on Monday.”Jensen will be reassessed before the T20I series,” Sawyer said. “Hopefully she can get back in time but it will be up to the physios how she goes. Jonas will fly in tonight and join the team in the morning.”Related

• Athapaththu to leave WPL early to play for Sri Lanka

• Penfold ruled out of Sri Lanka, Australia series

• Bella James ruled out of Sri Lanka ODIs; Down named replacement

Jensen – who was set to make her comeback to the national side after a two-year absence – becomes the second Otago player to be ruled out of the ODIs against Sri Lanka. Bella James also picked up a hamstring injury during the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield competition, and was subsequently replaced in the ODI squad by Lauren Down.New Zealand are also without Sophie Devine – who has “prioritised her well-being” and taken a break from the game – while Amelia Kerr is set to miss the series due to her Women’s Premier League (WPL) commitment with Mumbai Indians. Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair and Molly Penfold were not available for the ODI series either due to injuries. Suzie Bates is the stand-in captain in Devine’s absence.The three-match ODI series kicks off on March 4 in Napier before the teams move to Nelson for the next two encounters on March 7 and 9. New Zealand are trying to snap a three-game losing streak in ODIs while Sri Lanka want to bounce back after losing their last ODI series against Ireland in Belfast 2-1.

Ibrahim Zadran became Afghanistan’s first World Cup centurion but his effort in the end went in vain

Deivarayan Muthu07-Nov-20234:00

Harmison on Maxwell’s 201*: ‘It has to be the greatest innings in ODI cricket’

At one point, Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292. Then Glenn Maxwell Glenn Maxwelled his way to a double-century and not only did they win the game, they also sealed their place in the World Cup semi-finals.After Ibrahim Zadran became Afghanistan’s first-ever centurion in World Cups, Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai shredded Australia’s top order as they threatened to script a famous win at the Wankhede. But Maxwell intervened with a sensational 201 not out, 179 of which were scored in an unbroken 202-run partnership with his captain Pat Cummins, to flip the script. The result confirmed Australia’s place in the final four, along with hosts India and South Africa, and left Afghanistan heart-broken.The chase wasn’t the only thing that got tighter and tighter towards the end. Maxwell, having fielded the 50 overs in the Mumbai heat, began cramping up badly. It was his legs. They’d just stopped working. He looked in agonising pain in the 41st over, prompting the next batter, the No. 10, Adam Zampa to wait by the boundary-line while the physio patched him up to keep him going.And go he did. Batting without ever moving his feet, Maxwell kept clobbering sixes until he brought home the Australian miracle. Two-hundred and one unbeatean runs in just 128 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. It was one of the all-time great ODI innings.Related

• Maxing it like Maxwell: Ten other great solo ODI batting performances

• Jonathan Trott rues key lapses as Glenn Maxwell teaches Afghanistan a bitter lesson

• Stats – Glenn Maxwell, Australia's first men's ODI double-centurion

• Glenn Maxwell stands tallest in adversity to deliver Australia their knock-out blow

• Pat Cummins hails Glenn Maxwell's 201 not out as 'the greatest ODI innings that's ever happened'

Maxwell had walked in to face Omarzai’s hat-trick ball in the ninth over, when Australia were 49 for 4 in pursuit of 292. He was then involved in a mix-up, which cost Australia the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne for 14. When Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc fell soon after, leaving Australia at 91 for 7, the game looked done. Except it wasn’t. Maxwell soldiered on and Cummins stuck to him limpet-like, contributing just 12 runs (off 68 balls) to a double-century partnership.With 21 needed off the final four overs for Australia’s win and Maxwell’s double-hundred, he went 6,6,4,6 against Mujeeb Ur Rahman to provide the double coup de grâce.Mujeeb could’ve cut Maxwell’s innings short on 33 had he not dropped a sitter at short fine. Maxwell then went about doing Maxwell things. He mowed Noor Ahmad over midwicket. He shanked Mujeeb over his head and carted Mohammed Nabi over midwicket too. The reverse-sweep and other trick shots were also on display in Mumbai as he surged to a hundred off 76 balls. He then needed just 52 balls for his second hundred. At the other end, Cummins defended resolutely. That was all he needed to do.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Maxwell’s 201* is the highest score ever by a batter at No. 6 or lower in 4696 ODIs. This is also the first double-hundred by an Australian in men’s ODI cricket and the third double-ton in men’s World Cups. Maxwell’s unbroken 202-run stand with Cummins is also the highest for the eighth wicket or lower in ODI cricket.Rashid Khan was the only Afghanistan bowler to escape the one-man wrecking crew that was Maxwell. Afghanistan had picked four spinners for this match, but it was Naveen and Omarzai who inflicted severe damage on Australia’s chase. They bowled Test-match lines and lengths, and swung the new ball both ways, under lights. Naveen first ripped out Travis Head with an outswinger before pinning Mitchell Marsh lbw with an inswinger. Naveen could’ve also dismissed David Warner on 4 had Rahmat Shah not dropped a difficult chance at gully. Warner added 14 to his tally before Omarzai floored his off stump with an inswinger.Omarzai is only 23 and was playing his 20th ODI, but he’s so skillful that he can construct Warner’s dismissal. After hitting a hard length and bowling a maiden to Warner, he went fuller and stormed through his defences. Having bossed the powerplay during his Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) stint earlier in the year, Omarzai showed the wider world that he could do the job in international cricket too. The next ball was an outswinger to Josh Inglis, who edged to first slip. The next ball was another outswinger, but Maxwell denied Omarzai the hat-trick and the rest is now history.After finishing off three successful chases in a row, Afghanistan might have had a temptation to do the same on Tuesday. But Hashmatullah Shahidi resisted that and backed his batters to put runs on the board on a slightly atypical Wankhede track, which was on the drier side. Ibrahim led the way and batted through the innings on a hot afternoon to stay unbeaten on 129 off 143 balls. The highlight of his innings was a ramped four straight over the wicketkeeper, off Cummins, in the 14th over. Later in the slog overs, he along with Rashid, who hit an unbeaten 35 off 18 balls, laid into Australia’s attack. Ibrahim and Rashid smashed 58 together off just 27 balls to lift Afghanistan to 291, but their joy turned into disbelief and then helplessness in the night.

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.

Despite the Pakistan T20I side being in flux in recent times, the head coach has backed them to come good in SA

Danyal Rasool25-Mar-2021Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has dismissed concerns Pakistan are heading into the T20 World Cup later this year unsure of their best side, pointing to a “nucleus of seven-eight players that were almost the same”. With the side ringing the changes once more for the T20I squad, the current Pakistan unit is a far cry from the one that was ranked No.1 when Misbah took over as head coach in 2019. There have been several changes from one series to the next, though Misbah felt the side – especially the batting line-up – now had a “settled” look to it.”Your nucleus is important in T20I cricket,” Misbah said during a virtual press conference, “and about seven-eight players that we have are almost the same wherever we play. Even in a 15-man squad, about 10-12 players remain the same. The batting nucleus remains the same, with only one-two changes in terms of form. This team, and the overall line-up of our T20 batting looks settled. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, these form the core of our side. In terms of players, we are very much clear about where we are going to be come the World Cup.”Related

• Buoyed by limited-overs record, Misbah quietly confident of Pakistan's chances in South Africa

• Misbah defends Sharjeel selection, insists fitness not compromised

If the names Misbah mention appear to provide stability now, that wasn’t always the case in the past two years. In his first squad as chief selector and head coach – a T20I series against Sri Lanka, Misbah named a number of players currently out of the side for a number of reasons, including Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Usman Shinwari, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Haris Sohail. The squad for the following T20I series – in Australia – saw another revamp, with Mohammad Hasnain, Khushdil Shah, Musa Khan Abdul Qadir and Mohammad Irfan being included. Pakistan went on to lose all completed T20Is in both series.The chopping and changing has continued, though not quite to that extreme, of late. However, there continue to be concerns around the form of a number of middle-order players who were considered staples of the T20I side. Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil have struggled to find form in the format, while Haider Ali lacks consistency. Mohammad Hafeez, not part of those initial squads, is now a key part of Pakistan’s plans, as is Mohammad Rizwan, whose sudden form has blindsided just about everyone. Misbah, however, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the side, saying the immediate focus remained on the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.”We’re looking ahead to this challenge at the moment,” he said. In terms of bounce and pace, it’s different in South Africa. The Wanders and Centurion are grounds we have performed well at in the past in white-ball cricket. Besides, with the emergence of fast bowlers like Shaheen and Hasnain, as well as allrounders like Faheem, the balance of our side is really good. We also have good spinners. In the past, we might have had problems with our balance, but we’re in a good position to hopefully win the white-ball series there.There will be plenty in Pakistan still upset that a side which was nailed-on favourites for this T20 World Cup now go to the tournament at a time when they are mid-table, at best, but the extra year afforded to them by the pandemic has allowed a relatively young squad to begin to settle once more. They might have a challenge getting so far as the semi-finals – let alone walking away with the trophy – but Misbah seems to feel there is more to be optimistic about than he might have cared to admit a year earlier.

The Strikers are looking to bounce back from a poor season and all eyes will be on AB de Villiers when he joins the Heat

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-2019

Adelaide Strikers

Captain: Travis HeadCoach: Jason GillespieOverseas players: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Phil Salt (England)Full squad: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Rashid Khan, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Liam O’Connor, Phil Salt, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Cameron White, Nick Winter, Harry ConwayLast season: 7thThe Strikers went from champions to second from bottom in a campaign that never really got off the ground with a four-game losing streak mid-season ending their hopes of a successful title defence.What’s changed for the season?Gillespie has used his Sussex knowledge to bring in top-order batsman Salt, who briefly featured in the England T20I squad earlier this year. Ben Laughlin, a long-time part of the Strikers attack, has moved to the Brisbane Heat for family reasons, with Harry Conway coming into the squad. Cameron White, in what is likely to be the final fling of his career, brings winning experience from the Melbourne Renegades.Australia impactHead and possibly Michael Neser will be featuring in the Test side until early January, and Alex Carey will be lost to the ODI tour India mid-tournament. There is a chance that if Neser remains in the Test squad he could be released for BBL duty if not needed against New Zealand.Player to watchWes Agar has been bowling very well in Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield cricket this season and, after just two matches for the Strikers last summer, could get greater opportunity in this campaign particularly with the departure of Laughlin and if Neser is on Australia duty.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Rashid Khan‘s form might have dipped in other T20s and ODIs in 2019 but his performance in the Big Bash is extraordinary. In the last two seasons, Rashid has taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 5.93 and 45% of his deliveries are dots.AB de Villiers unleashes while down on one knee•Getty Images

Brisbane Heat

Captain: Chris LynnCoach: Darren LehmannOverseas players: Tom Banton (England – first eight games), AB de Villiers (South Africa – expected from January 9), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)Full squad: Tom Banton, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, AB De Villiers (overseas replacement), Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Zahir Khan, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Laughlin, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, James Pattinson, James Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (overseas replacement)Last season: 5thThey had a lot of hype about them but failed to fire, missing the finals by a game. Their much-vaunted top order made a lot of bright starts but fizzled out quickly and the order was chopped and changed throughout the tournament. They saved their best work for the last two games with two magnificent chases but it was too little too late.What’s changed for the season?A new coach and a few new bash brothers. Darren Lehmann, who led the Heat to the title in BBL02, takes charge again after Daniel Vettori stepped down. The signing of AB de Villiers and Tom Banton made a huge stir. They will play half the tournament each with de Villiers available for the finals. The Heat have the best batting line-up in the BBL but historically the best bowling teams have won the tournament and they will need to bowl well. Laughlin’s return to Queensland from the Strikers having won a title in Adelaide is a nice addition.Australia impactJames Pattinson’s availability early in the tournament is subject to his Test duties but he could play more games than the Heat had planned for, given the form of Australia’s incumbent Test quicks. Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne will be unavailable in the early part of the tournament but both may even struggle to get a game for the Heat given the batting depth. It is unlikely many Heat players will head to India with the ODI team, although Labuschagne was named joint player of the Marsh Cup and Australia may want to look at him in a second format if they experiment with the side.Player to watchMax Bryant is the obvious choice. He has so much potential but capitalising on starts and finding consistency as a young player is his biggest challenge. He has had a lean season in 50-over cricket for Queensland but a couple of early scores in the BBL and he could go have a huge tournament.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Tom Banton comes into this competition with very high expectations. Out of the 41 players to have faced 200 balls in powerplays in 2019, Banton has the best strike rate of 160. He scores big and at a brisk pace. The Gabba pitch could be perfect for Banton to showcase his skills.

Hamilton Masakadza retains captaincy across all formats for the South Africa and Bangladesh tours

Firdose Moonda13-Sep-2018Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams have been included in Zimbabwe’s squads to tour South Africa and Bangladesh, ending a self-imposed hiatus. The trio had opted out of the T20 tri-series at home, which included Australia and Pakistan, and the subsequent five-match ODI series against Pakistan in June-July because of unpaid salaries.Since then, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has been put on an ICC-structured funding plan, has restructured its debt and cut expenses, including staff contracts. Players were paid and three of the five players who had boycotted the previous fixtures were back in the fold. The other two, though, were yet to return. Graeme Cremer was not considered as he recovers from knee surgery while Sikandar Raza was not picked after his central contract was not renewed following a dispute with ZC. Raza, however, remained available for selection.Allrounder Solomon Mire and fast bowler Kyle Jarvis, who had recovered from gluteal tear and hand injury respectively, found places in the squads. Hamilton Masakadza, meanwhile, retained captaincy across all formats.Zimbabwe will play three ODIs and three T20Is in South Africa, followed by three ODIs and two Tests in Bangladesh. Offspinner Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and 20-year old wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Murray were only included for the ODIs against South Africa. They will be replaced by the more experienced John Nyumbu and Tarisai Musakanda in Bangladesh. Opening batsman Cephas Zhuwao will also join the group for the ODI series in Bangladesh.Zimbabwe will have five changes between their ODI and T20I squads in South Africa. Ervine, Kamunhukamwe, Tiripano, Murray and Richard Ngarava who are in the ODI squad, will sit out of the T20Is, making way for Musakanda, Chamu Chibhabha, Christopher Mpofu, Chisoro and Neville Madziva. Mpofu and Chibhabha were only considered for the T20Is in South Africa and will not travel to Bangladesh.Legspinner Brandon Mavuta, who played one T20I for Zimbabwe in the recent tri-series, was named in the all four squads. Left-arm seamer Ngarava, who has played eight ODIs, is in line for a Test debut.The twin series in South Africa and Bangladesh are coach Lalchand Rajput’s first since he was appointed in permanent capacity in late August, and first since ZC’s financial restructure. He is the only coach currently contracted to ZC, with details of his assistants yet to be released. ZC is slowly starting to set up staff contracts and has also advertised for franchise general managers for the four domestic teams, with the home season set to start in November.Zimbabwe ODI squad for South Africa tour: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Solomon Mire, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Murray, Tendai ChataraT20I squad for South Africa tour: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Solomon Mire, Neville Madziva, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Tendai Chisoro, Kyle Jarvis, Brandon Mavuta, Christopher Mpofu, Chamu Chibhabha, Wellington Masakadza, Tarisai Musakanda, Tendai ChataraODI squad for Bangladesh tour: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Solomon Mire, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Elton Chigumbura, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, John Nyumbu, Wellington Masakadza, Tarisai Musakanda, Tendai Chatara, Cephas ZhuwaoTest squad for Bangladesh tour: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Brian Chari, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Peter Moor, Regis Chakabva, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, John Nyumbu, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara

Three of the tournament’s top five teams face off in Saturday’s games at the Women’s World Cup

The Preview by Sreshth Shah07-Jul-2017We are into the second half of the Women’s World Cup and with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies needing a miracle to qualify to the semi-finals, the focus has shifted to the top five teams and three of them will be in action on Saturday.

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South Africa and India face off in Leicester in a rematch of the recent World Cup Qualifier final in Colombo. That game went down to a last-ball finish, with India hitting a six to seal victory, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if this one turns out to be equally thrilling.Five wins seems the bar for teams to feel confident of being in the final four in this Women’s World Cup. South Africa currently only have two, having endured a washout. While their batsmen have been quite reliable, recording the first instance of a team making 300 in a chase even if they couldn’t win it, the bowlers have been rather up and down. Last Sunday, West Indies were dismantled for 48, but three days later, England were allowed to make 373, helped by a stretch of 209 balls in the middle overs without a wicket. Considering South Africa are up against India, another batting powerhouse, Dane van Niekerk has some issues to sort out.Batsman Andrie Steyn, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury at training and has been ruled out of the tournament. Medium-pacer Odine Kirsten, who picked up 4 for 10 in her last ODI in January, has been called up as replacement.India, with four wins in four games, already have one foot in the final four. Opener Deepti Sharma scored a crafty 78 against Sri Lanka, and the ever-dependent Mithali Raj has been hitting fifties for fun – she now stands on the cusp of history, 34 short of becoming the top-scorer in women’s ODIs. But India will still be wary that in the two games Smriti Mandhana has fallen early, they have not been able to score as quickly as they usually do.India’s spinners, led by their joint-leading wicket-taker Ekta Bisht, have done particularly well to defend whatever their batsmen have scored, be it 169 or 232. The contest between them and South Africa’s hard-hitting openers Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee will be fun to watch.In three matches, New Zealand’s top-scorer Suzie Bates has struck two fifty-plus scores and has been dismissed only once•ICC/Getty Images

The day’s second match features a potential mismatch. New Zealand‘s captain Suzie Bates began her campaign with a century and their wicketkeeper Rachel Priest smashed the fastest fifty in Women’s World Cup history and finished with 90 off 55 balls. By contrast, Pakistan‘s batsmen are barely maintaining a strike-rate of 50.New Zealand enter their fifth group match at fourth place after they thumped West Indies emphatically on Thursday. That meant they jumped above their other rivals from the Southern Hemisphere into the final qualifying spot, despite South Africa’s destruction of the same opponents only a few days earlier.Lea Tahuhu’s swing bowling at the top has troubled unsure batsmen and Pakistan’s top-order features such wobbliness. Tahuhu, who passed 50 ODI wickets on Thursday, will be featuring in her 50th ODI on Saturday. “When I started off, I was in and out of the team a little bit and in the last two years I have been really able to cement a place in the team and look to lead this bowling attack,” she said. “I take great pride in it and it will be a special thing to play my 50th game. It was nice to get to 50 wickets [against West Indies] but at the same time it was nice to get a good team win.”Combine Tahuhu’s pace with the wily spin of Amelia Kerr and the returning Leigh Kasperek and you have a well-rounded bowling unit. Their batting has been slow to start off at times, like in the game against Australia, but if Thursday’s win was any indication New Zealand’s batting has gone up another gear. Rachel Priest played like she was in a hurry to get to her team hotel while Suzie Bates once again oozed class with her batting. The two set up a sturdy middle order that has yet to come to the party in this tournament. With the group stages winding down, their strategy will have to ensure their net-run rate continues to remain better than South Africa at the very least.Pakistan have fallen away after their spirited, nail-biting opening display. Over their next three games, Pakistan have lost by over 90 runs every time. A high dot-ball percentage has hurt their scoring. Their top scorer of the tournament, Nahida Khan, has only 105 runs in four innings. Their highest total in their last three matches has been 131. They need their batting to click if they are to have any chance of arresting their losing streak.Their bowling has been far better, but has been let down by poor fielding. Sana Mir continues to break crucial partnerships, and how she uses herself and the other spinners will hold the key in their search for their first win. What has been most disappointing, though, has been Pakistan’s seeming lack of intent in searching for the win. Against Australia, chasing 291, it appeared that Pakistan simply looked to bat out their 50 overs; they eventually lost by 159 runs.

Jack Shantry turned the clock back to a match played more than 100 years ago when scoring a career-best 106 in a remarkable Worcestershire recovery against Gloucestershire

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2016
ScorecardJack Shantry enjoyed a glorious day with the bat, not the ball (file photo)•Getty Images

Jack Shantry turned the clock back to a match played more than 100 years ago when scoring a career-best 106 in a remarkable Worcestershire recovery against Gloucestershire in the Specsavers County Championship at New Road.History repeated itself when Shantry romped to a second 50 from 14 balls in completing a hundred from the No 10 position – just as Dick Burrows had done in a similar transformation against Gloucestershire in 1907.Burrows made 112 as the county recovered from 78 for 4 to total 447 and this time they climbed back from 34 for 5 to reach 439. Almost spookily, each innings spanned 113.1 overs.Shantry, who made his previous century in a promotion-clinching win against Surrey in 2014, followed up his latest exploits by bowling Gloucestershire opener Chris Dent in an opening spell of 13-3-22-1.Having claimed maximum batting points for the fifth time in six attempts, Worcestershire were in a position to dictate, but the West Country side were kept afloat by Graeme van Buuren’s maiden championship century in reaching 226 for 5, still 213 behind at the close.The 25-year-old South African put on 120 with Gareth Roderick (60) and continued to bat sensibly and soundly in making 104 not out with 11 fours from 206 balls in his hundred.However four wickets fell in the final session. Roderick was lbw, playing round the front pad to Brett D’Oliveira, and Michael Klinger was a second victim for Shantry, also given out lbw after making 5.Worse followed for Gloucestershire with Hamish Marshall (34) well caught by Ross Whiteley at mid-wicket off Joe Leach and George Hankins (8) was taken behind the wicket attempting to pull Ed Barnard.So far the match has been shaped by the depth of Worcestershire’s batting. Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, called it “an amazing turnaround” which was made possible by Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s “excellent” partnerships with Ben Cox and Barnard on the first day.Kohler-Cadmore was eventually caught behind off Liam Norwell for 169 after picking off 35 fours in a six-hour stay.When he was out, having added 16 to his overnight score, Shantry had just got away with a miscue which looped wide of the slips and landed safely as Norwell came in from third man.On 39 at the time, the left-hander launched an onslaught against Craig Miles, the paceman conceding 44 in two overs, and in all he hit 11 fours and six sixes before he was bowled by Norwell (four for 70).Shantry’s domination was such that last man Charlle Morris did not score a run while facing of 21 of the 59 balls in their partnership of 69.