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Southee rues loss of key moments

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee, who took 3 for 53 on Saturday, has said the loss of wickets “at the wrong time” cost his side the match in St Kitts

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2012New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee, who took 3 for 53 on Saturday, has said the loss of wickets “at the wrong time” cost his side the match in St Kitts, and that they needed to learn how to win the key moments in games. New Zealand fell 24 runs short of West Indies’ 264, despite a century by their captain Ross Taylor, and conceded the one-day series 3-1 with a match in hand.New Zealand’s chase, shaken by the loss of four wickets for 75 runs, was held together by Taylor’s 110. Taylor added 71 runs for the fifth wicket with middle-order batsman Tom Latham before Latham was dismissed by offspinner Marlon Samuels in the 34th over. New Zealand faltered in the final stages, the last four wickets falling for 21 runs as Taylor ran out of support.”We lost a couple of wickets early and then had to rebuild, and Tom Latham and Ross did a great job,” Southee said. “It was a shame to lose Tom [but] we did and it would have been nice to have that extra wicket going into those latter overs. Wickets at the wrong time hurt us, [so] we have to think of ways [of not losing] those key moments in games. [We lost] wickets in the middle there and towards the end. [The] back-end of five-six overs didn’t come out so well in the end.”Southee said Taylor’s performance was impressive because of the manner in which he structured his innings. He was slow at the start to settle in, and took 80 deliveries to get to his fifty, but later accelerated his scoring, getting his next fifty runs off 28 deliveries.”Ross paced his innings and ended run-a-ball; he’s one of those batsmen that can do that. No matter how slow a start, he has the ability to catch up, and he played extremely well. It’s just a shame that there wasn’t someone else who could stick with him and make it a lot easier in the end.”New Zealand could have been chasing less than 264 had their bowlers capitalised on their incisive start, having reduced West Indies to 105 for 5 in the 27th over. They faced resistance from Kieron Pollard, who made a half-century, and Devon Thomas. They scored 53 runs in five overs during the batting Powerplay between overs 36 and 40, and the following batsmen picked up from there.”We did well at the start to get them four-five down early but the Powerplay hurt us and [at] the death we bowled hit-and-miss,” Southee said.Southee had contributed to West Indies’ top order collapse by dismissing Gayle and Dwayne Smith. Gayle had led West Indies to one-sided wins in the two Twenty20s and the first two ODIs, with scores of 85 not out, 53, 63 not out and 125, but he hasn’t fired in his last two innings, making only 27 runs in total.”The first few games we didn’t bowl very well to him [Gayle] at the start and he got in and played some great innings,” Southee said. “So it’s important how we bowl to him in the first few overs.”The final ODI on July 16, also in St Kitts, will be a dead rubber because West Indies secured the series with this win. Southee, however, said winning that fixture would lift New Zealand ahead of the three-Test series, which begins on August 2.”It’s still a big game for us, obviously. It’s better losing 3-2 than 4-1 and hopefully we can gain some momentum going into the Tests for the Test side. [The loss] hurts but we’ll dust ourselves off and come again on Monday.”

O'Brien hundred rallies Northants

Niall O’Brien scored his first century of the season as Northamptonshire had the better of the first day of their Division Two clash against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium.

29-Aug-2012
ScorecardNiall O’Brien scored his first century of the season as Northamptonshire had the better of the first day of their Division Two clash against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium.The Irishman ended the day on 114 not out with Northamptonshire on 241 for four. Alex Wakely also chipped in with 75, sharing in a 154-run partnership for the third wicket with O’Brien.After Andrew Hall won the toss his early order batsmen made rather pedestrian progress as they reached 58 for two from 31 overs at lunch on a slow wicket.James Harris, linked with a move to top flight Nottinghamshire, got the opening breakthrough to remove Stephen Peters – who was bowled via an inside edge.And after replacing Harris at the Cathedral Road end Graham Wagg, from around the wicket, had David Sales caught behind attempting an expansive shot outside the off stump. That left the visitors 34 for two.The introduction of slow left-arm bowler Dean Cosker saw a massive reduction in the run rate. He recorded pre-lunch figures of 10-7-10-0 , opening with five maidens – with O’Brien rarely coming out of his shell on the dead surface. The usually attacking batsman went into lunch with 23 from 99 balls.The run rate improved after lunch as O’Brien reached his fourth Championship half-century of the season from 143 balls with four fours.He was given a life on 51 when he was dropped at fine leg by Huw Waters from a hook off Graham Wagg with Northamptonshire on 103 for two at the time.Cosker, who had been relatively economical, was hit for a straight six by Wakely – who survived a couple of confident leg before wicket appeals from the slow left-armer.O’Brien and Wakely brought up their 100 partnership in 39 overs, reaching tea at 147 for two.That became 150 in the evening session just before Jim Allenby claimed the first bonus point of the contest by bowling Wakely for 75.
That brought Rob Newton to the middle, fresh from scoring back-to-back centuries against Derbyshire. But he was out four overs later snared leg before by Harris for only three, leaving Northamptonshire 196 for four.O’Brien reached his first century of the season just before the close from 265 balls with nine fours in six hours 35 minutes.

'My job is to take a back seat and help Kohli' – Rahane happy to return to vice-captaincy role

He says the bubble life hasn’t taken a toll on India’s players

Varun Shetty03-Feb-20213:42

Rahane explains his responsibilities as India vice-captain

India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is pleased at Virat Kohli’s return to the team and is gearing for his normal and “easy” role as deputy, one he says he enjoys best by being in the back seat.Rahane took over as stand-in captain, when Kohli left on paternity leave after the first Test of the Australia series, in Adelaide, and led India to a historic series victory that involved two Test wins and a draw. Rahane had only led India on two occasions before the Australia tour, but remains unbeaten as a Test captain.”See, my job is to take a back seat and help Virat,” Rahane said during a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “There are too many things on a captain’s mind, so as a vice-captain you have to visualise a situation, think about what can happen in the game, and then if captain asks you for suggestions then you should be ready. So my job is really easy. I take a back seat. Whenever required I go and tell him…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him. That helps us a lot. For me, personally, I generally take a back seat when I’m vice-captain.”Related

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Even so, Rahane’s likely to have had a slight responsibility as the leader of the team during the Australia series win: that of grounding the team and helping them move on to focussing on the upcoming home series against England.”Australia was really special for us. We did enjoy our victory, especially that night in Brisbane and also when we came back home. But we are in the present now,” Rahane said. “What we learnt from Australia was, after losing a match in Adelaide, how we came back. So it’s all about staying in the moment. We respect the England team as well. We’re not going to take them lightly. For us, what’s important is playing a good brand of cricket, what we’ve been playing since the last two-three years. And play as a team and play as a unit. We’re not taking anything for granted. It’s all about taking one match at a time.”Ajinkya Rahane: “Whenever required I go and tell him (Virat Kohli)…or whenever he asks me about certain things, I’ll just go and tell him”•BCCI

The cancellation of the series between Australia and South Africa this month has meant that New Zealand have become the first team to qualify for the World Test Championship final, with India being strong favourites to face them in the final at Lord’s later this year. Rahane said New Zealand were deserving of the spot but said that the Indian team is only looking as far as this week’s game in Chennai, reiterating that complacency was not an issue.”We know every series, every game is really important, especially in the Test championship. What happened in Australia was really special but that is the past. We’re thinking of this series, this game particularly, and taking it one game at a time,” he said. “I don’t think we have to think too much about complacency. We know what’s our strength. We’re still respecting the England team, they did really well in Sri Lanka. So basically we have to play good cricket, back our strengths and play as a team here.”Rahane was tight-lipped about team combinations and pitch conditions, saying we’d have to “wait and see” about both, while hinting that Hardik Pandya was working hard as “a batsman and a bowler” in the nets. The return of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer to the English team – both of whom were former team-mates of his at Rajasthan Royals – would not, he said, give England too much of an advantage.”We play IPL with them but Tests and IPL are completely different,” Rahane said. “We know how their bowlers come here and bowl, but like I said, lengths are completely different in the formats. It’s not like we tell them everything [about strategy]. That’s very important. IPL and Tests are completely different.Several of India’s players have been in a bubble since late August, just before the IPL began, and will likely have little time outside of bubbles any time soon, with the IPL shaping to be held in its regular March-April window. But, at the moment, Rahane said, there has been no mental faitgue.”We are not mentally tired at all,” he said. “We are really tough mentally. We are a unit, a family. We are enjoying each other’s company here. We are spending time in the team room. Our families are here which is really important. So we are not at all tired”

Northern Districts favourites for title

A wrap of the penultimate round of Plunket Shield games

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2012Northern Districts and Auckland took three points each from their rain-affected draw at Colin Maiden Park. Northern Districts, who are top of the points table, need only six points from their final league match to win the Plunket Shield. Auckland are in second place, trailing by 15 points. Northern Districts were sent in to bat and reached 266 for 6 on the first day, before the second was entirely lost to rain. They resumed on the third and progressed to 351 for 8 declared, with Daniel Flynn making an unbeaten 123. Rain shortened the third day as well and Auckland ended it on 39 for 1. Auckland declared their first innings on 43 for 2 in 21.1 overs on another rain-hit, final day to prevent Northern Districts from earning a bowling point that would have taken them closer to the title. Having conceded a deficit of 308, Auckland were asked to follow on and reached 31 for 1 before the match ended in a draw.Rain washed out the third and fourth days at Karori Park, forcing a draw between Wellington and Central Districts. Wellington earned four points from the game, while Central Districts got two, leaving them in third and fourth place respectively and out of the race for the title. Wellington chose to bat and amassed 501 for 6 before declaring on the second day. Grant Elliott made 188 not out, while Luke Ronchi scored 111 off 91 balls. After so much toil in the field, Central Districts batted only 1.3 overs before rain ensured there was no more play in the match.The contest in Dunedin, between the two bottom teams Canterbury and Otago, also ended in a draw but it was a more exciting one than the other two. Otago, chasing 268, were 259 for 5 and had 17 overs in which to score the required runs when bad light brought an end to the match. Canterbury had been dismissed for 199 in the first innings and Otago could make only 197 in theirs, reducing the match to a second-innings shoot-out. Canterbury fared better in their second innings, declaring on 265 for 6 on the final day, but so did Otago. Riding on half-centuries from their top three, Otago scored at more than five runs an over, motoring steadily towards the target before bad light halted them nine runs short.Edited by George Binoy

Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer rested for England Test tour of Sri Lanka

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali return to squad for two-Test series in January

Andrew Miller11-Dec-2020Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are the notable omissions from England’s Test tour to Sri Lanka next month, with both men being rested from the 23-man touring party, ahead of the multi-format tour of India which gets underway in February.Rory Burns also misses the trip, as his wife Victoria is expecting their first child in the second week of January, while Burns’ Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope will join the squad as a non-playing member, with a view to being fit in time for the four Tests in India as he continues his rehab from the shoulder injury that he sustained against Pakistan in August.With England facing a busy schedule on all fronts in the coming 12 months, with the Ashes in Australia following hot on the heels of away and home series against India and the T20 World Cup, the absences of Archer and Stokes come as part of a commitment from England’s selectors to provide blocks of rest for all their multi-format players at various points this winter.ALSO READ: Buttler could miss two India Tests as England rest playersSpeaking to the media after the announcement, Ed Smith, England’s national selector, indicated that Stokes, Archer and Burns would fly directly to India on or around January 22-23 to acclimatise ahead of the first Test of that series, at Chennai on February 5, with further changes to England’s squad also likely ahead of the third and fourth Tests of the India tour at Ahmedabad.”The way to think about this winter is in three blocks of two Tests: Sri Lanka, India 1 and 2, India 3 and 4,” Smith said. “We think that’s the only way to make sure we balance having the right number of resources in each position, and also getting rest into those multi-format players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, and also Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, etc.”In the absence of Pope, Stokes and Burns – three players who would have been automatic picks for England’s top five – Essex’s Dan Lawrence could be in line to earn his first Test cap, after being named in the senior squad for the first time, a year on from his starring role on the England Lions tour of Australia in 2019-20.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is a great opportunity for Dan Lawrence,” Smith said. “He’s a really talented cricketer, a confident player in good form, and he is absolutely delighted about being selected in the full squad.”He’s an unusual player, but he’s got that real quality about him,” Smith added. “He has his own style, and a real confidence and presence at the crease. He’s inventive, he’s versatile. He’s also a good short-format player, and he really impressed on the England Lions just under a year ago.”Jonny Bairstow is the other player likely to challenge for a middle-order berth. He has been recalled to the Test set-up for the first time since featuring in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion 12 months ago, with Smith indicating that he was back in contention as a batsman only – the role he performed when making a century from No.3 in England’s most-recent Test in Sri Lanka two years ago.Ben Foakes, who scored a century on debut and was named Player of the Series on that same tour, is the designated back-up to the current incumbent, Jos Buttler, with Smith suggesting he will be in line for a recall when Buttler is given his break from action during the India series. “Jonny has a really great opportunity here to get back into the Test mix as a batter, and that’s a really exciting possibility for him,” Smith said.With spin playing a central role in England’s 3-0 series win in 2018-19, Moeen Ali is back in the squad after opting out of last winter’s tours of New Zealand and South Africa, and is in line to play his first Test since the opening match of the 2019 Ashes.Jack Leach, who along with Moeen was England’s leading wicket-taker on that last Sri Lanka trip with 18 scalps, is also included, and is set to link up once again with his former Somerset team-mate and current first-choice England spinner, Dom Bess. However, there is no return for the third spinner of the 2018-19 triumvirate, legspinner Adil Rashid, who had been an outside bet for a recall given his importance to England’s white-ball plans ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. He has been left out as he continues to manage a shoulder problem and is likely also to miss the subsequent tour of India.”Adil has had a long-running shoulder injury, and though he has made really good strides, he does have concerns about that shoulder in the strain of five-day cricket,” Smith said. “Obviously he’s got to weigh up his one-day and T20 form, which is outstanding. He is among the most irreplaceable players in a very, very strong white-ball set-up, and that’s where he stands at the moment.”England have, however, named three spinners among their seven-man list of reserves – legspinners Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane, whose one-off Test came at Sydney in the 2017-18 Ashes, and the Surrey offspinner, Amar Virdi.All the reserves will travel and train with the main squad, with the series once again being played behind closed doors and in biosecure environments, initially at Hambantota and then in Galle for the two Test matches, commencing January 14 and 22 respectively.Despite playing limited roles on the 2018-19 tour, England have named both of their veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their main touring party, alongside Chris Woakes and two 90mph options in Mark Wood and Olly Stone, who made his international debut in the ODI leg of England’s last tour of Sri Lanka.Archer’s omission from the squad had been telegraphed in South Africa last week, after he had spent most of the preceding five months in biosecure environments, while Stokes’ absence comes in the wake of the death of his father Ged from brain cancer. He also missed the final two Tests of last summer’s Pakistan series, as well as the subsequent one-day series, to travel to New Zealand to spend time with his family.”It is a very difficult time for Ben and all our thoughts and with him and his family,” Smith said. “[In the circumstances], it made sense for Ben to take his rest for the Sri Lankan tour, and to get ready for India.”England men’s Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.

Kamran Akmal summoned by PCB

Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal has been summoned to appear before the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) integrity committee on July 4

Umar Farooq02-Jul-2012Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has been summoned to appear before the PCB’s integrity committee on July 4. Akmal is yet to be cleared for national selection, according to PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, and was not picked for the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.”His hearing before the integrity committee is on Wednesday,” Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo.Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan’s chief selector, had said Akmal needed to clear himself of integrity issues before being eligible for selection. Akmal, however, has taken part in all of Pakistan’s domestic tournaments and recently featured in the Bangladesh Premier League.During the spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010, Akmal came under the scanner when he was sent a notice by the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit after the Nottingham Test, seeking information about events related to the 2010 World Twenty20 held in the Caribbean. Akmal claimed he has an ICC clearance letter that says there is no inquiry pending against him. He also said he was open to any investigation and ready to share his assets and bank details every six months.Akmal has had a controversial time behind the stumps over the course of his career and has been criticised frequently for his shoddy wicketkeeping. He was dropped after the 2011 World Cup semifinal, which Pakistan lost to India. However, none of his replacements have been able to cement their place in the team.

Andre Russell threat looms large over Chennai Super Kings

Will they bring in Ngidi or Hazlewood instead of Bravo to handle the KKR allrounder?

Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Oct-20206:43

How should Kolkata utilise Sunil Narine?

Big picture

Their batting looked short of power and inspiration through their first four matches of the season, but something clicked into place for the Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Yes, nothing masks problems like a 181-run opening stand, but that wasn’t the only encouragement the Super Kings took out of that game. With Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo back from injury, their line-up just looks a whole lot healthier, and with three No. 8s at Nos. 9, 10, and 11 – in Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Piyush Chawla – they have the sort of depth few other sides in the IPL can match.This isn’t to say the Super Kings have turned into a world-beating outfit overnight, or even that they can consistently beat the IPL’s heavyweights. Kings XI didn’t aim high enough with the bat, and their bowling attack is one of the weakest in the tournament. The Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to present the Super Kings a far stiffer challenge.The Knight Riders haven’t quite found their groove yet this season, with Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik looking off-colour and with Andre Russell and Pat Cummins not quite hitting peak form just yet. The law of averages, however, suggests at least one of them will come roaring back into form in the very near future, and the Super Kings will hope they aren’t at the receiving end when that happens.

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Piyush ChawlaKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rahul Tripathi, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Varun ChakravarthyMS Dhoni has a discussion with Andre Russell and Sunil Narine•BCCI

Strategy punt

  • The one thing that makes all three of the Knight Riders’ big overseas hitters – Narine at the top of the order, and Russell and Eoin Morgan lower down – uncomfortable, to varying extents, is fast, short-pitched bowling. Unlike the Mumbai Indians or the Delhi Capitals, however, the Super Kings don’t have anyone in their first-choice attack who can bowl in that manner. Just for this reason, they might think of bringing back either Lungi Ngidi or Josh Hazlewood, in place of Dwayne Bravo. It wouldn’t be an easy change to make, given that Bravo, apart from his death-bowling skills, adds real heft to their lower order, and just his presence helps free up the batsmen playing above him. But if there’s one opposition that calls out for including at least one out-and-out fast bowler in your attack, it’s the Knight Riders.
  • This becomes even more imperative when you consider how destructive Russell has been against the Super Kings in recent seasons. Since 2018, he’s scored 98 runs in the slog overs (16-20) against the Super Kings without being dismissed. And why leave out Bravo? Maybe because Russell has hit him for 78 runs in 30 balls across four innings in the IPL, without being dismissed.
  • Why bowl fast and short to Russell? Well, since the 2018 season, fast bowlers have dismissed him significantly more times while bowling short (9) than any other length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, with the traditional good length (4) a distant second. His control percentage against short balls (53.25) is his lowest against any length, and his strike rate against short balls (170.13) is the second-lowest behind yorkers (110.53). Yorkers come with very little margin for error, though, with Russell striking at 228.95 against full-tosses and 337.50 against full balls. Short balls have a greater margin for error, with Russell striking at 175.32 against short-of-good-length balls.
  • The key wicket for the Knight Riders, meanwhile, could be Shane Watson. The Australian opener has made ten 40-plus scores for the Super Kings, and nine of them have come in wins. How can the Knight Riders rein Watson in? Narine hasn’t been the force he used to be with the ball, but he has excellent numbers against Watson: 28 balls over six innings, conceding just 29 runs and dismissing him four times. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to hand Narine the new ball.

Stats that matter

  • In Sam Curran, the Super Kings have a genuine lower-order asset they could look to promote more often. Of all batsmen who’ve faced at least 60 balls in the IPL since the 2019 season, Curran’s strike rate of 197.29 is the third-highest behind Jofra Archer (198.46) and Russell (197.87). Even more impressively, Curran’s strike rate of 177 over the first 10 balls of his innings is better than anyone else in IPL history.
  • MS Dhoni has famously never hit a boundary off Narine in the IPL. That run of no fours and sixes extends to 12 meetings, which have produced 29 runs off 59 balls, and one dismissal.
  • Dhoni needs one six to reach 300 in T20 cricket.
  • Russell needs two wickets to reach 300 in T20s.
  • Pat Cummins needs one wicket to reach 100 in T20s.

Malahide to host England ODI

Ireland will play their first international game at Malahide Cricket Club against England on September 3, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2012Ireland will play their first international game at Malahide Cricket Club against England on September 3, 2013, subject to clearance from the ICC. The Malahide ground in Dublin has been developed to a capacity of 11,500, making it Ireland’s biggest cricket venue, and will be officially opened at the planned ODI fixture next year.England have won four of the five ODIs between the sides but famously lost to Ireland at Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup. The match could also be of significance to Eoin Morgan, England’s captain on their last visit to Dublin in August 2011, who played for Malahide as a teenager between 2000 and 2002.Ireland coach Phil Simmons said: “I live just around the corner from the ground so it’s fantastic for the club and the area to be hosting a game of this magnitude. It’s going to be a super venue for cricket, and the fact that it’s England coming will give the whole day that extra edge that contests between the countries in all sports seem to inspire.”Alan Hughes, president of Malahide Cricket Club, said “Malahide are delighted to be able to stage this match and look forward to hosting the largest ever crowd at a cricket international in Ireland. It’s certain to be a memorable occasion, and hopefully the first of many top-class matches at the ground.”Ireland’s regular venues for international cricket include Clontarf in Dublin and the Civil Service ground at Stormont. Malahide has also been confirmed as the stage for two Twenty20 games against the touring South Africa A side later this year.

Bowlers, Shah star in Hurricanes' fourth win

Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Owais Shah steered Hobart Hurricanes home in the chase•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder.The Hurricanes bowlers, after Thunder chose to bat, bowled economical spells, three of them going for under six an over. An explosive start from Chris Gayle, who made 53 in 32 balls, smashing five sixes, and his 53-run stand with Sean Abbott threatened to take the game away from the Hurricanes. Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner, came in for stick, conceding 45 in his four overs. But from 114 for 2, Thunder slipped to 138 for 8. Naved-ul-Hasan picked up three wickets and was ably supported by Matt Johnston and Ben Laughlin.The Hurricanes, in their chase, lost Phil Jacques in the first over but Jonathan Wells and Travis Birt put together a half-century stand for the second wicket. Wells was the third wicket to fall after a patient 29, but Shah and Tom Triffitt added 38 for the fourth wicket. Despite the loss of a couple of quick wickets, Shah kept the charge on from one end, making an unbeaten 41 in 32 balls and steering Hurricanes to victory by five wickets.

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