All posts by n8rngtd.top

India captain keeps his cards close when asked if the team would play Kuldeep

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-20252:28

Gill: A second spinner won’t be a bad option if pitch is similar to last Test

In the wake of two lower-order collapses in the first Test against England in Leeds, India’s captain Shubman Gill has put the onus on the batters, starting with himself, to not give away starts on these flat pitches in England. India were 430 for 3 and 340 for 4 before losing 7 for 41 and 6 for 31, failing on both occasions to bat England out of the game. Eventually they lost by five wickets on the final evening despite getting into positions from where a draw should have been the worst result for them.”When we were batting, I felt I could have, now looking back at it… the kind of shot I played, I felt I could have batted a little bit more, added another 50 runs with Rishabh [Pant],” Gill said when asked what lessons he learnt from his captaincy debut. “That was my learning from when I was batting.”Gill was on 147 when he tried to hit Shoaib Bashir in the air, and ended up dragging it to the deep fielder on the leg side. What followed was some extravagant shots from the lower order, which didn’t come off. Gill was asked if the lower order was spoken to regarding batting responsibly. He again shifted the spotlight more on himself and the batters. “Definitely [chats have been had],” Gill said. “It’s been one of the things that we always talk about, especially with our batting depth… the lower order sometimes isn’t able to contribute as much as the other teams.Related

• No more Mr Nice Guy, as Woakes shows his inner steel

• Death by a thousand cuts – how Stokes waited and baited Jaiswal

• Stokes removes half-centurion Jaiswal just before tea

• Jaiswal passes fifty, but Carse jolts India before lunch

• Selection in the spotlight as India search for spark at Edgbaston

“Having said that, you can also look at the other side as well. I was batting on 147 and the way I got out, maybe I could have scored 50 more in partnership with Rishabh. If you get a good ball and you get out, that’s fine, but once you are set and you know that you don’t really have that much depth in your batting order, maybe the top order could take a little bit more responsibility and bat the opposition completely out of the game. So I think these are different perspectives to look at the game, but definitely your lower order when your last five or six don’t contribute as much, then it becomes easier for the opposition to come back in the game.”The batting depth is what India seem to be grappling with Jasprit Bumrah available for Edgbaston but likely to be rested to manage his workload, which demands he play only three of these five Tests. The surface is dry underneath and Birmingham has been dry and warm in the lead-up to the match, which gives India an option to go with a second spinner. Indications are that the said spinner could be Washington Sundar to retain batting depth.”When we were bowling, there were learnings like once the ball is getting old and it’s getting soft, there isn’t much happening,” Gill said. “So how do you contain? How do you control the run flow, especially with the way they bat? Maybe having an extra spinner might help contain that run flow, especially in the third or in the fourth innings.”Gill was asked if Bumrah’s absence might encourage them to play a wicket-taking spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. “We will take that [final] call this evening, and I don’t think it will change the combination as such,” Gill said, suggesting a direct swap between Bumrah and a fast bowler, and a spinner for Shardul Thakur, whom India played as a “bowling allrounder”.”We did play an extra bowler, I would say a proper bowling allrounder in the last match,” Gill said. “And now having to look back at it, I think nobody really expects that your last six is going to get out in under 40 runs. Even if they play bad, you expect them to maybe score 100 runs or 80 runs. And these are things that you can’t really plan or you can’t really expect, but you can reflect on those things. And we have some things in mind if we are in this kind of situation again, how we can get better at it.”

Sloppy performance by the West Indians on the field makes Pakistan’s job easier

The Report by Sruthi Ravindranath26-Feb-2020Pakistan opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a comprehensive win against a sloppy West Indies at Manuka Oval in Canberra, only their second win over the opponents in the format. Diana Baig and Nida Dar did the job first up, rattling the West Indies’ line-up to restrict them to 124 for 7. It was then chased down with ten balls to spare as Javeria Khan and Bismah Maroof hits 30s.Pakistan got off to a flying start in their chase with Javeria and Muneeba Ali knocking off nearly half the runs within the first eight overs. But a couple of quick wickets and a slowdown in the middle made it seem like we were in for a close finish, but captain Bismah and Nida, with the help of some poor West Indies fielding, took Pakistan over the line with enough to spare. The win also means that four out of the five teams in Group B are now tied at two points with one win each.Slow and steady wins the day for Pakistan
Openers Javeria Khan and Muneeba Ali made 48 in the powerplay, scoring at eight an over at that stage, and it looked like it would be a quick and easy finish. Stafanie Taylor introduced herself in the eighth over and immediately made an impact, striking Javeria, who was attempting a sweep, on the pads. The wicket led to Pakistan slowing down a bit, with Bismah and Muneeba avoiding any risky shots and taking to a more cautious approach, but not quite hitting the panic button.Muneeba’s wicket saw Nida joining Bismah at the crease, and the two seamlessly rotated the strike from then on, finding boundaries occasionally as they kept a watch on the asking rate. From needing a run a ball at the end of 14 overs, they brought down the equation to six runs needed off three overs, bringing West Indies’ hopes to a halt. The 18th over, which saw a dropped catch off Nida at the boundary and a missed run-out chance, further underscored West Indies’ woeful day on the field. Bismah ensured the opponents did not get any more of those chances, hitting a boundary in the second ball of the 19th over and sealing it for Pakistan.Shakera Selman reacts on the field•Getty Images

Diana, Nida keep West Indies quiet
It was a start to forget for West Indies after they opted to bat first. Hayley Matthews was given lbw first ball and didn’t review before the DRS timer expired, and it was later confirmed that the ball indeed was pitching outside leg. Her opening partner, Lee Ann Kirby was able to find the gaps a few times in the next three overs but then hit one straight to cover point in the first ball of the fourth over to give Diana her second wicket. Their powerplay score read 28 for 2, and Deandra Dottin’s entry would not turn it much for them as she departing for 1 after giving away a simple catch off Nida to Iram Javed at long-on.It was captain Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle who ensured West Indies avoided a below-par total, but the rest of the line-up collapsed around them to a disciplined Pakistan bowling performance.But Pakistan, too, had a few lapses in the field – Aiman Anwer dropped Kirby and a missed run-out chance let Taylor off when she was on 23.Taylor, Campbelle the only bright spots
With little to no help from the rest of the batters, Taylor and Campbelle took on the task of putting up a decent total on board after a dim start. The two were cautious most of the time in the middle, even avoiding using their feet against Bismah’s slow-tossed legbreaks.The first big hit of the match came in the 15th over with Campbelle charged down the track to hit Nida over midwicket, and she would go on to hit another six and a four in the next over off Diana. But in the next over, she fell for a 36-ball 43, lbw to Anam Amin trying a reverse sweep. Taylor smote two sixes in the next few overs before holing out on a 47-ball 43. They were the only bright spots on the day when everything seemed to be going wrong for West Indies.

Home side crumbles for second time in match as Hannon-Dalby claims 4 for 24

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2021Oliver Hannon-Dalby bowled Warwickshire to a crushing 191-run victory as Derbyshire’s batting folded again in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.Faced with a target of 309, Derbyshire crumbled for the second time in the match and were bowled out for 117 before tea on the third afternoon with Hannon-Dalby claiming 4 for 24.The home side had a chance when they bowled Warwickshire out for 155 with Michael Cohen taking 5 for 43 but a post lunch collapse condemned them to a fourth defeat of the season.Warwickshire’s fourth victory takes them to the top of Group 1 and boosts their chances of qualifying for Division One with two games to play.Derbyshire have yet to win a match but they were in with a slim chance of ending that run when they took the last three Warwickshire wickets for only 23.Cohen and Sam Conners both got lavish swing to restrict Warwickshire’s lead to 308 but their hopes quickly faded as Hannon-Dalby removed both openers in the first five overs.Billy Godleman edged a good delivery to first slip, where Tim Bresnan took a sharp catch, and Luis Reece was caught down the leg side trying to pull.Craig Miles delivered another body blow with the last ball before lunch when Brook Guest was caught behind off an inside edge.Wayne Madsen and Ben McDermott briefly lifted the spirits of the home supporters before the wheels came off again with four wickets falling for eight runs in five overs.Will Rhodes brought himself on at the Racecourse End and was immediately rewarded when Madsen gave him a return catch off a leading edge and in the nex over, Hannon-Dalby returned to pin Matt Critchley lbw.McDermott went in his next over when he pushed forward and edged low to third slip and Alex Hughes was beaten by a full, swinging delivery from Rhodes.Warwickshire turned to the left-arm spin of Danny Briggs for the first time in the match and he struck with his third ball when Cohen pushed forward and was stumped.Anuj Dal drove and cut Liam Norwell for two fours before he edged to third slip and a 21 point victory was sealed when Ben Aitchison skied Briggs to mid off.

Bowler has suffered a fractured left thumb in the Indians’ warm-up match against County Select XI

Nikhil Sharma21-Jul-2021Avesh Khan’s tour of England is likely to have come to an end as ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Madhya Pradesh fast bowler has suffered a fracture in his left thumb, which he hurt on the first day of the warm-up match between the Indians and the County Select XI at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday. It is understood that Khan will undergo a couple of scans and tests this week, after which he will return to India to recover in time for the IPL where he represents the Delhi Capitals. Khan was a key part of the Capitals in the first half of IPL 2021, picking up 14 wickets, the joint second-highest in the competition so far.Related

• Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav to join India Test squad in England

• Haseeb Hameed hits ton as Indian bowlers get solid workout

• Three IPLs on, Avesh Khan fulfils 'dream' of taking Dhoni's wicket

• Avesh Khan is ready for the next level

• Injury concerns for India: Kohli has stiff back, Rahane swollen hamstring

Khan was representing the County Select XI, and immediately after lunch on Tuesday, he successfully intercepted a punched drive from Hanuma Vihari, but winced in pain. Minutes later he walked off, alongside the Indian physiotherapist, with a strapped left thumb.The Indians ended the first day’s play on 306 for 9, with KL Rahul having cracked a century (101), and Ravindra Jadeja making 75.On Wednesday, the BCCI’s media team sent an update on Khan, saying he would “not be taking any further part” in the warm-up match and that he “remains under observation”. Khan and Washington Sundar had both been permitted by the Indian team management to turn up for the County Select XI, which had two vacant slots since the pair of James Bracey and Zak Chappell were not available. Bracey had been identified as contact of a Covid-19 positive case and had to be pulled out of the squad, while Chappell suffered an injury on Tuesday morning.Khan had been named as one of the five reserves by the Indian selectors in the 25-man squad which was announced in May. He becomes the second player, after Shubman Gill, to be ruled out of the series. The details of Gill’s injury have not yet been put out by the BCCI, but it is learned that the opening batter had been hampered by a niggle in the lower half of his left leg, which surfaced post the World Test Championship final in June.Virat Kohli bats in the netsA day after the BCCI said that Virat Kohli was being rested for the three-day warm-up match due to a stiff back, the Indian captain turned up to bat in the nets. At lunch on Day 2 in Durham, Kohli took throwdowns from Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour, with India head coach Ravi Shastri observing from a distance. The development is a welcome one for the Indians, who also are concerned by the fitness of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has a swollen hamstring. Also part of the nets was India’s seniormost fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who has bounced back from the hand injury he picked on the final day of the World Test Championshp final. Sharma had received stitches on his bowling hand.

Oman make the grade too after a four-wicket win over hosts Namibia

Peter Della Penna in Windhoek24-Apr-2019Xavier Marshall’s first official international century for USA set the platform for his team to secure ODI status for the first time in their history as they cruised past Hong Kong at United Cricket Club.USA were sent in – they lost their fourth consecutive toss in Namibia – and former West Indies Test player Marshall anchored the innings after losing opening partner Monank Patel at the end of the second over. Monank, who was Man of the Match for his unbeaten 70 a day earlier against Papua New Guinea, chipped a leading edge back to offspinning allrounder Kinchit Shah.Marshall got off to a sluggish start, scoring 18 off his first 55 balls, before he was dropped twice in the space of three overs off Ehsan Khan. The first chance was a scorching drive that Ehsan did well to protect his face from, but the second, when he was on 23, was a straightforward chance to midwicket that captain Anshuman Rath couldn’t hold on to.Rath’s drop cost Hong Kong dearly as not only did Marshall go on to make a century off 153 balls, but also compiled an 184-run partnership with Steven Taylor, who hit 88 in 95 balls. It’s the highest second-wicket stand in USA’s one-day cricket history and their fourth highest partnership for any wicket. One ball after Marshall brought up his century with a boundary over midwicket, though, he fell to spark a flurry of wickets. But Timil Patel’s cameo of 34 not out off 12 balls concluded the innings with two sixes over long-on to take USA to 280.The chase proved to be anticlimactic after Ali Khan struck the decisive blow in the sixth over. Khan trapped the tournament’s leading scorer Rath with an inswinging yorker for his tournament-high 13th wicket. From there, victory was assured as Hong Kong played to limit the damage to their net run-rate for the majority of their innings as they still hold a chance of securing fourth place.Fast bowler Kaleemullah and Oman Cricket director Pankaj Khimji celebrate Oman gaining ODI status•Peter Della Penna

Oman became the second team on the day to clinch ODI status, about 45 minutes after USA, as Sandeep Goud struck an unbeaten 57, including the winning six, with five balls to spare to keep Oman unbeaten with a win over Namibia.Four years earlier at Malahide, Oman had secured T20I status with a dramatic win over the same opponents at the World T20I Qualifier and Goud’s knock provided a bit of déjà vu at Affies Park for Oman.Jan Frylinck dismissed Khurram Nawaz at the start of the 44th over for the sixth wicket and his third of the day, leaving Oman needing 57 off the last 35 balls. But Namibia could not break into the tail as allrounder Goud marshalled Oman across the line with a career-best knock. With 39 required off 24, Goud struck Frylinck for four and six to start the 47th and by the end of the over Oman needed 24 off 18 before strolling across the line.Namibia had fought back brilliantly after being pinned down in the first innings at 98 for 7. JJ Smit and Zane Green compiled a 103-run eighth-wicket stand as Smit counter-attacked with a run-a-ball 60 from No. 9. Namibia had momentum going their way into the break before Fayyaz Butt wrested it back for Oman, dismissing the set pair on back-to-back balls in the penultimate over.The silver lining for Namibia is that they still control their own destiny heading into the final day of round-robin play. A win over Hong Kong will seal ODI status but they can even obtain it in spite of a loss as they currently hold a massive +1.452 net run-rate advantage over Hong Kong (fourth place) and a +1.663 advantage over Canada (fifth).Captain Davy Jacobs kept Canada’s hopes of claiming the fourth and final ODI status slot alive after his unbeaten half-century clinched a nervy chase at Wanderers over Papua New Guinea.Canada had PNG on the ropes for the majority of the match but struggled to land a knockout blow. PNG were 70 for 7 after electing to bat first, almost a carbon copy of their struggles from a day earlier against USA, but Assad Vala fought valiantly with the tail to extend the innings until the 45th over.Promoted to open from his usual No. 3, the PNG captain and tailenders Jason Kila, Nosaina Pokana and Damien Ravu added 84 for the final three wickets with Vala doing most of the heavy lifting. It took the return of Dillon Heyliger, who had earlier hit the top order with three wickets, to finally dislodge Vala to end the innings with 34 balls unused.Yet, Canada’s top order failed again in the chase. It took Jacobs to steady things upon entering at 56 for 4. Heyliger played a key role with Jacobs at the end as well as the pair knocked off the final 21 runs together in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand.Canada can clinch ODI status for the first time since 2014 if they beat USA on Friday paired with a Hong Kong loss to Namibia and a PNG loss to Oman. If Canada, Hong Kong and PNG all lose, they will all remain on 1-4 with the fourth ODI status slot decided by net run-rate.

Four wickets for Liam Livingstone followed by a violent contribution with the bat set up an untroubled Lancashire win at Grace Road

ECB Reporters Network18-Jul-2018
ScorecardLancashire Lightning notched a fourth straight win to go top of the North Division of the Vitality T20 Blast after crushing Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road.After a bright start, the Foxes collapsed from 88-1 in the 10th over to be all out for a disappointing 142 in the 20th after Lancashire had won the toss and put them in.Skipper Liam Livingstone, who made an explosive 100 off 51 balls in Lightning’s nine-wicket win at Derbyshire earlier in the competition, starred with the ball this time, claiming 4 for 17 from his four overs of off-spin.He and leg-spinner Callum Parkinson between them claimed five for 39 from eight overs as the Foxes were well and truly shackled, hitting only one boundary between the 10th over and the 17th and losing six wickets in the process.

Lancashire’s spin cycle

According to analysis from CricViz, Lancashire have bowled the highest proportion of spin overs (now up to 48%) in this season’s Blast, taken the most wickets with spin (15) and have the lowest spin economy rate (6.84). This is a side perfectly designed for a hot summer. They are one county desperate for the heatwave not to break

Livingstone then smashed the first three balls he faced for four off Pakistan strike bowler Mohammad Abbas on the way to 28 off 11 deliveries to give his side a flying start in pursuit of their target.Dropped twice as he swung at everything in an innings that began violently but had become frenetic long before the end, the 24-year-old all-rounder was eventually caught by Mohammad Nabi at mid-on (who had put him down off the previous ball) off Ben Raine.After closing the Powerplay on 68 for 1 Lightning lost Arron Lilley for a 12-ball 19 when Matt Parkinson’s twin brother Callum came into the Foxes attack but never looked in any danger of falling short of their target.Opener Alex Davies (51) and England’s Keaton Jennings (37) were able to ease them over the line with 20 balls to spare thanks to an unbroken partnership of 70.Leicestershire struggled to find gaps in the field in the first couple of overs but Cameron Delport got them going with two sixes and a four off left-arm seamer Toby Lester, whose second over cost 25.Neil Dexter eventually found his rhythm, although only after a double let-off against James Faulkner on eight. Reprieved when bowled as TV umpire Graham Lloyd spotted that Australian had over-stepped, he was caught at mid-wicket off the free hit.

Talking T20 Podcast

Dan Norcross and David Hopps desperately try to recall the latest news from 18 counties
Listen on ESPN radio
Follow on iTunes

Dexter went on to score 30 off 28 balls after Delport had been caught in the deep by Livingstone off Graham Onions for 25 off 13 and Mark Cosgrave kept the momentum going with 31 off 21 balls.But the dismissal of Dexter off Livingstone in the 10th over sparked a flurry of wickets as the Foxes went from 88 for 1 to 91 for 4 in the space of six deliveries.Raine, after his brilliant century – the second fastest by an Englishman in T20 – as the Foxes blew away Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston last week, was bowled first ball by Livingstone before Dane Vilas executed an easy stumping to see off Cosgrove off Parkinson.After Nabi and Colin Ackermann had holed out off Livingstone, Foxes were 102-6 and never really recovered in a meaningful way, some lusty blows from Zak Chappell near the end coming as too little too late.Lancashire will go into Friday’s Roses T20 match against Yorkshire Vikings at Old Trafford full of confidence, especially with Jos Buttler available, while the Foxes have a difficult trip to Trent Bridge to take on a Nottinghamshire Outlaws side who have already beaten them at Grace Road.

Captains Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb spoke to the media ahead of the five-day final starting on Thursday

Tristan Lavalette30-Mar-2022As Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb posed for the cameras, the iconic Sheffield Shield nestled between the skippers made for a magnificent sight in front of the WACA’s famous scoreboard.After a 23-year drought, the burly trophy was back on Western Australian turf but not yet in the WACA’s possession, reinforced by a Cricket Australia official whisking the Shield away when the media event on Wednesday ended.A desperate Western Australia will be aiming to end their curse when they host Victoria in the five-day Sheffield Shield final starting on Thursday. Perhaps no one has endured the drought more than 38-year-old Marsh, who made his first-class debut for Western Australia in 2000-01 – just two seasons after Tom Moody held aloft the Shield at the Gabba after repeating as champions.Ever since those glory days – that 1998-99 winning team featured Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich and Damien Martyn – Western Australia have mostly been mired near the bottom of the Shield competition. Even Justin Langer, who helped fuel the Perth Scorchers into a BBL powerhouse, was unable to deliver a title with Western Australia falling short in consecutive Shield finals in 2013-14 and 2014-15 during his coaching tenure.”I wouldn’t say it’s been a curse,” Marsh said. “It’s been a long time between drinks. Probably three years ago when I knew my Australian days were over, I made a real conscious effort to come back here and try to be part of something like tomorrow.”Western Australia enter as warm favourites after securing their first home final since 1997-98 with a thumping innings and 51 run victory over Victoria at the WACA last week. They have a good blend of youth and experience with batter Hilton Cartwright in aggressive form, while their pace attack is varied and boasts left-arm quick Joel Paris and speedster Lance Morris who combined for 10 wickets as Victoria crumbled for 114 and 172.Marsh said their final eleven hadn’t been confirmed but hinted at it remaining unchanged meaning 17-year-old Teague Wyllie, who starred at the recent Under-19 World Cup, would hold his place after making 42 in the middle order in his first-class debut.”He’s pretty lucky, I’ve waited 20 years to play in a home Shield final and he’s playing one in his second game,” Marsh said. “It’s a great story. He’s played so well over the last 18 months and thoroughly deserves his opportunity and I’m really excited for him.”Victoria have received a boost with the inclusion of Ashes hero Scott Boland•Getty Images

While Marsh remained unsure if this would be the swansong of his long first-class cricket, which netted six tons in 38 Tests, he remained focused on Western Australia’s bid for a trifecta of titles after winning the Marsh Cup and Scorchers triumphed in the BBL.”This would certainly cap it off but there is a lot of hard work and we are looking forward to giving it a big shake in front of family, friends and fans,” he said.While anticipation is building internally, the final is a relatively low-key affair in Perth amid Australian football season heightened by the suffocating build-up of the marquee local AFL fixture between crosstown rivals West Coast and Fremantle. Even so, Marsh hoped for a strong turnout at the WACA.”Hopefully we get a big crowd and the supporters can get right behind us,” he said.Hoping to spoil the party, Victoria – who last won the Shield in 2018-19 – boast a strong top order through newly joint player of the season Travis Dean, Will Pucovski, Nic Maddinson and Handscomb.But they’ve been left shorthanded with opener Marcus Harris forced out due to testing positive to Covid-19 on his return from the Test tour of Pakistan. Harris joins veteran James Pattinson on the sidelines after the former Test quick was ruled out with a calf injury.Victoria, however, received a much-needed boost with the inclusion of Ashes hero Scott Boland, who will return to the field after being unused during the Pakistan Test series.”I’m sure (Boland) has trained the house down in Pakistan and done all the workloads,” Handscomb said. “Scotty knows his body well and what he needs to do, so he’ll be ready tomorrow.”With the final set to be played in humid and overcast conditions throughout, Boland looms as a major handful on the WACA surface although Handscomb preferred sticking with Victoria’s underdog tag. “The conditions are probably going to suit WA because it’s their home ground,” he said.”We had a good run last week so we have an understanding of what we are going to get. Hopefully we will learn from that and be better for it.”Western Australia (possible): 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 Sam Whiteman, 3 Shaun Marsh (capt), 4 Hilton Cartwright, 5 Teague Wyllie, 6 Josh Philippe (wk), 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Joel Paris, 9 Matthew Kelly, 10 Corey Rocchiccioli, 11 Lance MorrisVictoria (possible): 1 Will Pucovski, 2 Travis Dean, 3 Peter Handscomb (capt), 4 Nic Maddinson, 5 Matt Short, 6 Jono Merlo, 7 Sam Harper (wk), 8 Will Sutherland, 9 Scott Boland, 10 Mitch Perry, 11 Jon Holland

McCullum made a 42-ball 66 after Trinbago Knight Riders’ spinners had blunted the home team’s batting after they’d elected to bat

The Report by Peter Della Penna27-Aug-2018
Brendon McCullum brings out his unorthodoxy•Getty Images

Trinbago Knight Riders joined Jamaica Tallawahs at the top of the table on eight points after a dominant display in a four-wicket win over Barbados Tridents. The final margin painted the Tridents in a flattering light, but they were out of the game by the second over when left-arm spinner Khary Pierre singlehandedly wrecked the Tridents top order with two wickets and a run-out off his own bowling in the space of four balls.From 3 for 3, Tridents scratched their way to 128 for 8, a total that was easily overhauled by a brisk half-century from Brendon McCullum. Trinbago needed five runs to win off the last 25 balls when Denesh Ramdin and McCullum fell on consecutive deliveries, a minor pair of blemishes in what was a comprehensive team performance.Oui, Oui Khary!Tridents’ night was virtually over not long after it began, after Pierre struck three times in the space of four balls in the second over of the match. Dwayne Smith was yorked by a quicker, fuller ball from Pierre. Shamar Springer, who took the place of an out of form Martin Guptill in the XI, did little to justify his inclusion ahead of the Tridents $160,000 man after he scampered down the track in search of a non-existent run to short midwicket as Pierre fielded off his own bowling and fired back to Ramdin with Springer four yards short.The biggest blow by Pierre was struck two balls later to round off the sequence. Steven Smith, who only arrived in the closing overs in Tridents previous match and faced three balls, had plenty of time to get his eye in but lasted one ball fewer than he had 24 hours earlier against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Steven’s charge down the track went awry, fanning on a flick as Ramdin stumped the Aussie with ease for a second-ball duck to leave the Tridents three down just 10 balls into the match.Nick of Time Typically best utilized as a finisher, Nicholas Pooran joined Shai Hope at the crease in the second over and did his best to spare the Tridents from total humiliation. Counterattacking from ball one, he drove the first delivery he faced from Pierre through the covers for four to spark a 70-run partnership.Three boundaries off consecutive deliveries by Hope off Javon Searles in the sixth over stabilized the Tridents further and they ended the Powerplay on 46 for 3 before Pooran unloaded on Pierre again in the seventh over, striking him clean through the line over long-on for a colossal six. Pooran took Dwayne Bravo over the ropes for six more to start the ninth, but Bravo got his revenge to end the stand three balls later, fooling Pooran with a slower ball full toss that dipped late to clean up his Trini compatriot.Fawad it’s worthAustralian legspinner Fawad Ahmed removed Hope off the first ball of the 13th over with a luscious googly to clip the top of off. It was the start of a double-wicket over that may have intensified scrutiny over the Tridents bold selection calls for this match.The decision to drop Guptill for Springer had already returned zero dividends and Tion Webster’s call-up into the XI over Roston Chase was almost as fruitless. Entering at No. 7, Webster lasted just four balls before he sauntered down the pitch and fanned on a regulation legbreak from Fawad to be stumped for 1. At 92 for 6 after 13 overs, a few late swats from Jason Holder in his 30 off 33 balls managed to lift Tridents past 100 but nowhere near a defendable total.Mac AttackFor the second night in a row, Mohammad Irfan’s sensational opening spell was wasted on his teammates. Irfan snagged the opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine inside the first five overs to leave the Knight Riders at 30 for 2, but McCullum entered at No. 4 and ensured that was the last genuine sniff the Tridents had at victory.McCullum cracked eight fours and three sixes in a typically aggressive knock. More than half the runs in TKR’s chase were scored in his 66-run fifth-wicket stand with Ramdin. With 36 to get off the last seven overs, McCullum scorched Wahab Riaz for three consecutive boundaries in the 14th over to bring up his fifty off 32 balls. He reached 66 before trying to end the match by slogging Steven Smith’s legspin over the midwicket rope, but a swirling top edge was taken by a backpedalling Smith. Two balls later, Bravo punched a drive through the covers for the winning runs.

The pace bowler expects a much better showing from New Zealand than they managed against England

AAP06-Aug-2022″We want to hold all the jewellery.”In seven short words, fast bowler Megan Schutt has delivered an insight into the mindset driving Australia towards dizzying new heights.They go into Saturday’s Commonwealth Games semi-final against New Zealand knowing they are just two wins away from setting a new benchmark for limited-overs success, as they look to add a gold medal to a glut of T20 and ODI World Cup triumphs. This is a team driven to succeed, and happy to embrace all that comes with it.”We’re coming in as favourites, but we come in expecting to win every single game we play and have been the favourites for a lot of tournaments now, so we’re kind of used to it,” Schutt said. “It’s a tag that we’re humbled by. We are the favourites but we thrive on that.”They also thrive on avenging missed opportunities. Cricket’s reintroduction to the Games is the 10th major limited-overs tournament for Australia since 2010, and they have won seven of the previous nine, a run that includes five T20 World Cup crowns.But while the wins are what define this team as one of the greatest national teams of all time, it is the losses – like the upset against the West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup final and the ODI World Cup semi-final loss to India in 2017 – that provide the motivation.”There are obviously two tournaments in the past that have haunted us, and something that kind of reinvigorated our team is that 2017 loss,” Schutt said. “We do talk about that a lot, that has been a new era for us.”Losses drive you forward and for us we want to win every single game that we play, we want to win every major championship. It’s about getting better and evolving as a team and each new tournament brings a new challenge.”On Saturday that challenge is New Zealand, who were well below par in their loss to England in Thursday night’s final pool game.New Zealand made just 71 off their 20 overs, a target England reeled in within 12 overs, with star duo Suzie Bates and skipper Sophie Devine both failing with the bat.”That was un-New Zealand like,” Schutt said of the heavy defeat. “They never turn up twice like that in a row and its T20 cricket where any team can win, so we certainly are not taking them lightly.”Saturday’s semi-final – which will be played on a traditional turf pitch at Edgbaston after hybrid surfaces were used during the preliminary rounds – is due to start at 1800 local time (Sunday 0300 AEST).

The former Australia captain has revealed that he has been undergoing intense radiotherapy

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2019Former Australia captain-turned-commentator Ian Chappell has revealed he has been undergoing intense radiotherapy after being diagnosed with skin cancer.The 75-year-old Chappell, who played 75 Tests for Australia from 1964 to 1980, said he had completed five weeks of treatment, having cancers removed from his shoulder, neck and underarm. The pathology has come back clear, according to him, and he expects to be fit to commentate during ‘s Ashes coverage in August.”I didn’t tell too many people early on. Mainly because I just wasn’t sure what the radiotherapy would involve and how weary I’d be,” Chappell told .”But as it turned out, it wasn’t so bad. A bit of tiredness at night and a bit of skin irritation, but other than that I’m feeling pretty good. I told family and gradually a couple of my team-mates and I’ve been getting calls from them pretty regularly which is nice.”With the Ashes coming up now, I’ll speak to Nine and just say, ‘look, I’m ready to go if you need me.”Chappell, who made 5345 Test runs at an average of 42.42, also revealed that he enjoyed a family reunion with his brothers Greg and Trevor.”When you hit 70 you feel (vulnerable) anyhow, but I guess I’ve got so used to bloody skin cancers over the years, and the fact that none of them have been melanomas, probably provides a bit of comfort. It may be naivety on my part,” he said. “I’ve had multiple skin cancers cut off, burnt off and every other way you can get rid of them.”When Richie [Benaud] and Tony [Greig] went … again, it was just a reminder that it happens to everybody.”Benaud, who also suffered from skin cancer, died in 2015 after a long battle with the illness, while Greig died in 2012 having battled lung cancer. Both were Chappell’s long-time commentary colleagues.Chappell had reportedly continued to commentate for Macquarie Sports Radio during his radiotherapy, but had stepped back during the World Cup due to late working hours.