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Wan Julia’s maiden half-century for Malaysia went in vain

S Sudarshanan20-Jul-2024It was not the perfect game but Thailand got their Women’s Asia Cup 2024 campaign off to a winning start, keeping their perfect record over Malaysia in T20Is intact.Thailand missed a couple of key batters due to injuries, and were being led by a new, young captain Thipatcha Putthawong. But thanks to wicketkeeper-batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 35-ball 40, they managed to post a challenging 133 for 6 after opting to bat. And then, despite a 68-run opening partnership by Malaysia, they beat them by 22 runs.Despite the win, it was a day to forget for Thailand in the field as they spilled two catches and were a tad sloppy overall.

Thailand’s attacking ways pay off

Under the previous coach Harshal Pathak, Thailand developed an attacking game, packing their side with strokemakers. In their first Asia Cup game under new head coach Nitish Salekar, they continued in a similar vein even if the personnel were slightly different. In the absence of Natthakan Chantham, out with an ACL injury, the other regular opener Nattaya Boochatham set the tone early. She got going with three fours in the opening over. No. 4 Putthawong also struck one off the second ball she faced. This was when Malaysia’s seamers were getting plenty of swing.Koncharoenkai also found the gaps regularly, hitting two fours in three balls off Suabika Manivannan to keep the momentum going. Even though Thailand lost two wickets in the powerplay, they managed to hit eight fours and score 44 in that phase. In comparison, Malaysia scored 36 for 0 and hit only five fours in their batting powerplay.Koncharoenkai never let her intent dip, even when offspinner Mahirah Izzati Ismail was bowling in excellent rhythm. That confidence rubbed off on Phannita Maya, who also kept the scorecard moving. Koncharoenkai’s 48-run fourth-wicket partnership with Maya set the platform for Thailand’s score that proved enough.

Ismail impacts the middle overs

Ismail was introduced right after the powerplay and she struck immediately by deceiving Putthawong in flight. Putthawong went for the sweep but the ball was too full to do so, and was trapped lbw.Wan Julia’s maiden half-century went in vain•ACC

In her third over, Ismail struck twice in three balls. She got the set Koncharoenkai to mistime a cut to backward point, and then flighted the ball to Chanida Sutthiruang, who chipped it straight to cover. Despite Thailand’s attacking ways, Ismail managed to hold her own. She conceded just one boundary in her four overs and finished with 3 for 16.

Julia, Duraisingam and Malaysia flatter to deceive

Malaysia had never beaten Thailand in four T20Is before Saturday. And without Mas Elysa, one of only two Malaysia batters with 1000-plus runs in the format, in the side, their hopes rested on their experienced openers Wan Julia and captain Winifred Duraisingam. They did their bit, stitching together a steady partnership.Duraisingam used the crease well to pierce the gaps in the powerplay. Julia used her power more, using the cuts and slashes. But with the Thailand bowlers not offering a lot of boundary opportunities, the pair had to rely on the running between the wickets. They took Malaysia to 59 for no loss after ten overs.But Duraisingam fell in the 12th over in a bid to attack offspinner Onnicha Kamchomphu. In the following over, Elsa Hunter also fell trying to attack legspinner Suleeporn Laomi. Even though Julia brought up her maiden T20I fifty – becoming Malaysia’s first half-centurion at the Asia Cup – Malaysia were waging a lost battle. Apart from their openers, no one else entered the double digits and Thailand flexed their bowling muscles aplenty to walk away with a win.

West Indies are also through but with a handicap, having conceded a game of small margins in front of a bouncing Harare crowd

Madushka Balasuriya24-Jun-2023Before the game, West Indies were favourites. At the halfway mark, West Indies remained favourites. And at the midway point of the chase, West Indies were arguably even stronger favourites. Yet, somehow, improbably, preposterously, it’s Zimbabwe that emerged winners by 35 runs, in front of a raucous crowd in Harare.By virtue of this win, Zimbabwe carry over a strong net run rate into the next round, and two points from this game as well as the same from their win against Netherlands. With a tricky game against Sri Lanka to come in the Super Sixes stage, these could prove vital in boosting their qualification chances – the top two teams from the Super Sixes book their passage to India for the World Cup.West Indies and Netherlands, the other two teams that are through to the Super Sixes from this group, will now battle to carry over two vital points themselves when they meet on Monday.

WI fined for slow over-rate

The entire West Indies playing XI have been fined 60% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Zimbabwe. They were found to be three overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Players are fined 20% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Match Referee Muhammad Javed imposed the sanctions.

The stats from today will show that Sikandar Raza was yet again Player of the Match, picking up two wickets to go with his 58-ball 68. It will show that the under-fire Tendai Chatara with figures was 3 for 52 was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers. And it will show Alzarri Joseph with an inconsequential 2 for 42. But this a game that took place within the margins.It all began rather cagily, with Zimbabwe put into bat on a good batting track but one that was expected to provide some early movement for the seamers. The West Indies seamers, particularly Joseph, exploited the favourable conditions expertly, deriving extra bounce off a good length and moving the ball in the air and off the surface. While it wasn’t exactly an overcast morning in Harare, it nevertheless brought out the more cautious side of openers Joylord Gumbie and Craig Ervine. By the end of the 10th over they had reached just 37.Roston Chase chops one onto his stumps•ICC/Getty Images

West Indies were playing the part in the field too, hurrying behind every lost cause and throwing themselves around to gain any edge. The pressure eventually would tell midway through the 15th over, when Ervine would chip an attempted loft straight to mid-on. But the chance would be spilled – a theme that would recur throughout the innings.Ervine would eventually fall for 47, but that was 22 extra runs from the point he was dropped. These extra runs would add up. The most egregious missed opportunities though would come off Raza, who was dropped on 1 and 7 off Joseph on the way to what would be a match-winning 68. Ryan Burl would be the other batter to enjoy a second life, being grassed on 39 on his way a fifth ODI fifty.For West Indies, these would be particularly disappointing in that even discounting these missed chances, their bowling was so effective Zimbabwe were still limited to a subpar 268 – a score Ervine and Raza conceded was about 30 runs short of what they would have liked.The final 10 overs of Zimbabwe’s innings went for 75 runs, 25 of which came courtesy a streaky last-wicket stand between Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani. That partnership though highlighted the spirit in which Zimbabwe played this game, as the crowd cheered every run and every extra like it were a boundary.It was this momentum that was carried over into Zimbabwe’s fielding effort, where despite a rollicking start from the West Indies openers – they put on 43 in 6.3 overs – the hosts managed to reel it back, picking up two quick wickets, and then stringing together a period of such sustained pressure that they strung together 16 straight dot deliveries.Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza console Akeal Hosein•ICC/Getty Images

All the while, the crowd was amping up, never losing hope. Not even when Kyle Mayers broke loose and struck Muzarabani for a hat-trick of boundaries, nor when his partnership with Shai Hope was reaching threatening levels. And especially not when Mayers holed out at long-off.For a brief period Hope and Nicholas Pooran looked threatening in a 24-run stand, but then Hope was castled by Raza. Pooran then strung together 41 with Roston Chase, inclusive of some monster hits down the ground, but then Richard Ngarava returned to trap him leg before with a dipping inswinger on middle and leg. Was it going down leg? Perhaps. But there was no DRS for it to matter. In a game of such fine margins, it was scarcely out of place.And this would continue to be the pattern of the game. West Indies would chip away, threaten to pull clear, and Zimbabwe would reel them back. The crowd raised their tempo throughout; with each subsequent wicket it would get louder, until eventually the West Indies batters were gradually worn down.When nudging it around and singles would have sufficed, Keemo Paul would be trapped lbw looking to reverse-sweep. Jason Holder, having put together 37 with Roston Chase, would fish outside the off stump and edge through to the keeper. Chase would be the penultimate man to fall, chopping on trying to cut one that was too close to cut. The last would be Joseph, the man who had had so many chances put down, flicking low and hard straight to a catching midwicket, with none other than Raza stationed there.Should West Indies miss out on the big prize – that spot in the 2023 World Cup – it’s a game they will look back on and wonder how it came to be. And so, indeed, might Zimbabwe.

A round-up of the first day’s action of the seventh round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2009-10

Cricinfo staff15-Nov-2009Group BAn astonishing 16 wickets fell on the opening day at the Jinnah Stadium
as the Rawalpindi right-arm seamer Mohammad Rameez took 6 for 43 to send Sialkot crashing to 107. The hosts found themselves at an embarrassing 53 for 9, but Naved Arif scored 49 at No.10 to push the score past 100. Only three Sialkot batsmen went past double figures as Rameez wreaked havoc. Rawalpindi made a more assured start but lost four wickets – Arif chipped in with two – and took the first-innings lead.The opening day at the National Ground
between the hosts Islamabad and Peshawar was all about three players – Ali Sarfraz, Riaz Afridi and Azam Khan. The ball dominated the bat with 12 wickets falling, and the only batsman to make a significant contribution was Sarfraz, who scored 96 in Islamabad’s total of 256. Afridi, the right-arm seamer took five wickets while Azam, another right-armer, took four to support Afridi. Islamabad’s lower order chipped to beef up the score after a disappointing 111 for 6. Peshawar lost their openers in reply and ended the day at 47 for 2.A combined bowling effort by Lahore Ravi helped bowl out Quetta for 220 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground.
Shahzad Tareen top scored with 68 but he didn’t get decent support from the rest. His knock came off 110 balls with nine fours. Mohammad Irshad was the leading wicket-taker with three wickets while Waqas Ahmed, Junaid Zia and Aamer Hayat took two each. The Lahore openers were unbeaten at stumps.Continuing his good form from the previous game, where he scored an unbeaten 200, Abbottabad captain Adnan Raees made an unbeaten 101 as his team finished on 279 for 9 against Multan in Okara.
Opener Fawad Khan also made a significant contribution – 89- and shared a stand of 97 for the third wicket with Mohammad Kashif, before Raees joined him for a bigger stand of 112 for the fifth. When Fawad was dismissed by Ansar Javed, Multan fought back to pick up quick wickets. Javed ended the day with 3 for 65.Group AHabib Bank Limited grabbed the advantage on the first day against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Islamabad. Half-centuries from opener Naeemuddin and captain Azhar Shafiq had taken SNGPL to a comfortable position at 149 for 2, but a collective bowling display from HBL saw to it that the opposition was bowled out for 245. Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman starred with 4 for 59, and was backed up by fast bowler Sarmad Anwar (3 for 47) and Mohammad Aslam (2 for 37). The trio, with their burst of wickets, caused a collapse, as eight wickets fell for 96 runs. In reply, HBL were in a spot of bother, with opener Shan Masood retiring hurt and Saleem Elahi falling to Asad Ali; they were 10 for 1 at stumps.Water and Power Development Authority held the edge against Karachi Whites at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. In an admirable bowling effort, WAPDA bowled out Karachi for 170, thanks to three-wicket hauls from fast bowlers Shabbir Ahmed and Azharullah. It could have been worse for Karachi, for they were reeling at 101 for 8 at on stage. A 67-run stand between Akbar-ur-Rehman (58) and No.10 batsman Tabish Khan (21) saved their blushes somewhat. It was Tabish again who led the fight in the WAPDA reply, taking three wickets to put them in a spot of bother at 86 for 4. However, Jahangir Mirza (34 not out) and Ali Azmat (25 not out) stabilized the innings in an unbeaten 42-run stand to steer their team to 128 for 4 at stumps, still 42 runs adrift.Khan Research Laboratories reached a comfortable position against National Bank of Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Driven by half-centuries from Saeed Anwar jnr, Bazid Khan and Zahoor Elahi, KRL reached 319 for 7 at stumps. NBP, boosted by Wasim Khan’s three-for, had limited KRL to 115 for 4, but a 165-run stand between Bazid and Elahi turned the balance in their favour. However, KRL received a setback towards the end of the day, for they lost three wickets for 21. But with Elahi still at the crease on 76, and Jaffar Nazir (14 not out) supporting him in an unbeaten stand of 18, KRL are in with a chance of extending their advantage much further.Sui Southern Gas Corporation dominated Lahore Shalimar on the opening day at the Gaddafi Stadium. Opener Azeem Ghumman smashed an unbeaten 143, laced with 11 fours and a six, to mark a productive day for SSGC, who were boosted by four important partnerships. The lowest stand of the day was between the openers, and it yielded 59 runs. Ghumman then added 79 with Imran Abbas, followed by 65 with Bilal Asad. He signed off day one with an unbeaten partnership of 94 with captain Saeed Bin Nasir (57 not out) to take his team to 297 for 3 at stumps. Lahore face the possibility of an imposing first-innings score, and will have to strike early on the second day to give themselves a chance.Pakistan Customs walked away with first-day honours against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. Debutant Ahmed Jamal (4 for 61) and Tahir Mughal (3 for 46) shared seven wickets between them to leave ZTBL at 224 for 8 at stumps. The pair got into the act from the outset, with Mughal dismissing opener Inam-ul-Haq for a duck. Opener Zohaib Khan resisted with a 175-ball, barring a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket, there wasn’t much support from the other end. But the lower order stepped up to the task after Zohaib fell; Mohammad Khalil chipped in with 22 and Kashif Daud made a handy 18 to rally around wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider, who remained unbeaten on 59. From a precarious position at 116 for 6, ZTBL recovered to a more respectable position, though Pakistan Customs still hold the cards going into the second day.

The visitors will arrive in Dhaka on January 10 and are likely to do in-room quarantine for the first three days

Mohammad Isam15-Dec-2020West Indies will tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and two Tests in January, CWI confirmed on Tuesday after their inspection team reported back to the board of directors on what they saw during their short trip earlier this month. The tour will be a shortened one from what was originally scheduled, as there will be one less Test and no T20I series.The visitors will arrive in Dhaka on January 10, after which they are likely to do in-room quarantine for the first three days, followed by four days of training among themselves. They will play a warm-up one-day game at the BKSP in Savar, some 40km to the north of the capital Dhaka.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The ODIs will be played on January 20, 22 and 25, with the third game to be held at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, which will also host the first Test from February 3. Ahead of the Test series, West Indies will also play a four-day warm-up game at the MA Aziz Stadium (also in Chattogram), a ground just across the road from the team hotel.The second Test is in Dhaka from February 11, and West Indies are expected to leave the capital on February 16. This will be Bangladesh’s first international series since the pandemic put most of the world into lockdown. Bangladesh have already had bilateral series against Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka postponed indefinitely, although the BCB has maintained that they are trying to rearrange all of these matches.

Study reveals potentially devastating loss of council-run cricket pitches in wake of Covid-19 outbreak

Andrew Miller15-Jun-2020The ECB has been challenged to do more to ensure its junior participation schemes are made relevant to the South Asian cricketing community, following a new study that has revealed a potentially devastating reduction in council-run cricket pitches in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.Writing in the National Asian Cricket Council newsletter, chairman Gulfraz Riaz cited the findings of a recent report by the Grounds Management Association, which estimates that cricket – with its specialised requirements for pitch maintenance – could be the hardest-hit sport in the UK post-Covid, with more than half of its playing capacity lost in the coming decade, compared to a fifth for rugby and football.And this, in turn, could put huge pressure on the Asian cricketing community, which is estimated to represent between 30 and 35% of all active cricketers in the UK, but – unlike the club structure of traditional English cricket – is based overwhelmingly on a complex network of parks leagues that the ECB, through its county boards, has so far struggled to support through the pandemic.Writing in the newsletter, Riaz says that the Covid outbreak has had a “hugely detrimental and potentially even longer-lasting effect on the South Asian Parks Cricketing Community (SAPCC) up and down the country,” and adds that, while the community remains self-sufficient for now, “the first small signs of cracks have started to appear” in the decades-old league structures, not least because young British Asians are as tempted as their white-British counterparts by alternative forms of recreation.”The problems at hand are two-fold,” Riaz wrote. “Firstly in terms of very real and meaningful engagement with the next generation of young Asian players and secondly the unfortunate case of still being left to play on substandard local authority grounds and facilities. These are incredibly alarming signs [but] something actually we should not be too surprised to see.”ALSO READ: Almanack Archive: Winds of change blow through British Asian cricketThe ECB launched the South Asian Action Plan in May 2018 with the aim of engaging more effectively with South Asian communities at every level of the game. And while the board admitted from the outset that there was no “quick fix” to the status quo, it has since invested significantly in the sort of publicly-accessible facilities that the parks leagues rely on, including a new partnership in Manchester that will deliver 92 new all-weather pitches across every borough of the city.However, recreational cricket in England and Wales remains suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic, which means that the ECB’s hopes of building on the extraordinary success of last summer’s World Cup and Ashes series have also taken a hit.And while Riaz acknowledged that the ECB’s All-Stars programme, aimed at 5 to 8-year-olds, and the new Dynamos scheme for 8 to 11-year-olds were “very welcome additions”, he warned that their club-based points of delivery meant that the parks leagues had been “bypassed” on that front.”It is absolutely imperative therefore that the drivers of these programmes listen, understand and find very real and meaningful ways to directly engage with the cricketing heads from these leagues,” he wrote, “and most importantly get a grip in helping sustain and grow cricket within the SAPCC and youngsters from this important section of the national cricketing community.”The UK economy shrank by more than 20% in April due to the Covid lockdown, and speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Riaz acknowledged that local authorities could not be expected to prioritise council-run cricket pitches over and above other key public services, such as maintaining highway verges and cemeteries.But, he added, the economic downturn was bound to have knock-on effects on Asian participation in particular when cricket does resume, and stressed that, two years on from the launch of the South Asian Action Plan, it was the duty of county boards to find a way to ensure that the ECB’s offers of financial support during the pandemic were able to filter down to the parks communities.”The driving force for the Asian cricket community are its leagues,” said Riaz. “These are made up of teams drawn up from taxi ranks and restaurants. They are not constituted, they don’t have bank accounts, they are set up in an individual’s name, and that causes problems when funding needs to be transferred.”Asian cricket has previously thrived on a pay-as-you-play structure,” he added. “These teams don’t have gas and electricity bills – they don’t even have clubhouses – so in some ways they are immune to the economics. But if these same players are obliged to put food on the table rather than play cricket when their businesses do reopen, then we will be looking at a huge decline in numbers.”Responding to the points raised, a ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo that the board was committed to making all of its programmes welcoming and diverse as part of the South Asian Action Plan. Citing the initiative in Manchester, he added that 17 of those new pitches would be introduced in parks and playing fields in Greater Manchester this year, and that, nationally, 549 female South Asian volunteers had so far been recruited to help deliver the All Stars programme in key inner-city areas.”We continue to talk regularly to our County Cricket Boards (CCBs) and our leagues and clubs across the country to understand the needs of those reliant on public facilities as the social restrictions begin to ease, to offer support and to match them with additional cricket facilities where appropriate,” the spokesman added.

Uganda beat PNG for their first World Cup win but the co-hosts will present them with a much stiffer challenge at the Providence

Srinidhi Ramanujam08-Jun-20241:56

Badree: Shamar and McCoy can rattle Uganda

Match details

West Indies vs Uganda
June 8, Providence, 7.30pm local

Big picture: Uganda’s players take on their heroes

It’s strange and beautiful that Uganda’s third T20I against a Full-Member nation – they first beat Zimbabwe in Africa Qualifiers to reach the T20 World Cup and then lost to Afghanistan on their World Cup debut – is against West Indies. Irrespective of the result, Saturday will be celebrated and cherished not just in the Ugandan dressing room in Providence but also back home. Some Ugandan players’ role models are West Indians. In batter Simon Ssesazi’s words, some of them “only support West Indies in any format of the game” and it’s a “blessing” to play against them. There is so much love and admiration for the co-hosts of this World Cup – Frank Nsubuga, 43, had named his son Pollard after a certain West Indian legend.West Indies are coming into this game on the back of five successive wins and will be keen to extend that streak. Though they were given a scare by Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their opening match, West Indies eventually got home thanks to Roston Chase’s cameo in the chase.As for Uganda, they are history-makers. They are fighters. Back home, they don’t even have a floodlit facility for practice and so they are not used to playing under lights. Treading in this uncharted territory in their first World Cup appearance, where all of their four Group C matches are played under lights, they suffered a heavy defeat to Afghanistan in their opener. However, Uganda were quick to adjust to the conditions as they overcame PNG in a low-scoring thriller in their next game to secure their first victory in the World Cup.Related

• Nsubuga's bowling, not his age, takes him into the record books

• Uganda's bowlers. Riazat seal their first win in T20 World Cup history

For them, facing co-hosts West Indies will be a much stiffer challenge. If Uganda have played a total of 93 T20Is so far, Nicholas Pooran alone has featured in 89 T20Is. The biggest concern for Uganda going into Saturday’s game will be their batting after they had been bowled out for 58 against Afghanistan and lost seven wickets in a chase of 78 against PNG. Can they challenge the power-packed West Indies at the Providence?

Form guide

West Indies WWWW
Uganda WLWLWMeet 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga, the oldest player in the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty Images

In the spotlight – Roston Chase and Riazat Ali Shah

Andre Russell isn’t the only West Indian allrounder Uganda should be wary of. Roston Chase 2.0, has been in exceptional form since being recalled to the T20I side this year. In 2024, he has bowled full quota of four overs in three of the four T20Is, picking up four wickets and conceding less than six runs an over. With the bat, he has scored 37, 32*, 67*, 42* – at a strike rate of 154.78.Riazat Ali Shah, one of Uganda’s most promising talents, made a cautious 33 off 56 to steer a tricky chase after an early collapse against PNG. He has a strike rate of 122.7 in 59 T20Is and will look to find a higher tempo against West Indies.

Team news

West Indies couldn’t accommodate fast bowler Shamar Joseph and batter Shimron Hetmyer in the XI against PNG. Instead, they continued to back Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford. They might stick with the same XI against Uganda.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh MotieUganda made three changes for the second game from the XI that played the opener with Ronak Patel (opener), Henry Ssenyondo (left-arm spinner), and Bilal Hassan (medium pacer) sitting out. They brought in two pace options in Juma Miyagi and Kenneth Waiswa and a spin allrounder in Nsubuga. Both Miyagi and Nsubuga played key roles in Uganda’s win against PNG and are likely to retain their spots.Uganda (probable XI): 1 Roger Mukasa, 2 Simon Ssesazi (wk), 3 Robinson Obuya, 4 Riazat Ali Shah, 5 Dinesh Nakrani, 6 Alpesh Ramjani, 7 Juma Miyagi, 8 Brian Masaba (capt), 9 Kenneth Waiswa, 10 Cosmas Kyewuta, 11 Frank NsubugaRovman Powell’s West Indies will look to click into top gear against Uganda•Getty Images

Stats that matter: Pooran hot on Gayle’s heels

• Nicholas Pooran needs 25 runs to surpass Chris Gayle’s tally of 1899 and become West Indies’ highest run-getter in men’s T20Is.
• Pooran and Russell have hit 786 sixes between them in T20s since 2019.
• Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani has 13 wickets in in six T20Is this year at an economy rate of 4.3.

Pitch and conditions: Another sluggish surface on the cards

The surface in Providence is expected to be slow, so scoring might not be easy once again. Saturday might be cloudy with temperatures hovering around 23 degrees in the evening but there is no threat of rain or thunderstorms.

Quotes

“My game was always one [where] I could always rotate the strike and turn over the strike in the middle overs. But my game has evolved where I have learned and I’ve been practising to finish the game in the back end in terms of the power-hitting and getting stronger and stuff. So, I think that’s what really helped my game to evolve. So that’s made me a better player, yes.”
“Getting our first win against PNG is a dream come true. We never thought we’d win any game and everyone was like, ‘I think they’re just going to play and just come back and sit’. But putting in that good effort against PNG on the big stage, it has been mind-blowing. Kampala is just booming since the day we won, everyone is just calling us legends. I don’t know if we’re legends but yeah, it’s exciting.”

The success of the other batters has papered over Bavuma’s failures, but he must start scoring some runs with the knockouts approaching

Firdose Moonda04-Nov-2023Temba Bavuma is confident that, with South Africa’s campaign at the World Cup entering a crucial stage, he will rediscover the touch that made him enter this tournament as South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODI cricket this year.With 111 runs from five matches, Bavuma is the least profitable of South Africa’s top six at the World Cup at the moment, and has also scored fewer runs than their No. 7, Marco Jansen, but the form of his team-mates means he does not have to feel the pressure yet. “You always want to be making contributions,” he said in Kolkata ahead of South Africa’s meeting with India. “The other batters are smashing it at the moment, and I take comfort in the fact that I’ve been involved in some partnerships with Quinton [de Kock] up front.”Bavuma and de Kock shared a 108-run stand against Australia in Lucknow, to which Bavuma contributed 35, but none of their other partnerships has topped 38. That 35 is Bavuma’s top score. He has been dismissed by left-arm seamers twice but there isn’t much more of a pattern to his (mis)fortunes other than the obvious – he has just been finding fielders. So, while the numbers say that Bavuma is struggling, some of the shots he has played – think the twin cover drives against New Zealand just before he edged Trent Boult to slip – and the ways in which he has got out suggest that things are not as bad as they may seem and de Kock agrees.Related

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“Temba has been batting really well,” de Kock told the media on Friday. “He has looked very solid up front. He has somehow found a way to keep getting out. He is still feeling good about his own game and is very confident. Temba always backs himself, which is a good thing and a good trait to have. He is not fazed. At least I hope he is not – it doesn’t look like he is.”And 24 hours later, Bavuma confirmed that he is, indeed, unfazed. “From my side, maybe it’s just one of those patches again where I am kind of scratching, but I think I’ve got to keep that belief that the opportunity will be there for me to make a big play within the team. That’s where my head is,” he said. “I take a lot of comfort in the fact that we’ve been getting starts in that first ten overs and obviously with the guys being in form, they’ve been able to exploit that and play the way that they’ve played.”But that does not mean there is no expectation of Bavuma and de Kock has predicts that one of the next few games – and South Africa have at least three matches left – will see the best of the captain. “I got a feeling one or two of these games – especially an important game – that’s when he is going to come through for us. That’s Temba Bavuma in a package,” de Kock said.Asked whether the backing of his team-mates is a balm during tough times, Bavuma appeared at his brightest in what could have otherwise been an intimidating press engagement. “I take a lot of confidence from that. That’s something that I feel every day within the team,” he said. “And I think it’s probably due to the fact that there’s a group of batters who’ve been with each other for the last three or four years. We’ve seen each other go through the little ups and the downs and we know that all of us mentally have what it takes to get over the little challenges that we face.”Temba Bavuma has found ways to get out despite looking in good touch•Associated Press

One of those challenges would have been the pre-match press conference. There were more journalists than at any of South Africa’s other matches and one of them was direct in asking whether South Africa have faced their demons.”Have you talked about not choking in this important match?” a reporter asked Bavuma, as there was some awkward shuffling in the room.”I don’t know how to answer that,” Bavuma replied. “I think if we come unstuck tomorrow, I don’t think it’ll be a matter of choking. I doubt you would say that about India as well if they come unstuck that they would choke.”And that may have been the mic-drop. Bavuma is not a hostile or confrontational character but a soft-spoken, thoughtful and intellectual cricketer. And as this World Cup reaches the business end, he is proving to be one who has both internalised the challenges that he faces as the captain of a South African team, with all the history that comes with that role, and as an opening batter, albeit one who is due some runs.”Mentally, I’ve obviously got to keep staying there. There’s still got a lot of cricket to go within this tournament. And I believe that I’ll have a part to play somewhere within the tournament.”

Lewis Goldsworthy claims important wickets before Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby seal chase

Matt Roller18-Sep-2020Somerset 146 for 3 (Davies 45) beat Northamptonshire 140 for 9 (Cobb 49, Goldsworthy 2-21) by seven wicketsOnly 10 days ago it would have been a ludicrous suggestion that Somerset could qualify for the T20 Blast quarter-finals at Northamptonshire’s expense. But thanks to a tight bowling effort on a used surface, and an unbroken 65-run stand in only seven overs between Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby on Friday evening, the teams are level on points with one game remaining in the group stage.Lammonby and Abell came together after Steven Davies was trapped lbw for an enterprising 45 in the 11th over; while the required rate was extremely manageable, memories of their four defeats while chasing in this competition would have lingered.But nerves were hard to detect: Abell nudged singles and improvised as required, before Lammonby struck three towering sixes to see them over the line, after their spinners had set things up by restricting Northants to a below-par 140 for 9.It is a testament to Somerset’s faith in young players that they have managed to keep their season alive. In Lammonby, Lewis Goldsworthy and Will Smeed, they have fielded three players born in the 21st century in their last two wins, and while Wednesday night’s effort in Cardiff was set up by Babar Azam, this victory owed much to the youth wing.Goldsworthy, who quietly impressed in England’s disappointing Under-19 World Cup campaign at the start of the year, bowled tidy left-arm spin here, removing Northants’ two set batsmen to start the rot after they had reached 73 for 1 in nine overs.And while Smeed fell cheaply, two games after hitting a 49-ball 82 in his second professional appearance, Lammonby finished the job with a 23-ball cameo of 43 not out, showcasing his power game over the leg side. Next week’s Lord’s final still represents their best chance of a trophy this season, but victory against pace-setting Gloucestershire on Sunday should be enough to book a place in the quarter-finals.”They haven’t been traditional Taunton T20 wickets this season: they’ve held a little, and the addition of another spinner [Goldsworthy] has helped us take pace off the ball,” Lewis Gregory, Somerset’s captain, said. “But I thought the three spinners bowled beautifully, trying to get them to put pace back on the ball. If you keep taking wickets, it makes T20 cricket a lot easier.Lewis Goldsworthy claims another wicket for Somerset•Getty Images

Gregory admitted victory in Bristol – where they have not won in the Blast since 2015 – would be no cakewalk. “We’re going to have to go to Bristol and try to play a brand of cricket that will be effective on that surface. They’ve had a fantastic Blast so far – there’s no pressure on our front, and we’ll go there and try to put in a performance.”After four wins and a wash-out in the first half of the competition, Northants have lost four in a row to leave them with a must-win game against Birmingham Bears on Sunday. They had been imperious at the start of the competition, with Paul Stirling flying with the bat and their spinners strangling opponents, but ever since news of a squad member’s positive Covid-19 test, their form has nosedived.They are a county with proud T20 heritage, and will not want to blame their drop-off on that alone, but its effect on their season has been clear. Their first two defeats after the mid-tournament round of Bob Willis Trophy fixtures came without two self-isolating players, and they have been unable to arrest the slide.”We don’t want to use it as an excuse,” Josh Cobb said. “The first game back, you could clearly see it had had an impact, but since then it’s not necessarily been a problem – we’ve had time to train, and put in the performances, we’ve just been a bit short.”We saw the impact of momentum in the first half of the comp, and the same thing can happen the opposite way, and that’s what’s currently happening. There’s not too much to say ahead of Sunday: everyone knows what we’ve got to do, which is turn up and win.”Northants’ innings was a perfect reflection of their season: after reaching 82 for 2 after 10 overs, they managed only three boundaries in the second half to limp to 140 for 9. Stirling fell to Goldsworthy, playing only his second professional game, when holing out to long-off, and when Adam Rossington heaved to long-on two overs later, captain Josh Cobb – unbeaten on 49 – held the key.But he too picked out a man on the rope three balls later, with Roelof van der Merwe taking a spectacular diving catch over his head, and from 89 for 4, Northants never looked like posting a competitive total. Somerset’s spinners – Goldsworthy, van der Merwe and Max Waller – were particularly frugal, with a combined return of 3 for 72 across their 13 overs, and will have a big role to play at Bristol.

Kent seal second win of Championship season after Warwickshire’s final-day collapse

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2022Kent took a huge step away from the lower reaches of the LV=Insurance County Championship Division One with a thumping 177-run victory over struggling champions Warwickshire at Edgbaston.After resuming on 28 for 2, in pursuit of a target of 325, the home side folded to 147 all out before lunch. Matt Milnes led the demolition with a destructive burst of 6.5-1-11-4 but Kent’s quartet of seamers all played their part in building the pressure under which the Bears buckled.The result leaves Warwickshire, who visit leaders Surrey next week, in real jeopardy of following their title triumph in 2021 with relegation in 2022. Kent, meanwhile, spring into mid-table after an excellent performance by a team galvanised by the arrival of overseas pacemen Navdeep Saini and Matt Henry.Related

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Their seam attack possessed the cutting edge that the depleted Bears, without the injured Liam Norwell, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes, sorely lacked. Kent’s bowlers also were supported by fine work in the field, led by captain and wicketkeeper Sam Billings who took 12 catches in the match, surpassing the previous Kent record of ten (Fred Huish, 1911, and Jack Hubble, 1923).The final day had a helter-skelter start as Sam Hain hit his first three balls for four but then edged a fine delivery from Saini to Billings.Dom Sibley and Will Rhodes dug in to add 35 but then came a moment which summed up the old cricket truism that it’s when things are going against you that Lady Luck will give you another good kicking. Rhodes, having looked in decent nick and started to sow the seeds of a partnership with Sibley, was strangled down the leg side off Quinn.That’s always an infuriating way to get out – all the more so when it triggers a collapse of 61 for 7 in 91 balls.Kent seam depth in this game showed itself as, with spearheads Saini and Henry grazing, Matt Quinn and Milnes took up the attack and took five wickets in 30 balls.Quinn followed the wicket of Rhodes with that of Dan Mousley who edged behind. Milnes produced an unplayable lifter to take Michael Burgess’ edge and then forced Sibley to play on. Milnes had 3 for 7 after taking a return catch from Danny Briggs.With Warwickshire’s last two wickets needing to find 196, Kent turned to the spinners to improve their over-rate. Jack Leaning disposed of Craig Miles, caught and bowled, before Milnes returned to round off the rout when Olly Hannon-Dalby edged to first slip. Kent’s visit to Birmingham simply could not have gone any better.”The win is a product of all the things we talk about in the dressing room, how we are going to try to turn this around, and I think we saw all of it in this game,” Matt Walker, Kent’s coach, said. “You can’t just want to win and that’s enough, you have got to put the things in place and I was really impressed with the way the boys went about their work.”Our first day’s batting didn’t quite go to plan but our response after that over the next three days was outstanding. That felt like a Kent side of old. The quality through those two-and-a-half days was brilliant and it felt like a real team performance with some real key moments that we had to win and we did.””The league table doesn’t lie, what’s happening doesn’t lie,” Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s coach, said. “What people can’t see behind the scenes is all the thought and the effort that goes in and the hurt that the players are feeling. In both the last two games they have committed a lot to the games and it’s just not been enough.”

The seven final bidders comprise Disney Star, Sony, Viacom-Reliance, Zee, Fun Asia, Super Sport and Times Internet

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Jun-2022Amazon has pulled out of the race to own the media rights to the IPL for the next five years. ESPNcricinfo has learned the global e-commerce giant is not among the final list of seven bidders participating in the e-auction on Sunday to decide who will get to broadcast one of the most lucrative tournaments in the cricket calendar.Amazon has been a lead player in acquiring lucrative streaming rights across global sports and was expected to bid aggressively for the IPL’s digital rights packages. In 2021, the company struck a billion-dollar-a-year deal (for 10 years) to broadcast just 15 Thursday night matches in the National Football League in the USA. Their withdrawal will be a blow to the IPL.It is learned that the decision not to pursue the media rights was made by Amazon’s top brass in the US and that it was communicated to the IPL on Friday – the deadline for bidders to submit their paperwork.With Disney-Star, Sony, Viacom-Reliance, Zee, Fun Asia, Super Sport and Times Internet still in the running, the number of bidders this time is exactly half that of the previous auction, when 14 companies vied for the broadcast rights of the IPL from 2018 to 2022. Star India beat all comers with a record bid of $2.55 billion in the global consolidated category (TV and digital for India and rest of the world), making it the richest media rights deal in cricket.This time, though, the IPL has segregated the TV and digital rights into their own packages. Package A consists of TV rights for the Indian subcontinent. Package B caters to digital rights for the Indian subcontinent. Package C contains digital rights for a special bouquet of matches, including the playoffs, for the Indian subcontinent. And Package D, TV and digital rights for the Rest of the World, which is divided into two sub-categories: combined ROW or five individual regions.The auction will start at 11am IST on Sunday with the simultaneous sale of Packages A and B. Only once winners are decided for them will Packages C and D come up for bidding. Also, given there is a half hour interval between every bid, there is a strong chance the auction may spill over into a second day.Every bidder can compete for more than one category but will need to list their price on a per match basis. For Package A, the base price per match is INR 49 crore (USD 6.3 million approx.). For Package B, it is INR 33 crore (USD 4.2 million approx.). For Package C, it is INR 16 crore (USD 2.05 million approx.). For Package D, it is INR 3 crore (USD 390,000 approx.).The IPL has made one change to the e-auction though. The winner of Package A can enter into a contest for the digital rights with the winner of Package B. Originally, this contest was supposed to feature bid increments of at least 5% but now it’s become a direct face-off. No minimum bid increments. The same process would be repeated to determine the winners of Packages C and D.