All posts by n8rngtd.top

Bangladesh ended the second day 126 all out, behind by a mammoth 395 runs

Mohammad Isam10-Jan-2022New Zealand did what they do best after making a big score at home: dismantle the opposition’s batting line-up. Bangladesh were reeling on 27 for 5 shortly after tea, and ended the second day 126 all out, behind by a mammoth 395 runs. Trent Boult reached 300 Test wickets with his fourth of the innings, clean bowling Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He joins Sir Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and Tim Southee as the fourth New Zealander to reach the landmark. He is also the fifth left-arm fast bowler to take 300 wickets.The day had two other milestones for New Zealand when their captain Tom Latham made the highest score by a Kiwi captain opening the innings. He made 252 to cross Graham Dowling’s 239 against India in 1968. Latham’s innings guided New Zealand to 521 for 6, with stands of 148 and 215 for the first and second wickets. One of those was with Devon Conway who made his third century in only his fifth Test.All those big runs set the ideal platform for Boult and Southee who swung the ball around on command. Boult got his ninth five-wicket haul, while Southee and Kyle Jamieson shared five between them.In the hour leading into the tea break, Bangladesh’s top-order went kaput. Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto both fell to Boult in similar fashion: giving Latham catches at second slip. Shadman could have left his but Shanto had no choice but to edge a peach of a delivery.Southee accounted for debutant Mohammad Naim and captain Mominul Haque, both bowled. Naim, playing his first first-class match in two years, dragged a rising delivery outside off-stump on to his stumps, going for a five-ball duck. Mominul missed Southee’s fuller delivery, hitting his leg-stump when he tried to flick the ball.The nightmare continued two balls after tea when Boult took Litton Das’ inside edge, to be caught behind for 8. However, Yasir Ali and Nurul Hasan provided a 60-run sixth wicket stand to halt the home side’s charge for an hour or so.Trent Boult celebrates with his team-mates after sending back Litton Das•Getty Images

Nurul fell lbw to Southee, having made 41 off 62 balls with four boundaries. He was enterprising, as was Yasir, but Mehidy Hasan couldn’t quite emulate his useful 47 from the first Test. He became Boult’s 300th Test wicket when he got bowled by a delivery slanting in from around the wicket. Taskin Ahmed gave Jamieson his first wicket when he skied him to midwicket, where Will Young took a good catch.Yasir reached his fifty shortly afterwards, looking in a bit of a hurry with Bangladesh eight down. He fell to Jamieson trying to get some big hits under his belt, before Boult took the last wicket of Shoriful Islam.New Zealand started the day by celebrating too. Conway, not out overnight on 99, struck a four off the first ball to reach three-figures and continue his grand form at the start of his Test career. He clattered Mehidy for a straight six, apart from 12 fours, mostly on the off-side including some great cover drives and plenty of runs down the ground and behind square on the off-side. But, on 109, he was finally run out when Mehidy struck with a direct hit swooping in from the covers.Conway’s exit brought Ross Taylor to the crease for the last time in whites for New Zealand. The Bangladesh team gave him a guard of honour before Taylor shook hands with captain Mominul. Taylor struck three fours – a cover drive and a trademark lassoed cut shot — before miscuing one to Shoriful at square leg. As he walked off making 28 off 39 balls, several of the Bangladesh fielders went up to wish him well while the new batter Henry Nicholls held himself back so that Taylor could soak in all the applause.Nicholls lasted four balls before Ebadot Hossain had him caught behind. Shoriful had Daryl Mitchell caught behind too at the stroke of lunch, giving Bangladesh a bit of reprieve.Tom Blundell however hit back with 57 off 60 balls in the first hour after lunch. He struck eight fours, while Latham forced the pace with two sixes off Mominul. But an attempt to get a third in the over ended up as a skied catch to midwicket Yasir. That was perhaps the last time Bangladesh had something going in their favour in the match.

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.”

West Indies Tests postponed, decision on new tournament expected next week

Matt Roller24-Apr-2020The ECB has announced that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales until July 1 at the earliest due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but is yet to confirm the postponement of the Hundred’s inaugural season.The ECB board met on Thursday to confirm the holding date for the start of the season would be pushed back further from May 28, meaning England’s Test series against West Indies and England women’s white-ball games against India have both officially been postponed. “Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play,” chief executive Tom Harrison said.While a decision on the Hundred is yet to be reached – an additional board meeting has been scheduled for next Wednesday following a request to dedicate a further session to it – there is broad acceptance that a lack of overseas players, question marks over allowing fans into grounds and a collective will to “keep the lights on” make this an unfavourable time to launch an expensive new tournament.ALSO READ: The Hundred’s future uncertain as ECB board prepares for postponementThere remains a will to play some form of red-ball cricket this season, despite the loss of the first nine rounds of County Championship fixtures. The ECB confirmed that blocks for red-ball and white-ball cricket will be included in a revised schedule, though it seems unlikely that teams will be promoted or relegated this year: players have previously questioned whether such a move would be fair in a truncated season. Some form of regional competition or a knockout tournament are two possibilities.Any revised schedule will also see the T20 Blast pushed as late in the season as possible to maximise its chances of being staged and to increase the likelihood that fans will be allowed into grounds. The ECB has made clear throughout the contingency planning process that it will prioritise the most financially important forms of the game – internationals and the Blast – to help ensure the future of the first-class counties and the MCC. Notably, the Hundred no longer features among those forms.The 50-over women’s competition among eight new semi-professional regional development centres remains scheduled for a late August start, though the recruitment process for those centres has stalled and the ECB conceded two weeks ago that the tournament might have to be postponed. Recreational cricket remains suspended indefinitely.”Our role as a national governing body during a crisis of this scale requires us to carefully plan alongside cricket’s stakeholders and supporters to attempt to overcome Covid-19’s impact on this season,” Harrison said. “As much as we remain hopeful that we can deliver some cricket this summer, we are in the midst of a worldwide crisis and our priority – over and above the playing of professional sport – will be to protect the vulnerable, key workers and society as a whole over.”That’s why, simply put, there will be no cricket unless it’s safe to play. Our schedule will only go ahead if government guidance permits. Our biggest challenge, along with other sports, is how we could seek to implement a bio-secure solution that offers optimum safety and security for all concerned. The guidance we receive from Westminster [the UK government] will help us shape how we deliver this.”Our plan is to reschedule international matches as late as possible in the season to give the best chance of play. The Vitality Blast will also now occupy the latest possible season slot to offer as much time as possible to play a county short-form competition.ALSO READ: India series uncertain but ECB ring-fences £20m investment into women’s game“I want to thank everyone involved in this complex and sensitive work. There have clearly never been times like this and my colleagues at the ECB and across the game have been exemplary in this period. It has been refreshing, but not surprising, to see how cricket has come together.”CWI has signalled its intentions to be flexible in rescheduling their three-Test series, previously highlighting the possibility of playing it in July. Internal ECB discussions have raised the possibility of playing in “bio-secure” environments at Emirates Old Trafford or the Ageas Bowl, which have on-site hotels, or playing a limited-overs series and a Test series in parallel.It remains possible that the West Indies series will be switched to the Caribbean and played in December, while the ECB is soon to receive an offer from Abu Dhabi Cricket to use their facilities to extend the summer.

The weather might not have allowed for much cricket, but for spectators at the venue, it was a rare chance to get up close to the cricketers

Daya Sagar12-Sep-2022Raghuram and Leelakrishna, 14 and 12 respectively, are brothers. Away from school hours, they go to a cricket academy not far from home, in Dharwad, in northern Karnataka, to train. Sunday was a memorable day for the boys, as they got to see some prominent cricketers, and get a few autographs and selfies. All in their neck of the woods – Dharwad to Hubballi is a half-hour’s drive – which is not a regular destination for international cricketers.But that’s where the second India A vs New Zealand A four-day game was on. There wasn’t much cricket because of the rain, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators who turned up. If anything, they created a buzz around the game. On the first and fourth days of the game, they filled the colourful seats and the space inside the tents around the ground. And when they spotted a player or two – Indian or from New Zealand – the excitement went through the roof. Perhaps because of the mood around a non-international contest such as this one, that too one where little play was possible, the players were also happy to join in the fun, as KS Bharat acknowledged in a press interaction after the game.The star attractions, understandably in this IPL age, were Umran Malik and Rajat Patidar. Malik is an obvious star. He bowls at over 150kph, and is also now an India player. And Patidar, well, he was one of local IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore’s top performers this season, wasn’t he?Umran Malik was one the most in-demand players•Manoj Bookanakere/KSCA

Raghuram and Leelakrishna had brought a miniature bat with them. By the end of it, autographs from Malik, Rahul Chahar, Patidar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal and Kuldeep Yadav had found their way to it. Shardul Thakur didn’t oblige, and that, they said, was the big disappointment.”We used to watch these cricketers on TV; this is the first time we have seen them in the flesh,” Raghuram said. “Watching them, I could figure out what they do, how they warm up and train, before going out to play. They don’t show all that on TV. At the academy, they train us to bat, bowl, field, but seeing the real players is a new experience.”I saw live, from a distance, where the fast bowlers pitch the ball, how the batters watch the ball…”Harshith, a 12-year-old legspinner who likes to bat, too, had a similar story to tell. It was a first time at a match of this level for him too, and the Shane Warne fan – there’s the legspin connection – got to take back Chahar’s autograph. It’s a proper – not souvenir – bat he got the autograph on, and that will be packed away now, Harshith said.Raghuram and Leelakrishna, who went back with a neat stack of autographs•Daya Sagar

Not looking as thrilled as the boys was 16-year-old Prarthana Dikshit, a middle-order batter and part-time offspinner who trains at an academy in Hubballi. The reason for her disappointment was that she got late getting to the ground on the fourth day, having stayed back anticipating rain, but by the time she got to the ground, all the play for the day – 13 overs’ worth – was done and the rain was back.”It was nice to catch a glimpse of Ruturaj and Umran, my favourite cricketers, but I wanted to watch them play,” she said.Her father, Prasanna, has followed domestic cricket for many years, and was happy that first-class cricket was being played in his city. “It’s a big difference, watching cricket on TV and watching it live at the ground,” he said. “At the ground, not only do you watch cricket, but you feel it. It’s wonderful for young cricketers, like my daughters, to get a real understanding of the game. We should have more first-class cricket here.”

The former Madhya Pradesh cricketer has already officiated in 25 ODIs and 12 T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2019Nitin Menon will make his debut as a Test umpire when Afghanistan host West Indies in Dehradun from November 27 this year, making him the 62nd Indian to be an on-field official in the longest format.Menon, who represented Madhya Pradesh at the age-group levels as a batsman, had a brief spell in List A cricket, playing two games for Madhya Pradesh in 2004 and scoring just seven runs in total. He then became a state-panel umpire in Madhya Pradesh in 2005, like his father Nadrendra Menon. He cleared the BCCI all-India umpiring exam in 2006 and started officiating in domestic matches from the 2007-08 season.Over the years, Menon has officiated in 57 first-class games and 40 games in the IPL, as well as 25 ODIs (three as TV umpire) and 12 T20Is (three as TV umpire).”The reason behind my smooth transition to international cricket is mainly because of the robust, competitive and professional structure of the BCCI domestic matches,” Menon was quoted as saying on the BCCI website. “The experience that I gained from officiating in our domestic tournaments and the opportunity given to me by the BCCI for officiating in the IPL, as well as in first-class matches in Australia, England and South Africa as part of umpires’ exchange programme, has helped me in my development as an umpire.”I am happy to repay the trust shown in me and looking forward to facing the new challenges of Test cricket so that I can achieve my goal of becoming an ICC Elite Panel umpire.”When he makes his maiden appearance in a Test, Menon will become the first Indian to officiate at that level since S Ravi in October 2013 in Chattogram in a Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand, and also carry forward a long tradition that began with Dattatraya Naik and Jamshed Patel, who stood in the first Test during West Indies’ tour of India in 1948-49 in Delhi.

Alyssa Healy is expected to be fit while allrounder Nicola Carey has been left out

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2023Legspinner Georgia Wareham has been recalled to Australia’s squad for their T20 World Cup title defence in South Africa next month.The squad will be captained by Meg Lanning who will make her international comeback against Pakistan next week following her break from the game. Alyssa Healy is expected to be fit for the World Cup after suffering a calf strain in India as is Jess Jonassen who returned early with a hamstring injury.Wareham has recently returned to action for Victoria after more than a year on the sidelines following an ACL injury in October 2021 during the WBBL. She has an outstanding T20I record 36 wickets at 13.52 and an economy of 5.80 from 35 matches.Related

• Lanning: Harris has added 'another dimension' to Australia's T20 batting line-up

• Healy to miss Pakistan T20Is, set to be available for T20 World Cup

• Lanning returns to captain Australia against Pakistan

• Clark praises 'brave' Lanning as Australia captain returns

• Alice Capsey named in England Women's T20 World Cup squad

“Seeing Meg and Georgia back in action for Victoria has been exciting,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Both bring a wealth of experience to the group, which is always crucial during major tournaments.”Georgia in particular, has had a tough run of injuries, but she’s shown a great deal of resilience and her return is a real boost for the side.”It means that Australia will again have two legpsinners, as they did at last year’s ODI World Cup, with Wareham alongside Alana King. Amanda-Jade Wellington has missed out.Nicola Carey, who was part of the 2020 T20 campaign and the 2022 ODI World Cup, has also been omitted with Heather Graham effectively taking her spot after an impressive performance in India where she claimed seven wickets in three matches including a hat-trick.Kim Garth, who made her Australia debut in India, has retained her place among the seam bowlers in the squad.Phoebe Litchfield is the other player omitted from those who were part of last month’s India tour.”Alyssa and Jess [Jonassen] are expected to be fully fit and firing after minor injuries as well, so we’ve got a full-strength squad with plenty of variety with both bat and ball if required,” Flegler said. “Heather and Kim both impressed when given the chance during the India series, and we know they are ready to perform their role if the opportunity presents.The same squad will be used for the T20I series against Pakistan in late January which will be team’s last major preparation for the World Cup.Australia T20 World Cup squad and vs Pakistan Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy, Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Dutchman stars with bat and ball to fire promotion surge as Sussex stumble

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2023Durham are closing in on victory in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Sussex following another dominant performance on day three at Seat Unique Riverside.Bas de Leede produced an excellent all-round display as he notched his maiden first-class century before he claimed three wickets with the ball. Graham Clark posted his highest first-class score of 128 as Durham posted 505 for nine declared, their highest Championship total against Sussex.Matthew Potts made immediate inroads into the visitors’ line-up before Matt Parkinson grabbed the vital wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara, opening up the lower order. De Leede removed Oli Carter for a valiant 80 before adding two further strikes to put Durham on the brink. But, Sussex led by Fynn Hudson-Prentice battled on to take the game into the final day with a slender lead of 24.Already in a commanding 158-run lead at the start of the day, Durham pressed home their advantage through De Leede, who surged towards his maiden first-class century. As Clark did in the previous evening, De Leede cruised through the nineties with back-to-back boundaries against Jayev Unadkat to move into position. After a slight pause on 99, De Leede found the gap through gully to the fence to reach the milestone for the first time from 137 balls.The Dutchman fell to Henry Crocombe from the next delivery, ending his partnership with Clark for a brilliant 207 that manoeuvred Durham from a strong position to a dominant one. Crocombe did end the innings on a high note with a further three wickets, including Clark for a career-best 128 after he slammed a drive straight to cover. Scott Borthwick called in the final pair with a commanding 239-run lead to give his bowlers a 20-minute spell before lunch.Tom Clark survived a drop at first slip, but Potts ensured it was not a costly mistake by pinning the left-hander lbw. The England seamer then produced a beauty to remove Tom Haines’ off-stump, leaving the visitors 24 for two. Pujara’s arrival at the crease was a pivotal moment in the game, and after failing in the first innings, the India international was intent on defying the hosts’ victory push.However, it did not stop the fall of wickets at the other end. Tom Alsop fell to a sharp piece of keeping from Ollie Robinson, while Borthwick claimed a good catch at second slip to remove James Coles, presenting Potts with his third wicket.Pujara needed help to stem the tide, and Carter offered the foil he required to blunt Durham’s surge through the line-up. Together the two batters held firm throughout the afternoon session through tough spells from Potts and Parkinson.Pujara worked his way to a patient half-century from 95 balls, while Carter grinded his way to his fifty alongside his skipper for the seventh time of the campaign. But, Pujara’s resistance was ended by a brilliant delivery from Parkinson, who dismissed the India batter for the second time in the game, breaking a partnership of 83 for the sixth wicket.De Leede then made a decisive impact with the ball following his excellence with the bat earlier in the day. He yorked Carter but was cruelly denied when the ball struck the stumps and failed to dislodge the bails.But, he preserved and ended Carter’s innings for 80, pinning the wicketkeeper lbw before removing Jack Carson and Aristides Karvelas to edge Durham closer to victory. Hudson-Prentice held up the home side even with the extended half-hour with an unbeaten half-century, guiding Sussex into a narrow lead.

Soumya Sarkar also returns for the three-match T20I series in India following a request from Russell Domingo

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2019Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny and paceman Al-Amin Hossain have been recalled to Bangladesh’s T20I squad for their three-match series against India next month. Both of them had last played a T20I in 2016.

Bangladesh T20I squad

• Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Aminul Islam, Arafat Sunny, Mohammad Saifuddin, Al-Amin Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam

• IN: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Arafat Sunny, Al-Amin Hossain

• OUT: Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Najmul Hossain

Along with them, Tamim Iqbal, who had taken a break from the game, will return to action in India, as will Soumya Sarkar, who was dropped midway through the T20I tri-series at home against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in September.Meanwhile, Sabbir Rahman, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain and Najmul Hossain, who were all in the squad for the tri-series, were left out.Sunny was the top wicket-taker for Rajshahi Kings in the 2018-19 Bangladesh Premier League, taking 16 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 7.68. Al-Amin had an underwhelming BPL stint, managing just three wickets in five games, but chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that his fitness had tilted the scales in his favour.”Al-Amin is in good shape and one of the few fit pace bowlers currently,” he said. “We want to make use of his experience of playing in the 2016 World T20 in India. For our spin options, we picked Sunny as a back-up, since Taijul will only play the Tests.”Minhajul also explained that Soumya had been picked following a request by the coach, Russell Domingo. “We didn’t pick him, but we selected him because of the coach.”Soumya was recalled despite scoring just 60 runs in the two innings he played for Bangladesh A and Khulna Division after being dropped from the national side. Soumya had struggled in the World Cup, too, managing only 166 runs in eight innings at an average of 20.75.As for Tamim, who had missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan and the subsequent tri-series, he is understood to be recovering well from a rib injury, and proved his fitness in the four-day National Cricket League by making 30 and 46 for Chittagong Division.

Harris, Short and Kellaway steer Victoria to victory in a short chase to seal their second straight Sheffield Shield final appearance against WA next week

Tristan Lavalette17-Mar-2023Victoria recorded a confidence-boosting seven-wicket victory over Western Australia at the WACA to set-up a rematch between the teams in next week’s Sheffield Shield final.Chasing just 61 runs to book a spot in the decider starting on March 23, after day three was halted by rain and bad light, Victoria endured several wobbles before achieving the target in the 27th over.Victoria leapfrogged Queensland into second place as they eye redemption after falling short against WA in last season’s decider, which finished in a draw.Their victory was set up by routing WA for 122 on the opening day before gaining a first-innings lead of 176 runs through half-centuries from opener Marcus Harris, in-form Matthew Short and 20-year-old Campbell Kellaway.Victoria has enjoyed a spectacular rise since the resumption of the Shield season last month with four straight victories to storm into the final.”I thought we were staring down the barrel of a wooden spoon,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said after the match. “We’ve just had this fantastic run built on the back of a lot of younger players as well which has been pleasing.”You kind of think the bubble might burst a little bit with some of our inexperience but they’ve just continued to get the job done.”Victoria will return home to Melbourne for a few days before making the long journey back to Perth ahead of the final.They have several selection dilemmas with skipper Peter Handscomb and offspinner Todd Murphy likely to be available as they return from Australia’s Test tour of India.”It will be tough and there will be heartache for a couple of guys but this is part of being professional sportsmen, you’ve got to deal with these selection issues,” Rogers said.It was WA’s first loss of the season at home and they appeared mostly lethargic throughout having already secured hosting rights for the final.WA’s attack is set to be considerably strengthened by the inclusion of speedster Lance Morris, who has returned from Indiam and regulars Joel Paris and Matt Kelly.”We fully expect all three to be fit and firing and ready to go,” WA coach Adam Voges said. “We’ll take a lot of lessons out of this week and I think that will help us in our preparation for next week.”Even though a victory appeared inevitable, experienced openers Harris and Travis Dean were not taking anything for granted amid the high stakes on the fourth morning. They didn’t score in the opening couple of overs before Dean was bowled by quick Charlie Stobo for a duck.Harris and emerging batter Ashley Chandrasinghe survived several nervous moments as allrounder Aaron Hardie menaced with the new ball. Chandrasinghe was all at sea before falling for two to seamer David Moody to end his painstaking 49-ball innings.Ashes hopeful Harris, who top-scored with 84 in the first innings, showcased trademark drives before falling for 29 as Victoria wobbled at 3 for 32. But Short, amid a purple patch, dispatched several attractive boundaries to seal Victoria’s place in the final.

Deepti Sharma’s 4 for 52 helped India stay alive in the chase till the end, but wasn’t enough for them to level the series

Srinidhi Ramanujam15-Feb-2022
In a match where momentum swung between both sides till the end, Amelia Kerr’s masterclass headlined New Zealand’s chase as the hosts beat India by three wickets in the second ODI to go 2-0 up in the five-match series, in Queenstown on Tuesday. Allrounder Amelia’s unbeaten 119 powered New Zealand to 273 for 7 after the visitors posted a competitive total of 270 for 6. India allrounder Deepti Sharma’s 4 for 52 helped India stay alive in the chase till the end, but wasn’t enough for them to level the series.It was the 21-year-old’s second ODI century, her first in New Zealand and her first in a run chase. Along with Maddy Green, who struck 52, Amelia revived the chase after the hosts lost their three senior batters Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Amy Satterthwaite early – courtesy Deepti’s double strike – and were reeling at 55 for 3 after 10 overs.On Tuesday, New Zealand were led by Satterthwaite instead of Devine as “contingency planning” for the Women’s World Cup, scheduled for March. Devine, who opened the batting after she was pushed down to the middle order in the first ODI, was out for a 30-ball 33 after Bates was dismissed for 16.Amelia and Green shared a 128-run stand for the fourth wicket and brought back New Zealand’s momentum as both the batters kept the scorecard ticking by rotating the strike well. Green, who opened the batting in the first ODI, came in at No. 5 and scored at a strike rate of 85.24 en route to her third ODI half-century to make sure New Zealand didn’t fall behind in the required run rate.Despite New Zealand losing wickets at the other end, the 21-year-old Amelia, who returned to international cricket after a gap of 10 months when she prioritised mental health over the sport, stayed calm till the end to steer the team home. Her 135-ball knock consisted of seven fours and a lot of running as she converted singles into twos and two into threes.Soon after Green’s departure, two quick wickets gave India a glimmer of hope when Harmanpreet Kaur dismissed Brooke Halliday for 13 in the 37th over and New Zealand needed 71 off 78 balls with five wickets in hand. The equation then became 32 runs off 30 when Deepti bowled keeper Katey Martin for 20. In her next and final over, Deepti bowled Hayley Jensen – in the 48th over – to leave New Zealand at 253 for 7. By then, Amelia had reached three figures – her second in ODIs – and was then joined by her sister Jess.With 14 needed off 12, the Kerr sisters finished things off with Jess hitting the winning runs with a boundary.India missed their senior pacer Jhulan Goswami – Simran Dil Bahadur was handed a debut – and found it hard to break the Amelia-Green stand, which eventually cost them the match. Spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Poonam Yadav were effective in containing the runs, but with pacers Pooja Vastrakar toiling for wickets, India felt the absence of experienced Goswami.Harmanpreet Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar celebrate an early wicket•Getty Images

Earlier, India rode on the fifties of captain Mithali Raj and Richa Ghosh to post their highest total against New Zealand in the ODIs. It was also the second instance of them crossing 270 since February 2018.Opting to bat first, the team started on a brisk note despite their star opener Smriti Mandhana missing the third game of the series due to quarantine. Shafali Verma and S Meghana put on a solid 61-run opening stand which set the platform for the other batters. Verma made a 38-ball 24 while Meghana hit an impressive 50-ball 49.Verma was helped by two dropped chances, on 1 and 22 in the second and eleventh over respectively, but her innings came to an end in the 12th over when she was caught at mid-off by Satterthwaite off a Rosemary Mair delivery.Meghana, who mixed aggression with caution, has been one of the positives for India ahead of the ODI World Cup as she continued to be among runs. In Mandhana’s absence, the Andhra batter hit a flurry of boundaries, which included a hat-trick of fours in the sixth over, and also shared a 49-run stand with Yastika Bhatia, who hit 31 off 38. Meghana departed soon after Bhatia when she spooned a catch to Amelia.The visitors then witnessed a mini-collapse, losing three wickets for 25, before Raj and Richa Ghosh rebuilt the innings. Raj anchored the innings with an unbeaten 66 and Ghosh, being the aggressor, notched up her maiden international fifty – en route to becoming the youngest India wicketkeeper to score a half-century in women’s ODIs.Though Ghosh injured her right ankle during the first innings and did not take the gloves later, she kept the scoreboard pressure off Raj by finding boundaries regularly with ease. The duo shared a crucial 108-run partnership for the sixth wicket that lifted India to 250-mark. While Raj brought up her 60th ODI fifty – her seventh fifty-plus score in her last 10 ODIs – Ghosh made a 64-ball 65 that contained six fours and a six.India were also benefited by New Zealand’s sloppy fielding where they dropped several chances, however, it didn’t matter as they made it up in the chase.