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ESPNcricinfo presents the key match-ups ahead of the quarter-final match between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Sydney

Firdose Moonda and Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Mar-2015Kumar Sangakkara v AB de Villiers
It’s often asked if there is anything AB de Villiers cannot do. Kumar Sangakkara may have the answer. His four centuries in succession are more than anyone else has collected, and would surpass de Villiers’ if this was a comparison of accumulation. But de Villiers is the record-holder for the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in international cricket and has a range of strokes which have yet to be given names. Between them, they occupy the top two positions on the ODI batting rankings and are expected to provide each other’s attack with plenty to ponder. Both sides have already stressed the importance of dismissing these two cheaply but while Mathews described their meeting as a clash of “two legends of the modern game”, de Villiers played it down: “To be very honest with you, and I hope you don’t take it in the wrong way, I couldn’t care less about him or me. I just want to win the game.”Dale Steyn v Dushmantha Chameera
“We just want him to go there and bowl fast.”Angelo Mathews said that about Sri Lanka’s speedy sensation Dushmantha Chameera. The same has been said of Dale Steyn for almost a decade. Although South Africa’s spearhead has not sliced through any line-up with his usual sharpness yet, his coach Russell Domingo has been impressed with how he has progressively upped his pace and intensity and expects him to be at his best when it matters most. Chameera will have none of the same pressures. He is only two internationals into his career, but has pushed the speedgun to 147kph, which Mathews called “extraordinary for a Sri Lankan”. Although at almost opposite ends of expectation, the two quicks should provide some excitement, especially for the batsmen.Tahir v Sri Lanka spinners
Spin has historically been the area Sri Lanka would bank on having an edge against South Africa, but if Rangana Herath does not play, – he is still in serious doubt for Wednesday – Tahir has the form and the record to suggest he will outperform the Sri Lanka slow bowlers. He took spin’s only five-wicket haul of the tournament against West Indies at the SCG three weeks ago, and has 11 wickets at 23.36 in the tournament. What may count against him is the number of left-handers in Sri Lanka’s batting order – there are four in the top seven – but Sri Lanka’s legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna may also encounter the same problem against South Africa’s top order. Neither Prasanna nor Sachithra Senanayake have been particularly impressive so far in their limited opportunities in this tournament, so South Africa’s middle order will aim to rattle them in the last 20 overs.Lahiru Thirimanne v Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock has the better record and reputation of the two young opening batsmen, but Lahiru Thirimanne has the World Cup runs. De Kock’s last innings against Sri Lanka, though, was an outstanding one. He hit 128 from 127 balls to set up a total of 339 in Hambantota, as he overcame an apparent weakness against the bowling of Lasith Malinga. Thirimanne has had a couple of quiet matches after his 139 not out against England. His Achilles heel appears to be the full ball pushed across him by a right-arm quick. Several times in the series, he has edged to the slips, but to his credit, has gone on to make a sizable contribution after a let off. Thirimanne also has the more proven big-match temperament. He hit a hundred in last year’s Asia Cup final, and top-scored in the World T20 semi-final against West Indies.David Miller v Angelo Mathews
Sri Lanka perhaps edge the match-up between the middle-order finishers. While Miller is the more dynamic batsman, with his strike-rate above 100, Mathews has more batting pedigree, averaging over 40, with a history of playing clutch innings in Sri Lanka’s hours of need. Miller has hurt Sri Lanka before, however. His 85 not out off 72 balls set up a South Africa victory in Pallekele in 2013, and he’s also made a few more runs than Mathews in this tournament. However, Mathews appeared to have returned to destructive form as he hit Sri Lanka’s fastest-ever World Cup fifty against Scotland last week, reaching the milestone with a fourth consecutive six, off the 20th delivery he played.

West Indies cricket may be suffering in the ODIs due to a lack of basic work, but fatigue may also be pulling down players like Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard

Tony Cozier21-Jul-2013With every passing ODI over the past eight months – in Bangladesh, India, Australia, England and back in the Caribbean – West Indies’ problems multiply.They concern primarily the change of the captaincy and the overall batting failures that have resulted in all-out totals over the last 23 matches of 199, 132, 171 and 98 and none above 250.Also high on the list is the failure to recognise the value, especially in a limited-overs contest, of singles and twos so readily available on the vacant spaces created by widespread fields.As the West Indies pursued their modest goal of 229 against Pakistan at the Beausejour stadium on Friday, they ended with 184 dot balls, those that earned them nothing. They were, by straightforward mathematics, 30.4 overs of their 50; Pakistan had 100 dots fewer.As Marlon Samuels, especially, soaked up the overs in his tortured 46 from 106 balls, he kept banging balls straight to fielders on the edge of the 30-yard semi-circles so hard that to run would have meant a run-out (not unusual where he is concerned); a simple block would have yielded one. It was thoughtless, unprofessional cricketThe former Australian captain, Bobby Simpson, held the theory that the team with the more singles, rather than the more boundaries, usually wins ODIs. It sounds idiotic on the face of it; the stats and the disruption produced for bowlers and fielders prove otherwise.The switch of captaincy from Darren Sammy to Dwayne Bravo for the 50-over version in March was, according to chief selector Clyde Butts, to “freshen the leadership”. It was prompted by the ODI results (12 losses, nine wins and two ties) that so dramatically contrast the six successive Test victories and the euphoric triumph in last October’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.These are early days but, after the team’s elimination from the recent triangular home series with India and Sri Lanka, Bravo openly accepted responsibility, acknowledging that he was still to fit into what is an unfamiliar role at a difficult time.He is an ebullient all-round cricketer with eight years experience in the international game. Yet his last shot as captain was in South Africa six years ago when he took over for the third and final Test and the five ODIs after Chris Gayle was injured. He has not even led Trinidad & Tobago since.He said after the triangular series that it was a new role so “I have to get accustomed to it and address it as quickly as possible”.He has taken his responsibility a little far by choosing to bowl the “death” overs himself; the results should persuade him that, as gallant as his decision is, he is not suited to the role.Against India in Port-of-Spain, he went for 23 off his last two overs; at Beausejour on Friday, his last two cost 32 and very nearly the match.Bravo has only two more ODIs in charge in this series to fit into the role; the West Indies’ next ODIs are scheduled for New Zealand at the end of the year.The worries are compounded by the decline of the key batsmen, Gayle, Samuels and Kieron Pollard. It constantly places the burden on the tail-enders either to squeeze out a few narrow victories — or, as was the case at the Beausejour stadium on Friday, an outrageous tie against Pakistan — or save some face.Gayle, as feared a striker of a cricket ball as there ever has been, has tapered off to 14 scores below 20 in his last 18 ODI innings.Samuels has found the certain timing, and the confidence, that made him among the top batsmen in all forms of the game last year elusive, as his struggle on Friday indicated.Pollard, capable of demolishing opposition bowling as brutally as Gayle, has gone into such a slump that his seven innings since returning home after the Champions Trophy are 0, 4, 0, 0, 3, 30 and 0. Such a sequence so cripples self-belief that it is difficult to break free.Yet Gayle has an impressive record in all three formats over a dozen years in West Indies colours and an incomparable reputation in Twenty20s the world over.As recently as March, he was compiling his 15th Test hundred against Zimbabwe before heading off to the 20-overs stuff of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to belt his remarkable, record 175 with 17 sixes for his franchise team, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Just a month ago, he began the triangular series with 109 that underpinned the West Indies victory over Sri Lanka.Samuels’ rare quality was at its peak in 2012; he was not only the West Indies’ most productive batsman but was among the world leaders. Pollard has three ODI hundreds, two against Australia home and away, one in India.So why the collective deterioration?One feasible answer is plain old tiredness. They all certainly look drained.Gayle, now 33, and Pollard have been virtually non-stop on the road, for the West Indies and for T20 teams in the IPL and Australia’s Big Bash, for almost a year.Samuels was also physically stretched, sidelined with a serious eye injury during the Big Bash and with a muscle strain during the IPL before returning for the Tests against Zimbabwe in March, since when he has been in all West Indies ODIs in Champions Trophy, the triangular and now against Pakistan.It is instructive that Lendl Simmons has been the freest of the batsmen since his umpteenth recall following his form for the ‘A’ team against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in June and that Jason Holder, at 21 the youngest on the team, has made an early impression.Simmons was not picked for Australia, the Zimbabwe matches or the Champions Trophy. Holder had just two ODIs and the series against Sri Lanka ‘A’. Both were fresh and with something to prove.It is clearly an explanation that the selectors, by sticking basically to the same squad throughout, have not bought into.If it is something else, the West Indies do have a deeper problem than just fatigue.

Australia are hopeful Shaun Marsh will be fit for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts on December 1, so Usman Khawaja needs to make the most of his opportunity at the Wanderers

Brydon Coverdale in Johannesburg16-Nov-2011Usman Khawaja will replace Shaun Marsh at No.3 for the Johannesburg Test knowing that he can learn a valuable lesson from Marsh in converting starts. In January, Khawaja excited Australia’s cricket fans with a composed 37 in his first innings of Test cricket, followed by 21 in the second innings against England.They were not earth-shattering scores, but it was the way Khawaja made his runs that caught one’s attention. He was not overawed by the pressure of replacing the injured Ricky Ponting in an Ashes Test. He placed the ball beautifully and did not look flustered.Fast-forward eight months and another batsman was given an opportunity at No. 3 because of Ponting’s absence. Shaun Marsh duly struck a century on debut and followed it with 81 in his second Test, when Ponting returned and Khawaja was squeezed out of the side. Khawaja’s Test scores of 37, 21, 21, 26 and 13 not out had been dwarfed.Now the wheel has turned again, and it’s Khawaja and Ponting in the side, with Marsh at home in Perth nursing a back injury. Australia are hopeful Marsh will be fit for the first Test against New Zealand, which starts on December 1, so Khawaja needs to make the most of his opportunity at the Wanderers. If Ponting fails and the selectors act, there could even be room for both Khawaja and Marsh in the near future.If Ponting fails and the selectors act, there could even be room for both Khawaja and Marsh in the near future•AFP”Every Test match is an opportunity,” Khawaja said. “I would love to take it with both hands and score runs, but I can’t promise that. I just have to go out there and make sure I control the controllables. I know it’s a cliche, but if you start worrying about yourself, things usually don’t go well. You have to put the team ahead of yourself and if I get the chance, that’s what I want to do.”I felt really comfortable in all three Test matches. I haven’t put up a big total yet. I’ve really enjoyed my time there. I felt everyone was really supportive. I felt a part of the team, which is probably the biggest thing. I got a taste of Test cricket and realised that obviously it is a massive step-up in terms of who’s watching, outside influences and all that. But when you’re on the park it’s pretty much the same thing. When I get out in the middle it’s just bat versus ball.”Not that he has been out in the middle yet on this tour. Khawaja came on the trip fresh from a pair of centuries in his only two matches of the Australia domestic season for New South Wales, but since arriving in South Africa he has been limited to long sessions in the nets with the assistant coach Justin Langer.”I feel really good right now,” he said. “I’ve hit a lot of balls. Me and Alf [Langer], we’ve hit a million balls. In Potch [Potchefstroom] the nets were quite dodgy and I played a few sessions there, so I got a good hit in there. I played a couple of games before I left, which was only about two weeks ago, so it hasn’t been that long since I’ve played in a game.”A classy left-hander who admired Brian Lara and Adam Gilchrist as a young man, Khawaja will be pleased with his return to first drop after he was asked to bat at No.6 in Sri Lanka. The captain Michael Clarke confirmed Khawaja would be back in his favourite position for this Test, with Ricky Ponting to slide back down to No.4.”He bats in the top of the order for New South Wales. He’s batted at No.3 for Australia,” Clarke said. “The one thing I said to Ussie is that I take a lot of confidence out of his cricket at the moment. In Sri Lanka he batted at No.6 and I thought he did a pretty good job. He batted No.3 for Australia when Ricky missed that last Test at the SCG and did pretty well there.”He’s a very good all-round player who can bat anywhere in the order so it’s a good string to his bow. I think he enjoys playing the faster bowlers, probably a little bit more at the start of his innings, but he showed in Sri Lanka he plays spin very well as well, so I’m really confident he’s high on confidence. He’s coming off a hundred back home in Australia in first-class cricket, I’m confident he’ll be able to slip straight in and have some success for us.”

Sidharth Monga looks back at the turning points of the series

Sidharth Monga12-Aug-2008

Virender Sehwag looked menacing but wasn’t always supported by other batsmen or the umpires © AFP
Butter fingers
Sri Lanka had four centurions in the first innings of the series – and all four got reprieves well before they had put 600 on the board. Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera were dropped, Malinda Wanapura caught off a no-ball, Tillakaratne Dilshan got a decision overturned in his favour, though the review was doubtful. In all, the four scored 339 runs after the reprieves – and that was only the tangible effect they had.Sehwag comes and goes
For the first five overs of India’s first innings in the SSC Test, it seemed the match – affected by rain and a docile pitch – was headed only one way: a draw. Certainly no danger for India. It was Virender Sehwag who made things look like that, scoring 25 runs in the first five overs. But when he hooked Nuwan Kulasekara to a waiting fieldsman at deep backward square leg, little did he know what was coming up next. An innings defeat.Mendis arrives … and destroys
India’s collapse started with Sehwag, but Ajantha Mendis’ first wicket – Rahul Dravid, out bowled – had a psychological effect on the Indian middle order that plagued them the rest of the series. That devastating carrom ball was perhaps the biggest turning point of the series. Mendis was no longer a mythical mystery spinner but a destroyer in flesh and blood, and India didn’t know how to handle him.Sehwag applies himself, but the umpires don’t
In the second innings at the SSC, Sehwag looked more circumspect, more responsible, but was undone by a poor (given the amount of replays available) decision to give him out lbw. Another collapse, which would become a feature of Indian batting, ensued and the last nine added 113.Gambhir and the middle order desert Sehwag
With Sehwag playing perhaps the innings of his life, and Gautam Gambhir supporting him, India looked like getting to a big total in the first innings of the Galle Test. Gambhir got out with the score at 167 and in no time India were reduced to 178 for 4. VVS Laxman held his end up and put on 100 with Sehwag, but the next collapse featured six wickets for 51 runs.
Are you sure about that, ump? © AFP
Sri Lanka show they can collapse too
Having wasted Sehwag’s innings, it seemed India had already lost the series, given the way Malinda Warnapura and Kumar Sangakkara started to wipe out the deficit in a hurry. But Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble turned the screws and were rewarded with Warnapura’s wicket. Sri Lanka competed with India’s collapses, as they went from 137 for 1 to 192 for 5.Kumble interrupts a Jayawardene gem
In the same innings, Jayawardene seemed to be pulling off a heist with the tail, farming the strike, taking singles off the last balls, and frustrating the Indian bowlers who somehow find the tail hard to dislodge whenever the need is dire. Just when it seemed Jayawardene might take Sri Lanka to a crucial first-innings lead, Kumble showed up. His second wicket of the series was also the most crucial: only one run was added after Jayawardene’s dismissal.Tendulkar and Dravid follow each other again
Having taken a substantial first-innings lead, and following a 90-run opening stand, India should have sealed the match there. But towards stumps on day three, they lost Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on the same score, and the next six for 69 runs on the following morning. The Indians didn’t look pleased with the review decision that went against Dravid but it was a smart call by Jayawardene.Pace shows up
With that collapse, Sri Lanka kept the target down to 307 and would have thought they had given themselves a chance, but Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan snuffed out any such notions. Between the second and the fourth over of the innings, they struck thrice with wickets of Warnapura, Sangakkara and Jayawardene, and the match was all but over.Ishant inspires again
With the equaliser almost in the pocket, India got a final scare when Dilshan and Samaraweera looked to hustle them out of the match. Though they had a long way to go, their partnership (eventually 76) had started to bring Sri Lanka back into the game. But Ishant came up with one final inspired spell, beating the bat consistently at a high pace and with balls that would leave the batsmen a touch. His persistence finally paid off when he got Dilshan with a similar delivery, triggering another collapse: the next five went for 23.Brawn and brain come together
Sehwag and Gambhir had got off to a quick start before another debutant turned the third Test Sri Lanka’s way. India had scored 51 in seven overs when Dammika Prasad got Sehwag’s wicket with a beauty. Prasad came back in his second spell to break the back – sorry, the middle – of India’s batting but Jayawardene stayed on top of his game too, successfully challenging two decisions that looked like inside-edges to the naked eye.Dravid drops the Idea Cup
All through the series India had been sloppy in the field, and this one cost them the most. Had Dravid caught Sangakkara when the batsman was on 34, it would have been a sensational slip catch, but it was high time India came up with something sensational in the field. Sangakkara, by the way, went on to score 144.
Dammika Prasad made a thrilling debut © AFP
Where’s the consistency, ump?
After Dravid dropped Sangakkara and before the latter had ground India to dust, there was a period where India had built up some momentum only to be denied by the inconsistency in the review system. They had taken two wickets for four runs, and should have had three for 16 when Kumble’s appeal for an lbw against Samaraweera was rejected. The replays seemed quite similar to when Dravid had been ruled out earlier in the match but, for some reason, the original decision was upheld. Samaraweera was on 5, then, and went on to score 35 – and, more importantly, put together a 60-run partnership with Sangakkara at a crucial juncture.The last straw
It was a cruel anticlimax for what had been a great series. After India had fallen behind by 147, only Sehwag and Gambhir could have provided the series with yet another twist. They started to oblige, with 57 runs in nine overs before tea on the penultimate day. It turned out to be false hope. The two fell in quick succession after the interval, and left the Indian middle order, half of them injured, with too much to do. What was disappointing was the soft manner in which the two got out – the series deserved better for a final turning point.

Named in Afghanistan’s T20I squad to face Ireland; will be his first on-field action since the 2023 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2024Rashid Khan has been named in Afghanistan’s squad for the upcoming Ireland T20Is, meaning he has now fully recovered from the back injury and subsequent surgery that has kept him out of action since the 2023 World Cup.Rashid had missed stints at the Big Bash League, the SA20, and Afghanistan’s assignments against UAE, India, Sri Lanka and now the Test and ODIs against Ireland due to the injury. He had travelled with the squad to India in January, but at that point was not yet good to go. His team-mate Ibrahim Zadran had said then: “He is not totally fit, but is travelling with the team. We hope that he gets fit as soon as we expect him to. He’s doing his rehab with the doctor, and we will miss him in the series.”Rashid had been Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker at the ODI World Cup, with 11 wickets. If he can slot in here and hit the ground running, that will be good news for Afghanistan as they prepare for the next big global assignment: the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June. It will also be good news for Gujarat Titans, whom Rashid represents at the IPL. Titans open their IPL 2024 campaign on March 24.Getty ImagesIn another big boost to their spin attack, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who was recovering from a right phalanx sprain, also returns.Uncapped allrounder Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai features in the 15, as does Mohammad Ishaq, who debuted in the T20Is against Sri Lanka in February. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who starred on debut in the third ODI of the ongoing tour, looks set for a T20I debut as well. Also in the squad is opening batter Sediqullah Atal, who last played for Afghanistan at the Asian Games in October.Afghanistan host Ireland for three T20Is in this series in Sharjah, on March 15, 17 and 18. Afghanistan had won the preceding ODIs 2-0, while Ireland had registered their maiden Test win in the one-off Test match.Afghanistan squad for Ireland T20IsRashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Wafadar Momand, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Nick Woltemade shocked Germany by joining Newcastle over Bayern, but ex-coach Hermann Gerland branded the striker worthy of the huge fee.

Bayern failed to match Stuttgart demandsGerland stunned by Premier League switchStriker branded worth extraordinary transfer feeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The German international completed a stunning switch from Stuttgart to Newcastle in a deal worth up to £69 million ($93m), a club-record fee for the Magpies. The 23-year-old, who scored 17 goals and added three assists in 33 appearances last season, arrives as the direct replacement for Alexander Isak.

Newcastle moved decisively in the final weeks of the transfer window, striking a six-year contract with Woltemade that could earn him €8m per year. The towering striker, who began his career at Werder Bremen before exploding at Stuttgart last season, will now wear the No.27 shirt at St James’ Park.

The move also marks a blow for Bayern Munich, who had been circling for months but failed to meet Stuttgart’s financial demands. Instead of waiting for a move to Bavaria next summer, Woltemade has joined the Premier League, a decision that shocked many in Germany, including Bayern legend Hermann Gerland, who admitted the striker’s choice caught the club off guard, but also added praise for the German starlet.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT GERLAND SAID

Gerland offered a blunt but admiring take on Woltemade’s move stating that money rules the world including football, “With his move, he has now made provisions for himself, his future wife, his future children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. My mother always used to tell me: Money makes the world go round,” he said on

“He's a very well-behaved young man. I can understand why Bayern Munich wanted to sign him, and now the English have. The price is a bit extraordinary, but you have to pay extraordinary money for extraordinary players. That was always the case. I would have liked to see him stay in Germany; he would have been good for Stuttgart, too.”

Asked about the risk of moving abroad before the World Cup, he added: “No matter where he goes, he has to perform everywhere. Good footballers can play anywhere. You can improve everywhere, and so can he. The important thing is that he's not afraid.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This transfer underlines both the pull of Premier League money and the growing difficulty Bundesliga giants face in keeping their best young talent. For Bayern, it’s another major setback after also losing out on Florian Wirtz, who chose Liverpool over Munich earlier this summer.

For Newcastle, it’s a calculated gamble that replacing Isak directly is impossible, but Woltemade’s skillset, a rare combination of size, and ball-carrying ability, makes him a logical successor. Eddie Howe now has a striker who not only offers aerial dominance but can also dribble past defenders and link play creatively.

For Germany, the timing is crucial as Woltemade is tipped to lead the line at the 2026 World Cup, with the No.9 shirt beckoning. His performances in England could cement him as Joachim Low’s successor’s first-choice striker in a new-look national team under Julian Nagelsmann

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN AND WOLTEMADE?

For Bayern Munich, Woltemade’s decision represents another missed opportunity and fuels growing frustration around their transfer strategy. After a chaotic summer already marred by the Nicolas Jackson saga, losing out on Germany’s brightest young No.9 to the Premier League feels symbolic of shifting power in European football.

With sporting director Max Eberl under pressure and fans questioning the club’s ability to compete for elite domestic talent, Bayern face a deeper issue that, are they still the natural destination for Germany’s best players, or is the Premier League now the ultimate stage?

For Woltemade, meanwhile, the focus is quite clear that he deliver at Newcastle, adapt to the Premier League, and cement his place as Germany’s leading striker ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Club will “pay tribute to” Baker’s memory and “keep his spirit alive on the field”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2024

Worcestershire will wear Josh Baker’s No. 33 on their playing shirts for the remainder of the season as a tribute to the left-arm spinner who passed away last week, aged 20.Baker, who had made two County Championship appearances this season, died suddenly on May 2. He was a popular member of the Worcestershire dressing room, signing his first contract with the county aged 17 in 2022. He took 43 wickets in 22 first-class matches and 27 in 25 limited-overs appearances. He had also represented England at under-19 level.The day before his passing, he had taken 3 for 66 in the first innings of Worcestershire’s four-day 2nd XI Championship match against Somerset at Bromsgrove School. The match was called off early on the final day. Players wore black armbands as a mark of respect during the most recent round of the County Championship, which began on May 3.Worcestershire declined to comment on the nature of Baker’s death, asking for “the respect of privacy” on behalf of his family. Having consulted with the family, Baker’s teammates have decided to honour his memory by wearing his squad number on the front of their shirts, under the club crest.”It is clear from the outpouring of love we’ve seen, following last week’s awful news, that Josh touched the lives of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” said Worcestershire CEO Ashley Giles in a statement released on Wednesday.”Wearing Josh’s number on their shirts is a way for the team, and all involved with Worcestershire cricket, to pay tribute to his memory and keep his spirit alive on the field.”Josh’s mum and dad, Lisa and Paul, have asked us to thank everyone for the hundreds of messages of love and support that they have received since Josh’s passing.”As we all continue to navigate through this very difficult time, we encourage our members, supporters, and the cricketing community to join us in honouring Josh’s memory and celebrate the life of a remarkable young man who will forever hold a special place in our hearts.”Worcestershire will wear the commemorative shirts for the first time on Friday, when they play Kent at Canterbury in Division One.

Rajasthan Royals did almost everything they could to go 5-0 on top of the IPL 2024 points table. But Rashid Khan happened.Rashid conceded just 18 off his four overs, and should have had at least one more wicket but for dropped catches; without his effort, Gujarat Titans could have been chasing a lot more than 197. That was a difficult ask in itself, and it came down to 40 off 15 balls when they lost their sixth wicket.Guess who walked in then? Yes, him again.It’s never over if Rashid is at the crease, especially if Rahul Tewatia is at the other end, and so it proved. It came down to 15 off the last over, which Avesh Khan bowled with only four fielders on the boundary with Royals having incurred an in-game over-rate penalty. Rashid hit two fours off the first three balls, and got back on strike for the last ball with Tewatia sacrificing his wicket at the danger end while going for a third that would have levelled the scores.Two to get, one ball left, and Avesh went short and outside off. Rashid unfurled his wrists, among the strongest and most flexible in world cricket, and carved the ball to the vacant boundary beyond point, and Titans had ended Royals’ unbeaten run.

Rashid vs Royals, part 1

Yashasvi Jaiswal threatened to break his run of low scores with a series of thrilling off-side boundaries early on, but both he and Jos Buttler fell inside the powerplay, leaving Royals 42 for 2.Buttler departed in Rashid’s first over, the sixth of the innings, edging a sharply turning legbreak to slip while trying to drive inside-out. The first ball he had faced from Rashid had kept low and beaten him outside off, giving Royals an early clue of how difficult they would find it to score against Rashid.Rashid could have dismissed Riyan Parag later in that over, or in his next over, as Royals’ No. 4 reached away from his body and edged a pair of legbreaks. Keeper Matthew Wade, however, put him down.Related

• Rashid breaks out of his rut with all-round show for the ages

• As it happened: Rashid scripts incredible Titans comeback

• How Rashid Khan and Gujarat Titans pulled off a thrilling chase

• Shubman Gill explains why Gujarat Titans are so good at chasing

Parag and Samson set up challenging total

At times, Noor Ahmad looked just as threatening as his Afghan spin twin at the other end, but he didn’t quite bowl with the same control of length. Parag took every opportunity he got to slog-sweep Noor, when he went a little too full or a little too far down the leg side, and that shot brought him three sixes and a four against the left-arm wristspinner. In all, Parag hit 33 off 17 against Noor, the centrepiece of another impressive display, his third fifty in five innings this season.Sanju Samson didn’t have as much of the strike as Parag early on in their partnership – he was on 29 off 20 when Parag reached his half-century off 34 balls. He made a telling impact when he did get on strike, however, showing off his range of shots, including a stunning pair of hits off Spencer Johnson in the 15th over: two short-of-length balls, punched wide of extra-cover for four and flat-batted over long-on for six.The one bowler the third-wicket pair didn’t go after, though, was Rashid. Parag scored 13 off 15 against him, and Samson five off six. His final over, the 16th, produced five singles and a dot.You could see why Royals played him this way. R Ashwin was slotted at No. 7, and Royals have tended not to use a batter as their Impact substitute even when they’ve lost early wickets. They’ve preferred to stack their bowling, and by playing out Rashid they ensured they could do this again: Keshav Maharaj came in for his IPL debut, partnering Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in a formidable spin attack.With Rashid’s quota done, Royals went hard, taking 57 off their last four overs. Parag fell in the 19th, and Shimron Hetmyer, who has seldom got a chance to get his eye in this season, clattered an unbeaten 13 off 5 as he and Samson hit 24 off the last eight balls of the innings.3:09

Moody: Boult bowling just two overs doesn’t make sense

Gill sets the platform, Sen and Chahal wreck it

Titans hit some sumptuous shots in their powerplay – Sai Sudharsan uppercut Avesh for six, Shubman Gill launched Maharaj inside-out over the cover boundary – but they went at less than eight an over in that phase, ending it at 44 for no loss.Even their good overs weren’t ending up as truly big overs – Sudharsan punched Chahal for back-to-back fours to start the eighth, but Titans only scored 12 off the over, and could have lost Sudharsan had Chahal not dropped a return catch.When Kuldeep Sen, playing his first game of the season, made a dramatic entry with the wickets of Sudharsan, Wade and Abhinav Manohar in the space of 10 legal balls, Titans appeared to be going nowhere, needing 118 off the last 9.2 overs with seven wickets in hand.Vijay Shankar showed a bit of initiative and inventiveness to hit three fours in his first nine balls, but he was bowled missing a sweep off Chahal, and Titans went into their last six needing 86. Gill, on 53 off 37, hadn’t hit a boundary since the 10th over.Gill changed gears at that point, hitting Ashwin for a pair of fours in the 15th over and starting the 16th with two more fours, freeing his arms to take full toll of Chahal’s line wide of off stump. Then came what seemed a decisive moment: Gill stepped out, perhaps a touch too early, and Chahal, seeing him coming, fired it even wider – a genuine wide – to have him stumped for 72 off 44.1:51

Moody: Rashid is very difficult to bowl to

Titans’ finishers finish it off

The last four began with Titans needing 59, and the extra muscle in their line-up – they had included the out-and-out T20 hitters Manohar and Shahrukh Khan for the first time this season – began to pay off. Ashwin’s final over, the 17th, went for 17, as Shahrukh and Tewatia hit him for a six and two fours between them, bringing the equation down to 42 off 18.Royals have used Avesh and Sandeep Sharma as their main death bowlers this season, with Trent Boult not used even once in this phase. Boult conceded only eight in his two powerplay overs here, but Royals continued to not use him at the death here, trusting Avesh to do his assigned job and Sen to step into the absent Sandeep’s shoes.Avesh conceded just seven in the 18th over, along the way spearing in a full ball to trap Shahrukh lbw, playing across it.The momentum seemed to be with Royals, but Sen’s 19th reversed it, as Tewatia, Rashid and extras combined to shave 20 off the 35 that Titans required. The last ball of that over, shortish and angled across the left-handed Tewatia, produced a terrific shot under pressure, flat-batted calmly over mid-off.This left Titans needing 15 off 6. This team, with largely the same personnel, had successfully achieved last-over chases of 15 or more on three occasions during their fairytale debut season of 2022. Tewatia and Rashid had been stars of that season and their runners-up second season in 2023, and they were in the middle again. Was there any way for Titans not to win?

Cole Palmer has said Chelsea are "confident" in their chances of beating PSG in the final of the Club World Cup on Sunday.

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Chelsea star attended Les Parisiens' semi-final victoryPalmer: PSG 'probably best team in the world'Final kicks off on Sunday nightFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer was speaking with DAZN ahead of Sunday's final. The Chelsea star shared that he attended PSG's 4-0 semi-final win against Real Madrid, and that the Champions League winners are "probably the best team in the world." However, he also said he and his teammates are "confident" and that they "have a plan".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Les Parisiens have looked every bit the favourites through the revamped tournament, beating Inter Miami, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid en route to the final, with an aggregate score of 10-0 over those three ties. Chelsea have had a slightly easier path to the showpiece event, beating Benfica, Palmeiras and Fluminense.

WHAT PALMER SAID

Palmer said: "Obviously, we're confident. We know it's going to be a tough game, but it's a final.

"We're excited. Everyone's ready. You know, you want to play against the best team, and they probably are the best team in the world, but we're excited and we're ready.

"They do everything well, we've watched the games, but we've got a plan and we're going to try and do it."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

As Chelsea's most dependable goalscorer, playmaker and all-round talisman, Palmer will need to be at his very best if The Blues are to cause an upset in New Jersey.

SLC comes to an understanding with the country’s sports ministry over a dispute surrounding the restructuring of the domestic tournaments

Madushka Balasuriya21-Sep-2023Sri Lanka Cricket has resumed its domestic cricket season, which was halted nearly three weeks ago, after coming to an understanding with the country’s sports ministry over a dispute surrounding the restructuring of the domestic tournaments. As such the Major Club three-day tournament and the Tier B Club three-day tournament will resume on Friday, September 22.”Consent was given by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, subsequent to a meeting held between Sri Lanka Cricket and the Ministry of Sports,” an SLC media release stated. “Following the meeting, in a letter addressed to Sri Lanka Cricket, the Ministry of Sports and Youth further clarified the direction given by the Director General of Sports pertaining to the ratification of an appeal advisory committee decision by the Hon. Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, which resulted in domestic cricket tournaments being halted, until further clarification was sought on the matter.”While the exact contents of the meeting haven’t been disclosed, ESPNcricinfo understands that the ministry had agreed to abide by the Court of Appeal’s decision to allow the tournament to continue uninterrupted until a decision is taken in the case of Gesto Cricket Club (GCC) versus SLC.The case, which had seen GCC argue against a decision taken at an SLC Emergency General Meeting to change the tournament structure, is due to be taken up again on September 26.Sri Lanka’s sports ministry had become involved in the matter after GCC, unhappy with the court’s decision to allow the tournament to continue while the case was being heard, had appealed to the sports ministry directly.This led to a dispute between SLC and the sports ministry, in which the latter claimed that any change to the structure of a tournament would need to be done via a change to the SLC constitution, itself something that could only be made through with the approval of the sports ministry.SLC however argued that, after it had written to and not received a response from the sports minister regarding the proposed changes, it had gone ahead with it regardless as it had been voted for by the SLC membership. This view was bolstered by the fact that change in structure itself was to one that had been in place for several years prior – as such SLC believed it was reasonable to assume that this would not be an issue. Aside from that, there is also disagreement in some quarters over whether in fact a change to tournament structure requires the explicit approval of the sports ministry.