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Bangladesh’s decision to bowl first did not earn much rewards early on, but they enjoyed two wickets in the last ten overs of play

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2024Mikyle Louis and Alick Athanaze both suffered the heartbreak of falling in the nineties on the first day of the Antigua Test against Bangladesh. Otherwise, the West Indies pair did enough to make the opening day of the series theirs. The 140-run fourth wicket stand between the pair revitalised West Indies’ innings, adding pace to the overall scoring. It led to West Indies dominating proceedings for more than two sessions.Louis came agonizingly close to his maiden Test century, but fell on 97. Despite showing great restraint throughout his 218-ball stay, Louis spent 27 balls in the nineties before falling to Bangladesh stand-in captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Athanaze fell to Taijul Islam a few overs later, the second time he got out in the nineties in his short Test career.The Bangladesh bowlers would be disappointed that they couldn’t hold back the Louis-Athanaze partnership after keeping West Indies’ scoring rate in check in the first 54 overs. Taskin Ahmed took two wickets, while Taijul and Mehidy took one each, average returns overall despite Bangladesh choosing to bowl first at the toss.After the Louis-Athanaze pair fell to the spinners, Justin Greaves and Joshua Da Silva scored freely against the second new ball towards the end of the day. Play was called off after 84 overs when a drizzle started, while the light was not great either.Bangladesh’s fast-bowling trio of Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam and Taskin challenged West Indies early in the day, but Louis held his own. Hasan kept beating him outside the off stump. Shoriful tested him around the off stump with the delivery always threatening to shape in. Taskin used the wobble seam, sometimes bowled the yorker, and pressed Louis to fish outside off.Shoriful, who got more swing from the Sir Curtly Ambrose end than the Andy Roberts end, was playing his first Test since mid-August. He missed the previous five Tests but looked in tune with the red ball. He roubled Kraigg Brathwaite, who tried to dig in despite the runs not flowing from his bat. Louis meanwhile waited for the short ball, which got him two fours with the pull shot.Taskin then removed Brathwaite, trapping him lbw with a hint of inward movement that beat his bat. Taskin then had Keacy Carty caught at mid-on when he couldn’t keep his wristy whip down, ending up as a tame dismissal. Brathwaite made four runs in 38 balls, while Carty ended on a eight-ball duck.File photo: Alick Athanaze fell in the nineties for the second time in his short Test career•Getty Images

Louis found Kavem Hodge a little more forthcoming as they tried to rebuild the innings. The pair struck four boundaries before the lunch break, but then consolidated in the second session.Louis brought up his fifty when he struck Taskin with a punch down the ground for a boundary. Hodge then slapped Taskin with a square cut, but he wouldn’t last too much longer. Attempting a second run off Mehidy’s bowling, Hodge was run out for 25 after Taijul’s throw from long leg had him well short despite a dive.Athanaze made efforts to push the run-rate but he was met with Bangladesh’s continued discipline. In the afternoon, it was the spinners Mehidy and Taijul, who kept things tight. Athanaze skied a couple of balls that fell slightly away from the fielder’s reach. One of them, a top edge towards mid-on, could have become a catch had Taskin moved slightly faster. Athanaze struck Mehidy with a sweep for four, but couldn’t quite connect with his several reverse sweeps in the second session. Louis, who lifted Taskin for a four over the bowler’s head towards the end of the second session, remained mostly quiet in his approach.Athanaze took the initiative to raise West Indies’ scoring rate after tea. He started the the final session with two square-cut boundaries, before he finally got a four with a reverse sweep off Mehidy.Louis then lofted Mehidy for the first six of the day, which took him into the eighties. Then, Mehidy dropped Louis at slip when he reached 90. Louis picked up Mahmud for his ninth boundary as he edged closer to his maiden century, while Athanaze opened up at the other end too.He swept Taijul before hitting Taskin for consecutive fours in the 71st over, cut and flicked away. Athanaze then slog-swept Taijul for his first six, and then came another reverse-swept boundary.Against the run of play, Mehidy removed Louis, charging at him, caught at slip where Shahadat Hossain took a good catch. Three overs later, Taijul had Athanaze caught behind. In the space of four runs, both batters were gone, allowing for a small opening come day two.

West Indian legend also highlights the responsibility of the board to make playing for the team financially attractive

Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-20255:49

Bishop: Want WI batters to stop being satisfied with 20s and 30s

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara highlighted lack of funds and technology as factors in the team’s recent decline, but also called upon the players to show more passion in order to compete better.After West Indies’ defeat to India in the first Test in Ahmedabad, Test captain Roston Chase highlighted “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean. This was touched upon by the cricket strategy and officiating committee of Cricket West Indies, of which Lara and Chase are both a part.”If you want to get things done, you have to have the capital to do it. So that is a major part,” Lara said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “But at the same time, I would like to ask Roston Chase and the other guys to… do they have the cricket at heart? Do they really want to play for West Indies? And that is the most important thing because you would find a way.Related

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“I mean we did not have better facilities 30-40 years ago. Viv Richards didn’t bat on any better practice pitches or anything. We had to do the same thing, the same grind; but the passion was different. The passion to play for West Indies was different. So I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity. And I am almost sure that every single one of their parents would have had in the back of their mind, their son playing for the West Indies, their son doing well for the West Indies because it meant a lot back in those days.”So I agree with [Chase on West Indies’ struggles for finances], but I still believe there is an onus on each young player to create that love and desire to play for West Indies.”Saying that, Lara also acknowledged that the players should not be blamed for seeking lucrative deals in franchise cricket, and that CWI needed to find a way to make it financially attractive for them to represent the region.”I can’t blame any single player for wanting to pursue cricket as a career outside of the West Indies – because the disparity in what’s happening, playing five or six franchise leagues, compared to playing for the West Indies, is different [in monetary terms],” Lara said. “And you have to have empathy with that player. But you also have to feel that what can we do at home to make sure that that player, or future players, understand that playing for the West Indies is also very important.5:02

Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see

“The IPL has carved out a period of time where it’s exclusive to the IPL. But there’s six or seven different leagues that’s popping up around the world, and everybody’s wanting to do it. So I think the onus is on Cricket West Indies to find a way to create, unify the efforts of the young players who want to go out, but also have them playing for us.”And a series against India, we want to play good cricket against the best team in the world. So you want your best players out there. You don’t want your best players in America or somewhere else around the world.”Lara used an example of football legend Lionel Messi, who has spent his entire club career outside of his home country, but has been an integral part of Argentina’s national team.”I mean if you look at Argentina, Messi grew up in Europe, but he plays for Argentina. But he played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and he was allowed [to play],” Lara said. “And there’s a lot more South American footballers that do that, and eventually go back and play for their country, and have the pride to do so.”Australia is able to do it. England is able to do it, to keep their players loyal to their country. So we have to find a way to do that and there’s no pointing any fingers at anybody. It’s just that we’ve got to come together as a team, as administrators, as coaches, as players. And really and truly if you have West Indies cricket at heart, you will find a way to move forward.””I am hoping I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene” – Brian Lara•Associated Press

Batting has been one department where West Indies have struggled. The squad touring India don’t have a single batter who averages 30 in Tests. They have had promising talents like Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kavem Hodge and Mikyle Louis break into the team, but none of them has been able to establish themselves as a regular.”I believe that if a player is being picked on potential only and he does not have the stats to go with it, it is very difficult for him now to get to this higher level, and [to] expect so much from him,” Lara said. “I believe that because of that situation, you would find players that are maturing later on. So it is either you stick with them – age 22, 23, 24, 25 hopefully reap the benefit when they get into their late 20s – or you look at players that are seasoned, Jason Holder and the guys who may have matured.”And if you remember, Graham Gooch scored the majority of his runs in his 30s. A guy like Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, all these guys started playing late, and they came out to be some of the best in the world. So you are going to find, once in a lifetime, the Tendulkars. Age 16, 17, Afridi, the Garfield Sobers who were in their teenage, they were able to cope with it immediately. Everybody is not going to be blessed with that sort of talent.”So I am hoping that I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene. Back in my day, you had to break records. You sat and watched cricket for two years, 20 Test matches, carry the towel, carry the water before you finally got in. And during that period of time, you grew, you matured. And some mature faster than others.”

He is unlikely to play Sheffield Shield cricket until after Australia’s ODI and T20I series against Pakistan

Alex Malcolm11-Oct-2024Glenn Maxwell has been named to make his red-ball return in Cricket Australia’s Second XI four-day competition after being named in Victoria’s 12-man squad to play Queensland at the Junction Oval starting on Monday.Maxwell was named for his first four-day match in over 12 months as he begins a build towards potentially going on Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.It is unlikely Maxwell will play in Victoria’s next Sheffield Shield match which starts on October 20, just three days after the completion of the Second XI game. Some of Australia’s Test players including Steven Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are set for that match while Scott Boland is likely to make his Shield return in that game as well.Related

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The rules in CA’s Second XI competition allow for 12 players to play in the game, with 11 batting and 11 bowling, meaning rest and rotation is possible for players within the four days. Maxwell’s workloads are carefully monitored given the horrific leg injury he suffered two years ago. He turns 36 on the first day of the match and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years.Victoria coach Chris Rogers was very happy to have Maxwell playing with some of Victoria’s young Second XI players while being unsure when he will have him available for Shield cricket.”This is an opportunity for us,” Rogers said. “We’ve got a lot of young players who are playing, and anytime you get to throw in someone with that experience and talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that’s great for us as well.”Maxwell looks set to play the one-day domestic fixture against New South Wales on October 25, which could feature Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but he is unlikely to be available for the third or fourth Shield rounds for Victoria which overlap with Australia’s ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.He would be available for Victoria’s fifth and sixth Shield games before the BBL begins and appears set to play at least one of those. Victoria play Queensland on November 24 at the Gabba in a pink-ball game under lights before hosting Queensland at the MCG on December 6.Australia’s selectors could also give him a run in a two-day pink-ball Prime Minister’s XI game against India in Canberra starting on November 30.Maxwell is a serious contender for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka given his Test experience in the subcontinent. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and nearly played the first Test in Galle, with his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder seen as an asset in spinning conditions, especially if the Tests are set to be low-scoring and fast moving.All of his seven Test matches have been played on the subcontinent with his last coming in Bangladesh in 2017. The selectors have indicted previously that Shield cricket has no relevance to Test cricket in Sri Lanka given the conditions and style of cricket is vastly different but it is understood both Maxwell and Australia’s selectors are keen for him to play some red-ball cricket from a physical conditioning standpoint.Victoria have also named state captain Will Sutherland to play in the Second XI game after he was left out of the first Shield round as he continues to build his bowling following a serious back injury. He will bowl under restrictions.”He’s tracking well,” Rogers said. “This game was probably a bit too far where he was to bowl back-to-back days, and multiple spells. “But he’s ready to go for the Second XI and hopefully that’ll set him up well for the Shield game against New South Wales.”Rogers was unsure whether spin-bowling allrounder Matthew Short would be available for the next Shield game against New South Wales as he recovers from a minor adductor strain he suffered in the final ODI of Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK last month.Victorian Second XI squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Austin Anlezark, Liam Blackford, Dylan Brasher, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Jai Lemire, Reilley Mark, Glenn Maxwell, Jon Merlo, David Moody, Doug Warren

The airport has been shut down indefinitely with the hurricane expected to pass by Barbados on Sunday night local time

Edited PTI copy01-Jul-2024A hurricane warning has left the T20 World Cup-winning India team stranded in Barbados.Hurricane Beryl (Category 4) is expected to pass by Barbados on Sunday night local time with the centre of the storm approximately 80 miles off the south coast. India are currently staying at the Hilton Hotel. They were initially planning a charter straight home but the airport has been closed since Sunday evening. South Africa had left earlier on Sunday.BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that board is planning a felicitation for the victorious team after they reach India.”Like you we are also stuck here. After the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation,” Shah told reporters in Barbados.Related

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Shah: New India coach to take charge from SL series

Shah has said that the Indian team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid.Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to take up the position of the head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee [CAC] has conducted the interviews for the post and shortlisted Gambhir and former India women’s coach WV Raman.”Both coach and selector appointments will be made shortly,” Shah who is in the Caribbean with the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup 2024, said. “CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but a new coach will join from the Sri Lanka series.”The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs starting July 27.2:46

What is Virat Kohli’s legacy in T20Is?

‘Seniors will be there for CT and WTC’

Shah has also said that “seniors will be there” in next year’s Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final, if India qualify for it, while a decision on whether Hardik Pandya succeeds Rohit Sharma as the next T20I captain will be taken solely by the selectors.”The transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” Shah said when asked about the team’s next phase following the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit and [Ravindra] Jadeja.”The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there.”This means that the senior players, fitness permitting, are likely to be available for the nine ODI matches that India will play before the Champions Trophy scheduled for February-March 2025 in Pakistan.India’s ODI assignments before that include three games each against Sri Lanka (away), New Zealand (home) and England (home).8:43

Rohit Sharma: ‘This has to be my greatest achievement’

‘From Rohit to Virat, all excelled’

Shah also praised the efforts of Rohit and Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final against South Africa which India won by seven runs in Barbados. Both Kohli and Rohit announced their retirement from T20Is after the triumph and were joined by allrounder Jadeja in saying goodbye to the format a day later.”It was the same captain last year and same here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 [ODI World Cup] as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title,” Shah said. “If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference. In World Cups, you can’t experiment much also. A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players.”India, who had lost big finals in the past decade, finally ended their title drought after losing two ICC finals – World Test Championship and ODI World Cup final – over the last 12 months and Shah hoped the winning run would continue.”I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises,” he said. “The way this team is progressing, our target is to win World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there.”On Hardik’s all-round performance in the T20 World Cup and chances of him taking over the captaincy from Rohit, Shah said: “Captaincy will be decided by the selectors and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but the selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself.”India will next travel to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series which begins on July 6 in Harare. Shubman Gill will lead the Indian side there with plenty of seniors being rested. Shah also confirmed that an India A team will be travelling to Australia later in the year ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Matthew Breetzke 94 in vain as home side get home in shortened chase

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024Derbyshire 123 for 3 (Donald 68) beat Northamptonshire 193 for 8 (Breetzke 94, Dupavillon 3-43) by 24 runs (DLS method) A brilliant innings from Aneurin Donald gave Derbyshire Falcons a 24 run win over Northants Steelbacks under Duckworth Lewis Stern in the North Group match at Derby.Donald smashed eight sixes in a 26-ball 68, equalling his own record for Derbyshire’s fastest T20 fifty, to put Falcons ahead of the run rate on 123 for 3 after 11 overs when a violent thunderstorm ended the game.Matthew Breetzke batted superbly to score a T20 best 94 from 54 balls, sharing a stand of 81 with Sikandar Raza, as Steelbacks reached 193 for 8.Rain left Falcons with a revised target of 187 from 19 overs but Donald’s demolition shredded the bowling before David Lloyd (33), and Cam Fletcher kept the home side ahead of the game before the heavens opened.Steelbacks scored only six from the first two overs which included a maiden from Daryn Dupavillon before Breetzke took three fours from Pat Brown.Ricardo Vasconcelos was dropped at cover by Samit Patel off Brown but it did not prove costly as the opener was comprehensively yorked in the fourth over by DuPavillion.Breetzke was finding his range and pulled Zak Chappell into the car park before David Willey dished out the same treatment to Dupavillon. But Dupavillon had the last word by getting Willey to miscue a drive low to mid-off as Steelbacks ended the powerplay on 55 for 2.After a brief stoppage for a sharp shower, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara worked the ball around without taking risks and had put on 48 from 36 balls when Falcons made a big breakthrough.Bopara tried to launch Mitch Wagstaff over the midwicket boundary only for Ross Whiteley to take a well judged catch just inside the ropes.But Breetzke and Raza trod on the accelerator to plunder 79 in five overs as the ball disappeared to all parts. After Breetzke reached 50 from 36 balls, he pulled Brown for six and dispatched Ross Whiteley for another maximum before Raza launched Chappell over the ropes.Breetzke passed his previous highest T20 score of 80 by taking three consecutive fours off Dupavillon before a yorker ended a thrilling innings.Brown and Chappell dragged it back by conceding only 11 from the last two overs in which Steelbacks lost four wickets trying to push towards 200.Falcons needed a fast start and Donald delivered, driving Willey straight for six and pulling and driving Ben Sanderson for two more as they raced to 50 in the fifth over.Donald pulled Raphy Weatherall into the home dugout and smashed a Saif Zaib full toss for six before he launched a no-ball over deep midwicket to reach 50 from 19 balls.He hammered two more off Freddie Heldreich before holing out to long-off in the seventh over but he had done exactly what the situation demanded.Bopara had Wayne Madsen caught behind and Patel was caught at deep square but the Falcons had done enough by the time torrential rain ended the contest.

The rain-hit affair was the last league match of GSL 2025 with Riders already in the final and Stags knocked out

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2025Match abandoned The last league match of the Global Super League (GSL) 2025 was replete with rain interruptions, and eventually inclement weather had the final say.A downpour in Guyana in the morning delayed toss by 45 minutes. Nurul Hasan called right and Rangpur Riders opted to bat – despite the weather around – but had to wait more because rain returned. The game began 90 minutes later than scheduled time as a 17-over contest.Central Stags opened their bowling with spinners from both ends and pegged back Riders twice inside the powerplay: Soumya Sarkar holing out off offspinner Angus Schaw second ball and Ibrahim Zadran falling to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox. The heavens opened up again and this latest stoppage meant the game was further reduced to 14-overs-a-side affair.Upon resumption, fast bowler Blair Tickner broke the back of the Riders middle order. He accounted for Mahidul Islam Ankon, Iftikhar Ahmed and Nurul Hasan to leave Riders reeling at 66 for 6. Schaw and Lennox returned to mop up the tail as the Bangladesh Premier League side folded for a mere 79. Which was when another spell of heavy rain forced abandonment.Riders are already in the final with Stags finishing third in the season.

Charlie Dean takes 4 for 9 but visitors pinch points in last-over finish at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jun-2025Ailsa Lister held her nerve to stage a match-winning innings of 28 not out from 19 balls as Lancashire Thunder beat Somerset by four wickets in a thrilling Vitality Blast T20 contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Chasing 133 to win, Thunder looked to be cruising when Emma Lamb and Eve Jones put together an opening stand of 60. But Somerset fought back, Charlie Dean claiming 4 for 9 to threaten a startling turnaround in fortunes.Needing eight off the final over, Lister edged Alex Griffiths for four through fine leg and then hit the winning runs with two balls to spare to see the northern county home by the skin of their teeth.Lancashire’s decision to bowl first paid dividends, Kate Cross claiming 3 for 21 and Sophie Morris 2 for 33 to restrict the home side to 132 for 7 from their 20 overs. Deep in trouble at 85- for 6, Somerset were indebted to the seventh-wicket pair of Amanda-Jade Wellington and Griffiths, who staged an exciting stand of 45 to at least make a game of it.This might have been the first time Somerset had staged a standalone women’s game under lights, but they will not look back on the occasion with any great fondness after coming off second best. The Cider county have now lost four of their five Blast outings this season, the other game having been washed out. As for Thunder, a third win in six games keeps them in the hunt for a top-four finish.Put into bat and missing injured England stars Heather Knight and Dani Gibson, Somerset made an inauspicious start, Amelie Munday missing a straight one from Cross and departing bowled without scoring, and Bex Odgers being stumped by Ellie Threlkeld off the bowling of Morris for 18 as the home side slipped to 26 for 2 in the seventh.Fran Wilson suggested a change in the balance of power, helping herself to a brace of boundaries at the expense of Morris to rouse an audience of around 3,000 – a record for a women’s match at Taunton. Cheers quickly turned to groans, though, Niamh Holland paying the price for hesitation and being run out for 10 by the ubiquitous Morris with the score 45 for 3.Charged with the task of rescuing a parlous situation, the experienced pair of Wilson and Sophie Luff combined deft placement and quick running to breathe new life into Somerset’s ailing innings, the fourth wicket pair adding 24 from 20 balls. But when Wilson was bowled by Morris for 25, Somerset were 69 for 4 with work still to do. Worse followed, influential captain Luff sending a leading edge to extra cover off the bowling of Tara Norris and Dean attempting to ramp a Cross bouncer and offering a catch behind as Somerset lurched to 85 for 6 in the 16th.Attempting to break the stranglehold, the hard-hitting Wellington plundered 25 from 14 balls, including five boundaries, to put the Lancashire bowling under pressure for the first time. Encouraged by the success of her partner, Griffiths opened her shoulders in raising 27 from 18 balls as the seventh-wicket alliance yielded 45 crucial runs in 4.3 overs at the death.There is something about playing at Taunton that brings out the best in Lancashire, who defeated Somerset in a 50-over contest on this ground earlier in the season and then beat The Blaze and Surrey to lift the Vitality County T20 Cup last month. Sure enough, their reply was afforded reassuring early impetus, Jones and Lamb taking advantage of some short and wide bowling to raise 50 in 6.4 overs and set the tone.The partnership was worth 60 when Jones, having scored 28, was pinned lbw by Dean in the ninth over. Lamb then went for 32 in the next over, held at short fine leg off the bowing of Ellie Anderson to give Somerset a glimmer of hope. When Wellington induced Seren Smale to hole out to long-off for 11 in the fourteenth over, Thunder were 91 for 3, requiring a further 42 to win off 39 balls.Dean bowled Threlkeld for 1 with the score 96 for 4, at which point the game was in the balance. But Lister calmed any nerves, hoisting Griffiths for sixes over long-on and midwicket in the 18th to put Thunder back in the box seat.Dean was still not done, bowling Fi Morris for 22 and then having Alana King held at point without scoring to leave Thunder needing eight off the final over. Lister then demonstrated nerves of steel to settle the issue.

Hosts pile on 503 but Durham responded positively after 146.4 overs in the field

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2024Tom Prest flaunted his significant talent with his second Vitality County Championship hundred as Hampshire and Durham’s Division One clash turned into a run-fest.The 21-year-old expertly scored 102, to dovetail with Ali Orr’s day one century and Ben Brown’s 75th first-class fifty, to help Hampshire to 503.Alex Lees led Durham’s response on a Utilita Bowl pitch which has displayed heavy spin in patches but has mostly been fun in the sun to bat on.The opener scored 71 before departing in the penultimate over of the day, having teamed up with David Bedingham to put on a match-high 97 for the third wicket. Durham ended the day on 146 for 3, 357 in arrears.Prest furthered his reputation of being Hampshire’s most exciting homegrown batter since James Vince while showing his complete range.He had enthusiastically reached his half-century on the first evening but was forced to bedded in with Ben Brown, as the visitors bowled accurately during the morning. The pair eventually added 72 together.Prest’s overnight partner Liam Dawson was leg before in the third over of the day – having survived a caught behind appeal from Ben Raine the delivery before.The former England under 19 captain cemented his place in the Hampshire side after a century against Essex in the penultimate match of last season, before an 85 against Lancashire last month proved the ton was no fluke.He never looked in any discomfort, not offering up a single chance as he strode his side to three batting points and a 161-ball century.Prest guided to first slip two balls after reaching three figures to give Brydon Carse his first wicket of the season – having gone nought for 285 up until that point in 2024.Brown, who passed fifty in 95 balls, and Felix Organ maintained Hampshire’s progress – with a clear intention to only have to bat once, especially with rain forecast on Monday.They put on 60 before a flurry of wickets ended the innings. Brown lost control of the bat and splattered one-handed to midwicket, Organ was run out by James Fuller’s lazy running, Kyle Abbott was bowled by a Callum Parkinson ripper before Fuller – after some exciting shot-making – lost his off stump.Parkinson ended with an expensive four-for, with debutant Peter Siddle pilfering three. Hampshire reached 500 at home for the first time since 2019.Vince called for his spinners as soon as the eighth and ninth overs and was quickly rewarded with turn for Dawson and Organ – the former seeing two loud lbw appeals turned down in his first over.Organ was the first to strike when Scott Borthwick brought tea by misreading a full straight delivery to be bowled, and end a pacy 45-run stand with Lees. And then Colin Ackermann was plumb in front to Dawson.Lees batted himself out of danger of becoming a victim of the spin and variable bounce with a series of aggressive boundary shots.But the spell of peril eased and Lees slipped back down the gears to reach 50 for the second time this year in exactly 100 balls, with Bedingham keeping him company.He was adjudged leg-before to Dawson with the seventh from last ball of the day, with Hampshire the only side who could realistically win this game.

Earlier in the match, Haris Rauf went off the field with what was later confirmed to be a low-grade side strain

Danyal Rasool08-Feb-2025New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra is unlikely to feature in the ODI against South Africa on Monday, after sustaining a blow while fielding during Saturday’s tri-series ODI against Pakistan.Fielding at deep square leg in the 37th over, Ravindra steadied himself to take a catch as Khushdil Shah slog-swept Michael Bracewell towards the on side. But Ravindra seemed to lose the ball, struck flat and low, mid-flight, and took no evasive action as it struck him square on the forehead. He was seen staring at the ground, apparently in a daze, as blood streamed down his face while medical staff rushed onto the field.New Zealand Cricket [NZC] has since released a statement saying that Ravindra is “otherwise well” and will continue to be monitored.Related

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• Phillips 72-ball hundred flips the script as New Zealand beat Pakistan

“Rachin Ravindra sustained a laceration to the forehead after being struck by the ball in yesterday’s ODI tri-series win over Pakistan in Lahore,” the release said. “Ravindra passed the initial head injury assessment and the laceration, which required stitches, was addressed and treated at the ground. He is otherwise well and will continue to be monitored under HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. He is unlikely to feature in tomorrow’s match against South Africa.”A stunned silence took hold of the ground after Ravindra went down. A stretcher was brought on as well, though it was ultimately not required. The Pakistan team doctor, nearest to the incident, also rushed on to provide first-aid assistance. After lying down on the ground while receiving a few minutes of treatment, Ravindra got up with the assistance of medical staff, and walked off the field, holding a towel to his head, to warm applause from what had just recently been a packed Gaddafi Stadium.New Zealand, riding on Glenn Phillips’ maiden ODI ton, won the opening game of the tri-series comfortably by 78 runs. Ravindra had earlier opened the batting and scored a brisk 25 off 19 balls to get his side up and running and sent down three overs.Haris Rauf walked off the field with a side strain•Associated Press

Earlier in the match, Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf went off the field two balls into his seventh over, and the PCB later revealed he had complained of “sharp pain in the left side of the chest and abdomen muscles”, which was later confirmed to be a “low-grade side strain”. Rauf, it was confimed, would not come out to bat during Pakistan’s chase.These developments come just 11 days before the start of the Champions Trophy, which begins when these two sides meet in Karachi on February 19. New Zealand’s next game is on Monday, when they take on South Africa in the second match of this tri-series, while Pakistan are scheduled to meet South Africa on Wednesday.As the Champions Trophy looms, New Zealand could also be without the fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing in the ILT20 in the UAE. As yet, the team is awaiting reports of a scan on Ferguson’s injury.GMT 0925 The news report was updated following NZC’s statement on Ravindra’s injury.

Sunrisers bested RCB on a night that produced the biggest IPL total and the highest match aggregate in all T20s

Himanshu Agrawal15-Apr-20242:54

How do you bowl to Travis Head in this kind of form?

Sunrisers Hyderabad showed how merciless modern T20 batting can look, obliterating the record they had themselves set earlier this season to post 287 for 3, the highest total in the IPL.Travis Head, who has won Australia the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup final over the last year, sent another warning signal for his opponents ahead of the T20 World Cup. He had scored a 24-ball 62 when Sunrisers made 277 for 3 against Mumbai on March 27; now he belted a career-best 102 off 41 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Related

• Maxwell takes a break to refresh after asking to be rested by RCB

• Shock and awe all around at Head's hair-raising hundred

• Du Plessis: 'When the confidence is low, there's nowhere to hide'

• As it happened – SRH, RCB serve up surreal run-fest

• Stats – Sunrisers Hyderabad break their own record for highest-ever IPL total

The big hits were incessant. Head hit eight sixes, and Heinrich Klaasen seven in a 31-ball 67, out of a Sunrisers total of 22 – another IPL record. RCB did their bit too, on a dream day for batters, sending 16 hits soaring over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s boundaries as they made a superb effort to restrict the damage to their net run rate. They finished on 262 for 7, Dinesh Karthik leading the way with 83 off 35 balls.The match aggregate of 549 runs was the highest in all T20 cricket.Travis Head hit eight sixes out of a Sunrisers total of 22, an IPL record for a team innings•BCCI

Head breaks RCB’s hearts

RCB went into the match without a single frontline spinner. But with two left-handers in Head and Abhishek Sharma opening for Sunrisers, they began with the offspin of batting allrounder Will Jacks. He found turn in the first over, and conceded just seven. His second over was even better, going for just four.And yet, Sunrisers put up 76 in the powerplay, the third time they had gone past 70 during that phase of the innings this season. By then, Head had motored to his half-century off 20 balls. Head hit four sixes across the fifth and sixth overs as RCB debutant Lockie Ferguson went for 18 and then Yash Dayal for 20.Head’s second fifty was even quicker, taking only 19 balls, and the century came up in the 12th over. Ferguson had Head ballooning a catch to mid-off halfway into the 13th, but Klaasen had arrived by then, and SRH already had 165 on the board. That was enough indication of what more was to come on a flat pitch surrounded by small boundaries.

Klaasen continues six fest

Promoted to No. 3 after the openers hammered 108 in 8.1 overs, Klaasen kept Sunrisers’ party going. He managed only three runs from his first five deliveries, but soon got into the six-hitting groove that has made him among the world’s most dangerous T20 hitters. He swung Dayal and Ferguson for sixes over midwicket just before Head was dismissed, and that wicket did nothing to temper Klaasen’s aggression.Dinesh Karthik ensured RCB didn’t suffer too much net-run-rate damage•BCCI

With Head’s dismissal bringing a second right-hander to the crease in Aiden Markram, RCB brought on the left-arm spin of Mahipal Lomror in the 14th over. The match-up didn’t bring any joy, as Klaasen carted him for two sixes.Klaasen hit three more sixes – including a 106m straight hit off Ferguson that sailed over the roof – before being dismissed with three overs remaining, with Sunrisers on 231. The only question then was if they could breach their own record total of 277. Abdul Samad and Markram put all doubts away with stunning cameos, as the last two overs produced 46 runs.

Karthik fights to limit the damage

There was only one way for RCB to bat in their response, and Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis counterattacked their way to 79 in the powerplay, three more than what Sunrisers had managed at that stage. RCB’s opening pair smashed 11 fours and four sixes in that phase alone. Even so, RCB were behind the asking rate, which had now climbed to nearly 15.Sunrisers’ Impact Sub Mayank Markande, who replaced Head at the start of the chase, beat Kohli with a googly just after the powerplay, and that began something of a mini-collapse, as RCB slipped to 122 for 5 by the end of the 10th over, with Pat Cummins striking twice including getting du Plessis for 62.That is when Karthik entered to keep the crowd entertained. He was the dominant partner in a 59-run partnership with Lomror, which briefly stirred hopes of an outlandish finish, as Markande and Jaydev Unadkat leaked 46 across the 13th and 14th overs.A six-run 15th over from Cummins, which also included the wicket of Lomror, effectively ended RCB’s hopes, but Karthik kept going, hitting at least one six ever over until he was dismissed with eight balls remaining. Seven sixes came off his bat including a switch-hit off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but he couldn’t prevent RCB from slumping to a fifth successive loss and remaining rooted to the bottom of the points table.