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Rutherford and Motie put on a WI record ninth-wicket stand but it was in vain

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Oct-2024Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record-breaking 119-run ninth-wicket stand, before Motie and Alzarri Joseph struck once apiece inside the powerplay. Aside from these stretches of dominance though, Sri Lanka ran away with the game.Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and Asitha Fernando had sent West Indies crashing to 58 for 8, before that ninth-wicket resistance came. Then, after the loss of two early wickets, Sri Lanka recovered through a 62-run partnership between Sadeera Samarawickrama and Nishan Madushka, before the in-form Charith Asalanka came in to produce a fluent half-century, and take Sri Lanka to a substantial victory, and another series victory under his fledgling captaincy.Though the pitch for this 44-over match – drizzle had delayed the start by two hours – was exceedingly spin friendly (it was the same track used for Sunday’s game), 190 was always going to be a challenge to defend. Where Sri Lanka’s spinners were able to be consistently menacing, often getting significant turn even off faster deliveries, West Indies’ slow bowlers did not quite have the same impact.Motie was their best slow bowler, conceding only 18 from his nine overs, and taking the wicket of Kusal Mendis. But legspinner Hayden Walsh was underwhelming, guilty of pitching far too short and being picked off – he went for 41 runs off his five overs. Roston Chase was also only moderately effective. In fact it was seamer Alzarri Joseph who collected the innings’ best figures of 2 for 30.Although Hasaranga would go on to get more wickets, it was Theekshana who was the best of Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers, and Theekshana who set the collapse in motion with a gorgeous offbreak that beat the outside of left-hander Alick Athanaze’s bat and clip off stump. The offbreak turned big on this surface, and he threatened both right-handers and left-handers with it, going to the carrom ball only occasionally. The lines Theekshana bowled were mostly impeccable.Later, a big offbreak would sneak between Keacy Carty’s bat and pad and rattle his stumps as well, before a slider beat the wild reverse-swipe that Walsh attempted off Theekshana in the 15th over. He collected figures of 3 for 25 off nine overs.Hasaranga’s googlies were doing their usual damage, with Chase suckered in by one that was flighted beautifully. Hasaranga had to work less hard for the wickets of Romario Shepherd, and Alzarri Joseph, who didn’t fancy picking him. He’d take the final wicket of the innings too, getting Jayden Seales caught and bowled, and took home the game’s best figures of 4 for 40.Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record 119 runs for the ninth wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Fernando’s 3 for 35 was especially impressive on a track that did not favour him. He dismissed Brandon King with a surprise bouncer that King played at too early, before bowling Shai Hope with a slightly back of a length delivery that the batter dragged on to his stumps. That he broke the big Rutherford-Motie stand was also significant, even if the wicket of Rutherford came off a low full toss.In fact, Rutherford had been struggling terribly before Motie joined him at the crease in the 16th over and provided the early impetus for their partnership. The No. 10 struck important boundaries, off Hasaranga especially, and by the end of the 25th over had 35 runs to Rutherford’s 33, though Rutherford had been there longer and faced more balls.This is the point at which Rutherford began to attack however, having earlier seemed bewildered by every spinner Sri Lanka employed against him. There were suddenly sixes down the ground and on the legside from Rutherford – one hoick over deep square leg off Asalanka’s bowling taking him to his half century, off 57 balls. He continued to hit out until he was caught on the deep square leg boundary in the 35th over, having hit four sixes and seven fours. His 80 off 82 was the highest score in the game.Later, after Samarawickrama and Madushka – both of whom made 38 – had lifted Sri Lanka out of immediate danger, Asalanka’s entry into the game sent them smoothly off towards the five-wicket victory that would eventuate with 34 balls remaining.The hallmark of a good Asalanka innings is his early boundary-striking ability, and so it was here – spotting a full delivery outside off from the opposition’s best seamer second ball, Asalanka creamed it through point for four. In Joseph’s next over, Asalanka crashed him through square leg and drilled him through cover for two more fours, having also slog-swept Roston Chase for a boundary in between. In a flash he was on 20 off 14.Though the tempo slowed, he got to his half century off the 48th ball he faced, and went on to shepherd Sri Lanka home, remaining not out on 62 off 61 balls.

Seam-bowling allrounder Johann Layne has replaced him in the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2025West Indies seamer Matthew Forde has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan that starts in Tarouba from Friday. Forde suffered a shoulder dislocation earlier on Wednesday while attempting a catch during a training session.Johann Layne, the West Indies academy seam-bowling allrounder, has replaced Forde in the squad. Layne is among the seamers that impressed Ian Bishop, who called him “rangy, tall and intelligent”.Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Jediah Blades are the quicks in their ODI squad with Gudakesh Motie as their frontline wristspinner. Alzarri Joseph has been rested. West Indies would also miss Forde’s talent with the bat lower down the order; he holds the ODI record for fastest fifty (16 balls), achieved in May against Ireland.Related

• Alzarri Joseph rested, Shepherd back in WI squad for Pakistan ODIs

• Pakistan and West Indies look to break out of their ODI funk

West Indies lost the T20I series against Pakistan 2-1 in Lauderhill, but are looking to claim a fourth-straight ODI series with the tour moving to Trinidad & Tobago. It is only their fifth ODI series since the start of 2023, but come into the contest having beaten England twice (2-1, on both occasions) and Bangladesh once (3-0).The 50-over game has been a difficult format for West Indies in recent history, missing out on the last two ICC tournaments for ODIs. Their qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup is also far from guaranteed as they are ranked tenth in the rankings. West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help them significantly.

Khurram Shahzad has not fully recovered from the side injury he picked up during the Bangladesh series

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2024Pakistan have retained Shan Masood as their captain for the first match of their three-Test series against England, which begins in Multan on October 7. Aamer Jamal has found a place in their 15-member squad following his return from a back issue, while Khurram Shahzad, who took a six-wicket haul in the second Test against Bangladesh, misses out having failed to fully recover from an injury to his left side.Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who didn’t feature in the Bangladesh series, returns to the side as a second frontline spin option alongside Abrar Ahmed.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There was some scrutiny around Masood’s position in the aftermath of the 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh earlier this month, but he retains the role for now, with Pakistan looking to overturn a run of poor results in the longest format. They have lost each of their last five Test matches, all with Masood in charge, and they are on a 10-match winless streak in home Tests.One piece of positive news for Pakistan is the return of the fast-bowling allrounder Jamal, their most impressive performer on their 2023-24 tour of Australia. Jamal has been dealing with lower-back issues over recent months, and didn’t take part in the series against Bangladesh. He has since returned to 50-overs action in the Champions Cup.This is counterbalanced, however, by the absence of Shahzad. He picked up the side injury during the second Test against Bangladesh, and was expected to be fit in time for the England series when a fracture was ruled out, but he hasn’t yet staged a complete recovery.Top-order batter Kamran Ghulam and fast bowler Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh series, have been left out. A PCB release said both “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans. However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.”The players selected in the Test squad have been withdrawn from the Champions Cup playoffs to enable them to rest before the start of the England series. The squad will assemble in Multan on September 30, with their pre-series training camp starting on October 1.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England

Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The Strikers’ slim playoff chances take further beating while the Sixers moved to the top of the ladder

Tristan Lavalette15-Jan-2025Steven Smith produced another blistering BBL innings before Hayden Kerr and Sean Abbott kept their cool at the death as Sydney Sixers completed a nerve-jangling chase that has almost ended Adelaide Strikers’ slim finals prospects.Chasing 183 at the Adelaide Oval, Smith’s red-hot form continued with a rapid half-century but his dismissal sparked a collapse. Sixers slumped to 92 for 5, but they rallied through their batting depth.They still needed 16 off the last seven deliveries before Kerr smashed a tossed up delivery from legspinner Lloyd Pope over the rope. He then hit quick Henry Thornton for a boundary off the second ball of the final over before Abbott hit the winning run off the penultimate delivery.Sixers moved to the top of the ladder, while Strikers need a miracle to progress into the finals.

Smith dominates early, Kerr steps up late

All eyes were on Smith after his blistering ton against Perth Scorchers in his BBL return. With three centuries in his last seven BBL matches, he clearly enjoys letting his hair down for Sixers, who he captained to the title in the competition’s first season.Smith’s unbelievable BBL record continued with 52 off 31 balls and he started with a third ball six after launching quick Brendan Doggett over the legside. He smashed four sixes with the loud whack coming off the bat music to the ears of the Sixers.Smith’s best shot might have been a back-foot smoke off Thornton that sped to the boundary like a tracer bullet. He scored 34 of the 47 runs in the powerplay before shifting gears with the field spread around.But Smith’s dismissal to Jamie Overton just before drinks triggered a collapse with Jordan Silk falling later in the 10th over lbw after an unsuccessful review. Skipper Moises Henriques, who had called for the review, then was adjudged lbw to spinner Lloyd Pope, but he was livid with the decision having inside edged onto his pads.Sixers slumped to 92 for 5 before Ben Dwarshuis and Lachlan Shaw produced a brisk half-century partnership. They were unable to see Sixers home but Kerr stepped against Strikers, once again, having memorably lifted them home in the Challenger final of BBL 11.His six off Pope – who was brought on in a gamble by skipper Matthew Short – was perhaps the game-changing moment.
Overton finishes season on a highStrikers’ season appeared in ruins under an avalanche from Smith, who reached his half-century off just 27 balls. But Overton had other ideas in his last BBL match before linking up with his England teammates for the white-ball tour of India,He entered the attack just before drinks and produced a thick edge off Smith that flew to short third. Overton then trapped Silk lbw later in a game-changing over.Strikers were not able to get over the line, but Overton can be well pleased with his season. The firebrand has become a fan favourite for Strikers but a villain for opposition supporters to be of the characters of this BBL season.Lloyd Pope celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Chohan unleashed, Shaw sparkles in field

Sixers, in trademark style, were a well oiled machine in the first 10 overs after electing to bowl. Henriques brilliantly rang the changes as he rotated his four quicks during the powerplay.He then threw the ball to offspinner Todd Murphy, who claimed D’Arcy Short and Alex Carey in – curiously – his only over of the innings.Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, finally made his BBL debut after being a surprise selection in the draft. He varied his speeds nicely and finished with 0-30 from 4 overs.Sixers weren’t quite as slick after drinks, with their quicks unable to execute. For the second straight game, Abbott struggled badly at the death to cap a forgettable performance.But 22-year-old Shaw did provide some cheer in the field. In just his fourth BBL game, Shaw produced an outstanding piece of fielding on the legside rope where he acrobatically flicked the ball back into play to prevent a boundary.Shaw, who is normally a wicketkeeper, produced another spectacular effort in the outfield after a diving catch – having misjudged initially – amid very windy conditions to dismiss Alex Ross.

Strikers recover well after top-order collapse

In Strikers’ last match, they flayed Brisbane Heat and racked up the second highest score in BBL history. Matthew Short starred with a belligerent century, but he was confronted by a surface that wasn’t as rock hard and he walked to the crease without opening partner Chris Lynn, who suffered a hamstring injury in that match.Short looked to continue where he left off with a boundary straight down the ground off Jack Edwards, who earlier in the day was named the new Australia A captain.But Short could not replicate the shot, merely hitting Edwards straight up in the air in the first of three reckless dismissals.Carey missed out on the run glut against Heat and he appeared keen to make up for it with three early boundaries. But Carey fell tamely after the powerplay, picking out deep midwicket two balls after D’Arcy Short was clean bowled by Murphy having failed to execute a reverse sweep.It was left to Ross and Ollie Pope, who made their move after taking the power surge in the 12th over.Ross nailed several drives through the offside, but Pope was more fluent and reached his half-century off 35 balls before Overton provided a late flurry in the death overs.Harry Manenti hit a six in his debut to complete an impressive Strikers recovery. Manenti, who has represented Italy in international cricket, was presented his cap by his brother Ben – a Sixers squad member.

Head coach Jon Lewis says the tool proved crucial in last year’s drawn Ashes series

Valkerie Baynes03-May-2024England Women are using artificial intelligence (AI) to inform selection using a system head coach Jon Lewis says proved crucial in last year’s drawn Ashes series.Lewis was first exposed to the technology, provided by London-based company PSi, while coaching UP Warriorz in the inaugural WPL last year. He has since spoken with the likes of England Rugby Union coach Steve Borthwick about the system, also used by English rugby league side Wigan Warriors and English Football League One side Wigan Athletic, which allows coaching staff to simulate various match-ups and scenarios.”We are able to run simulated teams versus the simulated opposition to give us an idea about how those teams may match up against each other,” Lewis said on Friday after revealing England’s white-ball squads to host Pakistan from next week.”I can send multiple different lineups to the company and they run, I think it’s about 250,000 simulations per team that I send with all the different permutations that could happen through the game.”What I would say is it’s not how we select the side, but it’s one part of selection that we use to help understand what could possibly happen in the future. We used it very successfully in the Ashes last summer with match-ups against the Australian side.”Related

• Lauren Down back from maternity leave for New Zealand tour of England

• Satya Nadella: 'Cricket should not shy away from technological change throwing up new challenges'

• Maia Bouchier targets World Cup opener's berth after breakthrough winter

• No surprises in Nida Dar-led Pakistan side for white-ball tour of England

• Dunkley, Beaumont 'still in conversation' for T20 World Cup despite Pakistan omission

Lewis said the research methods were impacted somewhat by a gap in the quality of historical data in the women’s game, a situation he believes will improve amid an increasingly packed international schedule and growing franchise scene. And while he said the tool was particularly useful in helping to make borderline selection calls, he would always opt for a people-first approach.”Obviously we’re on the ground with the people and that’s probably the first thing that we look to in terms of selection, which people are playing well, we use our cricketing eye,” he said. “But it’s one small part of what we do and it’s really interesting, and it played out really well last summer against Australia.”I think it will help with borderline decisions in terms of selections and match-ups. Will it ever be at the front, the thing that selects the team? I would say, in my view, no. Other coaches may feel very differently, but it is really interesting.”AI was used throughout last summer’s Ashes and Lewis pointed to the T20 leg, which England won 2-1 to get back into the series after losing the one-off Test, as a moment when it came to his aid in weighing up the merits of two players who were “both in really good form and were both really selectable”.”There was one selection in particular last year,” he said. “We saw a real strength in Australia and we matched up our strength, our best bowlers, to that part of the game against Australia last year. That worked really, really well for us. That helped us win the T20 series in particular and that got us back in the Ashes.”The players were both players that I was thinking about picking. So it did help me with those selections and it turned out that it worked out really well. So yeah, it can help selections, but my go-to would be get your people right first, get them all in the right head space, get their games in order, and then use data to support around selection.”England Women’s squads vs Pakistan•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

From data to people, England have just completed a bonding trip to the Lake District, which involved a number of team-building exercises including cold-water swimming, designed to see how players responded in situations that, for many, were outside their comfort zones.”We spend a lot of time in the nets and we spend a lot of time thinking and practising about how to improve those parts of our game,” Lewis said. “However, the game of cricket is a real tactical game. It’s a game of chess. You need to be able to be a really clear thinker under pressure and you need to be able to manage the anxieties that are around cricket, not only on the field, but the anxieties that all players face off the field as well.”We worked a lot on how to manage anxiety and how to manage pressure and to do that, sometimes you’ve got to take players out of the environment that they’re normally in. When you do that, you take away, I suppose, the hierarchy of the group a little bit and everyone becomes very even. Then what you start to see is different people voicing opinions, different people giving advice to each other, and I suppose the group connecting on a different level than they would do around cricket.”We did a really powerful session around facing our fears and the girls were really, really honest about what their fears were around being part of an England cricket team. There was some really interesting stuff that came out of that and that will really help us as a coaching group manage our players and help them to become more rounded people first and then better cricketers at the same time.”The players, some of them liked the activities that we were doing and some of them didn’t, and that caused different types of stresses and hopefully we help them with some ways to deal with those things.”

Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will return to the side for the opening match in Barbados

Andrew McGlashan19-Jun-20252:14

Cummins: The new WTC cycle feels like a reset

Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped for the first Test against West Indies and Steven Smith ruled out through injury with Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis named as their replacements.The two changes were confirmed five days before the opening Test in Barbados on June 25, meaning Australia will have a significantly different batting line-up to the World Test Championship final against South Africa.Related

• Australia's new-look batting order 'prepared for anything'

• 'Emotions got to me' – Konstas keen to settle into Test cricket

• 'Good enough to play that role' – Voges backs Inglis as top-four Test batter

• Smith avoids surgery, faces race to be fit for West Indies Tests

• Australia's batting issues: questions surround Khawaja, Labuschagne, Konstas and Green

Konstas will earn his third cap having not featured since the two outings against India which began with his 60 off 65 balls on debut at the MCG. Inglis scored a century on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier this year.Labuschagne had been moved to up to open in the WTC final, with the selectors opting for a last show of faith, but came away with scores of 17 and 22 to continue a two-year lean run in Test cricket.Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Test side for the first time since 2019•Getty Images

“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.”Smith, meanwhile, suffered a compound dislocation to the little finger on his right hand when dropping a chance offered by Temba Bavuma on the third day at Lord’s. He avoided surgery but has to wear a splint for eight weeks. However, there is hope he will be able to play later in the West Indies series.”Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” Bailey said. “We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers.”In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition.”The final XI and the batting order will be confirmed closer to the Test, although Konstas will likely open with Usman Khawaja. Depending on conditions there is a chance Australia could go opt for two frontline spinners with Matt Kuhnemann partnering Nathan Lyon.

Vidarbha are chasing their third title, while this is the first time Kerala have qualified for the Ranji Trophy final

Shashank Kishore25-Feb-2025

Big picture: Kerala’s time under the sun

Have film stars and politicians ever been this excited about the Ranji Trophy? Kerala’s entry into their maiden final has ticked that box. And the manner of their getting there has been nothing less than a Lalettan blockbuster.It’s the biggest moment in the careers of many who come from a part of the country where there’s a culture of hero worship, but also where there have been only a few cricket heroes – like S Sreesanth and, more recently, Sanju Samson. But dig a little deeper and you find others with an impeccable body of work.Like KN Ananthapadmanabhan, now a recognised umpire who led Kerala to their biggest result in the mid-1990s, when they made the pre-quarter-finals in 1994-95. Or Feroze Rashid, who helped them qualify for the Ranji Trophy Super League after they emerged South Zone winners in 1996-97. Or VA Jagadeesh, a probationary bank officer who was one of the classical old-school openers of the early 2000s. The list is long, but they have usually flown under the radar.So, when the Sachin Baby-led squad takes the field in Nagpur on Wednesday, a state of 35 million known mainly for its football, will have their time under the sun. Their previous shot at a final in 2018-19 ended in heartbreak, but the current squad has a number of players from that game who are not only better off from the experience, but perhaps better equipped, a direct consequence of a more streamlined system.They are up against Vidarbha, two-time Ranji winners who are now beginning to regularly dominate the domestic scene. A state that for long wasn’t known for producing players by the truckloads for India, but is now a feeder line of talent. Like Jitesh Sharma, who took over the mantle from Umesh Yadav and has gone on to play for India in T20Is. Or Harsh Dubey, the season’s leading wicket-taker who R Ashwin has taken under his wing.Vidarbha’s growing investment in the age-group set-up, has helped churn out seasoned players like Atharva Taide, Yash Rathod and Yash Thakur. Led astutely by Akshay Wadkar, a rookie when they first won a title in 2017-18, there’s a strong core group that now includes senior professionals like Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey.
Vidarbha are favourites, but Kerala have played like a team without baggage and will fight until the end, like they have time and again this season.Karun Nair has been in sparkling form this season•PTI

Form guide: Vidarbha on a roll

Vidarbha WWWWD
Kerala DDWDD

Run to the final: Two contrasting journeys

Vidarbha’s six wins in seven games were the most by a team in the group stage. Kerala got there on the back of just three wins, having pipped Karnataka and Bengal.Kerala made the final on the back of two first-innings leads in dramatic circumstances against Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat, while Vidarbha got here having ousted Tamil Nadu and defending champions Mumbai in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

In the spotlight: Aditya Sarwate and Karun Nair

Aditya Sarwate bowled 11 wicketless overs combined out of the 194.5 Vidarbha bowled across two innings in last year’s Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai, back spasms holding him back. He ended the season with 40 wickets, the most by a Vidarbha bowler, but soon found himself under scrutiny when his fitness and work ethic were questioned within the team. Sarwate is now Kerala’s second-highest wicket-taker this season and is coming off a sensational semi-final performance on the final day against Gujarat. Kerala will bank on Sarwate for plenty of intel on his former team at his home ground.Karun Nair was in his first season when he hit three centuries during a memorable Ranji Trophy triumph with Karnataka in 2013-14. In the final that followed next year, Nair hit a triple-century as Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu to win back-to-back titles. A decade later, he’s back among the runs in a big way. Having topped the charts with a record-breaking 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has the opportunity to trigger talks of an India comeback for the England Tests should he score big in the final.Aditya Thakare will be back for the final•PTI

Team news: Thakare and Nizar fit

Seamer Aditya Thakare, who picked up a five-for in the quarter-final against Tamil Nadu, missed the semi-final owing to a hamstring niggle. Thakare is fit and available for the final. That could mean Vidarbha leave out one of Darshan Nalkande and Nachiket Bhute.Vidarbha (likely XI): 1 Atharva Taide, 2 Dhruv Shorey, 3 Danish Malewar, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Yash Rathod, 6 Akshay Wadkar (capt, wk), 7 Harsh Dubey, 8 Parth Rekhade, 9 Nachiket Bhute/Darshan Nalkande, 10 Yash Thakur, 11 Aditya ThakareThe blow to his helmet in what was a tournament-defining moment for Kerala last week had left Salman Nizar concussed, but he has since recovered and is set to play. Kerala have no other injury concerns. They could bring back medium pacer Nedumankuzhy Basil in place of allrounder Ahammed Imran for better balance.Kerala (likely XI): 1 Akshay Chandran, 2 Rohan Kunnummal, 3 Varun Nayanar, 4 Sachin Baby (capt), 5 Jalaj Saxena, 6 Salman Nizar, 7 Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), 8 Aditya Sarwate, 9 MD Nidheesh, 10 Basil Thampi, 11 Nedumankuzhy Basil

Pitch and conditions

Nagpur is hot and dry already, with day temperatures touching the mid-30s (Celsius). The fresh surface in use for the final is believed to have a decent grass cover, to begin with, but the dryness will ensure cracks open up, allowing spin to come into the game from days three to five.

Stats and trivia

• Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey is three short of the all-time Ranji record for most wickets in a season. Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman currently holds the record with the 68 wickets that he picked up in 2018-19.
• Nizar is Kerala’s highest run-getter this season, with 607. Nearly 60% of those runs have come in the last three games.
• Vidarbha won the only Ranji final in Jamtha, Nagpur previously, when they beat Saurashtra in 2018-19.
• Sarwate, Vidarbha’s highest wicket-taker during that winning campaign (55 at 19.57), will be looking to win his third Ranji title, this time with Kerala.
• Rathod is 105 runs away from eclipsing Wasim Jaffer’s record for most runs in a single Ranji season by a Vidarbha batter. Jaffer aggregated 1037 during their winning campaign in 2018-19, with four hundreds and two fifties. Rathod has already hit five hundreds and three fifties this season.
  

  Quotes

  “He’s a sound leader – a performer who has shown the tenacity to withstand pressure and lead from the front. The entire team has resonated his fighting spirit through the season”
  .”In my first meeting with Amay [Khurasiya, head coach] sir in August, I told him we needed just two things: discipline and strengthening of our lower-order batting. I think so far we’ve delivered on both counts. Now, the talk within the group is we don’t have one game left, but two. Final and Irani Cup [between the Ranji winners and a rest of India team]. We are going in with that mindset”
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Having claimed full batting points, Essex now need to bowl out Surrey twice to finish third, ahead of Somerset

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Essex batters Dean Elgar, Tom Westley and Matt Critchley filled their boots with a century apiece as Vitality County champions Surrey suffered a post-title-winning hangover at Chelmsford.The former South African captain, batting ostensibly on one leg, led the way by posting 182, the highest of his four centuries for Essex this season during a stay at the crease that began on Thursday morning and ended 102 overs later on Saturday evening – five sessions having been wiped out by the weather on days one and two.Elgar and Westley put on a record 253 in 59 overs to eclipse the 95-year-old best of 206 for the second wicket against Surrey. Elgar then piled on further agony by adding 168 for the third wicket with Critchley, who played freely for his 112 from 171 balls before Essex declared on 508 for 8. Earlier, Westley had been in such explosive form that 106 of his 135 runs came in boundaries (25 fours, one six).Essex require 17 points from the game to finish ahead of Somerset in third place on games won. They have already pocketed the maximum five for batting and now need to bowl Surrey out twice on the final day of the season. Surrey finished the penultimate day on 30 for the loss of captain Rory Burns, caught at point off Simon Harmer.Under sunny skies, in contrast to the rain of the first two days, the third morning was only nine balls old when Elgar tweaked his left calf and required four minutes’ worth of treatment. He hobbled on manfully, picking the right moment to amble through for easy singles and the odd two but not contemplating anything too sharp.With Elgar largely incapacitated, Westley farmed the bowling in the lead-up to his century, hitting eight boundaries to every part of Chelmsford against James Taylor and Yousef Majid in a ferocious 21-ball blitz. He raced through the nineties and on to three-figures from 141 deliveries with three fours in five balls off Taylor, including one off the backfoot that rocketed past point.Westley twice waltzed down the wicket in three balls to deposit former Essex team-mate Dan Lawrence over his head for a one-bounce four followed by a maximum. Elgar watched the Westley show before finally driving Majid through the covers for a boundary of his own and then reaching his century from 169 balls, 28 slower than his partner.Westley was finally out just after the partnership went past 250 when he picked out Tom Lawes on the long-leg boundary to give Yousef Majid a maiden first-class wicket. The 21-year-old spinner did not celebrate the milestone, however, echoing the subdued mood within the fielding ranks. That feeling of after the Lord Mayor’s Show continued into the afternoon with a series of misfields as Critchley was the latest batsmen to tuck into some ordinary fare served up by a below-par Surrey attack.Nowhere did the Elgar limp look more noticeable than the quick single to reach his 150 from 234 balls. He took Essex to 400 with his 19th four, an audacious uppercut off Lawes to the boundary backward of point, but fell when chipping Ryan Patel to short extra cover to spark a middle-order collapse.Patel claimed three wickets in seven balls – and finished with 3 for 41 from 12 overs – when Luc Benkenstein played all around a slower ball and Paul Walter scooped to mid-on as Essex slipped from 425 for 2 to 433 for 5. Majid claimed his second wicket on debut when he had Adam Rossington lbw, but not before Essex had claimed all five batting points.Critchley became the third centurion of the day when he pulled Ollie Sykes to square leg, but was the first of two late wickets for Taylor, holing out in the covers. Shane Snater was then bowled to bring about the declaration.

High-octane duel anticipated as two-time champions go head-to-head in Super Eight

Andrew Miller18-Jun-20243:29

Bishop: Confidence the key for West Indies at the business end

Match details

West Indies vs England
June 19, St Lucia, 8.30pm local time

Big picture:

After the angst they endured in the group stage, England have floated down to St Lucia on a wave of exhalation. Whatever happens in their T20 World Cup defence from hereon in, their avoidance of a humiliating first-round exit might yet prove to be as much of a fillip as four rousing wins from four. Their campaign can begin in earnest now, which is just as well, because they are about to bump into a team with no such concerns to weigh them down.England and West Indies are each competing for an unprecedented third T20 World Cup title, and the events at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Beausejour – a venue named in honour of the man who delivered the hosts those first two titles – could go some way towards confirming the readiness, or otherwise, of these two very real contenders for the crown.West Indies are fit, focused and firing on all cylinders. They come into this contest on an eight-match unbeaten run, and if there were a few early-tournament nerves on show in an anxious pair of Group C victories over Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, then their unmitigated thrashings of Uganda and a highly-rated Afghanistan have assuaged them in uncompromising fashion.Quite apart from the power of their recent victories, the range of West Indies’ match-winners has propelled them firmly into the title mix. From Andre Russell’s 71 from 29 balls against Australia in Perth, to Brandon King’s 79 from 45 against South Africa in Jamaica, via Roston Chase and Johnson Charles, and all the way through to Sherfane Rutherford’s innings-salvaging 68 not out against New Zealand and Nicholas Pooran’s ballistic 98 from 53 balls against Afghanistan, they’ve time and again showcased a batting line-up with complete faith in each other’s attributes, and an ability to stand up when called upon.Only the captain, Rovman Powell, has been short of recent runs, even though a 24-ball fifty in a warm-up match against Australia is sufficient proof that his eye is still firmly in. With Sammy ensconced as head coach, and instilling the same spirit of collective responsibility that powered their twin titles in 2012 and 2016, England know there’ll be no room for lapses if their mini-resurgence is to be translated into vital Super Eight points.There were certainly a few of those on show in their timid display against Australia in Barbados, most particularly in a middle-order that found it impossible to cut loose once the powerplay fielding restrictions had been lifted. At times in their trudge to a deeply one-sided 36-run loss, it was like watching their formless performances at the 50-over World Cup in India, a campaign that Jos Buttler had tried to pretend never happened in some notably terse media engagements at the start of this trip.The disjointed nature of England’s build-up is a partial excuse – after two wash-outs on home soil against Pakistan and three matches against Scotland, Oman and Namibia that saw them bat for a total of 13.2 overs, time in the middle has been a rarity, especially with Buttler and Phil Salt in a solid vein of form at the top. But these big-match players should have visualised enough scenarios in their time to make light of such straitened circumstances. They were spared a soggy exit by that break in the clouds in Antigua. Now’s the time to prove that they are worthy of the reprieve.

Form guide

West Indies: WWWWW
England: WWLWW

In the spotlight – Phil Salt and Gudakesh Motie

Go hard or go home. That has been Phil Salt‘s mantra throughout his T20 career, and right now, his unrelenting approach at the top of England’s order has never been more valuable. After flitting around the periphery for several seasons, Salt’s international breakthrough came against this same West Indies team back in December, when his back-to-back centuries in Grenada and Trinidad carried the attack back to the world’s most aggressive batting line-up, and reminded England of the fearlessness that they had so clearly mislaid in their 50-over World Cup defence. Given the truncated nature of their 20-over campaign to date, it’s hard to judge exactly how the middle-order is tracking, which means that impetus at the top could be all the more important as they seek their first major scalp of the campaign.In a power-packed line-up, there’s something unassuming about Gudakesh Motie‘s left-arm offerings, but as England discovered in December – and as seven wickets at 11.85 amply attest now – his relentless flight and guile has the ability to apply a handbrake to all manner of free-flowing teams, particularly ones quite as stacked with right-handers as England’s. In his first T20I encounter with Jos Buttler’s men, in Grenada six months ago, he returned the remarkable figures of 1 for 9 in four overs, then capped that impact with 3 for 24 in the series decider in Trinidad. Straightening the ball at the stumps from round the wicket might not seem the most complex of modus operandi, but if there’s an iota of assistance in a used surface in St Lucia, he’s likely to exploit it.

Team news

Not a lot of concerns for West Indies after a dominant display against Afghanistan, although they do have a handful of selection conundrums. Roston Chase and Shai Hope are competing for the same middle-order berth, while Romario Shepherd missed the last match for paternity leave, but is due back with the squad in good time for the match. He could slot back in ahead of Obed McCoy.West Indies (possible): 1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Shai Hope/Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sherfane Rutherford, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Obed McCoy/Romario Shepherd.England mixed it up a touch after the showers in Antigua had reduced their Namibia match to 11 overs, with Sam Curran and Chris Jordan both included to offer a wider range of death-bowling options. Both could keep their places, with Jordan’s death bowling and extra batting giving him an edge over Mark Wood. Will Jacks also seems likely to come back into the XI, potentially down the order at No. 6, with Liam Livingstone missing training due to a sickness bug – but having recovered from the side niggle he suffered against Namibia.England (possible): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Will Jacks, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Mark Wood/Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

This will be another outing for the belter of a surface on which West Indies racked up 218 for 5 against Afghanistan on Monday, so a high-scoring contest is in prospect. The dimensions are a touch lop-sided, 63 metres on one square boundary, compared to 72 metres on the other, but the prevailing wind tends to blow to the longer side, so the big hitters can expect some bang for their buck.

Stats and trivia

• England and West Indies duked it out in an entertaining T20I series in December, with West Indies winning 3-2 thanks to a four-wicket win in the decider in Trinidad.
• Moeen Ali and Obey McCoy each need one wicket to reach 50 in T20Is, while Akeal Hosein needs two more for the same milestone.
• England have played three previous T20Is in St Lucia, and have never yet lost a game. Two of those came during their triumph World T20 campaign in 2010, including a crushing semi-final victory over Sri Lanka. Most recently they beat West Indies by four wickets in March 2019.
• West Indies themselves have played in ten of the 21 T20Is at the venue, winning six of those, including five of their last six.

Quotes

“It’s good that we’re starting here and actually we play one game on it, before the start of the Super Eight. We’re a little bit accustomed to the bounce and accustomed the wicket. Hopefully that would suit us a little bit more than the Englishmen.”
“I think maybe the West Indies would be hopefully trying to get their own back for our fans that were so incredible… they’ll try and rally them and create this cauldron of an atmosphere tomorrow night. It’s going to be incredible.”

Had Hasaranga not been picked for the Bangladesh Tests, the disciplinary ban that followed would have meant him missing the start of the global event in June

Madushka Balasuriya20-Mar-2024Wanindu Hasaranga’s surprise return from retirement to the Sri Lankan Test side was not a ploy to avoid the legspinner missing T20 World Cup games later this year, according to Sri Lanka Cricket.Hasaranga was suspended from international cricket after stacking up demerit points for showing dissent against an umpiring decision in Sri Lanka’s defeat to Bangladesh on March 18. But immediately after the game and before the sanction was handed out by the ICC, Hasaranga came out of Test retirement to be named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad to face Bangladesh. The ICC ruling that followed took his demerit points up to eight, which meant he would have to miss two Tests, four ODIs or four T20Is, depending on which came first.Had Hasaranga not been named in the Test squad, the ban would have seen him miss the start of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign in June. But as it turned out, his return to the Test fold – despite not having played a first-class match in over a year – ensured that his ban would be served during Sri Lanka’s next two Tests instead.Related

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According to SLC, Hasaranga had informed them in an email on March 16 of his desire to be considered for Test cricket selection going forward, citing his improved fitness levels.Ajantha Mendis, a member of Sri Lanka’s selection committee, meanwhile stated that Hasaranga had in fact intimated his desire to play Test cricket even earlier.”It was about two weeks ago that he told us he was open to playing Tests again,” Mendis told ESPNcricinfo. “We know how it looks, but this decision was taken well before the final ODI.”The ICC is believed to have been in touch with SLC about the matter, to confirm Hasaranga’s Test return more than anything else. Though there is awareness of the circumstances and possible intentions of Hasaranga’s Test return, there is also an acknowledgement that no rules have been broken and so little can be done about it.Had Hasaranga actually played the Tests, it would have impacted his early availability with Sunrisers Hyderabad at IPL 2024. ESPNcricinfo has learned, however, that Sunrisers were unaware of Hasaranga’s plan to play those Tests.This is not the first time Sri Lanka has benefitted from a technical loophole. In the 2012 T20 World Cup, Kumar Sangakkara stood in as captain for one game to ensure that had the side been reprimanded for a slow over rate, it would be him instead of regular captain Mahela Jayawardene copping any sanction. Jayawardene had already been sanctioned for the same earlier in the tournament and would therefore have received a ban if he were to receive another sanction.