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Sangakkara also said RR have to be a “lot more clinical” in run-chases

Deivarayan Muthu25-May-20241:48

‘Tactical blunder’ – Moody on Hetmyer’s batting position

The lack of a proactive batting approach against Sunrisers Hyderabad’s left-arm fingerspinners on a dry Chepauk pitch, which offered more purchase to the slower bowlers in the second innings, cost Rajasthan Royals a spot in the IPL 2024 final. This is the assessment of their captain Sanju Samson after they managed only 139 for 7 in their pursuit of 176 in the second qualifier in Chennai on Friday.”I think we were found short of options in the middle overs against spin, and I think that’s where we lost the game,” Samson said after the game. “Against left-arm spin, we had three-four right-handers in the middle and the ball was stopping. But we could’ve tried a bit more [options] – reverse-sweep or use of the crease a bit more – and they [SRH] also bowled really well, actually.”It’s actually very hard to guess – when we can expect dew or not [in Chennai]. So, the wicket started behaving differently in the second innings. The ball started turning a bit and they used the advantage and bowled spin in the middle overs against our right-handers and that’s where they were one-up against us.”Related

• Shaky middle order beginning to hurt Rajasthan Royals at crucial stage

• Shahbaz and Abhishek spin Sunrisers Hyderabad into IPL final

• Abhishek Sharma can be 'a real asset' for India, says Tom Moody

The Chepauk track had offered an average turn of 1.8 degrees in the first innings, but that number jumped up to 3.3 degrees in the second, according to the host broadcaster. SRH had left out their main spinners, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Mayank Markande, for this knockout game. But Shahbaz Ahmed, who was subbed in as an Impact Player more for his batting than bowling, combined with Abhishek Sharma for figures of 8-0-47-5. Aiden Markram also found sharp turn in the only over that he bowled.Once Yashasvi Jaiswal fell, Royals’ batting collapsed•Getty Images

Yashasvi Jaiswal reverse-swept the first ball he faced from Shahbaz to the shorter off-side boundary, but later in the same over, he holed out for 42 off 21 balls. SRH then matched up their left-arm spinners with RR’s right-hander heavy middle-order to damage the chase. Kumar Sangakkara, RR’s director of cricket, echoed Samson’s comments, suggesting their batters should’ve shown more intent and game-awareness to throw Shahbaz and Abhishek off their lengths and lines.”I think we’ve got to be a lot more clinical in our chases and these games are not won quite easily,” Sangakkara said at his post-match press conference. “Jaiswal getting out at that stage brought the left-arm spinners into the game and after that it was a little difficult, but it was a case of just hanging in there and getting the pace of the wicket again and getting the hang of the bowler. As Dhruv Jurel showed, if you show intent and if you play smart shots, you can chase a score, but, unfortunately, we weren’t good enough on the day. I thought the Sunrisers held in, they batted deep, and their bowlers did a great job for them.”

Samson: ‘RR have found some great talent for India’

Sangakkara, however, was pleased with how the season panned out for them overall. RR were the early pace-setters winning eight of their first nine games before they lost four in a row and somehow scrapped to the second qualifier, despite Jos Buttler leaving the IPL for England duty towards the business end of the tournament. RR also had to contend with an injury to their finisher Shimron Hetmyer midway through the season.”I think it was a great season for us,” Sangakkara said. “We started really well and then we lost a close game to SRH in Hyderabad. And then in Delhi also we put ourselves in winning positions and sometimes you have streaks. RCB lost almost every game at the start and then caught up. That’s how T20 goes.”All we can do is to put ourselves in positions for playoffs and vying for finals, which we did. I think all the guys through the season played really phenomenal cricket and there was a little bit of fatigue, of course, at the back end. But it doesn’t really matter when you’re in games like this – you’ve got to turn up and perform.”1:02

Why didn’t Royals’ spinners have an impact at Chepauk?

Samson was also impressed with how a number of players stepped up for RR through the season. He singled out Riyan Parag and Jurel for special praise, saying they could be match-winners for India too. Parag ended the season with 573 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of just under 150 – only Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli have scored more runs than him this season – while Jurel played some sparkling cameos.”To be very honest, we’ve had some brilliant games not only this season, but the last three years have been a great project for our franchise,” Samson said. “We’ve found some really great talent for the country, I think. Riyan Parag coming out of this season and Dhruv Jurel and a lot of them are looking really exciting, not only for RR but for the Indian cricket team.”

Sangakkara: ‘We are just lucky to have Sandeep’

On the bowling front, Sandeep Sharma, who was once a powerplay specialist in the IPL, has excelled for RR along with Avesh Khan, who had been traded in from Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2024. Sandeep was also on point with his variations in the second qualifier against SRH, coming away with the big wickets of Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen while giving up just 25 runs in his four overs. Sangakkara heaped praise on Sandeep for refashioning himself into a death bowler.”I think it’s just a case of changing his role. We always knew that a lot of sides used him upfront but with his pace and skill, we identified that he will be very, very effective for us in the middle and at the back end,” Sangakkara said. That’s what we tasked him with.”We didn’t have the services of Prasidh Krishna again. Navdeep Saini was injured, and he was coming back from a big shoulder injury and came [in] halfway through the season. For two seasons now, Sandeep has been absolutely outstanding for us. He’s just a mature cricketer and he knows exactly what he can do and can’t do, and he sticks to the basics. He tries to swing the new ball and once he’s out of it, he changes his pace and he’s got incredible skill and we’re just lucky to have him.”

Jitesh Sharma will lead PBKS, who have only two overseas players available

Hemant Brar18-May-2024

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (third) vs Punjab Kings (ninth)
Hyderabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture – SRH, rusty or rejuvenated?

A washout in their last game against Gujarat Titans means SRH are no longer in control of their fate. Even if they win against PBKS on Sunday afternoon, a top-two finish is not guaranteed. For that to happen, Rajasthan Royals will have to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day.Before the GT game, SRH’s previous outing was on May 8, against Lucknow Super Giants, when they chased down 166 inside ten overs. That means they will be in action after a gap of ten days. It needs to be seen if they will be rusty or rejuvenated.PBKS were ruled out of the playoffs race long back, and most of their overseas players have returned home for various reasons. Kagiso Rabada left with an infection in his lower limb; Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Sikandar Raza for national duties; Chris Woakes for family reasons.Jitesh Sharma, who will lead the side on Sunday, has only two overseas players available: Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis. With nothing to lose, this opens up an opportunity for domestic players to make an impression.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings WLLWW

Previous meeting

When these two sides met earlier in the season, SRH found themselves on 39 for 3 inside the powerplay after being sent in. But Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 off 37 balls lifted them to 182 for 9. In response, PBKS also suffered a collapse before Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma revived them. Eventually, they fell short by two runs.

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers HyderabadWill SRH bring back Aiden Markram for Sri Lankan legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth? Without Markram, the batting looks a bit thin but Viyaskanth impressed with figures of 4-0-27-0 against LSG. Another option is to draft in either Mayank Agarwal or Rahul Tripathi for allrounder Sanvir Singh.Abhishek Sharma could be their Impact Player if they bowl first and T Natarajan if they bat.Probable XII 1 Travis Head, 2 , 3 Mayank Agarwal/Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, 12 Punjab KingsIn the absence of Curran and Bairstow, Rishi Dhawan and Atharva Taide could get a chance. Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be their Impact Player options.Probable XII 1 , 2 Atharva Taide, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Shashank Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12

In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started IPL 2024 with figures of 0 for 51 and 0 for 53. A few games later, he had 0 for 60 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But after just four wickets in the first eight games, he has picked up seven in the last four. As usual, he has been at his best in the powerplay – ten of his 11 wickets have come in this phase, the most for any bowler this season.Harshal Patel has turned it around after a poor start to the season•BCCI

Harshal Patel, too, did not have a great start to the season. He went for 44 or more in each of his first four games. But after that, he turned it around and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the season with 22 scalps. His economy has also come down to 9.51. With Rabada and Curran unavailable, he will have to shoulder extra responsibility if PBKS are to end on a positive note.

Stats that matter

• Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Prabhsimran three times in 11 balls while conceding only 15 runs.
• Rossouw has scored only five runs in ten balls (no dismissal) against Bhuvneshwar and 14 runs in 12 balls (one dismissal) against Pat Cummins.
• Abhishek has hit Arshdeep for 34 runs off 23 balls without getting out even once.
• Harshal has dismissed Heinrich Klaasen three times in 30 balls while giving away only 38 runs.
• Reddy has enjoyed batting against Harpreet Brar: 38 runs in 16 balls, no dismissal.

Pitch and conditions

Hyderabad has been a high-scoring venue this IPL, with an average first-innings score of 203. Only the Arun Jaitely Satdium (10.69) has seen a higher run rate than Hyderabad’s 9.94. However, the weather could play spoilsport once again as there is a 30% chance of rain.

Quotes

“I am someone who is never happy [with his performance] but I love it when the team wins. I agree I have been a bit up and down but my intent was very good, my intention was very good. I think I had good learnings this year and because now I have seen this phase, it’s better for me in future.”

Blain recently accused Cricket Scotland of “rewriting history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name”

Melinda Farrell20-Jun-2024Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland’s CEO, has described public comments made by John Blain at the formal conclusion of independent investigations into allegations of racist behaviour as “very disappointing”.Blain, the former Scotland and Yorkshire bowler, claimed last week that he had been “exonerated” of allegations of racism after making public a letter he received from Lindblade’s predecessor, Peter FItzboydon, in January.On Tuesday, Blain issued a subsequent statement, pre-empting Cricket Scotland’s formal conclusion of the independent investigations process that had stemmed from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report in 2022 (which had found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist). In it, Blain threatened legal action against the board, and accused Cricket Scotland of “a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt… to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name.”At the centre of the row is Fitzboydon’s letter to Blain, dated January 12, in which he stated that allegations of racism against him had been “unfounded”. Cricket Scotland clarified in its statement on Tuesday that those allegations against Blain had not been progressed further “due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action”.Related

• Cricket Scotland chief exec: 'I'm determined to find a way through this for everyone'

• Blain threatens legal action as Cricket Scotland race row descends into acrimony

• Blain calls for Cricket Scotland inquiry after being cleared of racist behaviour

But Blain has accused Cricket Scotland of making “a desperate attempt to reinvent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration”, and alleged Lindblade had confirmed the claims were “unfounded” on a phone call shortly after she replaced Fitzboydon in February.”Not only did Pete Fitzboydon, the CEO of Cricket Scotland, write to me in January to say that all of the claims against me were unfounded, that I had no case to answer, and my case was closed, but that position was clearly confirmed by his successor Trudy Lindblade in a phone call with me in February,” wrote Blain in his statement.”She reiterated on the call that the claims against me were unfounded and the case against me was closed. I am sure that, if asked, she will publicly confirm that to be the case.”Lindblade confirmed she made the phone call to Blain in February and, while unwilling to give specific details of the conversation, said Cricket Scotland would take up the matter with Blain and his legal representatives.”It’s disappointing to have such a personal comment made in a public space,” Lindblade told ESPNcricinfo. “I had a conversation with John in the first weeks of starting in my role. It’s very disappointing that lines have been drawn. We can’t get into specific cases and it’s something that we should speak to John and his representatives directly.”Lindblade said she has had contact with both complainants and those accused in the allegations under investigation since taking up the role, although the processes in place prevented her from contacting everyone involved.”I tried to meet with whom I could work with, what was appropriate to do,” said Lindblade. “These are confidential cases and I have a role to play. But certainly, it was impossible to meet with everyone and due to the confidential nature of the processes sitting within the investigation team, that was not able to be done. But if someone reached out to me, I looked within a very busy schedule to try and communicate back in whatever way, shape or form that was.”Cricket Scotland’s concluding statement said five of the 51 completed referrals had proceeded to disciplinary processes. Most of the referrals failed to meet the criteria required to proceed further, Blain’s included, which centred on allegations made during an ICC-sponsored tour of Kenya in 2007.Lindblade believes the wholesale changes made within Cricket Scotland since the publication of the Changing the Boundaries report are sufficiently robust to deal with any future allegations of racist behaviour.”We have got really strong processes and procedures in place now,” she said. “We have overhauled our code of conduct, we have brought in a Conduct in Sport Manager with significant experience. We have put a number of things in place so, if this was to happen now, we would have a process that it would fit within, but the same principles apply. [If it’s] a rule breach, there needs to be clear evidence of what the rule is and then what the breach of that rule is.”It’s quite technical, but it’s really important because that’s why we have codes of conduct. That’s why we have these processes, to enable us to listen to everyone in the same way. The other thing I would say is that we’re always learning. And that’s really important because the world evolves at such a fast rate, sport is evolving at such a fast rate. What’s really important for us now as Cricket Scotland is that we continue to look at what goes on around us, continue to look at our sport, and make sure as things change around us that we’re changing with that.”While Blain’s statements have overshadowed the conclusion of the referrals process, Lindblade hopes Cricket Scotland could move forward with a reconciliation process, which includes offers of mediation.”We’ve got to try and take what has been a really challenging time for everyone involved and look at the positives and what this period may actually do to the future of Scottish cricket,” she said. “Can we look at it from that perspective, and try to take what is a very difficult time and say, where could we get to in ten years’ time?”But we’re only going to do that if we have got everybody working together. We are not there yet and we have got a lot to do to get there. We have put an offer on the table, we would like to get together and talk to these people through mediation, and through those means to enable us to help push that forward. Because it’s a known and tested form of reconciliation using restorative justice.”However, Lindblade acknowledged the outcomes of the referrals process and any future mediation was unlikely to satisfy everyone involved.”There are no winners in this. This is really emotive. I think there will be relief. I think there will be anger. I think there will be emotions that are part of us all being human beings. We are talking about people here and people react to things differently because everyone’s different. It’s been very divisive. How do we find a way to get everybody back to make sure the future of Scottish cricket is bright and that’s going to take a really long time. So, anyone who expects that to take place in months, or even the next 12 months, it’s going to take much longer than that.”

Their fifties propelled Bangladesh to 191 for 2 after which Malaysia were kept to just 77 for 8

Hemant Brar24-Jul-2024Bangladesh qualified for the semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 after beating Malaysia by 114 runs in what turned out to be a complete mismatch.Batting first, Bangladesh posted 191 for 2, their second-highest total in T20Is. Murshida Khatun scored a career-best 80 off 59 balls and captain Nigar Sultana an unbeaten 62 off 37.In response, Malaysia could muster only 77 for 8. They ended their campaign without a win but one hopes they would be richer for the experience. To be competitive at this level, they need to improve in all three departments: batting, bowling and fielding.

Dilara, Murshida punish sloppy Malaysia

Malaysia captain Winifred Duraisingam opened the bowling and started with a wide. Dilara Akter mistimed the next ball towards mid-on but instead of going for the catch, the fielder was happy to stop the ball on the bounce. Those two deliveries were a harbinger of what was to come next. Against the left-right opening pair of Dilara and Murshida, the Malaysia bowlers erred on both sides of the wicket and lacked the backing of their fielders.Dilara Akter played an attacking innings at the top of the order•Asian Cricket Council

Still, Bangladesh could score only 25 in the first four overs. On the first ball of the fifth, Aina Najwa dropped Murshida when the batter was on 13 off 15 balls. Adding insult to injury, Dilara smashed the last three balls of the over for 6, 4 and 4. Murshida got into the act with a boundary off Ainna Hamizah Hashim in the next over as Bangladesh finished the powerplay on 51 for no loss.The 65-run opening stand, in 7.4 overs, finally came to an end when Dilara hit Mahirah Izzati Ismail towards square leg where Aisya Eleesa dived forward to take an excellent catch in a rare show of brilliance by a Malaysia fielder. Dilara made 33 off just 20 balls.

Murshida, Nigar fifties power Bangladesh

Murshida was on 28 off 26 balls at that point. But after Dilara fell, she picked up the pace. With back-to-back boundaries off Ismail, she moved to 53 off 45 balls – her second half-century in as many games. With a slog-swept six off Elsa Hunter in the 17th over, she took Bangladesh past 150.Murshida and Nigar added 89 off 56 balls for the second wicket before Murshida fell to Hunter with substitute fielder Dhanusri Muhunan taking a sharp catch at extra cover.Elsa Hunter was a cut above the rest for Malaysia•Asian Cricket Council

But Muhunan’s effort was an aberration. Malaysia dropped two more catches after that: in the penultimate over, Najwa put down Rumana Ahmed at square leg and in the 20th, Nur Aishah did the same for Nigar at deep midwicket. Nigar brought up her fifty, off 34 balls, immediately after that and wrapped up the innings with a six off the final ball.

Hunter the only bright spot for Malaysia

It was no surprise that Malaysia fell well short of their target. In the absence of Marufa Akter, who was rested, Jahanara Alam took the new ball for Bangladesh and struck straightaway. With her second delivery, she had Hashim edging behind to Dilara for a regulation catch.Nineteen-year-old Hunter was the only Malaysia batter who looked equipped to handle Bangladesh’s bowling. Technically as sound as anyone in world cricket, Hunter hit four boundaries in her 20 off 23 balls. But she fell in the sixth over, giving a return catch to left-arm spinner Nahida Akter while trying to work the ball on the leg side. Earlier, Hunter was also the best bowler for her side, picking up 1 for 27 from four overs with her offspin.Malaysia did not lose another wicket till the tenth over but the scoring rate remained around four. It dipped even further in the second half of the innings. Apart from Hunter, Ismail, with 15 off 25 balls, was the only one to reach the double digits.

The renovation work could impact the Test against England in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2024The PCB is confident that Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Stadium in Karachi will be ready in time to host the Champions Trophy next year, though ongoing work could continue to impact their bilateral commitments this season, including the Test against England in Karachi.The board has already moved the second Test against Bangladesh, originally scheduled in Karachi, to Rawalpindi. Speaking to reporters on Monday in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, acknowledged that “matches [during the season] may move back and forth but the main target is that these stadiums are ready before the Champions Trophy”.England play their second of the three Tests in Karachi, from October 15-19. In announcing the switch of Bangladesh’s Test to Rawalpindi on Sunday, the PCB did not exactly nail down Karachi as a venue for England.Related

• Gaddafi redevelopment picks up pace as Champions Trophy nears

• Pakistan women miss out on daily allowances at training camp

• Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test moved from Karachi to Rawalpindi

“At this stage, we will not like to speculate on the hosting of the second Test in Karachi from 15-19 October and will continue to work closely with the architects and construction experts on the safe and secure hosting of the match, while keeping the England and Wales Cricket Board updated,” the statement said.The fluidity of the situation is evident in how the switch in venues for Bangladesh occurred. Two days after posting ticket prices online, the PCB announced the Karachi Test would be played behind closed doors with no spectators. Then on Sunday they announced they were moving it to Rawalpindi, because they wanted to ensure the renovation work went on uninterrupted and that hosting a game while such major work was being undertaken could have an impact on the game.Naqvi confirmed on Monday the reasons for the move. “Our calculation was that we could do matches without crowds, but various security institutions and the police said that even if there are people working inside, you shouldn’t host a match.”That talk with journalists has led to some reports that Naqvi implied a change in venues or dates for the Champions Trophy from the draft schedule the PCB has submitted to the ICC. In a statement on Tuesday the PCB emphatically denied that was the case.”During the media talk, which is available on the PCB’s official YouTube channel, the PCB chair clearly stated that the redevelopment and redesign of the three designated stadia would be completed on schedule, ensuring readiness to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB chair also mentioned that while some domestic matches may need to be shifted to facilitate uninterrupted construction work, this in no way pertains to the ICC Champions Trophy, which remains a priority for the PCB as a premier eight-team international event.”During that media talk, Naqvi did point to the pressing need for this renovation work. “Our stadiums and those abroad, there is a massive difference,” he said. “In no way were our stadiums international-standard stadiums. None of our stadiums could qualify internationally. Not the seats, not bathrooms, and a view that looks like you are watching from 500 metres away. If I want to stay in a 1980 model then great, but the world has gone far ahead.”Naqvi pointed out that while both stadiums in Lahore and Karachi are eventually undergoing total upgrades, partial renovation between now and early next year will mean they are ready in time for the Champions Trophy.”Right now we have five months,” he said. “In that time, definitely the two enclosures on either side [in the Gaddafi stadium] and the main building [will be ready], that is the focus for now.”The stadiums will be totally upgraded. Not just this but we plan to have a new stadium in Islamabad, in Abbottabad, we want to work on that as well. A few stadiums that we don’t operate – we’ve written to the local authorities that either you upgrade it or hand it to us so we can host domestic and even international cricket there. These stadiums will be 100% upgraded but in the next five months, the target we have, we hope to complete that.”The New York stadium [for the T20 World Cup] was completed in the last 10-15 days. We will be ready well before that timeline.”

Lancashire live to fight another day after challengers fall at penultimate hurdle

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Surrey’s third successive Vitality County Championship title was confirmed when Lancashire took just 32 minutes and 7.1 overs on the fourth morning to complete their 168-run victory over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.Resuming on 204 for 6, Somerset were dismissed for 224 with Luke Wells taking two of the wickets to finish with 4 for 36 and Anderson Phillip the other two to finish with 3 for 81.The result ends Somerset’s hopes of a breakthrough County Championship title, and is their second disappointment in the space of a week. On Saturday, their defence of their Vitality Blast title ended in defeat in the final against Gloucestershire, although they still have one last shot at silverware with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Glamorgan looming at the weekend.”If you don’t believe you can win a game, there’s no point turning up,” Jason Kerr, Somerset’s head coach, said. “We thought there was a chance today but obviously it hasn’t turned out that way.””I take a huge amount from this season,” Kerr added. “Every county wants to be in a position in which you are competing to win trophies and there’s also been young players emerging. There’ll be a huge number of positives but it’s probably slightly early to be in a position where we can reflect on it all.”I think we’ve progressed massively since last year. We finished seventh last year and this year we’ve been more disjointed with our overseas signings and the continuity of the side’s been different as well but I think we’ve grown massively.”Somerset lost a wicket to the first ball of the day when Lewis Gregory was deceived by Wells’ googly and bowled for a golden duck.Next over, Lancashire enjoyed more success when Craig Overton was leg before wicket to Anderson Phillip for 4 and after pulling Wells for two fours, Brett Randell was bowled for 9 when trying to repeat the feat. The game ended and Surrey’s title was confirmed when James Rew was bowled off an inside edge by Phillip for 31Collectors of statistical oddities might wish to note that this is the first match in the history of the County Championship in which 21 wickets have fallen on the first day and the game has lasted until the fourth morning without weather interruption.Despite their win, Lancashire are still favourites to be relegated. Keaton Jennings’ side will be playing Division Two cricket next season regardless of the result of their game against Worcestershire if Nottinghamshire take ten points from their final match at home to Warwickshire, who would also need five points from that game.”It’s been a really good game of cricket,” Jennings said. “A good surface, two teams competing over the course of four days. It’s been good fun.”I’m really chuffed the lads have put in what I think is our best team performance over the course of this campaign. It’s really pleasing. It’s down to guys putting their hands up. Luke Wells getting 130 and putting in a performance that the team required to try and get us into a winning position and then taking poles this morning.”Guys chipped in with the new ball; Anderson, Bails, Will, Baldy. The bowlers had to take 20 wickets to win the game and they’ve done that. It’s been an entertaining three and a bit days, so it just shows you cricket at Old Trafford has been really good.”It’s awesome what the guys have produced over the last three days. I thought both sides were under par first innings, it wasn’t a 140 surface. I also didn’t think it was a 400 surface either which we got.”All in all, both sides competed and made errors to let each other back into the game. We could have disintegrated, but didn’t. We continued to fight like we have over the whole campaign. The guys have tried really hard, they just haven’t quite got it right like we did this game.”

“I’ve left the door open for him to approach me… [but] that might never happen,” South Africa white-ball coach says

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2024South Africa remain unsure about the availability of Quinton de Kock, who was omitted from a second successive series post the T20 World Cup, in the format.De Kock, who is no longer nationally contracted but has not announced a complete international retirement, missed the three T20s against West Indies last month and will not play in two matches against Ireland later this month. South Africa will then play four T20Is at home against India in November as preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup ramps up.Asked if there was any clarity on de Kock’s availability, white-ball coach Rob Walter indicated that there would not be any for some time. “I don’t know, to be dead honest. For the next little while, there will be no conversations between myself and Quinny as to whether he wants to play for South Africa again,” Walter said at a press conference. “I’ve left the door open for him to approach me if and when he wants to do that. That might never happen.”Related

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• SA unsure on de Kock's T20I future: 'We have a glimmer of hope'

De Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and from ODIs after the 50-over World Cup last year. At the time, Walter had said de Kock intended to step away from all international cricket but was persuaded to stay on for the 2024 T20 World Cup and allowed to miss a bilateral series in the lead-up to play at the BBL. By making that allowance, South Africa demonstrated a fundamental shift in their usual selection policy, which requires players to be involved in at least some international cricket ahead of major tournaments – and was the reason AB de Villiers’ request to make a comeback at the 2019 ODI World Cup was denied – and illustrated the power of leagues. The decision paid off as de Kock finished as South Africa’s highest run-scorer at the T20 World Cup, and was key to their run to the final.Since then, de Kock has played in MLC and the CPL and will play at the SA20 and IPL, all of which will mean he is still eligible for South Africa, although Walter was careful to underline that his place was not guaranteed. “There might be a conversation and also that conversation does initially mean it will lead to him being selected,” he said. “We have to just allow him to have his space, to play league cricket and to do what he needs to do. What will become more and more important is performance. He’s not exactly old [de Kock is 31] so from here on in, it’s a performance-based conversation.”Walter has put no timeline on de Kock making a final decision and in his absence, South Africa continue to invest in Reeza Hendricks in the opening role and have options between Kyle Verreynne, Ryan Rickelton and Heinrich Klaasen as wicketkeepers. Of those four, only Klaasen is not part of the squads to play Afghanistan and Ireland in the UAE. He pulled out of the CPL for personal reasons and remains unavailable for the time being. “He has some family matters that he is dealing with currently,” Walter confirmed. “As soon as that position has changed, he’ll obviously fall back into playing again.”

The pair added 177 for the fourth wicket in India’s second innings, helping them overturn a deficit of 356

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-20241:49

Manjrekar: ‘Massy entertainment’ from Pant and Sarfaraz

Rohit Sharma has praised the maturity Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan showed against New Zealand in the first Test in Bengaluru, where their 177-run stand on the fourth day gave India hope of coming back despite a disastrous collapse in the first innings.India were bundled out for 46 on the second day – their lowest Test score at home – and eventually lost the game by eight wickets. But because of Sarfaraz’s 150 and Pant’s 99, they were able to overturn the deficit of 356.”When those two are batting, everyone’s on the edge of the seat because they like to play the game which has got them success,” Rohit told the broadcaster after the game. “You’ve seen it over time with Rishabh, the way he bats, obviously takes a bit of risk, but I thought it was a very mature innings. [He] defended good balls, left few balls as well, and then, again, backed himself to play those shots, and that is what he’s all about.Related

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“Not to forget Sarfaraz. Sarfaraz, as well, playing in only his third or fourth Test match [fourth], to show that kind of maturity [was great], and [he was] very clear in his mind what kind of shots he wants to play. When you’re clear in your mind, you find yourself in good seat.”Rohit was pleased with the determination India’s batters showed in their second innings, after New Zealand had posted 402.”When you are 350 runs behind, you can’t think too much about it. All you got to do is try and bat the ball, as simple as that. That was the plan,” Rohit said. “We wanted to bat and see where the game goes. A couple of big partnerships there, really was exciting to watch, and put us back in the game. Like I said, when you’re 350 behind, it could have been easily [a situation] where we could have [been] bowled out before even getting 350. It was a great effort with the bat, something as a team we’re very proud of.”India are trailing 0-1 in the three Test series but Rohit was confident of a comeback. Earlier this year, India lost the series opener to England in Hyderabad but fought back to finish win 4-1.”There are guys who have been in this place before, where we’ve lost a game. We lost a game against England in the first Test, and we won four games after that. These things happen. It’s still two Test matches to go, and we know exactly what is required from each one of us. So, we’ll try and put our best game forward.”The second Test of the series starts on October 24 in Pune.

The Tasmania allrounder continued an impressive season while Australia crashed to defeat in Perth

AAP25-Nov-2024Beau Webster sent a timely reminder of his all-round capabilities, posting a half-century and taking three top-order wickets in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales.The hosts went to stumps on day two at 235 for 4 at the SCG, with Kurtis Patterson out for 99 just before the close. Patterson’s runs and Webster’s form have come in the background of Australia’s first-Test embarrassment against India in Perth.Related

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If changes do come before the second Test in Adelaide, it is likely to be Josh Inglis who comes into the side as the current reserve bat and pressure on Marnus Labuchagne.But there is a case to be made for Webster. The Tasmanian was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer, and his 61 on Monday helped take his red-ball season record to 401 runs at 57.29. Included in that are unbeaten scores of 61 and 41 for Australia A against India A in the past month.Webster brought up his 50 off 66 balls on Monday, after two cover-drives went to the rope early in the day against Jackson Bird. Another boundary came from a clever paddle-sweep off Adam Zampa, before he was caught behind off Bird shortly after lunch as part of a collape of 3 for 0.The other factor in Webster’s favour are the overs he can offer with the ball as both a seamer and spinner. Bowling workloads have suddenly become crucial after Cameron Green’s injury, and the use of Labuschagne to shoulder some of the load in Perth.He trapped Maddinson lbw for 34 on Monday with his medium-pace, before having Oliver Davies and Patterson caught behind in his 3 for 56. He also had two catches dropped off his bowling.For now though, Webster is resigned to the fact Australia are unlikely to go away from their set up of three specialist quicks and only the one allrounder in Mitch Marsh.”It seems like they are pretty traditional with three quicks, spin and allrounder for a lot of years,” Webster said. “Those big three quicks are very hardened and bowl a lot of overs, and Nathan is unbelievable [with his workload]. That’s usually the way they go, I don’t see them going any other way.”My way in is if someone does need a rest, or God forbid an injury. You never wish that on anyone. But that is a way I might find my way in the squad at least.”Patterson is also starting to make something of a selection case, with this his fourth straight score above 50 since being recalled to the NSW team.A Test player who scored a century in his last match back in 2019, the left-hander has made scores of 91, 66, 71 and 99 this summer.Earlier Sam Konstas had looked particularly good, cover-driving anything too full to the boundary before chopping on a cut shot on 39.

Abbas’ sensational six-wicket haul was not enough to deny the hosts, with Rabada and Jansen sealing the victory

Firdose Moonda29-Dec-2024South Africa have qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final after beating Pakistan by two wickets in a high-drama encounter at SuperSport Park. Set a modest but challenging target of 148 to win, they were 99 for 8 just before lunch and it was left to Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen to score the remaining 51 runs in a tense ninth-wicket stand against a Pakistan attack with their tails up.Mohammad Abbas, on a comeback from a three-year absence from the Test side, bowled a marathon 19.3 overs spell from the Hennops River End and took a career best 6 for 54 but could not end Pakistan’s lean run in South Africa. This is the eighth successive Test they have lost in the country, dating back to 2007.Pakistan gave themselves every chance by running through South Africa’s middle order on a morning of mayhem, where South Africa lost 5 for 37, including four wickets for three runs in 12 balls, which put the onus on the bowlers to finish the job.Related

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Jansen and Rabada are both capable with the bat but with the pressure turned up fully, every ball was an event, from the second one Rabada faced, that he hit up and over point for four, to the final one, steered delicately by Jansen through point to secure the winning runs.Those strokes are also screenshots of the way the pair approached the chase: Rabada backed himself to play his strokes while Jansen was more conservative and happy to wait for scoring opportunities.Between them, they offered only once chance, when Rabada, on 12, fished outside off and edged but the chance fell short of Mohammad Rizwan. That came post-lunch, the break South Africa went into needing 32 to win.By the time Abbas found Rabada’s edge, they needed 28. Rabada went on to score five boundaries in his 31, the third-highest score by a batter at No.10 or lower in a successful chase.A normally nervous character, Jansen, who spoke about his game plan on the third evening, was solid in defence and then struck two of the sweetest fours of his career, first when he got on top of the bounce from Abbas and then to seal a famous win.While Rabada and Jansen held their arms up in celebration on the field, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma and coach Shukri Conrad embraced in the changeroom. The pair came together at the end of the last WTC cycle to lead South Africa through this one. Mission accomplished.Mohammad Abbas ran through South Africa in the morning session•Gallo Images

Bavuma would have also been a relieved man after he worked his way to 40 and then walked when he did not hit the ball. He was given out off what seemed to be the inside-edge and walked. Replays showed the ball had brushed a part of his clothing and, with all three reviews available, South Africa could have asked for a second opinion.Instead, Bavuma, who had received treatment on his elbow shortly before that, left the middle order to finish the job.This is the second time Bavuma has walked at SuperSport Park – in 2020 against Sri Lanka, he was on 71 when he thought he had under-edged Dasun Shanaka and left the field before the umpire had raised the finger. This time, Alex Wharf had given Bavuma out but he chose not to review to the surprise of the South African changeroom. His dismissal triggered the collapse that left the tail at the crease.Kyle Verreynne could not get behind the line of a Naseem Shah delivery and chopped it onto his stumps. In the next over David Bedingham chased an Abbas ball and was caught behind, and Corbin Bosch did almost exactly the same thing to give Abbas his sixth wicket and South Africa had crumbled from a position that felt comfortable: 96 for 4 after teetering precariously on 27 for 3 overnight.Bavuma got the first runs of the morning, and his first runs, off the fifth ball, off a Abbas half-volley that he clipped through square leg. Abbas adjusted to back of a length and in his next over, thought he had found Bavuma’s edge. Rizwan indicated the ball had brushed Bavuma’s thigh but Shah Masood reviewed anyway. Rizwan was proved right and Bavuma, on 5, could continue.Aiden Markram looked slightly more in control but got a streaky boundary off the edge before Bavuma creamed Khurram Shahzad through mid-on to leave South Africa with 100 runs to get.Off the next ball, Bavuma, on 13, was given out lbw to Shahzad but reviewed immediately. Replays showed an inside edge and Bavuma survived again.South Africa scored just three runs off the next 27 balls before Bavuma released the pressure with a hook shot off Abbas that Naseem thought he could get under. Naseem got hands under the ball but the momentum carried him over the boundary rope and not only did Bavuma get away with the shot he has fallen to several times this season but he got six for it.Temba Bavuma pulls away a short one•AFP/Getty Images

To add insult to injury, Markram smashed the second ball of Naseem’s next over over extra cover for four. Fourteen dot balls followed before a Markram single took South Africa to the first drinks break with no damage done and 35 runs scored in the first hour.Three balls after the interval, Markram was bowled by an Abbas delivery that kept low as he tried to jam his bat down and keep it out. That ended a 43-run fourth-wicket stand between Bavuma and Markram and brought Bedingham, who has a top score of 35 this summer, to the crease.He started with a wristy flick for four before Bavuma reeled off an exquisite cover drive but the eye-catching shots were followed by risky ones.Bavuma could not resist another hook, despite not being able to extend his elbow fully, but the chance fell safely. He went on to advance on Shahzad, brought back to replace Naseem, and hit over the covers but could never get comfortable.Two balls later, Shahzad thought he found his outside edge but Rizwan saw it was pad and Masood listened. Bavuma faced eight more balls before he required treatment on his right elbow – the left was injured before this season – but continued. In the next over, he drove expansively and loosely against Abbas and walked but his team-mates had enough in the tank to guarantee South Africa’s place at Lord’s next year and take a 1-0 series lead. South Africa will play one more Test in this cycle, against Pakistan, at Newlands next week.