All posts by n8rngtd.top

Dunkley, Jones knocks in vain for England as Australia go 6-0 up in series

Valkerie Baynes01-Jul-2023An unbeaten half-century by cool-as-you-like opener Beth Mooney saw Australia to victory with one ball to spare in a thrilling first T20I against England in front of a crowd of 19,527 at Edgbaston.The Australians maintained their reputation for withstanding pressure, embodied by Mooney’s 61 not out off 47 balls in the face of wickets to Lauren Bell and Sophie Ecclestone in the last two overs of the match, to go six points up in their multi-format series and leave England needing to win all five remaining matches if they are to wrest back the Ashes. Annabel Sutherland struck two crucial boundaries and Mooney one, with Australia needing 16 runs off the last two overs. Georgia Wareham managed to hit the first ball she faced for the winning run.Related

• Ladies who Switch:Annabel Sutherland interview

A half-century from Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones’ quickfire 40 gave England something to defend and they almost pulled off a coup, as Ecclestone, Bell and Sarah Glenn picked up two wickets each. Despite Dunkley’s fifty and an assertive 29 off 22 balls by Heather Knight – the pair putting on a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket – England were in a hole with the bat. Their 36 for 2 after six overs was their lowest T20I powerplay in 12 innings and no other batter reached double figures, after Jones.

Jones lifts England

Dunkley started at a strong tempo, scoring seven of the eight runs which came off the first over of the match, bowled by Megan Schutt – who was back in action after being overlooked for the Test, which Australia won to take a four-point lead into this match. The Australians were left confounded when Danni Wyatt drove at Darcie Brown and missed, the ball hitting off stump which visibly wobbled but the bails didn’t dislodge. But there was no more fortune for Wyatt when she attempted to loft Schutt over extra cover and missed again as the ball gripped off the surface, pinging off stump out of the ground. Alice Capsey and Nat Sciver-Brunt fell cheaply, Capsey when her bat bounced up off the pitch when she tried to return to her crease as Brown gathered off her own bowling and threw down the stumps at the striker’s end.Dunkley brought up her fifty off 42 balls but then Tahlia McGrath broke through in her first over with a slower, fuller ball which Knight sent straight to long-on and Jones entered the fray, and rode her luck. On 3, she struck the ball just short of backward point and set off, bowler Jess Jonassen failing to take the throw cleanly for what would have been a run out. Three balls later, Jones overturned an lbw decision when replays showed she had got bat on ball. Jones also survived on 15 when she was dropped by Wareham, running in from deep midwicket. But Jones’ ball-striking was decisive and she capitalised on those errors, lofting Schutt over Wareham’s head for six straight after her let-off, then whacking four off the last ball over the covers to take 18 from the over. Jones sealed her 40 off just 21 balls when she heaved Ashleigh Gardner over deep midwicket for six off the last ball of the innings.Amy Jones’ quickfire 40 lifted England at the death•Getty Images

Two in two times three feat. Schutt, Jonassen and Glenn

Schutt returned to the attack and made a breakthrough for Australia, removing Dunkley who was trying to swing big to the leg side and sent a leading edge to Brown at short third. Schutt was then on a hat-trick, having had Sciver-Brunt caught by Wareham running in from deep midwicket on the last ball of her previous spell. But Danielle Gibson, on her international debut, managed to play the ball late to the off side safely.Jonassen also claimed two wickets in two balls after Gibson edged to McGrath at extra cover to fall for just 1 and Alyssa Healy caught Ecclestone down the leg side, Jonassen ultimately finishing with 3 for 25 to be the pick of Australia’s bowlers.Later, legspinner Glenn gave England a sniff late in Australia’s innings when she had Gardner caught behind by Jones and then bowled the big-hitting Grace Harris for a first-ball duck with a slower one that turned into the batter who edged onto her stumps.

Mooney sees through dramatic chase

Silence descended on the crowd as Glenn sat under a steepling catch to remove Healy for 5 off seamer Bell and they erupted as she held it at backward point. Jones kept herself in the action with the stumping of McGrath, who had been accumulating nicely at 40 off 28 balls, off Ecclestone. In the 13th over, Australia were level with where England had been and needed to score at more than eight runs an over.Gardner skied the ball so high back above bowler Bell’s head she struggled to pick it out on descent and didn’t end up getting close. Next ball, Mooney managed to turn a full ball off her pads past short fine leg to bring up her fifty. But then Glenn removed Gardner and Harris and all of a sudden Australia were under pressure, even more so when Bell rattled Ellyse Perry’s off stump.Sutherland sent Bell to the square-leg boundary to ease the tension and Mooney then hit Bell’s last delivery up and over the covers to the rope, leaving Australia with just five to get off the last over. Sutherland drove Ecclestone’s first ball straight down the ground for four but then skied to Jones with two balls remaining. Wareham, however, stayed calm as she punched towards cover and set off for the run Australia needed.

Alec Stewart warns Surrey are in danger of heading ‘in the wrong direction’ of the Championship

Richard Hobson at The Oval10-Jul-2019The sun was at its warmest of the week, but the Oval at its quietest as two true men of the game stood no more than ten yards apart dissecting a riveting contest and placing it in the context of their campaigns. While Matt Walker, Kent’s head coach, exuded pride and joy, Alec Stewart warned that his own Surrey group are in danger of heading in the wrong direction of the Championship.Kent know all about the second division having spent eight seasons there before earning promotion last summer. Surrey were celebrating the first division title back then, but events of the past four days and the eventual result reflect what has happened in 2019. Kent’s young players have risen to challenges and their bowlers could not have operated with more discipline. They are doing the basics very well. Meanwhile, Surrey have been hit by injury, inconsistency and perhaps self-doubt.And so, while Kent now stand five points from being level with Yorkshire in third place, Surrey teeter above only Nottinghamshire. As it happens, Surrey and Notts meet at Trent Bridge starting on Saturday. “It is alright saying we are a good side with good players,” Stewart, the director of cricket, said. “They have to show why they have earnt the right to be called good players.”Ollie Robinson completed Kent’s first Championship win at the Oval for 11 years by driving Dean Elgar over long on, emphatically ending a chase of 121 that began calamitously when Morne Morkel removed Zak Crawley and Joe Denly for first over ducks. The six raised Robinson’s unbeaten half-century from 41 balls to reinforce a collective impression of an improving side brimming with self-belief.”I think we played some brilliant cricket,” Walker said. “We spoke to coaches and people from outside when we came up, but as a player you don’t really know what it will be like and you have to learn quickly. While we have made mistakes, this result shows how far we have come in a short space of time. To be honest, I am extremely proud of the group. That little innings from Ollie when the chips were down was pretty special.”Stewart thought that Surrey’s determined attempt to defend what always looked to be slightly too few runs typified the 60 percent of the time they have played well overall. “That other 40 percent has proved expensive,” he said. “We have to realise if we carry on as we are, we will be going in the wrong direction. People say we have batsmen out of form. No, we have batsmen out of runs. They are hitting the ball well, but their shot selection is costing them dearly.”Will Jacks may replace Scott Borthwick against Notts having scored a half-century in the second team’s innings defeat to Essex this week. Amar Virdi did not play there, and Stewart revealed that the off-spin bowler has been with the first team group not as a contender to play – the intended switch with Gareth Batty apart – but to work under supervision on fitness, strength and conditioning as well as skills.Virdi has been given targets under threat that his season will be over, before it has effectively begun, unless he meets them. “Over the past two weeks, he has worked exceptionally well, but that has to be the norm,” Stewart said. “You have to be fit and look after yourself, and be careful. If not, you are either an injury waiting to happen, or your performances drop off. He is responding, he is starting to understand that. It might appear tough love, but we want him to go on and play for England.”Here, Virdi spent lunch bowling at a stump on the edge of the square as the contest itself hung in the balance. Kent had taken the remaining four Surrey second innings wickets for 39 runs in the first hour, but the chilling opening over from Morkel – to describe it as ‘hostile’ barely conveys the threat – suddenly gave the chase a tougher appearance.Sean Dickson then fell to the last ball before the break going too far across to Rikki Clarke, and when Daniel Bell-Drummond nicked one from Sam Curran, Kent were still 71 runs short. But Heino Kuhn responded positively and Robinson, having held six catches in the Surrey second innings, showed maturity beyond his 20 years. Oddly, Rory Burns held back Morkel’s return until Kent needed only 34 more to win.”This is probably one of our best wins of the past few years,” Robinson said. “I would be lying if I said there were not a few nerves out there after the first over, but we knew a couple of partnerships would do it. I had never been in that situation before. I had never won a game for Kent so it does feel special. I think we have upset the odds a little bit. Not many people would expect us to be where we are.”

Glamorgan into semis as Surrey and Yorkshire take quarter-final spots

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2021Glamorgan fell to a four-run defeat in their final Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Yorkshire Vikings, but still managed to top Group 1 and bag a home semi-final on Monday.They were able to stay on top of the table despite their loss thanks to a superior net run rate over the eight pool matches. That put them ahead of Surrey and Yorkshire, who took the two quarter-final spots, with Surrey gaining a home tie.The Vikings posted 230, with an eighth wicket partnership of 84 between Jonathan Tattersall and Matthew Waite crucial in their total, while Glamorgan got off to a solid start with a stand of 121 for their first wicket between Hamish Rutherford (58) and Nick Selman.Selman eventually went on to make 92 and the home side were left with 11 to win off the final over. Matthew Waite restricted them to six runs and two more wickets fell to leave the Welsh country stranded on 226 for 8.Having won the toss Glamorgan did what they did to the Notts Outlaws at the weekend and put the Vikings in to bat. The visitors got off to a solid start and Will Fraine hit four boundaries on his way to a quickfire 25 before falling to a catch at the wicket by Tom Cullen off the ever-reliable Michael Hogan in the seventh over.The 50 came up in the 11th over before another paceman, James Weighill removed Will Luxton, who spooned a thick edge to Steve Reingold in the covers three overs later. The introduction of the off-spinner at the river end put a brake on scoring and when he bowled opener Harry Duke for 20 the Vikings were 70-3.It was another spinner, Steve Reingold, who made the next breakthrough in his first over. His first ball was swept to the boundary by Vikings skipper Gary Balance, but four balls later he got his revenge when he forced the left-hander onto his back foot and bowled him to make it 88 for 4 in the 20th over.The 100 came up with a four through mid-wicket by Hill in the first ball of the 26th over, only the third boundary in a very neat 11 over spell from the home bowling attack. Then James Cooke clean bowled George Hill with a ball that stayed low and had Matthew Revis caught behind with the next ball.Dom Bess foiled the hat-trick, but the Vikings were rocking a little at 121 for 6. The England spinner was then lucky to survive a steepling catch at deep mid on which Selman couldn’t quite deal with as Salter ended his quota of 10 overs with 1 for 34.Bess wasn’t able to make much of his reprieve as in the very next over he was trapped lbw by the returning Weighill. Jonathan Tattersall and Mattew Waite steadied the ship and took the score to 178 for 7 at the 40 over mark, Waite clearing the boundary rope with one shot back over the head of Reingold as their highly productive partnership went through the half-century mark.The pair steered their side through the 200 barrier in the 44th over before Billy Root took a brilliant catch on the boundary to remove Waite for 44 off Cooke and end a partnership that yielded 84 runs for the eighth wicket.Cooke ended his 10 over spell with 3 for 40, while Tattersall’s 50 came up off 58 balls and contained two boundaries. He succumbed to a catch by home skipper Kiran Carlson off the bowling of Hogan in the 47th over for 53.The Vikings closed their innings on 230 when Josh Sullivan holed out to Hogan off the bowling of Weighill eight ball short of their full allocation of 50 overs. There were 25 extras.Glamorgan’s slow, but solid start was finally ended when Ben Coad bowled Rutherford with the score on 121. The patient approach continued and with 10 overs to go Glamorgan still needed 58 runs to win. Hill then struck twice in the same over to send back Reingold and Carlson and the Vikings’ noose began to tighten.Selman then became Hill’s third victim when he was caught by Gary Balance for an excellent 92 and the home side were 187 for 4 still needing 44 runs off 41 balls to win. As wickets tumbled, and the run rate rose, so Glamorgan paid the price for their slow start.Hill ended as the most successful bowler for the Vikings, taking 3 for 49 in his 10 overs.

Legspinner handed chance for game-time as stand-in for injured Matt Kuhnemann

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2023Matt Parkinson will feature for Durham against Derbyshire in the LV= County Championship on Thursday, after joining the club from Lancashire on a two-week loan.Legspinner Parkinson, 26, has featured in just one of Lancashire’s three Championship fixtures to date, taking 5 for 120 in the second innings against Surrey, and comes into the Durham line-up as a replacement for the injured Australia spinner, Matt Kuhnemann.The extra game-time is opportune for Parkinson, who was surplus to international requirements this winter and was also overlooked in last month’s Hundred draft. He has featured 12 times for England across formats, including a solitary Test appearance against New Zealand at Lord’s last summer, when he was called up as a concussion substitute for Jack Leach.”Following conversations between Matt and the club’s coaching staff, it was agreed that game time in the County Championship would be preferable,” Mark Chilton, Lancashire director of cricket performance, said.”Earlier this week, an opportunity arose for Matt to join Durham on loan and the deal has been agreed between both counties and the player.”This is a great opportunity for him to get some more overs under his belt in a more competitive environment. We are looking forward to seeing how he performs and to welcoming him back into the squad.”Kuhnemann had himself replaced fellow Australian Todd Murphy at Durham, but was unable to take the field on the final day of their drawn match against Durham after suffering a back problem, and will continue to be assessed by the club’s medical staff.Parkinson’s two-week stint covers a solitary Championship game. Durham are one of ten teams in action this week, with Lancashire sitting out the round prior to their match against Nottinghamshire starting at Trent Bridge on May 4, for which he will now be ineligible.

Abdur Razzak’s match haul of 12 for 144 helped curb North Zone after South Zone’s strong batting innings

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2018South Zone retained the Bangladesh Cricket League first-class title after their nine-wicket win over North Zone in Chittagong. This is the fourth time they have won the competition, having earlier been champions in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.Veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak struck the decisive blows in South Zone’s last round match, taking 12 for 144 to pick up the Player-of-the-Match honours.Razzak took seven wickets in North Zone’s first innings, restricting them to 293 runs in 83.4 overs. Ariful Haque missed a century by two runs as he made 98 off 151 balls with six fours and three sixes. He added 135 runs for the seventh wicket with Ziaur Rahman, who scored 69 off 103 balls with seven fours and two sixes.South Zone replied strongly, making 541 in 125.3 overs, with centuries from Anamul Haque and Al-Amin. The pair added 176 for the fourth wicket before Al-Amin retired hurt when he was on 110. He eventually made 128 off 161 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. Anamul struck 16 fours in his 180 off 314 balls, that spanned seven hours and 44 minutes. Sunzamul Islam took 6-158.North Zone, behind by 248, were then bowled out for 280 in 82.2 overs with Razzak taking 5-75 from his 32.2 overs. Junaid Siddiqui (77), Naeem Islam (67) and Ziaur (77 not out) struck fifties but neither could push past the sixties or seventies.Anamul and Fazle completed the very short fourth-innings chase of 33, making 35 for 1 in 7.1 overs.

David Willey revelled in his role as Yorkshire’s stand-in captain to leave a winner-takes-all clash against Notts on Friday night

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2018
Scorecard
David Willey and Adam Lyth delivered a crushing seven-wicket win for Yorkshire with over four overs to spare at Northamptonshire to keep the White Rose on course for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.Set 163, Willey and Lyth shared 150 for the second wicket in 80 balls. Neither could see Yorkshire over the line as Willey fell for 79 from 44 balls and Lyth 66 in 41 but the damage was done as the visitors won with 27 balls to spare.Yorkshire now face Nottinghamshire in their final game at Headingley knowing victory will guarantee their place in the last four.Josh Cobb was the only batsman to show for Northants with 68 not out as the home side posted 162 for 8 having won the toss but not for the first time in the competition, the Northants’ attack struggled as Lyth and Willey hammered the bowling around Wantage Road.Lyth got down one knee to slog-sweep Ben Sanderson for six before taking 22 from the fifth over of the innings bowled by Richard Gleeson. He advanced down the wicket to lift a six then four over extra-cover, carved four over point, glanced another boundary past the wicketkeeper before driving four more past mid-on. It ensured Yorkshire raced to 74 in the Powerply for the loss of Tom Kohler-Cadmore caught at point first ball.

Yorkshire sign Ravel

Yorkshire have signed New Zealand international Jeet Raval for the final four Specsavers County Championship fixtures. He has also flown in early as cover for compatriot Kane Williamson who has been nursing a bruised finger on his left hand. Raval, 29, has made 11 Test appearances since 2016 and this will be his first stint in county cricket.
Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “We are delighted that Jeet has agreed to join us, initially as cover for Kane Williamson. Jeet will take over from Kane after the Somerset match and be with the squad until the end of the season.”

Having passed fifty in 26 balls, Lyth again went down on one knee to this time slog-sweep Luke Procter for six but trying to finish the game, miscued a drive to extra-cover.Willey was again in great touch against his old county. He flashed his opening boundary off the back foot past extra-cover, pulled Hutton over deep-square for six and sliced Sanderson over point. He swung Cobb’s off-spin over long-on for six more and struck a third six down the ground off Seekkuge Prasanna.Yorkshire were cruising at 113 for 1 after 11 overs and Willey slogged Brett Hutton for consecutive sixes before slog-sweeping Graeme White for another maximum in an over that cost 21. But he pulled Sanderson to deep midwicket shortly before Gary Balance struck the winning runs.Yorkshire were on top from the start as Matt Fisher removed both Northants openers in his first over both for 16 and both to leading edges. With his first ball, Charlie Thurston edged to third man where Kane Williamson ran in to take a smart catch and with the final ball of the over, Ben Duckett edged to backward point where Lyth leapt above his head. The wickets ensured it was Yorkshire’s Powerplay as Northants reached 35 for 2.Cobb drove his opening boundary past extra-cover but then pulled off a top-edge perfectly between the wicketkeeper running back and long leg running in. At 50 for 2 after eight overs, Northants were bumping along and Cobb cleared his front leg to smash Tim Bresnan’s first ball over deep midwicket and, as Bresnan went too full, struck a second six over long-on as the home side reached the half-way point at 72 for 2.Alex Wakely, after a patient start, flicked Liam Plunkett wide of midwicket for four but chipped the same bowler later in the same over to mid-on to fall for 14. Steven Crook arrived and immediately struck both Lyth and then Plunkett straight down the ground for six, edged Plunkett for four but holed out to deep cover for 18. And when Prasanna swung and missed at a Jack Brooks slower ball and lost his leg stump, Northants were 106 for 5 in the 15th over.Cobb pulled Bresnan for four wide of long-on before heaving Willey for consecutive sixes out of the ground to pass fifty in 32 balls. He opened the blade to steer Bresnan for four to begin the 18th over which cost 16.But just when Northants had built some momentum, Willey bowled an extraordinary triple-wicket maiden in the 19th over. He had Procter caught behind and then White caught at deep square next ball before Hutton hooked at the fifth delivery and gloved it behind. Two sixes in the final over boosted the Northants total but it was nowhere near enough.

First Test of the Australian summer kicks off in ousted coach’s backyard, creating potential for tension

Tristan Lavalette26-Nov-2022As the build-up for Australia’s opening Test of the summer threatens to be mired in bloodletting, Mitchell Starc aptly fronted the media just metres from ‘Langer’s Loft’ – once an exclusive bar for members but now an eyesore amid a redevelopment at the WACA.The symbolism was striking with Australia arriving in Perth ahead of the first Test against West Indies on November 30 amid controversy after former coach Justin Langer’s candid interview over his ugly exit earlier in the year.Langer on the podcast attacked anonymous “cowards” who leaked against him and believed some players were not transparent over their feedback.Related

• 'It is not true' – Langer adamant no cricket rift exists

• CA hit back at Langer's claims as fallout to coach's exit erupts

• Langer lifts the lid on messy exit as Australia coach

It led to a rebuke from Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley although Langer has stated since that the players are “like my younger brothers”.There was intrigue over how Starc would handle the expected probing over the saga in the first official press conference ahead of the Optus Stadium Test. And in what might be a sign of a detente, he dead-batted the controversy, claiming he hadn’t listened to the interview.”I have a pretty good relationship with Langer,” Starc told reporters on Saturday. “We exchanged text messages post the [T20] World Cup. I’m pretty comfortable with my relationship with JL.”Starc said the team did not specifically address the issue ahead of their three-hour training session at the WACA’s nets and on the ground’s grassy main wicket.”Was mentioned that there could be some noise around it obviously being in the west and with JL having a commentary spot,” he said. We’re comfortable…spend a lot of time together as a three format group. It’s all preparation for this Test match. Not too much is going to distract us. I’m sure we’ll see [Langer] at the ground and throughout the summer.”The West Australian fans are likely to back their favourite son in the first Test match in Perth since December 2019 due to the state’s strict Covid-19 measures.”Always had great crowds in Perth,” Starc said. “There’s been a lot of talk about not having Test cricket over here for a long time. Hopefully the public can support that. Show us what Test cricket means to them.”Pat Cummins in action during a training session ahead of the Test series against West Indies•Getty Images

While the left-arm quick wasn’t focusing on his pursuit of 300 Test wickets, Starc was excited about the likelihood of a spicy drop-in pitch at Optus Stadium, which tries to replicate the WACA’s famed pace and bounce.Starc has starred in the two Tests at the 60-000-seat ground with 14 wickets against India and New Zealand at a venue he rates as the second-best in the country behind Adelaide Oval, which will host the second Test against West Indies in a day-night contest.”[Adelaide and Perth are] good contests between bat and ball,” said Starc, who has taken 287 Test wickets. “[In Perth] you’re rewarded for good shots and likewise rewarded for good bowling.”The India Test [in 2018] was a very good wicket for three days and as the Test wore on the cracks got bigger…played a lot of tricks in the fourth innings. A very good bat versus ball wicket that presented challenges for both.”Given West Indies’ well-chronicled struggles in Australia, having not won a Test since February 1997 at the WACA, there has been some belief that the home team can ease into the Test summer ahead of a mouth-watering three-match series against South Africa.Starc, however, believed West Indies should not be underestimated, pointing to their stunning home Test triumph over England in March.”Definitely not taking any teams lightly. We know what the West Indies can serve up at their best,” he said as Australia returns to Test cricket since their tour of Sri Lanka in June and July. “It’s a good chance to kick-start our summer of Test cricket and hopefully some exciting cricket will be played.”

India captain also says Gill will be given “a chance to have a fair run” in the ODI side

Hemant Brar09-Jan-20231:31

Rohit on Suryakumar’s selection in ODIs: ‘Great headache to have’

There has been a debate going around if Hardik Pandya should replace Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain but Rohit said he has no plans to give up T20Is as things stand.After the 2022 T20 World Cup, both Rohit and Virat Kohli missed India’s next two T20I series, away against New Zealand and at home against Sri Lanka. Rohit said it was more to manage the workload, and they might miss the upcoming home T20I series against New Zealand as well.Related

• Gill to open instead of Kishan in series opener

• Can Suryakumar crack ODIs ahead of the home World Cup?

• Bumrah to miss Sri Lanka ODIs, doubtful for Test series against Australia

• How India's contenders are shaping up ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup

“It was made clear in the past that it’s a 50-over World Cup year, and for some of the guys, it’s not possible to play all formats,” Rohit said on the eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka. “If you look at the schedule, the matches are back to back. So looking at some of the players’ workloads, we wanted to give them a break. And I also fall into that category.”We have only six T20Is, three [against Sri Lanka] are over and we have three against New Zealand. So we will look after those boys till we get to the IPL, and see what happens after that. But certainly, I have not decided to give up the format.”Shubman Gill remains ahead of Ishan Kishan in the pecking order, according to Rohit Sharma•BCCI

Rohit also revealed that Shubman Gill remains ahead of Ishan Kishan in the pecking order. In India’s last ODI, Kishan had scored the fastest double-hundred in the format, but in the other eight innings in his career, he has only 267 runs at an average of 33.37.Gill, on the other hand, has been India’s highest run-getter since his comeback last year, scoring 638 runs at an average of 70.88 at a strike rate of 102.57.”Both openers have done really well, but looking at how both have gone through, it’s fair we give Gill a chance to have a fair run, because he has got a lot of runs in the last few games,” Rohit said. “So has Ishan, I am not taking anything away from him. He has been wonderful for us. He got a double-hundred and I know what it takes to get a double-hundred; it’s a great achievement.

Watch on ESPN Player in the UK

WATCH the first India vs Sri Lanka ODI LIVE

“But to be honest and just to be fair to the guys who have done really well before that, we need to give those guys enough chances before we make that call.”It’s unfortunate we won’t be able to play Ishan but looking at how things have panned out for us in the last eight-nine months, and looking at how ODIs have gone for us, it’s fair to give Gill that run. He has done extremely well in that position. It’s very unfortunate for Ishan but that doesn’t rule him out. We are going to try to keep everyone in the mix and see how it pans out for us as we play more games.”For the same reason, Suryakumar Yadav, despite his sparkling T20I form, will also have to wait for a longer run in ODIs. Meanwhile, in Kishan’s absence, KL Rahul will keep wickets on Tuesday.

Pakistan smashed their highest-ever ODI score and then won by the second-biggest margin in terms of runs

Danyal Rasool20-Jul-20181:08

By The Numbers – Pakistan’s run-fest thrashes Zimbabwe

Who knew there were so many layers to rock bottom? In every game this series, it has appeared it couldn’t get any worse for Zimbabwe, or easier for Pakistan. It seemed impossible there could be a nadir beyond what transpired in the third ODI, with Pakistan bowling Zimbabwe out for 67 and chasing it down in 9.5 overs. But the chasm grows wider by the game.On Friday, after winning the toss and deciding to bat, Pakistan began to put statisticians around the world on notice. Pakistan plundered 399 – their highest ODI total – while Fakhar Zaman made a brutally destructive 210 not out off 156 balls as Pakistan pulverised Zimbabwe by 244 runs.Along with Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar smashed a slew of records against – it has to be said – a poor, second-string Zimbabwean side who had a terrible day. Even so, their powers of concentration, their hunger for runs, and refusal to be complacent hint at traits even the best batsmen in any generation struggle to master.Zimbabwe never appeared to have the conviction or the resources to begin an attempt at a chase, a pretty cameo from their captain Hamilton Masakadza notwithstanding. Playing his 289th match, he overtook Grant Flower as the most experienced Zimbabwean international. His experience would have been vital for a young Zimbabwe side if they were to post a more respectable total. But once he holed out to midwicket, this slipped into a no-contest zone.The noteworthy performances came from Fakhar and Imam, who brought up their third hundred partnership in four games. Once again, there never seemed to be any hint of a wicket-taking threat in the hosts’ line-up. Even Blessing Muzarabani, far and away Zimbabwe’s best bowler in the last two series, was strangely erratic.Fakhar brought up his third ODI hundred in the 31st over, carving Wellington Masakadza away between cover and point to the boundary. Two balls later, he muscled the bowler over wide long-on for six, serving everyone notice he was about to properly cut loose. And cut loose he did.AFP

At some point, it becomes churlish to harp on about the lamentable performance from the hosts, so if you wanted uplifting, you needed ignore what went on at the bowler’s end and simply watch Fakhar playing like a child on his favourite ride in Disneyland. Without a care in the world, the left-hander batted like it was the day he had given up on everything else to become a cricketer. It could not get easier, or more fun. After he had raced to 150, he was standing well outside off, exposing all three stumps, to open up that midwicket area he will probably cherish more than his first-born.Nothing the bowlers did provided him any semblance of a challenge, and as he bolted along, it became obvious Saeed Anwar’s 24-year record – the highest score for a Pakistan batsman in ODIs was under serious threat. A hoick to midwicket (where else?) for four knocked Anwar off that perch, to be replaced by this 21st century left-handed opener. A few balls later, he had become the eight man to reach 200, getting there off just 147 balls.Meanwhile, Imam, by no means sedate but made to look so by Fakhar, brought up his third century in just his eighth ODI as Pakistan’s opening partnership left record after record tumbling in their wake. The highest opening partnership in Pakistan history? Gone. The highest opening partnership for any country in ODI history? See you later. The first 300-run opening partnership? Easy peasy.Zimbabwe conceded 304 in 42 overs before they had a wicket; Imam perished while attempting yet another slog over the leg side, as Zimbabwe avoided the ignominy of becoming the first side in history to go wicketless right through an innings. But that brought the explosive Asif Ali to the crease, and he, along with Fakhar batting like a man possessed, pillaged 90 runs off the last eight overs. By this time, Asif had taken over from Fakhar, and found enough time to bludgeon 50 off 22 balls, and helping bring up Pakistan’s highest ODI total.Zimbabwe tried to begin as brightly as they could, but without any belief they couln’t have dared to even get near They were also up against arguably the best bowling attack in the world. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, opening with his captain, isn’t exactly a household name yet. By the time Masakadza was dismissed, Kamunhukamwe and Tarisai Musakanda had already perished. To their credit, both young batsmen were trying to be selfless, playing attacking shots instead of conservatively looking to muster up a respectable personal score.After the top order was back in the pavilion, the run rate dropped like a stone; any pretence of seeking to hunt down the target had been abandoned. Peter Moor and Ryan Murray consolidated, but there was a nihilistic feel to the contest by that point. Elton Chigumbura and Donald Tiripano cobbled together a 67-run partnership, but there was no reason for joy to be found there, so little could be read into it. There is still no indication Chigumbura can continue to be the attacking threat that made him so dangerous an option for Zimbabwe over the years, and Tiripano bats far too high at No. 7 despite top-scoring with 44.The only reason for uplift from a Zimbabwean perspective was listening to the deep passion for the game in the voices of the tiny crowd who bellowed the hymn-like Zimbabwean anthem proudly from the bleachers. They have seen this before, and become almost inoculated against their side as it perilously lurches from crisis to crisis. They will be back. Whether Zimbabwean cricket can reward them with performances their loyalty and passion deserves is a very different question, with no comforting answers in sight.

The visitors had a wobble in the morning but ended up comfortable winners

AAP19-Oct-2022Caleb Jewell inspired Tasmania to a seven-wicket victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.Tasmania started the final day at 0 for 104 in their pursuit of 235, but the loss of Tim Ward, Jake Doran and Ben McDermott during the morning session on Wednesday saw the visitors slip to 3 for 164.Jewell kept his cool to guide Tasmania over the line, with Jordan Silk there in support.Related

• Ward's determination and Siddle's late strikes lift Tasmania

• Tasmania have victory in sight despite Manenti's sparkling display

Ward fell on the sixth ball of day four when he edged Wes Agar behind. Jake Carder took an excellent diving catch while running with the flight of the ball to remove Doran, and McDermott fell a short time before lunch.Jewell dug in to ensure there would be no late wobbles, with the 25-year-old notching his century in fine style by pulling Agar for six.Veteran paceman Peter Siddle was crucial in Tasmania’s victory, returning the excellent figures of 4 for 51 and 4 for 45.Tasmania’s win marked a huge turn around from their season-opening flop, when they lost to Queensland by an innings and 172 runs.