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Trio set to feature for Azzurri in July with 2024 T20 World Cup qualification on the line

Matt Roller22-Feb-2023A 90mph/145kph left-arm fast bowler, a legend of modern county cricket, and a double Big Bash League-winner are among the players set to lead Italy’s bid to qualify for the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup.Italy will vie for one of two available spots in the tournament when they play in July’s seven-team T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier in Scotland, where the hosts and Ireland are clear favourites.But ESPNcricinfo can reveal that Spencer Johnson – the breakout star of the 2022-23 Big Bash – is set to feature along with Wayne Madsen and Ben Manenti, after months of discussions with players around the world led by captain-coach Gareth Berg.The Europe Qualifier will be held in Edinburgh from July 20-28, in round-robin format. The seven teams involved are Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jersey and Scotland, with the winners and runners-up progressing to the 2024 T20 World Cup. Two European sides, England and the Netherlands, have already qualified for the tournament.Related

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• Tall, left-arm and fast: Johnson grasps his second chance

Italy are ranked 32nd in the world in T20Is, sandwiched between Tanzania and Saudi Arabia, but Berg and his assistant Kevin O’Brien have led a drive towards semi-professionalism in recent months, running regular weekend training camps in Milan, Bologna and Rome.They hope to supplement the leading Italian-based players with a handful of full-time players from around the world, with Berg himself continuing as captain at the age of 42 alongside his commitments with Northamptonshire in county cricket.Johnson, the left-arm seamer, starred for Brisbane Heat on their recent run to the BBL final, taking nine wickets in the tournament and bowling several fast, hostile spells with the new ball. Johnson’s grandfather moved to Australia from Italy as a young man, and his manager confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he has recently obtained his Italian passport and intends to play in July’s qualifier.”He’s dead keen,” Berg told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s going to be a huge boost for us. It’s always nice to have someone that can bowl close to 150 clicks at that level. He’s had quite a tough time with injuries but he’s coming back pretty strong now. He’s raring to get involved in July.”Joe Burns could soon qualify for Italy•Getty Images

Madsen, meanwhile, has scored nearly 20,000 runs across formats for Derbyshire since signing for the county in 2009, playing thanks to his Italian passport. “He’s wanted to play for the last few years now,” Berg said. “He’s at the stage of his career where he could probably slip away for a week or two to play in a big tournament like this.”Madsen would miss two County Championship fixtures if selected. Kent’s Grant Stewart – who has already played 10 T20Is for Italy – is also expected to miss two games in order to play in the qualifier.Manenti, the offspinning allrounder who was part of Sydney Sixers’ BBL title wins in 2019/20 and 2020/21, is also due to debut and could play alongside his younger brother, Harry. He has thrived with the bat for South Australia this season, and also provides a reliable offspin option.Joe Burns, the former Australia opener, is expected to qualify at the end of 2023. While Italy do not anticipate having him available this summer, Berg believes Burns will be in the mix for World Cup selection “if we pull off a miracle and qualify in July”.

‘They’re coming to play for the Azzurri’

The prospect of Italy turning up to the Europe Qualifier with a handful of professionals in their ranks will not be universally popular in the Associate game. “But at the end of the day, they all have the entitlement to come in and play for us through their passports or through their bloodlines,” Berg said. “I’m more than happy for them to represent the national team.”It’s not like we’re throwing cash at them or anything like that. They are coming to play for the love of the blue blood, coming to play for the Azzurri. As soon as I mention it, they’re straight on board with it and willing to help out. Yes, we have pros available, but we also have our local players that are pushing for spots. It’s heartwarming for me and the guys working with me that these guys are pushing themselves really hard.”Berg still plays county cricket for Northants•Getty Images

Berg, the South African-born allrounder who has enjoyed an extensive county career with Middlesex, Hampshire and Northants, first played for Italy in 2012. He has become extensively involved over the last three years, initially as captain and later as playing head coach.”When I came into the job, I wanted to push and direct Italian cricket into a more professional set-up,” he said. “”he one thing that we struggle with at times is players getting time off work. A few of the guys work double shifts or double jobs, so time away from work is tough. We have to play in advance and it can be really tough.”Our squad for this summer on paper looks as good as any in that tournament, but our biggest focus has to be the week before the tournament. That’s key for us: the bonding, gelling, getting to know each other and working out each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”Hopefully we can catch teams like Scotland and Ireland on a bad day and knock them over. But we are generally moving in the right direction. If this July tournament doesn’t work out for us, then hopefully we have everything in place to push for the next one.”

The opener broke the record for most balls faced by an Indian Test debutant and gave his team a lead of 162

Hemant Brar13-Jul-20231:29

Yashasvi Jaiswal continues his dream red-ball debuts

Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma put India in a commanding position on the second day of the first Test at Windsor Park. At stumps, India were 312 for 2, leading West Indies by 162 with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 and Virat Kohli 36.Having started the day on 80 for no loss, Jaiswal and Rohit showed great patience throughout their 229-run partnership. It was the first time in Test cricket that India took a first-innings lead without losing a wicket.Run scoring wasn’t easy, though. India managed only 232 in 90 overs on the second day despite losing just two wickets. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite used nine bowlers with Rahkeem Cornwall being the most threatening. However, Cornwall had to leave the field in the first session with a chest infection and did not return.Jaiswal was the first to bring up his hundred, becoming the third Indian opener after Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, and the 17th Indian overall, to do so on Test debut.Rohit followed shortly afterwards with a four off Alick Athanaze. It was his tenth century in Test cricket, and only second outside India in 27 matches. But off the very next ball, he gloved the spinner onto his thigh and Joshua Da Silva caught the rebound.Before this Test, Shubman Gill had told India’s coach Rahul Dravid that he wanted to bat at No. 3. The move didn’t bring immediate success for Gill, though, as he edged Jomel Warrican to second slip for 6.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With the spinners getting turn and bounce, West Indies delayed taking the second new ball until the 101st over. In their desperation for another wicket, they also burnt two reviews against Kohli but India survived that period.In the third over with the second new ball, Kemar Roach rapped Jaiswal on the pads but Richard Kettleborough turned down the lbw appeal. West Indies had no reviews left and replays showed the ball would have gone on to hit the leg stump.The second new ball was just eight overs old when Brathwaite brought back Warrican. It was only then that Kohli, having faced 80 balls, scored his first boundary with a cover drive. He celebrated with an air punch and a big smile. By stumps, he and Jaiswal had added 72 for the third wicket.In the morning, Jason Holder and Roach stuck to a good length outside off, conceding just 19 in the first nine overs of the day. The first boundary off the bat came in the tenth when Jaiswal pulled Joseph to bring up his half-century. The shot also brought up India’s first opening century stand in 23 innings, since KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 against South Africa in Centurion in December 2021.After the first drinks interval, Rohit reached his half-century as well. He also had some advice for Jaiswal whenever the youngster looked impatient or played a loose shot.Cornwall was getting assistance from the surface and had challenged both of Jaiswal’s edges before the break. On the other side of it, he pinged him on the helmet with extra bounce as the left-hander failed to connect a sweep. Warrican, much quicker through the air than Cornwall, also found big turn to beat Rohit’s outside edge, but a wicket eluded West Indies.At the start of the second session, Jaiswal tried to raise the tempo. He skipped down the pitch a couple of times against Warrican but didn’t have much success. It was Rohit who showed the way by chipping Holder down the ground for a four. In Holder’s next over, Jaiswal also threw his bat around to pick up two fours, the first of those coming off an outside edge.West Indies moved to plan B after that, with Alzarri Joseph bowling the short stuff. With the ball coming slower off the surface, Rohit twice miscued the pull but was lucky both times. From the other end, Warrican found Rohit’s outside edge but it fell short of the slip fielder.Jaiswal played the short ball much better, even pulling Joseph behind square leg for four. Having taken 16 balls to open his account on day one, he took just 31 deliveries to move from 70 to 100, displaying the versatility that was the hallmark of his innings.

Kranti Goud picked up 3 for 20 to continue her rapid rise with India’s ODI side

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20254:12

Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India

Kranti Goud, 22, was informed of her India debut at the R Premadasa Stadium in May 2025. She had largely been picked as an apprentice, with India waiting on two senior players – Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, both injured and in rehab.It was an unremarkable debut, for figures of 5-0-22-0. But among the many things she did right was hitting Chamari Athapaththu, a ferocious puller of the cricket ball, on her ribs. That tiny moment, lost amid Smriti Mandhana’s century and Sneh Rana’s four-for, encouraged India’s selectors to take a punt on her for the England tour.When she picked up a six-for in Durham, hooping the ball and leaving England’s top order gasping en route to an impressive series victory, it was fairly evident Goud had sealed her World Cup spot, irrespective of whether the injured senior pacers returned. Renuka has, Vastrakar hasn’t, but Goud has made herself undroppable after just two outings.Related

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• Goud, Deepti seal another big win against Pakistan

• Bugs halt play between India and Pakistan in Colombo

A week after she opened the 2025 World Cup with 1 for 41 in India’s win over Sri Lanka, Goud stung Pakistan’s top order in a fiery new-ball spell. She finished with 3 for 20 in India’s 88-run win in Colombo, one that her neighbourhood watched on a giant LED screen they’d installed back in Ghuwara, a town in rural Madhya Pradesh.”The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” Goud said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “I haven’t thought of doing much extra. Variations like bouncer or slower balls, those depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”It wasn’t merely Goud listening to her coaches that did the trick. She also got the captain to give her the fields she wanted most times. In the 12th over, with the ball losing some of its shine, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled out Deepti Sharma from the slips, only for Goud to wheel her back to where she’d been.The result? Aliya Riyaz was defeated by late movement to get a healthy edge through to Deepti at second slip. A jubilant Goud immediately turned to her captain, who ran towards her to acknowledge her contribution.”The ball was swinging early on, I couldn’t understand what was happening,” Goud said with a chuckle when asked about her first spell. “One ball came in a long way. Then when the ball was old, Harman wanted to take the slip off, but I said, ‘no didi, let’s keep the slip for this over.'”I had that feeling from within that I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball. They found it tough to play our pacers. Because the ball was moving in and out, that’s why I had a lengthy first spell.”Goud bowled six unchanged overs with the new ball. The other small contribution she made to India’s win was her crucial lower-order runs with Richa Ghosh. Coming in with India 226 for 8, the ninth-wicket pair added 21 to haul India to 247.Goud’s contribution was 8 off 4 balls, including two fours: a cover drive off her first ball, against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, and then a boundary off Diana Baig when she got inside the line to help a short delivery past short fine leg.”Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it. But if you’re not able to, just give me a single,” Goud said. “Because only a few overs were left, we needed to score as many as we could. First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. Then she told me, play like this only. The second [boundary] was a short ball, so I went for it. Look forward to playing well like this.”Goud would perhaps acknowledge tougher tests await, but the stage on Sunday wasn’t to be scoffed at, even if India did come in with a 11-0 record over Pakistan in women’s ODIs. With the men’s Asia Cup having been played in an environment far from the bonhomie the teams have shown in the past, the focus was on the women’s game to see if some of the hostilities would spill over. It didn’t, even though the teams didn’t shake hands before or after the match.But the off-field noise was far from Goud’s mind. “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things,” she said. “My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”

South Africa lost ten wickets for 61 and were bowled out for 134 in chase of 312

Firdose Moonda20-Sep-2024Afghanistan completed their most high-profile bilateral series win and their first against a team ranked in the ICC’s top five with a 177-run victory over South Africa in Sharjah. After dominating South Africa with the ball two days ago, Afghanistan repeated the dose with the bat on Friday and posted their tenth total of 300 or more to ask South Africa to complete their sixth-highest successful chase. A collapse of 10 for 61 meant South Africa did not even get close and recorded their fifth-biggest defeat by runs. Afghanistan lead the series 2-0 with one match remaining.Birthday-boy Rashid Khan turned 26 and took his fifth career five-for to top off a day of excellence for Afghanistan in all departments. Their celebrations began with Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s seventh ODI century, followed by Rahmat Shah’s 29th ODI half-century and then Azmatullah Omarzai’s fastest fifty in the format. Omarzai reached his half-century off 32 balls, ended unbeaten on 86 off 50 balls and led Afghanistan’s charge of 93 runs in the last ten overs to post a challenging total. While Rashid headlined their bowling, he shared his success with left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who finished with a career-best 4 for 26.Afghanistan asserted themselves from the get-go when they chose to bat which left South Africa to field in the worst of the heat. Officially the temperature was 38 degrees Celsius but the real-feel was in the late 40s and they did not have any real menace. Gurbaz and Riaz Hassan put on 88 for the first wicket before Gurbaz and Shah shared a 101-run second-wicket stand which formed the spine of the Afghan innings.South Africa’s spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Aiden Markram were the most effective in keeping Afghanistan quiet and conceded 59 runs in 14 overs between them, but debutant legspinner Nqaba Peter was expensive and Nandre Burger also conceded 68 runs. Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the seamers, particularly at the end of the innings but South Africa lacked wicket-taking ability, which allowed Afghanistan to get away from them with their fourth and fifth wicket stands of 55 off 40 balls and 40 off 23, respectively.Gurbaz got things underway with the first boundary: a massive six over long-off, off an Ngidi length ball. He followed it up with a cover drive for four, and then two pull shots off Burger short balls to race to go from 4 off the first 15 balls he faced to a run-a-ball 24.Fortuin was brought on in the powerplay and kept his end quiet but Burger’s insistence on using the short ball did not serve South Africa well early on. His first spell of five overs cost 32 runs. He was replaced by Peter, whose first over was tight. He gave away a boundary in each of his next two before Markam took over. Markram got the first wicket when he beat Hassan’s inside-edge and hit him on the pad above the knee roll.Rashid Khan appeals for a wicket•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Gurbaz quietened down for a couple of overs but when Wiaan Mulder was brought on in the 21st over, he could not resist a charge down. He hit Mulder over long-on for his second six. What followed was an electric display of shots from both Gurbaz and Rahmat in a stand that seemed to drain South Africa. Rahmat reverse paddled Markam to third and flicked Mulder fine for four, Gurbaz lofted Peter over mid-off, mid-wicket and swept Fortuin to deep backward square to edge towards 90.Then, the nerves kicked in. He spent 18 deliveries in the 90s and seven of those on 99, including a maiden over from Fortuin, as he inched towards his milestone. He got there when he swept Markram behind square leg and his response was as emotive as they come. Gurbaz dropped his bat and then himself to his knees in sajdah, and then composed himself to create a heart-shape with his hands and blow a kiss to the changeroom and a spirited Sharjah crowd. However, in the next over, he swung at a Burger ball, missed and was bowled to end an exceptional knock. This is also the third successive year in which Gurbaz has scored two hundreds. With this knock, Gurbaz has most ODI hundreds for Afghanistan, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad (6).Afghanistan’s 200 was up after 36 overs, and they would have been eyeing a total in excess of 300. Peter made it difficult for them before the last ten overs and picked up his first ODI wicket when he dragged his length back as Rahmat advanced on him, and had Rahmat stumped on 50.Omarzai’s intent in the final period was clear when he hit Mulder over long-off for six two balls into the last 10. He sent Peter in the same area twice, and then hit him over mid-wicket for his fourth six and the shot that brought up his half-century, off 32 balls. Mohammad Nabi was little more than a spectator in the 55-run stand with Omarzai but when he tried to smash an Ngidi slower ball, he skied to Bavuma to depart for 13.That brought Rashid to the crease and he was in immediate trouble, albeit not caused by the bowlers. He hit Ngidi to sweeper cover and ran two but pulled up at the end of the second run with what looked like a hamstring concern. He received treatment on the field, skied the next ball he faced, which Peter couldn’t get to, and then held his hamstring again. Rashid stayed with Omarzai as he took Afghanistan over 300, and any problems he had with his fitness did not show in the field.South Africa’s chase got underway steadily with returning captain Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi’s opening stand of 73 in 14 overs. But Bavuma’s dismissal and then Rashid’s introduction into the attack sparked an almighty collapse. Bavuma top-edged a pull off an Omarzai short ball and the high catch was well judged by Mohammed Nabi. Bavuma departed before he even had a chance to face Rashid, who was given the ball in the 18th over and caused problems with his first ball which teased Reeza Hendricks’ outside edge. Four balls later, de Zorzi tried to drive Rashid through the covers but edged to Ikram Alikhil.Stunned by spin, South Africa went into their shell and scored only 11 runs in the next four overs as pressure built. When left-arm spinner Kharote was brought on in the 23rd over, Hendricks looked particularly out-of-sorts when he stayed back in his crease to play for turn and was bowled. In the next over, Tristan Stubbs was given out on review when he gloved a sweep off Rashid to Nabi at leg slip. Two balls later, Kyle Verreynne failed to pick the wrong ‘un and was out lbw and Markram was left with the lower-order. Mulder was Rashid’s fourth victim, beaten as he stayed back, and Fortuin was bowled by his counterpart Kharote off one that stayed low. At 112 for 7, there was no way back for South Africa.Rashid’s fifth came when he bowled Markram with a googly. Kharote took wickets either side of that to leave South Africa floored. They lost all ten wickets in the space of 20.3 overs.

Former Australia allrounder Watson also played a key role in Australia’s eventual trip

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2022Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said Australia’s pre-tour reconnaissance trip during West Indies’ visit in December was “the pivotal moment” that set the wheels in motion for Australia’s first visit of Pakistan since 1998. Calling the hesitation surrounding the visit to Pakistan “a fear or anxiety of the unknown”, Hockley said the security arrangements had given everyone great confidence.An hour out from the first ball, Hockley, Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Faisal Hasnain, ICC chairman Geoff Allardice and Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Todd Greenberg held a joint press conference, reaffirming their support for Australia’s tour.Faisal Hasnain called it a “delight and a privilege” to welcome Australia, saying Hockley, Allardice and Greenberg being present demonstrated their support for the tour. “I, and the people of Pakistan also welcome Pat Cummins and the entire Australian squad to Pakistan,” he said. “And I thank them for their individual decisions to tour Pakistan. There are many, many people on both sides that have worked tirelessly, over many, many months to make this tour a reality. This tour also sends out a strong and positive message to the entire world. And I’m confident that when the Australian team returns home, they will leave with fond memories.”Greenberg admitted there had been concerns about touring Pakistan from the players a few months ago, but they had all been put to bed by Pakistan’s security arrangements. He named Shane Watson as a proponent of the tour, saying he had spoken to a number of players to assuage their concerns.”Watson provided great context, clarity and confidence for that tour and spoke to a number of the players. And we’ve had individual conversations with not just players, but their families, and we’ve taken them on a long journey with lots of information. The more information you can share the better informed they are, the better decisions they can make. Which is why that anxiety has turned to excitement because they are genuinely excited to be here. There’s a generation of Australian cricketers that have missed the opportunity to play Test cricket in Pakistan.”I spoke to Steve Waugh only a couple of days ago who, when he last played on this ground, scored a hundred. Now there’s a lot of Australian cricketers who have not had the opportunity since then, and our modern-day players you’ll see today now get that chance. Cameron Green wasn’t born the last time we played a Test match here that’s not lost on this playing group, the great privilege that it is to play Test cricket here in Pakistan.”Allardice paid tribute to both cricket boards for working out a way to make sure the series took place in Pakistan. “I’m looking forward to the contest between the two teams. I have seen over the last four or five years the efforts that the PCB and the various authorities in Pakistan have gone to bring cricket back to the fans in Pakistan. And this is yet another step in that journey. And well done to both PCB and to Cricket Australia for making this happen. I think when you think about the almost the generation of Australian players who haven’t had the opportunity to experience Test cricket in Pakistan, you know, I think the excitement among the players today is very, very telling.”

Dwayne Bravo and Colin Munro have also put their names forward

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2022Rashid Khan has been confirmed in the new BBL draft for overseas players and will be joined by former West Indies captain Kieron Pollard who leads the way in overall T20 appearances.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, Pollard is among a sizeable contingent of West Indies names in the latest group of players to sign up for the draft and is joined by the all-time T20 wicket-taker Dwayne Bravo.Rashid is one of the household names of the BBL, having spent five seasons with Adelaide Strikers, so much so that the retention pick process within the draft has been dubbed the “Rashid Khan rule” and allows a club to retain a player they had last season if they are taken in the draft by a rival side.Related

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When players nominate for the draft they need to state their availability and it is yet to be confirmed whether Rashid will be free for the whole tournament with Afghanistan expected to have some internationals later in January.Rashid left last year’s edition early due to Afghanistan commitments, signing off from the competition with an extraordinary career-best of 6 for 17 against Brisbane Heat.Other Afghanistan players, including fellow legspinner Qais Ahmad who will also be eligible for retention by Melbourne Stars, are included in the draft. New Zealand batter Colin Munro, who was part of Perth Scorchers’ title-winning side last season, has also nominated.Pollard, who has played 598 T20 matches, and Bravo, who has claimed 596 wickets, have previously played in the BBL but not last season. Both have retired from international cricket so will not be part of the Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Andre Russell, who made five appearances for Stars last season, is understood not to be among the latest nominees.Faf du Plessis was among the first group of players confirmed for the draft which will be held in mid-August.Players nominate themselves in either Gold, Silver or Bronze categories while there is an additional Platinum level where CA will place the biggest names.

All current draft nominationsAfghanistan
Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Waqarullah Ishaq, Izharulhaq Naveed, Naveen Ul Haq Murid, Hazratullah ZazaiNew Zealand
Colin Munro, Todd AstleSouth Africa
Faf du Plessis, Marchant de Lange, Rilee Rossouw, David Wiese (also Namibia)West Indies
Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Ravi Rampaul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Tion Webster, Nyeem Young

Shakib struck 70 off 44 balls in the tall chase but his was a lone effort

Mohammad Isam12-Oct-2022New Zealand joined Pakistan in the final of the tri-series by beating Bangladesh by 48 runs in Christchurch. After Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips made quickfire sixties, Adam Milne and Michael Bracewell made early inroads to bowl the hosts to a comprehensive victory. Though Bangladesh looked competitive with the bat, they could not sustain the momentum in pursuit of a target of more than 200.Milne’s three wickets broke the chase, with his pace making a difference. Bracewell and stand-in captain Tim Southee finished with two wickets apiece. Shakib Al Hasan struck 70 off 44 balls with eight fours and a six, but there was no support from the middle and lower order.New Zealand, on the other hand, had plenty of strong batting performances after getting sent in to bat.Conway builds on Allen’s start
Finn Allen started from where he left off against Pakistan in the previous game, going after Bangladesh’s bowlers from the first over. He struck Ebadot Hossain for two sixes in three balls in the third over and hit three boundaries to get New Zealand off to a strong start. But Shoriful Islam removed Allen in the fifth over, when Yasir Ali moved to his right at midwicket to catch the skier.Conway then converted his promising start into a big score. The left-hander dominated his 82-run stand with Martin Guptill for the second wicket, hitting five fours and three sixes in his 40-ball 64. Guptill also looked good towards the end of his 27-ball 34.Phillips shows off his big hits
New Zealand’s top three gave Phillips the perfect platform to take aim at Bangladesh in the last five overs. He struck Shakib for two sixes – both slog-swept – in the 16th over. Mohammad Saifuddin removed Conway and Mark Chapman in the space of four balls in the following over, but Phillips carried on, slamming Shoriful Islam and Saifuddin for consecutive sixes to reach a half-century off 19 balls. Phillips’ strike rate of 250 was the third highest by a New Zealand batter who has scored more than 60 runs in a T20I innings.Adam Milne took two wickets•Getty Images

Finally, a fast start
Bangladesh, despite using a third opening pair in as many games, had their best powerplay of the tri-series. After Milne cleaned up Najmul Hossain Shanto in the fourth over, Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar attacked the bowlers. But they couldn’t convert their starts, with Litton holing out in the sixth over and Soumya ramping one to third man in the 10th over. Bangladesh could not keep up with the required run-rate but for the first time on this tour they looked more comfortable as a batting unit.Shakib showed his fluency from the get-go, charging down the wicket on the first ball he faced to loft Bracewell over mid-on for a four. He got an extra life while he was batting on 11 and he made sure to take advantage of that, racing to a half-century off 33 balls. With wickets falling regularly at the other end and the asking rate climbing, there wasn’t much Shakib could do. He brought out the big shots against the quicks too, but he fell with Bangladesh needing 56 off 11 balls.Bracewell continues to impress
Milne bowled well on his comeback from a niggle, while Bracewell continued to impress after his frugal returns in the last two matches. After winning successive Player-of-the-Match awards in the previous matches, Bracewell took two wickets and also completed a difficult catch on the boundary. In the 12th of the Bangladesh innings, he bowled Afif Hossain and conceded just three runs. Later, he took a superb catch on the boundary line to dismiss Yasir Ali.

The half-centuries from Kamindu and Asalanka ended up as mere footnotes in the game as WI won with five balls to spare

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Oct-2024West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wicketsBrandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts’ middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies’ progress, they were never in serious trouble.They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies’ bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs. Though King and Lewis later outshone them, Sri Lanka had two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka, whose 82-run stand was the most substantial of the innings.

King, Lewis blast the powerplay

Lewis struck the first boundaries, launching Chamindu Wickramasinghe for a six and four at the end of the first over, but it was King who made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play. King’s standard move was to run at the bowlers and blast them down the ground. So good was his hand-eye coordination, that he did it twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, before taking aim at the spin of Maheesh Theekshana in the third over.By the end of the powerplay, King had eight fours (some of them edged, to be fair), and 39 runs off 20 balls. Lewis, who had blasted boundaries off Wickramasinghe almost exclusively, had 31 off 16 balls. And West Indies had 74 off the first six.They kept swinging, and by the end, Lewis made 50 off 28, and King 63 off 33. The requirement was fairly simple after their onslaught.Shamar Springer celebrates his maiden T20I wicket•AP Photo/Viraj Kothalawala

WI quicks strike early

By contrast, Sri Lanka’s top order had failed to prosper on a helpful surface, thanks in part to sharp bowling from West Indies’ quicks. Romario Shepherd caught the edge of Pathum Nissanka’s bat three times, conceded fours behind the wicket and then had him caught by the keeper on the third occasion, to make West Indies’ first breakthrough. Kusal Perera was then bowled by Shamar Joseph early in the following over.When Kusal Mendis was also bowled by an excellent quicker delivery from Gudakesh Motie, leaving Sri Lanka at 58 for 3, it felt as if West Indies were about to carve open the game.

Kamindu may be good at cricket

But then perhaps it’s time to admit that Kamindu appears to know what he is doing on a cricket field. Having recently become the fastest batter since 1950 to 1000 Test runs, he produced 50 off 41 here in the shortest format, outdone in his team only by Asalanka who clubbed 59 off 35, Kamindu would also bowl two overs for 14, switching arms when necessary. He took the wicket of the opposition’s top scorer, King, with his left-arm spin, and collected figures of 1 for 14.

Invincibles choked by spin as Heather Knight oversees knockout victory at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2024London Spirit secured a place in the Women’s Hundred final against Welsh Fire at Lord’s with an eight-wicket win over Oval Invincibles.A disciplined bowling performance followed by a Georgia Redmayne half-century took the side to their first final since the competition’s inception – and ensured that across both men’s and women’s competitions, all eight teams will have featured in the Hundred final.Spirit won the toss and elected to bowl. Winfield-Hill hit Danielle Gibson for three boundaries in the second set to take the Invincibles to 21 for 0 after 10 balls before Charlie Dean trapped Paige Scholfield lbw for 5.The introduction of Sarah Glenn saw the back of Winfield-Hill, the Invincibles skipper slapping a return catch back to make the score 37 for 2.At the halfway point of their innings, Invincibles had moved on to 54 for 2, the Spirit spinners bowling tightly, Dean, Glenn and Deepti Sharma with the combined figures of 2 for 25 from 30 balls.Gibson, who had previously dropped Alice Capsey twice, eventually removed her for 30 before Kapp fell to Glenn for a run-a-ball 26.Dean then combined twice with Gibson in the deep to dismiss Mady Villiers and Laura Harris to finish with figures of 3 for 24 – Gibson’s full-length heroics to snare Villiers one of the catches of the tournament.Gray returned for the final five, dismissing MacDonald-Gay first ball and having Smale stumped as the Invincibles closed their innings on 113 for 9.Chasing 114 to win, opening batter Redmayne made an unbeaten 53 from 47 balls and was well supported by captain Heather Knight who made a classy 36 not out.Spirit had reached 33 for 0 after the powerplay, Meg Lanning going well on 21 from 14, both she and Redmayne surviving tough chances to Villiers and Harris.Marizanne Kapp returned to the attack to have Lanning caught behind for 22 and Amanda-Jade Wellington had Cordelia Griffith stumped to leave the Spirit on 42 for 2 after 40 to bring Knight to the crease.From there on, Spirit cruised to their target, Redmayne and Knight sharing an unbroken stand of 74.Meerkat Match Hero, Redmayne, said: “It’s really special, we came into this game in really good spirits.”Oval have probably got the best of us in the games we’ve played against them previously. We knew if we did the simple things right that we’ve got the team to be able to win the game and get to a Lord’s final at home which is going to be incredible.”On her innings she said: “It’s nice knowing what kind of intent you’ve got to go in with. Sometimes when you’re facing some really good bowling upfront you can get caught up in that a bit, but it helps having kept for a hundred balls beforehand.”

He played 29 Tests, scoring 1202 runs and taking 75 wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-20233:12

‘He was an enigma’ – Deep Dasgupta recounts his memories of Salim Durani

Former India allrounder Salim Durani has died aged 88. He was living with his brother Jahangir Durani in Jamnagar, Gujarat, according to PTI.Durani had undergone a proximal femoral nail surgery after he broke his thigh bone in a fall in January this year.An aggressive left-handed batter and a left-arm spinner, Durani played 29 Tests, scoring 1202 runs and taking 75 wickets.He was best remembered for that magical spell that helped India to their first Test win in the West Indies in 1971, which is also remembered for Sunil Gavaskar’s Test debut. In the space of a few balls, Durani had dismissed Clive Lloyd and Garry Sobers – the latter for a duck – at a crucial time in the second innings in Port of Spain for India’s seven-wicket win. Durani conceded just 21 runs in the 17 overs he bowled.In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Durani gave details of how he set up Sobers and Lloyd for those wicket. “They’re one of the finest cricket-playing countries in the world… but not on the ground. On the ground they’ll break your head. But after the game they used to take us to [their] home[s], and this and that,” he spoke about sporting West Indies.