Australia left the ground on Tuesday still in the dark over which of the two surfaces would be used for the match

Andrew McGlashan08-Mar-20235:23

Will Ahmedabad give the best batting pitch of the series?

Steven Smith could not remember another occasion where he had been unsure which pitch he would be playing on for a Test match two days out from it starting.That was the situation which emerged on Tuesday in Ahmedabad with Australia leaving the ground still in the dark over which of the two surfaces would be used for the final Test. However, after the visitors had departed the picture became clearer. India’s hierarchy focused their attention on the drier, black-soil pitch, instead of the red-soil one which also appeared significantly greener – although the groundsman had told Smith both would have been significantly trimmed of grass.”[There] might have been a couple of [pitches] prepared maybe a bit longer out than two days but I can’t remember two days,” Smith said.Related

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Even by the time Australia had finished training on Tuesday, around four hours after arriving at the ground, the likely Test pitch had already started to change character.”I didn’t go out and have a look in the afternoon but Alex Carey did,” Smith said. “It looked completely different, a lot drier in the afternoon. It’s very hot here, 37 degrees, which gives it a chance to dry out and I think that the cover was on for a bit today. So they’re potentially worried that it’s drying out too much. It certainly changed in a few hours. Having a look today we’ll be able to potentially see what it’s going to do.”With three three-day Tests so far – and the latter barely reaching that far – this series is well on track to finish with the fewest balls bowled in a four-match series. However, Smith said the groundsman had indicated that this game would go longer than the othersIt all points to Australia again fielding three frontline spinners particularly now Cameron Green is available to balance the side. He was only needed for two overs in Indore, while Mitchell Starc was called on for 12.Smith took the opportunity for a little swipe at some of the punditry that suggested Australia should have stuck to their fast-bowling strengths with three quicks and just one spinner. That was the model which brought the 2004 series victory but on very different surfaces.Scott Boland partnered with Pat Cummins in Nagpur before Cummins was the lone quick in Delhi. Then Starc and Green both returned in Indore. Victory in the third Test has left the team with a sense of vindication that their planning has been correct.”It’s been weird with a bit of the commentary back home, people talking about us playing three quicks and one spinner,” Smith said. “It’s kind of mind-boggling to me when we look at these surfaces and we see what we’ve had, 11 innings in six days or something like that, and spinners have taken the bulk of the wickets and you see how difficult it is to play the spin.”It’s kind of odd to hear that kind of commentary, but we’ve had faith in what we’re trying to do and it’s good that we are able to show that we can play with three spinners and win. We weren’t too far away in Delhi either, outside of that hour of madness. Nice to know our plans and everything we are trying to do can work.”

Smith looks for more lower-order runs

One area where Smith would like to see improvement is the productivity of the lower order, where India have overwhelmed what Australia have been able to produce. Even in the victory they lost 6 for 11 on the second day.Axar Patel is the second-highest run-getter in the series with 185 runs in four innings at an average of 92.50•BCCI

From No. 8 onwards, India have scored 307 runs at 25.58 in the series compared to Australia’s 84 and 4.94. In comparison, although Rohit Sharma has scored the lone century, the top seven are all-but identical: Australia have made 776 runs at 22.92 and India 709 runs at 22.15.Australia are not expecting the level of contribution that Axar Patel is able to provide – he would not be out of place in the top six – but want to find a way to eke out partnerships.”The tail is something we’ve spoken about, probably as batters [they] haven’t contributed as much as we would have liked,” Smith said. “That’s been a big difference when you see someone like Axar who has been incredibly difficult to get out. And in terms of our top six versus their top six, there’s not a huge difference in averages for the series.”There is a considerable amount at stake in this final match. A 3-1 scoreline would suggest that there is still a gap when playing India in their conditions, albeit not as wide as some had considered, whereas a 2-2 share would be a remarkable outcome for Australia, especially considering where they were after the second Test in Delhi.”I think it would be a huge achievement for this group, or any touring team, that comes here to India and wins two Test matches,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it earlier in the series and give ourselves a chance to win but to draw the series here would be a huge plus and positive.”

Rossington’s 69 in vain as Gladiators smash 60 runs in 3.5 overs to seal a win and keep their chances alive

Danyal Rasool06-Mar-2023For the second time this season, Karachi Kings were on the cusp of victory against Quetta Gladiators, only to watch as Martin Guptill wrenched it violently out of their hands. On February 18, it was a century in the first innings. Today, an unbeaten 56-ball 86 saw Guptill shepherd his side as wickets fell at the other end before cranking through the gears in the final four overs to all but eliminate Kings while keeping the Gladiators’ faint hopes of making it to the playoffs alive.For the first 15 overs of the chase, it was painfully evident why Gladiators find themselves at the wrong end of the points table. There was little by way of intent of quality chasing a below par total against an underwhelming Karachi bowling attack. Mohammad Nawaz, promoted to No. 3 after Omaid Yousaf fell early, only managed a scratchy 15 before Mohammad Musa dismissed him. Iftikhar Ahmed continued to struggle with form, trapped in front by Tabraiz Shamsi; the review had a smaller chance of success than a lottery ticket. Shamsi followed it up by dismissing Najibullah Zadran while James Fuller sent back Umar Akmal cheaply, reducing Quetta to 63 for 5 inside ten overs.Guptill was around at the other end, but there was little to serve as a harbinger of what would follow in the final five overs. Aside from that hundred against Karachi, runs at the PSL haven’t really come for him, a continuation of a trend that has seen him lose form over the last year or so. He had shuffled along to 41 off 40, but the moment he walloped Mohammad Amir for a six in the 16th over, things appeared to fall into place.But the coup de grace was the 17th over, where a hapless Fuller was brutalised for 24 runs in an over, two sixes and three fours changing the course of the game. Musa copped plenty of punishment in the over that followed with another six and four, and Amir leaked 11 in his over to leave eight off the 20th.Sarfaraz Ahmed, who had watched passively from the other end, was run out in a mix-up, but by now, it was too late for Kings. Dwaine Pretorius came in and slapped two boundaries in three balls to seal the win, ensuring Gladiators continue to have hopes of an unlikely final four berth.Earlier, Gladiators had begun well as Naseem Shah removed Kings’ platinum pick Matthew Wade off the first ball. Much of the top order failed to have much of an impact, with Tayyab Tahir and Qasim Akram falling to Aimal Khan, before a sluggish innings from Shoaib Malik ground any Kings momentum to a halt. Any momentum that existed was thanks largely to a lone hand from Adam Rossington, whose 69 formed the spine of the innings, enabling his side to set up for a big finish at the death. That finish was provided by Imad Wasim and Amir Yamin who scored 51 in the final five to give their side a total they could look to defend.For three-quarters of the chase, they were having no problems defending it. But Guptill was a sleeping dragon at that stage, and when he awoke, the Kings could only watch as a wretched PSL campaign went up in smoke.

Delhi remained winless after four games despite a brilliant final over from Anrich Nortje

Andrew Miller11-Apr-20232:50

Tait: Warner seemed ‘pretty frustrated’

Mumbai Indians held their nerve with the last ball of a scrappy, tension-fuelled basement battle against Delhi Capitals to claw themselves off the bottom of the IPL standings with their first win in three attempts this season, and condemn their opponents to a fourth consecutive loss in a season that is no closer to offering up any answers to their numerous issues.Piyush Chawla rolled back the years, and ripped his googlies, to serve up game-shaping figures of 3 for 22 either side of a pair of chalk-and-cheese fifties from David Warner and Axar Patel, but despite a timely half-century from Rohit Sharma and 41 from 29 from Tilak Varma, Mumbai were forced to scramble over the line, into the teeth of a magnificent final over from a pumped-up Anrich Nortje.With just five runs to defend against Cameron Green and the impact sub, Tim David, Nortje nailed his yorkers to perfection, and was let down only by his fielders – first by a bad drop from Mukesh Kumar at midwicket to reprieve David and then, with two runs needed from his final ball, a poor loopy shy from Warner at mid-off that allowed David to dive home for the second run and so avoid the Super Over.In truth, it was a contest in which Mumbai had bossed the key moments – first through Chawla’s mid-innings incisions, then with the scalping of five wickets in the final ten balls of Delhi’s innings that had kept their target to a gettable 173. The early exchanges of the run-chase had fallen in the visitors’ favour too, with Rohit’s 65 from 45 including a 29-ball fifty that provided the impetus for a 68-run powerplay. But after Mumbai failed to kill the chase when the going was still good, Nortje – armed with two death overs and aiming fast, full and furious throughout – so nearly saved the day.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Chawla shows he’s still got it

At the age of 34, and more than a decade after his last appearance for India, Chawla may be a touch more weather-beaten these days, but his googly has lost none of the startling impact it first made more than half a lifetime ago in 2005 when, aged 15, he bowled Sachin Tendulkar in a Challenger Trophy fixture. Two of his three wickets today were pitch-perfect wrong’uns to Rovman Powell and Lalit Yadav respectively, to rip the heart out of a Delhi batting line-up that, Axar’s cameo aside, was never allowed to emerge from second gear.In an unbroken spell from the seventh to the 13th overs, Chawla returned the exceptional figures of 3 for 22, with only a brace of Warner boundaries disrupting his otherwise complete hold over Capitals’ batters. After a threatening Manish Pandey skipped to the pitch but was beaten in flight to scuff a legbreak to long-off, Powell and Lalit were confounded in consecutive overs by a pair of leg-stump-seeking googlies, the former thumping the pad, the latter plucking the stump clean out.The only real blot in Chawla’s copybook was a bad miss at mid-off as Warner, then on 37, clattered a drive clean through his grasp. He left the field soon after his spell, apparently nursing a sore finger for his efforts, although compared to the hapless Suryakumar Yadav’s spill on the boundary’s edge off Axar, it was a fairly routine miss. Poor Suryakumar, desperate for a break amid a terrible run with the bat, wore a full-blooded slog on the forehead as it burst through his fingers, and left the field with suspected concussion. Though he did eventually appear at No. 4 in Mumbai’s chase, he soon wished he hadn’t, as a first-ball flick off the hip to fine leg completed his fourth golden duck in his last six innings.Axar Patel raced to a 22-ball half-century•BCCI

A pair of contrasting fifties

Axar and Warner fell within three balls of one another, in the midst of a four-wicket 19th over from Jason Behrendorff that also featured ducks for Kuldeep Yadav and Abishek Porel, but there their tales converged. Axar departed with 54 from 25 balls at a strike-rate of 216; Warner with 51 from 47, at almost exactly half his team-mate’s tempo (108.51).It was Warner’s third half-century of Capitals’ campaign, but all three have come from more than 40 balls – 43 on this occasion – and his lack of celebration was tell-tale evidence of another stodgy display.On the one hand, at least he was there, providing some grit to the oyster that his middle-order team-mates – the debutant Yash Dhull included – could not muster. On the other hand, the carefree fluency of Axar told a different tale, of an innings in which too many scoring opportunities had been squandered.Axar is in the midst of a startling coming-of-age as a batter of some repute and his maiden IPL fifty was a knock of high pedigree – four fours, five sixes, each of them launched down the ground including a Riley Meredith slot-ball that brought up his fifty from 22 balls. For five consecutive overs from the start of the 14th to the end of the 17th, he was Capitals’ solitary source of momentum, with Warner contributing a mere five from nine at the other end.Rohit Sharma brought up his fifty in 29 balls•BCCI

The Hitman cometh

Despite Warner’s struggles to push his tempo, 41% of respondents to a mid-broadcast poll said they would still prefer him over Rohit at the top of their IPL order, which perhaps says much about the criticisms the latter has endured since India’s disappointing T20 World Cup. But those doubts dissolved in the midst of an enervating powerplay onslaught, as Rohit romped towards a 29-ball fifty that offered the sort of proactive backbone that Capitals’ own innings had lacked.Rohit set the tone for Mumbai’s chase in Mukesh’s opening over, with a clip for four off the pads followed by a violent slap for six over deep midwicket. When Nortje also strayed into his slot two overs later, he too was launched emphatically into the stands, as Mumbai’s openers cantered along at more than 11 an over in the powerplay.At the other end, Ishan Kishan started like the clappers against the quicks as well, with three fours in his first four balls from the left-arm seam of Mustafizur Rahman. But, much as Chawla had derailed Delhi’s intentions, so Kishan was less sure-footed against the spinners – after making 28 from his first 15 balls, he managed just three runs from his next 10 before Rohit – cold-blooded at both ends of the pitch – effectively retired him out with a call for a non-existent run to point.

Mumbai fall over the line

By this stage, perhaps Capitals’ likeliest matchwinner hadn’t yet made his bow. Kuldeep’s left-arm wristspin duly made its entry in the ninth over, but with Tilak’s rubbery wrists and feet producing a brace of sixes in his only two overs, he was denied the chance to emulate Chawla’s impact. And when Tilak responded to a fallow run of 11 runs in three overs by smoking Mukesh for a four and two sixes in his first three balls, the contest seemed cooked with 34 needed from the last 27.Mukesh, however, was not yet done. Tilak’s next shot in anger picked out Pandey at deep midwicket, and when Suryakumar’s miserable match ended one ball later, all eyes were suddenly back on Rohit. A cathartic four through midwicket eased the pressure a touch, but when Mustafizur fired in a wide yorker, Rohit could only toe-end an attempted steer through to the keeper. Suddenly Mumbai had two men yet to face, and an angsty finale to negotiate. Despite Nortje’s unstinting efforts, Green and David did just enough – the killer blows landing within the final three balls of an otherwise fine effort from Mustafizur, as each man picked off a six that left Nortje with just too little to defend.

Stokes urges his deputy to take vice-captaincy “as seriously as I did”

Matt Roller05-Jun-2023Ben Stokes has implored Ollie Pope to take his new role as England’s official vice-captain “as seriously as I did” as concerns around Stokes’ fitness linger ahead of the first Ashes Test on June 16.Stokes reiterated before England’s 10-wicket win over Ireland at Lord’s that he intends to play a full part in all five Tests – “unless I can’t walk, I’ll be on the field” – but he did not bowl a ball in the match and was in clear discomfort on the final day, appearing to jar his troublesome left knee when taking a catch.Stokes has only bowled once since returning from the IPL, a 20-minute spell in the warm-ups ahead of the third and final day of the Test on Saturday, and it appears increasingly possible that Pope will deputise for him at some stage this summer, even if only for a brief period of time.Related

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Pope has only captained one first-class match – an end-of-season County Championship fixture for Surrey – but has been groomed as future leader for more than six months. In Stokes’ absence, he captained England in both of their warm-up games over the winter: against the Lions in Abu Dhabi, and a New Zealand XI in Hamilton.When Rob Key became England’s managing director last year, he said that he was “not concerned with having to appoint a vice-captain” and that it was “low down on my priorities” but has gradually become convinced of the importance of the role – not least when observing Moeen Ali’s influence within England’s white-ball set-up.Stokes and McCullum told him last month that they wanted Pope to be made vice-captain in a formal capacity after deputising in the winter, and his appointment was ratified before the Ireland Test. “It really shows where Ollie Pope is – how far he’s come in a year,” Key said.On Pope’s promotion, Stokes said after the Ireland Test: “[We had] given him more responsibility over the winter, using him more out on the field, running things by him about what I think. Then we just naturally came to a decision together. And he’s excelled as a player and taken responsibility at No. 3.”I just thought it was the right time to finally, officially, name a vice-captain and Popey was the man for it. I think it will do him the world of good, getting a double-hundred on his vice-captaincy debut.”Stokes’ own reinstatement as vice-captain four years ago “meant the world” to him•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Pope said that he saw the role as “a big honour” but that it would not represent a major change from the winter. “From what I was doing before, it doesn’t make a big difference,” he said. “I’m going to give my opinion and challenge Stokesy when he needs challenging. We’re going to be tested in the Ashes along the way, so it’s not always about going on and agreeing with him.”It’s about providing a different opinion to let ponder in his mind as well. Nothing’s really changed. He’s got a pretty clear vision, and he’s got 15 guys in that changing room who know our roles now, so that’s helpful for everybody.”Before his own appointment as captain last year, Stokes had served as Joe Root’s deputy in two separate spells. He cared deeply about the position, which he lost in the aftermath of the street fight outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017 that briefly threatened his career.He was reinstated in the weeks leading up to the 2019 Ashes after texting Tom Harrison, the then-chief executive of the ECB, to ask if he was eligible for the job. “Forty-eight hours later, I had Ashley Giles, the England managing director, in contact to offer me the position once more… it meant the world to me,” he wrote in his book, .”It’s a role that I took very seriously,” Stokes added on Saturday evening, “and I told him, I want him to take it as seriously as I did. That’s why me and Joe worked so well together: I didn’t take it just as a badge, almost, and we rubbed off [on] each other really well so I’m encouraging Popey to do the same role that I did.”Pope won the match award against Ireland at Lord’s•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Pope believes that Stokes will do everything in his power to be on the field at all times this summer, but said that he feels “confident” he would be able to “implement the same ideas” as his captain if the situation arises.”Fingers crossed Stokesy’s body’s all good,” Pope said. “It’s going to take a hell of a lot for him not to be on the pitch even for a day’s play, knowing what he’s like.”But if it did happen, I feel confident. We’ve played a lot together as a team over the last year and a bit, and he knows a lot how he wants the bowlers to operate, the kind of fields he sets, and tries to get players to hit balls in areas that they don’t normally want to hit [them] in.”So I’ve got a pretty good understanding of how he runs things now and, if needs be, can implement the same ideas.”

Javeria Khan, Sadia Iqbal, Tuba Hassan, Aiman Anwer and Sidra Nawaz left out; Anosha Nasir and Shawaal Zulfiqar get maiden call-ups

S Sudarshanan25-Jul-2023Explosive Pakistan batter Ayesha Naseem has retired from international cricket and, as a result, been left out of the squad for the women’s cricket competition at the upcoming Asian Games, to be played in China’s Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.Naseem’s decision, for “personal reasons”, has been speculated about over the last week but was confirmed by the board in its squad announcement. “We wish the best of luck to Ayesha Naseem in her future endeavours as the PCB understands and respects her decision to quit the game for personal reasons,” Tania Mallick, PCB’s head of women’s cricket, said in a board statement.Naseem, 18, played four ODIs and 30 T20Is – including the T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2023 – after making her debut against Thailand in March 2020. She grabbed headlines for her power-hitting skills down the order and finished her career with a strike rate of 128.12, the best for a Pakistan batter in T20Is. Her tally of 18 T20I sixes is also only behind Nida Dar’s 27 for Pakistan, despite Naseem playing for only three years as compared to Dar’s decade-long career.The Asian Games will be Dar’s first as full-time captain after Bismah Maroof stepped down from the role following Pakistan’s group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Dar, the second-highest wicket-takers in women’s T20Is, captained the team for the first time in Pakistan’s last game of the T20 World Cup in South Africa. Maroof missed out on the event because of regulations that would not allow her to take her baby daughter along.The squad has reaped the benefits of Pakistan’s participation in the Under-19 T20 World Cup earlier this year. Left-arm spinner Anosha Nasir and batter Shawaal Zulfiqar – both part of that inaugural Under-19 women’s team – were rewarded with maiden national call-ups. The two also played the women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in June where Anosha picked up three wickets and Shawaal opened the batting and scored 39 runs in two innings. The captain of the Under-19 side, the legspin-bowling allrounder Syeda Aroob Shah, also returned to the senior side after three years.Javeria Khan is among the regulars who have been left out of the squad•Getty Images

Diana Baig, who missed the T20 World Cup because of a finger injury, returned to the squad to pair up with the impressive Fatima Sana with the new ball. Allrounder Natalia Pervaiz, 27, also got a look-in, having last played internationals in 2018.Javeria Khan, Sadia Iqbal, Tuba Hassan, Aiman Anwer and Sidra Nawaz, all part of the T20 World Cup squad, missed out.”Our squad for the Asian Games represents the future of women’s cricket in Pakistan,” Saleem Jaffer, PCB women’s chief selector, said. “With a mix of emerging talent and seasoned campaigners, I expect the players to do well in the event.”Pakistan won the gold medal at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, the last two times cricket was a part of the competition. This will also be Mark Coles’ first assignment in his second stint as the head coach of the team.Pakistan women’s squad for Asian Games: Nida Dar (capt), Aliya Riaz, Anosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Nataliya Pervaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Ameen, Syeda Aroob Shah, Umm-e-Hani

Harry Brook stars with 85, but Australia respond in composed fashion in final session

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2023Australia 61 for 1 (Khawaja 26*, Labuschagne 2*) trail England 283 (Brook 85, Starc 4-82) by 222 runsThe final match of the Ashes began in similar fashion to the first, with England hurtling along on the opening day with the bat. Harry Brook led the way with a sparkling 85, but this time they could only reach 283 in overcast, bowler-friendly conditions despite Australia shelling five catches along the way.Mitchell Starc, who hurt his shoulder at Emirates Old Trafford but gave another display of his resilience, finished with 4 for 82 to take his series tally to 19 – the best of his four overseas Ashes series – while the rest of the wickets were shared around. Pat Cummins bowled much better than 1 for 66 would suggest while there was a brace for the recalled Todd Murphy, although he was again used sparingly.By stumps, Australia could say they’d had the better of day as they negotiated 25 overs for the loss of David Warner. He and Usman Khawaja added 49 for the first wicket before Warner fell to Chris Woakes for the third time in a row, edging to second slip, having earlier survived a review by England when Stuart Broad thought he found the glove, but it was only arm.Although the destination of the Ashes had been rubberstamped at Old Trafford there was plenty left riding on this final Test – 3-1 or 2-2 makes very different reading. That is especially true for Australia, having held a 2-0 advantage before defeat at Headingley and all-but certainly being saved from another by the Manchester rain.Cummins is not one to worry about what has happened in the past and he showed that by following Tim Paine’s erroneous route from 2019 of asking England to bat when, for the first time on this tour, the coin fell in his favour.For a while it appeared Australia might, again, fluff their lines with the ball; firstly when England’s openers reached 62 for 0 inside the opening hour and then at 184 for 3 as Brook and an injured Moeen Ali forged a rapid century partnership. But, though they again conceded runs at an eye-watering rate, enough chances were created to compensate for the missed ones.The initial drop had come from Warner when he gave Ben Duckett a life at slip on 30 against Cummins’ first ball of the match. It was Duckett who dominated the early scoring, including a thumping drive down the ground against Josh Hazlewood as he leapt out of his crease. His spritely stay was ended with a glove down the leg side against Mitchell Marsh, although Australia needed DRS (having already burned a review for lbw against Zak Crawley) to overturn Kumar Dharmasena’s not out decision.Straight after drinks Cummins, who was under some scrutiny after his struggles at Old Trafford, was rewarded for an excellent opening spell when he had Crawley edging into the slips having previously beaten him three times in a row as he found good bounce from the Pavilion End. When Joe Root dragged on against Hazlewood, England were 73 for 3 and in danger of losing their way.It should have been 78 for 4 a few moments later when Brook edged Cummins but Alex Carey couldn’t hold on, going one-handed to his right in front of first slip. Brook counterattacked while Moeen held firm. There was no playing for lunch by Brook as he swiped Marsh over the leg side for six then hammered Starc for two fours and a six in consecutive deliveries moments before the interval.Brook’s half-century came from 44 balls, but he could have fallen without addition had Cummins managed a hit direct at the non-striker’s end after collecting the ball in his follow through, turning on his heels and throwing.It was shortly after that when Moeen pulled up lame with a groin injury after running a single. Following treatment he continued his innings but was barely able to walk, let alone run, and a frenetic period of cricket ensued which included a huge mowed six over deep midwicket off Cummins and another top-edged to fine leg, as well as a ramp over the keeper, while using his bat as a crutch to limp between the wickets when he had to.The century stand came up in 17 overs. Murphy, who had been recalled in place of Cameron Green, was introduced for the first time in the day for the 34th over. His second ball was dragged down and pulled away by Moeen, but then the next was more of a heave across the line which he missed. How much a role he could play for the rest of Test was uncertain.There was momentary calm as Brook and Ben Stokes tried to set up another partnership, but the England captain received one of Starc’s crackerjack deliveries which straightened late and ripped back off stump as Stokes looked to play to the leg side.Neither did Jonny Bairstow last long as he dragged on against Hazlewood and, four balls later, after another crisp straight drive brought Brook’s 11th four, his dreams of an Ashes hundred vanished when a booming edge was snaffled by Smith at second slip.England had lost 4 for 28 in 55 balls and there were visions of Australia batting before tea. However, Woakes and Mark Wood, the heroes of Headingley, added 49 with more freewheeling strokeplay. Woakes had been given lbw to the first ball of the final session but DRS, asked for almost apologetically, showed a thin edge which even Woakes had not felt. Two balls later, Australia dropped another catch when Marsh spilled Woakes in the gully.Murphy claimed his second of the day when he cleaned up Wood but Woakes, who was also dropped by Murphy off his own bowling, kept swinging including a towering blow for six straight down the ground off Starc before the innings ended with a top edge to deep square leg.

Visitors had advanced smoothly through 70s to debutant Karun Nair and Emilio Gay

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2023Olly Hannon-Dalby yet again carried Warwickshire’s bowling attack as Northamptonshire gritted their way to 200 for 5 on a weather-affected opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.The visitors, put in, advanced smoothly to 171 for 2 as Emilio Gay, with 77 from 146 balls, and debutant Karun Nair (78 off 177) added 147 in 46 overs.But Hannon-Dalby powered his side back into the game after tea with bowling of sustained accuracy and menace. His 19-7-29-3 on a placid pitch was worth many a five-for harvested in more helpful conditions.The seamer’s excellence also nudged Northamptonshire towards Division Two in a match they desperately need to win to preserve their slender hopes of avoiding relegation.After choosing to bowl, Warwickshire made the anticipated early breakthroughs as both openers fell in the first 61 balls. With Ricardo Vasconcelos ruled out injured, Hassan Azad opened with Gay but perished in careless fashion in the second over when he lifted Chris Rushworth to cover.When Luke Procter edged Hannon-Dalby to second slip, Northamptonshire were 24 for 2. Warwickshire, themselves in desperate need of a lift after a wretched few weeks, hoped that a clatter would follow but Nair and Gay rebuilt patiently.Nair, recruited for the last three games to replace the departed Sam Whiteman, underlined his commitment to the cause by taking 23 balls to get off the mark. With Gay batting in composed fashion, the third-wicket pair added 100 before gathering drizzle, low cloud and bad light forced the players off for two hours.Led by the indefatigable Hannon-Dalby, Warwickshire fought back in the last session as the visitors’ batting fragility showed itself. The Yorkshireman shaped a perfect away-cutter which took Gay’s edge through to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess and had Richard Keogh dropped on nought in the slips then bowled him through a big drive.Ed Barnard added the big wicket of Nair, who had become becalmed for 13 balls on 78, when his concentration at last wavered and he feathered an attempted loft to third man. Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus avoided further damage but Northamptonshire’s lower order needs to shine with bat and ball tomorrow if their side’s cadaverous survival bid is not to expire completely.

The defending champions started their season successfully with Lance Morris also taking four wickets

AAP24-Sep-2023Josh Philippe carried his outstanding domestic one-day form from last season into a new campaign as he starred in Western Australia’s four-wicket win over Queensland in Brisbane.The player of the 2022-23 tournament, the 26-year-old Phillipe, who made three ODI and 10 T20I appearances for Australia in 2021, scored a match-high 90 off 88 balls at Allan Border Field.WA reached their target of 239 with 9.4 overs to spare as they made a successful start to their bid for a third straight one-day domestic cup, despite having six players away on international duty and others on the injury list, but narrow missed the bonus point when Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson fell in consecutive balls at the end of the 40th over.They lost opener D’Arcy Short for a first-ball duck and Cameron Bancroft for 10, but Philippe’s third-wicket stand of 90 off 80 balls with Sam Whiteman (62 off 52) took the game away from Queensland.Philippe, who scored a century for Australia A against their New Zealand counterparts in a first-class game earlier this month, and totaled 40 runs across three one-day games, struck 10 fours and a six.A late flurry of fours from Perth Scorchrers’ 2022-23 BBL final hero Connolly and a steady hand from captain Ashton Turner carried them to the verge of victory.Queensland paid the price for not turning several starts into more substantial scores as they were dismissed for 238 with 22 balls remaining.Four of their top seven scored at least 36 and the other three got to double figures, but no one made more than Ben McDermott’s 52 off 69 balls. They were well placed at 102 for 1 in the 20th over, but lost 3-19.Paceman Lance Morris was expensive and wayward early but made a successful return from a back issue, as he smashed through the bottom half of the order, with Queensland losing 5 for 40.Australian T20I and ODI representative McDermott, who has returned to Queensland from Tasmania, was run out backing up too far after bowler AJ Tye deflected a Matt Renshaw straight drive on to the stumps.Max Bryant, Michael Neser and Sam Heazlett were the other batters who perished after being well set.Philippe provided the spark at the start of the WA chase, but was happy to play second fiddle when Whiteman tore into the Queensland bowlers.Whiteman, who has returned from a stint with English county Northamptonshire, took 14 off four balls from Neser, including a ramp for six over fine leg before he switched to around the wicket and got him to chop the ball onto his stumps.

The 34 games will be played across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with the final in Dubai on February 17

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2023The second season of the UAE’s ILT20 will kick off on January 19, with Gulf Giants, the defending champions, taking on Sharjah Warriors in Sharjah.Of the 34 games in the tournament, Dubai will host 15, including the final on February 17, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host 11 and eight matches respectively. The six teams in the fray will share the three venues as their home grounds: Dubai will be the home venue for Dubai Capitals, while Desert Vipers and Gulf Giants will split their home games between Dubai and Sharjah; Sharjah will also be the home venue for Sharjah Warriors, while Abu Dhabi will be the home venue for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and MI Emirates.A total of six double-headers will be played in the league stage. The day games will start at 2.30pm local time, while the evening matches will start at 6.30pm local time.Related

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“The weather in UAE is absolutely ideal for cricket in the months of January and February,” ILT20 chief executive David White said. “There is as always, a huge appetite and interest in the game here and we welcome local fans as well as international travelers as they have the greatest cricketing spectacle to enjoy with a number of entertainment opportunities on offer besides the action on the field.”The ILT20 will clash with the five-match India vs England Test series that begins on January 25 in Hyderabad. Of the players to have signed up for the ILT20, Mark Wood and Joe Root are expected to be part of the England squad for the Test. David Warner, meanwhile, is expected to fulfil his BBL commitments with Sydney Thunder – the tournament will end on January 24 – before hopping across to the UAE. He will require a no-objection certificate from Cricket Australia to play in the league.The second season of the ILT20 will also run more or less concurrently with the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, which is expected to be played from January 10 to February 10. This was the case last year too. And while the dates for the PSL and the BPL haven’t been announced yet, there could be some overlap there, too.Schedule

January 19: Sharjah Warriors vs Gulf Giants, Sharjah
January 20: Dubai Capitals vs MI Emirates, Dubai
January 21: Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai
January 21: MI Emirates vs Gulf Giants, Abu Dhabi
January 22: Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriors, Dubai
January 23: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates, Abu Dhabi
January 24: Gulf Giants vs Desert Vipers, Dubai
January 25: Dubai Capitals vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai
January 26: Sharjah Warriors vs MI Emirates, Sharjah
January 27: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Desert Vipers, Abu Dhabi
January 27: Gulf Giants vs Dubai Capitals, Sharjah
January 28: MI Emirates vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi
January 28: Desert Vipers vs Sharjah Warriors, Sharjah
January 29: Sharjah Warriors vs Dubai Capitals, Sharjah
January 30: Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates, Dubai
January 31: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Gulf Giants, Abu Dhabi
February 1: Dubai Capitals vs Desert Vipers, Dubai
February 2: MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriors, Abu Dhabi
February 3: Desert Vipers vs Gulf Giants , Dubai
February 3: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi
February 4: MI Emirates vs Desert Vipers, Abu Dhabi
February 4: Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriors, Dubai
February 5: Sharjah Warriors vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Sharjah
February 6: Dubai Capitals vs Gulf Giants, Dubai
February 7: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriors, Abu Dhabi
February 8: Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates, Dubai
February 9: Desert Vipers vs Dubai Capitals, Dubai
February 10: Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai
February 10: MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi
February 11: Sharjah Warriors vs Desert Vipers, Sharjah
February 13: Qualifier 1, Dubai
February 14: Eliminator, Abu Dhabi
February 15: Qualifier 2, Sharjah
February 17: Final, Dubai

The Dominica government took the decision stating the country’s inability to complete work on venues before the tournament commences

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2023Dominica will not host any matches during the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. The government of Dominica took the decision stating the country’s inability to complete work on practice and match venues before the tournament commences.Dominica was one of seven countries in the Caribbean shortlisted to host the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA from June 4 to 30 next year. This list was determined by the ICC in coordination with CWI based on the bids from local governments. It is understood that all major cricketing destinations across the West Indies submitted bids, barring three countries: Jamaica, Grenada and St Kitts & Nevis.Related

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According to the Dominica government’s statement, Windsor Park had been shortlisted to host one group match and two Super 8 games, subject to the venue meeting obligations set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).”Several tangible actions were taken both at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium and at the Benjamin’s Park including the commencement of upgrading and enhancement of the practice and match venues, various assessments and the creation of additional pitches where necessary,” the Dominica government’s statement read.”However, the implementation timelines submitted by the various contractors revealed that it would not be possible to complete these works within the stipulated timeframe before the commencement of the tournament. As a result, a decision was taken not to host any of the matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as it would not be prudent for the Government of Dominica to commit to hosting these games.”In light of Dominica’s sterling reputation in hosting international cricket, this decision is considered to be in the best interest of all. The Government of Dominica thanks Cricket West Indies (CWI) for its partnership over the years and looks forward to continued collaboration in the future. The Government of Dominica extends best wishes to the organisers for a successful tournament in June 2024.”Johnny Grave, CWI chief executive, said that the board understood Dominica’s reasons for withdrawing from the process. In a press release, CWI added that it was working with the ICC to confirm the T20 World Cup schedule and that an announcement was “expected imminently”.”We acknowledge the dedication of the Government of Dominica in preparing to host matches as a part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” Grave said. While recognising their commitment, we note the reasons stated for the decision that has been made and understand the position. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Dominica and the Dominica Cricket Association to host international matches in the future.”Fawwaz Baksh, tournament director for the 2024 T20 World Cup added: “When hosting tournaments of this scale, it is inevitable that circumstances will arise which will require the organisers to adapt and alter plans. This is something that happens in any event of this nature, and why we have contingency plans for all functional areas for the hosting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.”