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England captain pinpoints powerplay assault as key factor in close contest

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-20241:21

Morkel: De Kock doesn’t overthink the game

England captain Jos Buttler described Quinton de Kock’s innings of 65 from 38 balls as “probably the difference” between the sides after South Africa closed out a seven-run win in St Lucia to extend their winning run at the T20 World Cup 2024 to six games.De Kock struck four sixes on the way to a 22-ball half-century, helping South Africa finish the powerplay on 63 without loss. With the surface notably slower than during the four preceding evening games at the Daren Sammy Stadium, South Africa could only post 163 for 6 at the end of 20 overs but they had enough in the bank to hold England at arm’s length.”I’d say in the powerplay, actually,” Buttler said, when asked at the post-match presentation where England had lost the game. “Quinton de Kock came out with a lot of intensity in that powerplay, and we couldn’t quite match that. I think we were probably 20 behind them after six overs. The wicket slowed up and we brought it back really well, we were quite happy chasing 160 [164]. But yeah, they bowled well in the powerplay and Quinton de Kock’s innings was probably the difference.”Related

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England, by contrast, lost Phil Salt on the way to 41 for 1 from the first six overs of their chase, with Jonny Bairstow falling shortly after. When Buttler was dismissed for 17 off 20 and Moeen Ali holed out two overs later – both dismissed by Keshav Maharaj – England were 61 for 4 with 103 still required from 9.4 overs.A stand of 78 in 42 balls between Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone edged them back into contention, the pair taking 21 off Ottneil Baartman’s 17th over to bring the equation down to 25 needed from the last three. But Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje held their nerve to close out victory.”I think it’s still a good wicket,” Buttler said. “A little bit slower than we probably expected, but as I said, we were quite happy chasing 160. We came back really well with the ball after how well Quinny played in the powerplay. I thought Brook and Livingstone had a fantastic partnership there to take us so close and at one stage [we were] looking like favourites but it’s never quite as simple as that in T20 cricket and credit to South Africa for closing it out.”I thought we were really good [with the ball]. As I said, the powerplay was the best time to bat, and I think Quinny recognised that and took some calculated risks. But yeah, the bowling performance, to come back and restrict a really powerful line-up to what I thought was a par score was a great effort.”Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks added 86 in 9.5 overs for the opening wicket•Associated Press

Defeat means England will have to beat USA in their final Group 2 game to retain hopes of reaching the semi-finals and defending their trophy, with the potential for net run rate to again be the decider.The equation for South Africa is more straightforward, with victory over West Indies on Sunday guaranteeing them a semi-final spot. Aiden Markram’s side have now won six games in a row, a run which has seen them prevail in several close finishes, and the captain praised their “fighting spirit” after holding off England’s charge at the end.”Yeah, we’ve had a few of those so far this comp,” Markram said. “But specifically today’s, probably getting to those last three overs and it looks like the odds will be heavily against you, and for the bowlers to hang in there, have really good plans and ultimately get the execution right, shows a lot of skill. But I think it comes from deeper and that fighting spirit, like you mentioned, helped us a lot.”On his bowlers’ approach between overs 15 and 17, during which Brook and Livingstone defied the conditions to add 52, Markram was philosophical.”It’s always a tricky one, you want to see the bowlers’ best skills. You want to give him the freedom to bowl his best ball first before changing to conditions. It was a bit nerve-wracking there in those overs. The plans were okay but the execution let us down, but that’s okay, that’s part of the game. You do have to give credit to Liam and to Brooky, they put us under the pump, and ultimately in the last few overs it was good to see the bowlers respond.”Markram also pinpointed the start de Kock gave his side, given the way conditions changed, adding that he felt South Africa were “getting closer to the really complete game” with their latest performance.”I thought Quinny and Reeza [Hendricks] took on the powerplay beautifully for us but then it definitely got slower,” he said. “I probably wanted another 10-20 runs, being greedy, especially on the back of that really good start. We needed to try and squeeze in the middle, try and save as many runs as we could in the field and build pressure that way. As a whole, we are probably getting closer to the really complete game of cricket. Not quite there just yet, but we are definitely on the right track.”

Lord’s match-winner reflects on how Test captaincy had started to have “unhealthy effect on the rest of my life”

Matt Roller05-Jun-2022Joe Root said he had been spurred on by the opportunity to “pay a bit back” to Ben Stokes after his innings of 115 not out guided England to a five-wicket win against New Zealand at Lord’s in their first Test match since his resignation as captain.Stokes described Root as “Mr Dependent” in the post-match presentation after his first fourth-innings hundred made him the second Englishman to pass 10,000 Test runs and Root said that after Stokes had single-handedly dragged England to several wins during his own tenure as captain, he had been determined to repay the favour.”For us to start like this under Ben’s leadership, with Brendon [McCullum] in charge as well, it’s a really exciting time,” Root told Sky Sports. “The amount of times that he won Test matches for me when I was in charge, it’s a great opportunity for me to pay a bit back to him. I’ll never be Ben Stokes and I’ll never be able to do the things that he’s done, but hopefully I can do it my own way.Related

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“It was nice to do it for him today and for the rest of the group. It’s a great motivator. I love batting. I want to just keep trying to bat for as long as I can and score as many runs as I can and help us win as many Test matches as I can. It was a great feeling today.”Root has kept a low profile since stepping down from the captaincy in mid-April and was visibly emotional on Sunday, both upon reaching three figures and when walking off to a standing ovation after sealing a five-wicket win with a pull through midwicket. He said that he had struggled to separate the role from his personal life and that while the decision to resign had been difficult, he had “thrown everything at it”.”I’d thrown every bit of myself into it and it was starting to take an unhealthy effect on the rest of my life as well,” he said. “I couldn’t leave it in the car or at the cricket ground; it was coming home. It’s not fair on myself and it wasn’t fair on my family.”It’s obviously been really tough. A lot of people will talk about my personal performances over the last year or so, runs-wise, but it’s never enjoyable when you’re losing Test matches and you’d give all those runs up to win.”I want to enjoy my cricket and I want to enjoy playing. It’s a role that needs someone who is going to give it so much energy and you can see that with Ben. I’m really excited for this team and for him that he’s in that position.”Root’s own innings started slowly as he looked to lead a recovery from 69 for 4 in pursuit of 277 and when Stokes was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson on the third evening, gloving a bouncer behind while attempting an uppercut, Root had made 34 off 89 balls; from that point on, he made 81 off 81 balls.He highlighted the ball change at the start of the 56th over – five overs after Stokes had been dismissed – as a turning point in the game, with the replacement ball hardly deviating off the straight. Ajaz Patel had been hit out of the attack by Stokes, who slog-swept him for three sixes over midwicket, while Colin de Grandhomme’s injury meant that Williamson had no choice but to give his main three seamers a heavy workload.”There was a specific moment in the game when it really turned for us,” Root said. “They obviously changed the ball twice and the second time they changed that ball, it became a little bit harder and it didn’t swing as much as the one they had previously, and that made it so much easier.”It was quite a slow wicket, quite hard to time the ball on. That made life a lot easier for someone like myself who can’t bully the ball like someone like Ben might be able to. They ended up putting a few sweepers out for me which I always quite enjoy, because you can get so many twos and you can rotate the strike and feel like the board is always moving and never feel stuck at one end.”It made a real difference. It got me going and meant that we could be really smart with our running between the wickets and really put pressure on that way and slowly creep up. I thought Ben was very smart in the way that he played it as well: he saw that match-up with the left-arm spinner and you talk about how T20 cricket can come into this [format] – it was a really important over.”With Colin going off injured it meant that they were going to have to keep bringing their seamers back, keep them tired, and it was almost like once I was in and I felt quite comfortable, trying to get ahead of it last night while there were overs in their legs was the smart play. To try and get the score as far down as possible last night was a really important factor in what we were trying to do.”

After taking a five-for in the morning, No. 11 Seales hung around for his partner Roach to hit the winning runs

Danyal Rasool15-Aug-2021Antigua 2000, Dominica 2017 and now Jamaica 2021. West Indies and Pakistan added another chapter to the list of enthralling, nail-biting Tests between these two sides as the hosts eked out a stunning one-wicket win with Nos. 9 and 11 holding on.As Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales kept batting, the nerves kept building. Finally, it all came down to a fateful Hasan Ali over, as a nick evaded a valiant dive from Mohammad Rizwan to race away for a boundary before Roach pushed two through the off side to guarantee a 1-0 series lead.Pakistan had their chances, but the story, for now, is thoroughly West Indian. The hosts looked like they had been edged out of this match so often towards the death, and yet refused to acknowledge it was game over. But it did look like that when Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers fell in quick succession, when Jason Holder was cleaned up by Hasan and when Joshua Da Silva – the last recognized batter – fell with 26 still to go. However, West Indies kept knocking down the runs, and the scoreboard pressure shifted entirely to Pakistan. The visitors might have been firm favourites after the hosts had been reduced to nine down, but as Pakistan lost their nerve, Roach and the teenager Seales held theirs.For Pakistan, there was historical precedence in perhaps their most famous Test of all. In 1954, a Fazal Mahmood inspired side defended 167 – exactly what they had on the board today – against England at the Oval: the origin story of Pakistan cricket. It might even have been comfortable when Shaheen Afridi blew apart the top order, and when a middle-order West Indian collapse saw Pakistan burrow deep into their tail. But the catching, so sensational up until the final session, let them down in crucial moments.Roach was put down by Rizwan as a partnership with Da Silva flowered, before Hasan dropped him as well in the deep with 19 runs still to get. In the final session, Da Silva was once again dropped by Abbas. Rizwan’s 45-yard sprint to seal Jomel Warrican’s fate looked also to have done it for West Indies, but there was perhaps an opportunity to pluck a diving one-handed catch off the Roach edge that ended up going to the boundary in that final over.It may seem ages ago now, but a dramatic morning session saw more drama than many entire days, spanning eight wickets across two innings. Seales led the charge in the mission to remove the lower order cheaply, and within an hour-and-a-half, Pakistan’s last five had fallen for 35. Of those 35 runs, 28 were added by an enterprising Hasan in just 26 balls with two fours and two sixes. That pushed the lead above 150 for Pakistan, each extra run giving himself and his fellow bowlers precious breathing room.Moreover, Babar Azam’s presence at the crease was always going to be vital, but a Mayers delivery seared up off a crack and looped up to Holder at second slip early in the day. Azam had departed for a valiant 55, and while it brought Pakistan agonizingly close, his side ended up needing just a bit more from him.From there on, it was down to the raw pace of Seales against Pakistan’s lower order. Yasir Shah and Afridi were sent back with little bother, but Hasan rode his luck as Pakistan brought up 200. Seales, though, would not be denied a maiden five-for in just his second Test, and got there when Hasan’s hook went straight to Roach at fine leg. In the process, he became the youngest West Indies bowler to earn a Test five-for as the hosts were set 168 to win.Jayden Seales became the youngest West Indies bowler to a Test five-for•AFP/Getty Images

The Afridi show began in a somewhat surreal over that had three reviews for leg before wicket by Pakistan against Kieran Powell, the third finally resulting in success. Kraigg Brathwaite didn’t last long in the face of a hostile spell from Afridi, his poke at one that jagged away leading to his downfall, but only after a review. Nkrumah Bonner dragged on in Afridi’s following over, and suddenly, the pre-lunch session turned into a damage-limitation exercise for West Indies.After the mad rush of the first session came the relative slow burn of the second. No less absorbing for its slightly slower pace, it carried with it the sensation of a building crescendo. West Indies made the early running as Chase and Jermaine Blackwood, West Indies’ top scorer with 55, threatened to take it away for the hosts with a 68-run fourth wicket partnership.They came out after lunch a much more confident pair, Blackwood continuing to put anything too wide or too full away. Hasan in particular came in for punishment off successive overs as he struggled with his lines; and with a small target to defend, there wasn’t much room for error, every boundary tilting the scales the batters’ way.Chase, Pakistan’s pet peeve in 2017, was looking just as untroubled without quite having as much of an impact on the scoreboard. But all West Indies needed was a partnership, and as long as the pair continued remained at the crease, the danger signs flashed for Pakistan.Faheem Ashraf, Pakistan’s impact allrounder of late, was the man to break the partnership, constantly threatening Chase’s outside edge in a probing over. When the edge came, Imran Butt was never going to drop a low catch; and in Ashraf’s next over, the same combination got rid of Kyle Mayers for a pair.But the moment of the session came in late, when a few Holder boundaries had brought the required runs down under 60. Blackwood hung his bat out at Hasan once too often, sending it straight to first slip; except Butt at second decided only he could be trusted behind the stumps, diving sensationally to his left to hold on to a stunner. On the stroke of tea, Holder found his off peg knocked back with a beauty.It looked like a bridge too far when Da Silva and Roach came out after tea still needing 54, but as in Antigua and Dominica, the West Indies lower order refused to give in. They began to knock off the runs gradually, and suddenly, with the pair looking relatively untroubled, West Indies had less than 30 left to go. Pakistan, to their alarm, found they were still in a game, and with West Indies refusing to roll over, it became a game of shredded nerves as much as exquisite skill.There was the glory of Rizwan’s catch that spanned the length of the ground, the errors like Hasan’s drop at deep square leg, the guts of Roach going for his shots with the ultimate consequence on the line and the heart of Seales seeing off some searing pace bowling from Afridi. Pakistan broke West Indian hearts four years ago, but in a classic that contained shades of Antigua, West Indies have exacted exceptionally sweet revenge in Jamaica.

James Pattinson, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the third Test with a rib injury

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2021Players on both sides of the ongoing Australia-India series have spent an extended period of their lives – up to six months for some – moving from one biosecure bubble to another, but Nathan Lyon believes it’s a “very small sacrifice” they’re making to play cricket in the times of Covid-19.Amid reports that India are unwilling to submit to another period of hotel quarantine if the fourth Test stays in Brisbane, Lyon said the players would simply have to “suck it up and get on with it”.Related

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There is still some doubt over who will host the fourth Test, but Lyon – echoing the words of his team-mate Matthew Wade yesterday – said Australia were fully expecting it to stay with Brisbane.”To be honest, I’m not even thinking of a plan B or not playing at the Gabba,” Lyon said in a media interaction on Monday. “I 100% think we’re going out there and planning and preparing for the Gabba.”To be honest with you with regards to the quarantine I know there’s a few people from both squads who’ve been in a bubble for close to six months now, but in my eyes it’s a very small sacrifice for us to get out there and play the game that we love and put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces around the world, so in my eyes, we just have to suck it up and get on with it and get out there and play cricket for our respective countries and make sure that we’re playing a really competitive brand of cricket.”Asked for his views on the severity of the restrictions that have been placed on the players, Lyon reiterated his view that they would simply have to “stop complaining” – though he empathised with the five India players who are under investigation for a possible breach of bubble safety.”To be honest with you, it’s all been okay in my eyes,” Lyon said. “As I said before, we just need to suck it up and get on with it. People make mistakes, we get that, but it’s just about making sure that we go out there and we worry about what’s happening and try and make sure that we prepare the best way we can for the Test match, and not looking to anything else the media is blowing up at all.”We’ve got to listen to the advice of our medical people, here at Cricket Australia we’re very lucky that we’ve got an amazing medical team, but to be honest with you, let’s just suck it up and get on with it and stop complaining.”James Pattinson has been ruled out of the third Test with a rib injury•Getty Images

The third and fourth Tests are set to be the 99th and 100th of Lyon’s career. The offspinner is also only six short of 400 Test wickets. With the series locked 1-1, however, Lyon said the milestones weren’t at the forefront of his mind.”It’s probably more about winning the series for me,” he said. “Obviously one-all, so if I can play my role and make sure that we win this series against a pretty amazing Indian side, so it’s more about the series for me. Those milestones will be nice to look at, at the end of my career, it’s obviously pretty amazing that a couple of them are just around the corner personally, but for me it’s more about making sure that we come out and [I] play my role, personally, but hopefully we can sing the song (Under the Southern Cross, which Australia’s players sing after winning Test matches) twice, and that will top off my milestones which are just around the corner.”Pattinson ruled out of third TestAustralia fast bowler James Pattinson has been ruled out of the third Test against India in Sydney after injuring his ribs in a fall. According to a Cricket Australia statement, the incident occurred while Pattinson was on his personal property during “approved leave from the Melbourne hub”, where both teams were stationed between Tests.No replacement has been named for Pattinson in Australia’s extended 18-member squad for the Tests. He has not played in the series yet, but “will be assessed further leading into the Brisbane Test”, which is scheduled to begin on January 15. Sean Abbott and Michael Neser are the back-up pace options in the squad, behind the first choice trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.

The left-arm quick has thanked the team for changing his life after starring in their BBL final triumph

Tristan Lavalette24-Jan-2024An emotional Spencer Johnson has said Brisbane Heat have “changed my life” after leading them to an upset 54-run victory over Sydney Sixers in the BBL final.Left-arm quick Johnson was the Player of the Match after picking up 4 for 26, the best figures recorded in a BBL final, as Heat ended an 11-year drought to capture their second title.Related

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It was sweet redemption for Heat, who were unable to defend 175 in a heartbreaking defeat in last season’s epic final against Perth Scorchers.But Johnson, one of eight players in Heat’s Wednesday line-up who were part of that bitter defeat in Perth, led from the front with the wickets of top-order batters Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards before closing the door on Sixers by dismissing Ben Dwarshuis in the power surge.He finished his brilliant effort by snaring Hayden Kerr as the celebrations started for Heat.It’s the latest spectacular performance for Johnson, who burst to prominence during last season’s BBL by unleashing 145kph thunderbolts with his left-arm angle and towering height making him almost unplayable at times.He made his international debut for Australia in white-ball cricket last year and looms as a player of significant interest for the national hierarchy despite being overlooked for the T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against West Indies.”I owe Brisbane Heat everything. Coming up here last year, I didn’t know where my career was going and now I’ve just won a Big Bash with 11 of my closest mates,” a visibly emotional Johnson told Fox Sports.”Twelve months ago, I wasn’t in this position. And I think the Brisbane Heat have changed my life. So it’s pretty special.”Johnson and Heat’s miserly attack sealed a victory set up brilliantly by opener Josh Brown, who blasted 53 off 38 balls on a tricky SCG surface after Sixers surprisingly elected to bowl in overcast and humid conditions.It was a superb follow-up to his extraordinary 140 off 57 balls against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger as Heat finished with a total of 166 for 8 that proved more than enough.”Credit to the batters. Browny again, got us to a total that we can defend and I feel like we were the best team all year so I think we deserve to have the medal around our necks,” Johnson said.Spurred by the painful memories of last year’s final, Heat finished on top of the ladder before exacting revenge over Sixers, who had easily won the Qualifier on the Gold Coast.”The boys with the ball have been incredible all year. To defend that with ease was really special for them,” said batter Matt Renshaw, who smashed 40 off 22 balls to spark Heat at the death.”We’re a real squad mentality. Everyone has contributed on and off the field.”Unlike his teammates, Renshaw will have to temper his celebrations ahead of a 10am flight to Brisbane on Thursday as he races to be part of Australia’s squad for the pink-ball second Test against West Indies.”I’m going to try and keep it a quiet night,” he said. “I’ll be watching all the other boys. It will be good fun.”

Chasing 249 set by Queensland, Carey hit a composed 111 from 135 balls to control the hosts’ innings and get them home with 14 balls to spare

AAP24-Feb-2024Nicola Carey hit Tasmania to a WNCL three-peat, with an unbeaten century lifting them to a six-wicket win over Queensland in the final.Chasing 249, Carey hit a composed 111 from 135 balls to control the hosts innings and get them home with 14 balls to spare at Blundstone Arena.Perennial battlers in the 50-over competition for their first 10 seasons after joining in 2010-11, Tasmania only won their first title in 2022 before backing it up with two more.And they can thank Carey for the latest one. Not picked for Australia since December 2022, Carey knocked back a national contract last April in a bid to rejuvenate her game with a full winter at home. The decision has paid dividends. The one-time bowling allrounder topped the run-scoring charts in this summer’s WNCL, with Saturday’s runs taking her past 696 for the season. Carey’s runs came at an average of 69.6, a mark only bettered by Meg Lanning this season.On Saturday, Carey barely offered a chance, pulling powerfully and twice reverse-sweeping spinner Charlie Knott to the boundary. She brought up her century off 128 balls, after previously forming a 132-run partnership with Heather Graham (63 off 75) that swung the match.Queensland briefly had a sniff when Graham was bowled trying to reverse sweep Georgia Voll, before Naomi Stalenberg was caught three balls later for a duck. At that point Tasmania needed 67 runs from 68 balls with six wickets in hand, but Carey and Emma Manix-Geeves ensured there would be no late jitters.”I’m relieved, that was stressful,” Carey said. “I felt scratchy but Heather and EMG made my life so much easier. I love batting with Heather, it’s always good fun. She makes it look really easy and I make it look harder.”Earlier, Graham also took 3 for 39 with the ball to stop any hope of Queensland setting an unattainable target. With Queesland 115 for 2 in the 28th over, Graham got a ball to skid on and bowl Lauren Winfield-Hill for 28. She then had Mikayla Hinkley lbw on 33, before bowling a hard-hitting Knott for 73 late in the innings to keep Queensland to 248 for 7.Tasmania’s victory makes them the second state to achieve a hat-trick of titles in the WNCL, with NSW having at one stage won 10 straight between 2005-06 and 2014-15.

Haider Ali sparks for Derbyshire but hosts cruise chase for third successive win

ECB Reporters Network04-Jun-2023Wayne Madsen fell six runs short of becoming the first man in T20 history to score six successive fifties as his Derbyshire side were comfortably beaten by seven wickets by a revitalised Yorkshire in today’s Vitality Blast clash at Headingley.England’s Dawid Malan then starred in the chase with a superb 81 not out off 57 balls, Yorkshire winning with 10 balls to spare.Madsen’s 44 off 26 in the Falcons 166 for 8 batting first means he remains one of seven players worldwide to have scored five fifties in a row in this format. Jos Buttler, Virender Sehwag and David Warner are on the list.Pakistan overseas opener Haider Ali’s belligerent 74 off 47 balls was the feature of Derbyshire’s innings having been inserted, and also his best score for the county in all cricket since arriving in April. But Haider and Madsen falling in quick succession meant the innings lost crucial momentum from 147 for 2 in the 17th over.That paved the way for the Vikings to win their third successive North Group fixture, backing up last week’s successes over Nottinghamshire and Lancashire.After three wickets for Ben Mike, Malan continued his excellent form with a third fifty in a row and could yet expand that aforementioned list of seven over the next week. The left-hander shared 83 inside 10 overs for the first wicket with Adam Lyth, who made 31, and continued on with almost effortless class in hitting nine fours and three sixes.Both teams came into this fixture having had identical seasons – winless in the Championship, having lost their first three games in the Blast before winning their last two last week.Yorkshire started well, with Derbyshire limited to 19 for 1 after four overs, including Mike getting Luis Reece caught scooping. But Haider counterattacked with success and ensured 40 runs came off the next four overs, playing confidently on both sides of the wicket in excellent batting conditions.Tom Wood fell to legspinner Jafer Chohan’s first ball in the ninth over – 59 for 2 – as he was brilliantly caught at a wide short third-man by a diving Will Luxton following a reverse sweep. But that strike only served to bring Madsen to the crease.Both Haider, who reached 50 off 35 balls, and Madsen struck the ball cleanly during an 88-run partnership inside nine overs, though the wind was quickly taken out of Derbyshire’s sails.Madsen drilled David Wiese into the covers to end his shot at history, leaving Derbyshire 147 for 3 in the 17th over, before Haider was smartly caught by Wiese off Mike in the next. Mike also bowled a reverse sweeping Leus du Plooy before another three wickets fell in the last eight balls to give Yorkshire the definite advantage at halfway.And it didn’t take long for the result to become obvious as Lyth and Malan were quickly into their stride. Malan pulled seamer Zak Chappell for six over square leg and dominated the powerplay as 54 came from the first six overs.Unlike Yorkshire, Derbyshire’s bowlers just couldn’t drag things back as they suffered defeat number four of the campaign.Malan pulled his second six off George Scrimshaw’s pace early in the eighth over, a vicious shot over midwicket to take him into the 40s, and by the time he reached 50 off 35 balls in the 11th over, Yorkshire were 103 for 1. Lyth had been bowled slog-sweeping at Wood’s offspin before Will Luxton fell cheaply having miscued a pull at Scrimshaw to square leg, leaving the score at 110 for 2 after 12.Yorkshire’s target was reduced to 42 off the last five overs at 125 for 2, and a couple of lusty blows from Namibia international allrounder Wiese ended Malan’s hopes of a sixth career T20 century but more importantly gave the hosts another two points.Wiese actually fell for an entertaining 30 to Chappell, but it was nothing more than a consolatory wicket at 158 for 3 in the 18th over. That allowed Mike to clinch the win with a straight six off Zaman Khan in the 19th over.

Australia skipper won’t play in Tasmania’s Shield clash against WA; will instead play club cricket and in Tasmania’s Second XI against South Australia

Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2021Australia captain Tim Paine is set to go into the Ashes series without a first-class fixture under his belt but he is set to play club cricket and second XI cricket for Tasmania over the next week before Australia’s intra-squad clash in Brisbane ahead of the Gabba Test.Paine is recovering from neck surgery he had in September and has not played at all yet this summer. His last competitive game was in April.Related

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He was hopeful of playing up to four full matches, including a Shield game, before the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in December.Rain last week washed out any hopes of playing for his club side University of Tasmania. He is now set to play on the first day of their clash with South Hobart Sandy Bay on Saturday, but he won’t take part in Tasmania’s Shield clash against Western Australia, starting on Sunday.He will instead play in Tasmania’s Second XI team in a four-day game against South Australia which is scheduled to begin on Monday. Paine will also have the chance to play in the intra-squad clash in Brisbane starting on December 1.Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey was not concerned about Paine’s preparation.”Just get some cricket under his belt, which we’re really confident he’s going to get back this weekend,” Bailey said on Wednesday. “And I think from all reports, surgery has gone really well. He’s feeling really, really confident. I think they’ve actually had to hold him back a little bit in the last couple of weeks to make sure the actual healing process has gone well and now it’s just a matter of actually getting some game time under his belt, so he’s really confident and really excited to be leading the team come the first day at the Gabba.”Paine will turn 37 on the opening day of the Ashes series and told last week that he has not given any consideration to his future beyond this summer.Alex Carey and Josh Inglis have both been named in the Australia A squad on Wednesday but Alex Carey is expected to be the second wicketkeeper in the intra-squad match and the Australia A wicketkeeper, and possibly captain, for the England Lions game starting in December. Inglis is set to play as a batter given he was part of the group that was required to do 14-day quarantine on the way back from the T20 World Cup in the UAE and is likely to head back to Perth Scorchers for the start of the BBL.

Both teams are looking to shake off a lean run in red-ball cricket as the 2025-27 cycle of the World Test Championship gets underway

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2025

Big picture: Galle set for spin-heavy scrap

Even before South Africa could fire up the final celebratory after their triumph at Lord’s, the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for 2025-27 is set to begin some 9,000 km away in Galle. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, both looking to snap out of extended Test slumps, will kick off the new cycle, however, the looming threat of rain could dictate terms over the next five days.Sri Lanka return to red-ball cricket four months after a 2-0 home defeat to Australia, also in Galle. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have managed just two international wins since the start of the year and are visibly short on confidence. Despite fielding a squad with six uncapped players, Sri Lanka will believe this is an opportunity to get back on track, especially against a side that’s just as brittle.This series also marks the end of an era. Angelo Mathews will retire from Test cricket after this series, following in the footsteps of Dimuth Karunaratne, who bowed out after the Australia series earlier this year. Sri Lanka’s top order collapsed in that series, despite being one of the most productive Test batting units in 2024. Kamindu Mendis, one of their mainstays last year, has crossed fifty just once since January. To cover their bases, the selectors have brought in four uncapped batters – Lahiru Udara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, and Pasindu Sooriyabandara – all of whom have shown promise in domestic cricket and for Sri Lanka A.Prabath Jayasuriya was the third-highest wicket-taker among spinners in the last WTC cycle•AFP/Getty Images

In the spin department, Tharindu Rathnayake, the ambidextrous spinner with 337 first-class wickets, has earned a call-up, as has Akila Dananjaya, who could feature in a Test for the first time since 2019. Their main task will be to support Prabath Jayasuriya, who has carried Sri Lanka’s spin attack almost single-handedly in the past year. The fast-bowling department looks steadier, with allrounder Isitha Wijesundara and Kasun Rajitha in the running to make the XI.For Bangladesh, the concerns run just as deep. After splitting a Test series against Zimbabwe in April, their top-order remains erratic. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has just two half-centuries in his last ten Tests, while Mushfiqur Rahim hasn’t passed fifty in his last 13 innings. Though Shadman Islam and Anamul Haque shared a century stand against Zimbabwe, neither has delivered consistently. With no reserve openers in the squad, Shanto may be pushed to open if needed. Mominul Haque has struggled to convert starts, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz – despite his issues with the short ball – remains their leading run-scorer in recent Tests.Related

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Spin will be central to Bangladesh’s hopes in Galle, with Mehidy and Taijul Islam leading the charge. They’re backed up by Nayeem Hasan and uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad. Ebadot Hossain returns to the squad for the first time in two years, while Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana offer pace options to complement an attack picked for the spin-friendly conditions.Sri Lanka-Bangladesh Tests have often lacked drama, with one side dominating. But with both teams rebuilding and their batting misfiring in 2024, this one might be more competitive. In the end, as always in Galle, it may just come down to which spin attack holds up better.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: LLLLW (last five Tests, most recent first)

Bangladesh: WLWLL

In the spotlight: Dinesh Chandimal and Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Dinesh Chandimal was excellent in 2024. He hit two fifties against Australia in February, followed by solid returns in domestic first-class cricket and a brief PSL stint last month. Batting at his new position at No. 3, Chandimal remains a key threat. He averages 67.06 in 12 Tests against Bangladesh, with five centuries.Mehidy Hasan Miraz was Bangladesh’s standout performer in the Zimbabwe series, scoring a century and taking five wickets in their Chattogram win, after a ten-wicket haul in the Sylhet Test. One of Bangladesh’s few consistent players over the past two years, he has grown into the allrounder’s role in Shakib Al Hasan’s absence. In Sri Lanka, he’ll shoulder added responsibility with the ball in spin-friendly conditions.Mehidy will shoulder the allrounder’s responsibility, but will he be match-fit?•AFP/Getty Images

Team news: Three spinners for Bangladesh?

Sri Lanka have to make four changes from the side that played against Australia in February. Karunaratne has retired, Lahiru Kumara is injured while they have dropped Ramesh Mendis and Nishan Peiris. There could be a debut for Udara, while Milan Rathnayake and Dananjaya could form a two-spin, two-pace attack.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Lahiru Udara, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoBangladesh are unlikely to fiddle with their top and middle order positions. They could tinker with their bowling attack by including three spinners, which will leave them with just one pace bowling option. There’s a slight concern around Mehidy, though, since he was reported to have a fever.Bangladesh (likely): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Jaker Ali (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Murad, 11 Hasan Mahmud

Pitch and conditions: Rain threat looms

Spinners consumed wickets in Galle, where both the Sri Lanka-Australia Tests were played earlier this year. But in between that there have also been two 600-plus first-innings totals over the last nine months. Pitches are likely to be conducive to slow bowling in this Test too. There’s rain forecast on all five days in Galle.

Stats and trivia: Galle and spin

• Bangladesh have now played 21 successive Tests without a draw, equaling their longest run from 2001 to 2004. Their last drawn Test in this cycle was against Sri Lanka three years ago.
• Galle’s reputation for being a spin haven can be expressed in numbers too. Spinners have taken 373 wickets at Galle, the most at any venue since 2020. A wicket falls to spinners roughly once every ten overs at this venue.
• Awaiting their Test debuts, Tharindu Ratnayake has 337 first-class wickets while Lahiru Udara has 16 centuries in first-class cricket.

Quotes

“The best thing we can do for Angelo is win the match for him and give him a good farewell. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that for Dimuth. Personally I’m hoping we can do it for Angelo.”

Rockets still in with an outside chance of a top three finish after convincing victory over Welsh Fire

ECB Media24-Aug-2025Trent Rockets 145 for 6 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Davies 3-26) beat Welsh Fire 122 for 9 (Dunkley 26, King 3-17) by 23 runs Trent Rockets produced a clinical all-round performance to overcome Welsh Fire by 23 runs at Sophia Gardens and keep themselves in the mix for progression to the Eliminator.Aussie all-rounder Ash Gardner starred with bat and ball, hitting 36 from 26 and taking 2 for 28 with her off-breaks, as the Rockets claimed a victory which leaves them four points behind third-placed Manchester Originals with one game still to play. They will need to win their final group match against Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday and hope other results go their way to secure a top-three finish.Bryony Smith (38 from 27) laid the foundations for the Rockets’ 145 for 6, the opener hitting Freya Davies for three boundaries in the second set and then finding the ropes from three consecutive Jess Jonassen deliveries in the fifth.Hayley Matthews was next in Smith’s sights, the Bajan off-spinner dispatched over mid-off for four and then swatted for six, but Davies (3-26) ended her entertaining knock when a top edge flew to Georgia Elwiss at short third.A third-wicket stand of 67 from 45 balls between Nat Sciver-Brunt (38 from 26) and Gardner built on Smith’s good work, the England skipper stroking five fours while Gardner showed off her powerful strokeplay with three maximums.Jonassen broke the partnership when she trapped Sciver-Brunt lbw and Gardner fell six balls later, nicking off to a surprise bouncer from Matthews, but a bright cameo from Heather Graham, who hit two boundaries in her unbeaten 13, took the visitors to a competitive total.In reply, Tammy Beaumont’s lean trot continued when she was bowled by Alexa Stonehouse for 5 before Sophia Dunkley (26 from 23) and Matthews (18 from 12) moved the Fire on to 57 for 1. But when Gardner took the key wicket of Matthews, bowled by a nicely flighted delivery, the hosts lost their momentum.Aussie leg-spinner Alana King turned the screw, returning figures of 3 for 17, while Gardner made another telling intervention when she had the dangerous Dunkley caught and bowled.The Fire eventually subsided to 122 for 9 from their 100 deliveries, their sixth defeat of a disappointing season.Gardner, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I think that was probably our first well-rounded performance. I think we did all three disciplines really well. Obviously we need to keep winning and for others results to go our way but we’re just trying to control what we can, and that’s winning games of cricket.”I was happy with parts of my innings. There were a few dot balls in there where I was trying to hit it too hard but the wicket was quite tricky at times when the bowlers took pace off the ball, and when the quicks bashed a length it was tough to find the boundary. But if I had a ball in my zone, I tried to clear the fence.”