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Given their already-strong net run rate, a win here will prop up West Indies’ semi-final chances

Sruthi Ravindranath09-Oct-2024

Bangladesh vs West Indies

Dubai, 6pm local timeBangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha BiswasWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonTournament guide: After a win in their first match against Scotland, Bangladesh crumbled to a loss against England on a surface that aided spin. West Indies, meanwhile, lost their first match to South Africa but bounced back with a dominating win against Scotland thanks to an all-round show from Chinelle Henry.Related

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News brief: Left-arm spinner Zaida James suffered a blow to the jaw while fielding off her own bowling in the match against South Africa and subsequently missed the Scotland game. A West Indies statement said she “fortunately does not have breaks and fractures” and continues to be monitored by the medical team.West Indies earned a massive net run rate boost after their win against Scotland, and winning this match will strengthen their semi-final chances. If Bangladesh lose this match, their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals will take a big hit given their negative NRR. This will be West Indies’ first game of the tournament in Sharjah.Despite being used to spinning tracks back home, Bangladesh – after a fine outing with the ball – were undone by England’s quality spin attack in the previous game in Sharjah. This match, too, will come down to how well the teams counter spin. The average first-innings total at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium this tournament is 119, and only twice have teams won chasing.Player to watch: Bangladesh’s batting unit has not been up to mark in both games, but one player who’s stood out is Sobhana Mostary. She helped Bangladesh put up a competitive total scoring 36 against Scotland, and once again top-scored with 44 against England. Coming in after an early wicket against England, she dropped anchor as regular wickets at the other end piled the pressure on her. She hit a four and a six in her 48-ball stay on a slow surface against tight bowling and kept at it till the 19th over, but the target of 119 was too much of an ask in the end.

Laura Wolvaardt’s 56* helped Brave chase their highest target of the season to book their place in the final

ECB Media23-Aug-2025Southern Brave 126 for 2 (Wolvaardt 56*, Wong 2-34) beat London Spirit 125 for 8 (Griffith 44, Villiers 3-38) by eight wicketsSouthern Brave made it seven wins in a row in this year’s The Hundred women’s competition with a resounding victory over London Spirit at Lord’s, underscored by a superb partnership of 95 between Maia Bouchier and the stylish South African superstar, Laura Wolvaardt.The result, achieved with six balls to spare, leaves the Spirit hanging on in their quest to break into the final top three. After an uneven performance with the bat – only Cordelia Griffith, Charli Knott and Georgia Redmayne managed double figures – followed by a luckless run in the field, they will have to win their final match against the Invincibles on Monday and hope that other results go their way.The Brave are a brilliantly well-drilled unit. In Lauren Bell they have one of the standout seamers of the tournament who was excellent again here, removing Kira Chathli in her opening set and going for just 18 across her 20. Mady Villiers provided control and potency with her off-breaks, picking up three more wickets; and with the bat they rarely miss.While Bouchier impressed, eventually holing out for 43 from 34 balls, Wolvaardt was irresistible. Coming together after the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, given out leg-before on review to a beauty from Issy Wong, Wolvaardt opened her account with a brace of boundaries driven down the ground, before a stunning cover drive took her into double figures.A subsequent no-look slap off Wong that went for six over midwicket, carrying 74 metres, should have been the standout shot, but that honour fell to her extraordinary one-handed six over long-on. That shot brought up her thousandth run in the history of The Hundred, Wolvaardt becoming just the fourth player to do so, and the first overseas star. Her fifty came up off 31 balls, and she was still there at the death, ensuring that the mighty Brave continued their unbeaten streak.They will now, irrespective of results elsewhere, be guaranteed to finish top of the group going into the knockouts later this week. Rock bottom last year, top this; it’s been an extraordinary turnaround for the Brave.Wolvaardt’s class was recognised with the Meerkat Match Hero award: “I’m so happy that we were able to get the win. It was a nice wicket to bat on, so we did well to restrict them to that total. On a good wicket we wanted to get ahead of the game early. We knew they had a load of world-class spinners in their attack, so we wanted to get off to a fast start. I really enjoy batting with Bouch, we rotated well, and we were both able to find the boundaries as well.”Our bowlers have been absolutely amazing all tournament. The way that Belly and Tilly [Corteen-Coleman] have set the tone up front has been awesome.”

Fast bowler set to depart Trent Bridge having played a role in six title-winning campaigns

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2024Luke Fletcher, Nottinghamshire’s veteran seam bowler, is to leave the club at the end of the 2024 season after a 17-year career at Trent Bridge.Fletcher, who turns 36 on Wednesday, has taken 442 first-class wickets since making his Nottinghamshire debut in 2008, as well as 93 List A, and 108 T20 wickets. After working his way through the age-group system at Trent Bridge, he was released back to club cricket at Papplewick and Linby – and even worked on the gates at the club – before earning a consistent starting spot in 2009.He became a cult hero at Trent Bridge for his wholehearted approach to the game, and played a role in six title-winning campaigns, including their County Championship triumph in 2010 and two T20 Blast titles in 2017 and 2020.”For a local lad to represent this club is an honour, and I never could have expected the career I’ve had,” Fletcher said. “My overwhelming feeling now is how grateful I am for all the years I’ve spent with Notts and the memories I have made along the way.”A place is only as good as the people within it, and I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a dressing room with so many great people, and creating relationships that I will cherish forever.”But it’s also everyone around the club – from the ticket office to the chefs, community teams, ground staff, dressing room attendants and so many more. I’ve been here for such a long time and it has all meant a great deal to me.”Whilst I am sad that my time at the club is done, I couldn’t be happier with everything I have achieved. Trent Bridge feels like home, it always has done, and it always will do.”Fletcher’s finest year at the club came in 2021, when he was named PCA County Championship Player of the Year after taking 66 wickets at an average of 14.9. That came four years after a career-threatening injury in 2017, when he was struck on the head by a Sam Hain drive in a T20 clash against Birmingham Bears – an incident from which he made a full recovery.He is one of only five men to have taken 100 T20 wickets for Nottinghamshire, while his eight fifties for the club include two career-best scores of 92.”Luke is a hugely popular character, and with good reason,” Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said. “He has given his heart and soul to this club, forged so many friendships and played with a smile on his face.”It says a great deal that Stuart Broad – who played with some of the greatest players of his generation – deems Fletch one of ‘the best team-mates you could ever have’.”It means so much to him to have represented his home county for nearly two decades, and that loyalty has been reciprocated by members and supporters who show him great affection.”His stats and success deserve mention too – he has worked tremendously hard at his craft to be the best he can be, and that has paid dividends.”We wish him all the best wherever he goes, and whatever he does – he will always get a warm welcome and special reception at Trent Bridge.”

Australia’s captain will be further assessed ahead of the remaining T20Is and the Test

Andrew McGlashan20-Jan-2025Australia captain Alyssa Healy is a significant doubt for the remainder of the Ashes series after she was ruled out of the first T20I with a “stress response” in her foot on the same side as the injury she sustained at last year’s T20 World CupIt meant that Australia were led by Tahlia McGrath in what became a convincing victory to retain the Ashes at the SCG while the top-order vacancy was filled by debutant Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney will keep wicket.”As you can imagine, she’s pretty flat,” Mooney said. “She doesn’t want to miss any games for Australia and unfortunately for her, she’s missed a few in the last few months. We’ll put our arm around her, wait and see what the [medical] staff say and what the prognosis is.”But, certainly, she’s a key member of our playing group both on and off the field and we know what impact she can have to the outcome of the results on field. So, we’ll be keeping a close eye on making sure she’s okay mentally, but also doing all the right things with [the sports science sports medicine staff] well.Australia also had to contend with allrounder Ashleigh Gardner being ruled out with a calf injury. She will be assessed again ahead of the second T20I in Canberra.Related

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The injury to Healy meant that Australia pushed back announcing their squad for the day-night Test at the MCG which had been due to be named during the T20I on Monday.”Alyssa has got a stress response in her foot,” head of high performance Shawn Flegler told Fox Cricket. “We’re going to try and get a little bit more information before we make a call on her. It’s a big call for Alyssa. Test captain as well. So we’ll wait and see on what we come up with over the next 24-48 hours.””We’ve got a selector meeting tomorrow morning. We’ll see what plays out. We’re not going to rush into it. There’s still a week or so before the Test matchAfter returning from the plantar fascia injury sustained at the World Cup, Healy had her WBBL cut short by a knee problem which also meant she played as a batter only in the ODIs against New Zealand in December having missed the earlier home series against India.She returned to keeping duties for the three ODIs against England with the matches taking place in six days. The schedule is also tight for the T20I series with games in Canberra on January 23 then Adelaide on January 25.Even if Healy is able to play a part in either of those, there will be major questions over whether she can sustain the workload of a Test match, especially as a wicketkeeper.Depending on the prognosis for Healy, her participation in the WPL and the T20I tour of New Zealand in late March could also be in doubt.

Rovman Powell will lead the team, with Alzarri Joseph named vice captain

Nagraj Gollapudi03-May-2024Shimron Hetmyer has been named in West Indies’ 15-man squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Shamar Joseph, the 24-year-old fast bowler who has played only three T20s and is yet to make his international debut in the format, has also been called up.Alzarri Joseph has been named deputy to captain Rovman Powell, while Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell and Jason Holder have all made the squad.Hetmyer was dropped from the 2022 T20 World Cup squad after he missed his flight. He played in the series against India and England last year before he was dropped for the final two T20Is of the England series and was subsequently left out of the white-ball squads for the Australia tour.West Indies, who have won the T20 World Cup twice (2012 and 2016), have had an underwhelming run in the last two editions of the tournament. In 2021, led by Kieron Pollard, they failed to make the knockouts after winning just one match in the group phase. A year later in Australia, they failed to make the main round under Nicholas Pooran’s captaincy. They also missed out on qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India after failing to progress through the Qualifier.”I’m making it very clear to everybody that whatever team that you hear us put out today, that team we feel is going to win the World Cup,” Desmond Haynes, West Indies’ chairman of selectors, said after the squad announcement.Hayes pointed out that while the selectors had jotted down names for the reserves, a final list would be worked out post West Indies A’s tour of Nepal and the home T20I series against South Africa. A preparatory camp is set to be held in Antigua from next weekend for the South Africa series. White-ball head coach Sammy also said CWI has requested the BCCI to release West Indies players from the ongoing IPL as soon as possible.

Why was Shamar Joseph included?

Haynes said that the inclusion of Shamar and Hetmyer was role-specific, something Daren Sammy had stressed upon.”You really can’t question Shamar Joseph’s skills,” Haynes said. “You saw him in Australia. We were looking at someone up front bowling the first powerplay and he ticks the boxes.”Shamar Joseph was named the Player of the Match in his second Test, helping West Indies win at the Gabba•AFP/Getty Images

Shamar, who made his name with a stunning seven-wicket haul that helped West Indies seal a historic Test win at the Gabba, is one of several West Indies players at the IPL. He was signed by Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement player, but had a difficult debut, where he conceded 47 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders. In his three T20s, he has conceded 9.91 runs an over and is yet to take a wicket.Sammy said that picking the squad was “difficult” as they had several contenders to parse through. One of them was fast bowler Matthew Forde, who made his West Indies debut against England in the home white-ball series following a successful 2023 CPL. However, Sammy echoed Haynes’ comments on how Shamar had pipped other new ball contenders including Forde.”Shamar Joseph has the pace, he has skills with the new ball,” Sammy said. “Not saying Matthew Forde doesn’t, but when you look at the role, it makes it easier for us to now pick the personnel to fit that role.”

Haynes: ‘Very close decision between Hetmyer and Kyle Mayers’

Haynes admitted that it was a “very close decision” picking Hetmyer over Kyle Mayers, who has been a regular opener in the past while doubling up as a handy medium-pace bowler. The selectors felt having a finisher was more important than a top-order batter like Mayers, who is currently in IPL as part of LSG.Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, who is playing in Nepal with the West Indies A team, is another player West Indies selectors have their eye on.Sammy also said that Brandon King, who missed West Indies A’s ongoing tour of Nepal due to knee injury, will be playing the T20 series at home against South Africa which will serve as preparation for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup starting from June 1. In case King remains unfit, West Indies have until May 25 to make changes to their provisional 15.As for the inclusion of Roson Chase, the lone offspinner in the squad, Haynes highlighted that numbers proved he was the “most economical bowler” in addition to being a capable allrounder and can play a “similar role” to Marlon Samuels when West Indies won the T20 World Cups.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sammy had ‘conversations with Narine’

When asked whether Sunil Narine was in the running considering his outstanding all-round form in the ongoing IPL, West Indies head coach Sammy said: “Ever since I became coach I have had conversations with all players who took part in (2023) CPL that I thought that could have an impact for us this World Cup. So yes, I had conversations with Narine. (But) as the news clearly stated, Narine is retired.”

Sammy: ‘Have 15 X-factors’

Sammy was the captain when West Indies won the T20 World Cup, first in Sri Lanka in 2012 and then in India in 2016. Johnson Charles and Russell, who returned to play for West Indies during the Australia series in January after a long hiatus, were both part of those wins. Sammy admitted he was motivated by the prospect of becoming the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.Asked who he would single out as an X-factor player in the West Indies squad, Sammy said: “This period here reminds me of when I was captain, Ottis Gibson or Phil Simmons was coach, sitting down in selection, having a healthy performance squad to pick from and you look at all angles, which 15 men you put on the park, and what every single angle could give you an advantage. I have 15 X-factors there. Dessie [Desmond Haynes] reminded me in the meeting we have matchwinners, And the world knows it.”

West Indies schedule for group phase

West Indies are in Group C along with Papua New Guinea (PNG), Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Their first two games are in Providence, Guyana, against PNG on June 2 and against Uganda on June 8. They then play New Zealand at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on June 12, before their last group game against Afghanistan on June 17 in St Lucia.

West Indies squad for T20 World Cup

Rovman Powell (capt), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford

Fast bowler shows good rhythm in first red-ball match since 2021, as Ackermann leads Durham fight

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 23-Jun-2025 Jofra Archer picked up a wicket on his return to red-ball cricket after a 1,501-day hiatus, as a half-century from Colin Ackermann helped Durham fight back on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Sussex.James Coles picked up where he left off for Sussex in the morning and took his side to a competitive total of 361 all out, with him finishing unbeaten on 148.Durham’s response against a Sussex bowling attack which included Archer, got off to a good start, making it to lunch without loss, but they lost skipper Alex Lees just after the break.Archer, whose previous first-class match had come against Kent at Hove in May 2021, then came into the attack and struck during an exciting spell to leave Durham in a spot of bother in the afternoon.However, Durham bounced back in the evening through a partnership worth 76 between Ackermann and Graham Clark, but the loss of Ackermann with the last ball of the day gives Sussex the edge, with Durham on 249 for five and the deficit still 112.Resuming on 322 for nine, unbeaten centurion Coles and number 11 Gurinder Sandhu were at the crease for Sussex.Coles continued to play nicely as he produced a delightful shot down the ground off the bowling of Bas de Leede.Coles then used his feet to launch one down the ground from George Drissell, but the spinner wrapped up the innings just three balls later, bowling Sandhu for eight, leaving Coles unbeaten on 148.Alex Lees and Emilio Gay were tasked with kicking off Durham’s response and they started in a serene manner.Archer then came into the attack and nearly had Gay with his first ball, but Lees was finding things a bit easier as he played a nice on-drive off the bowling of Sandhu which went to the boundary.Gay, who initially found life tough against Archer, managed to break the shackles with two boundaries, one through point and the other off his legs. However, Sussex struck back after lunch as Lees went for 34 when he edged a delivery from Fynn Hudson-Prentice and John Simpson made no mistake behind the stumps.Hudson-Prentice continued to probe and offered few opportunities for run scoring as Will Rhodes and Gay consolidated after the wicket.Meanwhile, Archer gave Rhodes and Gay a working-over with some short stuff, but the Durham batters weren’t falling for the short ball ploy. The England man changed plans and got that vital wicket as he trapped Gay in front for 37, prompting a big celebration from the 30-year-old.Archer’s second spell of six overs went for just eight runs, so Durham decided to take the game to Carson as Rhodes and Ackermann picked up a couple of boundaries to relieve some pressure.Rhodes then played a glorious straight drive from a Robinson ball which went to the boundary, but he then chipped one straight to Daniel Hughes at cover for 24 to hand the economical Hudson-Prentice a second wicket of the day.That brought Durham’s OIlie Robinson to the crease before tea and he decided to take on Hudson-Prentice, picking up 11 runs from four balls, more than he’d gone for in his previous eight overs.Archer returned after tea, with Durham’s Robinson edging one which dropped just short of John Simpson, but he bounced back with two consecutive fours including a dab to third region.Ackermann then played a glorious cover drive off the bowling of Archer for four, but the fluent Robinson fell to Sandhu for 34 as he nicked one down the legside and Simpson produced an excellent diving catch to his left.Graham Clark came to the crease and absorbed a bit of pressure before he started to put his foot to the accelerator with back-to-back pull shots from Hudson-Prentice going to the boundary and he followed that up with a cut shot for four.Ackermann joined Clark in the hunt for boundaries when he swept a Coles delivery to the rope and the number four passed fifty for the fourth time this season from 115 balls.Ackermann, who looked good throughout the innings, was then bowled by Sandhu for 65 with the final ball of the day, which leaves Durham five-down while the deficit is still 112.

For the first time in 4671 completed ODIs, fast bowlers did not bowl a single ball in the game

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Feb-2025USA have broken the record for the lowest total successfully defended in a full men’s ODI. They beat Oman by 57 runs after scoring just 122 in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 match in Al Amerat.The previous lowest total successfully defended in a full ODI (not reduced) was India’s 125 against Pakistan in the Rothmans Four-Nations Cup in 1985. They won that match by 38 runs in Sharjah.USA’s fixture against Oman was dominated by spin. All nine bowlers used in the game were spinners, making it the first completed men’s ODI ever – after 4671 matches – without a single ball bowled by a fast bowler.The 19 wickets that fell also equalled the record for most wickets taken in an ODI by spinners, level with a Bangladesh-Pakistan ODI in Chattogram in 2011. Nosthush Kenjige took a career-best of 5 for 11 as Oman were dismissed for 65 in 25.3 overs.USA and Oman scored a total of only 187 runs in 61 overs, the second-lowest aggregate in an ODI where both teams were dismissed. The 41-over game between India and Bangladesh in 2014 had an aggregate of 163 runs.The dominance of spinners and low totals have been a trend at Al Amerat in this tournament, especially in games involving the hosts Oman. Teams batting first have been dismissed for fewer than 170 in all eight of Oman’s matches , while the other four games had 240-plus totals.In the previous match at Al Amerat on Sunday, Oman lost eight wickets in their chase of 96 against Namibia. JJ Smit was the only fast bowler in that game who bowled an over. Three of the four men’s ODIs where spinners took 17 or more wickets have been at Al Amerat.

Shaun Marsh posted a century but was almost upstaged by his teenage brother Mitchell as Western Australia gained a bonus point in their 129-run win over New South Wales

Cricinfo staff25-Nov-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaun Marsh recorded his highest List A score•Getty Images

Shaun Marsh posted a century but was almost upstaged by his teenage brother Mitchell as Western Australia gained a bonus point in their 129-run win over New South Wales. The brothers made major contributions to the Warriors’ 3 for 309 and the Blues’ chase fell apart despite the best efforts of Moises Henriques.Stuart Clark’s captaincy debut for New South Wales didn’t go to plan when his decision to send the Warriors in backfired as Shaun Marsh and Wes Robinson combined for a 124-run opening stand. Marsh made David Warner pay for putting down a simple chance at short cover when he hadn’t scored, and was in his typical accumulative mode.Robinson’s 70 ended when he played on to Grant Lambert but there was further carnage to be had from Western Australia’s middle order. Adam Voges added 44 but the real damage came from Mitchell Marsh, 18, who was playing in his fourth FR Cup match.He came in within the final ten overs and hammered the New South Wales bowling to reach 60 from 29 deliveries. His half-century came in 24 balls and he demonstrated his tremendous power several times, including with a brazen flat-batted six over long-on off Clark in the final over.The chase stumbled off track almost immediately as David Warner, Phillip Hughes and Phil Jaques failed to have much impact and before the Blues knew it, they were 5 for 77 in the 20th over. Steve Magoffin picked up two important wickets and it wasn’t until Henriques and Daniel Smith came together that the visitors built a partnership of substance.However, when Smith holed out for 47, Aaron Heal ran through the lower order with a career-best 4 for 58 to confirm Western Australia’s win. It was the Warriors’ second victory of the competition, while the Blues remain in second-last place with only one win.