A fit-again Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa for the first time in T20Is, against a West Indies side stacked with superstars

Firdose Moonda25-Jun-2021

Big picture

Things should get more interesting from here. After two Tests of one-way traffic, expect a closer contest between West Indies and South Africa as the two teams step up preparations for T20 World Cup 2021.West Indies have stacked their squad with superstars as they prepare to rise from the tenth position on the T20I rankings to title contenders at the big event. South Africa cannot allow themselves to dream of the same label, given the heartbreak of the past and the mess they have found themselves in during the last 18 months, which may take the pressure off a team that often goes into major tournaments with expectation but return empty-handed.South Africa are still in the combination-finding phase, having played second-string T20I sides in their last two series while juggling between biosecure bubbles and Test series – one of which, against Australia, never happened. This is the first time since the England series in November last year that they have a first-choice group of players together and they would be keeping it that way for the next few tours. They head straight to Ireland from the Caribbean and then hope to play Sri Lanka before the T20 World Cup.West Indies also have a busy schedule ahead of the main event. Thet will host Australia, who albeit will not be at full strength, and Pakistan over the next two months. They would want to solidify their squad and develop some consistency as they have won only two out of their last seven T20I series, both against Sri Lanka.

Form guide

West Indies LLWLW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
South Africa LLLWL

In the spotlight

Temba Bavuma is not the least experienced T20I player to captain South Africa. Apart from Graeme Smith who did on debut when the format was introduced, Hashim Amla did it in just his fourth match, and Faf du Plessis and Johan Botha in their fifth, but Bavuma might be the least expected one. He has largely been thought of as a long-form player, while his white-ball form and aggression have flown under the radar. This is his opportunity to change the narrative and establish himself as both opening batter and leader in the build-up to back-to-back T20 World Cups.For all his form in leagues around the world, Andre Russell is yet to score a T20I half-century. He is likely to earn his 50th T20I cap in this series, which is as good a time as any to make a statement with bat or ball. Russell hasn’t taken more than one wicket in a T20I since May 2018, though he has only played five games since that match. That said, this may just be his time to re-establish himself as a senior figure in the national side.Kyle Verreynne may find a spot in South Africa’s middle order against West Indies•AFP via Getty Images

Team news

West Indies have named a 13-man squad for the first two T20Is, welcoming back some of their big guns in Chris Gayle, Russell and Dwayne Bravo. Alongside Pollard, the quartet last played a T20I together six years ago. Evin Lewis was retained despite a poor series against Sri Lanka, but he could face competition from Andre Fletcher at the top of the order.West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Kieron Pollard (capt), 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Jason Holder, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Kevin Sinclair, 11 Fidel EdwardsBavuma has recovered from both a hip injury and a dislocated finger and will likely partner Quinton de Kock at the top, which could leave no room for Janneman Malan. du Plessis’ absence could create a spot for Kyle Verreynne, although Heinrich Klaasen is the incumbent. South Africa have a wealth of fast bowlers to choose from and may want to start with their strongest suit. That will include the Test attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje, and could have room for one other quick in Andile Phehlukwayo or Sisanda Magala, and two spinners in George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 David Miller, 6 George Linde, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Sisanda Magala 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

The National Cricket Stadium in Grenada has only hosted one T20I, in January last year. Over 400 runs were scored in that game when West Indies hosted Ireland. That run-fest did not look like an accident as an ODI between West Indies and England a year earlier featured over 800 runs.So expect big runs but only if the weather allows. It has been raining in Grenada in the lead-up to the match and showers have been forecast for the next week. The chance of rain on Saturday sits at 70%.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies and South Africa have played against each other in ten T20Is, with West Indies winning four and South Africa six. The last time they played was at the T20 World Cup in March 2016.
• Lewis needs 11 runs to reach 1000 in T20Is, and would be the sixth West Indies batter to reach that milestone.
• The last time Gayle, Bravo, Pollard and Russell, all featured in a T20I was in 2015 against South Africa when West Indies had chased down a then-record target of 232.

Quotes

“The Test series obviously went exceptionally well and one of the outcomes of that series is momentum, even if it is a different format. It’s only natural that we will carry that confidence into this series.”

The pair speak about trust, communication, and their telepathic understanding between the wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2021Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have now put on 429 runs as a T20I first-wicket partnership, at an average of 53.62 and a run rate of 9.36 per over. That’s the highest average of all 46 pairs that have opened for Pakistan, and the highest scoring rate of any of those pairs that have batted together at least five times. They’ve put on two century stands now, the latest being Saturday’s 150 in just 14.4 overs.Before Rizwan, Azam was part of a long-standing partnership with Fakhar Zaman, with whom he opened 19 times and added 489 runs at an average of 25.73 and a run rate of 7.99, with a highest stand of 72. Since they began opening together, both Azam and Rizwan have enjoyed tremendous returns in T20Is: Rizwan is Pakistan’s highest T20I run-getter this year, with 593 runs at an average of 98.83 and a strike rate of 142.89, with Azam has scored 439 runs at 39.90 and 135.07.Their 150-run stand on Saturday set Pakistan up for their highest T20I total ever – 232 for 6 – and eventually a 31-run win in the first T20I against England, a stunning reversal of fortunes following a 3-0 ODI series defeat against a second-string home team. Having just put on the second-highest partnership for any wicket by a Pakistan pair, both Rizwan and Azam shared their insights in a PCB video.”We discussed while going in that we would have a look at the pitch, how it behaved, and at what pace the ball would come [onto the bat],” Azam said. “We took one or two overs [to get our eye in], and I began to charge, because my shots were coming off nicely, but Rizwan , I thought, was struggling for a few balls, so I was conscious of not adding any extra pressure on him. We spoke about having to score 10 an over, 8 an over, because it would be easier for the incoming batsmen if we put on a good, long partnership.”‘Sometimes we don’t even call, and start running with just a signal from the eyes’•Getty Images

Rizwan then chipped in with his impressions of the partnership’s strengths. “The key thing about our partnership is that whenever one of us looks to start power-hitting, we go and ask our partner. So we get the confidence that the non-striker has backed our instinct, and I know that the captain (Azam) has given me his inputs, or vice-versa, on whether this is the time for power-hitting or it isn’t, and that eases the situation for both of us.”One of the metrics of trust between the two is Rizwan’s record of run-outs – which he insists was a major issue for him earlier in his career. “I’ve been run-out 8 or 10 times earlier on, but my understanding with him is really good – his calling is much better than mine.”For the record, Rizwan was run-out six times in 64 innings in all international cricket until the end of 2020. This year, he’s not been run out even once in 24 innings.Azam says the pair doesn’t even need to call while running between the wickets.”We have a belief in each other, that whenever [the ball] goes in the gap, we can run two,” Azam said. “Sometimes we don’t even call, and start running with just a signal from the eyes.”Saturday’s partnership didn’t get off to the most fluent of starts, with both batters enduring early troubles against David Willey before settling in to score 49 in the powerplay. It took until the 12th over for Pakistan to hit their first six, but that triggered an avalanche, with the innings eventually going on to contain 12 sixes, equalling Pakistan’s previous highest six-count, against Bangladesh in 2007.”Willey was getting swing early on and our plan was to play him carefully, but we picked up a few boundaries after the second over, and that gave us confidence and momentum,” Azam said. “Our plan after that was to keep going at 10 an over regardless of anything, whether that meant me taking a chance or Rizwan.”

Rockets fall short as Sciver, Brunt can’t find support to chase tough target

Andrew Miller26-Jul-2021Northern Superchargers 149 for 7 (Rodrigues 60, Johnson 4-15) beat Trent Rockets 122 for 7 (Brunt 43*) by 27 runs Jemimah Rodrigues produced her second fifty in as many matches of the women’s Hundred, and Laura Kimmince pitched in with a riotous knock of 31 from 13 balls, as Northern Superchargers made it two wins from two at the expense of their hosts, Trent Rockets, who have now lost both of their opening home fixtures.After winning the toss, Superchargers broke with convention for the tournament to date by choosing to bat first – a reflection on an atypically slow Trent Bridge surface that was always likely to prove tricky for run-scoring in the second innings. That duly proved to be the case, with only Nat Sciver showing any real fluency in her 33 from 23.Katherine Brunt kept swinging to the end to top-score for Trent Rockets with 43 not out from 36, but she had been cutting a frustrated figure long before the chase petered out. Her crashing pull through square leg off Alice Davidson-Richards’ 90th delivery would prove to be the last boundary of the Rockets innings, and the first since Sarah Glenn had launched their second and last six from the 70th ball.At 98 for 4 with 30 balls remaining, Brunt and Glenn, two England allrounders, represented the last real hope of a fightback. But Superchargers’ strategic timeout resulted in a return to the frontline for the legspinner Katie Levick. She duly ripped a beauty past a floundering Glenn to have her stumped for 11 from 8, and with Linsey Smith serving up an outstanding spell of 1 for 12 from her 20 balls, pace off proved decisive as the innings fell away.Rodrigues’ costly reprieve
Rodrigues produced the innings of the Hundred so far on Saturday, when she powered Superchargers to victory with 92 not out from 43 balls against Welsh Fire at Headingley. Today, she could have been pinned by her first ball of the day, a leg-stump pad-thwacker from Brunt that straightened enough to overturn the on-field not-out, but Trent Rockets chose not to review.It was a predictably costly lapse. Not for the first time, Rodrigues was a sedate figure in the Powerplay, as Lauren Winfield-Hill dominated an opening stand of 64, but having nudged along to 16 from her first 21 balls, her change of tempo was startling to behold – 44 from her next 19, as Kimmince joined the run-fest in a gleefully unfettered cameo.At 76 for 2 with 35 balls remaining, Rodrigues signalled the Super-charge in predictable fashion, as a pumped-up Brunt – just six runs against her name from her first ten back-to-back deliveries – was thumped straight back over her head for four, the prelude to a devastating run of 13 fours in 20 balls.Lauren Winfield-Hill enjoyed the dismissal of Rachel Priest•Getty Images

Kimmince-meat

Kimmince took the cue, dinking a pair of slower balls to the boundary to further sour Brunt’s mood, and when Rodrigues unleashed on Heather Graham with two scintillating bottom-handed drives through the covers, the die was truly cast.Sciver took Rockets’ timeout after leaking 13 runs from her third set of five – three more fours to a now-ticking Rodrigues – but that pause for thought did not have the desired effect. Sarah Glenn was her go-to option, but Kimmince was poised to strike, and did so with devastating force. Five fours out of five flew forth, each to a different corner of the ground as Superchargers shelved the subtlety and went for broke.Johnson finds a response
As a late replacement for the likes of Elyse Villani and Sophie Molineux, Sammy-Jo Johnson is one of the less heralded Aussies in the Hundred – but she is also one of the sport’s natural-born winners, with back-to-back WBBL titles for Brisbane Heat in 2018 and 2019 immediately followed by a third for Sydney Thunder when she switched teams for the 2020-21 event.And her never-say-die approach dug her side out of a sizeable hole with the remarkable figures of 4 for 15 in 20 balls. Her first ten went wicketless, though she did miss a tough return chance off Winfield-Hill, but after making amends with a sharp grab off Laura Wolvaardt, she applied the emergency brake in her final set of five, with three wickets for one run including two from her last two balls.Kimmince was the first of those – blood pumping after her boundaries, she played all over a slower ball to depart for 31 from 13 – and Rodrigues followed moments later, another slower ball, this time a solid connection but only as far as Brunt on the long-on rope. Hollie Armitage fell one ball later, hacking to short third for a duck, and though Bess Heath and Smith found the boundary thereafter, Superchargers’ eventual total of 149 for 7 – the highest of the women’s competition to date – felt some 15-20 short of what had briefly seemed possible. In the end, it mattered not.

Sri Lanka’s spinners were made to toil on day five, bowling 48.3 overs for the last four wickets

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Nov-2021Nkrumah Bonner defied Sri Lanka for 173 balls on day five, Joshua Da Silva joined him for a 100-run, 44.4-over stand, but although the sky was swimming with dark clouds, rain did not arrive until minutes after Sri Lanka claimed the last wicket to clinch victory in Galle.Having scythed through West Indies’ top order on the fourth evening, Sri Lanka’s spinners were made to toil on day five, bowling 48.3 overs for the last four wickets. Offspinner Ramesh Mendis had begun the day with four wickets to his name, but it was left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who finished with a five-wicket haul – the third of his 11-Test career – claiming all but one of the wickets to fall on day five. Praveen Jayawickrama took the other one. Between them, Sri Lanka’s three frontline spinners took 18 wickets in the 187-run victory.

Joshua Da Silva on…

The 100-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner which started with WI 18 for 6
We had to rebuild. We had to think about how we were going to get ourselves out of a bit of a collapse. We had to bat balls, and we knew we had to bat until the end of the day, because the next day we’d try our best to draw the game or win the game. The pitch was turning a lot and the straighter ball was sliding on a bit. It was a difficult new-ball wicket. But once the ball got a bit softer it was a bit easier to get on top of the bowlers.
What WI did wrong with the bat
We played a bit in front of the pads I think. Not always. In the second innings when Sri Lanka were on top we just needed to fight.
How WI can improve for the second Test
I just think we need to fight. We need to believe in ourselves. We need a bit of application. You have a lot more time than you think. You have five days.

Bonner and da Silva battled hard during their morning resistance, trying few run-scoring strokes, and generally displaying a level of concentration and application unseen from West Indies’ batters so far in the match. They had contrasting styles – Da Silva more comfortable on the front foot, and the more likely of the two to sweep, and rotate strike.They each had good fortune. On a treacherous track, there were edges that fell short of slip, aerial mis-hits that landed in space, deliveries that barely missed the stumps and the outside edge, and missed chances as well. da Silva could have been run out on 19 when the pair attempted a quick single, but the cover fielder’s throw missed the stumps. He could have been caught on 23 when he inside edged a big-spinning Mendis delivery, but Pathum Nissanka could not hold on to a tough chance at leg slip, diving to his right. Later, Nissanka would grass another tough chance at short leg, this time off Bonner. But so long as the rain held off, it seemed as if Sri Lanka would continue to create chances, so rapid was the turn off the surface.With Da Silva’s dismissal in the half-hour before lunch, West Indies’ chances of securing a draw dipped substantially. He had completed a fifty off 121 balls, but was squared up by a turning Embuldeniya delivery a few overs later, with the resultant edge held by Dhananjaya de Silva at slip.Rahkeem Cornwall then joined Bonner, and put in a shift that lasted 46 balls until he ran out of patience, toe-edging a catch to mid off when he attempted to heave Jayawickrama down the ground. Warrican, the No. 10, saw out 20 balls before he gave a bat-pad catch to silly mid off. Shannon Gabriel, whom Bonner was trying desperately to shield from the strike, was also squared up and caught at slip off Embuldeniya, after a six-ball stay. Bonner remained unbeaten on 68 off 220 balls.The victory was perhaps just reward for Sri Lanka, whose top order led by Dimuth Karunaratne had dominated in both innings, and whose spinners used helpful conditions well. They earn 12 World Test Championship points in their first match this cycle. West Indies also have 12 points, but have played three matches.

On Virat Kohli: “He is still a leader of the team… A batter of his quality is always needed in the squad”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2021Rohit Sharma wants India’s white-ball middle order to prepare for the situations when the side has been reduced to “10 for 3″.In the last four years, India have lost in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, the semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup and crashed out in the group stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup. One common theme has been the team’s failure to recover from an early loss of wickets.During the New Zealand Test series that he skipped, Rohit was asked on YouTube show if he has been able to figure out what went wrong in those games.”To be honest, not really,” Rohit said. “I would say it was that initial phase of the game where we lost the game. So that’s something I’ll keep in mind and see that we prepare for the worst. We have to prepare when the team is 10 for 3. That’s how I want to move forward and get the message across to the boys that guys who are batting at No. 3, 4, 5, 6, there’s nowhere written that if you are 10 for 2 or 3 [in a T20I], you can’t get 180 or you can’t get 190, or maybe more.”I want the guys to prepare in that fashion. Let’s say we are playing the semi-final and we are 10 for 2 in the first two overs, what do we do? What is the plan? I want to put ourselves in that situation again and see if we can respond to that. We have got some games before the World Cup to try and test that out. Because if you look there is a similarity between all three games that we lost – two Pakistan games and one New Zealand game in three ICC tournaments.”I do understand that the quality of the bowling was exceptional at that point, but it has happened three times. I hope that it doesn’t happen for the fourth time. So hopefully we will prepare for that, keeping that situation in mind and move forward and see how we can plan – whether we can just counterattack straight from ball one, whoever batter goes in.Related

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“And then I don’t want people to think that, ‘Oh, they are 10 for 2, what shot is he playing?’ The commentators, the people of India or anywhere else, they need to understand that this is a plan of the team.”Rohit, who is now India’s captain in both ODIs and T20Is, is not new to captaincy. He is the most successful IPL captain with five titles and has led India previously in the absence of Virat Kohli.Talking about his leadership philosophy, he said: “A captain is there to ensure right players are playing, the right combination is playing and obviously a few tactical things that you need to look after.”A captain needs to stand at the forefront while performing and for everything else needs to stand at the back. The reason I say that is he can make a difference by standing at the back because then he can make sure he puts his hand around everyone, that’s what I meant when I said you have to be the least important member of the team.”Over the last many years, India’s white-ball batting has revolved largely around Rohit and Kohli. And Rohit had “no doubt” he would need Kohli the batter in the side.”A batter of his quality is always needed in the squad,” Rohit said. “To have an average of 50-plus in the T20 format, it’s crazy, it’s unreal. Obviously, with the experience he has, he has bailed India out so many times from difficult situations.”So that quality and his kind of batsmanship is obviously required, and he is still a leader of the team. All those things put together, you don’t want to miss out, you don’t want to ignore that kind of stuff. His presence in the squad is very, very important moving forward and it can only strengthen our team.”

Benny Howell made a breezy 41 for Chattogram Challengers, who set a paltry 126 target

Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2022How the match played outZiaur Rahman fixed Fortune Barishal’s ways with a big finish against Chattogram Challengers. His unbeaten 19 off 12 balls helped Barishal win by four wickets with eight balls to spare, despite slipping to 92 for 6 in the 15th over, chasing 126.Ziaur smashed Mukidul Islam for 18 runs in the 17th over, striking fours through square-leg and extra cover, and a carved six over cover. Dwayne Bravo finished unbeaten on 12 off 10 balls with one boundary, as they took Barishal home.Ziaur’s big hitting helped Barishal recover from the loss of three wickets in the 15th over. Player of the Match Mehidy Hasan Miraz had Shykat Ali caught at deep midwicket, Irfan Sukkur lbw, and then Salman Hossain run out, with Afif Hossain affecting a direct hit from the covers.Earlier, Chattogram reached a mediocre 125 for 8, thanks mainly to No. 9 Benny Howell’s 41. Alzarri Joseph took three wickets while Nayeem Hasan took two wickets.Big hitHowell struck three fours and three sixes in his 20-ball knock. It was a relief for Chattogram after they were stunted by Shakib Al Hasan’s four tight overs that went for just nine runs. Joseph took 3-32 on his BPL debut.Chattogram captain Miraz then stepped up with his maiden four-wicket haul in T20s, finishing with 4 for 16 after taking two of the three wickets to fall in his last over.Big missBarishal, however, could have finished the game much earlier had Shakib batted longer. Instead, the captain fell for 13 after hitting twoboundaries. Shykat’s dismissal for 39 started the mini collapse in the 15th over.For Chattogram, Shamim Hossain was the big disappointment. He made 14 off 23 balls, falling to a Joseph short ball, trying to swat the ball.

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.”

Duo lead recovery after England manage to dent bright start headed by Brathwaite’s fifty

Valkerie Baynes09-Mar-2022Two key partnerships at either end of the day pushed West Indies closer to parity with England on the second day of a to-and-fro Test in Antigua.This match has had not so much the twists and turns of a helter-skelter but the slow, loping swings of a pirate ship ride after England’s recovery from 48 for 4 to a respectable 311 built on Jonny Bairstow’s century and then West Indies’ rapid response via Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell as the visiting bowlers failed to penetrate with the new ball.West Indies were enjoying all the fun of the fair at 44 without loss by lunch, Brathwaite going along at a run-a-ball, but by tea they were 127 for 4 and England had wrested back some control. Then Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder combined for an unbroken 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket that kept their side in the contest.Chris Woakes was one of the bowlers tipped by England’s interim director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, to blossom as a leader of the attack in the controversial absence of long-time spearheads James Anderson and Stuart Broad. But he endured a torrid day, conceding 23 off his first three overs and only finding relief when he snared the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood moments before the second of several brief showers which halted play intermittently through the day, brought about an early tea break. Woakes was struck for 10 fours in as many overs, which cost 51 runs on a benign pitch that for a second straight day offered little to either side.When he rejoined the attack for two more overs – before yet another of the squalls which had dampened England’s efforts with a reverse-swinging ball brought about stumps – Woakes conceded just three more runs.Spinner Jack Leach had bowled five tight overs until Campbell clubbed him for four over extra cover and Brathwaite thundered a six down the ground in Leach’s sixth as West Indies’ opening swelled to 83. But it was Craig Overton who made the initial breakthrough with a short ball down the leg side that tempted Campbell into a pull and brushed the glove on the way through to keeper Ben Foakes to punctuate West Indies’ keen start.As Shamarh Brooks took West Indies into the nineties with consecutive boundaries off Overton, Ben Stokes entered the attack to bowl for the first time since suffering a side strain during the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney.A single off Stokes’ first ball brought up Brathwaite’s fastest Test fifty – off just 62 balls – but Mark Wood, whose pace and reverse swing kept West Indies’ batters on their toes, struck when the West Indies captain chased a wide delivery only to send it directly to Overton at gully. Then Stokes removed Brooks, edging to Joe Root for a simple catch at slip, and suddenly West Indies were wobbling.Foakes put down a difficult chance diving low to his left off Blackwood, who was yet to score when he got an inside edge to a Wood delivery which found the keeper’s glove but failed to stay there as he went to ground.Blackwood, eventually caught in the gully by Overton, was given not out by umpire Joel Wilson amid hearty appeals from the England side, who swiftly reviewed. UltraEdge confirmed Blackwood had indeed laid bat on ball before it struck his thigh pad and looped into the air as West Indies lost a fourth wicket for 44 runs.Leach bowled nine maidens in all – seven of them on the trot in the evening session – in an excellent comeback from a chastening Ashes tour as Holder and Bonner chose their moments well in a sensible, steadying effort. Holder led the way, picking off six fours and a cracking six – over long-on off Root – to close on 43 not out, with Bonner on 34.Earlier, England resumed at 268 for 6 with Bairstow on 109 but, with the ball only six overs old, West Indies had designs on wrapping up the innings quickly. They did so before lunch, but not before Bairstow had reached 140 and taken the England total into elusive territory – past the 300-mark for the first time since August 2021.Jayden Seales came on in the fifth over and struck with his fourth delivery, an excellent short ball that touched Woakes’ glove and sailed through to keeper Joshua Da Silva, ending his seventh-wicket stand with Bairstow at 71. Seales then made it two in three balls when Overton stabbed a length ball towards short leg, where the crouching Bonner took a roundabout catch via his midriff, thighs and eventually hands.Bairstow continued to accumulate, driving Holder with aplomb through cover moments before feeding him a return catch that bobbled out of Holder’s hands. Bairstow was eventually last man out, top-edging Alzarri Joseph high over backward point, where Holder scrambled around and pouched an excellent catch.

Rana’s 57 not enough as Knight Riders suffer their fifth straight loss of the season

Sidharth Monga28-Apr-20224:37

Bishop on Russell: ‘He’ll reflect on this night and look to do things differently next time’

Part of Kolkata Knight Riders, Kuldeep Yadav didn’t get a single game last IPL. The reason perhaps is that in the two preceding IPLs, he picked just five wickets in 45 overs. In seven overs this year against the franchise that let him go, Kuldeep has taken eight wickets, consigning them to their second defeat against Delhi Capitals. However, it could still be argued that he is still looking for a captain who makes optimum use of him: he bowled just the three overs despite taking four wickets because two left-hand batters were at the wicket.The part-time offspinner used instead gave Nitish Rana the launching pad for a 30-ball fifty that took Knight Riders to 146 but it proved inadequate against a power-filled Capitals batting line-up. David Warner led the response with a 26-ball 42 but they kept losing wickets as they looked to dominate the chase. Rovman Powell and Axar Patel, though, saw them home in the end with one over to spare.Early swingBoth Mustafizur Rahman and Chetan Sakariya – in for the injured Khaleel Ahmed – swung the new ball, not letting Knight Riders find any momentum. Venkatesh Iyer, back at the top of the order, continued to struggle. The other new opener, Aaron Finch, tried to dominate Sakariya, but the inswing flattened his wicket. When Venkatesh finally connected a paddle sweep, he found the man at short fine leg. Knight Riders 22 for 2 in 4.3 overs.Kuldeep magicKuldeep came on to bowl at 35 for 2 in seven overs, which meant the batters were already under pressure to get a move on. Debutant B Indrajith tried just that when he faced Kuldeep first, but got too close to the ball and couldn’t get the elevation required to clear long-on. Still needing to accelerate, Knight Riders promoted Sunil Narine, but Kuldeep trapped him in front with the perfect wrong’un. Rana played a forward-defensive to avoid the hat-trick.Only three boundaries came off the first 11 overs, all fours. Just as Knight Riders built some momentum in the next two overs, Capitals went back to Kuldeep. Pant might have made a questionable call of bowling Lalit Yadav in the 13th over, but his keeping was sensational in the 14th. Shreyas Iyer went to cut Kuldeep, but the wrong’un turned and stayed low to take a thick bottom edge, which went down almost vertically. However, Pant managed to somehow catch it by his shoe laces, showing a great eye, athleticism and fitness.Three balls later, Andre Russell left his crease against character, and Kuldeep again slipped in the wrong’un. Even though Pant fluffed the take now, the rebound broke the wicket legally. It was now 83 for 6 in the 14th over.Nitish Rana upped the ante after early wickets•BCCI

Rana gives Knight Riders somethingThis is when Pant chose to go funky. There have been 26 instances of a spinner getting three or more wickets in the first three overs in the first innings, but only two of them have not gone on to bowl out. Kuldeep became that second as Pant chose to bowl Lalit Yadav to the two left-hand batters in the middle. Rana took the toll of his part-time offspin in the 17th over, not least because he enjoys a good match-up against offspin. Shardul Thakur went for 16 in the 19th as both Rana and Rinku Singh got stuck in. At 144 for 6 now, Knight Riders could think of 160, having been through a period when they would have taken 140., though, bowled a superb final over, taking three wickets and conceding just one off the bat. There was a back-of-the-hand slower ball, hard lengths and two perfect yorkers.Warner keeps chugging alongCapitals were always going to try to take a big chunk off the chase early, especially with their batters. However, Knight Riders managed to pick wickets in the first two overs. The first ball swung a touch to take a leading edge that Umesh Yadav took in his follow-through. In the second over, Mitchell Marsh tried to take down the debutant Harshit Rana, but picked out long leg.David Warner, though, continued to show why he is among the IPL greats. The quickest batter in the powerplay this year, he kept finding boundaries efficiently without taking risks even though Lalit at the other end found himself stuck. He even managed to paddle Sunil Narine for a four, and when he took down the part-time spin of Nitish Rana, they needed just 67 in the last 11 overs.Umesh, Narine bring Knight Riders backKnight Riders had no choice now but to go on an all-out attack. In the 10th over, Umesh bowled the perfect bouncer – head high, cramping Warner – for a catch at fine leg. In the 11th, Narine bowled the small offbreak perfectly to get Lalit lbw. Shreyas stuck with Umesh, who managed to find the outside edge of Pant. It was a different game now at 84 for 5.Axar, Powell take Capitals homeThe asking rate, though, was still not high, and Shreyas had to juggle the fifth bowler’s quota between Russell and other part-timers. When Axar pulled and upper-cut the first two Russell deliveries for four and six, Knight Riders had massive problems. A run-out off the last ball of the over still left the door open.Powell and Shardul Thakur watchfully played out Narine’s last over, but by now Harshit had walked off with an injury. So Shreyas had to bowl Venkatesh, and he did so in the 17th instead of keeping that over till the end. Powell hit him for a six and a four to bring it under a run a ball, and it took a six each off Tim Southee and Shreyas to end the game.

T20 legend available for majority of season after announcing international retirement last month

Matt Roller20-May-2022Kieron Pollard will play county cricket for the first time in more than a decade this summer after signing for Surrey for the Vitality Blast, where he will link up with his close friend and compatriot Sunil Narine.ESPNcricinfo revealed last month that Pollard had been approached by multiple counties after his international retirement to discuss the possibility of him playing in the Blast and that Surrey were front-runners after Sean Abbott’s involvement on Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka forced him to pull out of his deal.Surrey confirmed the signing on Friday and Pollard is expected to make his debut in their second home game of the T20 season against Gloucestershire at the Kia Oval on May 31. It will be his first appearance in county cricket since 2011, when his Somerset side were beaten by Leicestershire in the final; he was due to play for Northamptonshire in 2020 but his deal was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Related

• Surrey sign Narine for Blast campaign

• Pollard in the running for Blast stint following WI retirement

• Pollard retires from international cricket

“It has been quite some time since I’ve played county cricket and I’m thrilled to be returning to the Vitality Blast competition in Surrey colours this year,” Pollard said in a Surrey press release. “The Kia Oval is a special place to play, especially in front of a full house.”Surrey have not won the Blast since its inaugural season in 2003 and failed to qualify for the knockout stages last year but are among the favourites for the title this season.They are likely to be without several England players – including Sam and Tom Curran, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Jason Roy and Reece Topley – at various stages due to the Test and ODI series against New Zealand and the Netherlands respectively, but securing Pollard and Narine for the majority of the season represents a significant boost to their hopes.Pollard and Narine have only played a handful of games together on English soil, most recently a one-off T20I at Chester-le-Street in 2017, but will resume their hugely successful partnership at the Kia Oval. They have previously played together for West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, Dhaka Dynamites in the BPL and Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL.Pollard spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons at Somerset•Getty Images

“We’re very pleased to bring Kieron to the club,” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said. “He brings an incredible range of skills as well as experience at the very highest level of the sport. His all-round ability will make a significant difference to the depth of the squad.””This Surrey side is full of talent and should certainly be mounting a challenge for the title,” Pollard added. “I hope that my experience will add a vital ingredient to the club’s success this year.”Pollard has had a quiet season for Mumbai Indians in the ongoing IPL season, with 144 runs across 11 innings at a strike rate of just 107.46. He announced his decision to retire from international cricket and give up the West Indies white-ball captaincy midway through the tournament and has struggled with the demands of stringent Covid protocols in India, writing on Instagram last week: “bubble life isn’t easy”.Despite his lean run, Pollard remains one of the world’s most sought-after T20 players as a highly-experienced finisher, occasional bowler and leader. He will also offer support to Chris Jordan, Surrey’s new T20 captain, with whom he has played at Adelaide Strikers, Peshawar Zalmi and Trinbago.The move means Pollard will spend the majority of the English summer living in London. At last month’s Hundred draft, Pollard was the top pick for London Spirit and is expected to be available for the majority of the season before flying back to the Caribbean late in the group stages to play in the CPL.