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Suryakumar steers chase with a fifty after Buttler’s 67 had taken Royals to 158

Shashank Kishore30-Apr-20222:39

Vettori: Royals looked for a bad ball, but Kartikeya never gave it to them

Nine games in, Mumbai Indians have their first win of IPL 2022, giving a perfect 35th birthday gift for the captain Rohit Sharma. That the win came against Rajasthan Royals, touted to go all the way on current form, should come as a massive boost. That it was set up nicely by a debutant who kept the marauding Jos Buttler honest for much of his knock, must be encouraging.But Mumbai started poorlyIn the second over, Daniel Sams reprieved Buttler as he misjudged the trajectory of his pull. Sams ran in from deep square and quickly realised he had overrun the ball and back-pedaled. But it was too late. What should’ve been a wicket resulted in a boundary. Jasprit Bumrah, who had dismissed Buttler four times in eight innings, missed out on a fifth.Off the third, Tim David, brought in for Dewald Brewis, made a right royal mess of a straightforward offering at deep point. This time, it was Devdutt Padikkal who was reprieved. An uppish cut burst through his hands at deep point and went to the boundary. Sams, the bowler, looked on in disbelief.Shokeen and Kartikeya make an entryBumrah. Ishan Kishan. Tilak Varma. Rahul Chahar. Hardik Pandya. Krunal Pandya – in no order, these are some names Mumbai have unearthed over the years through their vast scouting network. Hrithik Shokeen, the offspinner, and Kumar Kartikeya, the left-arm spinner, are the latest entrants to the uncapped club.Shokeen is in only his third game. He comes across as a thinking bowler who isn’t deterred by batters looking to take him on. Getting rid of that fear, experienced bowlers will tell you, is half the battle won. He deceived Padikkal in flight and did him in with his drift as he only managed to skew a lofted hit to long-off in the fifth.Soon after, Kartikeya got into the act. A left-arm all-variety bowler who slips in an excellent wrong’un, he has a deceptive carrom ball along with his other bag of tricks – including the traditional left-arm orthodox, a seam-up and a split-finger knuckleball – and he impressed with his accuracy and control straightaway, delivering three straight overs in which he conceded just one boundary and dismissed Sanju Samson second ball. A break-free shot over point led to a simple catch for David at deep point.Kumar Kartikeya, on his Mumbai Indians debut, returned 1 for 19•BCCI

Buttler tees off, finallyA combination of losing Samson and playing disciplined spinners on a slow surface that forced Royals to recalibrate meant Buttler struck at less than 100 for much of his knock. For a period of 32 balls between overs 9.1 and 14.4, Royals were denied a boundary. Daryl Mitchell too struggled to up the pace.Buttler was on 43 off 46 with six overs left. And he found his release in the following over when he peppered the arc between long-off and deep midwicket to hit Shokeen for a sequence of 6,6,6,6. The fifth was a dot and the sixth was cleverly bowled from around the stumps and away from his hitting arc. Buttler picked out long-off and was out for a 52-ball 67. With Riyan Parag also falling quickly, Royals needed one of their lower-order batters to finish things off. R Ashwin polished off the innings with a neat eight-ball 21 as Royals posted 158.Rohit, Kishan fall; Surya steadyA hint of grip and bounce was enough for Ashwin to make an early entry with the ball as Rohit’s sweep found square leg in the third over. Kishan opened his scoring with an upper cut for six, and for a while it looked as if the lost touch and timing that had eluded him for much of the season was coming back. But he was a victim of over-aggression, as an attempt to take on Trent Boult with the short ball led to him top-edging a pull to Samson in the sixth.Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma knuckled down and kept the scorecard chugging along. Suryakumar swept the spinners off their lengths, brought out his wrists against pace and kept picking boundaries every time there was a semblance of pressure on the batters. The shot of the evening – a swat from nearly a seventh-stump Ashwin delivery – to clear wide long-on raised his half-century. At that point, Mumbai needed 46 from 36.David, Sams seal itBut there was a small twist. Both Suryakumar and Varma fell looking for big hits, leaving Mumbai with a few nervy moments. David brought out his big-hitting game against spin and was aided with some luck along the way as he raced down the runs. But things got a little nervier when Kieron Pollard fell with the side needing 4 off 5. Sams then biffed the first ball into the stands to seal Mumbai’s win with four balls to spare.

“In the last particularly 12 months, we’ve had a fairly stable group and some really amazing young talent emerge as mainstays,” Ellyse Perry says

Andrew McGlashan09-Sep-2025It hasn’t quite been a case of having too much of a good thing, but a key plank of Australia’s build towards their ODI World Cup title defence in India and Sri Lanka has been instilling the belief to make the most of their enviable depth.No team has gone back-to-back in the women’s ODI World Cup since Australia’s hat-trick of titles between 1978 and 1988, but few would be surprised if this side achieved the feat. They have lost just three matches in the format since defeating England in Christchurch in the 2022 World Cup final to complete their redemption arc from the semi-final exit of 2017.But two of those losses came in the 2023 Ashes when Australia were exposed across both white-ball formats. While not as seismic as what happened in the 2017 semi-final against India, coupled with their semi-final exit at last year’s T20 World Cup it was a moment when the team challenged itself to remain ahead of the pack.Related

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“We’re really conscious of the fact that we’re incredibly fortunate to have some huge depth in our side, both batting and bowling,” Ellyse Perry, who will be playing her fifth ODI World Cup, said at a sponsorship announcement for Chemist Warehouse ahead of the team’s departure to India.”So, from that aspect, I think we’ve made a really conscious shift towards wanting to take the game on from the very start and probably keep our foot down for as long as we can. Obviously, you’ve got to adapt to conditions and certain circumstances, but it just feels like there’s a real ethos within the group to make sure that we can utilise everyone’s talent on the day.”It’s going to be one person’s day most of the time, not everyone’s, but if we can kind of really be consistent with that, we’ve got a good chance of being successful more often than not. I think that’s been a big shift for us.”Staying ahead of the chasing pack is not just focused on batting and bowling, either. “The development of the women’s game has been really incredible in the last couple of years,” Perry said. “From an athletic point of view, we’re very conscious of making sure that we’re dominant in that space. We want to run hard between the wickets, be really good in the field, and I think looking at some of our bowling options, [we have] some of the quicker bowlers in the world as well. Hopefully we’re a dynamic side and hopefully that’s successful for us.”Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield have emerged as fulcrums in the batting order•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Three major names from the side that emerged from the heartache of 2017 into one of the most dominant sporting teams in history – with a record winning run of 26 ODIs – won’t be in India: Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes have retired, while Jess Jonassen has not been able to regain the spot she lost nearly two years ago, an example of the riches available to Australia.”[There’s been] some fairly big changes to our group over the last four years,” Perry said. “But in the last particularly 12 months, we’ve had a fairly stable group and some really amazing young talent emerge as mainstays as well, contributing consistently in every match. From that perspective, [it’s] definitely a slightly different-looking team, but I think still a really stable and established team.”The likes of Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland have emerged as fulcrums in the batting order, while Georgia Voll had a breakout first year in international cricket. Voll may struggle to start the World Cup but will keep the incumbents on their toes. Perhaps the slight unknown, and potentially a factor at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, is the pressure of knockout cricket.Speaking last week when the squad was named, captain Alyssa Healy said, “I had to watch something on the 2022 World Cup and just how much our team support staff and our squad has changed in that period of time, I think no one’s probably noticed that as much simply because of the way that players have had opportunity over the last couple of years.”1:24

Gardner on using the Hundred to gauge the opposition

Last season, there was a subtle shift in the batting order with Sutherland promoted to No. 5 and Tahlia McGrath moved to a finishing role at No. 7. Sutherland’s development into a world-class allrounder had almost demanded the move but it felt a significant nod to the next generation; she responded with back-to-back centuries against India and New Zealand. Nothing in elite sport is certain, but she’s the type of player who could shine at this World Cup.”Annabel’s been absolutely superb for the last 12 months, probably before that,” Perry said. “And to think that she’s only still so young is quite incredible. Obviously, she won the Belinda Clark Medal last year, and she’s been such a big contributor to our team in the last little bit.”I think her coupled with Phoebe Litchfield, the way that she’s been playing, Georgia Voll as well, since she’s had an opportunity at an international level… there’s some really, really special young players that we’ve got in the group. I think they balance out the experience that we have as well.”I’m sure Annabel’s going to have a wonderful tournament. She works exceptionally hard at her game. She’s never standing still.”Australia fly out to India on Wednesday ahead of their three-match series with the hosts before the World Cup. “It feels like with the women’s game, every World Cup just gets a little bit bigger, more competitive, and there’s more on the line,” Perry said.

Travis Head and Alex Carey will provide an early-season boost as the team look to build on a drought-breaking win late last summer

Andrew McGlashan05-Oct-2022Captain Travis Head
Coach Jason GillespieSquad
R=Rookie, CA=Australia contract
Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Kyle Brazell (R), Aiden Cahill (R), Alex Carey (CA), Bailey Capel (R), Jake Carder, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, David Grant, Travis Head (CA), Isaac Higgins (R), Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ryan King (R), Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Ben Manenti, Harry Mathias (R), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald, Nick WinterWinter moves
Harry Conway has some big shoes to fill, effectively replacing Dan Worrall who now plays for Surrey as a local and won’t return to Australian state cricket. Sam Kerber, Corey Kelly and Ryan Gibson were released. It will be interesting to watch Henry Thornton who earned a contract after impressing for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL then in a handful of Marsh Cup outings for Victoria while Ben Manenti started well in the Marsh Cup.Related

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Last season
At last. The final game of the competition saw South Australia win their first Shield match in over two years when they chased down 326 on the final day against New South Wales. Until then it had been a season of small games amid defeats against Western Australia and Queensland. After making 492 in the opening match – a high-scoring draw against WA – they only crossed 300 once in their remaining first innings.

South Australia Shield fixtures

October 6-9: vs Victoria, Karen Rolton Oval
October 16-19: vs Tasmania, Adelaide Oval
October 31-November 3: vs New South Wales, Wollongong
November 11-14: vs Western Australia, WACA
November 20-23: vs Queensland, Adelaide Oval
December 1-4: vs Tasmania, Hobart
February 10-13: vs Western Australia, Adelaide Oval
February 20-23: vs Victoria, Junction Oval
March 2-5: vs Queensland, Gabba
March 14-17: vs New South Wales, Karen Rolton Oval

Player to watch
Henry Hunt marked himself out as one of rising stars in Australian batting with 610 runs at 42.92 including three centuries last season, which he followed with another hundred for Australia A in Sri Lanka. It won’t be too long before the Test sides needs at least one new opener and another strong summer should keep Hunt firmly in the frame. Two years after his Shield debut, Daniel Drew earned another opportunity and marked it with a maiden century against Victoria. Liam Scott continues to have the makings of a promising allrounder: the batting is yet to kick on, but he took 13 wickets at 20.15 last season.Australia radar
Travis Head and Alex Carey should be available until at least mid-November which will add significant strength to the batting line-up. However, both will be in India when the competition resumes in February, unless Head’s poor returns in Sri Lanka cost him a spot but falling out of the squad entirely seems unlikely. Head averaged 44.00 in his six matches last season, but Carey only managed 19.88 in his six appearances. South Australia are unlikely to have anyone else pushing for international contention unless a batting-injury crisis strikes and brings Hunt further into the equation or Nathan McAndrew is elevated further from Australia A.

Fast bowler becomes India’s highest wicket-taker in World Cups, over-taking Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2023It’s about finding rhythm, hitting right areas, keeping an uncluttered mind, and feeding off the love of the people, Mohammed Shami said after bagging the Player-of-the-Match award for his 5 for 18 in a thumping 302-run win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, which made India the first team to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals.”All the hard work we are putting in, the rhythm we have found, it’s because of that that you are getting to see this storm (on the cricket field), the incredible things our bowling unit is doing,” Shami said at the post-match presentation. “The rhythm we are bowling with, I can’t believe anyone will not enjoy it. So, yes, we are enjoying ourselves a lot and working together as a unit, and you are able to see the results of that.”Loud cheers rang out around the Wankhede Stadium when it was announced that Shami had, with his final wicket, become the highest wicket-taker for India in World Cups, going past the mark of 44 achieved by Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath.”Yeah, I am trying (to do my best), as always, trying to pitch the ball in the right areas and trying to find the right rhythm, because in big tournaments, if you lose rhythm it’s very difficult to get it back,” Shami said. “So right from the start, the attempt has been to focus on the right areas and right lengths, and it’s working, so why not try to repeat it?”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Since Shami came into the side at the World Cup, his returns have been 5 for 54 (vs New Zealand), 4 for 22 (vs England), and now 5 for 18 (vs Sri Lanka).”It’s tough,” Shami said when asked about the achievement, “but I will say it again: your rhythm has to be right and the areas you hit must be right. Especially with the white ball, if you hit the right areas, you get movement off the pitch. So that’s what matters the most.”Shami, who came on to bowl after Mohammed Siraj (3-16) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-8) had picked up the first four Sri Lanka wickets for just 14 runs, got one of his wickets bowled, two caught behind by KL Rahul, one caught in the slips, and one caught at point. No lbws. In fact, none of his 45 World Cup wickets have been lbws.He didn’t quite know how to explain this. “No rocket science. Just a matter of rhythm, good food, keep your mind uncluttered, and, most importantly, the love of the people. The support we get in India has a huge role. When you go out of India, you get so much support from Indians. So I will keep trying to make everyone happy.”

Shubman Gill: ‘Our bowlers have been phenomenal’

Shubman Gill, who top-scored in India’s innings with a run-a-ball 92, credited the bowling unit for making the job of the batters easier.”Our bowlers have been doing a phenomenal job. They have always restricted the opposition to below-par scores, which has made our job as batsmen easy,” he said on the official broadcast after the match.Gill took a sharp catch in the slips towards the end of the Sri Lanka innings, off Kasun Rajitha, which completed Shami’s five-for. It was a good vantage point to watch the fast bowlers in action.”The way they were bowling, there weren’t many conversations we were having [in the slip cordon], you know,” Gill said. “We were anticipating wickets almost on every ball. But in the last match as well… the way our fast bowlers have bowled throughout the World Cup has been sensation to watch. Especially from the slips.”

ESPNcricinfo’s experts, and Sunrisers’ marauder-in-chief himself, both agreed Jasprit Bumrah should have been bowled much earlier given Sunrisers’ explosive opening

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-20243:16

Moody baffled by Mumbai’s use of Bumrah

Were Mumbai Indians tripped up by their focus on holding Jasprit Bumrah back for Heinrich Klaasen? After bowling the fourth over of the innings, Bumrah did not deliver another ball till the 13th over, by which time No. 5 Klaasen was batting on eight off three balls and Sunrisers Hyderabad were already well on their way to a record-breaking score. With almost no pressure, the experienced pair of Klaasen and Aiden Markram saw Bumrah off before lifting Sunrisers to 277 for 3, the highest score in IPL history.On ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut analysis show, former Australia allrounder and Sunrisers head coach Tom Moody said it was “extraordinary” that Mumbai did not course correct earlier. After plundering 81 runs in the powerplay, Sunrisers had raced to 148 for 2 in ten overs and 177 for 3 in 12 before Bumrah returned for his three remaining overs.”When you’ve got the best bowler in the world in this format – if not all formats – and for him to only bowl one over in the first ten overs… to bowl his second over in the 13rd over is extraordinary,” Moody said, analysing the innings alongside former India opener Wasim Jaffer and New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan. “By then, the game’s gone, the game’s totally gone.”I totally get if they want to use a couple of swing bowling options in the first or second over, I understand that. But Jasprit Bumrah has to bowl two overs in the powerplay purely because of what he brings to the table. One of the priorities in powerplay cricket is wickets and he is your best wicket-taker, and he always will be your best wicket-taker. And for him and Mumbai to be starved of that opportunity to try and stem the flow of this onslaught is crazy. It just doesn’t seem right.”Related

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By the time Bumrah arrived for his second spell, Sunrisers’ left-hand duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had already set the platform for a massive total with fifties in 18 and 16 balls respectively. Their domination of all Mumbai bowlers, bar Bumrah, had led to four 20+ run overs inside the first ten overs of their innings. Still Mumbai held Bumrah back, the damage the big-hitting Klaasen could inflict clearly on their minds.”That’s the issue,” Moody said. “They would have been planning around a number of challenges for today’s match but the biggest challenge around the batting side would’ve been ‘how do we keep Klaasen quiet?'”And they had it stuck in their head that they’ve got to make sure they’ve got overs in the bank from Bumrah when Klaasen comes to the crease. But you have to be flexible with your plans. Every chance that Klaasen may not have batted today the way Sunrisers were going at the top.”2:25

Should Hardik have reassessed his plans?

McClenaghan felt bowling Bumrah up front to negate Head could have proven just as good a strategy as Bumrah vs Klaasen. “Even with match-ups and knowing your biggest threats, you know Travis Head, and you know how Travis Head is going to play. Jasprit Bumrah moving the ball away from Travis Head was a very, very good match-up,” McClenaghan said.Besides, could Mumbai not have adapted their plans midway, especially with strategic time-outs to reassess?”That was the issue. At six overs [first time-out], they were 81,” Moody said. “[As a coach, at the time] you are having a conversation with your captain and key seniors, and you need to say ‘we need wickets. Who is our wicket-taker?’ You go ‘No. 1 Jasprit Bumrah, No. 2 someone else.'”[For the] next two overs minimum, those two bowlers [should’ve bowled] and the priority should’ve been wickets. ‘[As coach you say] forget about runs, let’s just take wickets. Let’s set the fields, let’s bowl the lines, let’s bowl the different paces and the right lengths to get back into the contest.'”Klaasen, who spoke to the broadcasters after his unbeaten 34-ball 80, said Mumbai “missed a trick” in the powerplay by using Bumrah for only one over and credited the Sunrisers top order for the platform he had. He also confirmed that the runs up top helped him face Bumrah without any pressure.”They didn’t bowl their best bowler in the powerplay… that was our plan,” Klaasen said while collecting the orange cap. “They missed a trick up front. We’ve got incredible strikers up front in our batting line-up. They just set the tempo so our work was basically done.”

Sikandar Raza became the country’s first T20I centurion, reaching the mark in 33 balls

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2024Zimbabwe shattered the record for the highest total in T20 cricket on Wednesday when they ran up 344 for 4 against Gambia in the men’s T20 World Cup Africa sub-regional qualifier tournament. Sikandar Raza spearheaded the effort with a century – Zimbabwe’s first one ever in the format – off just 33 balls. He eventually finished unbeaten on 133, with 15 sixes. His team-mates hit 12 more to set that record as well. Until now, Nepal had been the holders of the highest total (314) and the most sixes hit in an innings (26). Gambia in return were bundled out for 54 as Zimbabwe also posted the biggest-ever win (in terms of runs) in T20s.The Ruaraka Sports Club Ground in Nairobi witnessed history on Wednesday with Zimbabwe showing great intent right from the first ball they faced. They brought up fifty in 3.2 overs. Tadiwanashe Marumani brought his up quicker, in just 13 balls. The team hundred was up before the powerplay was done and from there on it was an exercise of how far they could send the ball into the stands. There were 57 boundaries in the innings overall – which is also a T20 record – with four Zimbabwe batters contributing fifty-plus scores – another record. Brian Bennett made 50 of 26 and Clive Mandande got to 53 off 17 by hitting the final ball of the innings for six.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Raza, though, was the star of the show. He came into bat at the end of the seventh over, after the fielding restrictions had been relaxed, but it made no difference. He struck the third ball he faced for six and went on a run-scoring spree that made him the owner of the second-fastest century in T20I cricket. His 33-ball effort equalled Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s, for Namibia against Nepal in February 2024.Related

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Gambia, which is the smallest country in continental Africa, located to the west, could do very little to stop the run flow. Musa Jorbateh conceded the most runs by a bowler in a T20, his four overs going for 93. He was one of five bowlers to go for over 50 runs or more in their spell. The team is still looking for its first win in the Africa sub-regional qualifier so far, having given walkovers to their opponents Rwanda and Seychelles in the first two games, while Zimbabwe have already picked up four from four.

Hosts overcome brief wobble in run chase at The Oval after bowlers keep Rockets grounded

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2023Oval Invincibles skipper Sam Billings steered his side into their first Men’s Hundred final with a display of ruthless hitting to overcome current champions Trent Rockets by five wickets.Billings, who had endured a lean tournament with the bat – averaging 12.5 in his previous seven innings – rediscovered form just in time to rubber-stamp top spot in the table and an automatic place in Sunday’s final.He struck 76 not out from 40 balls as the Invincibles chased down their opponents’ total of 148 for 7 at the Kia Oval, overcoming a brief wobble after three wickets had fallen in three deliveries to share a partnership of 73 from 40 with Will Jacks.Billings completed the win with a six off Ish Sodhi to leave the Rockets’ hopes of defending their crown hanging by a thread.The Rockets opted to bat after winning the toss but none of their top-order batters managed to build on useful starts.Alex Hales was first to go, holing out to deep third and Joe Root – having reverse-ramped Spencer Johnson for six – was undone by a ball that skidded through to hit the top of middle and off.Sam Hain’s bustling knock of 16 from 10 came to an end when he slapped a return catch to Adam Zampa and, when fellow leg-spinner Nathan Sowter had Tom Kohler-Cadmore caught in the deep, the visitors were 54 for 4.Colin Munro took on both spinners, dispatching them over the top for sixes and rebuilt the Rockets’ innings in tandem with Lewis Gregory, who capitalised on being dropped at point by Tom Curran to share in a partnership of 70 from 46.Zampa eventually broke the stand, tempting Munro with a slower ball that he skied to mid-off and Tom Curran made amends for his earlier fumble during the next set as Gregory top-edged a paddle to Billings.A late flurry of boundaries by Daniel Sams, with 19 from nine, boosted the Rockets in the death overs but their total looked unlikely to seriously trouble the home side, particularly after Jason Roy made early inroads with 19 from 13.Yet Roy’s wicket was the first of three to fall in as many deliveries, including two to Sams as Sodhi took a stunning one-handed catch at full stretch to dismiss Tawanda Muyeye and Sam Curran was castled by the next.However, Jacks – who had only faced two of the first 20 balls – steadied the ship by drilling Luke Wood over cover for two sixes and Billings then seized control, hammering Sodhi twice into the upper tier at the Vauxhall End.Billings picked out the gaps expertly, pulling Matt Carter for successive fours, but the stand ended when Jacks chopped on to Sam Cook and Jimmy Neesham’s departure followed with 48 still required.But Tom Curran kept his captain company with an unbeaten 18 and Billings finished the job in style, with eight balls unused.

Former SA captain has signed a two-and-a-half month contract with Sunrisers

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2023Dane van Niekerk will play regional cricket in England this summer. The former South Africa captain, who retired from international cricket earlier this month, has signed for Sunrisers on a two-and-a-half-month contract that will see her play in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Van Niekerk was re-signed by Oval Invincibles in the inaugural women’s draft for the Hundred on Thursday evening, and her deal with Sunrisers – the regional hub based around London and the East – means she will be in England for the majority of the summer.She was controversially left out of South Africa’s squad for the recent T20 World Cup on home soil after failing to meet a two-kilometre time trial benchmark, having struggled with injuries over the previous three years, and confirmed her retirement from international cricket last week.”I’m very excited to join up with my Sunrisers team-mates,” van Niekerk said. “I look forward to this new chapter and contributing to the overall success of the team. [I am] so grateful for the backing and can’t wait to get on the field to start playing.”Sunrisers have been the weakest of the eight English regional teams since the domestic system was revamped ahead of the 2020 season. They have only won once in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the domestic T20 competition, and have never won a game in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.They have a new coach for this summer in Andy Tennant, the former Scotland international, while Northants’ assistant coach Chris Liddle has also been brought in over the winter to work with the squad’s seamers.”This is an extremely exciting time for Sunrisers, and having the ability to bring in Dané speaks volumes of the work that has been going on behind the scenes at this club,” Tennant said. “We all know exactly what Dané is capable of, and the experience that she will bring to our group of players is invaluable.”We made sure that the current squad were aware throughout the whole process, and Eva [Gray] and Mady [Villiers] have always spoken so highly of her after spending so much time together during the Hundred. She’s both a brilliant player and a brilliant person, and we can’t wait to welcome her into the Sunrisers family.”Van Niekerk’s deal with Sunrisers runs until the end of July, when she will link up with the Invincibles squad ahead of their opening Hundred fixture on August 2.

A round-up of the second day’s action from the sixth round of matches from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009

Group A

Pakistan International Airlines reached a dominant position in Faisalabad, as they gained a 121-run lead against National Bank of Pakistan. NBP began the day in a precarious position, at 55 for 5. Some resistance from the lower order, chiefly wicketkeeper Amin-ur-Rehman (36) and Wasim Khan (27), took them to 170, giving PIA a nine-run advantage on the first innings. Seamers Anwar Ali and Ali Imran grabbed four wickets each to hand PIA the edge after a disappointing performance with the bat on the opening day. In their second innings, PIA were boosted by an unbeaten 49 from opener Agha Sabir, who steered them to 112 for 2.Habib Bank Limited gained the upper hand on a truncated second day against Sui Southern Gas Corporation in Rawalpindi. Bilal Asad top scored with 45, but Habib Bank kept chipping away with regularity at the opposition, reducing them to 116 for 6 at stumps. Seamer Fahad Masood took 2 for 21, and was supported well by the rest of the bowling line-up.Karachi Whites, led by opener Naved Khan’s unbeaten 108, snatched the advantage against Lahore Shalimar at the Gaddafi Stadium. Naved was assisted in a 151-run third-wicket stand by Atif Ali, and the pair helped Karachi reach 233 for 3 at stumps, only 24 adrift of Lahore’s first-innings score. Naved played a patient knock, eating up 253 deliveries, and striking ten fours. Atif, too, took his time but ensured a foundation for a substantial lead was laid.Fourteen wickets fell on the second day of the contest between Pakistan Customs and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Islamabad, making amends for the absence of any action due to rain on the first. SNGPL held a slight advantage at stumps, having bowled out Pakistan Customs for 169 and reaching 77 for 4 in reply. Their bowling effort was a collective one. Medium-pacer Rizwan Akbar grabbed 3 for 44, while three others grabbed two wickets each. Tahir Mughal dented PIA in their response, bagging three wickets but Ali Waqas is going strong with an unbeaten 39.Water and Power Development Authority, boosted by important contributions from almost all their batsmen, amassed 446 for 8 in their first innings against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in Gujranwala. Opener Adil Nisar made 104 and was backed up by half-centuries from Aamer Sajjad and Ahmed Said as WAPDA built on the strong platform they had laid on the first day. For ZTBL, Kashif Daud and Mohammad Khalil bagged three wickets each. At stumps, ZTBL were 16 without loss.

Group B

Seventeen wickets fell on a extraordinary day at the Abbottabad Cricket stadium as the home side took first-innings points against Peshawar. Abbottbad began the day on 34 for 3, but were bowled out for 111, courtesy twin five-fors from fast bowlers Nauman Habib and Riaz Afridi. More drama was to follow as left-arm fast man Junaid Khan stole the show for Abbottabad with 6 for 43. Barring opener Haroon Ahmed (46), none of the Peshawar batsmen managed to reach double figures as they folded for 81 in 32.4 overs. The Abbottabad openers brought a calm end to the day, guiding them home to 16 for no loss at stumps.Right-arm fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed ensured table-toppers Karachi Blues took first-innings points against bottom-placed Lahore Ravi at the National Stadium in Karachi. His five-for helped bowl out the opposition for 190, as none of the Lahore batsmen managed a defining innings. With the lead of 107, Karachi were pegged back by Junaid Zia before Asad Shafiq and Asim Kamal guided them safely to stumps at 102 for 4.A well-composed hundred from left-hander Naved Yasin helped Multan extended their domination against Hyderabad at the Niaz Stadium. Resuming on 127 for 1, Multan went past Hyderabad’s first-innings total of 194 with ease. Yasin then put Multan in pole position hitting 10 boundaries during his 192-ball 111. With Rizwan Haider looking in good touch with an unbeaten 47, Multan may fancy an innings win as well.Faisalabad‘s No. 8 batsman Zulqarnain was in terrific form as Quetta failed to capitalise on their overnight advantage in the basement battle in Sargodha. Resuming on 234 for 7, Zulqarnain smashed six fours and two sixes during his 146-ball 77 to strengthen Faisalabad, lifting them to 350. He then provided them with the first breakthrough during Quetta’s reply, sending back opener Shoaib Khan jnr early. Quetta went on to lose two more wickets to finish nervously 64 for 3.The Rawalpindi batsmen found Rauf Akbar’s pace too hot to handle as they managed 218 for 8 against Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. After the first day’s play was washed out, Rauf gave Islamabad a flying start after they opted to field. He sent back the openers in quick time before a 92-run partnership for the third wicket between Zahid Mansoor (37) and Adnan Mufti (79) held up the charge. He returned to remove them both to finish with 4 for 78, with a five-for very much on the cards.

Sharjeel Khan’s 105 goes in vain in error-strewn match

Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2021Chasing 197 in the final over might suggest this game was something of a humdinger. In truth, it was an error-strewn, sloppy contest that few on either side deserved to win. As is often the case with games like these, Islamabad United so often find a way to get over the line, as they did on Wednesday, withstanding an astonishing 59-ball 105 from Sharjeel Khan.The Karachi Kings opener looked destined to have cost his side the game as he struggled, almost woefully, for fluency in the Powerplay, but 94 off his final 35 balls helped power his side to the highest first-innings total of the tournament. It was his opening partner Babar Azam whose 54-ball 62 ended up as the notable match-losing innings. He might have been the one keeping the run rate afloat while Sharjeel stuttered, but fell away badly at the death when a power-hitter’s presence might have propelled Karachi more than the 196 they ended up with.Islamabad responded by attacking from the outset, spearheaded by Alex Hales and Faheem Ashraf in the Powerplay, and even as the wickets fell, they continued to go after their shots, refusing to allow the asking rate get out of hand. An invaluable 94-run stand between Iftikhar Ahmed and Hussain Talat held things together through the middle overs, and while Karachi were never out of the game until the penultimate over, they never quite found an effective way of building any sort of pressure on the chasing side.It was a contest defined by, at times, shocking bowling and fielding, especially by Islamabad, who took no fewer than three wickets off what ended up being no-balls, and dropped three further catches, not taking a wicket until the 19th over. By that time, Karachi’s opening partnership had put on 176, the highest stand in PSL history. But Karachi would be equally profligate with the ball, leaking 14 extras. Mohammad Amir’s inaccuracy at the death would prove to be the final nail. Asif Ali smacked a knee-high full toss he bowled for six to level up the scores, and Iftikhar did the honours with five balls to spare.Star of the day
This man was almost nailed on to wind up in the column below – with the multiple dropped catches in the field – but by far the most significant reason Islamabad even got close in this game was a whirlwind of a cameo from Hales. Imad Wasim and Amir had helped Karachi put Islamabad against the wall before the chase had truly begun with the wickets of Phil Salt and Shadab Khan. But Hales’ approach to Aamer Yamin’s first – and, inevitably, only – over produced the first incipient signs that a remarkable chase was on. Aided by a no-ball, almost inevitably, Hales would go on to produce the most expensive over in the history of the PSL. Five fours and a six would help Islamabad get 29 off it, and suddenly, the asking rate was in control, and much of the Powerplay still remained.The opener was off and away, and played with the sort of abandon that fetched him such success in the Big Bash League, racing along to 46 off 21 before Waqas Maqsood finally got rid of him. But it wasn’t before he’d helped Islamabad plunder 77 off the Powerplay; Karachi, by comparison, had managed just 33. What might have been a rout would end up as a sensationally dramatic victory, and Hales was at its heart.Miss of the day
Sharjeel had struggled for any rhythm until Shadab brought himself in for his second over. He might have been unlucky that Sharjeel’s first swipe off him didn’t end up down long-on’s throat, but that was just the beginning of a contest that was less match, more fever dream for the Islamabad captain. He would follow that up with three abysmal balls that Sharjeel would put away for sixes much more decisively. Shadab lost any confidence he might have had after that, never to even consider bringing himself back on for another over even as the pacers offered full tosses and free hits like they were going out of fashion.When he came out to bat, he was beaten all ends up by an Amir inswinger at pace – his bat was nowhere near – and sent on his way for a golden duck. It was just the second time the allrounder has been dismissed off his first delivery, and he’d sent down his most expensive spell on the same day. His side might have sneaked home, but the memories from the day are more likely bitter than sweet for the Islamabad captain.Honourable mention
After an explosive start to his PSL career in the first game where Mohammad Waseem took three wickets, the 19-year-old backed it up with an equally stellar second outing. There might not be anything in the wickets column, but forced to come on and bowl his final two overs when Sharjeel was at his destructive best, Wasim allowed just six runs off his last over. The two overs either side of his, bowled by Faheem and Hasan Ali, leaked 17 and 13 respectively. In that context, four overs for 30 runs seems little less than heroic. Islamabad have some superstars in their line-up, but this emerging player truly appears to be living up to the name.