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Club has developed several England players in recent years

George Dobell19-Jun-2020Vikram Solanki is committed to sustaining Surrey’s record of producing “home-grown” players in his new role at the club’s head coach.Surrey have, in one way or another, supplied six of the 30-man training squad which England named this week ahead of the Test series against West Indies. While one (Dom Sibley) has moved on to Warwickshire and another (Ben Foakes) came from Essex, it does reflect Surrey’s remarkable contribution towards the England sides in recent years.Further Surrey players – the likes of Jason Roy, Tom Curran and Will Jacks – could also come into the equation when England name a limited-overs squad, with former players such as Laurie Evans and Chris Jordan, also vying for selection. Reece Topley, who has recently joined the club, could also return to the limited-overs team.And while Solanki, who was appointed as Michael di Venuto’s successor as head coach this week, was quick to credit the contribution of Surrey’s academy director, Gareth Townsend, he suggested the club’s entire ethos and age-group system was responsible for the number of playing going on to represent the club’s first teams and England.ALSO READ: Solanki appointed new Surrey coach“I’m firmly of the view that if you see an example of your peers progressing – like Ollie Pope, who has gone through the whole Surrey system – then it’s likely that if you’re presented with a similar opportunity you’ll see the path ahead. It’s often the case that a crop of youngsters come through together because one comes through and achieves something special and the others think ‘well, if he can, then I’ve every chance’.”The work that Gareth has done with the academy and the commitment towards developing Surrey players and offering them opportunities to play in the first team bodes well for producing England cricketers. It gives them the opportunity to show how good they are and to grow.”But a lot of that must come from even prior to the work Gareth does. It comes from the age-group coach and the commitment to good programmes. Then there’s a transition to the academy, which is a fairly challenging environment, Gareth pushes those guys hard.”It’s not an automatic conveyor belt. There might be a period where only one or two go through. But, in terms of planning, you’ve got to see the pipeline is maintained.”Solanki was named Surrey’s new head coach this week•Getty Images

Solanki’s words could equally apply to young cricketers from the BAME communities. But while he made it clear he would welcome his promotion, as the first head coach in county cricket from the British Asian communities, in “accelerating” the progress of people from a BAME background in every walk of lie, he insisted he had not encountered racism in his own career.”Racism in any walk of life is abhorrent,” he said. “I genuinely do feel a sense of regret for anyone who has experienced that. I couldn’t tell you why it’s taken so long to see a British Asian head coach.”I, however, can only speak of my own experiences. I’ve been very lucky. At both clubs I’ve been involved with and in my time with England, it’s not been the case in my career”Does being the first British Asian head coach in county cricket bring added pressure? I don’t think so. The fact that I’m head coach of Surrey is sufficient pressure. It’s neither here or there if I’m successful because of my background.”There certainly is a great degree of movement throughout the world – not just in our sport, but in society in general – where there might be a shift [in attitudes]. Where people’s opinions are beginning to be heard. If that is the case, then great. Coming back to cricket specifically… I can only speak for my experiences. I think we have encouraged people from different backgrounds. I played with players from all backgrounds. I’ve coached players from all backgrounds.”I suppose I should temper that by saying I appreciate that might not be the experience for everyone else. But at Surrey, with the numerous programmes to encourage involvement of people from different backgrounds, I consider it as something that’s ongoing. If this accelerates all of those matters, then great.”

Hashmatullah Shahidi is the new ODI and Test captain; T20I captaincy decision to be made soon

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2021Asghar Afghan’s second stint as Afghanistan captain has lasted all of 15 months, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board now opting for a split-captaincy model.Hashmatullah Shahidi, the senior middle-order batter, takes over as the new ODI and Test captain, with Rahmat Shah as his deputy. While a decision on the T20I captaincy will be taken soon, legspinning allrounder Rashid Khan will remain vice-captain of that side.Shahidi is among Afghanistan’s more accomplished longer-format batters, having so far played in each of their five Tests. In March, he became Afghanistan’s first Test double-centurion during the course of a record-breaking partnership with Afghan that helped Afghanistan level the two-Test series against Zimbabwe after they lost the series opener in just over two days.”The decision to remove Asghar Afghan from captaincy was taken based on an investigation conducted by ACB’s Investigative committee,” an ACB media release stated. “It concluded that some of Afghan’s decisions as the captain of the team resulted in Afghanistan’s loss to Zimbabwe in the first Test of the series between both sides in Abu Dhabi in March.”The shake-up in captaincy isn’t entirely out of the blue, with the ACB having explored a number of options in the recent past. In May 2019, the ACB wrested the captaincy from Afghan two months before the 2019 World Cup, while splitting the role among Gulbadin Naib (ODIs), Khan (T20Is) and Shah (Tests).Three months later, Naib was sacked and replaced by Khan across formats after Afghanistan ended the World Cup without a single win. Then in December 2019, Afghan was brought back for a second stint.The captaincy reshuffle comes at a crucial time, with the T20 World Cup just five months away. Afghanistan will also travel to Australia after the world event for their maiden Test in the country.

He will stay on in England; on track to recover in time for the T20I series

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2020Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah is certain to miss the first Test against England due to a thumb fracture. The PCB announced the injury that occurred while batting in the nets on Saturday will need three weeks to heal. “As the nail is intact and there is no injury to nail bed, the orthopaedic surgeon, team physician and team physiotherapist expect Khushdil to resume physical training by the end of the next week,” the press release said.It rules him out of all the lead-up games to the England series; he isn’t playing the current intra-squad game and will not take part in the second four-day game from July 24-27. Khushdil was mostly selected for his ability to have an impact in the T20 series and, at best, had just an outside chance of being selected for the Tests. If his current prognosis is accurate, he should be fit well before the the T20I series commences on August 28 at Old Trafford.Khushdil has so far played one international, a T20I against Australia last year. He was one of the bright lights of the unfinished Pakistan Super League earlier this year, his 29-ball 70 for Multan Sultans against Lahore Qalandars being his most notable knock. It helped Multan top the group stage table.It wasn’t the best day on the injury front as far as Pakistan were concerned, with the visitors given a scare when Abid Ali, considered one of Pakistan’s first choice openers in Test cricket, was felled by a blow to the helmet while fielding at short leg. The opener was struck at pace by a shot from Haider Ali, causing him to collapse to his knees and roll over onto his back. Concern at one point was significant enough for an ambulance to be brought out to the field, but after on-field treatment, he was able to sit unaided on a stretcher before being led out. ESPNcricinfo understands he does not need to be taken to hospital.The first Test between England and Pakistan begins on 5 August at Old Trafford, before the two sides move to Southampton for the remainder of the Test series.

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten half-century in vain as spinners share five wickets after Wyatt’s 76 to give England two points

Valkerie Baynes05-Jul-2023Danni Wyatt’s magnificent half-century set a Kia Oval crowd of 20,328 – and this Ashes series – alight before England’s bowlers combined to protect a lofty total and topple the mighty Australians by three runs in their second T20I.Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley had set the hosts off to a fast start with a 57-run opening partnership. A flurry of wickets had them in trouble at 119 for 6 but then Sophie Ecclestone’s cameo of 22 off just 12 balls, including stands worth 31 each with both Wyatt and Sarah Glenn, helped lift England to 186 for 9, their highest T20I score against Australia. It was also the second-highest total ever conceded by the Australians in the format, behind the 187 for 5 in December against India, who won that match in a Super Over, Australia’s only other T20I defeat in their past 25 completed matches.England withstood some early pressure when Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney set Australia off to a superior start, but spinners Ecclestone and Glenn claimed two wickets apiece and the visitors couldn’t get over the line despite Ellyse Perry’s brave unbeaten half-century. The hosts came into the match needing to win all five remaining matches to wrest back the Ashes and, having won five on the trot to reach the final of the 50-over World Cup last year after dropping their first three games, this victory could just have them daring to dream, trailing 6-2 but with eight more points up for grabs.

Wyatt on the charge

Australia gifted Dunkley a life on 13 when she skied Megan Schutt high to cover and while Tahlia McGrath sat under it, the ball slid between her hands, the most dramatic of a rash of misfields early in England’s innings. Wyatt helped herself to back-to-back boundaries off Ashleigh Gardener, over mid-off and threaded through third, and at the end of the powerplay England were 54 without loss in a vast improvement on their 36 for 2 in the opening T20I at Edgbaston, which Australia won by four wickets with one ball to spare. McGrath juggled another chance off Dunkley and her relief was palpable when she held on this time as Dunkley departed for 23.Nat Sciver-Brunt was also on 23 when Gardner, whom she’d reverse-swept sublimely for four earlier, had her caught at long-on but Wyatt carried on, bringing up her half-century off 36 balls when she swung a Perry’s short ball wide of midwicket for a one-bounce four. When Schutt conceded 25 off the 16th over, Wyatt was the chief destroyer, slapping the first ball to the rope through point as Schutt overstepped followed by three more boundaries in a row and five wides off what should have been the last ball of the over to Ecclestone adding to the Australians’ pain. Wyatt eventually fell for a when she holed out to deep third off Annabel Sutherland.Annabel Sutherland struck twice in two balls•Getty Images

Sutherland strikes

Sutherland swung the momentum Australia’s way when she claimed two wickets in as many balls as England slid from 100 for 1 to 109 for 4. Alice Capsey fell for her second straight single-figure score of the series attempting to hook Sutherland only to send a top edge high towards short fine leg, wicketkeeper Healy moving calmly back to take it. Then Heather Knight, playing her 100th T20I, was bowled first ball, a gem of a cross-seam delivery that angled in from wide of the crease, straightened and pegged back off stump.Amy Jones survived the hat-trick ball, digging out the yorker on leg stump, but then Sutherland took an excellent diving catch at running round from wide long-on and England had lost four wickets for 12 runs in the space of 13 balls. Ecclestone and Glenn had the crowd roaring, particularly when Ecclestone peeled off 4, 6, 4 off McGrath as England recovered to 181 for 8 and it took a stunning catch by Darcie Brown at short third off Gardner to remove Glenn.

Australia beatable

It looked like Australia would do what they have done so often when openers Healy and Mooney guided them to 58 without loss in the powerplay, with Healy impressive on 37 off 18 including two huge sixes off Sciver-Brunt in the fifth over, over wide long-on and in front of square leg. But she failed to add to her score when legspinner Glenn came into the attack in the seventh over and struck second ball, taking the pace off as Healy looked to go over short fine leg and exposed her stumps as the ball crashed into middle. McGrath was run-out when Charlie Dean gathered a ball that dropped just short of extra cover and fired it in to wicketkeeper Jones, who threw down the stumps. Danielle Gibson, who made her debut in the opening match at Edgbaston, claimed her maiden international wicket when Mooney picked out Wyatt at deep midwicket.Ecclestone had Gardner out to the simplest return catch imaginable to claim her 100th wicket in T20Is, becoming the fastest to the milestone from just 72 matches as Australia slumped to 75 for 4. After 12 overs, Australia needed to score at 11.5 an over and Dean, the offspinner who came in as the only change for either side after the opening match replacing seamer Freya Davies, bowled Grace Harris to keep England on top. Georgia Wareham threatened with a four followed immediately by two sixes off Dean in the 18th over but, needing 31 off the final two overs, Lauren Bell, who had been expensive, bowled Wareham with eight balls remaining. Australia needed 20 off the last over and while Perry kept fighting to the end, her 51 not out off 27 balls wasn’t enough.

Ricky Ponting is keen to be an international coach but indicated the timing is not yet right for him

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2024Ricky Ponting has revealed he was approached to be India’s next head coach but despite significant interest in the job said it is an “unlikely” option for him at the moment given the commitment it would require.Justin Langer, too, has said that the time isn’t right for him to take up the “awesome job”, while Kasi Viswanathan, the Chennai Super Kings chief executive, has said that Stephen Fleming, the team’s coach, will not like to take a job that requires him to work “for nine-ten months in a year”.Deadlines for applications close on May 27, the day after the IPL final, and ESPNcricinfo has previously reported that Rahul Dravid will not be seeking another stint .Related

• BCCI has not approached any former Australian for India coaching job, says Jay Shah

• Ponting: 'The default setting now for batting is T20'

• BCCI approaches Gambhir to become India's head coach

Ponting said he had ambitions to be a national-team coach, but amid his other current roles – head coach at Delhi Capitals and television work in Australia – the time is not right.”I’ve seen a lot of reports about it,” Ponting told the . “Normally these things pop up on social media before you even know about them, but there were a few little one-on-one conversations during the IPL, just to get a level of interest from me as to whether I would do it.”I’d love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other things that I have in my life and wanting to have a bit of time at home…everyone knows if you take a job working with the Indian team you can’t be involved in an IPL team, so it would take that out of it as well.”Also, a national head coach is a ten- or 11-month-of-the-year job, and as much as I’d like to do it, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle right now and the things that I really enjoy doing.”However, Ponting did appear to keep the door slightly ajar by saying his young son Fletcher had offered a positive response to the prospect of him taking the job.”My family and my kids have spent the last five weeks over at the IPL with me and they come over every year and I had a whisper to my son about it, and I said, ‘Dad’s been offered the Indian coaching job’ and he said, ‘Just take it, dad, we would love to move over there for the next couple of years'” he said. “That’s how much they love being over there and the culture of cricket in India, but right now it probably doesn’t exactly fit into my lifestyle.”Ponting’s other current roles include head of strategy at Hobart Hurricanes and head coach of Washington Freedom in MLC having signed a two-year deal for that tournament which will follow straight on from the T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies. He has previously worked with Australia’s T20I and ODI side.Stephen Fleming might have been another contender for the top job•ECB/Getty Images

Justin Langer puts himself out of contention

Gautam Gambhir has been sounded out by the BCCI for the job, while other names linked to it have included Fleming and Langer.”It would be an amazing job, [but] I have [put myself out of contention],” Langer said on BBC’s Stumped podcast. “I also know that it’s an all-encompassing role, and having done it for four years with the Australian team, honestly, it’s exhausting. And that’s the Australian job!”Would he never want to do it, Langer was asked, and he said, “You never say never. And the pressure of doing it in India… I was talking to KL Rahul [the captain at Lucknow Super Giants, where Langer is the head coach] and he said, ‘You know, if you think there’s pressure and politics in an IPL team, multiply that by a thousand, [that’s] coaching India. That was a good bit of advice, I guess.”It would be an awesome job, but not for me at the moment.”As for Fleming, Viswanathan said on CSK’s YouTube channel, “I know that it’s not going to be his cup of tea because he doesn’t like to be involved [in coaching] for nine-ten months in a year. That’s my feeling. I have not discussed anything more with him.”The BCCI has said that the head coach’s role will be across all three formats for three and a half years starting July 2024 until December 2027.Dravid began his two-year term after the 2021 T20 World Cup. His stint was due to end after the 2023 ODI World Cup in November last year, but he agreed to an extension until the end of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

England gunning to extend unbeaten home run in ODIs after thrilling fightback in second match

Andrew Miller15-Sep-2020Chris Woakes says that England’s unprecedented recent success in white-ball cricket has given them the belief that “they can win from any position”.Woakes was instrumental in England’s stunning fightback in the second ODI on Sunday, claiming three quick wickets at the back-end of the run-chase, including both of Australia’s set batsmen, Marnus Labuschagne and Aaron Finch, to set in motion a stunning collapse of 7 for 32.In closing the game out for a 24-run win, England not only squared the series with Wednesday’s decider to come, they kept alive their hopes of an unbeaten record across formats this summer, and maintaining their perfect run in home ODI series that dates back to 2015.”Over the last five years we’ve earned that respect, I think,” Woakes said. “Across that period, teams have realised that we can win from any position and the game is not done until they get over the line.”We’ve found that in this series and also in the T20 series, so we’ve earned that respect. Within the dressing room we’ve got that character and the belief that we can win from any position.”Speaking on the eve of the series, Eoin Morgan had welcomed the prospect of three tricky batting surfaces at Emirates Old Trafford, as England begin to adapt their style of play from the no-holds-barred batting force that racked up a world-record 481 for 6 on Australia’s last bilateral ODI visit in 2018, to the more rounded outfit that will have to defend their world title on India’s slow and low pitches in 2023.And given the success of England’s bowlers on Sunday, first in chivvying their total to a defendable 231 for 9 with some calculated hitting from Tom Curran and Adil Rashid, and then in bowling Australia out for 207 in reply, Woakes was pleased with their early efforts to reinvent their game.ALSO READ: Steven Smith firming for place in series decider“A few years ago we probably thought we could only win from a tricky position with the bat chasing, but now we feel like we can do it with the ball as well,” he said. “I don’t really see why that should change”The other night was brilliant. A different role for us to play to come back and attack and take wickets rather than hold overs back for the death.”It was a completely different game in comparison to a normal ODI so I’m really pleased how we pulled that back and took the attack to Australia and put them on the back foot. It was the only way we were going to win that game.”We’re in a great position as a team. I think there have been times in this series where we feel we haven’t played our best cricket across the two games so hopefully we can put in a big performance and bring it all together in the last one, because there are areas of our game that haven’t been quite as sharp as we would like them to be.”Whereas the second ODI was played on a used surface, a fresh pitch has been prepared for Wednesday’s day-nighter, which may change the way the two teams approach the contest.Woakes’s comeback spell sparked England’s win in the 2nd ODI•Pool/AFP via Getty Images

“The first game, it was a bit two-paced but it was actually a pretty good wicket,” said Woakes. “By no means a 400 pitch but 280-290 was around par. The other day, it was used, so it took a little bit more spin, and it definitely slowed up as the game went on. Then the ball roughed up as well which mean a little bit of reverse on offer. It was tricky to bat on.”The new wicket looks pretty good, pretty flat,” he added. “The boundary looks a bit shorter on one side so it’s definitely different to the last game, and the team which adapts quickly will probably come out on top.”Given the extraordinary nature of their victory in the second game, England are now clear favourites to seal their series win, but Woakes was cautious when it was put to him that Australia’s mental fragilities had been exposed.”We’ve been playing against Australia a hell of a lot over the last few years, and we’ve obviously got good records in white-ball against them recently, but we know how dangerous they can be.”They’re obviously a good side,” he added. “They’ve shown how dangerous they can be a couple of occasions this summer but also last summer during the World Cup. We’ll take the positives from the last couple of games but also there are a few things we need to work on ourselves.”One key factor could be the return of Steven Smith, who missed the first two games with concussion after taking a blow to the head during training. He was back in the nets on the eve of the match, and a final decision on his availability will be taken before the match.”We are wary of the impact Steve Smith could have,” Woakes said. “We know he’s a world-class player and we’ve been on the receiving end of his performances a few times in the past.”We know he can affect games but, at the same time, it can be tricky coming in with not much cricket under your belt and having to perform from ball one in a decider.”We’ll prepare for him to play and if he does we have our plans for him and I think Australia would love to see him back.”

Tewatia turned around a painfully poor start to slam five sixes in an over; Mayank Agarwal’s ton went in vain for Kings XI

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Sep-20205:43

Manjrekar: Rahul not the reason Punjab lost

As it unfolded, it felt like a chase that defied logic in every way possible. But by the time the Rajasthan Royals were done mowing down a target of 224 – an IPL record – the scorecard reflected one bit of cold, hard T20 logic: the team that hits more sixes usually wins. Kings XI Punjab hit 11 sixes – seven coming off the bat of Mayank Agarwal, who made a scintillating 106 off 50 balls – and the Royals hit 18.Sanju Samson hit seven of those sixes while scoring a second successive half-century for the first time in his IPL career. His 42-ball 85 was more reward for the intense training he did during cricket’s Covid-19 hiatus, which enabled him to take his natural ball-striking ability and turn it into an instrument of almost scientific precision.Samson put on 81 for the second wicket with Steven Smith in just 40 balls, putting the Royals well in touch with their asking rate. They then promoted Rahul Tewatia – their only left-hander – to No. 4, and the move was beginning to look like one of the most ill-judged tactical interventions in IPL history when he struggled to hit the ball off the square and crawled to 8 off 19 balls. But the six-hitting ability that he possesses came into view just when the Royals seemed out of it. Tewatia smacked Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in a match-turning, match-defining 18th over, and an improbable 51 off 18 balls turned into a far more straightforward 21 off 12.Rahul Tewatia slams one down the ground•BCCI

A partnership of two temposSent in to bat – Smith, the Royals captain, expected dew to play an influential role through the second innings, and it did – Kings XI got off to a flier, their openers rushing to 60 in the powerplay. From there, Agarwal and KL Rahul extended their partnership to 183 – the third highest for the first wicket and the eighth highest overall in the IPL.The two batsmen approached their innings differently. At one end, Agarwal went for his shots at every opportunity, and also looked to create opportunities to play his shots. He moved around his crease – to manufacture room to hit Ankit Rajpoot over mid-off, for instance, or to manufacture length to shovel the quickish legspin of Tewatia over midwicket – and in general went through with his shots with a degree of abandon; some of the sixes he hit weren’t off the cleanest connections, but a batsman can gamble on a small ground like Sharjah.Even so, Agarwal’s sparkling form allowed him to achieve a control percentage of 80 – which is pretty high for an innings achieving a strike rate of 212.00. At the other end, Rahul faced 54 balls – four more than Agarwal – and pulled off a control percentage of 85, but only struck at 127.77. Aside from a hat-trick of fours against Jofra Archer in the fourth over, he seemed to almost consciously play second fiddle to Agarwal, giving him the strike whenever possible.It’s a common tactic in partnerships like this, and Rahul has the game to up his tempo dramatically later on – his unbeaten 132 against Royal Challengers Bangalore followed the same template.Mayank Agarwal goes over the top•Getty Images

Maxwell, Pooran apply the finishOn this day, however, both Rahul and Agarwal seemed to tire as their partnership progressed, and from 172 for no loss at the 15-over mark, Kings XI scored 22 off the next 18 balls – a period in which they lost both openers.Only 21 balls remained in the innings when Glenn Maxwell walked in, and only 12 when Nicholas Pooran came to the crease. It can be difficult to come in at that sort of time and find the boundary immediately, but both managed it to varying degrees of success. Rajpoot and Tom Curran managed to tie Maxwell down to an extent, but he created a couple of boundaries with his movement around the crease. Pooran, however, got a few balls in his slot and dispatched all of them ruthlessly – he hit three sixes and a four in just eight balls, three of those boundaries coming in an 18-run final over from Jofra Archer.Smith and Samson keep Royals in the huntThis would be a record chase if the Royals could pull it off, but the pitch was still just as flat – and the outfield just as small – as it had been during Kings XI’s innings. Steven Smith gave them the early momentum they needed with three fours in the first two overs, all the result of a still head and trust in some of the best hands and wrists in the business.Samson, who arrived after the early departure of Jos Buttler, got stuck in straightaway, swatting the first legal delivery he faced – a short-of-length ball from Cottrell – over long-on for six. He continued in much the same manner, with his set-up at the crease – emphasizing a strong base and the stillest of heads – and the pick-up of his bat designed with six-hitting in mind, first and foremost.With Smith using his reach and powerful wrists to stunning effect, the Royals motored to 69 for 1 in the powerplay. Thirty-one more runs came off the next 17 balls, before Smith skewed James Neesham’s legcutter into the off-side sweeper’s hands. A similar line from Neesham had brought Smith three fours in the sixth over, but the bowler came out on top with the extra protection in the deep.Sanju Samson rolls out a reverse sweep•BCCI

Tewatia, part 1At that point, the Royals needed 124 off 11 overs. There were sound reasons for them to promote Tewatia: he was the only left-hander in their line-up, he had shown flashes of six-hitting ability in the past – and more than flashes in the team’s recent training sessions – and there were two legspinners in the Kings XI attack to target.That was the theory. But Kings XI brought on their sixth bowler – the offspinner Glenn Maxwell – as soon as Tewatia came in, and when they did bowl a legspinner at him, it was the confounding figure of Ravi Bishnoi, who slants the ball across left-handers from wide of the crease, and then predominantly bowls wrong’uns turning away from their hitting arc.Tewatia struggled to come to terms with either of them, or the pace changes of Neesham. His first 19 balls brought him eight runs. And in all that time, Samson only faced 15 balls. When Bishnoi ran up for the fifth ball of the 15th over, the Royals needed 90 off 32 balls.Tewatia, part 2Smith later revealed Samson told Tewatia to jump out of his crease to Bishnoi, slog, and see what happened. He did that and miscued a six down the ground. Then Samson pounced on a crucial 16th over, hitting Maxwell for three effortless sixes to keep the Royals just about in touch with their required rate.A slower bouncer from Shami ended Samson’s innings in the 17th over, but a brace of fours from Robin Uthappa ensured the Royals were still in it, somewhere within the outer limits of probability.Then, finally, Tewatia got to face someone he’s ideally set up to hit: a left-arm quick angling the ball into his hitting arc. As if to show just how specialised T20 hitting can be, Tewatia turned into the Tewatia the Royals had seen in the nets. Cottrell kept giving him the angle he needed, from left-arm over, and the length – and even the line – didn’t seem to matter to Tewatia. When Cottrell went short, he stepped inside the line and pulled him for six. Back of a length, muscled over long-on. Full, over long-off. Length, wide of off, slogged over midwicket.Archer finishes it offThat still left the Royals needing 21 off 12. It became 21 off 11 when Uthappa holed out to long-off. But they had more six-hitting left in the tank. Archer had smashed an unbeaten 27 off eight balls against the Super Kings, and he picked up from where he left off, hitting the first two balls he faced, from Shami, for sixes over midwicket and down the ground.All that was left was for Tewatia to complete his redemptive arc with a flat six over point to move past 50, and for a small measure of late drama – Tewatia and Riyan Parag falling in the space of three balls to leave the Royals needing two off four balls. Tom Curran’s experience sealed the deal off the legspin of M Ashwin, an assured loft over extra-cover ending a quite remarkable contest with three balls to spare.ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals live score, September 27 2020

First use of Dukes ball excites England’s new attack leader ahead of South Africa Test

Valkerie Baynes25-Jun-2022After her enthralling Ashes innings which helped England clinch a draw on the final ball of the match, Kate Cross received a reminder from her childhood: “That was one of the things that we played out in the garden, you’ve got to save the game, or battle.”The memory came from Bobby Cross, reflecting on hard-fought contests with his sisters Kate and Jenny. “To actually in real life do it, that was pretty special,” Kate said.Cross faced the last 12 balls of the match, from which England needed 13 runs and Australia needed one wicket with Sophie Ecclestone as her batting partner. Cross had walked out at No. 11 with instructions to save the game. “We don’t get out,” she told Ecclestone, relaying head coach Lisa Keightley’s instructions when she arrived at the crease, Cross later revealed on her No Balls podcast.Cross was beaten twice in the penultimate over as Annabel Sutherland almost drew an outside edge with consecutive balls and she managed to retain the strike for the final over. With two balls remaining, she cut an Alana King delivery which would have knocked back her off stump had she not made contact then she defended a high full toss, ultimately walking off unbeaten on 1 with Ecclestone not out for no score having faced one ball. Match saved.”Looking back, and almost seeing how the men have been playing their Test cricket recently, I keep thinking, could we have gone for the win? Could we have done it? And I’m sure me and Sophie could have potentially done that,” Cross says. “But obviously, in the context of the Ashes, with the points system, we needed to keep ourselves alive.