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Southern Brave make it seven from seven to confirm top spot

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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.”

USA break India's 1985 record for lowest total defended in a men's ODI

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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.

Iqbal Qasim appointed head of PCB cricket committee

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Iqbal Qasim will take over the role as head of the PCB cricket committee, replacing Wasim Khan

Umar Farooq31-Jan-2020Nearly two months after Wasim Khan stepped down as head of the PCB’s cricket committee, the board recalled Iqbal Qasim back to the set-up to take over the key position. The panel is now entirely independent from figures that hold other roles in the PCB, with one exception – Urooj Mumtaz, the PCB women’s chief selector, is still a part. The other three members on the panel are Ali Naqvi, Umar Gul and Wasim Akram. Wasim Khan and Zakir Khan will serve as co-opted members, the PCB announced.The cricket committee has run into roadblocks right from the time it was formed in 2018. Akram’s inclusion in the committee was followed by PCB chairman Ehsan Mani turning his back on the Qayyum Report on match-fixing, which led to Akram being fined and censured, as well as removed from the Pakistan captaincy. A few of Mohsin Khan’s public statements also put the PCB in an awkward position, especially the scathing personal criticism he levelled at then head coach Mickey Arthur.ESPNcricinfo understands that PCB had begun to re-evaluate its decision to appoint Mohsin to the committee, and reportedly forbade him from making public statements – it didn’t stop him from calling for Sarfaraz Ahmed to be relieved of the Test captaincy. During this time, Mohsin headed three meetings but failed to develop any sort of consensus on any outstanding cricketing issue.After eight months – during which he presided over just those three meetings – Mohsin resigned from the committee for reasons he never made public, leading to Wasim Khan taking on the additional role of heading the committee.Qasim played 50 Tests and 15 ODIs for Pakistan, and as an administrator accumulated vast experience working as a director in the National Bank of Pakistan sports department before retiring in 2015. He has also been involved with the PCB in various roles, as team manager, chief selector and member of the domestic tournament monitoring committee.”I am pleased the PCB has considered me for this important assignment and will try to utilise all my cricket and corporate experience and knowledge in the successful delivery of my responsibilities,” he said after being given the new role. “The PCB Cricket Committee comprises members who are avid followers of the game, are on top of all matters related to the game in Pakistan and, therefore, with collective wisdom, will make recommendations that will help the PCB to improve its strategic direction.”The game belongs to the people of Pakistan and we all are equal stakeholders in this. I think anyone who thinks can make a positive and meaningful contribution to Pakistan cricket, should come forward and play an active part.”PCB has also increased the number of members in the committee from four to five, not including co-opted members. Gul replaced Misbah-ul-Haq – who, soon after applying for the Pakistan head coach job, resigned from the role. Naqvi is the fifth member, with the former Pakistan batsman presently a member of the PCB elite panel for match referees.”I welcome all the distinguished members in this PCB Cricket Committee and look forward to working with them,” Wasim Khan said. “I am delighted we have been able to put together a wide-ranging, knowledgeable, experienced and respected group whose commitment and involvement in the game is second to none.”These members are representatives of all key stakeholders within the game. More importantly, and in line with our policy, they are completely independent, which, in turn, will assist the PCB management to further improve the health of the game in Pakistan.”

Mahmudullah 150 takes Bangladesh to big total, but Zimbabwe begin reply strongly

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The ninth-wicket stand of 191 between the pair was the second-highest for that wicket in Test history

Mohammad Isam08-Jul-2021 Zimbabwe 114 for 1 (Taylor 37*, Kaitano 33*) trail Bangladesh 468 (Mahmudullah 150*, Das 95, Ahmed 75, Muzarabani 3-72) by 354 runsCareer-best scores from Mahmudullah and Taskin Ahmed, during their 191-run ninth wicket stand, gave Bangladesh a formidable platform of 468 runs on the second day of the one-off Test in Harare. But Zimbabwe made a superb start in their reply, going to stumps on 114 for 1, batting out 41 overs.Openers Milton Shumba and debutant Takudzwanashe Kaitano added 61 for the opening stand before captain Brendan Taylor saw off the remaining overs with the debutant Kaitano. Taylor was unbeaten on 37 off 46 balls, while Kaitano was at the other end, solid on 33 off 117 balls.But the day would be remembered for Mahmudullah and Taskin, who now hold the second-highest ninth-wicket stand in Test history. They broke the Bangladesh record of 184 runs for the ninth wicket between Mahmudullah and Abul Hasan in 2012.Mahmudullah made 150 off 278 with 17 fours and a six. Ahmed’s 75 was a bigger surprise, but he played like one of the proper batters, hitting eleven fours in his 134-ball knock.To their credit, Kaitano and Shumba saw off the new ball threat. They got a couple of boundaries early but when Shumba swept Shakib Al Hasan for two fours in the 13th over, it was the first sign of intent. Kaitano got a four with the sweep too, but he kept himself quiet at the other end. Shumba struck two more fours before one too many sweep attempts brought his end. He fell lbw to Shakib, having made 41 off 83 balls with seven fours.Taylor kicked off things with a chipped straight drive off Shakib and a slog-sweep of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, using all of his 17-year experience to stave off any late pressure from the visitors.Earlier in the day, Bangladesh added 174 runs, in 43 overs, to their overnight score of 294 for 8 in 83 overs. Mahmudullah and Taskin had been batting together since late on the first evening after Donald Tiripano’s two late wickets. Bangladesh would have been happy if they got to 300 runs but by the time the pair were separated on the second day, the visitors were sitting on a dominant total.The turning point was a strange one. Ahmed’s face-to-face tangle with Blessing Muzarabani on the second morning sparked him into steadily bringing down the big fast bowler. Ahmed struck seven fours off Muzarabani, taking him for 39 runs off the 50 balls he faced from him.It was all Mahmudullah needed to bat normally. He latched onto anything short offered by the Zimbabwe bowlers, often dispatching them on the leg-side boundary. With a pair of fours through the covers, Mahmudullah reached his fifth Test century.Ahmed got to his maiden Test fifty shortly afterwards, taking 69 balls, as Zimbabwe looked out of ideas. Captain Taylor rotated his four-pronged pace attack, but when they couldn’t get him the breakthrough, it was harder for the part-timers like Roy Kaia or Milton Shumba.Shumba did ironically break the Mahmudullah-Ahmed partnership, but Muzarabani stood out with his four-wicket haul, while Donald Tiripano and Victor Nyauchi took two each.

England batters stumble again after James Anderson four-for limits Australia

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Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland both strike twice in an over as Australia look to capitalise on 82-run lead

Valkerie Baynes27-Dec-2021Some vintage James Anderson bowling kept England in the contest on an eventful second day of the third Test at the MCG, only for the tourists’ brittle batting to falter in the face of a devastating blitz by Australia’s quicks which put the hosts on the verge of sealing the series.Debutant Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc claimed two wickets each to crush England during a scintillating final hour and undo the effect of Anderson’s four-wicket haul, which had fleetingly given the tourists hope.With their warm-up routine thrown into chaos by four positive Covid tests among team staff and their families which delayed their departure for the ground – and the start by half an hour – England showed the sort of bottle that was sorely missing as Australia romped to a 2-0 series lead to wrest back some control with the ball. Cleared to play after passing lateral flow Tests in the morning, the England players were scheduled to undergo PCR testing at the close of play, with the match allowed to proceed in the meantime.And it was the 39-year-old Anderson, who made his international debut at the same ground in an ODI in 2002, leading the way with two particularly miserly spells which yielded the important wickets of Steve Smith and Marcus Harris, who top-scored with 76, either side of lunch.Australia were bowled out for 267, a first-innings lead of 82 runs. But England’s top order had no answers as Starc claimed two wickets in as many balls to put them 2 for 7. As if the pressure on England captain Joe Root wasn’t cranked up enough, he barely survived Starc’s hat-trick ball, an unplayable delivery beating his outside edge.Related

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By the close, England were in disarray after Starc struck in the fifth over of the innings when he found Zak Crawley’s outside edge, taken by keeper Alex Carey for 5, and then trapped Dawid Malan lbw for a first-ball duck.Pat Cummins maintained the pressure in an outstanding spell, while Boland came on for the penultimate over and had Haseeb Hameed caught behind with his third ball, then removed nightwatchman Jack Leach with a gem that clattered into the top of off stump two balls later as the match slipped back into a more familiar rhythm with England staring down a series defeat.Root was unbeaten on 12 at the end of the day and Ben Stokes on 2 but, as capable as the England duo are of hauling their side out of trouble, the mission looked beyond even those two.By the time Anderson took the second new ball in the final session, Australia were eight wickets down and led by 51. He then proceeded to fling himself into the air at mid-on to stop a ball struck firmly by Cummins that was surely headed to the boundary. And while his failure to cling on with his outstretched right hand constituted a drop, his effort enhanced an already impressive display of professionalism by England’s elder statesman.Anderson bowled 10 maidens en route to his haul of 4 for 33 from 23 overs. Having dismissed opener David Warner the previous evening, Anderson bowled Smith for just 16 after Ollie Robinson had removed nightwatchman Nathan Lyon in the fourth over of the second day. Smith fell in a superb Anderson spell of 6-5-1-1, the only run coming off the first ball, an inside edge when Smith was on 5 which Jos Buttler got glove tips to but could only parry the chance to fine leg.James Anderson claimed 4 for 33 to keep England fighting•Getty Images

Mark Wood, too, bowled well and he struck with his third ball of the day when the dangerous Marnus Labuschagne fell for just 1 as the first of Root’s three catches at slip.Under-pressure Harris went to lunch unbeaten on 48, having overtured an lbw decision to Ben Stokes when he was on 36 with replays showing that there was bat on ball.Australia helped themselves to six runs off the first over after lunch, bowled by Leach, and 10 off the second, from Wood, during which time Harris raised his third Test fifty. Both bowlers’ subsequent overs were tighter but, as if to ram home the fact that England were in danger of letting their good morning’s work come undone, Buttler then fluffed a stumping chance off Harris when he was on 63. The opener advanced at Leach, who saw him coming and fired the ball down the leg side, only for Buttler to thrust out his right glove in vain.Robinson broke through to dismiss Travis Head, caught by Root, and Anderson had Harris out in similar fashion three runs shy of equalling his best Test score during another outstanding four-over spell that yielded just two runs.Australia hit the front late in the middle session before Leach, back after a torrid time at the hands of Australia’s batters in the opening Test at the Gabba, trapped Cameron Green lbw in the second over after tea.Stokes removed Carey before Starc and Cummins added 34 runs for the ninth wicket, the third-highest partnership of Australia’s innings.
Anderson struck again in the fourth over with the new ball to dismiss Cummins, caught by Hameed at point, and Wood had debutant Boland taken in the slips to close out the innings, for what it was worth, given what was to come.

Stokes 'definitely on course' to bowl in first Ashes Test

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England captain did not bowl a ball in victory over Ireland and was in clear discomfort after taking a catch

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2023Ben Stokes insists that England fans have “nothing to worry about” as he continues to manage a chronic left knee issue ahead of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on June 16.Stokes became the first man in Test history to captain a side to victory without batting, bowling or keeping wicket in England’s 10-wicket victory over Ireland at Lord’s, and was in clear discomfort on the third afternoon in the field.He appeared to jar his left knee – which he has had to manage carefully for several years – when taking a catch at short fine leg to dismiss Curtis Campher, and was restricted in his movement in the field for the rest of Ireland’s second innings.Related

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“I actually didn’t pick it [the ball] up, and I actually landed quite awkwardly on it [my knee],” Stokes said at the post-match presentation, when asked about the catch. “My weight went on the inside of my knee, like I hyper-extended.”Stokes insisted on the eve of the Test that he was fit to bowl against Ireland, though he added that there should not be “doom and gloom” if he did not. He briefly bowled in the warm-ups on the third morning with bowling coach David Saker watching on, and said he was “really happy” with how it felt.”I bowled this morning – the first time I’d bowled since being back from India, so it would have been about four weeks actually,” he said. “I got through that and was really happy with where I was. So no, nothing [for England fans] to worry about.”He later suggested that his grimaces after completing the catch owed mainly to his age. “I was really happy with how I bowled [before play],” Stokes said. “I bowled for about 20 minutes and I got through that really well. Obviously I have got time to build up before I push back into flat out, but I just landed quite awkwardly when I took that catch.”I didn’t quite see it so had to adjust myself and landed on my left leg and it twisted in a really strange way. It was fine, I just don’t know what really happened. It was one of those things – but I am 32 tomorrow so that probably explains it.”Asked if he would consider leaving himself out of the starting XI at any stage of the Ashes – a policy that Eoin Morgan occasionally took during his tenure as white-ball captain, though never at a major tournament – Stokes’ response was blunt: “No, of course not. That’s not even something we’ve even spoken about because I’m fully prepared to be bowling at Edgbaston.”Speaking to the BBC’s , Stokes added that he was “taking the positives” and that he “wouldn’t have bowled in this match… unless everyone else went down”.Stokes was given plenty to think about in the field•Getty Images

England named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests on Saturday afternoon, which will report to Birmingham on June 12 before training on June 13, three days before the start of the Edgbaston Test.In the meantime, Stokes is among a number of players due to travel to Scotland to play golf next weekend, while Australia are playing India in the World Test Championship final at The Oval.”The new way is you get as ready as you possibly can and whatever you do, you just get yourself in the right frame of mind for the games you’ve got coming up,” Stokes said. “This was obviously a great opportunity for us to get back together as a group and we’ll be doing that again before the Ashes.”We’ll get together and spend some quality time together as a group and have some fun together before the big Ashes series starts. We’re really looking forward to it.”

Dawid Malan falls cheaply as Glamorgan apply early pressure

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Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan picked up two wickets to give his side the edge at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2018
ScorecardGlamorgan captain Michael Hogan picked up two wickets to give his side the edge against Middlesex on a rain-shortened first day at Lord’s.Hogan got rid of his opposite number Dawid Malan, as well as opener Sam Robson, as Middlesex fought their way to 64-3 after being put in to bat.Only one over was bowled before the rain intervened – and in all the weather allowed Glamorgan to send down a total of 16.1 overs in the day.
Lukas Carey, who bowled unchanged from the Pavilion End, made the initial breakthrough for the Welsh side by having Max Holden caught behind.Sam Robson had seemed well-set as he carved two boundaries through the off side to reach 17 – but he became Hogan’s first victim, prodding at one that bowled him through the gate.Malan, playing his first innings of the county season, got off the mark with a leg glance for four but added just one more before he drove at Hogan and was caught at second slip just after lunch.However, Stevie Eskinazi – also returning to the Middlesex line-up after illness – looked in good nick and hit Hogan for successive fours to reach 31 not out before the rain returned.

Simon Harmer, Sam Cook leave much-fancied Lancashire dancing for rain

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Essex need one more wicket on final morning after enforcing follow-on

Paul Edwards21-May-2022
In the opening weeks of this season a few people of good judgement appeared to assume Lancashire were going to win the County Championship. This match has offered a powerful corrective to such weirdly confident views. For whatever the vagaries of Manchester’s weather – and the forecast is for rain – Lancashire have been quite outplayed in this game and had Essex managed to take one more wicket this evening, Emirates Old Trafford would resemble the tomorrow. Instead, it is all aboard for a short voyage on the good ship .None of which should obscure the memory of an Essex team that has brimmed with confidence and dynamism these three days. After enforcing the follow-on – the first time Lancashire have suffered this indignity since 2017 – Tom Westley’s bowlers took seven of their opponents’ second-innings wickets and claimed an extra half-hour in the hope of completing their victory today.Tom Bailey and Hasan Ali obligingly holed out in the deep to leave James Anderson defending stoutly against Simon Harmer in the hope that it will hose it down for hours. “I just love this game and I don’t understand it at all,” a member of Lancashire outstanding live-stream operation said.Related

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Harmer, on the other hand, understands cricket’s engaging eccentricities all too well. He knows that it can treat you “dreadful crool”, as Eliza Doolittle might say, and that he has probably deserved more than the six wickets he has bagged from the season’s opening five games. Today, an Old Trafford pitch that offered sufficient help was just what he might have ordered to revive his season and he filled his rather large boots with figures of 5 for 85 from 40 overs.One or two Lancashire batters, notably Dane Vilas, took the attack to the South African Test offspinner but no-one played him with certainty. Vilas, who made 62, perished lbw on the back leg in a chaotic last hour that saw five Lancashire wickets go down. Matt Parkinson and Hasan also succumbed to Harmer’s flight and spin but Anderson and Luke Wood stood firm as the home dressing room hummed with the apocalyptic predictions of amateur meteorologists.And yet, if Lancashire survive, it will be a Dreyfus-esque injustice. For most of the morning – indeed, for most of the game – things have proceeded much Westley might have wished. You will recall that Lancashire resumed, hale and hearty, on 32 for 5. Wood then hit a couple of fours before edging a drive to Adam Rossington off Sam Cook, who also had Bailey lbw in his next over. Hasan survived two balls before edging Shane Snater to Harmer at second slip and Lancashire then needed another 11 runs to avoid posting their lowest total against Essex in the 125 years it has taken the sides to play 161 matches.Their minds uncluttered by such minutiae, Phil Salt and Parkinson put on 43 in 14 overs with Salt pulling Snater into the temporary stand for six. But it was a reflection of Essex’s command in Lancashire’s two innings that losing the ball, either in the building site or the seating, was more or less their greatest inconvenience. Otherwise, events unfolded roughly as they willed them.After making 44 in two hours Salt was leg before to a ball from Matt Critchley that seemed hurry on off the pitch in the manner of a topspinner. Next over, Parkinson smeared Harmer to the sub fielder, Aaron Beard at deepish square leg and Westley opted for traditional orthodoxy rather than the left-field funkiness when it came to enforcing the follow-on. Then again, the humiliation inflicted on opponents by asking them to have another go is probably underestimated. It certainly seems so this evening.

Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings patted back four maidens before lunch but it was no sort of omen. In the second over after the resumption Jamie Porter got one to straighten past Jennings’ outside edge and knocked the opener’s off pole out. Jennings looked studiously at the pitch as though he was thinking of writing a learned article about a game he had entered with an average of 174 and was now leaving with it more or less halved to 88.”Oh my God!” exclaimed someone to the left of the press box and one doubts it was an outpouring of evangelical witness prompted by the sight of Josh Bohannon striding bandily way out to the middle. Perhaps it was the more prosaic realisation that this was the first time Lancashire’s No. 3 had batted in the second innings of a match this season.Vilas’ players have had a lot of time in the field over the past six weeks or so but their dominance of matches has led to virtually the entire team needing to bat once in each match. To a degree, this is fine, of course, but it has also led to batters like Bohannon having limited opportunities to face high-quality spin on wearing pitches.Those who advocate reducing the number of first-class matches might reflect on these factors. Even in a freakishly dry spring Bohannon will get to mid-June having played seven red-ball innings; the last of these lasted an hour before he gave a bat and pad catch to Nick Browne at short leg off Harmer, who, it seems, can dismiss Test batters while reading his morning newspaper. Certainly no-one played him with much confidence today. The extravagantly offered front pads, the hurried defensive prods and the edges through the slips all said the same thing.So just as one might expect, the next Lancashire wicket fell to a seam bowler and owed everything to a batter’s error. For after defending solidly for nearly two hours, Wells pulled a short ball from Cook straight to square leg, where Paul Walter took a good tumbling catch near the ground. Wells nearly keeled over, too; no current batter is more aghast at the death of his innings. He held the bat close to his face and then began his funereal trudge home.Croft and Vilas then put on 78 for the fourth wicket but Westley throwing the ball to Harmer and waiting for the error. It came when Croft, having battled away for 39, top-edged a sweep to Cook behind square. Salt made a pleasant 31 on a day when pleasant 31s were nowhere near Lancashire’s requirements. He fell, caught at the wicket, off Critchley and a three-day finish became possible, then probable, then almost certain.But no. Anderson blocked Harmer’s fifth ball and checked his guard. The clock ticked over to seven o’clock. We’re all back tomorrow.

India still looking at middle-order options for World Cup, says Sanjay Bangar

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The batting coach said India had enough time, options and “fluidity” in their batting order to plug any weakness

Nagraj Gollapudi at Headingley16-Jul-2018India are yet to work out a “settled” middle order in ODIs and they do not have the “depth” in their lower order. With the World Cup a year away that might seem to be a matter of concern, but batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that India had enough time, options and “fluidity” in their batting order to plug any weakness.India’s middle-order woes were exposed at Lord’s on Saturday, as the second half of their innings was subdued and they stuttered to a virtual standstill in the final hour. It was the first instance since the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup that India failed hit a single six in an ODI. India didn’t score more than 10 runs in an over during in the final 15 overs, and only 42 runs came off the last 10, which is the fewest scored by India in the last decade.The lack of intent did not sit well with the Indian fans at Lord’s. They did not spare MS Dhoni, who was booed at various times during an innings where he ran out of partners and eventually lost rhythm. Although it would be easy to blame Dhoni, you could understand why he did not want to press the accelerator with the other members of India’s middle order – KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya – found wanting.Bangar said that India were not sweating because they had enough options to work out a World Cup middle order. Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey and Ajinkya Rahane could all still be viable options if the current occupants did not make an impact. Rayudu failed the yo-yo fitness test and Raina was called up as his replacement. Pandey and Rahane have been tried at different times in the past, but left behind more questions than positive impressions.Although India have not tried it yet, one way the middle order could be strengthened would involve pushing Rahul to No. 3 and having Virat Kohli bat at four. That way India can retain their authority in the top order while having their best batsman at the controls in the second half of the innings. This way Kohli would not only act as a cushion for the top order, as he showed during the T20s in Ireland and England, but also ease the pressure on Dhoni, who can play with more freedom at Nos. 5 or 6.But India are not ready yet to change the default settings. “We did change a bit [the batting order], certainly in the T20 format where KL played at three and Virat batted at four,” Bangar said in Leeds on the eve of the final match of the ODI series and the limited-overs leg of their tour. “But looking at this series and the performances that Virat has got at No. 3, especially in the last series when he scored three hundreds against South Africa in five games [we won’t alter the batting order].”Bangar, though, did not rule out a change of strategy, keeping in mind India have 21 matches before the World Cup, good enough time to figure out a solution. “We are looking at, in terms of the games remaining, where we could look at settling the middle-order slots. We will see as to players available, the fitness of the players. So a lot of spots are open. The good thing about that is the bench strength we have in a Rayudu, or a Manish Pandey or Ajinkya Rahane. There are enough spots for each and every eventuality that we might face leading up to the World Cup.”MS Dhoni buckles on his pads at India training•Getty Images

Bangar also defended Dhoni and said that there was nothing else India’s most senior and experienced batsman could have done. “When the team loses four wickets, the lower order – at least with the combination we are playing at the moment – we do not really have the depth at Nos. 8, 9, 10 wherein the batsman at Nos. 6 or 7 could play with that sort of a freedom. It was purely because of that that we kept on losing the wickets and the set batsmen could not really exploit [the situation].”He [Dhoni] was just hoping that somebody would stick with him. There was a chance when he and Suresh were batting together, we were just hoping they could bat through till the 40th over and they could take the bowlers on. But every time he looked to do that he first lost Raina and then he lost Hardik so there wasn’t too much batting to follow for him to play in the usual fashion that he does.”Bangar felt that some of the India batsmen, like Raina, who featured in just one format and have come back to international fold after a while, would need more time to settle down. Bangar said that it was also difficult for the middle-order batsmen, who were often padded up but did not have much to do as all the good work had been already done by the top order, which has played a dominant role in Indian victories in the last few years.”The way our top order is batting, generally our middle order hasn’t got the number of opportunities that you would expect because the top order does the bulk of the scoring. And at times the middle order have to straightaway walk into a game situation. Not all of the players are playing all formats of the game. You also have to give some weightage to do that – coming back straight to international cricket, and doing the kind of things that are expected of you, especially in this format. So the continuity factor also plays a part, but we are trying to balance each and everything that we could possibly do.”

Sarah Glenn plays starring role as Central Sparks defeat Western Storm

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Leg-spinner’s 4 for 23 proves decisive after Ami Campbell’s fifty

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2022Sarah Glenn played a starring role as Central Sparks inflicted a 22-run defeat upon Western Storm in a sun-drenched Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Chasing a target of 207, Storm came up short at 184 for 9, their cause fatally undermined by the 22-year-old leg-spinner from Derby, who took 4 for 23 from 10 overs. New ball bowler Grace Potts weighed in with 2 for 33 and seamer Elizabeth Russell took 2 for 48 as the top and middle order were blown away. Only tailenders Lauren Filer and Sophia Smale offered any kind of resistance, these two contributing 58 not out and 32 respectively, and staging a defiant ninth wicket stand of 73 by way of consolation.Ami Campbell proved the mainstay of Sparks’ innings, top-scoring with 50 from 75 balls, while captain Evelyn Jones and wicketkeeper Abi Freeborn grafted their way to 44 and 35 respectively in a total of 206 all out from 50 overs after the visitors had won the toss.Impressive with the new ball and again at the death, Lauren Filer claimed 3 for 36 from 10 overs and was ably supported by Niamh Holland, who took key wickets during the middle overs to return figures of 2 for 17.But Storm lacked the application required with the bat on a typically slow and low Bristol pitch to follow up last week’s opening win over Lightning, handing their opponents the opportunity to atone for defeat at the hands of Southern Vipers in their first game.The game was all but over as a contest when Storm lurched to 48 for 6 inside 14 overs, the victims of poor shot selection and some outstanding bowling.Potts set the tone, having Georgia Hennessy caught at the wicket without scoring and then inducing Alex Griffiths to hole out to mid-off as the hosts forfeited both openers inside seven overs with 17 runs on the board. Fran Wilson was next to go cheaply, bowled playing back to Elizabeth Russell and missing a straight one, at which point Storm were 31 for 3 in the tenth over.A difficult situation became positively parlous when Sophie Luff and big-hitting Dani Gibson succumbed to the first and sixth balls of Glenn’s opening over from the Ashley Down Road End. Caught in two minds, Luff was pinned lbw, while Gibson played across the line and was bowled. When Nat Wraith edged a catch behind off Russell in the next over, Storm were in dire straits.There followed 18 dot balls, a passage of austerity that culminated in Glenn having Holland held at slip. Katie George was then bowled by Glenn, terminating any fanciful notion Storm supporters might have harboured of an against-the-odds triumph.Understanding the risks associated with pushing too hard on a worn surface, Sparks’ top-order batters had earlier demonstrated a willingness to graft for their runs, a quality that set them apart from their opponents.Filer served early notice that this was far from a batting paradise, mustering impressive rhythm and pace from the Bristol Pavilion End to remove Davina Perrin and Thea Brookes while the fielding restrictions were still in place.Campbell rode her luck against Storm’s main strike bowler, cutting hard to backward point and being put down by Wilson before she had scored. She certainly made good her escape, the left-hander surviving a sticky start to match Jones blow for blow in a stand of 64 for the third wicket as the visitors reasserted themselves.Prepared to wait for the bad ball, these two were severe on anything short or wide, advancing the score to 109 for 2 at the halfway stage of the innings. Just when a half-century appeared to be hers for the asking, Jones blotted her copybook, playing across the line to a straight delivery from off spinner Chloe Skelton and departing bowled for 44.Skelton’s clever variations on pace and flight almost produced another wicket, but she was unable to hold onto a hard return catch offered up by the fortuitous Campbell, who went on to raise 50 from 74 balls, with eight fours.Dropped catches looked likely to cost Storm dear when George fumbled at deep square leg to allow Freeborn a life on three, much to the chagrin of the returning Filer. Yet partial salvation was at hand for the home side in the form of Holland, who claimed two wickets in the space of 13 deliveries after being introduced in the 34th over. Campbell clipped a swinging ball to Skelton at short fine leg, while Glenn was bowled for two as Sparks were reduced to 156 for 5. Ria Fackrell contributed 16 in a partnership of 32 in seven overs with Freeborn before being bowled by Gibson as Storm turned the screw.As Sparks attempted to accelerate, so Filer struck to remove Freeborn, caught at the wicket by Wraith having hewn 35 from 58 balls. Gibson ran out Georgia Davis and then bowled Potts, while Wraith ran out Hannah Baker off the final ball of the innings.Campbell’s demise in the 35th over proved a turning point, Sparks adding a mere 63 runs for the loss of six wickets in their final 15 overs thereafter. Yet once Glenn went to work, it proved more than enough.

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