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England name 17 players, including seven on two-year deals, to cover Ashes and twin World Cups

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2024Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer have been handed full ECB central contracts for the first time, while a senior core of seven players – including captain Heather Knight and senior allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, have been given two-year deals, ahead of a busy women’s schedule that includes the Ashes in January and back-to-back 20- and 50-over World Cups in 2025 and 2026.Gaur, the promising left-arm seamer, and Filer, England’s fastest bowler, are the only new additions to the 17-player pool, having been on development contracts last year. Emma Lamb and Tash Farrant have been cut from the list from 2023-24.A further three players have been handed development deals for the next 12 months, including Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who made her ODI and T20I against Ireland in September, and is currently in South Africa ahead of the one-off Test at Bloemfontein which starts on Sunday.Clare Connor, England women’s managing director, said: “As ever, we have awarded central contracts to the players we feel will play a significant role for England in the foreseeable future.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We are delighted that Mahika Gaur and Lauren Filer have transitioned on to full contracts, having been part of our group over the past year.”Ryana MacDonald-Gay has had an outstanding year, and the development contract affords her the opportunity to continue to push her claim for selection. We look forward to working with all three players on development contracts and their Counties to ensure they continue their development.”We have another significant period of cricket ahead and we believe this group of players have the skills to be successful in all conditions and formats which will be essential as we look forward to a two-year period that includes the Women’s Ashes in early 2025, multiple bilateral series, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, and a home ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the summer of 2026.”This is another landmark year in terms of increased remuneration for England Women. We have been able to make another significant increase in the value of central contracts on the back of last year’s equalisation of men’s and women’s international match fees across all formats. We continue to work positively with the England Women’s Player Partnership (EWPP) and the PCA and are grateful for both their support and challenge in these matters.”England Women’s Player Partnership Management Board Member, Emma Reid, said: “EWPP and the PCA are really encouraged at the progression of standards within the Women’s Central Contracts, achieved through strong collaboration between the ECB and player representatives.
“It is positive to see multi-year agreements, showing long term commitment from the ECB and also the players who continue to prioritise representing their country.”We are pleased to have worked with the ECB and the players to achieve the priorities of being well supported in their England careers.”

Bridget Patterson played the key hand with the bat with her 70 lifting the home side to a competitive total

AAP29-Oct-2023A bizarre run out helped Adelaide Strikers hand Brisbane Heat their first defeat of the WBBL season, downing the visitors by 59 runs to go second on the ladder.On the same night that the Melbourne Stars got their season back on track with a seven-run over Perth Scorchers, Strikers did well to defend their total of 148 for 4 at Karen Rolton Oval.With Heat battling at 31 for 2 in reply, big hitter Mignon du Preez was run out for one at the non-striker’s end when a Georgia Voll drive was hit straight back at her.Related

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The ball rebounded off du Preez and onto the stumps, dislodging the bails, before bowler Amanda-Jade Wellington removed the stump from the ground and touched it with the ball with the South African still out of her crease.Players are able to remove the stump if the bails are already off to effect a run out, however it was questionable if Wellington had done so correctly with the ball in the opposite hand to that which pulled out the stump.The wicket proved a crucial moment in the game, as Wellington had Voll caught-and-bowled next ball for 15. The legspinner also claimed the key wicket of Jess Jonassen later in her spell, deceiving her in flight to have her stumped for 22. Heat were bowled out for 89 in 16 overs, ending their run of four straight wins to start the season.Wellington’s efforts with the ball came after Bridget Patterson hurt Heat with the bat for the second time in 12 months.The hero of Strikers’ finals win over Heat last summer, Patterson struck 70 off 53 to help rescue Strikers from 47 for 3 after 10 overs.Patterson hit seven boundaries and two sixes, including a massive hit off Sarah Glenn back over the spinner’s head.

Brown’s departure comes at a tumultuous time after the county posted £1.19m losses with relocation on the agenda

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2024Gloucestershire have announced that chief executive Will Brown will leave the club this summer, ending his 11-year association with the county.Brown succeeded Tom Richardson in 2013 and oversaw a Royal London Cup win in 2015 and promotion to Division One. Bristol’s County Ground has also become a regular host of international men’s and women’s cricket thanks to redevelopments that included the installation of floodlights a decade ago. He also pushed the club to become more environmentally sustainable while establishing itself as a leader in cricket for its community work.His departure comes at a challenging time with the county uncertain of its future. Last month, Gloucestershire reported a loss of £1.19 million in its annual accounts, more than twice the shortfall of £570,000 from the previous period in 2022/23.The cost of living crisis, day-to-day running costs, and a washed-out ODI at Bristol between England and Ireland in September 2023 were blamed for the current situation. Given the club’s non-Test and Hundred hosting status, those internationals usually provide a much-needed windfall for the counties. An independent audit by chartered accountants, Saffery LLP, revealed net liabilities of £5,019,000, leaving Gloucestershire in breach of its banking covenants and casting “significant doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern”.The club’s dire financial situation has led it to explore selling its historic ground at Nevill Road. Purchased with the assistance of WG Grace in 1889, it is estimated to be worth between £25 and £40 million now. Gloucestershire have already identified a site to build a new venue, north of Bristol near the M4.At the end of April, Gloucestershire members voted out David Jones as chair, while acting chair Steve Nelson and honorary treasurer Rebecca Watkin will also leave at the end of the season. Last week, Arron Banks, co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign, declared his interest in taking over the club in an open letter to members. In a statement released on Wednesday, Brown stated his decision to move on was made earlier this year.”I have absolutely loved my time at Gloucestershire Cricket and it has been one of the greatest honours of my life to serve the club I have supported my whole life.”The decision to leave is not one I have taken lightly and it has taken me months of agonising to reach this point. This decision is one I made much earlier in the year and is a personal one based on what I believe the club needs and my own future, especially in light of my bike accident of last year.”I leave in the knowledge that we have a fantastic group of players, coaches, staff and volunteers who are completely dedicated to the Club and its future.””In the last few months we have re-structured our coaching and finance departments, acquired financial support for the future of the Club, secured Men’s and Women’s International cricket all the way through to 2031 and are making progress in our exploration of a move from the Nevil Road site.”Over the next few months up until my departure we will also secure additional investment into Women & Girls cricket locally, confirm our new County Partnership Agreement (CPA) with the ECB, bid for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and work with the ECB on the future of the Hundred and Gloucestershire’s role within in it.”Commenting on Brown’s departure, acting chair Steve Nelson said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Will over the last five years and we are very grateful for all he has done at Nevil Road. His tenure has seen a step change in hosting international cricket and this will very much be his legacy to the club.”He has always been a very positive leader, a skill that came to the fore when faced with the difficult challenges of running the club throughout the pandemic. This needed him to be truly resilient, taking others with him, and he rose to the challenge in these difficult times. He has also worked tirelessly on ensuring the club builds its reputation for environmental sustainability and community work which will be key building blocks for the future success of the club.”All of us at Gloucestershire wish him the very best in whatever challenge he takes on next and he will be missed!””Gloucestershire County Cricket Club board are already working on plans for the leadership of the club in in the short and long term, including recruiting a new CEO. Members will be kept informed as these plans develop over the coming weeks.”

He was suspended on Tuesday for assaulting a Bangladesh cricketer and taking more leaves than mentioned in his contract

Mohammad Isam17-Oct-2024Two days after suspending Chandika Hathurusinghe, the BCB has terminated him as Bangladesh’s head coach. The sacking came on the grounds of misconduct and breach of employment terms.BCB president Faruque Ahmed said on Tuesday that Hathurusinghe assaulted a Bangladesh cricketer and took more leaves than mentioned in his contract. The board had served him a show-cause notice, seeking an explanation on the two counts of misconduct. Hathurusinghe responded on the following day, which prompted an emergency board meeting to review the situation on Thursday.”After considering all factors, the board deemed Hathurusinghe’s explanation unsatisfactory and unacceptable and found his action consistent with misconduct and dereliction of duty,” a BCB release said. “His termination comes into immediate effect.”This ends Hathurusinghe’s second stint as Bangladesh coach, even though his contract was till January 2023. This stint included the milestone Test series win in Pakistan recently. However, the two World Cup campaigns, the ODI one in 2023 and the T20 one in 2024 were underwhelming.Phil Simmons has already been appointed the next head coach till the Champions Trophy in February 2025.

England’s bowling stocks struck by injury as allrounder spends second morning in dressing room

Matt Roller27-Jul-2023 • Updated on 28-Jul-2023England are sweating on the fitness of Moeen Ali, who injured his right groin while batting for England on the first day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, and was not expected to field at all during Australia’s first innings.Moeen, who is playing what is likely to be his last Test, pulled up sore after taking a single while batting with Harry Brook shortly after lunch on the first day. He received treatment from England physio Steve Griffin, and took painkillers before resuming his innings on 11 off 37 balls.Clearly struggling to move freely, Moeen opted to tee off and flogged 23 runs off his next nine balls, including two sixes over midwicket off Pat Cummins, a ramped upper-cut for four off the same bowler and a pull off Todd Murphy. But he fell for a 47-ball 34 when he was bowled by Murphy, and his dismissal prompted an England collapse from 184 for 3 to 283 all out.He did not take the field when England came out to bowl in the evening session, and a team spokesperson said on the second morning: “Moeen Ali will not field today following his right groin injury sustained batting on day one of this Test. He will continue to be assessed by the England medical team.” It was later confirmed that he will only be able to bat after 120 minutes have elapsed in England’s second innings or after the fall of the fifth wicket, whichever comes sooner.Related

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“I don’t think he’s too good at the minute,” Harry Brook told BBC at the close on the first day. “He’s been a vital player for us and maybe hasn’t done as well as he would have wanted to. He’s been a very vital player for us in this series, a top player. Hopefully he’s alright and gets well soon.”Brook – whose fourth-wicket stand with Moeen was eventually worth 111 – said that his team-mate’s response to the setback had been “perfect”, saying that he had taken his own decision to raise the tempo: “As soon as the physio left the pitch he said, ‘shall I just tee off now?” I actually said to him: ‘You should have been doing that from the start.'”He is one of the best power-hitters in the world and we’ve seen that in white-ball cricket, in franchise cricket, so there’s probably not any better men out there if you want him to go smack it really. It’s a shame he didn’t last a bit longer but the way he went about it after getting injured was perfect I thought.”Understandably, the pair dealt largely in boundaries in the latter stage of their stand. “I think we still could have easily got ones, because they decide to put the field back as soon as we played a few big shots,” Brook added. “I didn’t think that was a problem, but obviously he was in a bit of pain so there weren’t going to be many twos out there.”Moeen reversed his retirement to play in this Ashes series after Jack Leach was diagnosed with a lower-back stress fracture, and his 68th Test cap is expected to be his last.Asked about the prospect of touring India in January-March 2024 this week, he told the : “No chance I’ll do India. I can’t see it happening.” And while he conceded that “things can change whenever”, he is unlikely to feature again after this match.England do have another spin option in their ranks in the form of Joe Root’s offspin. Captain Ben Stokes practised his own offbreaks in the nets on Wednesday but is highly unlikely to bowl a ball this week.

“It would be a completely different conversation if I was feeling quite scratchy and feeling out of touch. I’m very fortunate that that’s not the case”

Firdose Moonda27-Dec-2024The numbers say Aiden Markram has had exactly the kind of Test year he always has. Currently on 499 runs, he averages 35.64 in 2024 which is only a fraction lower than his overall average of 35.75, and more than the 34.60 in 2021 and 33.60 in 2018, his other two profitable years. Before this match, he scored an important fifty just a game ago, but still, he came into this Test under so much pressure that his captain Temba Bavuma was asked whether he felt the need to take Markram out for a cup of coffee and check on him and Bavuma indicated that he might have.”I look at Aiden and the struggles that he’s going through and I resonate a lot with the experiences that he’s going through as a player. Putting myself in his shoes, sometimes you just need someone to speak to. Not necessarily someone to tell you what to do, but just to be empathetic to whatever it is that you’re going through,” Bavuma said before the match.Bavuma went on to heap praise on Markram as a leader in the side and a mentor to the younger players and promised that when he “gets over to the other side, that’s where the satisfaction is.”A score of 89 is not quite getting over the line, especially in a year where South African batters have collectively scored ten hundreds but Markam can appreciate the value of what he did at SuperSport Park.”For me, it’s not about me making hundreds. Obviously, making hundreds is great and it does feel good and you know you’re contributing, but it’s more the situation of the game that you find yourself in and when you find yourself getting out, that can frustrate you a lot,” Markram said. “The hundred would be fantastic if it were to happen, but it’s not about Aidan Markram scoring a hundred. It’s more about getting the team into a really strong position where we can hopefully win a game of cricket.”Markram used the word “frustrated” several times to describe the space he finds himself in and he explained it not as someone who thinks his spot in the team is under scrutiny (sidenote: it’s not) but as someone who knows he is capable of a little more.”It was really frustrating because I feel like I’ve been moving well and seeing the ball nicely, but finding some really interesting ways to get out. That’s more the frustrating part, but it’s been quite a busy year.”There’s times where you lack a little bit of mental edge because you’re playing so often and you go through a bit of mental fatigue. That’s where the frustration comes from. It would be a completely different conversation if I was feeling quite scratchy and feeling out of touch. I’m very fortunate that that’s not the case. I’m obviously frustrated that I haven’t been scoring runs. Obviously, it plays on you as a guy who has pride in performance and wants to contribute to winning games at cricket.”Aiden Markram gets some help with his back•AFP via Getty Images

The real pressure is in the format he captains South Africa in: T20Is. In 18 matches in 2024, he averages 15.56 and has only crossed 30 once, and his form during this year’s T20 World Cup was reminiscent of Bavuma’s during the 2022 tournament.Then Bavuma was captain of the T20I side and in poor white-ball form which did not endear him to the South African public and explains why he has such a close understanding of the spotlight Markram has been under.And while it can be difficult for fans to separate form across formats, especially in a calendar where everything seems to morph into one cricketing monolith, it has to be said that white and red-ball forms are different and while South Africa’s white-ball teams are going through a difficult time, Tests are, as Markram called them, “a beast”, or rather, a different beast.Initially, Markram played like it was the same animal and hit ten boundaries in his first fifty runs he scored in what looked like an all-or-bust approach to the innings.Markram explained it as being down to him not having the softest hands in the game and adjusting between his instinct to attack and his understanding of the patience required on what is a fairly spicy pitch.Corbin Bosch scored a fifty on Test debut•AFP/Getty Images

The latter came out deeper into his knock, when he was happy to see his former under-19 team-mate Corbin Bosch take Pakistan on and worked his way from 87 to 89 in 14 balls. Markram was trying to anchor the tail, and though he ended up being dismissed before the proper fireworks began, perhaps his presence gave Bosch the confidence to play with the freedom he did.It was Markram who capped Bosch in ODIs and who has been his friend and team-mate since childhood. While they took vastly different journeys to the national side, Markram almost seemed to take more pride in what Bosch did than his own runs and the sense of genuine pride in his friend shone through.”It looks pretty easy for him at this moment, this whole Test cricket thing, and (his innings) was a great momentum shift for us. It’s a hugely valuable knock, probably worth more than a hundred,” he said.”He’s always been a really talented guy. In the last few years, he’s really put his head down, grafted and put in performances to get the chance. I’m really happy for him that he’s grabbed his opportunity as he has. There’s still a lot left in his tank that he has to offer and I’m glad some of the world can see what he’s about.”But to Bosch himself he said “nothing inspirational”.”I just told him whatever he’s done to get the call-up and to get the opportunity will certainly be good enough at this level as well,” Markram said. “You don’t want to put things in his mind that make him second-guess things and stuff like that. He’s had a great debut so far and it’s good for him that it started out this way.”That’s where seniority, in terms of caps, not age, comes in. As someone who Bavuma has entrusted with some of the team talks and some of the on-the-sidelines chats, Markram has also found a way to help himself.”(As a leader), it’s more just about being there for guys that need it. It’s not about getting too involved,” he said. “Often what you say to other people can help you as well.”Maybe this time, for him, it did.

David Coltart, the former sports minister, called it a “misplaced budgetary priority” as ZC look to market it as a destination venue for touring teams and the fans

Firdose Moonda25-Aug-2025Zimbabwe Cricket’s (ZC) construction of a flagship 10,000-seater stadium at Victoria Falls has come under severe criticism from the country’s former sports minister and mayor of Bulawayo, David Coltart.The stadium, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium, is scheduled to be ready by August 2026 and is expected to host matches in the 2027 ODI World Cup. It has been called a “misplaced budgetary priority” by Coltart, even as ZC looks to market it as a destination venue for touring teams and the fans, especially from the countries that make up cricket’s Big Three.Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium has already had the main pitch planted, irrigation installed, and grass embankments completed. Work is now being done on the players’ pavilion and media centre, as well as with the water and power supply infrastructure.The development is fully funded by ZC and will cost the organisation US$12 million, money they believe they will recoup through the hosting of 2027 ODI World Cup matches and high-profile international visits. The confirmed fixtures and venues for the World Cup are yet to be decided, but Zimbabwe, who will co-host the tournament with South Africa and Namibia, will have at least two stadia allocated to them.Related

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Post-tournament, Zimbabwe’s first target for a Victoria Falls series could be England and their large contingent of travelling fans. If a tour can be agreed, it will end more than 20 years of England cricket’s absence from Zimbabwe. England last played in the country in 2004 but relations thawed when they hosted Zimbabwe for a Test in May, after 22 years.Even with England as a drawcard, Coltart’s concern is that ZC are putting all their eggs in one basket, and not a very big one when it comes to cricket development. “Victoria Falls is a small tourist town with a tiny cricket supporting population. The development of this boutique stadium is unprecedented worldwide,” he posted on Facebook. “In every other Test-playing nation, the primary investment by their Boards has been to invest in existing stadia in large population centers right across their countries.”It must be clear that this stadium is not primarily part of an objective to take the game to smaller centers to promote the game. It appears to be mainly to have a stadium in a tourist center to attract foreign teams who will come for reasons beyond the sole purpose of playing cricket.”Whilst this may be admirable if the financial health of ZC was good, it is a terribly misplaced budgetary priority given the fact that cricket venues in cities across the country outside of Harare are collapsing and there is, as stated above, a near total collapse of cricketing facilities at most Government schools countrywide.ZC’s flagship Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium is expected to be ready by August 2026•Zimbabwe Cricket

“Unless we focus on the development of grassroots cricket and the game right across the country, our ability to play the game well at international level will continue to erode and ultimately the Victoria Falls stadium will become a white elephant.”ZC has not disguised that they are hoping to cash in on the tourist appeal of Victoria Falls, whose 108-metre-high and 1,708-metre-wide waterfalls attract around half a million people a year. However, they denied that it is their sole financial focus as they are spending a further US$6 million on other projects around the country.”Victoria Falls is our flagship project, but Zimbabwe Cricket is also investing heavily in other venues,” Tavengwa Mukhulani, ZC’s chairman, said. “At Harare Sports Club (HSC), we have almost completed construction of a new indoor facility, while we will also be reconstructing the famous Castle Corner grandstand and other areas.”Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo is getting new floodlights this year, while Takashinga is being expanded with new pitches and practice nets. We have also modernised facilities in Masvingo while setting up our new academy facility at Ncema. We are also preparing new sites in Mutare, Gweru and Mhondoro-Ngezi. These investments are about building capacity across the country so that cricket truly becomes a national game.”It is the last of those points that Coltart also contested in his post, where he wrote, “it appears that there is a conscious decision by Zimbabwe Cricket to promote cricket in Harare but little elsewhere,” and referenced both fixtures and team selection.HSC, which is Zimbabwe’s only venue with floodlights, currently hosts all of Zimbabwe’s white-ball internationals, while Queens in Bulawayo has hosted their last nine home Tests. Zimbabwe have not won a Test at Queens since 2001, and have not won a home Test since beating Pakistan in Harare in 2013.Their latest string of defeats, which culminated with their heaviest Test loss by an innings and 301 runs to New Zealand earlier this month, has also prompted criticism of team selection. Coltart alleged this is regionally biased and speaks to the lack of development elsewhere in the country.Zimbabwe were handed a comprehensive defeat by New Zealand•Zimbabwe Cricket

“It is also increasingly reflected in the composition of National teams, with almost all the players selected coming from Harare. All but one player in the current senior men’s team comes from Harare,” he wrote. “All but two players in the current men’s Under-19 team come from Harare and its environs.”Is it really the case that the rest of the country isn’t producing players of international quality? Cricket is a national game and we can only compete well internationally if we promote the game fairly right across Zimbabwe.”In a press conference, Mukhulani admitted that there is “an issue with the talent pool,” but said Zimbabwe’s wretched run is the result of them playing much more cricket (11 Tests this year alone) against much stronger opposition. “Given where we were coming from, it was important that we challenge ourselves,” he said. “We give the boys the best opportunity to progress. And you can only do that when you play those who are better than you.”The media engagement took place on August 15, the same day as Coltart’s post went public and three days after ZC issued a press release condemning what they called a “smear campaign,” run by Coltart.Among the issues between the parties are historical disputes dating as far back as 2003 over Coltart’s role when Andy Flower and Henry Olonga wore black armbands to protest what they called the death of democracy in Zimbabwe, both ZC’s and Coltart and relationship with the UK, and differences over team selection and environment and board composition.

Debutant pace bowler Chloe Ainsworth made her mark with a double-wicket opening over

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2023Sophie Devine had an instant impact in her new middle-order role for Perth Scorchers as they secured a crushing opening win over Hobart Hurricanes who were bundled out for 88.Devine, batting at No. 4, hit 87 off 44 balls and dominated stands of 69 with Amy Jones then 65 to Amy Edgar after Scorchers had been 52 for 3 in the eight over.Related

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Having previously opened for Scorchers, Devine will likely have the middle-order role – something she has done this year for New Zealand – at least until Nat Sciver-Brunt arrives with Lauren Winfield-Hill opening the innings.Shabnim Ismail was the standout bowler although she went wicketless, with 14 dot balls in her four overs and 14 of the runs she conceded coming off her last over.In reply, Hurricanes were blown away. Their batting line-up was without the ill Elyse Villani and injured Nicola Carey meaning a change of plans and order.After Milly Illingworth had impressed with her pace at North Sydney Oval on the opening night it was the chance of another debutant quick, Chloe Ainsworth, to make a mark with a spectacular opening over.She produced a searing inswinging yorker to remove Lizelle Lee then followed that by trapping stand-in captain Heather Graham lbw. By the fifth over, Hurricanes were 19 for 4 and the game was as good as over.Stella Campbell, who has moved to Scorchers from Sydney Sixers, claimed two wickets in an over while Alana King helped herself to three which all involved Mooney behind the stumps.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, thumped USA by 121 runs to book a spot in the Super Six of the Under-19 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2024Afghanistan and Nepal had everything to play for in East London on Friday, and play they did, toe-to-toe, inch-for-inch, all the way to a thrilling finish amid gripping drama. Nepal won by one wicket in the end, and entered the Super Six stage of the men’s Under-19 World Cup at the expense of Afghanistan; but the game was, perhaps, more than just the result and the make-up of the next stage of the tournament.Nepal seemed to have it in the bag at various stages, when first Aakash Chand was running through the Afghanistan batting, and then when Dev Khanal, the captain, was stroking his way to an 89-ball 58. But if there’s one thing Afghanistan don’t do – at any level of the game – it’s to give up. They took it deep, before Subash Bhandari, who had earlier returned 1 for 15 from 8.1 overs, poked at one outside off to the legspin of Arab Gul, got a healthy edge and sent it through a packed off-side field for four. Deal done. The celebrations were as wild as the game itself was.The win was set up by Chand, later named Player of the Match. By the tenth over, Afghanistan were tottering at 34 for 5 after having opted to bat. Chand had four of those wickets. The fightback came courtesy Hassan Eisakhil (20) and Naseer Khan Maroofkhil (31), and then Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (37); but all Afghanistan could put up was 145. Chand finished with 5 for 34, his fifth wicket that of Eisakhil.Nepal’s reply started almost as shakily, with Khalil Ahmed and Faridoon Dawoodzai reducing them to 24 for 3. But a dominant Khanal and a sedate Aakash Tripathi appeared to take the game away from Afghanistan with a 49-run stand, the best of the innings.A twist had to come, and it came in the form of Maroofkhil sending Tripathi back in the 24th over, with the target still 73 runs away. Khanal wasn’t going anywhere, though, even as a couple more wickets fell at the other end, before being felled by Ghazanfar for 58.The total then was 127 for 7. Overs were not an issue, but Afghanistan were into Nepal’s tail. Dipak Bohora ensured it wagged enough to take Nepal to within a shot of victory, but he too fell with six runs still to get. The fielders were all around the bat at that stage, and the dot balls piled up; but somehow, in the end, Bhandari found a way out.Nathan Edward’s all-round performance helped West Indies beat England by two wickets in Potchefstroom and qualify for the Super Six round. He picked up 3 for 28 with his left-arm seam as England folded for 192, and then scored an unbeaten 49 to take his side home.After West Indies opted to bowl, Nathan Edward castled Jaydn Denly in the first over of the match. England captain Ben McKinney and Noah Thain added 50 for the second wicket, before he sent McKinney back. Thain and Hamza Shaikh, who scored 54 off 83, took England to 97 for 2 in the 21st over, but once offspinner Tarrique Edward removed Thain, the innings collapsed. At one stage, England were 146 for 7, but the lower order dragged them close to 200.West Indies, too, lost a wicket in the first over, and were 31 for 2 in the sixth. But their captain Stephan Pascal absorbed all the pressure and scored 58 off 84.Legspinner Tazeem Chaudry Ali tried to keep England in the contest with his three wickets, including that of Pascal. When West Indies lost their seventh, the target was still 37 runs away, though the asking rate was never a concern.But Nathan Edward stood up once again with an unbeaten 49 off 80 balls. He added 36 off 32 deliveries with Tarrique Edward, in which the latter’s contribution was 5, before hitting the winning boundary.Ariful Islam made a run-a-ball 103•ICC via Getty Images

Ariful Islam’s 103, followed by Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby’s four-wicket haul helped Bangladesh thump USA by 121 runs in Bloemfontein. With two wins in three matches, Bangladesh finished second in their group, and advanced to the Super Six stage of the tournament.USA had Bangladesh at 94 for 3 after opting to bowl first, but a 122-run fourth-wicket stand between Ariful and Ahrar Amin, who scored 44, took Bangladesh to 291. Ariful notched up nine boundaries, and kept the scoring rate healthy. But left-arm seamer Arya Garg continued his fine form for USA, taking 3 for 68 to finish the competition with five wickets.USA started the chase steadily, with opener Prannav Chettipalayam scoring 57. But he didn’t find much support from the other end, as USA lost track towards the halfway mark. What was 86 for 1 became 112 for 4, while from the 40th over onwards, they lost 6 for 16 to get bowled out for 170. Left-arm spinner Rabby was the star of the Bangladesh bowling attack, as he got 4 for 31 from ten overs.

“All I want is to have options moving forward,” Rohit says on Shivam Dube the bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-20241:13

Aaron: Suryakumar’s innings should be appreciated

Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 49-ball 50, which bailed India out from a precarious situation on a low-scoring New York surface against USA, wasn’t a typical 360-degree knock, but it impressed his captain.”He showed he’s got a different game as well, that is what you expect from experienced players,” Rohit Sharma said on the official broadcast after India won their third straight game to enter the Super Eight stage. “To come out and bat differently if the situation demands, that is what Surya did. The partnership [67-run stand] with [Shivam] Dube was very important for us. In the end, to take us home was a great effort.”We knew it was going to be a tough task scoring those many runs [111], but credit to us. At the end, we held our nerves, got that partnership as well. We lost wickets upfront but credit to Surya and Dube to show that maturity and take the game till the end.”Related

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Dube finished on 31 off 35, and though he did the job required off him, the scorecard won’t reveal his struggle to force the pace against cutters dug into the surface. Dube was on 5 off 14 balls at one point, but muscled a six off Corey Anderson in the 15th over just as USA were beginning to tighten the screws. Before that shot, India needed 44 from 35.While Dube’s spin-hitting has made him a point of difference in the middle overs for Chennai Super Kings for two IPL seasons now, and led to his selection for the World Cup, he is also expected to chip in with the ball. On Wednesday, Rohit turned to Dube for an over. That went for 11. In a match where 221 runs were scored from 38.2 overs.”I think that is something we want; we want options with us,” Rohit said when asked about Dube the allrounder. “As and when we feel like we can use them, we should be able to use them. Today, I thought we could use them, the pitch had something in it. But yeah, again, all I want is to have options moving forward.”Rohit called the conditions “very tough” for batters, but lauded his bowlers, particularly Arshdeep Singh, for leading the way. Arshdeep struck twice in his first over – the first of the match – and finished with 4 for 9, his career-best figures in T20Is. Hardik Pandya also picked up two key wickets, of Aaron Jones and Anderson, with short deliveries.”We knew bowlers had to take the lead,” Rohit said. “We knew run-scoring is difficult on this pitch. Again, all our bowlers did the job, particularly Arshdeep, the way he started off was magnificent. Playing cricket here wasn’t easy. It could’ve been anyone’s game.”All three games we played, we had to stick in till the end and take the game as deep as possible. Lucky for us, we managed to pull through in all three games and [we] take a lot of confidence for a victory like this.”Rohit also lauded USA’s Indian-origin players for their performance. Saurabh Netravalkar, the left-arm seamer, was his junior in the Mumbai circuit once upon a time, while Harmeet Singh, the left-arm spinner, went to the same school as him in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali.”Lot of these guys, we’ve played cricket together,” Rohit said. “But I’m very happy to see them, their progress in cricket. Last year, we saw them play in the MLC [Major League Cricket] as well, they’re going from strength to strength, and I can hope for nothing but the best for them. They’re hard-working guys making their mark here in US.”