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The Australia-England T20 marks a welcome return for the game after more than two years

Tristan Lavalette08-Oct-2022On a balmy Monday night three summers ago, Shafali Verma, the then 16-year-old prodigy, lit up the old warhorse of the WACA with an outrageous 39 off 17 balls during India’s victory over Bangladesh at the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup.The 5000-strong crowd, mostly Indian fans cheering wildly for Shafali’s heroics, hopefully savoured the experience on that electric February 24, 2020 evening because it proved the last international in Perth until Sunday’s drought-breaking men’s T20 clash between Australia and England at Optus Stadium.Of course, just weeks later, right after Australia lifted the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy, the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the world and closed borders as refuge was sought at home.Related

• At home, and yet not quite – Cameron Green at the centre of unfamiliar homecoming

• WBBL warned not to be complacent as T20 leagues grow

• Buttler eager to unleash Stokes, but World Cup doubts remain over Livingstone

• Australia and England have final World Cup spots up for grabs as run-in gathers pace

With tough-talking premier Mark McGowan ruling with an iron fist, Western Australia tightly controlled its border longer than most. The strict measures mostly kept the virus at bay through to the end of 2021 but WA’s fortress meant a logistical nightmare for those entering the state, which involved 14 days of hotel quarantine.There were some exemptions for sports, but organising international cricket proved too difficult while only six BBL matches and last year’s WBBL final were played in Perth over the past two seasons.In perhaps the biggest blow to local coffers, the fifth Ashes Test last summer was supposed to be played in Perth before being shifted to Hobart after months of hostile debate between administrators, pundits and fans.It all totalled a loss of AU$18 million in revenue for the WACA, said chief executive Christina Matthews.”We had to adjust our operations to minimise the loss,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “It was disappointing that we couldn’t participate in elite cricket at home.”Effectively we were at the whim of the premier and the government that made decisions that meant cricket couldn’t be played here.”The timing proved particularly inopportune with Perth’s ODI against India in 2020-21 scrapped – after originally being overlooked to host an India Test – followed by losing the Ashes Test in January after McGowan refused to open WA’s borders in conjunction with the rest of the country in late 2021.”Losing India and England two years in a row… that’s the high point in our membership,” Matthews said. “When we moved matches to Optus Stadium we were building towards those Tests to maximise our returns, so we have to wait another four years to take advantage of the stadium.”It had a devastating impact on our forward planning and business model. Our financial model is built around BBL and international cricket. But we had relatively small losses compared to what we could have been facing.”With the heart of its home schedule ripped out, some WACA members were left disenchanted. “I know there were some members who renewed because of the Ashes Test, which we kept hearing was going to be played at Optus,” said long-time WACA member Chamara Seneviratne. “But then it was scrapped, so that left some resentment. It was all very frustrating.”The last international match in Perth was India’s T20 World Cup game against Bangladesh•Paul Kane/Getty Images

Matthews, who has had to deal with ongoing tumult amid a spate of WACA board resignations, acknowledged the frustration but said it had a “loyal” membership base. “The members were disappointed but 90 percent of our members kept rolling their fees over and there is now a sense of security with cricket coming back,” she said.Since WA finally reopened in March, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions gradually eased to the point where Perth’s airports are once again teeming, mask sightings are rare and the virus is barely part of the daily conversation.At domestic matches at the WACA to start the Australian season, fans have been allowed to interact with players, with selfies once again a familiar sight, to reinforce that the pandemic is very much in the rearview.Anticipation is now building over the return of international cricket in Perth with many locals particularly excited about the prospect of finally watching hometown hero Cameron Green in national colours. There is the expectation for a crowd of 30,000.”There is a much better feeling among members and fans so far this season,” Seneviratne said. “It’s particularly great for kids who finally can watch Green and their other heroes in person, which is important for the development of the game.”While this exasperating period caused major headaches and sleepless nights for those at the WACA, Matthews said there were silver linings.”One of the benefits was that we allowed community cricket to be played on the WACA, which was a dream come true for many,” Matthews said. “We became closer as an organisation. It was interesting to see how quickly our staff wanted to come back and work from the venue .”It gave us an opportunity to shine in difficult circumstances. But you wouldn’t want to go through it again.”

Prabir Chakraborty and Debabrata Das to continue their second term as treasurer and joint-secretary

PTI24-Oct-2022Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has pulled out of the race to become the Cricket Association of Bengal’s next chief, paving the way for his elder brother Snehasish Ganguly to be elected uncontested at its upcoming AGM on October 31.”I had said that I would contest only if there’s election,” Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens after he chose not to file his papers for the president’s post on the last date of nomination. “There’s not going to be any election, so it will be uncontested.”After having been replaced by Roger Binny as the BCCI president, Ganguly had announced last week that he would contest the upcoming elections at CAB, but has now decided to “move aside.””Had I been there, it would have meant two or more people would not get any posts. So, I’ve moved aside,” Ganguly said. “I would have been elected uncontested, but I don’t think it’s right. Others would not have got the opportunity to work for this association. They will be working for these three years now and we will see after that.”Asked about his next innings, he said: “Let’s see. I’m free of responsibilities for some time now and I’m happy about it.”I’ve no rival in CAB, everyone is my friend here. There are new and experienced people here to run the show. I’ll also be around.”Snehasish, who was the secretary under Avishek Dalmiya, will now run the association, while Amalendu Biswas, who is the father of Students Federation of India (SFI) leader Mayukh, will be appointed as the vice-president.Naresh Ojha will be the secretary, while Prabir Chakraborty and Debabrata Das will continue their second term as the treasurer and the joint-secretary respectively.Snehasish said his priority would be to take Bengal cricket to the “next level”.”Now that we are coming back to normal [after Covid-19] we are making sure cricket gets highest priority be it men’s or women’s or age group cricket,” he said.He also said the CAB has already started preparations for the ODI World Cup next year.”The lights have been upgraded to LED operating on advanced DMX technology. The setting up of new seats is on. Repair and construction of new canopies is underway. We also have plans of upgrading the club house.”

They join the list of high-profile owners like Lancer Capital of Manchester United FC

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2022Capri Global, a non-banking financial company based in India, has bagged one of the six franchises in the UAE T20 league, which is scheduled to be launched later this year. The acquisition is Capri Global’s maiden entry into cricket and becomes the fourth franchise owner in the UAE T20 league, which is owned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).The other three firms that have already bought franchise rights comprise: Lancer Capital, the owners of Manchester United Football Club, Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Mumbai Indians and GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals.Capri Global might not be a familiar name in cricket, but the company has been trying hard in recent years to get a toe-hold in the lucrative franchise cricket league, and even raised the fourth-highest bid last year for the two new IPL teams.”Our foray into sports franchising allows Capri Global to leverage on the passion that Indian audience has for cricket,” Rajesh Sharma, managing director of Capri Global, said in a media release on Wednesday.The owners of Kolkata Knight Riders as well as the Sydney Sixers, one of the teams in the BBL, are understood to be the two other parties to have expressed interest in owning the two other franchises in the UAE T20 League. The six-team league, comprising 34 matches, was originally meant to be played in the February-March bracket, but the ECB remains confident it will host the inaugural edition of the league in 2022.ESPNcricinfo understands that one probable window would be in June, immediately after the IPL which is scheduled to end on May 29.

USA’s best bowling and fielding performance of the tournament was followed by a match-winning 66-run partnership between Man of the Match Nicholas Standford and Alex Amsterdam

Peter Della Penna in Dublin18-Jul-2015
Scorecard1:45

‘Live for moments like these’ – Standford

USA’s best bowling and fielding performance of the tournament was followed by a match-winning 66-run partnership between Man of the Match Nicholas Standford and Alex Amsterdam as they blew past Hong Kong by seven wickets at Clontarf.Three run-outs and and a game-changing spell from medium pacer Japen Patel restricted Hong Kong to 125 for 7. Then USA’s batsmen were able to polish off the game with 11 balls to spare.For Hong Kong though, the defeat brought back memories of their inept show in their tournament opener against Jersey. And it would hurt them even more considering they defended 129 against Ireland only yesterday.They had the chance to pierce through USA’s shaky middle order with the score on 37 for 2 in the chase. Akeem Dodson had been run out following a calamitous mix up with his opening partner Fahad Babar while Japen Patel’s dangerous cameo was cut short at 17 off nine balls. But errors in the field put paid to hopes of a fightback.USA had made only two runs off the bat in the first 10 balls after Japen’s wicket when Amsterdam, who was yet to score, lofted seamer Tanwir Afzal to 17-year old debutant Giacomo Lamplough at long-on. But the simple waist-high chance was spilled and Amsterdam went on to make an unbeaten 43. Amsterdam should have been out on 9 in the tenth over as well but Kinchit Shah misjudged a catch on the cover boundary off Anshuman Rath and the ball wound up going over his head, landed just inside the rope and bounced away for four.Hong Kong bucked up as seamer Irfan Ahmed trapped Babar lbw for 15 off 26. USA might have felt a touch nervous at 62 for 3 in the 11th over, considering their history of middle-order collapses. But Standford took charge and finished that 11th over off with a monstrous six over the sightscreen. Irfan, who had been the catalyst for Hong Kong’s victory over Ireland with 3 for 11, came in for some heavy punishment from Standford and finished with 1 for 33 in 3.1 overs.With 32 needed off five overs, Hong Kong took a punt and asked Mark Chapman to bowl his first over of the tournament and it nearly worked. Standford, on 16, punched Chapman’s left-arm spin but the bowler wasn’t able to hold onto a tough overhead catch.Alex Amsterdam contributed to USA’s chase with an unbeaten 43•ICC/Sportsfile

Amsterdam was on 41 at the time and Standford caught up with three big blows in the next over. Irfan, who was the bowler, conceded a pair of sixes over long on and then a pulled four through square leg. Standford smashed another four over the leg side off the first ball of the 19th over from Irfan to clinch victory and finished with 40 not out in 25 balls.The platform for victory though was set up by USA’s seamers who kept Hong Kong’s batting in check. Captain Muhammad Ghous, who had opted to bowl after winning the toss, opened with a maiden and got the initial breakthrough in the third over. It might have been a lucky one; he trapped the left-handed Rath lbw while darting in his offspin over the wicket. But the batsman did shuffle across his stumps and was looking to flick behind square.Left-arm seamer Naseer Jamali bowled a tight three-over spell in the Powerplay and conceded only 12 runs but Ghous was hit out of the attack by Irfan and Nizakat Khan. They swept and flicked a pair of fours before turning their attention to the off side. A cover drive raced to the boundary and took the score to 23 for 1 after five overs.Nizakat fell to seamer Adil Bhatti’s first ball, in the seveth over, as a flat-footed swish outside off took the edge and was well taken by wicketkeeper Dodson diving to his right.Irfan was then run out by the bowler Hammad Shahid after a miscommunication with Chapman to end the tenth over with Hong Kong at 54 for 3. Hong Kong increased that tally by 29 runs to be 83 for 3 after 14 overs. Though the run-rate wasn’t great, they had wickets in hand.That’s when Japen struck. He responded to being smacked to the point boundary by Chapman by dismissing the batsman the very next ball. Cramped for room, the glide to third man found the keeper’s gloves instead. In his next over, Japen went full and straight to beat Babar Hayat’s slog, and picked up one more in the 19th when Tanwir’s hoick was skied to Timil Patel at point.That was the first of four wickets off the final nine balls for Hong Kong. An alert Dodson denied a leg bye and ran Aizaz Khan out. Then Timil induced a mistimed drive from Haseeb Amjad to long-off, where Naseer Jamali took a good, running catch. Jamie Atkinson, the top-scorer with 34, was run-out off the final ball and USA went into the innings break with a spring in their step.Now for USA to reach the playoffs, they must beat Papua New Guinea on Sunday and have two other results go in their favor. Ireland must beat Jersey and Namibia has to beat Hong Kong to put USA on six points to Hong Kong’s five and Jersey’s four while Nepal has already been eliminated from contention for a top-four spot by finishing on three points.

Batting collapses aren’t new to Pakistan cricket, but after falling from 32 for 1 to 152 for 7 in 37 overs on the second day in Pallekele, even Azhar Ali, the team’s vice-captain, could not offer an explanation

Umar Farooq in Pallekele04-Jul-2015Ever since the Galle turnaround, Pakistan’s batting has combusted time and again. Batting collapses aren’t new to Pakistan cricket, but after falling from 32 for 1 to 152 for 7 in 37 overs on the second day in Pallekele, even Azhar Ali, the team’s vice-captain, could not offer an explanation.Azhar, like several of his team-mates, was guilty of throwing his wicket away despite being one of the few batsmen settled at the crease. Before that, on a pitch that was not unplayable by any means, Ahmed Shehzad was done by his own remiss, and Asad Shafiq played across the line to be trapped lbw.Was it fair to call Pakistan’s batting careless?”I don’t think careless is the right word, but you can say misjudgment,” Azhar said. “We all were out there with a positive frame of mind and were very much focused but it didn’t work out. You sometime hit a ball for a boundary and the same ball gets you out as well, which is part of the game. You can’t just say that we were careless.”They (Sri Lanka bowlers) bowled in the right areas this time, again otherwise the wicket is still very good for Test cricket as it has everything for everyone. The main point we lacked today was not building big partnerships otherwise it could have been different scenario. We anchored small partnerships but converting them into bigger partnerships was the only thing missed. Small partnership in intervals looked easy for us for a while, but then again, we lost few wickets in the wrong time and we never got time to get settled.”The collapse undid most of the good work done by the Pakistan bowlers, who bundled Sri Lanka out for 278, as the visitors still trailed by 69 runs with just one wicket in hand going into day three. Before the Test, Misbah-ul-Haq had suggested that his team had their best chance of beating a weakened Sri Lanka side at their home, but Pakistan’s performance on Saturday did little to justify that belief. Azhar, though, felt the game was still open.”We still have a chance to beat Sri Lanka by trying to exploit the absence of big names in their team. But at the same time, whoever they have are very good players representing their country. We are applying ourselves with full strength to beat them but we have to be on top of our game.”This Test is still open and the closer we get to their score, it will increase our chances to pull this in our way. The third innings is always important and if we managed to get them out early, we are capable of turning things around like we did in Galle as well. So there is plenty of time in the match and we are positive about everything. From tomorrow, it will be a new day and we look forward to it.”Pakistan may sound optimistic, but at the moment, only Yasir Shah is on top of his game. The game may not be lost, but the momentum most certainly has.”It’s Test cricket because it test you in different sessions, and if we managed to pull ourselves together in the coming days and play our best cricket, then we can win this game and we are positive about this,” Azhar said.”The only problem we have had so far is that we couldn’t convert the smaller partnerships into big ones. It’s not like the pitch wasn’t good, it is equally good for batsmen, but each one of us have to apply ourselves and have to work hard to get the best out of this.”

Steven Smith and the coach Darren Lehmann both offered warm tributes to Haddin from Manchester as he announced his international retirement in Sydney

Daniel Brettig09-Sep-20151:02

Quick Facts – Brad Haddin

Brad Haddin will always be welcome in the Australian team dressing room, of which he was such a major part for much of the past 15 years. The new captain Steven Smith and the coach Darren Lehmann both offered warm tributes to Haddin from Manchester as he announced his international retirement on the other side of the world in Sydney.For Smith, Haddin is something like his cricketing father. The pair have been close for almost the entirety of the younger man’s career with New South Wales and latterly Australia, also linking up influentially as the leadership duo for the Sydney Sixers. Last summer Haddin handed over his vice-captaincy post to Smith, allowing the 26-year-old to step in as Test captain at home against India. There will be plenty of Haddin about the way Smith leads Australia.”He’s been a terrific player over a long period of time for Australia, certainly one of the best team men I’ve ever been around – he always put the team first in every aspect,” Smith said. “He’s been a great mentor for me. I’ve learned so much off him, throughout [playing for] NSW. When I started there he was captain. I learned a lot off him there.””In the Australian setup as well he always took me under his wing and helped me develop as a player and as a person. I’m very thankful for that. He was an extremely experienced player, and a great vice-captain to Michael throughout his whole career. He was just a great team man to have around, and who a lot of the young guys learned a lot off.”Smith also admired Haddin’s natural tendency to take the game on, even if it meant the occasional pratfall. The rewards for such courage could be rich, never more so than during the 2013-14 Ashes summer when his brazen batting drove England to distraction.”The home Ashes, where we won five-nil, he was a massive part of that. I think he scored 50 or more in the first innings in all five of those Test matches,” Smith recalled. “He was a big part of our success throughout that summer. That’s probably my fondest memory of him.””Magnificent player, really took the game on. Batting at No.7, I think he really came out and played positively. I think there were a lot of times where he got us back into the game, just from sheer will and taking the game on. He was magnificent at that, and I think a lot of keepers around the world can learn from the way he played.”Lehmann and Haddin crossed paths well over a decade ago as opponents in domestic competition, and had their share of confrontations as aggressive captains of South Australia and New South Wales. Years later they worked closely as Lehmann took over as national team coach, and he admitted Haddin’s role extended as far as mentoring the mentor.”It’s a sad day for Australian cricket, because he was a fantastic player, a fantastic mentor for a lot of young players. A great mentor for me as coach,” Lehmann said. “I played against him as a youngster, [when I was] with South Australia, and saw him rise through the ranks and play some amazing knocks for Australia.”Some of the catches and keeping he did over that period of time, in 66 Test matches, is an amazing achievement for him – but also [because of] what he went through personally. It’s a credit to him and [wife] Karina and the kids. He’s a fantastic human being and he’ll be welcome in our change rooms all the time, because he’s an absolute superstar.”The role of vice-captain to Michael Clarke was never an easy one, as Clarke himself knew from a difficult period alongside Ricky Ponting, while Shane Watson’s alliance with Clarke was always tenuous. Haddin engendered such respect that he was able to work strongly alongside Clarke while also fashioning workable relationships with all players, and Lehmann credited his ability to use the position for the betterment of the team.”The way he went about it as vice-captain of Australia was exceptional,” Lehmann said. “He was instrumental in Ashes, World Cup, series wins in South Africa. We had a lot of success with Brad in the team. He was fantastic around the group and he complemented Michael really well. He was a fantastic vice-captain for Australia, one of the best we’ve ever had.”He was quite vocal behind the scenes. He was one of those guys that really wanted to help and push the youngsters … making sure they’re learning the craft. He pushed the Australian cricket team to the limits, and I think that’s a great thing for a vice-captain, a keeper, [to be] someone so vocal.””You’ve seen someone like Steven Smith, who obviously grew up watching Brad and then playing with Brad, and [learning from] the way he went about it, the way he trained. His work ethic was second to none. I think Michael and him set a great example for the way they went about it and played the game.”When asked to sum up Haddin’s legacy, Lehmann offered the following: “The baggy green, the way he wore it with pride. The way he helped younger players. The way he helped drive the team as a whole. The way he helped coaches. The way he helped mould the team. The way we play today is an exceptional legacy for him. The way he thought about his family and helped his family through difficult times, and the way he helps other people’s family and friends.”

Pakistan seamer unable to take up deal due to overlap with Pakistan Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2021Kent have signed Adam Milne, the New Zealand pace bowler, as a replacement for Mohammad Amir, whose Pakistan Super League commitments will prevent him from appearing in the Vitality Blast.Amir had been due to play for Kent in the second half of the Blast, after the completion of the PSL – but the shifting dates for the rearranged competition, which begins on Wednesday, and quarantine restrictions for arriving in the UK from Pakistan mean he won’t be taking up his deal.Instead, Milne will arrive for his fourth spell at Kent, having taken 38 wickets in 28 appearances between 2017 and 2019. He is expected to be available for Kent’s ninth group game, against Somerset at Canterbury on June 28, onwards.”We’re delighted that Adam will be coming back to be a Kent Spitfire once more,” Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said. “He is a world-class T20 bowler who has made a significant difference to our side every time he has played for the Spitfires. I am sure our Members and supporters will be excited to welcome him back for the later stages of the Vitality Blast.”Milne was part of the Kent side that reached the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast in 2018, and narrowly missed out on reaching the knockouts a year later. He has also featured at the IPL and the Big Bash, as well as being capped 23 times in T20Is by New Zealand.Milne said: “I love being a Spitfire and I’m really excited that the opportunity has arisen for me to come back to Kent for a fourth time. It’ll be great to see familiar faces in the dressing room but I’m also looking forward to working with the new talent that has joined since my last stint in 2019.”Kent’s other overseas options include South African batter Heino Kuhn and the Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmed, who is expected to be available after quarantine from June 13, when the club face Gloucestershire at Canterbury.

The 91-run defeat hurts Capitals’ net run-rate and puts their playoff chances in doubt

Sreshth Shah08-May-20224:10

Where are Delhi Capitals going wrong?

Devon Conway continued his purple patch with a third fifty-plus score, and Moeen Ali took three wickets in a miserly spell to help Chennai Super Kings complete a 91-run demolition job over Delhi Capitals. With Capitals trying to stay in contention of a top-four finish, RIshabh Pant’s side conceded 208 runs in the first innings, after which they lost their last eight wickets for only 45 runs in the chase.For Capitals, it was the seven single-digit scores that hurt their chase. A target of 209 was always going to be steep, but it proved even more difficult in the absence of Prithvi Shaw and a premature end to David Warner’s innings. Every Super Kings bowler enjoyed success on the night, with two-fors for uncapped seamers Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh and allrounder Dwayne Bravo, and a 1 for 29 for mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana.Super Kings’ win took them out of the bottom two for the first time in over a month, and keeps them alive for playoff contention, even though their road to the final-four remains dependent on a huge slice of luck. Capitals are now in danger of slipping from fifth to seventh over the next few days with Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad both on 10 points after 11 games.Moeen Ali all but ended the contest after striking three times in his first two overs•BCCI

The collapseThe Capitals chase offered promise early on, despite the dismissal of KS Bharat – playing instead of Shaw as opener – as he fell to the slip cordon trying to pull Simarjeet. Warner was then out lbw to Theekshana even though he was convinced he got some bat en route to the pad, but then Mitchell Marsh and Pant looked to rebuild. Between the two, the seven fours and the lone six kept Capitals in contention of the net run-rate as they moved into the seventies by the eight over.But then came the fall. Moeen tempted Marsh to slog to a wide-ish ball, only to get caught on 25. The offspinner then returned next over to pick off Pant with a chopped-on bowled dismissal and soon picked up Ripal Patel. A recovery from 81 for 5 was still possible, but a double-wicket over from the other end in the next over made the result a formality. Choudhary picked off Axar Patel and Rovman Powell in the space of five balls in the 11th over, and at 85 for 7, the target for Capitals was to finish respectably, helped in part by Shardul Thakur’s 24. However, all they could reach was 117 before Bravo picked up wickets nine and ten off back-to-back deliveries in the 18th over.Moeen’s day outAfter the game, Moeen said that his primary job as offspinner is to spin the ball, and on Sunday’s used wicket, he found that. It helped Moeen that he picked up Marsh’s wicket three balls into his spell, and used that momentum to remain on top of the batters. Moeen enjoyed a bit of luck with Pant’s dismissal onto his stumps, but earned Ripal’s wicket by ensuring he did not go full after being hit for a six. Instead, his flatter, length ball left the batter trying for a big leg-side swipe even though the ball was not in his arc.Moeen also enjoyed the advantage of the pressure being applied by the bowler from the other end, as his third over came following the two Choudhary wickets. That allowed him to eke out five dots against Kuldeep Yadav – who was still trying to find his feet in the crease – and finished his spell of 3 for 13 with 16 dot balls.Conway shines (again)The left-hander from New Zealand is scoring fifties for fun now, his hat-trick of fifties corresponding to big Super Kings totals, too. Quite early on, Conway made it clear in fellow opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s company that he preferred spin inside the powerplay, and when it was offered to the batters by Pant, Gaikwad rotated the strike often enough to let Conway face the slow bowlers.That proved to be brutal as Axar was welcomed inside the powerplay with two sixes over his head by the charging Conway, and when Kuldeep came on for the first time in the eighth over, the batter lofted him for six, swept him for another six and drove him for four. The two big overs helped Conway race away to a 28-ball fifty, following up from scores of 56 and 85 not out in his last two outings.Pant continued to trust Kuldeep after an 18-run opening over, and when Conway faced him again, the batter hit him for a hat-trick of fours through the covers. By the time the partnership broke – with Gaikwad falling for 41 to an Anrich Nortje short ball – Super Kings were 110 for 1 after 11 overs.Dube, returning to the side following Ravindra Jadeja’s absence from the XI due to injury, entered at No. 3 and chose to be the one taking the risky batting options as Conway entered his 80s. And he did by hammering Shardul for 6, 6 and 4 in the space of four balls to end the 16th over.But Conway’s prolonged period at the non-striker’s, starved of strike, did have some impact. When he got back on strike on 87 in the 17th over, he failed to get the desired connection off a ramp and fell 13 short of what could’ve been high first IPL century. Nonetheless, he finished on his highest tournament score.At the point of his dismissal, Super Kings were going at over 10 runs per over, and the remaining batters ensured they didn’t let the momentum die after the set batters’ dismissal. MS Dhoni walked in and got off the mark with a six and four, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen swung the bat around for useful boundaries, and despite a tidy nine-run 20th over from Nortje that also included two wickets, Super Kings could not be stopped from posting their fourth 200-plus total.

Fast bowler Gabriel could make first Test appearance since November 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023Shannon Gabriel could play his first Test in over a year after being recalled for West Indies’ Test squad to tour Zimbabwe later this month. Spinners Jomel Warrican and Gudakesh Motie will also come back into contention after being included in the 15-man party.Gabriel, 34, last featured in the Test side in Sri Lanka in November 2021. He was subsequently sidelined by a hamstring injury, and spent much of last year working to regain fitness; he had a spell in county cricket with Yorkshire and finished joint-leading wicket-taker in the Super50 Cup but was overlooked for West Indies’ Test tour of Australia.However, with Jayden Seales rehabilitating after knee surgery, Gabriel could be reunited with Kemar Roach and Jason Holder in the West Indies seam attack.Warrican also played the last of his 13 Tests in Sri Lanka in 2021, while Motie could add to the sole cap he won against Bangladesh in June last year. West Indies were hit by numerous injuries during their 2-0 defeat in Australia, and have omitted Shamarh Brooks, Anderson Phillip and Marquino Mindley, all of whom played in the second Test in Adelaide.”This is the start of the international calendar for 2023 and we will hope to start with a win,” Desmond Haynes, West Indies’ lead selector, said. “We appreciate it won’t be an easy assignment as Zimbabwe, like most other teams in world cricket, play very well on their home soil on pitches that will support their style of play.”We looked at the conditions we anticipate playing in, and have included two left-arm spinners who didn’t go to Australia in Motie and Warrican. With our fast bowlers, Seales has done extremely well for us since he started back in 2021, but with him unavailable we have decided that Gabriel would be best able to fill that role. He [Gabriel] is an experienced bowler who has been at the international level for over 10 years and has knowledge of the conditions in Zimbabwe when we won there in 2017.”The two-Test series against Zimbabwe, which begins in Bulawayo on February 4, will be overseen by interim coach Andre Coley, following Phil Simmons’ decision to step down.West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas, Jomel Warrican

A round-up of all the news coming out of the IPL, on April 25, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2016Delhi Daredevils batsman Sanju Samson helped set up his team’s third win of the season, on Saturday, with 60 off 48 balls. Coming in at No.3, after Quinton de Kock was dismissed in the second over, Samson rebuilt the innings with allrounder JP Duminy and pressed on to score his fifth half-century against Mumbai Indians. Samson did so without taking too many risks, which is something Virat Kohli has mastered.”I picked up one big point from watching Virat bat,” Samson told . During each of his innings, he (Kohli) was scoring consistently. But the [important] thing was that he played risk-free cricket in the T20 format [during ICC World T20]. I think it is a great lesson [for] all youngsters that we can play risk-free cricket in T20 and get runs too and that’s what I applied today.”On 26 off 27 balls at one point, Samson took Harbhajan Singh for a six and a four in the 12th over. JP Duminy then took 22 runs off 11 balls from Jasprit Bumrah.”He [Duminy] gave me great support in the middle,” Samson said. “We had a good clear plan… It is mainly about targeting some opponents and some bowlers. The decision has to be clear. Against a good team like the Mumbai Indians we have to be very good in our planning and we were this time.”Samson also said he was looking forward to finish games for his side. “I love to finish games,” he said. “It takes a bit of character and it’s a great challenge to finish matches and win matches for your team.”“We prepared really well before the auction” – Raina
Playing their first IPL, Gujarat Lions have been the early pace-setters along with Kolkata Knight Riders, with four wins in five matches. Lions captain Suresh Raina attributed the team’s success to smart buys before and at the auction.Lions picked Raina himself, Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo at the player draft in Mumbai in December and built their squad with a sprinkling of good Indian players at the auction.”We prepared really well before the auction,” Raina told . “We picked well at the auction and got a bunch of players we wanted. We have won four of our five matches so far and for that the credit goes to the coaching staff of Hodgy (Brad Hodge), Heath Streak, Shitanshu Kotak and all the members of the support staff.”Raina said that his captaincy benefitted from his association with MS Dhoni over the “last 10-15 years”.”I have learnt a lot from the likes of Baz [McCullum], Bravo, Fleming and MS Dhoni,” Raina said. “I have spent a lot of time with MS over the last 10-15 years and I have seen how he goes about his job as a captain before and during a game. I keep talking to him and asking him questions in the field, standing at slip or point, as to what he is thinking and why he made a particular move.”