Gritty Cummins makes India wait for victory

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An unbeaten 61 from Australia’s No. 8 left India two wickets from going 2-1 up in the series

The Report by Varun Shetty28-Dec-2018For the fourth day in a row, Pat Cummins stood as the only considerable obstacle in India’s push for a 2-1 lead before the Sydney Test. Australia showed more fight in their second innings, but India’s bowling was too much to handle. No team has chased more than 332 at the MCG, and in the absence of any of the forecast rain, the 399 India set was too steep for Australia to do more than delay what still looks a grim defeat. They need 141 to win as India look to take an unassailable lead and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Australia’s middle order resisted longer than they had in the first innings, but it was yet another day of getting in only to get out. It was symptomatic of a year in which Australia have made only four individual hundreds, three of which came in the first match of the year. On Saturday, they needed hundreds – from batsmen and from partnerships – but they only managed one half-century stand.Getty Images

The opening stand didn’t last beyond the second over. Aaron Finch survived an lbw shout off Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball, only to waft at the next incoming delivery and edge it to Virat Kohli at second slip. Marcus Harris was gutsy without being so for long yet again, having survived a menacing spell against pace only to offer hard hands to be caught at short leg off Ravindra Jadeja.Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh had ideas to counter Jadeja, using their feet often to hit him into the leg side, with the occasional reverse sweep from Khawaja to trim the deficit before lunch. But India found a way. The plan after lunch had been to attack the stumps with Jadeja and the outside edge with Mohammed Shami bowling around the wicket. Khawaja, in particular, had settled in and was largely staying leg side of the ball and defending close to his body, if he had to play at all. That was until Kohli moved from slip into leg gully at the start of a Shami over, allowing him to bowl straighter. He was rewarded instantly, getting one to straighten from middle to catch Khawaja’s back leg in front of off stump.A similar change in line from Bumrah accounted for Shaun Marsh, his lbw decision much closer than Khawaja’s. But ball-tracking indicated the ball would have clipped leg stump and the on-field decision stood. Batting became progressively easier from there in the middle session, with the conditions not aiding reverse-swing as much as they had in the first innings, and so the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head would have particularly stung Australia. The former, having biffed Jadeja over long-on, found Kohli at extra cover with an aerial drive. Head – impressive with his feet once again, particularly while hitting through the off side – played another one onto his stumps when he swished away from the body against Ishant Sharma.Tim Paine and Cummins have both shown the ability to stay organised under pressure, and they did so for a bit, before Jadeja changed his angle to left-arm over and had Paine attempt a cut to be caught behind. Cummins, in contrast, was stubborn throughout his innings in offering the straight bat, barely chasing at deliveries outside off. He waited 41 balls before his first boundary stroke, a sweetly-timed loft over long-off against Jadeja that had most on-air broadcasters convinced he should be in Australia’s top six in the fourth Test. He delivered further on those exaltations with more picturesque drives through the off side against the seamers, saving his best until the new ball was taken late in the day. The first, an expansive crash through extra-cover against Bumrah, brought him his fifty. Then, a classy, high-elbow punch wide of mid-off against Ishant.But neither of those quite drew applause from the MCG crowd like his straight drive against Ishant two balls later. An imperious shot on the up past the bowler, the kind neither team has played since this pitch began opening up on the third day. It was the final stamp of his dominance, and a mild jibe at his mates in the top order, as he took Australia to stumps with Nathan Lyon, who currently has the highest average – 41 – for an Australian batsman in this series.Earlier, India had begun the day on 5 for 54. Overnight batsmen Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant came out to attack the bowling, but strokemaking wasn’t any easier against pace than it had been on Friday. So Agarwal went after Lyon, stepping out and lofting him over his head for two sixes in the same over. But Cummins was on call once again for Australia, pegging him back into the crease until he got one to keep low and had him playing on to off stump. That gave Cummins his fifth, and soon he had Jadeja fending at a bouncer to give him career-best figures. All six of his wickets came with the batsmen on the back foot. Josh Hazlewood, the only other bowler with wickets in the innings, got Pant with a short one in the next over, which prompted India to declare.The wicket had come after Pant had drilled him over long-on off the previous delivery. It was one of the wicketkeeper’s few highlights, as he put down Head twice off consecutive deliveries from Jadeja later in the day. He went on to make amends later, by holding onto Paine, after adding a comedic episode to their banter series.

Shoaib Malik's influence has Pakistan dreaming of the trophy

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South Africa appear to be more interested in testing their bench strength than winning the series, but that mindset may change in the deciding ODI in Cape Town

The Preview by Danyal Rasool29-Jan-2019

Big Picture

While South Africa have been open about their intention to use this series for experimenting ahead of the World Cup, Pakistan were decidedly more conservative in their selection. The hosts rested key players like Quinton de Kock and Dale Steyn for the first two ODIs and the on-fire Duanne Olivier for the last three. That afforded debuts to Beuran Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen, in addition to providing games to irregulars such as Dane Paterson and Dwaine Pretorius. Pakistan, meanwhile, stuck with the squad that, more or less, will go to the World Cup in England, making the odd change dependent on the conditions each particular pitch threw up.The first truly radical alteration in Johannesburg ended up being forced on them, with Sarfraz Ahmed’s ban seeing him out of the tour altogether. Under Shoaib Malik’s stewardship, they turned in the most complete performance of the tour, trouncing South Africa by eight wickets on Pink Day, putting paid to the hosts’ unbeaten record when clad in that resplendent hue. It seemed like the team was bubbling with a fresher energy in the absence of a hands-on captain like Sarfraz, with Malik evidently more laissez-faire in handling his men.The stakes in the deciding game are higher now, with Pakistan looking to come away with a series win against South Africa that seemed a long shot given the side’s ordinary year in ODIs in 2018. They are, despite their regular captain’s absence, significantly more settled than their South African counterparts, with both batting and bowling departments beginning to click as the series has progressed.South Africa’s batsmen have, in patches, looked good without quite appearing the world-class force Faf du Plessis will want them to be, while the numerous personnel changes almost every game give the impression of a side in flux rather than one showcasing its bench strength. It has been difficult to assess the hosts this series, with their objectives going into it a little hazier than Pakistan’s. It’s fair to question whether South Africa consider winning this series an important goal in itself as opposed to viewing it as a warm-up ahead of the World Cup, with both coach Ottis Gibson and captain du Plessis looking ahead to it in nearly every press conference. In any case, a home series loss is unlikely to go down as good preparation, so the final ODI in Cape Town may produce a contest with greater intensity than any of the previous four so far.

Form guide

South Africa LWWLW
Pakistan WLLWW

In the spotlight

Having started his career at No. 7, David Miller has, for good reason, nailed down the No. 5 slot in the ODI side. He came into this series in form, smashing a barnstorming 139 against Australia in November. He is an amalgamation of a number of attractive qualities all rolled into one. But his signature trait – the sheer devastation he can wreak with bat in hand without seeming to take on the risks associated with big hitters of similar reputation – has not been on show. Pakistan are an opponent he’s found difficult to handle for much of his ODI career, his average against them dropping from a career 38.25 to just over 25, with his strike-rate taking a similar hit – 101.76 to 77.36. Whether Pakistan can continue to maintain that hold on one of the world’s most explosive batsmen may contain the key to the outcome of the series.David Miller plundered a magnificent century•Getty Images

Mohammad Rizwan finally got an international game after two years in Johannesburg, thanks to Sarfraz’s absence. While he didn’t get much of a chance to show his abilities with the bat, his glovework did come in for praise from several quarters. He was reliably secure behind the stumps to both spinners and quicks, and as blemish free as he might have hoped. A brilliant diving catch down legside to remove Reeza Hendricks was perhaps the highlight of his day, though a boundary dispatched through point off the only ball he faced to seal Pakistan’s victory might have come close. With Rizwan in famously good form ahead of this tour, he has this narrow window of opportunity over the next four games to push his case. Who knows when he might get to play another ODI, so why not make the series decider a memorable one?

Team news

South Africa have called up Wiaan Mulder, who scored 146 in a Man-of-the-Match winning display for the Lions against the Knights in Bloemfontein, to the squad for the fifth ODI. The 20-year old allrounder has also recently enjoyed good form with the ball, and will be looking for a more successful international outing than he enjoyed against Sri Lanka last year.South Africa (possible): Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis (capt), David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Andile Phehlukwayo/Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Beuran Hendricks, Imran TahirAfter the performance in Johannesburg, it would be tempting to let the same bunch of players go out again. Form continues to elude Fakhar Zaman, but Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur a big fan of his talents, he is expected to start once more.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik (capt) 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Shadab Khan 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Usman Shinwari, 11 Shaheen Afridi

Pitch and conditions

This won’t be the kind of surface that allowed South Africa to play an all-seam attack in the Test earlier this month, with both captains confident of batting-friendly conditions. Newlands has traditionally had something in it for the spinners, and with the last few days seeing unusually high temperatures, the extra aridity could give the slower bowlers an added layer of menace.

Stats and trivia

  • There are a number of imminent milestones for South Africa’s bowlers. Dale Steyn sits just wickets short of 200, Kagiso Rabada is three shy of 100, while one more scalp for Andile Phehlukwayo would take him to 50.
  • Sarfraz Ahmed played every single match across all formats since 26 January 2017, when he sat out of the fifth ODI in a bilateral series against Australia. His next absence, the fourth ODI in Johannesburg, came two years and a day later, on 27 January 2019.
  • Mohammad Amir last bowled a full ten overs in ODI cricket against Sri Lanka in Cardiff in the group stages of the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the 13 matches he’s played since, he has bowled nine overs just twice.

Quotes

“It’s a big game but it’s important we don’t make it bigger than it already is. When we make it a big thing, we possibly don’t bring the best out of ourselves as a team”
Faf du Plessis believes South Africa don’t need to put any extra pressure on themselves”We’re trying to give opportunities to those players who we think are going to participate in the World Cup. Playing some cricket in South Africa against a good side is a great opportunities”
Shoaib Malik reveals the World Cup isn’t far from anyone’s mind as they approach the final

England's women give thumbs-up to The Hundred as ECB look to finalise plans

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The KSL has done its job, and the new competition can only make the women’s game stronger, feels Katherine Brunt

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai28-Feb-20190:33

‘Exciting time for English cricket’ – Taylor

Sarah Taylor and Katherine Brunt, two of England’s most experienced women’s players, have given the thumbs-up to the ECB’s new 100-ball tournament, saying it will only help improve the health of women’s cricket in the country, the scrapping of the Kia Super League (KSL) from 2020 notwithstanding.”I am happy to play any tournament whatsoever,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo in Mumbai during England’s ODI series against India. “I am not too fussed either way. I think The Hundred’s going to be a brilliant tournament. The amount of work and effort the ECB have put into The Hundred, I think it will be an absolute success.”It will be a lot of fun for us as well. We’ve had some warm-up games played around with it, and we all love it. We think it’s brilliant. We just think it’s going to be an exciting time for English cricket, and we get to have a little bit of fun as well.”Fast bowler Brunt – at 33, the oldest player in the England squad and second only to Taylor in terms of ODI caps – echoed her team-mate’s views on The Hundred. Brunt also emphasised that the format itself would be a good opportunity for female cricketers to hone their skills further after the platform offered by the KSL, where the domestic players rub shoulders with some of the top-drawer internationals.”The KSL has done its job,” Brunt said. “It’s set the platform for T20 cricket in England. It’s had a lot of good exposure. It’s gotten better, year on year. The overseas [players] take it more seriously now. It’s taken as a really good competition to be part of in terms of their development but also learning from the best in the world and playing cricket has been really good.”The Hundred will be a whole new ball game, obviously keeping some of the same traditions. But sounds like I’m going to be pretty tired bowling ten balls! But that’s exciting too.Katherine Brunt celebrates with her team-mates after a wicket•AFP

“Like anything, a lot of it is about taking it head-on, do the best we can and learn from that. I feel it can only improve your cricket: the better you can be in the shorter [format]. It takes a lot of skills to be good at that. And you can take that forward into longer competitions. I’m loving it. I can’t wait for it to start and see what happens with it.”Taylor and Brunt’s views come at a time when the ECB has been firming up plans to implement a new women’s domestic structure from 2020. This would mean that the women would have a 20-over league and a 50-over tournament, in addition to The Hundred.The new competition has been held partly responsible for the extra money set to come into the English game, through the £1.1 billion broadcast deal announced in 2017, and that is likely to be reflected in a much increased pool of professional women. The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has been involved in negotiating with the ECB and David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive, said England’s senior women players were supportive of efforts to spread the wealth.”We’ll obviously see salaries in women’s cricket grow substantially, but they’ve been very open to say it’s not just about them, and if we don’t have a domestic structure that develops who is the next Charlotte Edwards, Heather Knight, etc – they’ve been totally understanding that the structure is key,” he said.While several observers have criticised the ECB’s move to scrap the KSL, which has only recently gained full momentum after coming into existence in 2016-17, Taylor and Brunt’s views align them squarely with that of ECB chief executive Tom Harrison. Last week, he told BBC TMS that the 100-ball tournament, “an optimised short-form cricket”, is a “success already” given the purported interest it has generated among those outside the “traditional cricket bubble”.As with Brunt, who said the biggest contribution of the KSL had been “the exposure it gave our youngsters”, Anya Shrubsole, the England vice-captain, emphasised the KSL’s legacy would be the pool of young talent it created.According to Shrubsole, not only did it improve the health of domestic cricket in the country but it also benefited the national side, as was evident through the influx of players like Sophia Dunkley, the batting allrounder, and left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon in the World T20 side last November, via the KSL route.”Kirstie came in and performed really well,” Shrubsole said. “She, like many others, will go on to play many games for England. That’s the most important part of the [KSL’s] legacy.”Yes, it will change slightly with the Hundred, but it’s about slowly professionalising the women’s game – not just at the international level but also in England. The KSL started to do that, and I’m sure that’ll be carried forward into the Hundred.”England captain Heather Knight added that The Hundred would ring in “an exciting time” for the women’s game in the country, especially for up-and-coming women’s cricketers aspiring to make it to the England side.”The opportunity for the women’s game is to be put alongside the men’s game and be marketed at the same,” Knight said, “and hopefully it’s going to put the women’s game out there and give it an opportunity to shine.”

Southee holds his nerve to clinch series for New Zealand

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Colin Munro’s blazing half-century and Tim Southee’s last over to defend 15 runs helped New Zealand seal the T20I series 2-1

The Report by Hemant Brar10-Feb-20194:04

The Tickner and Kuggeleijn hand in NZ’s triumph

Colin Munro’s blazing half-century and Tim Southee’s last over to defend 15 runs helped New Zealand seal the T20I series 2-1 with a four-run victory in the decider at Seddon Park. The defeat also meant India faced their first series loss on their long tour of Southern Hemisphere.Chasing 213, India needed a steep 68 off 28 at one stage with only four wickets in hand. Lusty and regular blows from Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya, with a six each off Daryl Mitchell and debutant Blair Tickner off successive overs made the equation 48 from 18. Krunal then smashed Southee for a six and two fours off successive balls that meant India needed 30 from 12. The duo went on to hit a six each in the penultimate over by Scott Kuggeleijn to bring the equation down to 16 required off the final over.Karthik took two off the first ball but then consumed a dot ball and even refused Krunal strike after hitting the ball to long-on. With 14 needed off four balls and the pressure mounting on Karthik, he only managed a single on the next ball. Southee’s lengths conceded only a single to Krunal too, and a six from Karthik on the last ball was not enough for India.After being put in, Munro’s 40-ball 72 and Tim Seifert’s 43 off 25 set the platform for a daunting total. While India dismissed Munro and Kane Williamson in back-to-back overs, New Zealand had by then motored to 150 in 14.4 overs. Colin de Grandhomme ensured the hosts didn’t lose the momentum with a stroke-filled 16-ball 30, with Mitchell and Ross Taylor applying the finishing touches.

Kane Williamson on…

Colin Munro’s 72: Obviously, Colin is one of those guys that goes out and plays with that freedom and looks to take the game away and we’ve seen that, I suppose, for a long time in the shortest format and I suppose everybody’s going out trying to do their bit and play their role and I thought both our opening batsmen have been outstanding
Tim Seifert’s Man of the Series performance: We’ve always seen Tim as having a huge amount of talent. Obviously we’ve seen it in the domestic T20 competition. So to get the opportunity to come in and open the batting and go out with that free license to try and take the game away which is when he is playing at his best and to come off with a couple of really fantastic performances is great for his confidence and really is good for our team collectively.
World Cup implications: We weren’t sitting down, looking at this series as what can we get out of it at the end. It was just about each game as it comes … It is a different format and like I say we’ll look at this series as an isolated series and a very good one at that.

India lost Shikhar Dhawan in the first over itself, but Rohit Sharma and Vijay Shankar put the chase on track by adding 75 off 46 balls for the second wicket. Vijay played some sublime shots, including successive sixes off Ish Sodhi, before falling for a 28-ball 43.Rishabh Pant kept the hopes alive for a while, but in the space of 19 balls, India slipped from 121 for 2 to 145 for 6. Karthik and Krunal took India closer but couldn’t take them to victory.The Munro-Seifert showMunro and Seifert provided New Zealand with a blazing start of 80 in just 7.4 overs. Munro showed his intentions from the first ball he faced, by smashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar over long-on for a six. Seifert, at the other end, continued his good form and smashed Khaleel Ahmed for two fours and a six in the fourth over.Seeing the onslaught, Rohit brought Krunal into the attack in the sixth over but the Man of the Match of the last game was taken for 20 in his first over, including two sixes and a four, as New Zealand looted 66 from Powerplay.The stand was broken when Seifert was ruled out stumped by Chris Brown, the third umpire, in yet another questionable decision in this series. Kuldeep Yadav drew the batsman forward and beat the outside edge with a tossed up googly. MS Dhoni whipped the bails off and replays showed Seifert might have had some part of his back foot behind the line before the bails came off. However, the third umpire thought differently and didn’t take much time to rule the batsman out.That, however, didn’t impact Munro much. While Kuldeep troubled both him and Williamson with his wrong’uns, runs kept flowing from the other end. Munro hit another six and four off Krunal in the 11th over of the innings to take the side past 100. India weren’t helped by their sloppy fielding either. In one Hardik Pandya over, Khaleel dropped Munro, Vijay fumbled to concede a boundary, and as if to add insult to injury, Munro smashed the next ball for a six. Munro eventually fell to Kuldeep, going for his sixth six of the innings, but by then New Zealand were all set for a massive total.Tim Southee gestures at a fielder•AFP/Getty

Pant blazes awayRohit and Vijay had taken India to 81 for 2 in 8.3 overs but they were still behind the required rate. Pant, who had scored an unbeaten 40 in the last game, carried on from where he had left. The first three legitimate deliveries he faced were tonked for a four and two sixes. Three balls later he smashed Sodhi for another six and walloped to 23 off just six balls, taking India to 108 for 2 at the halfway mark.This took the pressure off Rohit, but with Pant managing just five runs off the next five balls, frustration started creeping in. Eventually, Pant ended up hitting a full toss from Tickner straight to Williamson at midwicket.New Zealand pull it backDespite losing Pant, India would still have backed themselves to chase down 85 from the last seven overs given their long batting line-up. Hardik started off with a first-ball six, and followed it up with a four and six off successive Mitchell deliveries in the next over. However, two balls later, Mitchell got Rohit, who was anchoring the chase. Hardik himself fell in the next over, while Dhoni lasted just four balls for two runs and nicked Mitchell behind the stumps.Karthik and Krunal took the game to the last over but Southee had the final say.

Hyderabad on stand-by for IPL 2019 final if Super Kings can't resolve stands issue

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CoA has given Super Kings till the end of the week to revert with a solution to the long-standing issue

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Apr-2019Chennai might miss out on hosting the IPL 2019 final if the long-standing issue over the three closed stands at MA Chidambaram Stadium remains unresolved. In case the stands remain locked, then the BCCI has kept Hyderabad (home to last season’s losing finalists Sunrisers) and Bengaluru as back-ups to host the four play-off matches – Hyderabad will then most likely host Qualifier 1 and the final, with Qualifier 2 and the Eliminator taking place in Bengaluru.The issue was discussed by the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the IPL management on Monday, and it was decided to allow Chennai Super Kings a few more days to try and find a solution to the problem.Super Kings, as defending champions, have the right to host the final at their home base, and are expected to revert by end of this week after which a final call will be taken on the playoff venues.The stadium has hosted the IPL 2019 opener between Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore as well as two more games since then with the stands closed. However, the IPL Governing Council has been concerned about the bad optics the vacant stands present, especially on TV, for the marquee matches.”There are three stands that are locked. If they can’t clear the issue, we can’t have the finals there,” Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “Otherwise the fallback options are Hyderabad and Bangalore.”The Chennai corporation had closed the three stands – I, J and K, adding up to roughly 12,000 seats – in 2012 as there were discrepancies when the stadium was refurbished before the World Cup in 2011. Only once since then have they been opened to the public, after Tamil Nadu Cricket Association got special permission to do so for an India v Pakistan ODI in December 2012.Rai also said that the league phase of the women’s IPL exhibition matches would be played in Visakhapatnam, and the one-off play-off is likely to take place in Bengaluru. A final schedule would be released by the BCCI shortly.

Jack Taylor applies flourish as Gloucestershire surge towards quarter-finals

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Benny Howell takes hat-trick as depleted Sussex are overwhelmed by 116 runs

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2019Gloucestershire 335 for 6 (Hammond 95, Taylor 69) beat Sussex 219 (Wiese 55) by 116 runs
Gloucestershire improved their chances of reaching the knockout stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup after a comprehensive 116-run win over Sussex Sharks at Eastbourne.They plundered 135 off the last ten overs and 76 from the last five to boost their total to 335 for 6 and a Sussex side missing Phil Salt, Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan never really threatened despite another half-century from South African all-rounder David Wiese.
Benny Howell took a hat-trick – removing Ben Brown, Abi Sakande and Danny Briggs – to finish things off as Sussex were dismissed for 219 in 43.2 overs after losing their last five wickets for 14 runs and their net run rate also suffered.The final round of South Group games on Tuesday will determine which sides join Hampshire in the knockout stages with Gloucestershire, Sussex and Middlesex all in contention.Gloucestershire’s innings was transformed a sensational barrage in the closing overs from Jack Taylor, whose unbeaten 69 came off just 26 balls and included eight sixes and two fours. None of the bowlers were spared as Taylor peppered the small boundaries at the Saffrons, although he was dropped twice in the 47th over by Will Beer on 25 and Luke Wright on 35 off the luckless Mir Hamza.The foundations had been laid by opener Miles Hammond, who quickly came to terms with a two-paced pitch and took few risks. His 95 off 105 balls contained 11 fours and two sixes and it was a surprise when he was caught trying to clear the long-off boundary in the 31st over.Hammond had shared 110 for the first wicket with skipper Chris Dent who made 46 after being dropped by George Garton in the fifth over on nine. Sussex’s spinners Will Beer and Briggs did a good job of tying Gloucestershire down during the middle part of their innings and both finished with 2 for 51. Gareth Roderick’s first 25 runs all came in singles but when he drove Briggs to extra cover for 53 in the 44th over it was the signal for Taylor to cut loose.On a small ground a run rate of 6.72 per over ought to have been well within their range, but Sussex’s innings never got any momentum in the face of some accurate bowling.Luke Wright (21) and George Garton (1) fell in the power-play and Harry Finch (29) and Stiaan van Zyl (29) were unable to build on solid starts.When Wiese, fresh from his record-breaking 171 against Hampshire on Thursday, came in during the 23rd over the required rate had climbed to 8.72 but he kept Sussex in the hunt, sharing 65 in 11 overs with Laurie Evans (44) and 56 in seven with Ben Brown.Sussex were actually one run better off than Gloucestershire as the last ten overs began and Wiese had reached 55 from 58 balls when Taylor ran in from the mid-wicket boundary to hold a diving catch off his younger brother Matt. Brown (27) was caught in the deep off Howell in the 42nd over before he finished the innings off by dismissing Sakande and Briggs from the first two balls of the 44th.Sussex must now beat Glamorgan at Hove to give themselves a chance while Gloucestershire travel to Essex knowing a third successive win could enable them to squeeze into the quarter-finals.

Former Queensland captain Chris Simpson named new chairman

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The move continues significant recent behind-the-scenes changes at Queensland following the resignation of CEO Max Walters earlier this month

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2019Former Queensland captain Chris Simpson has been appointed the new Cricket Queensland chairman after Sal Vasta stepped down to continue significant upheaval at the state.It is understood that the Bulls Masters, a group formed of former Queensland players Jimmy Maher, Ian Healy, Andy Bichel, Martin Kent and Michael Kasprowicz, pushed hard for the change. The influence of the group has grown since it was formed in 2010 and they are now a corporate sponsor of Queensland Cricket.The deputy chairman, Ian Mitchell, will also leave his post with former Australia pace bowler Kirsten Pike taking the role.Vasta’s departure continues the major recent behind-the-scenes changes at Queensland following the resignation of CEO Max Walters earlier this month.”Queensland Cricket is in an exciting phase of growth and success, which is credit to the hard work and dedication of our employees and volunteers across the state. I am pleased to leave the role as Chair at the right time with our game in a positive position and a bright future ahead,” Vasta said.Simpson said: “Sal has led cricket in Queensland with distinction during his tenure and we thank him for his contribution as Chairman. Under Sal’s leadership the current QC strategy was established with a purpose to deliver outstanding life experiences for Queensland communities anywhere, anytime. The foundations for this vision are set and Queensland Cricket is now able to continue delivering our strategy.”Kasprowicz, currently a non-executive director with Cricket Australia, is one of the favourites to be the new CEO along with another former Queensland seamer Greg Rowell.

Gaikwad, Gill and Saini make it 2-0 for India A

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Navdeep Saini’s five-wicket haul broke West Indies A’s back in the chase

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2019A 151-run first-wicket stand between Ruturaj Gaikwad (85) and Shubman Gill (62) set up India’s first-innings total of 255, after which pacer Navdeep Saini ran through West Indies A with a five-wicket haul to give India A a 2-0 lead in the series.Between them, Gaikwad and Gill struck nine fours and three sixes and batted nearly 31 overs, but a solid comeback from Romario Shepherd (4-36) in the death overs restricted India A from posting an even bigger total. The captain Manish Pandey, Ishan Kishan and Hanuma Vihari were all dismissed in their twenties.West Indies A began their chase poorly, losing John Campbell in the second over to Khaleel Ahmed. When Saini came to bowl, in as second-change, he dismantled the backbone of West Indies A, removing Sunil Ambris, Roston Chase and Jonathan Carter.From 77 for 5, West Indies A clawed their way to a respectable 190 courtesy Raymon Reifer’s fighting 71, but with no support from the other end, West Indies fell 65 runs short with nearly six overs still to play. Shepherd capped off a solid all-round day for himself by staying not out for 34.

Clashes in stands at Headingley as Afghanistan-Pakistan turns ugly

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There had been melee between the fans outside the stadium before the match began, and it also carried on outside after the eviction

Sidharth Monga at Headingley29-Jun-2019One of the ugliest cricket matches at an ICC event ended with words of grace from each side, something that could not be said of the fans who threw punches at each other while in the stands, chucked rubbish, bottles and even a rubbish bin and finally invaded the pitch as soon as the match finished. Those outside used steel barriers on the streets as weapons. Fighting among fans – to this degree – is unheard of at modern ICC events.It would appear, though, that the authorities either were unaware of or underestimated the animosity between the two countries and their fans. The action from on-site security and stewards was not swift or decisive enough to prevent clashes from breaking out in the stands or to stop people from entering the field of play at the end of the match. Security lapses were visible even at the start of the match as quite a few fans were seen jumping the boundary walls of the stadium to gain illegal entrance.ALSO READ – Monga: An opportunity to keep the Afghanistan-Pakistan rivalry dignifiedThe pitch invasion finally raised the biggest alarm for the players. Mohammad Nabi was almost tackled accidentally by a security officer as he went after a pitch invader. This raises serious question marks over the security of the players and the fans in the ongoing World Cup.”We are aware of some scuffles among a minority of fans and are currently working with the venue security team and the local police force, West Yorkshire Police, to ensure there are no further incidents,” an ICC spokesperson said after the first incident, which took place an hour into the match. “We do not condone this type of behaviour, and will take appropriate action against any anti-social behaviour that spoils the enjoyment for the majority of fans.”At least two fans were evicted early in the match, but whatever action was taken was evidently not enough as rioting resumed in the dying moments.
Geopolitical tensions have been high between Kabul and Islamabad. The two countries are divided by a porous border, the Durand Line, which was drawn up in 1893 between Afghanistan and British India. Refugees, drugs and terror and American influence moved through this border freely for about 40 years before it was closed temporarily in 2017. Cross-border movements are much more difficult now.These tensions manifest themselves in cricket all the more because Afghanistan learnt their cricket in Pakistan but are now beholden to India for the BCCI’s help in giving their national team an adopted home ground and helping them with infrastructure.A pitch invader is tackled by a security official•Getty Images

On the field, though, the match was played in good spirit, and both teams were full of praise for each other. Representatives from both sides who spoke to the press after the game said they were not aware of what went on in the stands. Both parties asked for calm and better behaviour when informed. Pakistan’s Imad Wasim urged the fans to stop fighting because they are all Muslims, and thus brothers. Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib reminded his countrymen they represent their country wherever they go.However, it is unfair to expect them to react accurately when they didn’t know what exactly had happened. What they were fully aware of was the contest they were in. Pakistan came within one mistake of getting beaten and practically bowing out of the tournament, and they knew a lot of it was down to the quality of bowling they faced.”Look, their spinners, they’re world class,” Imad said. “If they score consistently over 250 or 260 on any track, they can cause trouble to any team. So credit goes to Afghanistan. I think last five years they rose up. And look at that, they’re giving a tough time to every team. They gave India a tough time. They gave us a tough time. And there are a lot of teams, you know. So Afghanistan, I think, is a force to reckon with in a couple of years’ time.”Wahab Riaz, who broke the game open with a six in the 49th over, knew they had been stretched to their limits. He said if Afghanistan’s batting can improve they can threaten any team. Naib gave all the credit to Imad’s innings of 49 for closing out the game when intense pressure was on. A few Pakistan fans waited near the Afghanistan team bus to console them and tell them that they played well and were unlucky to lose. Rashid Khan obliged them with selfies.

Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt lead charge for Southern Vipers

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Half-centuries for England pair set up Vipers for 34-run victory in opening match

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2019Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt, who also struck with the ball, hit half-centuries in an explosive second-wicket partnership of 100 to underpin a resounding Southern Vipers victory over Lancashire Thunder at Aigburth, Liverpool on the opening day of the Kia Super League.Beaumont smashed five sixes in her 53 off 33 balls, including three in as many balls, as the Vipers posted an imposing 166 for 7 after having elected to bat. Beaumont’s first game as captain after taking over from Suzie Bates saw the 2016 champions fly out of the blocks as opener Wyatt hit ten fours in her 54 off 39 balls against her former side, while the dangerous Stafanie Taylor hit a late 25-ball 40.In reply, Thunder opener Georgie Boyce hit a bright 43, but Wyatt’s offspin returned 2 for 14 from three overs, doubling her tally of career KSL wickets, as the hosts were bowled out for 132.Lancashire, who lost by 34 runs, will rue erring in line and length all too often with the ball on a true pitch. Kate Cross, who actually struck early to remove Bates, used eight bowlers on her captaincy debut, with only England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone able to offer any real control with her left-arm spinners. Another left-arm spinner, Alex Hartley, claimed two wickets but was expensive.Wyatt and Beaumont, England’s opening pair in T20Is, shared 100 in 10.3 overs to advance from 8 for 1 in the second. Both were particularly punishing on anything short and wide. Wyatt was first to 50 off 33 balls before, in the 11th over, Beaumont moved to 50 off 23 with three successive sixes off seamer Cross. Sophia Dunkley later took a superb return catch to remove Beaumont in an attempt to stymie progress.Beaumont further stamped her authority on the game early in the Thunder chase when she took a good high catch in swirling wind at midwicket to help seamer Lauren Bell remove Sune Luus, leaving the score at 11 for 1 in the fourth over.Boyce and Tahlia McGrath both hit sixes as 32 then came off the medium pace of Bates and the legspin of McGrath’s Adelaide Strikers team-mate Amanda Wellington in the ninth and tenth overs to take the hosts to 65 for 1 at the halfway mark.But Wyatt’s offspin claimed the scalp of McGrath in the 11th, caught at long-on, as the score fell to 68 for 2. She struck again in the 13th to get Harmanpreet Kaur stumped by Carla Rudd for 1 before wickets fell in a hurry in a forlorn pursuit of quick runs and the victory target.Boyce was one of those, while Wyatt also added a catch to rubber-stamp her memorable day. Tash Farrant finished 3 for 18.Both sides are next in action on Thursday – the Vipers travel to Loughborough and the Thunder take on champions Surrey at Guildford.