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Rana’s five-for saw West Indies go from 85 for 1 to 146 all out before a counter-attacking start helped Bangladesh take a lead of 211

Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2024Bangladesh’s counter-attacking batting and accurate fast bowling gave them their best day on this West Indies tour so far. At stumps on the third day of the Jamaica Test, the visitors led by 211 runs after they bowled out the hosts for 146. This was only the second time in their history that Bangladesh took a first-innings lead after being bowled out for less than 200 runs.They fared much better in their second innings – and the game’s third – finishing the day on 193 for 5, coming on the back of some hostile bowling from the West Indies fast bowlers. The fielders, too, brought some heat with their words. Bangladesh, for the most part, appeared to show restraint. Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Asif Yaqoob intervened several times to talk to a fielder or West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite.Earlier in the day, West Indies had thrown away a solid position to fold for 146, losing their last nine wickets for only 61 runs. Nahid Rana, the sensational fast bowler, led Bangladesh with a maiden five-wicket haul, that included some intimidating bowling. Rana’s figures of 5 for 61 in the afternoon also included a bruising of Kemar Roach, who got hit twice on his shoulder while batting. Roach would later come out to bowl only in the 31st over of the third innings, allowing Bangladesh to avoid facing the man with a devastatingly good record against them.Rana’s morning burst that left West Indies limping was a continuation of his performance on the second evening. Apart from his pace, his height generated extra bounce on the Sabina Park pitch. It helped remove Brathwaite with a 142kph snorter that caught the batter hopping at the crease. The fend-off resulted in a loopy low catch to substitute Zakir Hasan at gully.Rana forced Kavem Hodge into a mistimed pull shot shortly afterwards, but Taskin Ahmed couldn’t latch on to the catch running in from fine leg. It didn’t cost Bangladesh a run, when later in the same over, Litton Das took a superb behind the stumps catch to remove Hodge.Taskin got into the act when he bowled Alick Athanaze off the under edge. But it wasn’t just pace that knocked West Indies down. Taijul Islam got one to turn between Justin Greaves’ bat and pad, bowling him for just 2. Mehidy Hasan Miraz too picked up a wicket, when he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw shortly after the lunch break.Rana and Taskin were fired up, and Hasan Mahmud wasn’t too far behind. He trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw and got Keacy Carty caught behind, down the leg side, in the space of three deliveries.Rana then made light work of Alzarri Joseph, forcing him on the back foot, before foxing him with a slower ball which Alzarri timed straight to mid-off where Mehidy took a tumbling catch. It ended a fine morning session for the visitors, who took seven wickets for 65 runs in 25 overs. West Indies lasted three more overs after the lunch break when Rana had Kemar Roach lbw, to complete his five-for and give Bangladesh an 18-run lead.Shadman Islam was solid again for Bangladesh•Athelstan Bellamy

Before Bangladesh’s innings began, umpire Dharmasena could be seen speaking to Brathwaite and also with the slip cordon. Jayden Seales wouldn’t back down, however, continuing to engage with the Bangladesh batters before gesticulating towards the Bangladesh dressing room when he dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck.The chatter from the West Indies bowlers and fielders, though, lost its voice when Shahadat Hossain, promoted to No. 3, started going after the bowling. He miscued a couple of lofted shots before he cracked Alzarri for a four with a square cut.He curled one through mid-on off Shamar before Brathwaite dropped him on 22. Shahadat, however, didn’t back off, as he slammed Alzarri through mid-off shortly afterwards, for another four.But Shahadat fell trying one lofted shot too many. Seales took the catch at mid-off when Shahadat miscued Alzarri, but his 26-ball 28 with four fours had lifted Bangladesh’s mood.It resulted in a burst of fours from Shadman Islam and Mehidy, who batted at No. 4 in the absence of the ill Mominul Haque. Mehidy struck Shamar for four fours in a row in the next over. He struck two straight drives before edging two through the slip cordon. Shadman and Mehidy then hit three pull shots to get as many fours in the following over bowled by Seales. Shadman then struck Seales for two more fours, to make it ten fours in the space of four overs.Shadman, however, fell shortly after the tea break, edging Shamar in a similar fashion for the second time in the game. He scored 46 off 82 balls, including seven fours and his dismissal ended a whirlwind 70-run stand for the third wicket. Mehidy followed Shadman shortly afterwards, strangled down the leg side by Shamar and given out after West Indies successfully reviewed a not-out call. Mehidy also struck seven fours in his 39-ball 42.Litton and Jaker Ali then struck Seales and Shamar for two fours each, before Da Silva dropped Litton off Shamar’s bowling. It was a slightly difficult chance down the leg side but wicketkeepers are often seeing taking such catches. Litton fell for 25, almost against the run of play, when he missed Greaves’ offcutter.Jaker stayed firm, taking Bangladesh past the 200-run lead as West Indies captain Brathwaite struggled to rotate his bowlers around in Roach’s absence. Greaves filled in but the main bowlers struggled to keep the visitors quiet. Bangladesh fought tooth and nail against West Indies’ bouncers – of various kinds – to claim a memorable day in Jamaica.

The two spinners, from MP, claimed 16 wickets between them in the final and were “very difficult to play on this pitch”

Ashish Pant15-Sep-2025Rajat Patidar, the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy-winning captain, hailed the “great character” shown by Central Zone not just in the final but throughout the tournament. He particularly heaped praise on the two spinners, Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, who shared 16 wickets between them in the final as Central Zone won their first Duleep Trophy title since 2014-15 by defeating South Zone by six wickets.”They have played a lot of matches together, Kartikeya and Saransh [for Madhya Pradesh] and they have the skill and are very difficult to play on this pitch,” Patidar said after the game. “The track was really good to bat and our bowlers dominated and made it tough for the other team. That was a positive sign.”It’s been a flawless tournament for Central Zone, where they cruised through the quarter-final against North East Zone and the semi-final against West Zone, qualifying for the final by virtue of gaining first-innings leads. Then, in what had been a high-scoring tournament, Central Zone bowled first in the final and skittled South Zone for just 149, which paved the way for a comfortable win on the final day.Related

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“This wicket was slightly dry, and that is why we decided to bowl first,” Patidar said. “We wanted to bowl them out in the first innings as early as possible. That was our aim and it made the game easier.”We predicted that it would help the fast bowlers, but I wanted to give one spinner at least an over to see how the pitch is responding. I realised there was more help for the spinners rather than the fast bowlers.”L Balaji, the South Zone head coach, meanwhile, lamented the first-innings collapse and missing out on a few runs in the second as the major reasons behind his side’s disappointing performance. Chasing 65 on the final day, Central Zone lost three early wickets but despite the surface doing plenty of tricks, the chase was never going to be daunting.”The last day panned out to be bowler-friendly. Had we got more runs in the first innings or the second, had the partnership [between Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth] been extended, it would have been a solid game,” Balaji said. “[A target of] 150 would have been an ideal kind of fourth-innings target for the bowling unit to fight hard.”Kumar Kartikeya kisses the Duleep Trophy silverware•PTI

South Zone’s team combination for the final was also a talking point. They went with three fast bowlers and one spinner in a bid to extend their batting line-up. It backfired with the Central Zone spinners finding plenty of purchase through the game, and the lone South Zone spinner, Ankit, bagging six wickets without any spin support from the other end.”We played three seamers in the previous game and wanted to stick with pretty much the same combination,” Balaji said. “All the bowlers bowled their heart out. Had we won the toss, the third seamer would have come into play. But I felt the boys did well selection-wise. We were consistent when it comes to the combinations.”Balaji also agreed that some of the shots played by the batters in the first innings “were a little bit unnecessary” as South Zone collapsed. But he was confident the experience of playing a major final would keep the players in good stead.”There are a lot of ifs and buts,” he said. “Shot selection-wise, some shots we could have been a little bit restricted. But on the field, when they are instinctively playing, you just have to give them the freedom to play their shot. But it was okay. This is a young batting unit and they will learn from this.”Balaji was also impressed by Siddharth’s temperament in the second innings. The 19-year-old fell for just 12 in the first innings but ensured he made up in the second, scoring an unbeaten 84. He stitched a 192-run seventh-wicket stand with Ankit, keeping the Central Zone players waiting.”We were put under pressure and he came up with a solid knock which we required at that time,” Balaji said about Siddharth’s knock. “That partnership was needed, and yes, coming not out is very important as a cricketer. He will learn. On the way, he will definitely learn a lot from this exposure and from this experience. I am sure he has got the talent to go higher.”

“I can promise you, they [are] going to get looked after amazingly well. The young cricket fans adore them”

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-2024Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram believes India will get looked after “amazingly well” if they travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in February next year and reckons it would be a great thing for cricket.”I think whatever I’m reading, there are positive vibes from [the] Indian government and [the] BCCI,” Akram said. “I also read somewhere they will play probably all their games in Lahore. They will probably come to Lahore and travel [back] the same night. I’m all for it, as long as India is comfortable.”And I can promise you, they [are] going to get looked after amazingly well. I mean, Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, [Hardik] Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, they have fans in Pakistan. The young cricket fans adore them.”Related

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• Champions Trophy 2025: PCB draft schedule has all India games in Lahore

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remains intent on hosting the entire Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan between February 19 and March 9. It has even proposed to have all of India’s matches take place in Lahore, which is close to the Indian border and makes logistics and security hurdles less complicated. The PCB also said that it would grant about 17,000 visas to Indian fans who wanted to follow their team. The final will be held in Lahore, as will any semi-final that India play, if they qualify.Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s six-match ODI and T20I tour of Australia that begins on Monday, Akram was hopeful India would come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.”People-to-people contact is very important in this day and age,” he said. “In this social media age, there’s so much negativity all over the world, unnecessary negativity in my opinion, and I think if India come, it will be great for cricket, and of course, it’ll be great for Pakistan too.”India have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008, and the UAE is believed to be the likeliest – though not only – alternate venue should any part of the Champions Trophy be moved out. The BCCI did not send a team to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup, prompting the tournament to be shifted to a hybrid model with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka.But Pakistan did travel to India right after that for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they missed out on a semi-final spot.Earlier this month, the ECB’s chief executive Richard Gould and chair Richard Thompson, said that there are “lots of different alternatives and contingencies available” in the event that India do not travel to Pakistan, raising the possibility of a hybrid model being used.The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.

The season also includes an ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa followed by the Champions Trophy

Danyal Rasool05-Jul-2024Pakistan will host seven Tests in 2024-25 in what is set to become their busiest red-ball international home season this century. Bangladesh, England and West Indies will all play Test series in Pakistan between August this year and January 2025.The PCB announced the dates and schedule for the entire home season, which also includes hosting the Champions Trophy. However, it has released only a draft schedule for the Champions Trophy, which is expected to be held from February 19 to March 9 next year.Pakistan’s home season will begin with the arrival of Bangladesh to play two Tests – one each in Rawalpindi and Karachi – from August 21 to September 3, even though Pakistan don’t play home internationals in August traditionally because of high heat and humidity. It is also in the middle of the monsoon season, which makes any cricket more vulnerable to weather interruptions. Pakistan have played only two Tests at home in August in their history – also against Bangladesh, in 2003.Related

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After the Bangladesh tour, England will arrive to play three Tests in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi from October 7-28.That will be followed by Pakistan’s limited-overs tour of Australia and Zimbabwe, and an all-format tour of South Africa. While the three ODIs and three T20Is in Australia will take place from November 4-18, Pakistan play a further three ODIs and three T20Is against Zimbabwe, all in Bulawayo from November 24 to December 5.Their tour of South Africa will begin with a T20I series from December 10, and ends with the two Tests from December 26 to January 7 in Centurion and Cape Town, respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The home Tests against West Indies will start nine days later. West Indies, whose tour of Pakistan was due in January this year but was postponed due to a busy calendar, will play their matches in Karachi and Multan from January 16-28. However, the three T20Is that were also in the original tour will not take place.All seven home Tests will be part of the World Test Championship, where Pakistan are currently No. 5 on the points table. But the 2024-25 home season is a marked contrast to the one that preceded it, when Pakistan played no home Tests. The last Test in Pakistan was in January 2023, when Karachi hosted a two-match Test series against New Zealand.After the West Indies Tests, Pakistan will also host an ODI tri-series, which will have South Africa and New Zealand as the visiting teams. That will take place from February 8-14, and will comprise four games, all in Multan.Lahore, where the headquarters of the PCB is situated, is not scheduled to host a single fixture in any format until the Champions Trophy, owing to the Gaddafi Stadium being redeveloped. The PCB has said it is confident that the Stadium will be ready for the Champions Trophy, the first ICC event Pakistan will host in 29 years.However, it remains to be seen if India, the only team in the Champions Trophy to not have travelled to Pakistan since international cricket resumed in the country in 2015, agree to make the trip.

Pakistan’s home season 2024-25

Tests against Bangladesh
Aug 21-25: First Test, Rawalpindi
Aug 30-Sep 3: Second Test, KarachiTests against England
Oct 7-11: First Test, Multan
Oct 15-19: Second Test, Karachi
Oct 24-28: Third Test, RawalpindiTests against West Indies
Jan 16-20, 2025: First Test, Karachi
Jan 24-28: Second Test, MultanODI tri-series vs NZ and SA
Feb 8: Pakistan v New Zealand, Multan
Feb 10: New Zealand v South Africa, Multan
Feb 12: Pakistan v South Africa, Multan
Feb 14: Final, MultanChampions Trophy
Feb 19- Mar 9

Leicestershire opener upstages David Willey’s milestone-game 71

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2024Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel maintained his rich vein of form in this year’s Vitality Blast, savaging Northamptonshire’s bowlers for an outstanding 104 from 45 balls to set up a thrilling tie at Wantage Road.Patel, the Blast’s leading run-scorer this season, equalled the Foxes’ fastest ever T20 century – set by Ben Raine against Birmingham six years ago – as he reached the landmark in just 41 deliveries.The 25-year-old opener upstaged Steelbacks skipper David Willey, who marked his 300th career T20 game by top-scoring with 71 from 48 – and passing 4,000 runs in the format – as the home side posted 208 for 5.Northamptonshire struggled in the face of Patel’s onslaught, but rookie seamer Raphy Weatherall pegged the Foxes back with 4 for 50 before Lewis Goldsworthy edged a boundary from his final delivery to tie the contest.The Steelbacks recalled Ricardo Vasconcelos to their line-up and the opener made a sprightly start after they opted to bat first, hitting a couple of early cover boundaries off Wiaan Mulder.He and Matthew Breetzke, who dispatched Ben Mike’s first three balls to the fence, rattled along nicely as they added 42 from 24 before Scott Currie pounced to run the left-hander out with a pinpoint throw from long off.Another piece of individual brilliance by Currie accounted for Breetzke, who was yorked for 47 from 24, but Willey began to accelerate, slog-sweeping Goldsworthy for the first six of the night and punching the next ball for four.Ravi Bopara (22 from 15) helped to keep the scoreboard racing along before he was castled by Goldsworthy, but it was Sikandar Raza’s explosive knock of 36 not out from just 14 balls that did most to propel Northamptonshire beyond 200.Raza hammered both Goldsworthy and Ian Holland for successive sixes and, although Willey perished in the final over, miscuing to mid-off – the first of two wickets in as many balls for Josh Hull, the Steelbacks’ total looked competitive to say the least.However, Patel eagerly accepted the challenge when Leicestershire replied by smashing 18 from Willey’s first over and hitting cleanly over the ring as he and Sol Budinger accumulated an opening partnership of 61 from 28.Ben Sanderson eventually removed Budinger, caught in the deep for a supporting act of 13, but Patel sped past his half-century from 22 deliveries with a cover-driven four off Raza and continued to plunder boundaries from seamers and spinners alike.A six and four from successive Sanderson deliveries took Patel to his hundred and, although he was dropped by Breetzke at long-on on 103, the fielder made amends in the next over by safely pouching a top edge off Freddie Heldreich.Willey gave Northamptonshire renewed hope, trapping Louis Kimber leg before and Mulder and Mike both holed out to deep square leg off Weatherall in quick succession to leave the Foxes needing 19 from the last two overs.A trio of dot balls by Sanderson built pressure, though, and Weatherall dismissed both Peter Handscomb (43 from 41) and Ben Cox to bring the equation down to five from the last ball, but Goldsworthy’s outside edge flew to the boundary to rescue a point for Leicestershire.

Boehly’s Cain International wins auction with 100% valuation in region of £80 million

Vithushan Ehantharajah and Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2025The Todd Boehly-backed Cain International have succeeded in securing a stake in Hundred side Trent Rockets. The group, led by Chelsea director Jonathan Goldstein and the football club’s joint-owner Boehly, put in the winning bid for a 49% stake in Rockets, valuing 100% of the team at what ESPNcricinfo understands to be around £80 million.The two parties will now finalise their agreement over an eight-week period that begins at the conclusion of the Hundred sale, with Nottinghamshire confirming on Wednesday that they will be retaining their majority 51% stake in the team*.Cain International had been in the running for London Spirit, but pulled out of the bidding early, with a Silicon Valley consortium eventually triumphing in a bidding war with a mammoth £295m valuation of Spirit. This time, Cain International came out on top in a live auction. They are understood to have beaten the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders and Indian investor Amit Jain, who was working in conjunction with Royal Challengers Bangalore.”The experience of Cain and Ares in helping businesses in recreational and leisure sectors to grow, and their focus on delivering long-term benefits, made them an ideal fit for this investment,” Andy Hunt, Nottinghamshire’s chair, said. “The Hundred has been an undoubted success in Nottingham – welcoming a diverse audience, attracting some of the world’s best players and delivering an experience for supporters that is unrivalled on these shores.”This investment, alongside those in other competing teams, will both help to safeguard the future of our 18-county system and elevate The Hundred to ensure it is able to thrive as one of the finest competitions of its kind worldwide.”Goldstein, CEO of Cain International, said: “Cricket has long been a cornerstone of British sport, bringing communities together and creating moments that last a lifetime. Trent Rockets is a team with a strong heritage and an exciting future, and we’re thrilled to be part of that journey. We look forward to working with the team to build on its success and deepen its impact in Nottingham and beyond.”Rockets won the men’s Hundred in 2022, with their women’s team earning their best placing of third in the same season. The men’s team is currently coached by Andy Flower, with Jon Lewis in charge of the women’s set-up.The sale of Rockets had originally been scheduled for February 3 but was subsequently delayed as the ECB sought to keep investors in the process who had failed with earlier bids. Nottinghamshire were understandably wary of their place in the queue, and saw prospective suitors – such as Lucknow Super Giants, who ended up with a 70% stake in Manchester Originals – put their money elsewhere. But the end result, which will see them retain a controlling stake of 51%, is positive.The acquisition sees Boehly expand his sporting portfolio, having established roots in the UK as the leader of a consortium that purchased Chelsea for £4.25 billion in 2022.He is also co-owner of French football team Strasbourg and the LA Dodgers baseball team. Goldstein, a property entrepreneur, co-founded Cain International with Boehly in 2014, and also operates as the investment bank’s CEO. They are set to become one of four non-IPL owners, and the second to have involvement in English football after Knighthead Capital, the co-owners of Birmingham City who won the race for Birmingham Phoenix.The total valuation of the eight franchises is set to exceed £900 million, with Southern Brave, the final team up on the table, sold on Wednesday to GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals, who bought a majority stake in host county Hampshire last year. It is understood they are keen to partner up with other investors for the 49% portion of the team.*February 12, 1100 GMT – This story was updated following confirmation of Southern Brave’s sale and Nottinghamshire’s equity stake

The news is a boost for India who had suffered injuries to several players following the Lord’s Test

Sidharth Monga21-Jul-20252:50

Nets watch – Pant keeps, Kamboj bowls and India’s slip cordon

With confirmation that Jasprit Bumrah will play the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, India’s team combination following their injury crisis after the Lord’s fixture is falling into place.”So far, we only know that Jassi [Bumrah] will play,” Mohammed Siraj said in Manchester on Monday when asked about India’s pace attack, which looked likely to be disrupted with injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh.Apart from Bumrah’s availability, the other good news for India two days before the Test was that Rishabh Pant, who had suffered a finger injury at Lord’s, came through a training session that lasted over two hours. India are still sweating on Akash Deep’s groin niggle and will give him time to recover.Related

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With allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played the second and third Tests and impressed at Lord’s as the fourth seamer, now ruled out of the series with injury, specialist batter Sai Sudharsan is likely to return to the XI. Sudharsan had played the first Test at Headingley and made scores of 0 and 30 but was left out for offspinning allrounder Washington Sundar at Edgbaston and Lord’s. If Sudharsan returns, India could replace Washington with Shardul Thakur if the conditions warrant a fourth seamer instead of a second spinner.Akash Deep’s fitness remains the big question. He bowled at the training session on Monday, but only into bowling coach Morne Morkel’s mitt. The medical staff and decision-makers will monitor him over the next two days to decide if he is fit and can last the duration of a Test match. There could be temptation to rest him if Bumrah plays at Old Trafford but misses the fifth Test at The Oval, which starts three days after the fourth Test ends.While this will be the third of the three Tests that Bumrah planned to play in this five-match series due to workload management, there is a chance the Manchester weather might reduce the strain on him. As things stand, the forecast is for light showers on the first two days and the fifth day at Old Trafford. If the series is alive at The Oval, don’t rule out Bumrah playing a fourth Test.If Akash isn’t fit to play at Old Trafford, the third fast bowler will be one of Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, or the uncapped Anshul Kamboj, who was brought in as cover. Prasidh’s average of 55.16 and economy of 5.33 in the series might suggest a lack of control, but in the first two Tests he was asked by the team to bowl spells of sustained short-pitched bowling, which brought him two wickets at Headingley but went for runs at Edgbaston.If Kamboj, 24, gets his Test cap, it won’t be as desperate a selection as it sounds. He has been on the selectors’ radar and is known to extract more seam movement than most, which could make him a like-for-like replacement for Akash Deep. Kamboj has 79 first-class wickets at an average of 22.88 since 2022. He comes with the approval of Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni, who complimented his seam movement during this year’s IPL.While the identity of India’s third seamer remains uncertain, there was more certainty around Pant, who copped a blow on his left index finger while wicketkeeping during the first innings at Lord’s. He didn’t keep for the rest of the Test but batted in both innings. India were confident there was no fracture, but they didn’t want to risk making it worse.On Monday, Pant went through wicket-keeping drills and batted comfortably in the nets. The only doubt around Pant was that, unlike at Lord’s, he will not be able to get a substitute wicketkeeper at Old Trafford if he aggravates the same injury in-game. For a while, Dhruv Jurel was in contention to keep in the fourth Test, with Pant likely to play as a specialist batter, but his performance at the nets on Monday should settle those doubts.India are trailing 2-1 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, after losing the first Test at Headingley and the third at Lord’s.

India squad for fourth Test

Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

Ricky Ponting was the man who asked for the reviews that preceded Mark Benson’s exit from the Adelaide Test

Brydon Coverdale at Adelaide Oval08-Dec-2009Ricky Ponting was the man who asked for the reviews that preceded Mark Benson’s exit from the Adelaide Test, and after the match finished he said he would ask the remaining officials for their thoughts on the system. Benson was expected to announce his retirement on Tuesday after returning to England, having officiated for only the first day of the Test.The ICC has denied that his departure was directly caused by his decisions being queried, including one caught-behind appeal that Ponting was convinced was out and was overturned by the third umpire Asad Rauf. Ponting said he still supported the review system and was keen to speak to Rauf and Ian Gould following the controversy.”The thing I want to do is to have a chat with the umpires and see what their views and opinions are on the whole system,” Ponting said. “That’s the important thing. Sometimes important people can be overlooked in some of these rule-changing decisions that are brought in. I’m going to speak to the umpires who were officiating in this game tonight and get their opinions on it all.”That’s what I want to find out from them. I want to see how they are going with it all. It’s one thing for the players to accept these changes and technology, but it’s another thing from the umpires. I want to get the overall feeling from them as to how they think it’s going.”Despite wasting both his reviews early in West Indies’ second innings and being left to rue his hastiness later on, Ponting said the system could still have a positive effect on Test cricket. However, he said it would take some time to get used to reviewing on-field decisions, just as it had been an ongoing learning process dealing with one-day changes like Powerplays.”Ideally with a lot of those rule changes and things that we’ve brought into 50-over cricket over the last couple of years you’d like to have trialled them elsewhere,” he said. “I think there’s still some refinement that can be done with the technology that’s used [in reviews].”That’s the big thing with it all. If you’re going to go into something like this you’ve got to go in 100% and use whatever you can to make the system work its best. We’re all still coming to terms with it and the more we play with it and learn about it and experience it the more we’ll probably appreciate it.”One man who doesn’t appreciate the system is the West Indies captain Chris Gayle. He was scathing of the review process after the Gabba Test, and remained unconvinced following the Adelaide draw. “I still stand firm,” Gayle said. “It’s just complicated.”

Defending champions prove too strong as Jansen five-for caps powerful batting display

Andrew Miller10-Feb-2024Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204 for 3 (Stubbs 56*, Abell 55, Markram 42, Hermann 42) beat Durban’s Super Giants 112 (Mulder 38, Jansen 5-30) by 89 runsMarco Jansen led the line with an outstanding five-wicket haul, as Sunrisers Eastern Cape crushed Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs to claim back-to-back SA20 titles in a formidable team performance at Newlands.After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Sunrisers put a hefty total of 204 for 3 on the board, thanks to a forceful batting display built around two distinct partnerships – 90 from 52 balls between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell, and then an unbroken 98 from 55 balls between Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs, who top-scored with 56 not out from 30 balls.By contrast, Durban’s innings never got any traction. After travelling down from Johannesburg in the morning following Friday’s Qualifier victory over Joburg Super Kings, their batters were caught cold in a feisty powerplay performance, led by Dan Worrall’s attacking seam and swing, and capped by Jansen’s towering left-arm angles.Their innings was rocked by the early loss of Quinton de Kock, who drove flat-footedly at Worrall and inside-edged onto his stumps for 3. He might have had two in two had Jansen not spilled JJ Smuts at slip first-ball, but Jansen made immediate amends, inducing Smuts into a chipped drive to mid-off from his second delivery, before Bhanuka Rajapaksa flapped a loose clip to the same fielder, Patrick Kruger, for a third-ball duck.At 7 for 3, the contest was already as good as over, and though Wiaan Mulder did his best to reboot Durban’s innings in a 56-run stand with a near-strokeless Matthew Breetzke, Jansen would once again be the man to strike for Sunrisers, this time in the field. Few other players could have reached Mulder’s swing for the ropes off Simon Harmer at the end of the tenth over, but he stretched over the boundary with his arms at full extension, to send Mulder on his way for 38.One ball later, Breetkze’s static knock of 18 from 27 balls ended as he lost his off stump to Ottniel Baartman, and in the same over, Baartman ended any faint hopes of Durban miracle. Heinrich Klaasen has been the outstanding ball-striker of the tournament, in rushing along to 447 runs at an extraordinary strike-rate of 207.90, but this time he lasted a solitary delivery, as Baartman landed his inswinger and extracted the on-field lbw from Stephen Harris, with the ball shown to be clipping leg.The end came in a rush. Jansen returned for his third over and plucked off Keshav Maharaj’s off stump, then ended any remaining resistance with two wickets from his final three balls. Junior Dala flicked him off his pads for a token six before picking out Harmer at long-on one ball later, before another off-stump heat-seeker dealt with Reece Topley to cue the celebrations.Durban’s display arguably went awry from the very first over of the match. They deviated from the plans that had proven so effective against Joburg Super Kings in the Qualifier, handing an opening over to the left-arm spinner Smuts that was milked for nine chanceless runs – two more than Sunrisers would concede in claiming their first three wickets. It set the tone for a passive display with the ball, even after Topley had struck with his fourth delivery in the second over, a plumb lbw against Dawid Malan (6).That brought Abell to the middle, and though he would finish with the Player-of-the-Match award, he led a charmed life for the first 14 balls of his innings. He was dropped on 6 in Topley’s second over then survived a potentially innings-turning moment from his very next ball, as Maharaj scooped up a low chance at mid-off, but signalled to the umpires that he was unsure if it had carried. That doubt potentially informed the subsequent TV referral, despite the replays suggesting that his fingers had been under the ball.Abell’s innings kicked up a gear as he turned to his favoured scoop shot, with a four and a six from consecutive Mulder deliveries, and with gaps suddenly appearing in the field, he rushed through to a 30-ball fifty with seven fours and two sixes inside the 10th over, with Sunrisers’ 100 coming up in the same over.Durban hit back in style, however, with Maharaj bagging both set batters in the space of four balls. Hermann holed out to Klaasen at long-on for 42 from 27 balls, before Abell was beaten in flight on the slog-sweep to be bowled for 55 from 34. That brought Stubbs and Markram together in the 11th over, with a bit of a rebuild required at 106 for 3.Each man picked off an early boundary but it was Stubbs who was the first to step up the tempo with back-to-back fours to end Dwayne Pretorius’ second over. After that it was over to Stubbs’ long levers, with three sixes in eight balls powering the total past 200. In the end, it would prove to be more than enough.

The 29-year-old quick took 10 wickets in the match as the home side overcame being a bowler down

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2025Peter Handscomb’s rearguard fell short as Kieran Elliott powered Tasmania home against Victoria for a thrilling 20-run Sheffield Shield victory.Elliott followed his first innings, four-wicket haul with 6 for 84 in 28.1 overs on Tuesday as the hosts defied early rain and several Victorian stands to notch a crucial, second victory this season. They were comfortably career-best innings and match figures for 29-year-old Elliott.Related

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Tasmania were down a bowler with Lawrence Neil-Smith have gone off injured on the third day which made their success even more noteable.Set 270 for victory after Jake Weatherald’s blazing day-three century, Victoria resumed on 55 for 2 and inched towards the total in between morning rain delays.Handscomb had support from nightwatchman Sam Elliott before Sam Harper joined and put the visitors within reach. But Kieran Elliott ended both of those partnerships and then nabbed Will Sutherland to again stunt their march before the second new ball was due.Gabe Bell then found Fergus O’Neill’s edge and left Victoria needing 21 from their final partnership.Handscomb tried to do it himself, but could only sky an attempted flick over midwicket, Nivethan Radhakrishnan running in from the boundary to take the catch and spark wild scenes.The only wicket not taken by Elliott of Bell fell to debutant Aidan O’Connor who had Jonathan Merlo top-edging to fine leg early in the day. O’Connor had contributed a vital half-century on the opening day.Tasmania lifted off the bottom of a crowded ladder while second-placed Victoria missed a chance to push clear of the pack with three matches to play.