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Anuj Dal delivers in style as Derbyshire ramp up promotion bid

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Five second-innings wickets follow crucial century as Worcestershire are outgunned

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2022Derbyshire 130 (Dal 55, Pennington 4-36) and 343 (Dal 112*, McKiernan 71, Madsen 69) beat Worcestershire 185 (Kashif 52, Aitchison 4-40) and 190 (Roderick 53*, Dal 5-40, Aitchison 3-55) by 98 runsAnuj Dal completed a superb all-round performance with a crucial intervention with the ball as Derbyshire overcame Worcestershire by 98 runs in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road.Dal followed up a first-innings fifty and then a superb century with a career best return of 5 for 40 off 15 overs as Worcestershire were dismissed for 190 in 64.1 overs.The all-rounder initially struck three times in the space of seven balls to break Worcestershire’s resistance after they had resumed on 108 for 5 in pursuit of a 289 target.He made the crucial breakthrough when trapping Jack Haynes lbw for 45 after a partnership of 92 with Gareth Roderick (53 not out).Dal then sent back Joe Leach, and Josh Baker in quick succession to effectively seal a third Championship win of the campaign for the Peakites.It capped a tremendous fightback by the visitors who faced several positions of adversity in the game.They showed the character and spirit instilled into them by Head Coach, Mickey Arthur, since he arrived at the Incora County Ground this season.Derbyshire are now firmly in the race for a promotion spot for when they return to Championship action after the Royal London Cup.But Worcestershire were left to reflect on failing to press home a position of strength for the second home game.They had established a first-innings lead of 132 against Glamorgan and ended up being edged out by three wickets on a bowler-friendly surface.This time they reduced Derbyshire to 14 for 5 in their first innings and then 92 for 5 in the second when their lead was just 37.A third defeat of the campaign was a blow to their own promotion hopes.Haynes and Roderick were relatively untroubled during the opening hour of the day but the introduction of Dal at 143 for 5 started a swift decline by Worcestershire.Haynes had battled away for nearly three hours for his 45 before he pushed forward to Dal and was lbw.Leach lasted only two balls before he drove at Dal and picked out Hilton Cartwright at cover.Baker lost his off stump after offering no shot and keeper Brooke Guest claimed his ninth catch of the match from a Dillon Pennington edge.Roderick had time to complete his maiden Championship half century for Worcestershire off 126 balls before Muhammed Hasnain edged Sam Conners to second slip to seal Derbyshire’s win.

Alex Hales gets England recall as Jonny Bairstow's T20 World Cup replacement

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England opener back in the fold after three-year absence

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2022Alex Hales has earned a recall by England for the first time since his banishment from the set-up prior to the 2019 ODI World Cup. He has been named as Jonny Bairstow’s replacement for the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, as well as the preceding tour to Pakistan, which gets underway next week.Hales, 33, was reportedly close to a recall for the original squads, as the selection panel considered its options to replace Jason Roy, who has been dropped following a prolonged run of poor form. The opportunity arose again following the bizarre injury sustained last week by Bairstow, who has been ruled out for several months after fracturing his leg while slipping at a golf course.The recall came after a noticeable softening of attitude towards Hales from the team management, particularly in the wake of Eoin Morgan’s retirement. The former England captain was staunchly opposed to Hales’ return, having accused him of showing “complete disregard” for the team’s values, and creating “a lack of trust between Alex and the team”, following the revelation that he had failed two tests for recreational drugs prior to the 2019 World Cup.Hales was also involved in the nightclub incident in Bristol in September 2017 that led to the arrest and subsequent trial of Ben Stokes. Stokes himself responded in a guarded fashion when asked, on the eve of the third Test against South Africa, about the prospect of being reunited with Hales at the World Cup.”At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to win that World Cup for England,” Stokes said. “My goal, Alex’s goal and everyone else’s goal who is part of that squad is to win the World Cup. It’s an injury that presents an opportunity to someone else. Alex is definitely one of the best T20 players in the world and unfortunately, with what happened with Jonny, we had to call another player up and Alex is definitely one of the guys that bowlers don’t want to be bowling at in the T20 format. Everyone’s goal is to win World Cups.”When it comes down to the big moments in games and World Cup games, knockout games, you want your best players there to be taking that pressure on and he certainly is one of those.”Hales hit the headlines again last year, when Azeem Rafiq claimed during the DCMS hearings that Hales had named his black Labrador “Kevin” in recognition of a racial slur. Hales had denied the claim.However, on the field, Hales’ form has long merited another opportunity at international level. He was a stand-out player for Trent Rockets, last week’s winners of the men’s Hundred, with 259 runs at a strike rate of 152.35 including an agenda-setting opening partnership with Dawid Malan, and in the course of the tournament he became the first England player to pass 10,000 runs in the T20 format.Many of those runs have been scored in overseas franchise leagues, including the Big Bash, in which he has played 45 matches for Sydney Thunder since 2019, with 11 half-centuries and one hundred. With the World Cup to be played in Australia in October and November, that experience was a key factor in Hales’ recall. And, as England return to Pakistan for their first international tour since 2005, Hales brings with him huge experience of conditions there as well, having been a regular in the PSL since 2018.Overall, he has played 60 T20Is since his debut in 2011, averaging 31.01 at a strike rate of 136.65. In 2014, at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, he became the first England player to score a T20I century, hitting a match-winning 116 not out from 64 balls against Sri Lanka in Chattogram.Speaking about Hales following the original squad announcement last week, ECB managing director Rob Key had revealed that the player had called him up to ask why he had been omitted from the set-up, with England initially preferring Bairstow as Roy’s replacement at the top of the order, with Lancashire’s Phil Salt also included in the 15-man party. Key acknowledged that Hales had “done his time” and that his future selection would be based purely on form and ability.

Boland quickly in the groove to earn Victoria healthy advantage

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Will Sutherland continued his fine match with four wickets while Travis Head and Alex Carey were in the runs

AAP07-Oct-2022Test cult figure Scott Boland looks set to maintain momentum from last season after taking a wicket with his second ball of the first-class season.Boland was a key figure as he led Victoria to a position of dominance at the midway point of the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia in Adelaide.Victoria ended a rain-impacted day two at Karen Rolton Oval with a lead of 86 runs after dismissing South Australia for 230 late in the day.Boland picked up three top-order scalps in a haul of 4 for 60, while Will Sutherland made headway through the middle and lower order for figures of 4 for 45.SA captain Travis Head and wicketkeeper Alex Carey kept the innings together with the Test pair both contributing half-centuries. Head made 76 in a 136-ball knock, while Carey’s 70 came from 102 deliveries in an 87-run stand for the fifth wicket.It was a much-needed recovery for the home side who were left reeling at 3 for 30 after Boland’s early impact.Boland squared up reliable opener Jake Weatherald in the second ball of the innings to offer a simple catch at gully. The Test quick had figures of 3 for 24 from 12 overs having also knocked over Henry Hunt and Jake Carder in his opening spell.Allrounder Sutherland collected the other top-order wicket to fall by dismissing Jake Lehmann for 28. It was another successful day for Sutherland who hit his maiden first-class century on day one.Boland even inflicted pain on South Australia with the bat adding 50 for the last wicket in concert with No. 11 Jon Holland.Victoria resumed at 9 for 264 but Boland (24 not out) and Holland (28) lifted the visitors to 310. SA paceman David Grant eventually ended the home side’s pain, collecting his side’s best figures in the process.

Newly-minted T20 champions England gear up for Australia ODIs

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The series may look inconsequential but it kick-starts preparations for the ODI World Cup, which is less than 12 months away

Tristan Lavalette16-Nov-2022

Big picture

Underlining the increasingly congested cricket calendar, newly-minted T20 World Cup champions England have had to snap out of revelry and attempt to somehow focus on a seemingly inconsequential three-match ODI series against Australia.Around 72 hours after partying into the wee hours of Monday, a slew of England’s title-winning heroes will be back on the field for the series opener on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.Related

  • Vince searches for purpose in a series shrouded in futility

  • Maxwell out for extended period after breaking leg in 'freak accident'

While it might be difficult for England to be particularly motivated, Australia should be fresh and determined to rebound after their disappointing title defence at the T20 World Cup. Australia have selected an almost full-strength squad to start a new ODI era under the reins of Pat Cummins, who has taken over the captaincy from the retired Aaron Finch.On paper, the series feels rather trivial and lacking context as it is not part of the World Cup Super League. Crowd numbers for the games in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne are expected to reflect the lack of mainstream interest. Only 18,000 fans attended Australia’s must-win T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan in Adelaide earlier in the month – a figure you feel Cricket Australia would gladly take for the first ODI.It might be something of an afterthought – and you could certainly understand if England are feeling sluggish – but the series still holds some importance. It effectively kick-starts preparations for the 50-over World Cup in India, which is less than 12 months away, and provides an opportunity for the last two World Cup champions to experiment and tinker with their line-ups.Australia had ODI series victories against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Queensland in August-September, while England’s form was patchy during their home summer.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLWL

In the spotlight

After being contentiously left out of Australia’s aforementioned match against Afghanistan, having struggled at the T20 World Cup where he was sometimes held back from his customary new ball role, Mitchell Starc will be determined for a bounce back in the ODI series. The new ball was taken away from him after he conceded 14 runs in Australia’s opening over of the tournament against New Zealand in a huge defeat, which ultimately proved fatal for their title defence. As evidenced by his omission against Afghanistan, Starc’s future in Australia’s T20I line-up is uncertain but he remains a core in their ODI bowling attack, and a return to opening the bowling might prove the tonic he needs.Jason Roy was left out of England’s T20 World Cup squad because of his poor form•AFP/Getty Images

While many of England’s players might be struggling to get up for the contest, Jason Roy has a point to prove after being overlooked for the T20 World Cup as his replacement Alex Hales enjoyed a stirring comeback. But Roy has been backed in as the preferred 50-over opener and will be looking to repay the faith after a breather. He will have to contend with a fired-up Australia pace attack looking to find form ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies starting later in the month.

Team news

Australia have selected a near full-strength line-up although batting allrounder Glenn Maxwell will miss the series after breaking his left leg during a freak accident at a friend’s birthday party. Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green are set to comprise the middle order, while Travis Head gets the first crack to replace Finch as an opener in front of his home faithful.Marnus Labuschagne and wicketkeeper Alex Carey return to the line-up, while Steven Smith will bat at No. 3 – after mostly being on the outer at the T20 World Cup. Cummins has recovered from a bout of gastro in time to lead the ODI team for the first time.Australia (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 David Warner, 3 Steve Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam ZampaWhile they will be without Ben Stokes, who remains retired from ODI cricket, England will rely on several players who weren’t part of the T20 World Cup squad to provide a spark. Roy, James Vince and Sam Billings will be aiming to do just that, while fast bowler Olly Stone is in line to play his first ODI in four years.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 James Vince, 4 Sam Billings 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Olly Stone

Pitch and conditions

Sunny conditions are forecast in Adelaide with a maximum temperature of 23 degrees, which is set to aid the normally batting-friendly pitch at a ground marked by short square boundaries. Bowlers generally aim for a fuller length to force batters to hit to the longer straight boundaries, while turn is usually evident.

Stats and trivia

  • Australia have won 84 of the 152 ODIs between the countries, but England have claimed 12 of 16 matches since 2016.
  • Australia’s only victory in their 4-1 ODI series defeat to England in 2017-18 was a three-wicket win in Adelaide.
  • Roy needs 46 runs to become the 12th England batter to reach 4000 ODI runs.

Quotes

“I don’t think you will see too much change from what Finchy brought to the squad around his captaincy. I hope I can provide an environment where the players can all go out and express themselves.”
“There’s no point hiding away that it will be a challenge for us, having had such a high a few days ago… [but] once you get over the line and you’re playing against Australia, I’m sure those competitive juices will get going”

Fatigued Sri Lanka look to dig deep against well-drilled New Zealand

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A fit-again Daryl Mitchell is likely to return, in place of Mark Chapman, for New Zealand

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-20221:29

Tim Southee: On the day everyone poses different threats

Big picture

Fatigue-wise, New Zealand have had a kind start to the tournament. They thrashed Australia in Sydney, then took the short flight to Melbourne, where their match against Afghanistan was rained out without a ball being bowled. They’d have preferred to play that match, of course, but they’ve not had to contend with crazy schedules or serious changes in timezone.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have been whipped around, and they arrive in Sydney in some disarray. They’d started their campaign in Geelong, in the qualifiers, and have since lost no fewer than three fast bowlers to injury. Then three days after the qualifiers ended, they were playing a match in Hobart. Two days after that they played Australia in Perth. Now they’ve been shot back across the breadth of the continent to Sydney. Within the side, there seems to be a little consternation about their schedule, by the way. Their next match, on Tuesday, is in Brisbane. Then they come back to Sydney.Related

  • The future is uncertain, so savour Boult and Southee while you can

  • 'Adaptable' Mitchell looking forward to 'cool challenge' of batting at No. 5

  • Sri Lanka replace injured Binura with Asitha

Sri Lanka tend to find grievance in high-profile assignments, however, but perhaps more importantly, they have a history of weaponising that grievance, to blast their way to good results. Test tours of South Africa in 2019, England in 2014, the T20 World Cup in 2014, and of course the big one – the 1996 World Cup – are some examples. But here they are up against a side that seems much-better drilled, and way more settled than they are.Out of 13 completed matches this year, New Zealand have lost only three. They have a nuclear top order, good firepower through the middle, and a top-class seam attack for Australian conditions. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are getting by on top-order runs without the middle order really contributing, and their attack looks more vulnerable following Tuesday’s loss to Australia.Sri Lanka have to dig deep and find a new gear to overcome their cricketing, and fatigue-related circumstances. New Zealand merely have to build on what they’ve already been doing.

Form guide

New Zealand WLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWWWL

In the spotlight

That the likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson are good at turning it on is known, but don’t sleep on Mitchell Santner, who has put up some impressive stats this year. Against Australia, he took 3 for 31 bowling inside the powerplay, and then through the middle overs. In T20Is this year, he has 17 wickets from 12 games, with an economy rate of 6.69.Wanindu Hasaranga went for 0 for 53 against Australia•ICC via Getty Images

It’s not often that Wanindu Hasaranga gets taken apart, but he clearly was in the last match, going for 0 for 53 from his three overs, as he kept trying to toss the ball up and get Australia’s batters caught in Perth’s big outfield, but failed repeatedly. Perth’s bouncier pitch didn’t quite suit his bowling but Sydney, where Sri Lanka’s spinners have done well in the past, may suit him nicely. It’s rare that he has two bad games in a row.

Pitch and conditions

Thankfully, after two rained-out games on Friday, the forecast looks good in Sydney. This match will be played on a fresh pitch, and the short boundary will be the opposite direction to New Zealand’s first game here. The SCG has generally been the best batting surface so far in the tournament.

Team news

Pramod Madushan will likely slot in for Binura Fernando, who was the third Sri Lanka quick to be ruled out of the tournament.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Pramod Madushan, 11 Lahiru KumaraNew Zealand are set to bring in Daryl Mitchell for Mark Chapman.New Zealand (possible): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Stats and trivia

  • Pathum Nissanka is the fourth-highest run-scorer in T20Is this year, with 636 from 21 innings. But those runs have come at a strike rate of only 111.
  • Sri Lanka have been one of Santner’s favourite opponents in the past. He has taken seven wickets against them in five matches at a strike rate of 6.26.
  • New Zealand have won 10 and lost seven T20Is against Sri Lanka. In T20 World Cups, however, the tally is 4-1 in Sri Lanka’s favour, though they haven’t met at this tournament since 2014.

Quotes

“If it’s a good batting wicket and a fast outfield, the runs are there for taking. We need to go with a different game plan on a pitch like this..”
Sri Lanka assistant coach Naveed Nawaz on needing to adjust to Sydney, having played in three other venues in the past 12 days.“Feels like it’s been a while since we’ve played, but we’ve had a couple of good trainings in between.”
New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee on the entirely different kind of challenge that his team faces.

Coetzee hat-trick, Ngidi's fiery spell extend South Africans' domination

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Cricket Australia XI were bowled out for 226 despite Kellaway’s ton

AAP10-Dec-2022Two of the brightest young stars on either side had productive days with South Africa quick Gerald Coetzee claiming a hat-trick and Cricket Australia XI batter Campbell Kellaway scoring a century in the four-day clash at Allan Border Field.The 22-year-old Coetzee has genuine speed and had Jordan Buckingham caught in the gully and then dismissed Chris Tremain and Liam Hatcher for ducks.In shattering Hatcher’s stumps he also ensured CA XI were bowled out for 226 in reply to South Africa’s first innings of 347.Unbeaten on 105 for the CA XI was former Australian Under-19s representative Kellaway. The stylish 20-year-old left-hander made his first-class debut for Victoria last month and came to the crease at 4 for 24 with the CA XI under assault from Lungi Ngidi.Jake Doran (78) and Kellaway added 143 for the fifth wicket and went after Coetzee initially in a superb counter-attacking partnership. Kellaway was strong all around the ground and showcased power, touch and concentration in his innings.Ngidi took his early wickets in five fiery and fast overs. He dismissed three of the top four Sheffield Shield run-scorers this season, with Tim Ward caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne with the first ball of his opening spell before he accounted for Sam Whiteman and captain Peter Handscomb.South Africa earlier resumed at 335 for 7 but soon lost Kagiso Rabada and Verreynne. Fast bowler Marco Jansen was then dismissed for a duck.Middle-order batter Temba Bavuma did not feature in the first innings as he is nursing an elbow injury. Captain Dean Elgar, who top-scored with 109 on day one, said after the close of play on Friday he hoped Bavuma would recover and get some valuable time in the middle before the first Test against Australia which starts on December 17 at the Gabba.

Hundred to begin at Trent Bridge, four-week window confirmed

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Oval to host eliminator as fixtures for tournament’s third staging are confirmed by the ECB

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2023Trent Bridge, the home of men’s reigning champions Trent Rockets, will host the opening fixtures of this year’s Hundred on August 1, with the final once again scheduled for Lord’s, on August 27.As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, this year’s tournament will played in a reduced four-week window, to avoid a clash with the summer’s men’s international schedule that has restricted the availability of many of the tournament’s marquee players in its previous two seasons.To enable this shortened window, all of the rounds will be played as men’s and women’s double-headers – a change from both 2021, when the tournament opened with a standalone women’s fixture at the Kia Oval, and 2022, when the women’s event was delayed by the concurrent Commonwealth Games – while there will be eight “double-double-header” days, on which four matches will be played.In a further change to the 2022 schedule, the eliminator will be played in London – at The Oval – on the eve of the Lord’s final, following criticism from, among others, Manchester Originals’ head coach, Simon Katich, who felt his team was hampered in last year’s event by having to make a late-night journey from Southampton following a thrilling win in their eliminator against London Spirit.The Hundred’s partnership with BBC Music Introducing will be continued for the 2023 event, meaning a diverse range of artists and DJs will once again provide in-game entertainment, while ticket prices are set at £5 for juniors aged 6-15, free for children five and under, and adults starting from £10.For the first time in the competition’s history, both the men’s and women’s events will be preceded by a draft, which is due to be held on Thursday, March 2. Deadline day – the day on which retained players are confirmed across both competitions – is set to be Thursday, February 16.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Lifting the trophy with my Oval Invincibles team-mates last year was a career highlight that I’ll never forget,” Lauren Winfield-Hill, the England batter, said. “The Hundred is such a thrilling competition to be a part of. The support we had at every game was just phenomenal and I can’t wait to get back into action to defend the title this year.”The first ever women’s draft is definitely going to bring an exciting new element to the game and it will be interesting to see how the teams shape up for another fierce competition.”Dawid Malan, last year’s leading run-maker in the men’s competition, and a reigning champion with Trent Rockets, added: “I have a lot of great memories from the Hundred 2022. The atmosphere in every ground was really enjoyable and winning the title at Lord’s was very special. This summer is shaping up to be massive for cricket in England and Wales and I’m really looking forward to the third year of the Hundred, playing with some of the best players in the world in front of big crowds.”Related

  • Simon Katich suggests 24hr turnaround between eliminator and final 'needs to be looked at'

  • The Hundred to be played in four-week window in August 2023

Sanjay Patel, the tournament’s managing director, said: “I am incredibly proud of the impact the Hundred has already had on cricket in England and Wales after just two years, providing a new format that has seen more families and a diverse new generation of fans getting into the game.”As we enter year three, we’re looking forward to building on that momentum and putting on another unforgettable summer of world-class cricket action and entertainment that will continue to appeal to new and existing audiences alike.”Beth Barrett-Wild, head of the women’s tournament, and of female engagement at the ECB, added: “We are in the middle of a really special period of time for professional women’s sport, with exponential levels of growth happening across every measure of engagement, from broadcast viewing figures to match day attendances.”Since launching in 2021, the Hundred has had a transformational impact on women’s cricket, propelling the women’s game into the mainstream, and making household names of our brilliant female players.”

Shipley on special homecoming: 'That roar will stick with me for a long time'

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He dismissed five of Sri Lanka’s top-seven batters to set up a huge victory

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Mar-2023In Henry Shipley’s first international match at home, his parents and partner in the stands, he lived out something of a dream. He’d only ever taken one five-wicket haul in 42 previous List A matches. But at Eden Park, the crowd in voice for him, he decked Sri Lanka’s top order with the new ball and set New Zealand on course for a huge victory.All up, Shipley took 5 for 31. Those five dismissals were all from Sri Lanka’s top seven.”Being able to play in front of a home crowd and hear that roar when things are going our way is pretty special, and something that will stick with me for a long time,” Shipley said. “The noise in the crowd today and seeing the stump go flying was pretty cool.”Related

  • Rain in the air as New Zealand eye Super League bragging rights

  • Henry Shipley leads rout of Sri Lanka with maiden five-for

This was just Shipley’s fourth ODI, the previous three having been in India.”India’s a tough place to go, and you don’t win too many in the subcontinent, even though you try to win them all,” he said. “I guess that confidence from the difficult conditions was something I could try and apply out here.”New Zealand didn’t themselves have a particularly stellar batting innings, partly because Sri Lanka kept getting wickets just as partnerships seemed to be bedding in. Partly this was because of the extra bounce on this Eden Park surface, combined with the temptation to target the very small straight boundaries at this venue, which meant that several batters holed out trying to hit short-ish deliveries for straight sixes.Nevertheless, New Zealand battled to 274.”The comms came back from the batters pretty early that perhaps it was going to be a little bit difficult to score,” Shipley said. “Sometimes when you see the short boundaries you get lured into a big total. I think we did well to get through to where we did. With bowling it was just about creating some pressure up top and doing our best to contain them. After three or four overs that started to work.”

KL Rahul: 'To win from the position we were in is phenomenal'

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“I spent the last couple of years frustrating myself, trying to win games for my team; tonight it came out well in the end,” says Pooran

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2023After a see-sawing contest, Lucknow Super Giants beat Royal Challengers Bangalore amid high drama, and KL Rahul credited their lower-middle order of Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis and Ayush Badoni for the two points they earned in their first win away from home in IPL 2023.The Royal Challengers bowlers had reduced Super Giants to 23 for 3 in four overs, but Stoinis’ 30-ball 65 gave them a platform, from which Pooran’s 19-ball 62 and Badoni’s 24-ball 30 took them to the doorstep of victory.”In T20s, I think that’s the most important batting position – Nos. 5, 6 and 7,” Rahul told the broadcaster after the one-wicket win. “That’s where the crunch games are won. Yes, your top order will do the bulk of the scoring in a big tournament like this but it is those boys who win you big games.Related

  • Kohli and du Plessis' slowdown against spin proves costly for RCB

  • Ball-by-ball: It was all happening at the Chinnaswamy

  • Lucknow Super Giants pull off thrilling win after Pooran, Stoinis blitz and dramatic finish

“That is why we have invested in the power of Pooran, Stoinis and Ayush. Ayush is a youngster who is learning the art of finishing games and being there at the end. He has done it a couple of times last season and this season too. He is growing into that role and I’m excited in him becoming better in that position. That will give our team extra power with that skill as well.”But the game was not decided till the final delivery of the match.Badoni fell in the 19th over, followed by Mark Wood and Jaydev Unadkat being dismissed in the final over, which started with Super Giants needing five to win with three wickets in hand.Then with scores tied, and one ball to go and Super Giants nine down, there was drama of unparalleled proportions. Harshal Patel ran in and tried to run out non-striker Ravi Bishnoi, who had taken off in a bid to steal the all-important single, but he missed dislodging the stumps, and even though he did throw down at the poles later with Bishnoi still out of his crease. The umpire Anil Chaudhary, though, called it not out since the ball had gone dead when Harshal had ran a few yards down the pitch before turning and aiming for the stumps.When Harshal finally bowled the last ball, No. 11 Avesh Khan missed and the batters scampered. But wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik fumbled twice and then missed in his shy at the stumps (on both ends).”Unbelievable! This is Chinnaswamy – I have grown up here, I know that this is the only venue in the country to produce so many last-ball finishes,” Rahul said. “To win from the position we were in is phenomenal.”Wayne Parnell reacts as he sees the game going away from Royal Challengers•Associated Press

Faf du Plessis: ‘We tried everything’

Royal Challengers captain Faf du Plessis, who top-scored with 79 alongside fifties from Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell to post 212 in the first innings, said that he “fancied” his side’s chances of taking the game into a super over.”Obviously they played really well but we fought back beautifully. And then that last over, one off one ball, I fancied our chances of getting a run-out there,” he said. “Looking at the wicket, certainly we felt, when we were batting, it was quite slow between overs 7 to 14. Little bit dry. Then as the innings went in the last five overs I think maybe there was bit more moisture and the ball started skidding better, and that was the case right through the second innings. Really nice to bat on, really nice for good cricket shots. Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran didn’t miss the middle.”We tried everything. We threw all our weapons at them, but they took on one of our strong bowlers, Harshal Patel, in his first two overs. Took him for quite a bit of runs in the first two overs. Then he came back beautifully. We were there and thereabouts to bring the game down to the last over from where they were. Thought it was a good fight from us. It is a difficult place to bowl at the death, you have to be really on top of your game with the ball.”2:38

Jaffer: Very hard to stop Pooran when he gets going

Nicholas Pooran: ‘It was about cashing in

The game had changed some time before that, courtesy Pooran. He struck seven sixes and four fours in his 19-ball 62 and also got the joint-third-fastest IPL fifty. Along with Badoni, he added 84 in 35 balls for the sixth wicket. After collecting his Player-of-the-Match award, Pooran credited the earlier partnership between Stoinis and Rahul that started the initial liftoff before he took over.”Stoinis played really well. It kept us in the game,” he said. “We felt like we can chase 15 runs an over. We knew that in the back end of the innings it gets much easier, the pressure is on. The wicket was really nice to bat [on]. It was about cashing in, getting in the right positions and executing.”I was reacting tonight, and I have been working really hard on my game, and this is how I want to be. I spent the last couple of years frustrating myself, trying to win games for my team; tonight obviously it came out well in the end. I want to win games for my team, and I have been working really hard on it. Just happy that tonight we could get that victory.”1:42

Jaffer: Du Plessis played the situations really well

Marcus Stoinis: ‘We bowled really well in the powerplay’

Stoinis credited spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya for restricting Royal Challengers to 212 despite losing only two wickets.”I actually think we bowled really well in the powerplay,” Stoinis said after the game. “There was beautiful batting from Virat and Faf, some of those shots you don’t see every day. I thought we bowled okay in the powerplay and our spinners bowled beautifully. History suggests that 200 is pretty much par a lot of the time.”Maxwell, too, said after the first innings that the spinners’ efforts through the middle overs sucked the momentum out of their batting for a brief period. In a game of close margins, that proved important in the end.”There was a little bit of variable bounce. Ball was staying a bit low from back of a length,” Maxwell said at the halfway point. “Bit dry from the other night, there was little bit variable bounce. Spinners were able to bowl back of a length. Thought Bishnoi and Krunal bowled extremely well after the first few overs and probably kept us back after an electric powerplay.”

Alex Davies century builds slender lead for Warwickshire

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Sam Hain unbeaten overnight as visitors seek to put final-day pressure on Hampshire

ECB Reporters Network08-Apr-2023Warwickshire 307 for 5 (Davies 118, Hain 83*) lead Somerset 269 for 8 (Gregory 65*, Barnard 3-54) by 23 runsAlex Davies hit his seventh first-class century as Warwickshire built a narrow first-innings lead over Somerset on the third day of the rain-affected LV= County Championship game at TauntonAfter dismissing their hosts for 284 from an overnight 269 for eight, the visitors had replied with 307 for five when bad light ended play nine overs early, opener Davies leading the way with 118, off 153 balls, with 21 fours and a six.Sam Hain contributed an undefeated 83, Will Rhodes 39 and Michael Burgess 36 not out, while Jack Leach was the most successful Somerset bowler with three for 93.The day began with Somerset’s Lewis Gregory and Leach looking to guide their side towards a second batting point.Those hopes faded when Gregory pushed forward to Chris Rushworth in the second over of the morning and departed without adding to his overnight score of 65 as Rob Yates pouched his fourth catch of the match at first slip.Oliver Hannon-Dalby wrapped up the innings by pinning Peter Siddle lbw for ten and Leach was left unbeaten on 27.Warwickshire’s reply got off to a poor start when Yates edged the third ball, bowled by Josh Davey, to Tom Lammonby at fourth slip and fell for two.But Somerset’s seamers were soon struggling to find as much assistance from the pitch as their Warwickshire counterparts, Davies and Will Rhodes batting with increasing confidence.Rhodes was the more aggressive and had moved to 39 off 52 balls, with 6 fours, when aiming an aggressive shot off Leach and picking out Craig Overton at wide mid-on.Undeterred, Davies slog-swept Leach for six on his way to a 63-ball half-century, also featuring 6 fours. He was unbeaten on 51 at lunch with the scoreboard reading 108 for two from 23 overs.The afternoon session saw Davies and Hain progressing serenely against an impotent looking Somerset attack on a pitch that appeared to offer little seam movement.Skipper Lewis Gregory had turned to Leach as early as the 15th over, but the England left-arm spinner found it hard to stem the run-rate as Davies and Hain batted positively.Davies moved to a chanceless ton with a single off Leach, having looked untroubled in facing 140 balls and extending his boundary count to 17 fours and a six.He and the equally comfortable Hain had taken their third-wicket stand to 133 in 34.1 overs when it was broken by Leach.Davies looked to increase the tempo with a reverse sweep and only succeeded in dragging the ball onto his stumps.It was 203 for three and the error was compounded with only a couple of runs added as Dan Mousley fell lbw to Leach for two.Hain had been content to play second fiddle to Davies, but when Craig Overton was introduced for a new spell from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End, he produced a classic cover drive to register his fifth boundary.Ed Barnard helped Hain add 31, contributing 19 on his Warwickshire debut before being bowled by Siddle playing inside the line.All the while Hain was staying rock-like, reaching his fifty with his sixth boundary, a sweetly-timed back-foot shot through the covers off Gregory, He had faced 140 balls, the same number as Davies required to reach three figures.Burgess secured a first batting point for Warwickshire with a flashing cut for four off Gregory, taking the total to 253 for five.Burgess then edged Leach between wicketkeeper James Rew and first slip at catchable height, taking advantage of the narrow escape by lofting the next delivery for four as Warwickshire closed in on Somerset’s first innings total.They were three runs ahead by the time the second new ball was taken. It had little effect and the game looked to be meandering towards a draw following the first day washout when, with the floodlights on at the Cooper Associates County Ground, the umpires took the players off at 6.35pm.