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It was a forgettable day in the field for Afghanistan with five catches (of which one was a really tough chance) and a stumping missed

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2023
Young dropped

Edged and dropped at wide slip by Rahmat Shah! Oh dear, that flew to the fielder’s left but it should have been taken. Angled away from Young, who looks for a drive on the up. Does not reach the pitch of the ball, the ball catches the outside edge [and goes] at a good height to Shah’s left. Regulation catch but he fluffs it.
Ravindra dropped

Is that another drop? Oh it might just be. Low full toss on middle and leg. He works it off the cue end of the bat to the right of midwicket, who dives, gets both hands to it and puts it down. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was the fielder on this occasion.
Ravindra stumping chance

Oh, is that a missed stumping? Tossed up quicker outside leg stump, he was dancing down and didn’t get to the pitch, an opportunity gone begging, wasn’t pouched cleanly and Rashid is not amused at all.
Ikram Alikhil missed out on an opportunity to stump Rachin Ravindra•Associated Press

Latham dropped

Oh my word, what have you done? Puts down an absolute soda at short fine and Rashid is livid with the fielder, [shouts] out in frustration but he has to move past this. He lunged forward to sweep and Mujeeb makes a mess of it – they haven’t been spot on in the fielding today.
Latham dropped again

Oh my word! How on earth did that ball not get a W? Spoons it in the air and the captain drops a sitter now, that’s pretty average effort at short cover. You got to take those at this level. He gamely jumped two-handed but no dice, ball kissed his finger-tips and deflected away.
Tough Phillips chance missed

That was absolutely clubbed but didn’t really middle it and got plenty of elevation but not the distance, Rashid at long-off backpedals and covers a lot of ground but the ball dips quickly and he cannot cling on. Very tough chance, top effort from Rashid nevertheless.

He also praised England’s bowling attack for not panicking despite injury setbacks

Andrew McGlashan15-Nov-20224:05

Moody: Teams need to consider separate players and staff for different formats

For the second time in less than three years, Matthew Mott held a World Cup aloft at the MCG.In March 2020, it was the history-making performance of Australia’s women’s team, in front of 86,174 spectators, and a few days ago the England men’s team became the first male side to hold both World Cups at the same time to forge their own legacy.”It hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Mott told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. “It was an amazing event, again. I probably never thought I’d coach either team, really, so to coach them both to a trophy is something very special.”Mott’s time with Australia came to end after their ODI World Cup victory in New Zealand as they, too, were able to unite the two pieces of limited-overs silverware. He was interviewed for the Australia men’s position when Justin Langer was forced out, but that was always going to Andrew McDonald (do not be surprised, though, if it’s Mott’s job in the future).Matthew Mott’s shift to England came after leading Australia to T20 and ODI World Cup wins•ICC/Getty Images

The time was right to bring an end to a storied run with Meg Lanning’s team and England’s interest was impossible to ignore. But even though he was moving into another set-up that had enjoyed white-ball success, had immense depth and were going to be one of the tournament favourites, a lot had to go right to win a World Cup at the first time of asking, particularly after things had gone wrong.While Australia’s title in 2020 and this one for England have not quite followed the same path, they both became fraught affairs. Australia were beaten by India in their opening match and couldn’t afford another defeat; England’s loss to Ireland at the MCG left them in a similar position.There were also injuries to contend with, both before and during the event. In 2020, Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out on the eve of the tournament, as Reece Topley was this time. Australia lost Ellyse Perry at a vital time; England were without Mark Wood and Dawid Malan in the semi-final and final. Both teams had the depth to come through.”They are interesting tournaments,” Mott said. “There’s so much that can go right or wrong. Run rate is such a big thing that’s looming. To get out of a very strong group, there was a lot of relief after that. Once you get to the semi-finals and finals you play a slightly different brand of cricket, you can actually relax a little more. Think the team thrives on that.”Matthew Mott celebrates with the side after England clinched the trophy•PA Photos/Getty Images

“I think England’s depth is incredible. If you look at all the players who missed out in that team – Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Reece Topley – and even the quality that was still sat on the bench, David Willey has done nothing wrong at all and we couldn’t squeeze him in.”Probably the most pleasing thing – everyone talks a lot about the batting – but with Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, there’s now incredible depth in the bowling. Thought Adil Rashid had an amazing tournament. Think the way we adapted was key. In tournaments like this you will always lose a couple of players, but if you don’t panic and give other players an opportunity it really adds to the group.”Mott only started working with England in June on a short tour of Netherlands which ended with Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket. Mott sensed it could be coming, but it still meant there was an entirely new captain-coach axis as Jos Buttler took over four months before the World Cup. The home summer was a stuttering affair as three of the four series against India and South Africa were lost.Related

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However, things started to come together in Pakistan, even though Buttler wasn’t playing. Mott pinpointed that trip as vital to what has played out in Australia, lauding Buttler’s decision to go on the tour. Their relationship was strengthened while Mott also believes the development of Buttler’s captaincy was aided by watching Moeen Ali.”Any time with a captain-coach relationship it takes time to build that trust,” Mott said. “I hadn’t really known Jos before I was in this role. Like any good working relationship, you have to build trust in each other. I really felt the best thing for us was when Jos selflessly said he’d come to Pakistan even though he wasn’t going to play.”He just wanted to observe and his relationship with Moeen Ali was strengthened over there, it was a brilliant. That really set the tone for us, to build a team around him. He observed a lot from Moeen’s captaincy and [I] think he took a lot out of that. He added an extra layer of calmness and assuredness.”In 2020, the destiny of the title had been all but decided by the batting of Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney. Mott subsequently said he was even able to give himself a moment to soak in the experience that day. This time it was rather different, a tense affair that was only really decided when Shaheen Afridi limped off and Ben Stokes seized the moment.Mott caught up with a number of the Australians over the last few weeks and many of them sent him messages before the final. “Felt like in a strange way they shared in that even though it was England,” he said. “At least they had someone to cheer for in the final.”

Shami who is part of India’s squad to face Australia on Tuesday has not travelled with the team to Mohali, the venue of the first T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2022Mohammed Shami has tested positive for Covid-19, and will not take part in India’s T20I series against Australia starting on Tuesday in Mohali. Umesh Yadav, who was originally meant to undergo rehab for a quad injury in Bengaluru, has been called into the squad and is now in line to play his first T20I in over three years.Despite his sporadic appearances in international cricket, Umesh has been a regular in the IPL circuit and was among the best bowlers in the powerplay this past season, picking up 16 wickets overall at an economy rate of 7.06. He has recent form behind him as well, having topped the charts for Middlesex in the Royal London One-Day Cup.The games against Australia – on September 20, 23 and 25 – and those against South Africa – on September 28, October 2 and October 4 – are the last T20Is that India play before travelling to the T20 World Cup next month. As such, they presented an opportunity for the team to see how Shami holds up after a two-month lay-off from cricket.Shami, 32, hasn’t been seen on the field since July 2022 and has not played a T20I since November 2021. Nevertheless, his experience, and his performance in the IPL – 20 wickets in 16 matches for the champions Gujarat Titans – were seen as key assets, prompting the selectors to keep him on standby for the World Cup.This is the second time in about a month that India have had to deal with a key member of their team going down with Covid-19. Just before the Asia Cup, their head coach Rahul Dravid was diagnosed with the virus and had to delay his travel to the UAE. He was reported to have only mild symptoms and was eventually able to link back up with the team after their opening game against Pakistan.

Aaron Beard four-for seals victory after Paul Walter’s 49 helps lay foundation

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2022Michael Pepper continued his Vitality Blast love affair with the Cloud County Ground before Aaron Beard returned career-best figures as Essex Eagles condemned Surrey to a second straight loss.Pepper took his Chelmsford tally to 304 in six innings – and 386 in total – with a tubthumping 48 as Paul Walter continued his fine form with 49 as the Eagles soured to 198 for 7 before fast bowler Beard, making just his second appearance of the season, removed openers Will Jacks and Jason Roy to eventually pick up 4 for 29 – as Surrey fell 43 runs short.Essex boosted their hopes of securing a home quarter-final to move to seven wins out of 12, while Surrey remain top and will host a home knockout game but having been previously unbeaten in all competitions until Thursday night have lost momentum.On a fixture celebrating Essex Pride, Surrey stuck the Eagles in to bat and had Adam Rossington caught behind in the second over, with the first two overs only going for six before Pepper went ballistic.He struck 30 from the first nine balls he faced, with just a dot and a single punctuating his boundary blitz. The South African-born batter began by scooping a six, something he replicated in the following over between a bullet cut shot and followed by four consecutive boundaries off Dan Moriarty.His hitting paused after a strike to the box, which he never really recovered from as he limped to five more runs before he reversed straight to third – the second wicket in three balls for Sunil Narine.Essex’s rebuild and second 10 overs were a textbook display of accumulation – with only seven dot balls, along with four wickets coming in the second half of the innings for 110 runs.Walter was the chief architect of the scoring with his 49, which included four towering sixes, as he put on 51 with Dan Lawrence and 44 with Simon Harmer.Reece Topley made sure his former county didn’t get to 200 as he chipped away throughout and added Walter, Daniel Sams and Harmer to his earlier Rossington dismissal to end up with 4 for 37.Beard made an electrifying start as he picked up both a yorked Roy and Jacks, brilliantly caught at short fine leg by Tom Westley.Smith and Rory Burns put on 57 with a low-risk approach, while still keeping up with the rate before Dan Lawrence stuck one through Smith. Burns followed by skewing Beard to mid-on and Narine fired back at Harmer as Surrey lost their way.Laurie Evans continued the slump when sub fielder Ben Allison produced a spectacular solo relay catch at wide long-on – Harmer grabbing two wickets in the over to return two for 20. Beard had debutant Tom Lawes skying to mid-on for his fourth.Sams pilfered Chris Jordan and Sam Cook had Conor McKerr as Surrey could only reach 155 for 9.

End of Kolpak era means Wiese moving on but van Zyl will see out contract as an overseas player

Matt Roller06-Oct-2020Sussex have confirmed that Stiaan van Zyl will stay at the club in 2021 despite the end of Kolpak registrations, fulfilling his contract on overseas terms, while David Wiese’s time at Hove is set to come to an end.Van Zyl, who signed a three-year extension in early 2019 after initially joining the club in 2017, missed the 2020 county season due to restrictions on international travel and club finances, and it was mutually agreed that he would return as an overseas player next summer.Wiese, the South African allrounder, has left the club at the end of his contract after four seasons as a Kolpak player, but a Sussex statement said that he could still return as an overseas player for the T20 Blast.The ECB confirmed in writing to counties two weeks ago that Kolpak registrations would be invalid once the UK’s transition period with the European Union comes to an end on December 31, with affected players either leaving their clubs or re-signing as overseas players. Players with settled or pre-settled status in the UK through EU citizenship will be free to continue playing as locals.Counties will be allowed to field two overseas players in all formats next season, having previously been permitted only one in the County Championship and Royal London Cup.Travis Head, the Australia batsman, is due to be Sussex’s second main overseas player after having his contract for this summer deferred to 2021, but it remains to be seen which formats he will play. With Rashid Khan, whose contract was cancelled this year to allow him to play in the CPL and the IPL, also under consideration for a T20-only deal, it could be that van Zyl and Head only play in the County Championship and the Royal London One-Day Cup. “Obviously the government is kicking us out of here with Brexit at this stage, and I suppose the joy-ride had to come to an end at some stage,” Wiese joked after Sussex’s Blast quarter-final defeat to Lancashire last week. “It’s been a good couple of years for me, and hopefully it’s not the end.”I could come back as an overseas – obviously it’s trying times financially, a lot of the clubs are in tough positions and there are contracts in place with other players, so we’ll have to see what the future holds. I’ll go back home, chill out with a bit of family time and hopefully things work out in the future that I can come back here.”David Wiese carves into the off side•Getty Images

Wiese is the latest Sussex player to depart in a period of transition for the club. Luke Wells and Harry Finch will both be released at the end of their contracts, while Danny Briggs has signed for Warwickshire and Laurie Evans spent the season on loan at Surrey ahead of a permanent move. George Garton, Tom Haines and Delray Rawlins have all signed new deals.Meanwhile, head coach Jason Gillespie has returned home to take up the South Australia job, with the club not expected to recruit a replacement until the start of next year. Assistant coaches James Kirtley, Ian Salisbury and Jason Swift are all likely to be candidates.

Australia’s selection chairman feels he should be given more leadership exposure so that he may be a legitimate captaincy contender whenever Paine’s time is up

Daniel Brettig 08-Oct-2019Australia’s selection chairman Trevor Hohns feels Alex Carey should be given more leadership exposure so that he may be a legitimate captaincy contender whenever Tim Paine’s time is up, even if he is doubtful whether there would be room for both to play in the Test team this summer.Having successfully retained the Ashes in England, Paine’s immediate future is secure, leaving him with a good deal of autonomy about how long he decides to continue playing. Carey, though, is held in extremely high regard by Hohns and the national team coach Justin Langer, while he has also assembled a first-class batting record that is trending impressively upwards after two difficult Sheffield Shield campaigns to begin with.Hohns admitted that Paine’s position as captain of the Test side in England had made it virtually impossible to fit Carey into the squad, and also suggested that like Adam Gilchrist 20 years ago, he might have to wait until the incumbent gloveman – Ian Healy then – exits the scene before gaining a debut. Hohns was selection chairman in 1999 when Healy’s decorated Test career was summarily ended after the panel had decided against first trialling Gilchrist as a batsman only before making him the No. 1 wicketkeeper.”Alex Carey is very highly thought of and desperately unlucky, but it just didn’t quite fit him when Tim’s the captain and there’s a couple of other blokes that wicket-keep as the fill-in, but Alex understands all of that,” Hohns told ESPNcricinfo. “He is held in such high regard that I’d seriously like to see him captaining his state, but that’s not for me to say. He’s the type of person that potentially is a very, very good leader.”I keep going back to Adam Gilchrist as a prime example. He possibly could have played as a batsman but we don’t know. I put him in the allrounder category and Alex can be the same.”Undoubtedly, there is a sense among Australian cricket’s decision-makers that Carey is the team’s future wicketkeeper in all forms, and also potentially the captain. Paine, by his selection as a leader while keeping wickets, has opened up the possibility for someone other than the best batsman getting the job as had been customary.In doing so, he has opened a door for Carey, who was inaugural captain of the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL before returning to cricket, and is yet to play a Test. In South Australia, he has played under the leadership of Travis Head, who has this year served as Test vice-captain but was dropped for the fifth Test at The Oval.”It’s nice to hear that and to have the support of the playing group and the coaches,” Carey told ESPNcricinfo about Hohns’ comments. “It means I’m doing something right. I would love to captain firstly South Australia if that opportunity came up. Once I’m in the green and gold it’s [a case of] keep learning as much as I can from guys that have led the country.”I guess learning from experiences through footy, through cricket, through life, I see my best leadership qualities is how I try to handle myself, and how do I try to train, and how do I try to be the best player and person I can be. If I can help Finchy [Aaron Finch] at all behind the stumps, obviously that’s my job as vice-captain, so to keep learning and keep growing in that role. Hopefully one day if there’s an opportunity I’d be comfortable enough to do that.”The other man in leadership considerations will naturally be Steven Smith, having stamped himself as one of the world’s finest batsman during the Ashes and also demonstrated a growing measure of maturity and life balance that was arguably missing before Newlands and his year out of the national team. “That’ll be one for the future to be answered about Steven in general,” Hohns said.Steven Smith and Trevor Hohns at a press conference•Getty Images

“Along the way we’ve been trying to develop leaders. Not necessarily anointing who the next captain is, and that’s all been to give some of the younger guys, who deserve it by the way, the opportunity to show some leadership around. There’s more to being the captain than just making the calls out on the field. It’s more about off the field etc. We’re trying to make sure some of these guys get experience at state level, and while we can’t tell the states who we want as their leaders, we can make suggestions.”Carey’s first two summers in the Shield reaped a mere 200 runs in seven matches for South Australia, but since then he has compiled 1338 first-class runs in 24 matches at an average of 37.16, including two centuries. It’s a record that compares favourably with most batsmen in the country save for the very top of the pile, meaning that a rapid start to the Shield this season would pose serious questions for Hohns and Langer, particularly after Carey showed himself more than comfortable in international company during the World Cup.Paine’s batting was the subject of plenty of scrutiny during the Ashes, as he struggled for runs until a vital half-century in the decisive fourth Test at Old Trafford, which came after had been counselled by none other than Healy to “bat like a wicketkeeper” and be more intent on scoring than occupation of the crease.”Tim’s done a very good job as captain, that goes without saying. We do obviously need him to continue to contribute,” Hohns said. “He’s still probably the best wicketkeeper in the world in my mind, I might be a bit biased, but in the area he operates in it’s important to contribute with the bat. That’s all we’ll be asking him, and he’ll know when the right time is I would say. Then if his performance or his contribution wanes then they’re the conversations we have to have at the appropriate time.”There is some irony to the level of discussion to be had about the future of the Australian captaincy, given the extremely rushed and far from glorious circumstances in which Paine was handed the role by Hohns and the former coach Darren Lehmann at the height of the Newlands scandal last year.Hohns has revealed his account of the snap decision to make Paine the Test captain in Cape Town, within minutes of being informed by Smith that he was to stand down.”We didn’t have time to go into anything in too much detail because we had to make a decision just like that,” Hohns said. “But it was clear he was the type of person who could do the job, personality-wise as well. As it’s turned out he’s done a wonderful job. In a very, very difficult period of time he’s been outstanding for us and for Australian cricket.”

The Women’s Ashes begins on Sunday in Brisbane. Here is a reminder of how the format works and how the two squads shape up

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2017How does it work?The Women’s Ashes is decided on the multi-format points-based method. The three-match one-day series (which is also part of the Women’s Championship) starts on Sunday, followed by a one-off Test in Sydney and then three T20Is in mid-November.

• ODIs: two points for a win; one point for a tie/NR
• Test: four points for a win; two points for a draw
• T20Is two points for a win; one point for a tie/NR

When the format started there were six points for a Test victory but it was felt that gave too much weighting to a single match in a format rarely played in the women’s game.This Ashes also includes the first day-night women’s Test when the two sides meet at North Sydney Oval from November 9.What happened last time?Australia hold the Ashes following their 10-6 victory in 2015. England had started well with victory in the first ODI, but Australia hit back to take the one-day series with it 2-1. They then made a major push towards the urn with victory in the one-off Test at Canterbury when England, who had seemed uncertain how to approach the match, collapsed for 101 on the final day. It left them needing to win the T20I series 3-0 and they kept hopes alive as Sarah Taylor marshalled an impressive chase at Chelmsford, but then it all came crashing down. Having restricted Australia to 107 at Hove, they subsided to 87 all out as Rene Farrell took 3 for 17.The squadsAustralia ODIs Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (capt), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade WellingtonAustralia Test Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (capt), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade WellingtonEngland Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Nat Sciver, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danielle WyattKey playersThe Australians will need someone to take up the slack from Meg Lanning’s absence after she was ruled out of the Ashes with a shoulder injury. Rachael Haynes was named captain so there will plenty on her plate with leadership and run-scoring. In the 2015 series, Ellyse Perry was named Player of the Series and her all-round returns could go a long way towards dictating the outcome. One of the key battles will be between Perry and Nat Sciver, the England allrounder, who enjoyed a stellar World Cup and found a shot named after her – the Nat Meg. Tammy Beaumont was named Player of the Tournament and has provided England with fantastic starts at the top of the order since being given the backing of coach Mark Robinson.How have preparations gone?Frustratingly for both sides due to rain in Brisbane. England’s warm-ups were hit by four days of rain – the first limited to 18 overs and the second called off altogether – leaving the risk of the team being undercooked. “It’s obviously hugely frustrating but there isn’t much you can do about the weather. We’re itching to be out on grass and be competitive,” Mark Robinson, the coach said.The Australian players have at least had the start of the domestic one-day tournament to get into gear and they also had an inter-squad match including players from the CA Under-18 development squad. Elyse Villani hit a century.

USA will appear at the ICC Europe T20 qualifier since the ICC does not host any Americas qualifier. The ICC had announced last year that USA was given a wildcard spot in the tournament.

Peter Della Penna21-Jun-2017Batsmen Nadia Gruny and Shebani Bhaskar anchor a USA batting unit ready to resume international competition for the first time in more than five years after they were named in a 14-player squad for the ICC Europe T20 Qualifier this August. The squad was picked after the conclusion of a series of trials held in Indianapolis from June 9-11, organized by ICC Americas staff, as they continue to oversee USA’s cricket operations while the USA Cricket Association is under suspension.Gruny was USA’s leading scorer at their last international competition in 2012 when they finished runner-up to Canada by virtue of the net-run-rate tiebreaker at that year’s ICC Americas T20 Championship in the Cayman Islands. Gruny, 33, most recently captained a USA Women’s XI last September in Philadelphia against a touring MCC Women’s side featuring former England players Charlotte Edwards and Claire Taylor.Bhaskar was also part of the USA Women’s XI that played against the MCC in Philadelphia, though this will be her first time playing for USA since the 2011 Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh. Only 17-years-old at the time, Bhaskar was USA’s leading scorer at that event with 139 runs in six matches, including a top-score of 72 for USA’s only victory, a one-run win over Zimbabwe in which Bhaskar’s direct hit from cover resulted in the game-ending wicket.

USA Women’s T20 squad

Neha Anand, Candacy Atkins, Claudine Beckford, Shebani Bhaskar (wk), Sugetha Chandhrasekar, Nadia Gruny, Uzma Iftikhar, Triholder Marshall, Samantha Ramautar, Akshatha Rao, Erica Rendler, Sindhuja Salguti, Sindhu Sriharsha (wk), Onika Wallerson

The other big name to return for USA is former West Indies Test player Candacy Atkins. The 33-year-old starred for USA in the buildup to the 2011 Women’s World Cup Qualifier but ultimately boycotted the team’s participation, along with several of her team-mates, for what they claimed was discriminatory treatment from the USA Cricket Association by way of tour stipends that were far less than those provided to men’s touring squads. However, Atkins came back to captain USA less than six months later at the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s tournament.One other player with international pedigree, but still relatively new to the squad is former India A and India U-21 batsman Sindhu Sriharsha. The opener played for a USA team captained by Gruny against Pakistan in a two-match bilateral series in November 2015 held in Florida.Of the five players yet to play a full-fledged international for USA, three of them – Sindhuja Salguti, Sugetha Chandhrasekar and Onika Wallerson – played as part of the USA XI that took on the MCC Women last year. Wallerson formerly represented Guyana in the West Indies domestic women’s competition before migrating to the USA. The other two, Neha Anand and Uzma Iftikhar, have a chance to play for USA for the first time against any competition.USA will face Netherlands and Scotland in the double-round robin Europe T20 Qualifier scheduled to be held in Scotland from August 14-19. The ICC announced last year that USA would be given a wildcard entry to the tournament since there is no Americas qualifier. The top two teams will advance to the global qualifier for a chance to go to the 2018 Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.

Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum pillaged 85 off 51 balls in a chase of 164, helping Gujarat Lions romp to a seven-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants in Rajkot

The Report by Nikhil Kalro14-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch hit his second consecutive half-century of the season•BCCI

Another one-sided encounter, another win for the chasing team. This season’s IPL, it seems, is on repeat mode, after Gujarat Lions cruised to a seven-wicket win against Rising Pune Supergiants in Rajkot. After a strong start, Supergiants looked set for a score in excess of 180, but a superb display of defensive bowling towards the end turned the contest in Lions’ favour. Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum then effectively killed the game by pillaging 62 in the Powerplay, during their chase of 164.MS Dhoni had pulled back some momentum for Supergiants by contributing to a 20-run last over in the first innings, but his bowlers threw it all away. Loose deliveries stacked up, and the Lions openers duly dispatched them. Four fours and two sixes off the seamers, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma, meant Dhoni turned to M Ashwin in the last over of the Powerplay, but Finch took the legspinner for four fours in a 19-run over.Finch then hit medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia for two sixes over long-on in the seventh over, but holed out to square leg in the ninth, for 50 – his second half-century of the season. By then, though, the damage had been done.McCullum continued to latch on to wayward bowling, as the spinners failed to extract much from the patchy surface. Supergiants’ day was summed up when Dhoni missed a routine stumping with McCullum well short of his crease after R Ashwin had yorked the batsman.After McCullum top-edged an attempted pull to cover off Ishant, the captain Suresh Raina and Dwayne Bravo produced cameos as Lions reached the target with two overs to spare.Supergiants’ batting was a tale of two halves. Faf du Plessis and Ajinkya Rahane continued from where they left off against Mumbai Indians, using exquisite timing to plunder five fours in the first 21 balls. After Pravin Tambe trapped Rahane lbw in the fourth over, Kevin Pietersen and du Plessis ensured a productive Powerplay with a bunch of boundaries.The pair added 30 off 13 balls to end the Powerplay at 57 for 1, with du Plessis being particularly aggressive down the ground. Even as the field spread, the boundary was found regularly and their stand stretched to 83.But just when Supergiants looked to accelerate, Bravo brought out his slower balls to stall the charge. He bowled four of them in succession in the 14th over, the last of which forced Pietersen to drag on. Suddenly, one wicket brought three as the spinners found their lengths. Ravindra Jadeja, who has played most of his domestic cricket at this ground, varied his pace effectively to concede just four off the 17th and 19th overs to finish with figures of 2 for 18.The situation may have been a lot worse had Dhoni not given Supergiants a late surge – he took Bravo for a six, two fours and three twos in the last over. In the end, Supergiants’ 163 was nowhere near enough as they tasted their first defeat in the IPL.

South Africa will be confident that a first Test win in 10 attempts will fall their way on the final day of the fourth Test after grabbing three England wickets in the last 21 overs at Centurion

The Report by David Hopps25-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa will be confident that a first Test win in 10 attempts will fall their way on the final day of the fourth Test after grabbing three England wickets in the last 21 overs at Centurion. England, with the series already won, will seek to shrug away their disappointment, but salvaging something from this match looks unlikely even against a South Africa side that will have to count its fit and able on the morrow.Watchful batting followed by a late clatter of English wickets: a brief flurry of rain apart, South Africa’s day at Centurion could hardly have been any more satisfying.They first made the game safe with steadfast innings from Hashim Amla and Temba Bavuma – Amla falling only four runs short of making two centuries in the match before they declared 381 runs ahead – then took giant strides towards winning it.The inroads were made by pace – two for Kagiso Rabada and one for Morne Morkel, but there was also enough purchase for the offspinner Dane Piedt to suggest that he can play an influential role. With the fitness of Kyle Abbott in serious doubt, he may have to. The odd thunderstorm is also lurking in the vicinity.Alex Hales’ was England’s first wicket to fall, his unhappy debut series continued to the end. Leg before to Rabada for a single, he finished with 136 runs at 17 with only one half-century on a Cape Town featherbed. Uneven bounce played a part in his latest dismissal – probably as much as a foot’s difference to strike him on the knee roll – but his aptitude for Test cricket remains unproven.His exciting potential in limited-overs cricket means that many observers look kindly upon him and for a while at least, until a contender demands the right to supplant him, they might as well.Alastair Cook must also wait until next summer to become the youngest batsman to 10,000 Test runs – he still needs 36 after Morkel plucked a return catch to his right. Nick Compton not only fell driving at Rabada, he wasted a review in a frivolous challenge.It could have been worse for England. Joe Root had two escapes against Piedt in the gloom, both on 10, Quinton de Kock missing a stumping when Piedt threaded one between bat and pad and then surviving a review as he was beaten on the sweep.South Africa’s Test cricket has long been based on discipline and sobriety. It was thus when they were No. 1 in the world and it was not about to change with that ranking about to be lost and with a run of nine winless Tests behind them. It was a method that spread into English cricket during the coaching reigns of Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower. It is in their blood.No side has ever successfully chased more than 251 in the fourth innings at Centurion, a feat achieved by England in 2000 with two wickets to spare: the infamous match-fixing declaration by Hansie Cronje. Rule out skulduggery and nobody has ever chased down more than 200.But a game so reliant on statistics does not trust them when it comes to declarations, especially a risk-averse side with its bowling resources under strain.South Africa made significant inroads with the new ball•Getty Images

Abbott, with his hamstring heavily strapped, attempted a few deliveries on the outfield before the start of play but his approach was so tentative and delivery so feeble his future involvement in the Test was cast into doubt; he looked in more danger of getting a late call up for the Masters Champions League.”He won’t bowl today,” came the advice from the South Africa camp when England batted. “He is on the field so he can bowl tomorrow.” But with England’s openers dismissed within seven overs, he could not resist an exploratory over off a short run. It was hardly venomous but neither did he fall in a heap. He will probably play a bit part at most.By the time rain five overs after tea hurried South Africa into a declaration, they had scored 206 in the day: four wickets lost and a run rate a shade above three an over. The centrepiece of that was a stand of 117 in 38 overs between Amla and Bavuma, assembled with great deliberation.Amla and Bavuma wore down England’s resistance in a wicketless afternoon in which neither player offered a glimmer of a chance. They met England’s three main pace bowlers with great concentration, adjusted calmly when the pitch occasionally misbehaved, and gladly accepted scoring opportunities as Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali were unable to sustain the pressure.If South Africa’s caution as tea approached began to feel excessive, their morning’s work was impressive. It was exemplified by Amla, whose painstaking progress was in sharp contrast to his blissful hundred in the first innings. On each occasion, he has summoned an innings perfectly suited to the situation and has been comfortably their leading batsman in the series.His second hundred went missing when he tried to abruptly shifted tempo after tea, surviving an England review as he swung lustily at the third ball, from Stuart Broad, skylarking at the fifth to be caught at the wicket. Bavuma’s outside hopes of a century also departed with the rain that forced the declaration – although to manufacture that end result would have been tactically unforgiveable.If Amla has given South Africa’s most batting sustenance in the series, AB de Villiers has had a torrid time since assuming the captaincy after Amla’s mid-series resignation. He has had three ducks in succession, facing only nine balls in the process, his latest failure coming second ball when James Anderson found a hooping inswinger to have him lbw.Considering that de Villiers had politely observed before the Test that England had some bowlers – essentially Anderson – who remained highly skilled but were down on pace – the dismissal came with a bit of invective attached. De Villiers reviewed: the batsman disconsolate, the bowler continuing to fume until he had his reward.Anderson took the first three wickets to fall. Dean Elgar had been snaffled the previous evening in a challenging session where South Africa did well to close at 42 for 1. Stephen Cook followed in the fifth over of the morning, a drive away from his body, a perceived weak spot.Anderson began South Africa’s second innings with only four wickets to his name, having missed the first Test in Durban because of injury, but whose pace and movement was greater than at any time in the series.At 49 for 3, the lead 182, South Africa had a few qualms. JP Duminy, batting high at No. 5, eased them, adding 57 with Amla before Ben Stokes drew him into a loose drive. Stokes, who had also struck Amla painfully on the thumb of his bottom hand the previous evening, was a handful. He reached his half century when Stokes spat one of a length at his face, the ball flew past short leg off his glove. Amla immediately signalled for an arm guard.As the ball aged and the skies cleared, batting problems lessened. The declaration came too slowly for some, but South Africa had chosen their tactics and fulfilled them rather well.