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Queensland have looked to local youth to replenish their list for the 2016-17 season, upgrading five rookies from last summer and handing a contract to 21-year-old opening batsman Marnus Labuschagne

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2016Queensland have looked to local youth to replenish their list for the 2016-17 season, upgrading five rookies from last summer and handing a contract to 21-year-old opening batsman Marnus Labuschagne. The Bulls have lost veterans James Hopes and Ryan Harris to retirement, while legspinner Cameron Boyce and allrounder Simon Milenko have moved to Tasmania.Fast bowler Nick Buchanan was dropped from last year’s contract list, while rookie batsman Nick Stevens did not have his contract renewed. Batsmen Sam Heazlett and Matt Renshaw were upgraded from rookie deals after breakout seasons, as was allrounder Jack Wildermuth, fast bowler Billy Stanlake and allrounder James Bazley.New rookies for 2016-17 include 17-year-old high-school students Xavier Bartlett, a 192-centimetre fast bowler, and Max Bryant, a batsman and medium-pace bowler. Fast bowler Jack Prestwidge, the son of former Queensland allrounder Scott Prestwidge and brother of Queensland Fire bowler Georgia Prestwidge, was handed his first rookie contract.There was also room on the rookie list for left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, fast bowler Brendan Doggett, and top-order batsman Bryce Street.”Having Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns on national contracts has allowed us to contract some exciting young rookie talent but also reward those players who emerged this season,” Justin Sternes, the Queensland convenor of selectors, said.”Ultimately we want to produce more players for Australia, and to do this, we need to continue to develop the potential that we have, complemented by experienced players and coaching staff. It is a stable playing group at the moment and that is quite encouraging for us as we plan and work towards meeting our collective goals.”Queensland finished fourth on the Sheffield Shield points table in 2015-16 and sixth in the Matador Cup, ahead only of the Cricket Australia XI.Queensland squad James Bazley, Joe Burns (Cricket Australia contract), Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Peter Forrest, Cameron Gannon, Peter George, Chris Hartley, Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne, Chris Lynn, Michael Neser, James Pierson, Nathan Reardon, Matt Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth.
Rookies Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Brendan Doggett, Jack Prestwidge, Matthew Kuhnemann, Bryce Street.

Mumbai Indians offspinner Harbhajan Singh said the over in which he took three wickets was the best spell he had bowled in recent months

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2013Mumbai Indians offspinner Harbhajan Singh, whose figures of 4 for 32 won him the Man-of-the-Match award and helped Mumbai claim their second Champions League title, said the over in which he took three wickets was the best spell he had bowled in recent months.Harbhajan came into the tournament with little practice, having not played a competitive match since the IPL. He was not included in any of India A’s recent squads. In a high-scoring final against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi, Harbhajan came on to bowl his final over with Royals requiring 48 off the last four overs with seven wickets in hand. Harbhajan struck with the first ball, removing the set Ajinkya Rahane for 65, caught at deep midwicket. Three balls later, with the pressure mounting on Royals for boundaries, Stuart Binny looked to slog a quicker one from Harbhajan and lost his leg stump.After conceding a boundary the following ball to Kevon Cooper, Harbhajan hit back off the final ball, beating Cooper who looked to play across the line but failed to spot the straighter one. Cooper didn’t to drag his back foot behind the line and Dinesh Karthik completed a sharp stumping. Three wickets went down for just four runs in the space of six balls and the match had turned firmly in Mumbai’s favour.”I’m happy with the way I finished, although I didn’t practice at all,” Harbhajan said at the post-match presentation. “I was travelling to the US but I didn’t practice much before this but I’m really happy with the way I have finished this tournament. I think that over where I took three wickets was probably the best over I’ve bowled in the last three months.”Chasing 203, the Royals were in the hunt via a second-wicket stand of 109 between Sanju Samson and Rahane, who both scored 60s. Royals captain Rahul Dravid too felt that Harbhajan’s spell had turned the match.”We saw some really great batting and we saw some good skills with the ball as well, from the spinners and it was a close game right till the end,” Dravid said. “I thought the couple of overs when Harbhajan Singh got four wickets for eight or nine runs probably turned the game on its head.”Incidentally, Harbhajan had starred in Mumbai’s previous title win in 2011 as well, his 3 for 20 winning him the Man-of-the-Match award against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.”This is probably the second time and I am getting the Man of the Match in the final,” he said. “Hopefully few more. I’m looking forward to the Duleep Trophy and the long season up ahead for India.”

Only 33 deliveries were possible before rain forced an abandonment of the first ODI between England and South Africa in Cardiff

The Report by George Dobell24-Aug-2012England 37 for 0 v South Africa – Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIan Bell hit Morne Morkel for six over midwicket in a brief display of hitting•Getty Images

Only 33 deliveries were possible before rain forced an abandonment of the first ODI between England and South Africa in Cardiff. The result means that England, who were presented with what looked remarkably like a hub-cap but was actually the ICC’s ODI Shield before play, retain the newly acquired No. 1 ranking in this format for a little while yet.Had South Africa won, they would have usurped England as the No. 1-ranked ODI side just as they usurped them as No. 1-ranked Test team with victory at Lord’s just five days ago.The weather flirted with spectators for much of the day and, as the covers were taken on and off with each passing shower, there was little to entertain the crowd other than 50 shades of grey sky. When play eventually began, the game was reduced to 24 overs a side, with another over deducted after a further interruption after just one delivery.England, who selected Chris Woakes for his first home ODI in place of the rested Stuart Broad, and retained faith in Ravi Bopara, despite his recent absence from the game for personal reasons ahead of the in-form Jonny Bairstow, were inserted when South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss at 9.45am. South Africa recalled left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell in place of the rested Dale Steyn.The first passage of play last only one delivery – a leg side wide – before rain forced the players from the pitch and, on the resumption, batting proved hard work. Alastair Cook might have been run-out before he scored had Parnell, at mid-off, hit the stumps with his direct hit and, after three power-play overs, England had scored only four runs.The next two overs cost 28, however, as Ian Bell, in particular, launched an attack that hinted he may yet have something to offer as a Twenty20 player. Cook signalled the acceleration by cover driving Lonwabo Tsotsobe for four before, later in the same over, Bell skipped down the pitch and lofted another four over mid-off.It was a tactic Bell was to employ even more impressively in the next over. Skipping down the pitch to Morne Morkel, Bell was able to turn perfectly reasonable back of the length deliveries into length deliveries and, having heaved one six over midwicket, drove another over long-off.But then, with 33 runs having come from 15 deliveries, the rain returned and, with time running out to fit in the minimum 20-overs a side to constitute a game, the umpires too the inevitable decision to abandon the game. Spectators will receive a full refund minus a handling fee.The second match in the five match series will take place in Southampton on Tuesday.

Marcus Trescothick led Somerset’s fightback after Alex Hales helped Nottinghamshire to a 106-run lead on first innings

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge13-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Stuart Broad came back from a poor first spell to claim Marcus Trescothick’s wicket•Getty Images

Say what you like about Stuart Broad, but rarely does he bowl a spell in which nothing happens. This was a day on which Alex Hales extended his second-day century to a magnificent 184 and Andre Adams won a hugely entertaining duel with combustible fast bowler Steve Kirby with by swelling his tally of sixes to the season to 27 as Nottinghamshire carved out an unlikely 106-run lead.But Broad somehow made himself the talking point by bowling two spells of such contrast that he could have been Steve Harmison wearing a blond wig. The first was absolutely dreadful, with both line and length all over the place. From 24 balls bowled, he conceded 30 runs, the bulk of them to a properly grateful Marcus Trescothick, who helped himself to four boundaries from the first two overs, all pinged away effortlessly backward of square on the off-side. Chris Read, who had supportively talked up Broad’s bowling at stumps on Tuesday, sent his man into the outfield to reflect.As Broad contemplated the elusiveness of his form, Trescothick went about his business in his customary, imperious style and Nottinghamshire’s lead began to vanish at an alarming rate. Trescothick reached 50 for the ninth time this season, having turned four of the previous eight into hundreds. Read took a brilliant leg-side catch to dismiss Arul Suppiah, fending off a lifting ball from Andre Adams that swung into his body, but otherwise Notts seemed powerless to halt the traffic in runs.The lead was all but wiped out when Broad came back after tea. Disgruntled Nottinghamshire fans contemplated more carnage. Yet what happened? Quite the opposite – eight overs bowled, this time with pace, bounce and, crucially, full control of length and direction. And, for more than good measure, the wicket that mattered, too – of Trescothick on 86 – from a ball that climbed unplayably and unavoidably on the former England opener, brushing glove or bat handle on its way into Read’s reliable grasp. This was brilliant bowling and how Broad celebrated, having stepped into the spotlight again when really it belonged to others, most notably Hales.Although the pitch looked much less green than it had at the start of the match, batting on the third morning had been scarcely more comfortable than the first two, amply illustrated when Alex Hales, 130 overnight, took 45 minutes to add the seven runs he needed to pass his previous highest score, the 136 he made against Hampshire here last season.Nonetheless, 117 were added in the morning session. Chris Read, a batsman seldom willingly pinned down, pulled Adam Dibble for six over mid-wicket before a full, straight ball from Peter Trego trapped him in the crease, denying him a half-century in a stand of 106 with Hales. Read’s departure merely ushered in Paul Franks, who has few peers among specialist number eights, as he demonstrated in a 32-ball 28 before a tickle to Craig Kieswetter off Murali Kartik stopped him in his tracks.It was all hugely frustrating to Steve Kirby and Charl Willoughby, who had bowled well with the second new ball without an ounce of luck. Kirby, not for the first time, donned his pantomime villain’s demeanour after lunch. The crowd here enjoy a bit of banter and played their part only too willingly as Kirby stomped and scowled, guffawing loudly at his spurious appeal for a catch when Hales played a ball to cover that so plainly did not not carry than even James Hildreth, the fielder, showed no interest.Had he been Dominic Cork, the next few minutes would have been spiced by several return volleys, but the interaction instead seemed to tickle Kirby’s sense of humour. Shortly afterwards, bowling to Andre Adams, he gripped the ball as if he were about to propel it like a javelin, shaking it in his right hand as he ran in, and could only laugh at himself as the umpires ticked him off.As it happens, though, it was Adams who had the last laugh, hooking the next ball for six, with a couple more maximums in Kirby’s next over, which went for 21. Adams, whose batting methodology rarely offers any surprises, has hit 27 sixes in the Championship this season, representing 41.2 per cent of his total runs scored. The next highest tally is Graham Napier’s 16.Meanwhile, Willoughby earned some belated reward after Broad had chipped in a cameo 21, dismissing the England bowler when Kieswetter, atoning for a missed stumping when Hales was on 180, produced an astonishing piece of levitation and a stunning catch.Hales, whose century had been only his second, must have had visions of making it a double but as Willoughby conjured up another delivery that lifted and moved away off a pitch still offering good bounce and carry, Hales nibbled and was caught behind. The left-armer claimed his third success, placing eight fielders on the boundary for Adams, who had hit 33 off 14 balls, only to surprise him with a leg-stump Yorker.Trescothick’s departure raised expectations for Nottinghamshire but in truth the requirement was to have Somerset four or five down before the lead was overturned and the script has not gone to plan.Nick Compton is unbeaten on 46, having survived a couple more overs from Broad at the close, and Somerset are 91 in front, making a draw the likeliest outcome.

Zimbabwe tightened their grip on the match after their bowlers rolled over Netherlands for 186 on the second day in Amstelveen

Cricinfo staff26-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Zimbabwe tightened their grip on the match after their bowlers rolled over Netherlands for 186 on the second day in Amstelveen. Opener Stuart Matsikenyeri then made an unbeaten 44 to extend Zimbabwe’s lead close to 200 by stumps.Netherlands could have been in an even worse position had it not been for wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi’s patient 81. He rescued the home side from a precarious 94 for 8 with the help of No. 10 Pieter Seelaar, who finished on an unbeaten 40. The pair added 91 for the ninth wicket, with both going on to their highest first-class scores.Besides Barresi, the only batsman in the top nine to reach double digits was Ruud Nijman (23). The wickets were shared around by the Zimbabwean bowlers, with Matsai Mushangwe taking three and the trio of Ed Rainsford, Timycen Maruma and Nathan Waller picking two each.In the second innings, Zimbabwe slumped to 48 for 2, before Matsikenyeri and captain Vusi Sibanda safely negotiated the final eight overs to keep the visitors in charge of the match.

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.

Afghanistan’s batting comes up short in the final, rain-affected, T20I in Sylhet

Mohammad Isam16-Jul-2023
(DLS method)
Some stylish T20I cricket from Bangladesh helped them to their first bilateral T20I series win against Afghanistan, with a six-wicket win in the rain-hit second game in Sylhet. A combination of fine new-ball bowling from Taskin Ahmed and a quickfire batting powerplay display by Litton Das and Afif Hossain did the trick, Bangladesh eventually knocking off a revised target of 119 from 17 overs with five balls to spare.Against Afghanistan, Bangladesh had previously lost a T20I series in 2018 in Dehradun and tied a two-match series at home last year. Along with setting this record straight, they have also maintained their perfect 2023 in T20Is: they have won all three bilateral series they’ve played in the shortest format this year, having beaten England 3-0 and Ireland 2-1 in March.Today, it was Taskin who got them off to a fiery start.Taskin Ahmed struck two early blows•Walton

Taskin’s red-hot start

In the first over, Rahmanullah Gurbaz top edged a short one from Taskin Ahmed for six, but Taskin hurried him once again with a short ball the very next delivery, and this time took the skier on offer himself. The wicket was Taskin’s 50th in T20Is, making him the third to reach this mark from Bangladesh after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman. Gurbaz’s opening partner Hazratullah Zazai followed him in the third over after Taskin had him caught behind for four, an attempted steer through deep third not coming off.

Trott, Omarzai fined

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott and allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai were fined 15 per cent of their match fees for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.

Trott was found guilty of breaching Article 2.8, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.” Trott had shown displeasure at the umpires’ decision to further delay play instead of resuming during one of the wet-outfield inspections.

Omarzai was penalised for his send-off to Towhid Hridoy.

Afghanistan slip after the rain

Soon after, rain forced a long break of 98 minutes and the game was reduced to 17 overs a side. It gave Afghanistan, who had already batted 7.2 overs, less than ten overs to post a decent total. Mohammad Nabi, who made a fifty in the first T20I, however looked anxious at the crease and couldn’t get going. He was lucky too, when Shakib at cover and wicketkeeper Litton dropped him off consecutive balls in the ninth over, when he was on 15. Nasum Ahmed was the unlucky bowler.Mustafizur removed Nabi in the next over for 16, before Shakib had Ibrahim Zadran caught at long-on for 22 and Najibullah Zadran bowled for five in the same over. Allrounders Azmatullah Omarzai and Karim Janat got away three fours and two sixes during their sixth-wicket stand of 42 and looked like their might provide Afghanistan with the surge they very much needed, but the Bangladesh bowlers fought back beautifully. They conceded just one boundary (a six) in the last three overs, while accounting for both the allrounders – Omarzai fell to Mustafizur and Janat to Taskin.Litton Das and Afif Hossain put on a 67-run opening stand•Walton

Quick start powers Bangladesh

Litton welcomed Fazalhaq Farooqi with a straight drive and a swivel pull in the first over of their 119-run chase. It was a rare burst against Farooqi, who has mostly bossed powerplays in the white-ball formats.Litton then laid into debutant Wafadar Momand, hitting him for three consecutive fours in the next over: he started off with a splendid square cut, followed by an outside edge over the slips, and then a stunning backfoot punch through the covers. Momand went for 19 runs in his first over in T20I cricket.Litton dished out harsh treatment to Mujeeb Ur Rahman as well, clipping him first ball for four through fine-leg, before Afif lofted him for six over mid-off in his next over. They became the first Bangladeshi opening pair to add 50 runs in T20Is against Afghanistan, as Bangladesh rocketed along, getting to 61 for no loss in seven overs.

Afghanistan hit back with three wickets

A tight over from Rashid Khan and a one-run effort from Omarzai followed. Litton played out five dots in that eighth over and took a single last ball, only to fall to Mujeeb first ball of the ninth, caught brilliantly in the covers by Rashid. Afif followed Litton just two balls later, holing out at deep midwicket.Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck twice in one over•Walton

Omarzai then yorked Najmul Hossain Shanto in the next over. At that point Bangladesh needed only a further 43 runs from 36 balls but they had lost three wickets for nine runs in two overs. Towhid Hridoy and Shakib were the new batters, and as they took a bit of time to get their eye in, suddenly Bangladesh needed eight per over in the last five overs.

Shakib ensures comfortable win

The in-form Hridoy hit Mujeeb for a four over cover next over. It was Bangladesh’s first boundary since the seventh over, a gap of 30 balls. Shakib edged Mujeeb for a four, and 12 runs came off the over. Shakib launched Rashid for a six in the next over and it was down to a run a ball needed.When Hridoy slammed Omarzai for a first six, over deep square, Bangladesh needed 12 off 16. But he threw it away next ball, toe-ending a catch to mid-off for 19. Shakib and Shamim Hossain ensured no more damage, Shamim pulling Wafadar for four to tick off the winning runs first ball of the final over.

Finch, Shreyas half-centuries and Umesh’s late blitz gave Knight Riders a chance before they fell short in big chase

Matt Roller18-Apr-20222:09

Is the Ashwin-Chahal combo making the difference for Royals?

Rajasthan Royals defended 217 by the skin of their teeth in an instant IPL classic at the Brabourne Stadium, with debutant Obed McCoy rearranging Umesh Yadav’s stumps to see out a nerve-jangling win.Kolkata Knight Riders were pinned against the ropes as Jos Buttler hit his second hundred of the season and his third in his last seven IPL innings, playing out Sunil Narine but dominating the rest of their attack on his way to 103 off 61 balls. He was supported ably by Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer, as Royals plundered the highest total of the season.But after a false start, which saw Narine getting run out without facing a ball after his promotion to pinch-hit at the top of the order, Knight Riders fought back. Aaron Finch led the charge with 58 off 28 balls, adding 107 in just 8.5 overs with Shreyas Iyer.Yuzvendra Chahal appeared to have won the match in his final over: he had Venkatesh Iyer stumped off the first ball, a ripping googly, then removed Shreyas, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins to complete his first IPL hat-trick and five-for and leave KKR needing 38 off 18 balls with two wickets in hand.With nothing to lose, Umesh swung hard. Trent Boult’s final over cost 20 runs, including two sixes and a four, to leave 18 required off the last two. But Prasidh Krishna conceded only seven, and McCoy held his nerve with two wickets in four balls to seal a breathless win.Buttler sparkles
Buttler has started the season in prolific form but struggled for timing in the first two overs, reaching three off nine balls on a pitch he later described as “a little bit sticky at the start”. But he was soon into his groove, hitting Umesh for consecutive boundaries, toying with Varun Chakravarthy and slapping Mavi for six over the off side.He reached fifty from the second ball he faced after the powerplay, and played with characteristic self-awareness about his strengths and weaknesses: he nudged Narine into gaps, hitting five runs off the nine balls he faced from him, but plundered 98 off 52 against the rest of the attack.Jos Buttler flashes a smile after bringing up his second century of IPL 2022•BCCI

After Narine – wearing ‘150’ on his back, his total appearances for Knight Riders – had bowled Devdutt Padikkal, Buttler found support from Samson, whose cameo of 38 off 19 balls kept Royals moving. Buttler reached his hundred by belting Pat Cummins over long-on for six, but fell two balls later, top-edging a pull to fine leg.Royals had reverted to a bowling-heavy line-up, with R Ashwin carded at No. 7, and threatened to fall away at the back end after Buttler’s dismissal. But Hetmyer ensured they finished well, hitting Andre Russell for consecutive sixes in the final over before carving the last ball of the innings through cover to steer Rajasthan to 217.Finch, Shreyas start brightly
Finch had struggled badly heading into this match, averaging 25.19 with a strike rate of 121.33 in T20 cricket since the start of 2021. He kept his place in the side despite Sam Billings’ recovery from illness and after hitting the first ball of the chase to cover, he watched Hetmyer’s direct hit run Narine out before his new opening partner had faced a ball.But he felt comfortable taking on Royals’ spinners, smoking the final ball of the powerplay for six off Ashwin and thrashing three boundaries in Chahal’s first over. He also tucked into McCoy and Prasidh with Shreyas playing second fiddle after a bright start of his own. When Finch skied the final ball of the ninth over to deep-backward point to fall for 58, the required rate was a shade over ten an over.Shreyas had hit his first two balls for four off Trent Boult, playing with the attacking intent, and launched Ashwin for sixes via a reverse sweep and a clean blow down the ground.After Nitish Rana holed out to long-off and Andre Russell’s off stump was pegged back by Ashwin’s perfect carrom ball, Shreyas had a life: he gloved a pull behind off McCoy, which wriggled out of Samson’s grasp as he dived to his left. He responded by hitting the next two legal deliveries for six and four, and swung Boult away for six more to leave Knight Riders needing 40 off the final four overs.Yuzvendra Chahal strikes a pose after his hat-trick•BCCI

Chahal, McCoy seal it
Venkatesh had turned down a second run twice, to Shreyas’ visible annoyance, and decided to justify his decisions by trying to hit the first ball of Chahal’s final over for six. He skipped down the pitch, but was beaten by a googly; Samson redeemed himself, completing a simple stumping.After Sheldon Jackson nudged a single, Chahal attempted to hide the ball wide outside Shreyas’ off stump and was penalised with a wide, but then surprised him by pitching one up, full and straight. It hit Shreyas on the pad, and the on-field lbw decision was upheld on review.Knight Riders sent Shivam Mavi in at No. 8, perhaps due to Cummins’ weakness against spin. He looked to slog his first ball for six but holed out to long-on, and Cummins edged his first ball through to Samson to give Chahal a hat-trick – the first of the season.The tail provided a twist, as Umesh belted Boult over long-on for two sixes, then slapped him through cover for four, taking the equation down to 18 off 12 balls. But neither Prasidh nor McCoy conceded a boundary, with McCoy’s slower balls to Sheldon Jackson (caught at fine leg) and Umesh (bowled looking to swing over midwicket) icing the victory.

“The India contracted players don’t know when they’re playing next, that’s a massive concern”

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Nov-2020Lisa Sthalekar feels the BCCI should have launched a full-fledged IPL-style women’s league “probably yesterday”. While the Indian board has been heading in the “right direction” vis-à-vis women’s cricket, it has been “quite slow” to move on a women’s IPL, Sthalekar stressed, and “the fact that the India contracted players don’t know when they’re playing next, that’s a massive concern”.”The reason why Australian cricket has been going so well in the women’s game is because we’ve invested in it.” Sthalekar, former Australia captain and commentator, said during a digital workshop about women in news and sport. “I still remember the first year we [Women’s Big Bash League] went to eight teams. We had only six teams in state cricket so we extended it by two.”ALSO READ: What’s next for India women?Much of the BCCI’s reluctance to roll out an IPL-style women’s league has historically been down to the perceived lack of depth in the domestic pool of players. While the WBBL, currently is in its sixth season, has gone from strength to strength and assumed standalone status last year, the Indian board is yet to expand the Women’s T20 Challenge (WT20C), which began in 2018 as a one-off exhibition match and has since involved three teams contesting in a total of four games.”I heard the argument in India that we don’t have the depth – we [Australia] didn’t think we had the depth at that time. Maybe things were a bit weaker to start with. Now look what’s happening. More and more girls pick up bat and the ball. We’re seeing quality teams where we’re already in the 42nd match of the season and we don’t know who’s going to make the final. It says that you [have] got to take a bit of a gamble but when is the right time to do anything? Probably yesterday.”The Indian women’s team, meanwhile, was expected to ride the wave of increased interest and viewership in the wake of a runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year, and a four-team WT20C seemed to be on the cards. But the Covid-19 pandemic not only put paid to those plans, it led to cancellation of several bilateral series. As such, India have not played any international cricket since the T20 World Cup final against Australia on March 8 and could next take the field only early next year, if the proposed tour of Australia goes ahead.”I think they (BCCI) are moving in the right direction but everyone’s quite slow to actually form women’s IPL, to provide enough matches,” Sthalekar said. “I know the pandemic and what the situation is like in India, but the fact that the India contracted players don’t know when they’re playing next, that’s a massive concern. They’ve just played a T20 World Cup final. They’re going to fall behind. I feel they’re the biggest untapped market and if they get it right the Indian women are going to dominate.”Innovations at the BBL – ‘I’m not a fan’
The latest Big Bash League innovations – Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost – have divided opinion sharply, and Sthalekar was clear that she was “not a fan” of them, and highlighted that the women’s game did not need any such innovations.”I don’t think we need to be so innovative. I’ve just come back from the IPL [after a commentary stint]. We had a double-Super Over, we had a weekend full of Super Overs. I mean, you’re going to get one-sided affairs every now and then. The T20 game was to purely bring in a new audience, predominantly younger families and females, let’s be honest. Now you’re bringing in all these rules. Why are we making it more complicated than what it needs to be? I’m not a fan,” she argued. “As for the WBBL, we’re starting to see big enough scores. As long as the pitches and the decks have pace and bounce, we are going to see decent scores.”The Women’s T20 challenge, unfortunately it was a short turnaround and had low, slow wickets, hardly those girls training and it wasn’t the best advertisement for the game. I think in the WBBL, we’ve got it right. We can probably change rules slightly but they won’t change it because they keep the rules similar to international cricket, which I think is the right thing to do.”Why can’t we talk about Kimmince and Harris?
At ESPNcricinfo, we have been discussing the subject of same-sex relationships in cricket, and the fact that women cricketers have traditionally been more comfortable coming out when compared to their male counterparts. Sthalekar stressed that the conversation around homosexuality needed to be normalised within the sport, much more than has been the case.”There certainly seems to be more acceptance in women’s sport to be comfortable sharing that. Again, I think Australia’s leading the way. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done around the world. It needs to be seen as okay,” she said. “If you watch the coverage, we don’t make a big deal out of it. It is what it is, and we just move on.”We talk about it because if we’re going to talk about Alyssa Healy and Mitchell Starc why can’t we talk about Delissa Kimmince and Laura Harris? It should be part of the normal conversation.”

On Monday, the interim committee running ZC had issued a statement instructing all employees, other than those suspended, to report for work or face consequences

Liam Brickhill30-Jul-2019The war of words between the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and the ousted board has continued apace, and the divisions in the country’s cricket community are widening.On Monday, the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket issued a statement instructing all employees, apart from the board originally
suspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) last month, to report for work on Thursday or face “legal” and “disciplinary consequences”. Their statement appeared to be directed mainly at the administrative and logistical staff.On Tuesday, ZC struck back with a statement of their own, calling the interim committee’s release “condescending, reckless and inappropriate” and denying the legitimacy of the committee.While Zimbabwe’s contracted cricketers are also ZC employees and included in the committee’s initial directive, the national men’s squad is not actually in training at the moment and it is the domestic off-season. The women’s side, meanwhile, are currently in training, clinging to their hopes of making it to the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Scotland at the end of August. Their team manager has said they have not heard from the interim committee.This is not the first time that the SRC and the interim committee have tried to get ZC employees back to work. They had initially hoped for employees unaffected by the SRC’s sanctioning of Tavengwa Mukuhlani’s board to return to work by the end of June, but when this did not happen, SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa accused Mukuhlani of “sabotage” and of orchestrating the stay-away. Since then, ZC’s offices have remained empty, although a few press releases reflecting the standpoint of the ousted board have been issued through the usual channels.The interim committee’s statement marked their first official public communication. It called the releases that have been issued through ZC’s channels “fraudulent”, unless they bore the signature of interim managing director Vince Hogg, or that of Dave Ellman-Brown, the interim committee’s chairman.”Employees and the public are advised to ignore fraudulent press releases purporting to emanate from Zimbabwe Cricket,” the committee’s statement read. “No such press release has any legal authority unless it bears the undersigned’s signature or the Signature of Chairman of the Interim Committee.”ZC’s response held little back. “We would like to make it very clear to Mr Hogg and the interim committee that appointed him that no amount of threats will cow us into submitting to an administration without legitimacy,” read ZC’s statement.”Our position is clearly informed by the fact that the International Cricket Council (ICC), the supreme custodian of the game of cricket, does not recognise the interim committee,” ZC’s statement continued, going on to emphasize the ICC’s directive to reinstate Mukuhlani’s board if Zimbabwe want the suspension to be lifted.”In the meantime, as players and staff we refuse to be used as pawns in the interim committee’s power grab scheme,” concluded the ZC statement which had ostensibly been drawn up during a “consultative meeting” between players and ZC staff in Harare on Tuesday.Yet it seems that the playing body at large is not fully united behind the board in their battle against the interim committee and the SRC. Most players are seeking not to get drawn into either side’s corner and simply want to be allowed to play cricket again.ESPNcricinfo spoke to several Zimbabwean cricketers on Tuesday evening, most of whom did not attend any meeting – or even invited – and weren’t consulted before ZC’s statement was released. Many did not back ZC’s statement attacking the interim committee, but some did. One invited player who said they couldn’t attend, but did agree with the sentiments of ZC’s statement. Some simply did not respond to requests for comment, even on condition of anonymity.There are clearly strong differences of opinion forming and while battle lines continue to be drawn and the stalemate between ZC and the interim committee continues, the collateral damage is mounting up.Four members of the women’s side have been stopped from taking part in the Global Development Squad fixtures, and Zimbabwe’s participation in either of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers hangs by the thinnest of threads – indeed, under suspension they simply cannot take part.Furthermore, Langton Rusere, who last year made history when he became the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament at the Women’s World T20 final has now been barred from officiating during the upcoming West Indies v India series, having originally been part of the umpiring panel.