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

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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.

Businessman who helped saved club from insolvency will hand over after 23 years at helm

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2023Rod Bransgrove, the man who saved Hampshire cricket, has announced he will step down as the county’s chairman at the end of the season after 23 years.Bransgrove, 72, rescued Hampshire from insolvency in 2000, completed the club’s move from its 116-year home at Northlands Road to the Ageas Bowl and has overseen a successful era on the south coast. The £15 million he has spent on the county is more than any other individual has invested in the game throughout the history of English cricket.Bransgrove, who owns over 60% of the shares of the club, will be replaced by Nick Pike. Pike has been deputy chairman since 2021, having been an original investor in Rose Bowl plc in 2001 and was managing director of Hampshire Cricket before acting as non-executive director and vice-president.Bransgrove made the announcement to members ahead of the LV=Insurance County Championship fixture with Essex in the atrium of the pavilion which bears his name.”I will be standing down as chairman of Hampshire Cricket at the end of the year,” he said. “There are many reasons for this but for one I am getting older. Also when we started this journey 23 years ago I promised you four things.”Firstly, that we would save Hampshire cricket from insolvency and the fact we are all here is proof of that. Secondly, that we would create a team that competes with the very best in all competitions, and we are now one of the teams nobody wants to play.”The third important point was that we would create a stadium capable of housing the very best international and Test match cricket and the recent announcement is the final validation of that very long and sometimes very difficult journey.”And the other was to create a business all around Hampshire cricket to make sure that the county is never again threatened with insolvency. We are a long way to doing that and the business around the site is becoming extremely valuable.”The announcement coincides with the launch of Ivo Tennant’s biography .As part of the foreword for the book, England legend Ian Botham wrote: “If you look around the county clubs in England there is one man who stands out. He did not play the game professionally but he has supported it through his own hard work, as a businessman and as a cricket lover who has both rescued Hampshire and developed an outstanding international venue on the south coast.”[Without Rod] there would be no Rose Bowl, no international matches on the south coast and Hampshire County Cricket Club would have been homeless and destitute.”Bransgrove’s decision to step down comes after realising his ambition to host an Ashes Test match, with the ground scheduled to host a match in the 2027 series. It will be the eighth Test match to be held on the ground – with the other matches including three behind closed doors during the Covid pandemic and the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand in 2021.The Ageas Bowl – which is set to receive a new title sponsor at the end of this season – will also host India in 2029, a yet-to-be-decided Test in 2030, and a Women’s Ashes Test in 2031, along with regular white-ball matches in the next eight years.Off-the-field Bransgrove has overseen the building and development of the Ageas Bowl – which now includes the Hilton hotel and Boundary Lakes Golf Course, with plans for more additions currently under consideration with Eastleigh Borough Council.Having turned the county from a members club to the first county cricket PLC on his arrival, Bransgrove has considered selling the club in recent years – and turned down a substantial offer earlier this year.Bransgrove said in : “A very successful businessman approached us with an offer to take over all the company’s debt and pay some tens of millions in cash to acquire the whole business but the attraction was not the money going into my pocket. The offer was based on the premise that he would immediately inject a further £50m after the purchase in order to move Hampshire forward.”The club is currently valued at over £100m, and carries around £60m in debt.The Ageas Bowl hosted the first T20 match in 2003 and Hampshire has been synonymous with the format, with a record ten visits to Vitality Blast Finals Days which have resulted in three trophies.Bransgrove’s reign has also seen four other white-ball triumphs and a Division Two title in the County Championship, albeit without ending a 50-year wait for a Championship despite plenty of near-misses. Before Bransgrove arrived, Hampshire had only managed eight trophies in their previous 137-years.He also put his weight behind bringing women’s cricket to the Ageas Bowl and helped turn Southern Vipers into the most successful side in the country. The team has won a Kia Super League, two Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophies, and two Charlotte Edwards Cups in their eight-year existence.Bransgrove added: “Thank you for your amazing support over the 23 years. It has been astonishing as cricket has been through so much change in that time and nowhere more than at the Ageas Bowl.”

DDCA to request both senior players to stay but “final decision will be theirs”

PTI11-Aug-2023Former Delhi captain Nitish Rana and the side’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy last season Dhruv Shorey have sought No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the DDCA to play for other states in the upcoming domestic season.The development was confirmed by DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda on Friday although he assured that both cricketers will be spoken to and given a patient hearing to find out why they want to take such a decision.”Yes, it is true that both Dhruv and Nitish want to leave Delhi and have sought NOC,” Manchanda told PTI. “We will definitely request them to stay as both are senior players and have served Delhi cricket. But the final decision will be theirs. If they don’t agree, we will certainly give them NOC.”Delhi couldn’t qualify for the Ranji knockouts last season despite Shorey ending with 859 runs. He was the fourth in the list of the highest run-getters after Mayank Agarwal (990), Arpit Vasavada (907) and Anushtup Majumdar (867).When Manchanda was asked if Rana and Shorey will have their grievances addressed, he said: “How can we talk about selection matters? It is the prerogative of selection committee.”Himmat Singh, the middle-order batter, is likely to take over captaincy and Abhay Sharma is unlikely to continue as head coach.

Latif, who lives in Pakistan, was not present at the trial nor has he been detained

Reuters11-Sep-2023A Dutch court has sentenced former Pakistan batter Khalid Latif to 12 years in prison after he was tried in absentia for urging people to murder Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.The court ruled that statements by Latif should be regarded as incitement to murder, sedition and threat.Latif lives in Pakistan and has not attended any stage of the trial or been detained in the Netherlands.The Netherlands and Pakistan have no treaties in place regarding judicial cooperation or extradition, and earlier requests for cooperation in this case received no response, the prosecution has said.The court said prosecutors had proved that Latif posted a video in 2018, in which he offered a PKR 3 million (EUR 21,000 approx. at the time) reward for the murder of Wilders.That video came at a time of fierce demonstrations against Wilders in Pakistan, after he had announced a cartoon contest depicting caricatures of Prophet Mohammad. The competition was later cancelled.”The words used by the suspect are explicit: he promises to pay a considerable sum of money to anyone who engages in a specific act, namely the killing of Mr Wilders,” the Hague district court said.”It is very likely that someone – anywhere in the world – would feel compelled to act on this call,” the court added in reference to the protests, where Dutch flags had been burned and others had also called for the killing of Wilders.Images of the Prophet Mohammad are forbidden in Islam. Caricatures are regarded by most Muslims as highly offensive.Reuters was not immediately able to reach Latif – who received a five-year ban from cricket in 2017 over a spot-fixing scandal – for comment. In all, he played five ODIs and 13 T20Is between 2008 and 2016.Wilders, 60, is one of Europe’s most prominent far-right leaders and has been a key figure in shaping the immigration debate in the Netherlands over the past two decades, although he has never been in government. His Freedom Party (PVV) is the third-largest in the Dutch parliament and is the main opposition party. Wilders has lived under constant police protection since 2004.

In the semi-finals, Bangladesh will face India and Afghanistan will be up against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2023Afif Hossain put on an all-round show as Bangladesh beat Malaysia by two runs to confirm their semi-final fixture against India at the Asian Games. Malaysia needed five in the last over with Virandeep Singh batting on 52 off 35, but Afif gave away just two runs to keep the upset at bay.Afif varied the pace in each of the first three balls of the final over to frustrate Virandeep before lobbing one up outside his hitting arc. Virandeep tried to break the shackles but holed out to long-on with Malaysia still needing five. Afif then nailed two yorkers to give away just two runs and end the contest.Chasing 117, Malaysia were reduced to 18 for 3, with Afif striking twice in the fifth over. Virandeep then stitched two key partnerships, adding 34 for the fifth wicket with Vijay Unni and then 40 for the seventh with wicketkeeper-batter Ainool Hafizs, to take his side close. But Malaysia faltered in the last over.Earlier in the day, Afif found himself in the middle with Bangladesh three down inside three overs. He struck a 14-ball 23 with two fours and two sixes and added 38 in just four overs with captain Saif Hassan. Hassan struck a steady half-century – 50 off 52 balls – on a surface that slowed down considerably after the earlier game, between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, in the day.Pavandeep Singh, Virandeep’s elder brother, finished with two wickets for Malaysia but Bangladesh managed to get to 116, which eventually proved to be just enough.

Naib, Qais take Afghanistan into semi-final

File photo – Gulbadin Naib dealt early blows•AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan knocked an inexperienced Sri Lanka side out of the Asian Games to book a spot in the semi-final in Hangzhou. On a slow-turner, Noor Ali Zadran struck a steady fifty before three-fors from Qais Ahmad and Gulbadin Naib dealt the final blow to Sri Lanka, who had nine debutants.After opting to field, Sri Lanka struck with the seventh ball of the match when Nuwan Thushara cleaned up Sediqullah Atal. Noor and Mohammad Shahzad then added 54 for the second wicket but both batters struggled against left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi and took their time in the middle.After Shahzad fell to seamer Lahiru Samarakoon, Shahidullah struck some lusty blows during his 14-ball 23. But then a collapse ensued that saw Afghanistan slide from 92 for 2 to be bowled out for 116. Thushara, with his slingy action and accurate yorkers, finished with 4 for 17.In reply, Sri Lanka raced off the blocks, with Lasith Croospulle hitting Naib for a four and a six in an 11-run second over. Even though he fell in the next over, Sri Lanka reached 59 for 3 by the end of the ninth over.That’s when Qais came into the attack and turned the game around with a two-wicket over. Ashen Bandara fell to a googly and played on while attempting a drive. Three balls later, wicketkeeper-batter Lahiru Udara was lured into playing a heave across the line to be bowled.Captain Sahan Arachchige showed some resistance with his 22 off 29, and later, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth kept the slim hopes alive when 15 were needed from 12 ball and then nine in the final over. But Karim Janat knocked Thushara over with the first ball of the 20th over to kickstart celebrations in the Afghan camp.

Both teams are still in the race for the semi-finals, but there is also a Champions Trophy place at stake

Ashish Pant02-Nov-20235:10

Hayden: ‘Would like to see Rashid Khan bowl early against Netherlands’

Big picture: Semi-finals and Champions Trophy to play for

England – check, Pakistan – check, Sri Lanka – check, Netherlands – next?Coming into this tournament, Afghanistan had just one win – in 2015 – to show for their previous two World Cup campaigns. Now, they have beaten three previous World Cup winners in this edition alone, and are gunning for two crucial points against Netherlands to turn up the heat in the race for the semi-finals.Lucknow was Afghanistan’s adopted home turf back in 2019, when they faced West Indies in one Test, three T20Is and three ODIs. While they did not have much success in the ODIs back then, the familiarity with the venue could give them an edge in this contest.Related

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Afghanistan have solved some serious problems during their campaign. They were overly reliant on their top order for runs but the middle order has come to life with Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai finding form. Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is coming off a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, having shown there’s more to Afghanistan’s attack than just spin.And they have been clinical – not mercurial – in their victories. After dismantling England comfortably during their defence in Delhi, they chased down targets against Pakistan and Sri Lanka with a calmness that showed they belonged at the World Cup. Another victory will take Afghanistan to eight points, level with Australia and New Zealand who are in third and fourth place.Afghanistan, however, are up against a team that also has much to play for. Netherlands are still in the running for the semi-finals, though their chances are slim, but they have a real shot at qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy. To do that, they need to finish in the top eight at this World Cup, and taking two points off Afghanistan will open a four-point lead over the two teams currently below them (Bangladesh and England).Having taken down South Africa earlier in the tournament, Netherlands come into Friday’s fixture fresh off a win against Bangladesh. Their bowling – apart from the thumping against Australia – has been consistent but their batting has lacked firepower. Netherlands have scored 250-plus just once in this high-scoring tournament and have needed their middle and lower order to come to their rescue several times.At a venue where run-scoring hasn’t been as easy, Netherlands will need to find a way to succeed against an Afghanistan attack that is much more than the exceptional Rashid Khan.

Form guide

Afghanistan: LWLWW (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Netherlands: LWLLW

In the spotlight: Azmatullah Omarzai and Aryan Dutt

Azmatullah Omarzai had a mere 35 runs in four ODI innings at 11.66 at the end of 2022. The allrounder has turned a corner in 2023: 305 runs in 12 ODIs with three fifties and an average of 43.57. He is currently Afghanistan’s fifth highest run-scorer in the tournament with 203 runs at 50.75. He has also chipped in with his medium pace, taking five wickets at 39.80. Omarzai’s variations in the middle overs could be key.Offspinner Aryan Dutt has bowled the first over for Netherlands in every game so far this tournament and has been economical in the powerplay. He has sent down 23 overs in the powerplay, taking three wickets and conceding just 4.56 per over. No other bowler has bowled more maidens than Dutt’s seven and he will be coming into the game high on confidence after taking 1 for 26 in ten overs against Bangladesh.

Team news

Ikram Alikhil hurt his finger against Sri Lanka but Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott confirmed the wicketkeeper-batter was available for selection. If Lucknow is likely to aid spin, Afghanistan could look to bring in Noor Ahmad for Naveen-ul-Haq. They played four spinners against Pakistan in Chennai and Noor took 3 for 49 in that match.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Azmatullah Omarzai, 6 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq/Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiNetherlands are unlikely to make changes to the XI that beat Bangladesh.Netherlands (possible): 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Vikramjit Singh, 3 Wesley Barresi, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Shariz Ahmad, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Paul van Meekeren

Pitch and conditions: Another slow burner?

The pitch for the game is a mixture of black and red soil and could help the spinners. Before the square was re-laid earlier this year, the Ekana Stadium wasn’t known for high scores. Only once in 16 ODI innings has a team scored 300-plus here – by South Africa earlier in the competition.

Stats and trivia: Mujeeb on the cusp of a hundred

• Mujeeb Ur Rahman is one away from 100 ODI wickets. If he gets there on Friday, he will be the fourth Afghanistan bowler to reach the landmark.
• Vikramjit Singh is 12 short of 1000 runs in ODIs.
• Rahmat Shah needs 95 to become the fourth Afghanistan batter to reach 4000 runs in international cricket.
• Scott Edwards has played three ODIs against Afghanistan and scored a fifty each time.

Quotes

“We are here at a World Cup, we’re not playing the Champions Trophy. The focus is the semi-final for us. We’re not interested in what’s happening in two years’ time. We’ve got a game to win tomorrow.”
“We’re not going to make the semis by just talking about it. We have to play good cricket. How well we start tomorrow is going to be crucial and how well we finish.”

Only two players from associate teams make the cut – Netherlands’ van Meekeren and Namibia’s Wiese

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2023World Cup winners Travis Head, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, all likely to attract big bucks, are among the first sets of players in their respective categories (capped batters, allrounders and bowlers, respectively) who will be up for bidding at the IPL 2024 auction that will be held in Dubai on December 19. Also among the allrounders list is the World Cup’s breakout star Rachin Ravindra, who has listed his base price at INR 50 lakh.From an initial auction pool of 1166 players, the released list has been pruned down to 333. Of these, 119 are overseas players, including two from Associate nations – Netherlands’ fast bowler Paul van Meekeren and Namibia allrounder David Wiese. Among the prominent Indian names in the capped sets are Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Manish Pandey and Umesh Yadav.The auction will begin with capped players, starting off with batters, followed by allrounders, wicketkeepers, fast bowlers and spinners in the listed order. The same sequence will be followed for the uncapped players.The first set comprising capped batters also has in the mix England’s Harry Brook, who was among three of the five most expensive buys at the previous auction. After three teams went aggressively for him, he was eventually signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 13.25 crores. He had underwhelming returns – 190 runs in 11 innings, 100 of those coming in one innings alone – and was subsequently released.Head, meanwhile, hasn’t featured in the IPL for six seasons now. However, his recent success – he was Player of the Match in both the semi-finals and finals at the World Cup – could force multiple teams to break the bank to secure his services. Head has also been a prolific scorer in the BBL for the Adelaide Strikers.Another breakout star from the World Cup who could attract significant interest is Afghanistan’s seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who comes with a base price of INR 50 lakh. Omarzai was Afghanistan’s highest run-getter – 353 runs in eight innings at an average of 70.60 and strike rate of 97.78 – in the tournament. He also picked up seven wickets. Interestingly, the youngest player to feature in the shortlist is also from Afghanistan – Allah Ghazanfar, the 16-year-old mystery spinner. The oldest is his countryman Mohammad Nabi at 39.Last season’s runners-up Gujarat Titans head into the auction with the biggest purse of INR 38.15 crore – 15 crore of which have come through an all-cash deal that saw their captain Hardik Pandya move to Mumbai Indians. They have since named Shubman Gill, last season’s highest run-getter as the new captain. Sunrisers Hyderabad (34 crores) and Kolkata Knight Riders (32.7 crores) will come with the second and third-biggest purse.The auction, which is being held overseas for the first time, will begin at 2.30pm IST (1pm local). The event will also feature a live audience for the first time.

The opener has been a powerhouse T20 player and the second-highest run-scorer in the BBL

Andrew McGlashan04-Jan-2024Aaron Finch will bring his illustrious T20 career to a close after announcing his retirement from the BBL at the end of the current season with Melbourne Renegades.Although Thursday’s announcement only relates to the BBL, it’s understood that Finch is unlikely to play in any mainstream leagues overseas but may continue to take part in legends tournaments. Finch had recently indicated in an interview with Channel 7 that this would likely be his final BBL season.”There’ve been some real lows but great highs [too], and I’ve loved every bit of the journey”, Finch said. “No moment can compare to winning the BBL title. That, for me, was very special, and something I’ll remember. I’m really proud to have played at one club for the entirety of my career. The Renegades have been a huge part of my life, and I’m so grateful for everything they’ve given me.”To everyone who’s been part of the journey with me – our members, fans, supporters, my team-mates and all who have had a part to play at the club at all levels – thank you.”Finch is not currently part of Renegades’ XI, having previously played on December 23, but the club may give him a farewell outing against Melbourne Stars on January 13 at the Marvel Stadium. Renegades are unlikely to be in contention for a finals spot.He currently stands as the seventh-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, with 11,458 runs at 33.70 and a strike rate of 138.21. His highest score of 172 came for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2018.In the BBL, he is the second-highest run-scorer behind Chris Lynn.Finch had announced his international retirement in February 2023, having quit ODIs late in 2022. He captained Australia to the 2021 T20 World Cup title.David Saker, head coach of Renegades, has known Finch through much of his cricket journey.”Finchy has been an outstanding servant and leader with the Renegades; it’s such a rare feat in the Big Bash to spend your career at the one club,” Saker said. “Everything that’s been successful with the Renegades, Finchy has had everything to do with it.”I first coached Finchy when he captained Victoria’s Under-19s, and I’ve seen him develop as a leader and person. He’s a unique type of leader – very tactically aware – while he bases a lot of his decisions on gut feel, and that’s a courageous thing to do out in the field.”Renegades general manager James Rosengarten lauded Finch on his BBL career.”It’s almost impossible to quantify what Finchy has done for the Melbourne Renegades as a club and brand, and for the BBL as a competition,” he said. “He brought fans through the gates and led this club through highs and lows – all with the trademark grit and determination that we know him for.”

The fifth-wicket pair hammered 58 runs in the last two overs of India’s innings, a new record in T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-202418.1: Azmatullah to Rinku Singh, 1 run
Full, outside off, single to deep cover18.2: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, SIX runs
RGS into the 90s. An on-pace ball right in his slot. Rohit clears the front leg, and slogs him effortlessly over midwicket. This is meat and drink for himRelated

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18.3: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
One short of another hundred. Makes room early, Omarzai goes for the slower short ball, but Rohit manages to beat short fine with the pull. Rolls his wrists on it18.4: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
There it is. A special hundred. A fifth in T20Is. That’s massive. Makes room again, Omarzai tries to slip one wide, but Rohit gets under it and clears the man at point. They came to see Kohli mainly, but Rohit has provided Chinnaswamy a bonus. Incidentally, Kohli also turned around his form with a century against Afghanistan in a dead rubber two years ago. Rohit is not out of form but his T20 numbers haven’t been great last few years. So hopefully this is the start of something special18.5: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, 1 run
Misses out on a thigh-high full toss, gets just the single to long-off18.6: Azmatullah to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Now Rinku brings up his fifty. Omarzai misses the yorker again, and you just can’t bowl slot balls to these batters. Over long-off it goes19.1: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
Rohit predicts a wide ball with the field given to him, shimmies across and laps a wide full toss over square leg for four more19.2: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, (no ball) SIX runs
Call the police. Rohit is stealing the show. Juicy full toss. And also a front-foot no-ball. Rohit has sent this into orbit. These balls he can hit eyes closed. especially when he is 108 not out19.2: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, SIX runs
Rohit’s highest T20I score now. Short of a length, slower ball, just what you should be doing on this pitch, but Rohit has deposited it over wide long-on for another six19.3: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, 1 run
Lands the yorker, Rohit opens the face, but can’t get it past short third19.4: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Slower ball, 111ks, but right in the slot. Rinku creates the power with his bat speed in the slog. Clears deep midwicket. Carnage19.5: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Absolute mayhem. Janat misses his length again. Another juicy full toss, and Rinku has flicked it ways into the stands. What power in his wrists19.6: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
36 off the over including five sixes, a four and a no-ball. Rinku has ended it with 6, 6, 6. Janat goes short this time, but he is hitting everything clean now. Manages to clear deep square leg with the pull

He played 41 Test matches for Pakistan between 1958 and 1973, scoring five hundreds

Danyal Rasool20-Mar-2024Saeed Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain and allrounder, has died in Lahore at the age of 86 after a brief illness. Saeed, who played 41 Test matches between 1958 and 1973, captained the side briefly, for three drawn Test matches against England in 1969, replacing Hanif Mohammad. He scored 2991 Test runs, including five Test centuries, two of which came against India. A capable offspinner, he also took 22 Test wickets.Saeed was born in Jalandhar in 1937 in what was then British India – now a part of Indian Punjab. He made his debut at the age of 20 against West Indies in the famous drawn Test in Bridgetown, where Hanif Mohammad batted for 970 minutes to score 337. Saeed struck up a 154-run partnership with Mohammad for the third wicket, scoring 65 as West Indies bowled 319 overs before the game was ultimately called off.He quickly made a name for his grace and easy power, particularly when driving the ball, and demonstrated instantly that he belonged at the highest level. He finished his career with a batting average of 40.01, almost identical to his first-class average of 40.02. He later scored his first of five Test hundreds – 150 – in Georgetown against an attack that included Roy Gilchrist, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers, though West Indies won that Test by eight wickets. Pakistan won just one of the five Tests he scored a hundred in, though playing in the least prolific period of Pakistan’s Test history may have been a factor there.He was a staple in the Pakistan side for most of his career, though it ended ignominiously. After getting into a spat with Dennis Lillee on Pakistan’s 1972 tour of Australia, he ruled himself out of the third Test citing a back injury. The board believed he was faking it, and sent him home for discipline; he would never play for Pakistan again.”The PCB is saddened over the demise of one of our former Test captain and expresses deep condolences to the family of Saeed Ahmed,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. “He served Pakistan with all his heart and the PCB honours his record and services for the Test team.”After retirement, Saeed stepped away from cricket, never working in the sport again. He lived by himself in Lahore for several years, living a reclusive life with few friends or family for company, while his deteriorating health required repeated hospital visits. He was taken to hospital at noon on Wednesday, and died there shortly after.He is survived by one son, two daughters, and brother Younis Ahmed, who played four Tests for Pakistan.