Roy's 84* hands Chennai Braves thrilling win; Perera, bowlers star in NY Strikers' comfortable win

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Team Abu Dhabi fell short by four runs in pursuit of 116; de Kock, Charles and Powell made a mockery of Gladiators’ total

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2023A 20-ball 50 from Kusal Perera combined with the efforts of bowlers gave New York Strikers their first win of the season as they beat Bangla Tigers by eight wickets.Having been put in, Tigers lost opener Chris Lynn third ball of the innings to left-arm quick Muhammad Jawadullah. Kusal Mendis then joined Jordan Cox to plunder 59 runs off the next 24 balls before Jawadullah struck again in the fifth over to remove the latter. In the next over, Sunil Narine had Mendis caught at deep midwicket. Tigers’ innings never took off after that, as Chamika Karunaratne and Akeal Hosein struck to restrict them to 101 for 7.In return, Strikers lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early, but Muhammad Waseem and Perera struck a strong partnership, making 58 runs together off 28 deliveries. Benny Howell removed Waseem in the seventh over for the breakthrough, but Perera launched him for 4, 6, 4 in the same over to take Strikers closer to win. With 11 runs needed off 18 balls, Perera then hit a four off the first ball of the eighth over and then launched a six fourth ball to hand Strikers a comfortable win.Jason Roy scored 84 off 39 balls•Abu Dhabi T10

Leus du Plooy and Colin Ingram combined to smash 17 off the last over, but Team Abu Dhabi still fell short by four runs in a thrilling finish against Chennai Braves. Abu Dhabi needed five to win off the last ball, but du Plooy was beaten by Obed McCoy, who bowled a dot ball to end the game.Abu Dhabi were set 116 by Braves on the back of Jason Roy’s unbeaten 84 from 39 balls, which featured six fours and seven sixes; the next best score by a Braves batter was Kobe Herft’s 14. Roy led the way by helping clobber 48 in the last three overs to take Braves up to 115, even as Abu Dhabi’s captain Dwaine Pretorius removed Stephen Eskinazi on the fourth ball of the eighth over, before running Charith Asalanka for a duck next ball.But Abu Dhabi couldn’t keep pace with the run chase during the middle overs, leaving themselves with another 61 to get from the final four overs. That is when du Plooy and Ingram joined hands. Although they took 32 off the next two overs, Sam Cook allowed just seven runs in the ninth to leave Abu Dhabi with 22 required in the final over. Eventually, du Plooy cracked 47 not out off just 18 balls, but missed the final delivery as Braves scraped through.Quinton de Kock scored a half-century•Abu Dhabi T10

Delhi Bulls’ top three thrashed their way to the target of 121 in just 8.3 overs, stunning Deccan Gladiators by nine wickets to start their Abu Dhabi T10 season with a victory. Opening batters Quinton de Kock and Johnson Charles bashed 73 in five overs to set the tone for Bulls, for whom captain Rovman Powell then completed the chase in a hurry.Powell finished unbeaten on 31 off only 12 balls, smashing five fours and a six on the way, after Charles fell for 36 from 13 deliveries, with as many fours but one more six. Those rapid cameos all but sidelined de Kock’s innings of 50 not out – his strike rate of 192 felt pretty inferior to that of Charles’ 276 and Powell’s 258 – and put the efforts of Gladiators’ batters in vain.Gladiators had opted to bat, and were led by Tom Kohler-Cadmore for the second successive night, as he followed up an undefeated 68 against New York Strikers with 42 against Bulls at double the pace. Andre Fletcher hit 34 off 20 balls, while Andre Russell’s cameo of 19 from only five deliveries provided the finishing touches. But all that wouldn’t prove to be enough in the end.

Neser's stunning all-round show secures Brisbane Heat home Qualifier final

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The allrounder clubbed a brilliant half-century, claimed two wickets and took a stunning catch

Tristan Lavalette10-Jan-2024Michael Neser starred with a spectacular all-round performance as Brisbane Heat secured the BBL’s top spot after a drought-breaking victory over nemesis Perth Scorchers at the Gabba.There was much at stake in the top-of-the table clash with Heat locking in a home qualifying final on the Gold Coast on January 19, while two-time defending champions Scorchers were unable to wrap up a finals berth.Related

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Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne made rare BBL appearances between Test commitments, but stalwart Neser stole the show.In a replay of last season’s epic final, Heat were in trouble at 91 for 5 before Neser and Sam Billings struck a belligerent 80-run partnership from 41 balls.Neser was unstoppable with 64 off 30 balls at No. 7 as Heat smashed 100 runs off the last 47 balls.Scorchers rued an unusually ragged effort in the field and were always up against chasing 192 with Neser taking two wickets and his heroic effort also included a brilliant catch to dismiss Josh Inglis.The teams will renew their rivalry on Saturday at Optus Stadium.Unbeaten Heat had been the form team of the competition, but faced a litmus test against Scorchers who had won the past six matches between the teams.After Khawaja elected to bat, the contest lived up to the hype during a frenetic powerplay laced with a flurry of boundaries and two wickets from knuckle balls by left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff.Having battled on tough Test surfaces against Pakistan, Khawaja relished the batting-friendly conditions to bludgeon three boundaries in the first over off quick Jhye Richardson.But Khawaja, who showcased the dove and olive branch symbol of peace on his bat and shoes, fell in the next over after mistiming a slower Behrendorff delivery that was well caught by Sam Whiteman low down at cover.Michael Neser celebrates his stunning catch•Getty Images

On a flat surface, Behrendorff cleverly mixed his speeds but Richardson erred by bowling too short and he was dispatched by Labuschagne for a trio of boundaries.Richardson, who was named in Australia’s ODI squad against West Indies, leaked 25 runs off his first two overs. He was shown up by typically superb new-ball bowling from Behrendorff, who knocked over Colin Munro with another clever slower ball that gripped the surface.Left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie was selected over veteran seamer Andrew Tye due to Heat’s slew of left-handed batters. He came on in the sixth over as Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw aimed to build a partnership.But Renshaw, who was selected in Australia’s Test squad against West Indies, could not get going and he fell to left-arm spinner Ashton Agar on 18.Heat were further derailed two balls after drinks when Labuschagne nicked off for 45 to quick Lance Morris. Rather farcically Labuschagne was at the wrong end on resumption and should have been on strike instead of Billings, who then took a single off the first ball.The batters struggled to pick McKenzie, who continued an impressive debut BBL season having pushed through a back injury. He combined well with Agar, who was coming off the remarkable figures of 2 for 6 from four overs against Sydney Thunder.But Neser ignited Heat with three consecutive boundaries off Morris before Billings took over with lusty hitting after the power surge was taken late in the innings.Showcasing his ever improving batting, Neser smashed his first BBL half-century as he pummelled the previously miserly Behrendorff for three sixes in the last over to lift Heat to a total that had seemed well beyond them.Neser then dented Scorchers’ fast start in reply with the wicket of opener Zak Crawley in the third over. It was Crawley’s final BBL appearance before he heads off to England’s tour of India.Bowling at speeds around the mid-140kph, left-arm quick Spencer Johnson was a handful and his sharp short-pitched delivery accounted for Whiteman.The pressure fell on Aaron Hardie and Inglis, who bat well together. But Inglis had to take the lead when Hardie holed out on for 14 and he attacked through the off-side.He gave Scorchers hope with a 48-run partnership with Laurie Evans, who clubbed a golf-like tee shot into the stands off Neser.But Neser’s stunning catch running back to the boundary to dismiss Inglis in the power surge gave Heat a stranglehold.Evans tried to provide a late twist as he unfurled strokes similar to his recent 28-ball 85 against Adelaide Strikers. Batting deep in the crease, Evans powered to a half-century off 27 balls but ran out of support as Heat clinched a pivotal victory.

Mathews, bowlers rout Afghanistan to seal T20I series for Sri Lanka

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Mathews bashed 42* off 22 with the bat and then returned with figures of 2 for 9 in two overs as Afghanistan went down by 72 runs

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-2024Angelo Mathews bashed 42 not out off 22 balls, then claimed two early wickets, as Sri Lanka stormed to a 73-run win in the second T20I to seal the T20I series. There were contributions from throughout Sri Lanka’s top order – Pathum Nissanka struck 25 off 11, Kusal Mendis struck 23 off 14, Sadeera Samarawickrama played an innings of substance as he hit 51 off 42, and Wanindu Hasaranga was hyper-aggressive again, hitting 22 off 9.In response, Afghanistan never really got going. None of their top five breached 15, and though Mohammad Nabi and Karim Janat put up something of a partnership, they never seemed to have the measure of this chase. Afghanistan were all out for 115 inside the first 17 overs.Mathews rocks it with batHaving come in in the 15th over, Mathews didn’t explode immediately – that’s generally not his style. Having made four off his first nine deliveries, Mathews began to find the boundary – a four over short off Fazalhaq Farooqi to start, before bashing a four back past Naveen-ul-Haq next over. It was in the 19th over, bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai, that he really unleashed the finisher of old. He spanked Omarzai’s first ball over deep midwicket, crashed the next one over deep square leg. A rattled Omarzai bowled a genuinely poor length ball outside off next ball, and Mathews punished him, launching him over long-on.He was dropped by Mohammad Nabi before his last six was struck – again back over the bowler’s head – but nevertheless, Mathews collected 33 runs off his last nine balls.Mathews rolls it with the ballOne of Mathews’ great strengths in the great Sri Lanka T20 teams of the past was his ability to deliver cheap overs with the new ball. On this occasion, he was penetrative too. Fifth ball, he had Hazratullah Zazai nicking a gentle away-seamer behind. Second ball of his next over, he took the prize wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, who eyed a slower ball and mis-hit it to mid-on. He only needed to bowl those two overs, but he conceded only nine, and took two wickets.Sri Lanka’s bowlers run through AfghanistanAt no point in the chase did it seem like the visitors were in it. After Mathews’ early wickets, left-armer Binura Fernando began to strike, and later, Wanindu Hasaranga began to cause trouble, and finally Matheesha Pathirana became a menace with his extreme pace (he frequently bowled deliveries over 150kph). In addition to Mathews, Fernando, Hasaranga, and Pathirana took two wickets each. Dasun Shanaka was excellent at cover, taking two good catches.

Marizanne Kapp's absence did not affect South Africa, says Klaas

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Australia’s Darcie Brown, who got 5 for 21, felt day two could be “interesting”, given it was “a bowler-friendly wicket”

Tristan Lavalette15-Feb-2024The heartbreak of being without superstar Marizanne Kapp did not derail South Africa’s confidence and focus, said debutant quick Masabata Klaas after the tourists endured a torrid initiation to Test cricket against Australia at the WACA.South Africa’s hopes of a major upset in their first Test against Australia were rocked when Kapp was ruled out due to illness. She had been absent from training in the lead-up to the match, but was expected to play. The South Africa camp had hoped she could pull through on match day, but she did not feel well enough. “We only found out when we had to play that she’s not going to play,” Klaas told reporters after day one of the Test.After being sent in to bat, South Africa’s batting wilted against sustained pressure from Australia’s quicks, who bowled a disciplined line outside off stump that had batters perishing to loose shots. Without the mighty presence of Kapp, South Africa lost eight wickets in a humiliating first session before being routed for just 76 in their lowest ever Test score in an innings that lasted 31.2 overs.”I don’t think so,” Klaas said when asked if South Africa were rattled in the wake of Kapp’s absence. “We’re confident enough and have a strong batting line-up, so I won’t say that her not being here affected the team.”While it was a difficult day for South Africa, Klaas was a shining light on her debut as she ripped open Australia’s top order by dismissing Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath cheaply. Her performance earned praise from Kapp, who also voiced on social media her lament that South Africa did not select young quick Eliz-mari Marx.

Learning from the success of Australia’s quicks, Klaas continued the strong form she had showed during the white-ball series, where South Africa enjoyed historic first victories over Australia in the T20I and ODI formats.”I watched the Australian bowlers, and I saw that there was something on this pitch. So I said to myself, ‘I’m gonna make use of it’,” she said. “So I went out there with a positive mindset of hitting my line and lengths, so that worked for me.”Despite Klaas’ heroics, South Africa started wilting in oppressive conditions as they went through the motions in the back end of the day’s play. But the late wickets of Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy, who fell in the penultimate over before stumps for 99, has given South Africa faint hope of igniting a comeback.Related

  • Healy's 99, Brown's five wickets headline Australia's dominance

“Her [Healy’s] wicket was a game-changer, but we have to come back… we still have another five wickets to take tomorrow,” Klaas said. “The more you are in, the easier it is [to bat]. [The batters need to] stay longer at the pitch.”

Brown: Anything can happen on ‘bowler-friendly wicket’Boasting a lead of 175 runs with five wickets in hand, Australia are in firm control, and there is the prospect of the match lasting just two days in what would be an anti-climax after the absorbing white-ball series.”I think it should be a really interesting day tomorrow,” quick Darcie Brown, who took 5 for 21, said. “It’s a bowler-friendly wicket, so anything can happen.”Brown was the standout with her first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and her fiery bowling was tailor made for a green-tinged surface that fittingly offered plenty for the quicks in Test cricket’s return to the WACA. She was also constantly armed with a packed slips cordon to rekindle images of lore on the famous ground.”I had a moment where I was like ‘This is so cool’ just looking at all the slips,” Brown said. “I’ve never bowled with a seven-two [field]… only two on the leg side. It was an amazing moment.”

'It is not in my hands' – Kishan not thinking about T20 World Cup selection

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“When you take a break, people gossip about it a lot. But I feel it’s important to understand not everything is in players’ hands,” Kishan says

Edited PTI copy12-Apr-20241:55

Moody: Kishan is getting his career back on track

Having returned to competitive cricket after a break for personal reasons, Ishan Kishan is not thinking about his spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.Kishan, who last played for India in November, had asked for a break during the South Africa tour in December-January. He returned to action in February during the DY Patil T20 Cup. Currently, he is the leading run-scorer for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024 with a tally of 161 at a strike rate of 182.95.”About the World Cup, it is not in my hands and I am taking things very easy right now,” he said on Thursday, after starring with a 34-ball 69 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to help Mumbai win by seven wickets. “You have to take one match at a time. One needs to understand that a lot is not in the hands of the players.Related

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“It [the IPL] is a long big tournament and you do not want to overstep. I am just taking one game at a time and [my motto is] however I can help the team, let’s do it.Talking about his time away from the game, Kishan said: “I was practising [during the break]. When you take a break, people gossip about it a lot, they say a lot of things on social media. But I feel it’s important to understand not everything is in players’ hands. We can only make the best use of the break. This is what adopting a good mindset is.”Kishan, along with Shreyas Iyer, was not considered for the BCCI central contract for the period between October 2023 and September 2024. However, Kishan is not thinking about proving a point to anyone.Ishan Kishan smashed a 23-ball fifty against RCB•Associated Press

“There is nothing like that [that] I want to prove to someone,” he said. “I just have to go there and enjoy. I have learned that you do not have to add pressure on yourself about these things, which are not in your hand. You have to figure out what are [your] controllables and what are [your] uncontrollables.”If I were the old Ishan Kishan, I might not have left the good deliveries in the first two overs [against RCB]. I would have been in pressure. But with time I have learned that even 20 overs are a lot and you can take your time. You can have the belief and move forward. So all these things helped me in that break also. Now we lost some games here, but I feel most of the players, not just me, were keen to work with everyone. It was never about us individually performing well for the team and not knowing what other players were going through. So I also know if someone is not doing well, how they feel.”So these things also changed in me that even when I am not performing, if I know someone isn’t feeling good, let’s talk to them, let’s know what their mindset is. So these things have happened after that break.”

Hardik ‘loves challenges’, fans ‘will start loving him’

Hardik Pandya might have been at the receiving end of fans’ ire in this IPL, but Kishan has little doubt that the Mumbai captain is “enjoying the challenge” of winning them over.Hardik, who replaced Rohit Sharma as captain before the start of this IPL, has been consistently getting booed by the fans and the situation was no different on Thursday night at the Wankhede.”He [Hardik] loves challenges, he has been in this situation before and he is in that situation right now,” Kishan said.” He is not someone who will come out and talk about it and say let’s stop this or that. I know that he must be enjoying it. I know him personally. I have spent a lot of time with him. He is ready for the challenges because you cannot complain to the fans, they will come up with their explanations and their point of view.”Kishan said Hardik could turn around fans’ anger with his performances.”Knowing how Hardik Pandya thinks, he is happy with people doing it but I know that in the coming games, he will do it with the bat and people will start loving him [again]. People also recognise your hard work, what you are going through and still you are doing so well for your team.”Our fans will be a little harsh on you but at the same time when you do well, or when you show that it is [still] not bothering you and [that] you are in a good headspace, that might change. If not today, tomorrow. If not tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.”

Knight's appointment as Somerset board advisor a masterstroke, says Lewis

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Meanwhile, England head coach urges Diamonds to hand Bess Heath the keeping gloves

Valkerie Baynes03-May-2024Somerset have played a blinder in appointing England captain Heather Knight to a board advisory role as it builds a team to compete in the top flight of the new domestic women’s competition next year.That is the stance of England Women’s head coach Jon Lewis, who said he had briefly discussed the post with Knight before Somerset announced this week that she would join their board to advise on cricketing matters.Somerset, Durham and Essex will join Surrey, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire in Tier 1 of the new women’s domestic competition in England and Wales from next season after making successful bids to the ECB. A further two teams – Yorkshire and Glamorgan – will join them by 2027.”Somerset have made a really smart decision in getting someone involved in their board who’s got a real intrinsic knowledge of women’s cricket,” Lewis said on Friday, with Knight once again set to lead England’s squads for the T20I and ODI series against Pakistan from May 11. “[She] will really help them set up a new team, which I think will be a challenge for Somerset – a really, really big challenge for Somerset, Essex, and Durham, the teams that have got new teams.”I think that would be a really tricky thing for them to do over the next four or five months, and to have someone who has this experience around will be great. I don’t think it’s going to affect her involvement or her responsibilities as England captain. Heather’s very, very adept at managing her time and she’s an incredibly smart woman and she’ll be able to manage that, I think, without any problem whatsoever. But I think Somerset have made a really good signing.”Related

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Somerset’s outgoing CEO Gordon Hollins has said that while Knight’s role would not be limited to women’s cricket, the timing of her appointment was critical as the club prepared to enter a team at the top level of the new competition.Currently Somerset, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire act as feeder clubs for Western Storm in the regional 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup.With the regional set-up due to be disbanded after this summer, many players face moving to different cities to play at the highest level, or playing in the lower tiers of the new competition.Knight was acutely aware of the challenges facing those players when the successful Tier 1 bids were announced, saying that the prospect of having to relocate from Leeds to Durham, for example, had caused “quite an unsettling time” for some of the Yorkshire-based players at Northern Diamonds. “It’s important that the girls are looked after and helped to transition into the new structure,” she said.Meanwhile, Bess Heath may find herself taking the wicketkeeping gloves more for Northern Diamonds after being ear-marked as Amy Jones’ understudy in the England set-up.Lewis said he was concerned that former England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill had been preferred behind the stumps for the opening four games of this year’s RHFT with Heath playing as a specialist batter in the three matches for which she was available, and that Heath had discussed the matter with Diamonds head coach Dani Hazell.”It does really concern me that one of the best young wicketkeepers in the country isn’t keeping wicket,” Lewis said. “She’s a really dynamic batter and we hope that she’s able to keep wicket for the Diamonds. I haven’t personally spoken to Dani Hazell, but I know that Bess has spoken to Dani Hazell and they’ll be talking about that moving forward from this point.”Bess Heath takes part in a wicketkeeping drill•PA Photos/Getty Images

Heath’s importance as a back-up keeper for England was emphasised after Tammy Beaumont, who could conceivably step in during an emergency, was overlooked for the T20I squad to face Pakistan, starting in Birmingham in a week’s time.The 22-year-old Heath made her international debut in the third ODI against Sri Lanka at Grace Road last September and went on to play one T20I in India in December and three T20Is on England’s recent tour of New Zealand.”What I don’t want to do is stop Bess’s development by being a squad player for England and just moving around the world, carrying the drinks and just training,” Lewis said. “We need to balance her development with as equal a dose of playing as we can, whilst also having cover for Amy Jones because we would look a little bit silly if Amy injured a finger during a game or during warm-ups and we didn’t have a keeper around.”I’m really excited about Beth. She’s a really cool person, she’s a great person to have around. She’s a really enthusiastic young cricketer and she’s got a lot to learn and a lot to develop. Hopefully we can do that in and around her England involvement.”

Handscomb battles but Hunt four-for keeps Sussex on top

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Ollie Robinson and Sean Hunt share seven wickets as Sussex build healthy lead

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024 Sussex 442 (Simpson 183*, McAndrew 53 Holland 4-64) and 66 for 2 lead Leicestershire 275 (Handscomb 92, Mulder 53, Hunt 4-70) by 233 runsPeter Handscomb continued his fine form with 92 but Leicestershire are up against it against second division leaders Sussex at Hove.The Australian took his tally to 640 runs in this season’s Vitality County Championship, but the visitors lost their last four wickets for 18 runs after Handscomb was seventh out with the score on 257.Left-armer Sean Hunt profited handsomely after switching to bowl down the slope at the 1st Central County Ground, picking up Handscomb, Ben Mike, Scott Currie and Josh Hull in 11 deliveries as Leicestershire were bowled out for 275.It gave Sussex a lead of 167 but they elected not to enforce the follow-on and in 15 overs before stumps they lost Oli Carter – squared up by Ian Holland – and nightwatchmer Jack Carson, closing on 66 for 2 – a lead of 233.The second day had started encouragingly for the Foxes after they took Sussex’s last three first-innings wickets for 11 runs in 23 balls with skipper John Simpson finishing unbeaten on 183, although he was only able to add three runs to his overnight score in a total of 442.Holland finished with 4 for 64 after claiming last man Hunt but his day took a turn for the worse when Ollie Robinson removed him during a high-class new-ball spell of 3 for 23 from eight overs by the England pace bowler.Bowling a fullish length, Robinson found enough movement to find Holland’s edge in his second over. Lewis Hill and Rishi Patel took advantage of some wayward bowling by Hunt before 45 for 1 quickly became 51 for 4. Hill was leg before trying to work Robinson through the leg side and Robinson struck again when he found some extra bounce and Lewis Goldsworthy gave Tom Alsop the first of four catches at slip. In between, Nathan McAndrew picked up the important wicket of Patel who lost his off stump shouldering arms to an in-ducker.Handscomb and Wiaan Mulder rebuilt the innings during a hot afternoon, adding 108 in 20 overs with few alarms although Handscomb had an absorbing battle with fellow Australian McAndrew. Robinson bowled another five-over spell without reward, and it was Fynn Hudson-Prentice who made the breakthrough when Mulder edged the next ball after reaching his fifty low to second slip.Sussex belatedly introduced offspinner Carson in the 50th over and he struck with his 11th delivery, an arm ball which Louis Kimber – who dropped down the order after struggling in the opener’s role – fatally played back to.Simpson dropped a difficult chance offered by Ben Cox on 1 and he and Handscomb put on 57, including five penalty runs awarded by umpires Paul Baldwin and Neil Pratt when Handscomb was hit by an errant throw from James Coles as he turned his back, having stepped out of his crease.Handscomb looked untroubled but Hunt, whose first nine overs cost 62 and included eight no balls, was a totally different proposition when he came back on at the Cromwell Road end.Handscomb made a rare misjudgement playing too far away from his body and giving Alsop an easy catch before Hunt swept away Leicestershire’s tail. Extra bounce defeated Mike’s defensive prod and Simpson took an outstanding one-handed catch diving to his left to remove Scott Currie. In his next over Hunt had Josh Hull leg before and walked off with figures of 4 for 70.

Jennings century in vain as Parkinson haunts Lancashire

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Kent prevail in final-over finish as hosts fall five runs short

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2024Rocky Flintoff became the youngest debutant in Lancashire’s 160-year history when he played against Kent in the Metro-Bank One-Day Cup but made just 12 in his side’s pulsating five-run defeat at Blackpool.Flintoff, who is 16 years 113 days old, faced 28 balls for his dozen runs before he was drawn forward by a legspinner from Matt Parkinson and stumped by Harry Finch. And the former Lancashire spinner Parkinson was Kent’s hero when he bowled last man Ollie Sutton in the final over to finish with 4 for 30 off 8.2 oversIt had seemed that Keaton Jennings’ third century at Stanley Park this season would enable Lancashire to get home but Kent battled ferociously hard to defend 209 on a tricky wicket and Beyers Swanepoel’s 3 for 26 off nine overs was another magnificent effort. Jennings finished unbeaten on 107 off 140 balls with 13 fours and a sixFinch had top-scored for the visitors with 48 and Jennings’ one-man effort revived his side after they been struggling on 96 for 5 in the 30th overKent managed only 46 runs in their ten powerplay overs for the loss of Swanepoel, who was caught at cover for 19 off Will Williams. Joey Evison and Ekansh Singh maintained this modest rate of progress until the 15th over when Evison was called for a single to mid-on by Singh and was run out for 22 by Jack Blatherwick’s accurate throw.Debutant Sutton then took a wicket with his first legal delivery for Lancashire when Singh attempted to cut a very wide delivery but only skied a catch to George Lavelle at point. However, Sutton’s joy was short-lived. Two balls later, he had to leave the field with a side strain.Sutton’s replacement, Josh Bohannon, bowled 5.3 tidy overs of offspin for 24 runs but left-arm spinner Charlie Barnard took the next wicket, his first in senior cricket, when Jaydn Denly lofted him to long- on and departed for a pleasant 32 that had included five fours.Moderately placed on 100 for 3 at the halfway point of their innings, Kent searched in vain for the substantial partnership that is so often concomitant with acceleration. Having made 24, Jack Leaning followed Denly’s example in lofting Barnard straight to Green, who then removed Charlie Stobo, caught and bowled for 5.Grant Stewart played on to Williams for nine and it was left to Finch and Parkinson to put on 33 in nine overs before Parkinson was run out for 19 and the innings ended in the 49th over when Green had Finch caught by Lavelle at deep midwicket for 48 and Nathan Gilchrist was caught by Jennings at point for 2. Green ended the innings with 3 for 38, Williams 2 for 41 and Barnard 2 for 47.Lancashire’s pursuit of 210 began poorly when Swanepoel removed both Bell, caught at slip by Stobo for 6, and Bohannon, brilliantly pouched by a diving Evison at cover for five, inside the first eight overs.Jennings and Balderson repaired the damage with a stand of 41 in 11 overs but any thought that Lancashire’s pursuit would be straightforward were removed when Stobo removed them both in the space of three balls to leave the home side on 65 for 4 after 19 overs.The Lancashire skipper then put on 31 in 63 balls with Flintoff and then 24 with Green before the Australian was leg before to Parkinson for 5. Jennings was then given stout support from Blatherwick, who lifted Kent skipper Leaning for two huge sixes, and the home side needed 47 off the final ten overs of a compelling contest.Swanepoel was recalled and almost immediately caught and bowled Blatherwick for 25 and Parkinson had Williams caught behind with 22 still needed off 26 balls. Lancashire needed 15 off two overs and Jennings then reached his century with a straight drive to reduce the target to ten off ten. But Barnard was run out for one and Sutton bowled second ball to spark joyous scenes among the visitors.

Kohli applauds Bumrah for bringing India back into games 'again and again and again'

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“What we saw on the streets tonight is something I’m never going to forget in my life,” says Kohli after open-top bus parade in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2024Virat Kohli felt the T20 World Cup was going to “slip away” from India at one point of Saturday’s thrilling final against South Africa. Five days later, while celebrating their victory with thousands of fans in Mumbai, he asked that Jasprit Bumrah be applauded for his “phenomenal” show to bring them back into the final.”Like everyone in the stadium [here], we also felt at one point if it is going to slip away again, but what happened in those [last] five overs was truly, truly special,” Kohli said, at the team’s felicitation at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday night. “You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, it was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please.”Related

  • Massive crowds in and around Wankhede to greet Indian team

South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls, having ransacked 38 off the previous two overs, when Bumrah came back for his third over. He went on to concede just four runs off the 16th over, and two off the 18th, also knocking over Marco Jansen, as India completed an incredible heist. That win, India’s first World Cup title in 13 years, was being celebrated in Mumbai, with thousands lining Marine Drive as India’s bus drove past on its way to the Wankhede. The stadium, too, was filled to capacity hours before the team’s arrival, with fans braving rain.Kohli said he will “never forget” the reception he and the Indian team received. “A big thank you to all the people who turned up in the stadium,” he said. “What we saw on the streets tonight is something I’m never going to forget in my life.”The last four days have been a roller-coaster of a ride. As soon as we won the World Cup, we wanted to get out of Barbados, get back to India and celebrate with everyone. We got stuck in the hurricane, so it was an anti-climactic feeling. But since we’ve been back, it’s been phenomenal.Fans as far as the eye can see: Marine Drive was chock-a-block ahead of the Indian team’s arrival•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli said he had never seen Rohit Sharma as emotional as he was in the moment after India’s victory in Bridgetown. Social media was ablaze with pictures of the two embracing each other on the way up the stairs of the dressing room at Kensington Oval. “I don’t know about breaking the internet, but for the first time in 15 years of playing together, I saw Rohit show so much emotion on the field,” Kohli said. “When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying and we hugged. For me, that is going to be a very special memory from that day.”Rohit said he was “relieved” to end India’s long wait for a global title. “Bringing the World Cup to this country means the world to us. This is for the people who support and watch the game, and, along with all of us, for the last 11 years, they’re the ones who’ve been wanting this trophy to come back. Finally it’s here, and I’m very happy and relieved.”

Southee excited about 'great challenge' in the backdrop of cricket's 'changing landscape'

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“We’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” Southee says of the Test against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-20240:43

Southee opens up on NZ cricketers refusing central contracts

The club vs country issue is beginning to hurt New Zealand, with high-profile names opting out of central contracts. As they get ready for a burst of nine Test matches in the next few months, Test captain Tim Southee acknowledged the issue, but put it down to “the changing landscape of international cricket”.He recently expressed hope that the cricket boards and the franchise leagues find a way of “working together” to resolve the issue, and ahead of New Zealand’s departure for India to play Afghanistan in a one-off Test in Greater Noida, said that his country’s board was “trying to come up with what’s best for both parties”.”There are plenty of offers out there that weren’t around years ago,” he said. “But yeah, at the moment it’s concentrate on playing for New Zealand and giving that everything at the moment.”Related

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  • Southee may not play all upcoming subcontinent Tests

It won’t affect the team, he said: “We’ve seen a number of guys who haven’t taken contracts, guys that are sitting on this plane with guys with contracts.”Among the players who have refused contracts in recent months are Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Adam Milne. Of them, Williamson is in the squad for the Afghanistan Test, which will be the first of six Tests in the subcontinent (with two in Sri Lanka and three in India to follow), after which New Zealand will host England at home in November-December.”If you look at it as a whole – six Test matches in the subcontinent – it’s exciting,” Southee said. “It’s probably something we haven’t done, in my time anyway. It’s a great challenge for the side.”First up: Afghanistan.When they played each other at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Afghanistan won by 84 runs after bowling New Zealand out for 75 in Providence.”They are still new to the red-ball format, but we’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” Southee said. “Just recently in the T20 World Cup, last year in the one-day World Cup [where Afghanistan finished sixth], they are an improving side. They’ve had great success in those two formats, and I am sure as a country they want to have success in the longer format as well.”Every time we have come up against them in a world event in the last five or six years, we know they are an improving side and a dangerous side. Especially in their part of the world. We just saw them making the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, a couple of upsets last year, and the one-day World Cup as well. So we know they are a very good side in those conditions.”Six Tests in the subcontinent could well mean the quick bowlers taking a backseat at times and the spinners taking centre stage. New Zealand have a good bunch in their tournament party: there is the left-arm spin of Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner, and the offspin of Michael Bracewell, to go with the part-time offspin of Glenn Phillips. Afghanistan’s spin threat, of course, is a real one.1:14

Southee: Afghanistan ‘an improving and dangerous side’

“That part of the world, spin is going to play a big part. They’ve got some quality spinners, mixed in with some quality quicks as well,” Southee said. “We’ve seen in other formats that’s been their strength, their bowling unit, particularly their spinners. It’s going to be an exciting challenge.”[The role of the spinners] might change from venue to venue, change from India to Sri Lanka and back to India. We have the options. We have guys that can bowl spin, offspin, left-arm spin, so we’ve got a good mix, mixed in with some quality pace as well. It’s exciting for all the spinners. We were in Bangladesh last year, so as a spin bowler, I’m sure you’re looking forward to this challenge.”As for his own game, Southee acknowledged, not for the first time, that he wasn’t “at my best towards the end of the summer”. But “the body is good,” he said as a bunch of New Zealand players left Auckland for India, adding, “The cricket I have played since [the last summer] has been pretty good, so I have enjoyed a bit of a break and enjoyed a bit of the cricket as well.”The Test against Afghanistan will be played from September 9 to 13 after which New Zealand will travel to Sri Lanka before returning to India.