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Mahela Jayawardene has admitted his side faltered under pressure in their World Twenty20 final loss to the West Indies in Colombo

Andrew Fernando in Colombo07-Oct-2012Mahela Jayawardene has admitted his side faltered under pressure in their World Twenty20 final loss to the West Indies in Colombo, after having made an exceptional start to the match in the first 12 overs. The loss is Sri Lanka’s fourth in major finals since 2007, and they have now been bridesmaids in two World Cups and two World Twenty20s in the last five major tournaments.Sri Lanka had surged through the Super Eights and secured a tough victory over Pakistan on a dustbowl to progress to the final, but could not quell a West Indies resurgence in the title match. With West Indies mired at 48 for 2 after 12 overs the title seemed in Sri Lanka’s grasp before Marlon Samuels bludgeoned three sixes off Lasith Malinga’s second over on his way to a match-winning 78 from 56 balls. Jayawardene, who announced he was standing down as T20 captain, felt Sri Lanka should not have allowed West Indies, who were also 87 for 5 in the 16th over, to reap 89 from the last eight overs.Sri Lanka lost Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second over in pursuit of 138, and were never able to catch up to the asking rate. Jayawardene did not see a trend in Sri Lanka’s inability to win finals, but said his side had responded poorly to West Indies’ middle-over onslaught, and marked out the three-over stretch between the 13th and 15th over, which cost 39, as the turning point of the match even though Ajantha Mendis took three wickets.”I think we tried very hard, but this match changed in three or four overs in the middle,” he said. “In the pressure situations we couldn’t control the match. Marlon Samuels batted really well and he took it away from us a little bit. But when we were put under pressure, we didn’t react well to that. When those small mistakes add up, that’s where you lose a match like a final, and that’s what happened to us.”Jayawardene has been at the helm for two of those four finals losses, while Kumar Sangakkara, Dilshan and Malinga have also played in each loss. In this tournament, Sri Lanka had lost only a seven-over match against South Africa in the group stage, and arrived in the final as the form team, and favourites with home advantage. Jayawardene said this defeat was different from finals failures in the past, because Sri Lanka had dominated the opening exchanges.”We played well right until the final. Every defeat has been different. How we approached a couple of the finals, we did not start well and we kept chasing the game and it was tough for us to get back into it. I thought today we started well. Marlon took a gamble after the 12th over and it paid off for him. Those were individual performances that you have to give credit to. Under pressure he put his hand up and performed and that crucial moment he controlled.”Samuels was dropped on 20 by Nuwan Kulasekara as he attempted a difficult running chance on the long-off boundary in the tenth over. Samuels made 58 from the next 22 balls he faced and propelled West Indies beyond a run-a-ball – a run rate they had not looked like achieving in the early stages. After Samuels’ demise in the 18th over, Darren Sammy propelled West Indies towards 140 with 26 from 15 balls.”We dropped a half chance and then they played well in the next three overs,” Jayawardene said. “I think that 20 or 30 runs was the difference. If we had kept them to 110 or 120 on this pitch we could have competed better in this match.”Jayawardene admitted that despite falling away in the field Sri Lanka were capable of chasing 138, but needed a strong start to do so. Ravi Rampaul’s superb delivery to uproot Dilshan’s off stump forced the hosts to be more conservative during their Powerplay, and the middle order were unable to reverse a flagging run rate amid a clatter of wickets.”We wanted to attack. The first six overs, it was crucial for us to get a good start, particularly with the hardness of the ball. But when Dilly got out in the first ball of the second over, that kept us back because Kumar and I knew we had to consolidate and we couldn’t lose another wicket in the first six overs.”We were looking at 45-50 runs in the first six to put pressure on them, but that didn’t materialise. They bowled really well and took pace off the ball. They didn’t bowl their quicks and kept bowling their spinners. We never had momentum going in that chase. We had to make sure we had a good start going and we lost wickets regularly.”Malinga’s second over disappeared for 21, but Jayawardene defended his decision to bring him back into the attack. Malinga’s two remaining overs went for 29, and he finished with his worst ever Twenty20 figures, having taken no wickets for 54 from his four overs. Jayawardene still had overs from Akila Dananjaya and Nuwan Kulasekara at the finish in addition to Thisara Perera, who has barely bowled throughout the tournament.”After the first 12 overs, Malinga had only bowled one over. I knew that they would have to play some shots, so I gave the ball to my number one bowler to take wickets. But they played well in that period and Lasith couldn’t bowl two good overs then, but that’s cricket. I thought we’d have a chance to take wickets if Lasith bowled because Marlon didn’t play Lasith well in our match in Kandy, so I had thought about that when I gave him the ball.”If I knew the script was going to be like that, I probably wouldn’t have bowled him.”Jayawardene said the loss would be particularly painful for having come on their home turf, in front of a hugely expectant crowd of 35,000. Sri Lanka had defeated West Indies by nine wickets in the Super Eights – their most comprehensive win over top-eight opposition – in addition to having defeated them by the same margin in a practice match.”As a team we gave everything we had. In a big tournament, we wanted to win to give something to the fans who have been cheering us. I’m very disappointed, we had a full house here as well. We just didn’t execute a good gameplan and we weren’t ruthless enough. So we’re very disappointed that we couldn’t give the fans what they wanted, and that hurts a lot.”

Most of the matches at the end of the group stages are knockouts and this one between Somerset and Warriors is no different

The Preview by Firdose Moonda04-Oct-2011

Match facts

Somerset v Warriors, October 5, Bangalore
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Can Somerset pick themselves up after the thrashing against Royal Challengers Bangalore?•AFP

Big Picture

Most of the matches at the end of the group stages are almost knockouts and this one is no different. Its crunch time for Warriors and Somerset and given the rivalry that exists between South Africa and England, they will want to do each other no favours.Warriors will want to avoid a backdoor entry into the semi-finals and victory against Somerset will take them through. If they lose by a small margin, though, and Royal Challengers Bangalore also beat South Australia by a small margin in the second game of the day, Warriors will still qualify. It’s a simpler equation for Somerset, who must win to claim a semi-final spot, otherwise they will be on their way home.Warriors were Champions League runners-up in 2010 and are the only South African team left in this tournament, after Cobras crashed out against Trinidad & Tobago. They have asserted their authority on the competition and, with their dynamic bowling attack as their trump card, have the right ingredients to go further. However, Mark Boucher’s injury ahead of the match could hamper them. Boucher strained his hamstring, and though he tweeted that it was “not too serious”, will miss the rest of the CLT20. Somerset came through the qualifying stage and were convincing throughout, until they were beaten by Chris Gayle.

Watch out for …

After another snub from South Africa’s selectors for the home series against Australia, Roelof van der Merwe will have more to play for than just another match for his county. van der Merwe made a statement with his performances in a qualifying match and a group game against Kolkata Knight Riders, but was poor against Bangalore. He will also be competing against countrymen and team-mates, which should add some extra spice to the contest against Warriors.

Team news

Warriors have stuck to the three-pronged pace attack of Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Rusty Theron and have no reason to change that. Lyall Meyer and Craig Thyssen are still competing for the allrounders spot but Warriors are not likely to tinker too much with their XI.Somerset may consider benching left-arm spinner George Dockerell, who went for 28 in two overs against the Royal Challengers in Bangalore.

Pitch and conditions

The pitches in Bangalore have been the best to bat on in the Champions League and teams have preferred to chase at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The surfaces have been true, with ball coming on to the bat, and boundaries are short. There’s been rain in the city in the lead-up to the game, but the forecast for Wednesday is clear.

Stats and trivia

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh stand-in captain, has said that his team will look to improve its performance as Bangladesh aim for a clean sweep in the ongoing one-day series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2010Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh stand-in captain, has said his team will look to improve its performance as it aims for a clean sweep in the ongoing one-day series against New Zealand. Bangladesh beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the third ODI on Monday, giving them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series – the first time they have won two consecutive ODIs against top-flight opposition.They beat New Zealand by 9 runs (D/L method) in the first ODI on October 5 while the second ODI was abandoned due to rain.”Now the 4-0 [result] is very possible,” Shakib said. “We played good cricket in the last two games but we want to improve our performance in the next two because there are lots of areas to improve.”We are capable of playing much better cricket and what I believe is that we are yet to play our best cricket in the series. Things will fall into place if we can improve our performance.”Bangladesh bowled out New Zealand for 173 in Monday’s ODI and the opening stand of 127 between Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees set the foundation for their seven-wicket victory. But Shakib said a ten-wicket victory would have been more convincing.”A ten-wicket victory was very much on the cards after the way the two openers started,” he said. “It was a good knock from Nafees; he punished every bad ball and was positive. I don’t know what played on his mind but he could have easily made a hundred.”As usual Kayes started cautiously and settled in nicely but frustratingly he too could not finish the game. We must focus on this area and make sure we do not make same mistakes in the next games.”Shakib praised his spinners, who came into the game after just eight overs from the fast bowlers. They ran through the New Zealand line-up, picking up eight wickets between them, but the star performer was Suhrawadi Shuvo, who grabbed three including the dangerous Jesse Ryder and Daniel Vettori. Ross Taylor was the only New Zealand batsman to offer some resistance, with an unbeaten 72-ball 62. But Shakib was disappointed with Bangladesh’s efforts in the batting Power Play where Taylor and Kyle Mills smashed 55 runs.”The spinners, especially Shuvo, did a good job after Shafiul [Islam] removed Brendon McCullum, but we didn’t bowl well in the Power Play. Our fielding was good but not extraordinary, so we have to look at these areas.”While the Bangladesh spinners and openers set up the victory in the third ODI, it was Shakib’s allround show that led them to victory in the first game. “You see so many players who performed in the match which is the main strength of this team. We play as a team and as a unit.”The fourth ODI will be played in Dhaka on Thursday.

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.

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.

Lancashire’s third win of the season keeps them within reach of Division One leaders Surrey

ECB Reporters Network15-Jun-2022Lancashire 291 (Croft 90, Norwell 5-78) and 329 for 6 (Wells 175*, Jones 66) beat Warwickshire 292 and 327 for 9 dec (Davies 121, Brookes 55) by four wicketsLancashire strengthened their position among the LV=Insurance County Championship Division One leaders after a perfectly executed run chase led by Luke Wells’ unbeaten 175 brought them a four-wicket victory over Warwickshire at Edgbaston.The Red Rose, set a target of 329 in a day and four overs, reached 329 for 5 with 24 balls to spare.They were in jeopardy at 93 for 4 but Wells, who hit 22 fours and a six from 280 balls, batted beautifully alongside Rob Jones, who scored 66 off 138 balls, in a fifth-wicket stand of 162 in 45 overs.Lancashire’s third win of the season keeps them within reach of Division One leaders Surrey at the halfway point of the season. Reigning champions Warwickshire, meanwhile, with just one win from seven games, have it all to do to retain their title and sit too close to the opposite end of the table for comfort.Lancashire resumed on the final morning on five without loss, needing to make the highest total of the match to win. They added only another 14 before Olly Hannon-Dalby struck twice in an over. Keaton Jennings edged to third slip and, three balls later, Josh Bohannon fell lbw.When Steven Croft was lured into driving at a wideish ball from Henry Brookes and edged to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess, the Red Rose were 53 for 3.Dane Vilas’ frustrating match with the bat then continued. Given out caught when he appeared not to have hit the ball in the first innings, his second knock ended in different but equally exasperating fashion… run out backing up. A sweetly-timed straight drive from Wells was diverted on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end by Liam Norwell – rotten luck for the Lancashire captain, but credit to the big paceman for getting down quickly to parry the ball onto the stumps.That was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session as Wells and Jones consolidated to take their side to 167 for 4 at tea, at which point, with 162 runs or six wickets needed from a minimum of 35 overs, all results remained possible.On a flattening pitch, Wells and Jones played with increasing freedom to take Lancashire into the last 20 overs needing 91. Jones fell in pursuit of his 11th four, well-caught at deep square leg by Alex Davies, but the wicket did not stem the run-flow as George Balderson (33 from 43 balls) helped Wells seal the victory with a measured partnership of 70 in 12 overs.

T Natarajan and Washington Sundar both made their Test debuts, claiming their maiden wicket.

Varun Shetty14-Jan-2021Australia took command of the first day of the final Test through Marnus Labuschagne’s fifth Test century. India were forced to contend with perhaps the worst blow in a tour of many blows, the loss of their best bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin, and did a reasonable job of it through their newcomers at first.They could not, however, sustain that through the day as Labuschagne’s anchor innings of 108 played perfect foil for the positive, pace-setting innings’ from Steven Smith, Mathew Wade, Cameron Green, and Tim Paine. From 87 for 3, Australia stretched to 274 for 5 at stumps, and in the meantime, India’s medical staff got an addition to their responsibilities: a potential groin injury for Navdeep Saini, who went off to get scans after bowling 7.5 overs.Related

• Marnus Labuschagne endures in battle of fraying minds and failing bodies

• As it happened – Australia vs India, 4th Test, Brisbane, 1st day

• Stats – Australia with 1033 wickets in the XI; India with 13

• Navdeep Saini taken for scans after suffering groin strain

True to the theme of the entire tour, the day could have gone differently if the fielding had gone differently. Ajinkya Rahane dropped Labuschagne on 37, shortly after India had dismissed Smith. The chance to build pressure on the lower-middle order seemed to have slipped with that, but a half-chance did come India’s way not long after. However, that chance, at first slip, was also put down. Labuschagne was two short of a fifty at that point, and went on to add 60 more.Marnus Labuschagne signals to the dressing room after reaching his half-century•Getty Images

In that time, he witnessed Wade bat in a more restrained manner than he has all series, as they added 113 for the fourth wicket. Wade didn’t compromise on the attacking spark he’s shown all series, and took a particular liking to driving past mid-off against pace bowling. But an 87-ball 45 ended, yet again, with a harmless lob into the leg side as he looked to pull T Natarajan, who claimed his first Test wicket.Labuschagne would be the next, out in the exact manner as Wade, a top-edge hanging up for Rishabh Pant behind the stumps as an ostensibly slow pitch showed signs of grip and lift off a length.None of those signs showed up in the last hour of the day, however, as Green and a counterattacking Paine put on an unbroken 61-run stand, including seven overs against a largely ineffective second new ball. The ball had swung all day, but India’s four-pronged pace attack weren’t incisive as much as Australia’s batsmen were sloppy.India had come into the Test with two debutants, Natarajan and Washington Sundar. With Bumrah, Ashwin, and Jadeja all missing this game through injury, they found spots in the team alongside Shardul Thakur, to make up a Test bowling attack with a combined experience of four matches.Mohammed Siraj, who debuted in the Melbourne Test, was the most experienced bowler in the line-up. And the de facto leader got the early wicket, that of Warner for the second time in two Tests with one that jagged away in the corridor to take the edge. Rohit Sharma dived low to his right for a sharp catch.T Natarajan sent back Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne in quick succession•AFP via Getty Images

Natarajan took the new ball at the other end and immediately showed his wares, curving it away from the two left-handers. But it was Thakur’s innocuous floater into Marcus Harris’ pads – his first ball in Tests since hobbling off after 10 balls on debut in 2018 – that provided the wicket of the man replacing Will Pucovski. His hard-handed flick wasn’t a menace for Sundar at square leg.India bowled largely outside off stump through the morning session, a move away from their preferred strategy of strangling Australia with straighter lines. It helped their incoming pacers, who are slower on average than the ones they’ve replaced, create a sustained containment plan. But once Smith tore into Thakur – his first five boundaries all came against Thakur, with commanding drives through the off side – the discipline was harder to keep. Labuschagne, who was watchful for his first 30-odd runs that took nearly 100 balls, also became expansive through the off side as he utilised India’s line of attack to establish himself.Smith and Labuschagne put up 70 for the third wicket and looked good money to settle into one of their trademark epics, but shortly after lunch, Smith became one of Australia’s batsmen who will rue the manner of their dismissals on day one. He became Sundar’s maiden Test victim when he flicked an overpitched leg-stump ball straight to short midwicket.

The new policy includes three weeks leave for partners and support for children up to four to be brought on tour

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2019Cricket Australia has launched a parental leave policy, which guarantees players who become pregnant 12 months of paid leave along with three weeks for partners and other support including additional funding for tours.CA and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) have been working on the policy for two years and it came into action earlier this year. Alongside 12 months of parental leave, players who fall pregnant will be guaranteed a contract extension for the following year. Other points include:

• Players who have a partner who gives birth will be entitled to three weeks paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child
• At any time after giving birth, the player can return to the game subject to medical clearance
• Travel support for players who are primary carers including flights, accommodation and other applicable travel expenses for the child and a carer will be available until the child is four years of age.

“Were a woman cricketer to become pregnant, it typically signalled the end of their career,” Alistair Nicholson, the chief executive of the ACA, said. “The travesty of this is that so many great athletes have not been given the chance to reach their true potential, denying the rest of us the opportunity to enjoy and admire their talent.”A key figure in bringing the policy together was former Australia player Clea Smith who is now general manager of member programs at the ACA.”This policy is the combination of three years of collaboration within Australian Cricket, the ACA and the players, and we’re delighted with the outcome,” she said. “This is a world-leading, player-centred policy providing balance in the lives of all players. The policy is designed to keep female players in the game for longer which will have a positive impact at all levels of the game.”Sarah Elliott, who scored a Test century against England in 2013 at the time she was breastfeeding her first child, was also consulted about the policy.”Probably the bit that jumps out is the support afterwards,” she told the . “It takes out that stress of who’s going to pay for flights, accommodation, transport and logistics. I felt like I was always causing trouble, kind of like a squeaky wheel and that everyone was tippy-toeing around me.”It was an uncomfortable space, whereas now that policy really lays it out clearly. The players and coaching staff know exactly what they can expect and everything is laid out.”There was controversy in 2016 when it was revealed that Cricket Australia asked female players to declare if they were pregnant when signing central contracts.Earlier this year New Zealand captain Amy Satterthwaite announced she was pregnant and would be taking time away from the game. Under NZC’s policies she will retain her central contract.

Ingram’s illness came on suddenly while he was at his flat in Cardiff and he was taken to hospital

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2018Colin Ingram has spoken of his relief of overcoming a mystery illness, although there remains uncertainty over what caused the problem which left him with breathing difficulties.Ingram’s illness came on suddenly while he was at his flat in Cardiff and he was taken to hospital. As a result he missed two T20 Blast matches but returned with an unbeaten 46 against Middlesex.”There’s a lot of question marks at the moment,” he told . “Most of the specialists I’ve spoken to feel it’s some sort of auto-immune cause that could have built up over a length of time, or just triggered by something small.””It’s great to be happy and healthy again and to have made a full recovery so far.”Ingram needed clearance before he could resume playing because of the drugs he was given in hospital and the therapeutic exemption certificate came through as he was travelling to Richmond to face Middlesex.”Some of the things they gave me when I was hospitalised were necessary to revive me, but had to be cleared by Drug Free Sport, so I’m thankful to the medical team and the work they put in as well,” he said.Ingram’s absence meant Glamorgan were without a clutch of top-order batsmen due to injuries to Shaun Marsh and Joe Burns plus Usman Khawaja’s return to Australia for a training camp.They coped well, however, securing victories against Surrey and Gloucestershire, before the win against Middlesex on Ingram’s return made it three in a row to leave them fifth in the South Group.

After weeks of pay talks with their board, there was some cheer on the field for the Australians as they warmed up for the Champions Trophy with a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2017
ScorecardAfter weeks of pay talks with their board, there was some cheer for the Australians, on the field, as they warmed up for the Champions Trophy with a two-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Oval. Aaron Finch smashed 137 off 109 balls with 11 fours and six sixes while Travis Head, reprieved on 60, made an unbeaten 85 to help Australia overhaul 318 with two balls to spare.The victory would be that much sweeter to the Australians, even though this was only a precursor to the main tournament, as it came without their captain Steven Smith and frontline fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who were both rested.All this meant Angelo Mathews’ 95, which underlined his importance in Sri Lanka’s starting XI, went in vain. Mathews, playing his first competitive match for his country after a four-month layoff due to a hamstring injury, did bulk of the damage in allrounder Asela Gunaratne’s company. The pair added 91 in 92 balls to offset Sri Lankans’ middle order woes; they had been reduced to 152 for 5 in 28 overs.Mathews, who walked in at 71 for 3 in the 12th over, began cautiously – taking 77 balls to get to his half-century – before cutting lose in the end overs. His innings ended when he holed out to Adam Zampa in the 44th over. Gunaratne then took seamer Josh Hazlewood for three sixes and a four in the penultimate over. He was well supported by legspinning allrounder Seekkuge Prasanna, who hit 31 off 19 balls, as Sri Lankans took 57 off the last five overs.The Australians started their chase in a sedate manner but Finch’s blitz soon helped them take control. The opener raised his century off just 76 balls with a six off Gunaratne. He added 75 with Head before Nuwan Pradeep gave his side hope by getting rid of Finch and Glenn Maxwell off successive deliveries. But reprieving Head on 60 with Australia needing 21 off 15 proved costly in the end for Sri Lankans, who will play New Zealanders at Edgbaston on May 30