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Mumbai Indians have started the WPL with a bang, while Royal Challengers will need to bounce back after a heavy defeat in their first game

S Sudarshanan06-Mar-2023

Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (or Harmanpreet Kaur vs Smriti Mandhana)

After locking in Smriti Mandhana in the WPL auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore also bid for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who eventually went to Mumbai Indians.At a press conference, Mandhana was asked about face-offs with Harmanpreet, and she said, “We haven’t played a lot of domestic cricket in the last four-five years and so didn’t get opportunities to share our experiences with the domestic players. We have played the overseas leagues and know how the setup benefits. So I am sure I can help the RCB girls and she can help the MI girls.”And so, the seeds of some friendly WPL fire were sowed – Harmanpreet versus Mandhana.Related

• Opening act: Blue is the warmest colour as Harmanpreet, Mumbai carry WPL torch

• Stats – Harris and Ecclestone rewrite record books at the close

Royal Challengers are coming off a hammering against Delhi Capitals. Barring quick bowler Renuka Singh and left-arm spinner Preeti Bose, the other Royal Challengers bowlers had economy rates in excess of nine. Do they shuffle things up after one loss? Dane van Niekerk was on the bench and is eager to return to action. Although getting her to replace one of the four overseas players in the XI after just one outing might be rough. If at all, it could be Sophie Devine making way, which would then allow opening batter Disha Kasat to go up to her preferred spot at the top.Harmanpreet’s side, meanwhile, lit up the opening day of the WPL and showed what a side filled with allrounders could do. They were loaded with batting firepower till at least No. 9 and were not needed to tap into the full complement of their resources. It also allowed Harmanpreet to go through the bowling options at her disposal and she used seven out of the ten that could bowl on the day.A tough assignment then for Royal Challengers, as they look to turn around their campaign.

Players to watch

Disha Kasat batted at No. 4 in the opening game for Royal Challengers, but scored all of her chart-topping 300 runs at the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy at the top of the order at a strike rate of 114.50. Richa Ghosh had a quiet start to the competition but she showed what she could do at the smallish Brabourne Stadium against Australia late last year.Having her batting services largely under-utilised for India, Pooja Vastrakar came in at No. 6 and showed her wares with an eight-ball 15. She could have a larger role to play for Mumbai Indians given she is one of the experienced players in the set-up. And don’t be surprised if allrounder Jintimani Kalita is given more to do in her second outing as teams can afford to try the domestic players before the actual crunch games kick in. Kalita impressed with her athletic efforts and caught Harmanpreet’s eye at Mumbai Indians’ two intra-squad warm-up games.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians (possible): 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Humaira Kazi, 7 Pooja Vastrakar, 8 Issy Wong, 9 Amanjot Kaur, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika Ishaque
Royal Challengers Bangalore (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Disha Kasat, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Sophie Devine/Dane van Niekerk, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Heather Knight, 7 Kanika Ahuja/Shreyanka Patil, 8 Asha Sobhana, 9 Megan Schutt, 10 Renuka Singh, 11 Preeti Bose

Quotes

“When I am in my zone, I am clear in the areas I have to pick, and it becomes easy for me. I need to just watch the ball and react instead of thinking about too many shots.”
“Obviously it [Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers] is a huge rivalry in the men’s game. They have set a brilliant win in their first game; they are a dangerous side.”

Wyatt half-century, Bell and Moore three-fors as Superchargers fall well short

Matt Roller27-Aug-2023Anya Shrubsole signed off from professional cricket by lifting the Hundred trophy at Lord’s, captaining Southern Brave to their first title in their third final. After successive defeats to Oval Invincibles, they comprehensively outplayed Northern Superchargers in front of a record 21,636 crowd at Lord’s.Brave’s batting let them down in their first two finals and they were 8 for 2 after nine balls on Sunday, Smriti Mandhana and Maia Bouchier falling cheaply after Superchargers opted to bowl first. But they recovered to set a target of 140, Danni Wyatt making 59 off 38 and Freya Kemp contributing an invaluable 31 off 17 from No. 5.Lauren Bell struck twice in her first eight balls in Brave’s defence, including removing Superchargers’ leading run-scorer Phoebe Litchfield who was well caught by Kemp at deep cover-point, and Superchargers were always behind the game.Rhianna Southby, Brave’s 22-year-old wicketkeeper, has played a crucial role for them despite not facing a ball this season: she effected three stumpings in the chase, and finished the Hundred with a tournament-high 11 dismissals.Jemimah Rodrigues opened the batting for Superchargers and was starved of the strike: when she was caught at extra cover for 24, she had faced just 14 of the first 73 balls bowled. Bell and Kalea Moore took three wickets each, and the winning moment came when Bell whipped off the bails to run No. 11 Grace Ballinger out after a mix-up.Shrubsole had been due to bowl the final five balls but Superchargers were bowled out with six to spare. Having left international cricket after last year’s World Cup, she opted to play on as Brave captain this year and her impending retirement has been a source of motivation for the squad throughout the season, who were determined to send her off with a trophy.Shrubsole looked uncharacteristically emotional in the aftermath of the final wicket, and admitted her overwhelming emotion was one of relief. “We feel like we’ve played some brilliant cricket,” she said, “coming into this we’d won 20 out of 25 games which is an unbelievable record. Not to have won the trophy was tough to take so it felt like this was just deserts.”For Charlotte Edwards, their coach, this was a third short-form trophy this year, after success in the Women’s Premier League with Mumbai Indians and with Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Brave have been the best team across the three seasons of the Hundred, and lifted an overdue trophy as the fireworks were set off at Lord’s.Danni Wyatt notched the first half-century in a Women’s Hundred final•ECB via Getty Images

After walking around the boundary from the stage in the Compton Stand, Shrubsole was given a guard of honour by both teams as she walked back towards the pavilion, holding the H-shaped trophy aloft as she did so. It was a fitting send-off for a great of England women’s cricket.Mandhana hit the first ball of the final for four through point but slashed the second to gully, and when Bouchier skied Kate Cross to extra cover, they were forced to rebuild through Wyatt and Georgia Adams.They had 45 off the first 43 balls of the final before Wyatt cut loose with back-to-back boundaries off Lucy Higham, at which point Superchargers became ragged in the field. Wyatt, who finished the tournament as leading run-scorer, swept Higham for four to bring up a 35-ball 50 and lofted Georgia Wareham for the first six of the game.She was primed to accelerate at the death when she was on the wrong end of a freak dismissal: Adams drove the ball straight back at her at the non-striker’s end as she started to take a run, and Cross executed a simple run-out as it popped up into her hands. When Adams holed out to midwicket after a chancy 27 off 28, Superchargers had an opening.But Kemp added 31 with a streaky cameo, hitting five boundaries to keep Brave on track. She eventually chopped Cross’ cutter onto her stumps; while Cross fumbled both a catch and a run-out chance off the penultimate ball, she was the pick of Superchargers’ attack with 3 for 21 off her 20.Bell thought she had struck with the first ball of the chase, trapping Marie Kelly on the pad only for her to successfully review the on-field decision. It hardly mattered: Kelly was dismissed by the next delivery she faced, with the ball ricocheting off her pad and onto the base of the stumps.When Litchfield lofted into the deep, Brave had two early wickets and were in control of the game. Southby’s sharp work gave Moore a wicket with her first ball, stumping Hollie Armitage, and her fast hands accounted for Bess Heath soon after, Chloe Tryon making amends for a drop on the square-leg boundary by beating her on the outside edge.Shrubsole had Alice Davidson-Richards lbw to leave Superchargers five down, and a brilliant catch by Bouchier – running in off the long-on boundary, then diving forwards at full stretch – meant Rodrigues was their last hope. Having tried and failed to build partnerships by knocking singles, she looked to loft Moore over extra cover but picked Adams out.Southby pulled off her third stumping as Leah Dobson charged Moore and missed, and Bell administered the last rites, having Higham caught at short fine leg then completing a straightforward run-out at the bowler’s end to cue the celebrations.

This is the first time in four seasons that the final of the Women’s Premier League will not be played on a weekend

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2025The 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) will have its final on a weekday (Thursday, February 5), and not over the weekend, for the first time, and feature two double-headers, both on Saturdays, after kicking off on January 9.The 28-day-long tournament will be played across two venues: Navi Mumbai, where India won the ODI World Cup in early November beating South Africa in the final, and Vadodara. The first 11 matches, including the two double-headers, will be played at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, and the remaining 11 matches, including the eliminator on February 3 and the final will be played at Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium.The dates and venues were confirmed by the WPL’s chairman, Jayesh George, on Thursday, the day of the WPL auction. All games bar the earlier fixture on the double-header days will be evening affairs.The week of the final is a busy one for multi-team competitions, with the men’s Under-19 World Cup finishing the day after the WPL final, on February 6, and the men’s T20 World Cup starting the following day, on February 7.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Apart from having a weekday final, this is the first time the WPL will be played in the January-February window. The first three seasons were played in February-March just before the start of the IPL. This will also be the first time the WPL will not clash with major international fixtures.Mumbai Indians (MI) are the defending champions of the WPL and have won two titles in three editions so far, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) the other past winners. Delhi Capitals (DC) have been runners-up in all three seasons. The other two teams, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, have never made the title round.Ten days after the WPL ends, India will start an all-format tour of Australia, playing three T20Is, three ODIs and a Test from February 15 to March 9.

WPL 2026 schedule

Jan 9: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Jan 10: UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants
Jan 10: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals
Jan 11: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants
Jan 12: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz
Jan 13: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants
Jan 14: UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals
Jan 15: Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz
Jan 16: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants
Jan 17: UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians
Jan 17: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Jan 19: Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Jan 20: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians
Jan 22: Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz
Jan 24: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals
Jan 26: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians
Jan 27: Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals
Jan 29: UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Jan 30: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
Feb 1: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz
Feb 3: Eliminator
Feb 5: Final

One of Australia’s best young cricketers, Sam Konstas, has announced himself on the domestic stage, hitting his maiden Sheffield Shield century for NSW.

AAP08-Oct-2024Teenage prodigy Sam Konstas has announced himself on the big stage, striking a coming-of-age century for New South Wales against South Australia in Sydney.Konstas went to his maiden century on day one of the Blues’ Sheffield Shield season opener, hitting 152 as the hosts went to stumps on 297 for 7 against South Australia at Cricket Central.One of the leading lights of Australia’s U19 World Cup success last year, Konstas has long been touted as one of the country’s best young talents. And the opener showed why on Tuesday.The 19-year-old cover-drove superbly throughout his innings, and took to spinner Ben Manenti by hitting him down the ground for three sixes. He then brought up his century off his 163rd ball in the final over of the second session, nudging Brendan Doggett down to backward-square for a single. Konstas’ first Sheffield Shield ton came with Australia’s chief selector George Bailey in attendance. And while the right-hander is not yet in the conversation for the Test opening spot, good judges expect him to one day figure.Konstas made his Shield debut for NSW last summer, and amid glimpses of promise he brought up a maiden half-century in the last round against Queensland. But he looks a far more accomplished and confident batter this summer.He used his feet well to spin, and swept Nathan McSweeney for a big six before offering up his only chance with a missed stumping by Alex Carey.The youngster then brought up 150 by flat-batting a Lloyd Pope full toss over the legside. He was eventually caught at slip off the legspinner, when adjudged to have inside-edged a ball onto Carey’s legs before it was caught by McSweeney.”It was an amazing achievement. Obviously, it’s good to get my first one,” Konstas said. “I just have to be hungry for runs. And whatever teams I make, it’s a bonus.”With Shane Watson as his mentor, Konstas is a regular meditator before games and rushes to the wicket at the start of his innings.”A big thing [I learned from last summer] was my mental stuff, just keeping simple plans and how can I do it for longer?” Konstas said. “I try to be calm.”I did [meditate] this morning, and then I was trying to do that on the field. Just breathing and using it to switch me on and off.”It worked today.”Konstas’ runs came as wickets fell around him under heavy cloud cover and light drizzle. Moises Henriques (five) and Matthew Gilkes (10) both fell to loose shots outside off stump, while Nic Maddinson was caught charging Manenti on 12.Oliver Davies provided some brief fireworks before being bowled by Jordan Buckingham for 37, while Josh Philippe hit 56 in his first Shield game for the Blues.Philippe was eventually stumped off Pope, as the South Australia spinner finished the day with 3 for 61 and NSW suffered a collapse of 3 for 17. Umpires called off play shortly after due to bad light, infuriating visiting captain McSweeney given he had kept his spinners bowling.

England rely on spinners to secure lead as worries persist about Robinson and Wood fitness

Cameron Ponsonby03-Mar-2022Everyday’s a school day and, as England’s interim Managing Director Andrew Strauss was so keen to stress ahead of the squad’s departure to the West Indies, this tour is all about learning.”[It’s] an opportunity to get some good young bowling talent into the environment for the first time,” Strauss said upon the squad’s announcement., “to allow some of the bowlers that have been playing a role in the team to play either a slightly different role or more of a senior leadership role.”And so as England’s bowling innings got underway against the CWI President’s XI, England’s opening bowler Ollie Robinson opened the bowling. England’s 42-Test veteran and known quantity Chris Woakes did some more bowling. Perennial first-change Craig Overton bowled first-change. And England’s spinner Jack Leach bowled some spin.It’s not so much learning as it is revising for the same exam that England failed last year.It was poignant, therefore, that England’s real learnings came when things didn’t go to plan. Mark Wood was absent due to a non-Covid-related illness and is a doubt for the first Test. And so too is Robinson who pulled up twenty minutes into the day’s play with a recurrence of the back spasm he suffered in the last Test match in Hobart.Robinson’s fitness is a real concern for England. Because at this point, what does Robinson being fit actually mean? Robinson being fit to take the field in the morning currently doesn’t mean the same as him being able to complete a day’s play. And with Stokes unable to bowl in the first Test and England therefore relying on a four-man attack, the risk of one-quarter of that breaking down on the morning of day one is substantial.”He got a back spasm, it’s not ideal,” Paul Collingwood said at the close of play. “When someone walks off like that it doesn’t look good but these kind of spasms can heal as quickly as they come. We’ll just have to assess.”Sometimes the optics of a situation are such that nuance isn’t necessary. And the sight of Robinson leaving the field and having his over finished by Saqib Mahmood was one. The right-arm seamer is dead. Long live the right-arm seamer.The absence of Wood and Robinson did, however, allow England to do some learning and have a look at Mahmood and Matt Fisher with the ball.Noticeably sharper than the rest of the attack, Mahmood appeared the most threatening of the seamers from his seven overs, whilst Fisher struggled to find his feet initially before settling in and bowling consecutive maidens. If a spot in England’s bowling attack does become available next week, Mahmood is the obvious man to step up and complete a full house of international debuts.Related

• Dan Lawrence handed chance to seal No. 4 spot for first Test

• Zak Crawley, Alex Lees impress as England's latest opening gambit

• Ben Foakes enters unfamiliar territory as England's first-choice wicketkeeper

• Joe Root embraces No.3 berth in bid to revive England's Test fortunes

However, the elephant not in the room was wickets. Between England’s five seamers, only one wicket came in the 54 overs they sent down, with it being left to the spin of Leach, who claimed 4 for 64, as well as Joe Root and Dan Lawrence to take the bulk of the wickets. The seamers’ struggles were best exemplified by CWI President’s XI No.9 Colin Archibald slogging Overton over long-on for a six. Overton, in his quest for revenge, sent down an attempted bouncer which Archibald proceeded to pull even further. As a start to life without Stuart Broad or Jimmy Anderson goes, it was an ominous showing.”We’re not going to panic,” Collingwood said, when asked if there was a temptation to call up any unnamed replacements. “It was a great opportunity for Saqi to come in and bowl some overs today. Even Fish to bowl some. We have got ready replacements in terms of a squad of 16.”In mitigation, this is an extremely docile pitch and, of the five men in the CWI President’s XI top seven to have played international cricket, it was Raymon Reifer who scored an excellent 106 from No.5. Reifer is not currently in the West Indies Test squad, having made his solitary appearance back in 2017, but on this showing it would be no surprise if he were to feature later in the series.Nevertheless, it was a day that served only to reinforce the long-held concern about England’s bowling attack, that they’re a very well polished, but ultimately blunt object. An oak dining table that looks right at home in the stately surroundings of Lord’s, but is an absolute pain in the arse to try and transport anywhere outside NW8.In reply, England were 77 for 3 at the close, a lead of 279.

India welcome back Rohit Sharma and mull over the Umran Malik vs Arshdeep Singh question

Deivarayan Muthu06-Jul-20225:04

Do India go in to the T20I series as favourites against England?

Big picture

A mere two days after England Bazball’d their way to a target of 378 – their highest successful chase in Test cricket, at a run rate of almost five – they are getting ready to push the boundaries even further, this time in T20I cricket. After Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes ushered in the new era in grand style, it is now the turn of Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler to lay down their own marker.Mott had already taken charge of the white-ball side for the three-match ODI series in the Netherlands, but this will be Buttler’s first game as full-time captain following Eoin Morgan’s retirement. None of the members who featured in the Edgbaston Test will be in action in the T20I series opener. As much as this white-ball leg is about testing out the young ‘uns, the pre-series focus is on two old boys: 37-year-old Dinesh Karthik and 34-year-old Richard Gleeson.Related

• 'Fit and fine' Rohit looking to tick boxes with an eye on T20 World Cup

• India's fourth-innings fumble: What has gone wrong?

• Bazball broken down, it's pretty simple really

• Shikhar Dhawan to lead India in West Indies ODIs

• Passionate, driven and leading by example – Buttler steps up

Last summer, Karthik was in England as a commentator, grabbing attention with his sharp punditry and snazzy shirts. Long before that, he came to the country as a Test opener and back-up white-ball player, but now he is here to establish himself as one of India’s best T20I finishers. Karthik made a right old name for himself in the IPL smashing fast bowling to all parts to the point that teams eventually began matching him up with wristspinners. The move worked and England will have taken note of that, especially Matt Parkinson, who will get the chance, in the absence of Adil Rashid, to show off his wares against some of the best in the business.While Karthik is in the midst of his zillionth comeback, Gleeson has earned his maiden call-up, three months out from the 2022 T20 World Cup. The right-arm seamer has had dips at the Bangladesh Premier League (Rangpur Riders), the Big Bash League (Melbourne Renegades) and the Abu Dhabi T10 league (Maratha Arabians and Team Abu Dhabi) and his ability to nail yorkers makes him an attractive option to have. Those yorkers were recently on display for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast where he closed out a tie and a one-run win. However, given Gleeson’s history of injuries and the absence of a number of frontline quicks because of injury, England might not rush him into playing three T20Is in four days.

Form guide

England LWLWL (Last five completed T20Is; most recent first)
IndiaWWWWL

In the spotlight

A stress fracture of the lower back put Sam Curran out of last year’s T20 World Cup and the Ashes, but the allrounder is rising once again, having proven his form and fitness in the Netherlands ODIs and for Surrey. Curran’s new-ball swing and big-hitting could for England once again in T20I cricket. The hosts could also play him as a middle-order floater to throw Yuzvendra Chahal off his game.Like Curran, Suryakumar Yadav is working his way back into international cricket after an injury. With Deepak Hooda firing at the top, Suryakumar only had a peripheral role to play in Ireland. He could potentially slot back at No.3 and play a bigger role against England. Or Hooda could get another go and we’ll get to see how he fares against a more potent attack.

Team news

Phil Salt and Harry Brook will tussle for the middle-order slot left vacant by Morgan’s departure. Tymal Mills missed Sussex’s final group stage games with a toe injury but is expected to be fit for this fixture after getting stitches on Wednesday. He looks set to get the nod ahead of David Willey – who was released to play in the T20 Blast quarter-finals for Yorkshire on Wednesday night – and join a three-man left-arm seam attack. The early signs are that Gleeson will have to wait until the weekend for his international debut.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Harry Brook, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Matt Parkinson1:48

Does Kohli walk in to India’s full-strength T20I XI?

India will welcome back their captain Rohit Sharma after he missed the Edgbaston Test with Covid-19. He has tested negative since and even had a net session in Birmingham. India will have to choose between Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh, who didn’t get a game in Ireland, on the bowling front. VVS Laxman will helm the side, at least for the series opener, before Rahul Dravid takes over once again.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Umran Malik/Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions

The Southampton pitch had a light covering of grass on the eve of the game. The Ageas Bowl has some of the longest boundaries in the country and has been the third-lowest-scoring ground in the T20 Blast this season (7.93 runs per over). The average score batting first here in the Blast this year has been 165, and defending teams have won five games out of seven. The weather is expected to be warm and sunny on Thursday.

Stats and Trivia

• Buttler made his T20I debut in the same game Dravid did, in 2011.
• India’s run rate of 8.61 in the powerplay is the highest among teams who have played at least five or more completed T20Is since November 2021.
• Willey brings with him the reputation of being a new-ball specialist. Against India, he has taken two wickets in 36 balls in the powerplay while conceding only 39 runs in T20Is.
• Chris Jordan is two strikes away from becoming England’s top wicket-taker in T20Is. Rashid currently leads this list with 81 wickets.

Quotes

“There’s a few more things going on in your head: you’re thinking about a few things and maybe talking to a few more people. It’s really important to take really good care of my own game. I want to try and be a captain who leads from the front so it’s really vital I make sure my own practice and preparation is really good.”
“It’s always good to be back playing for your country and you don’t want to miss any games for your country, but certain things are not in your control. Now that I’m back, [I’m] excited and looking forward.”

New Zealand will still be well-placed even if they lose, though they would likely need to beat Ireland to ensure progress to semi-final

Matt Roller31-Oct-20224:28

Does Stokes fit into this England XI? Are New Zealand favourites?

Big picture

England and New Zealand’s last meeting in this format was an instant classic, a slow-burning epic which saw England’s World Cup hopes go up in flames.Just short of a year on, England will be staring elimination in the face once again, unless they can overcome one of the tournament’s two unbeaten sides at the Gabba. They would still be alive mathematically with a defeat on Tuesday night, but will be relying on Afghanistan beating Australia on Friday, before having to overcome Sri Lanka in their final fixture in Sydney. In short, this is a must-win.Net run rate shouldn’t be a major concern for England at this stage, thanks in no small part to Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker. Australia were heading for a convincing win on Monday evening when Ireland were 25 for 5, but Tucker’s unbeaten 71 closed the margin of defeat significantly. As a result, two wins be enough for England to reach the semi-final; and they have the advantage of playing the last game in Group 1.Related

• Collingwood backs Stokes to deliver with England looking to stay alive

• The future is uncertain, so savour Boult and Southee while you can

• Buttler frustrated by Eng-Aus washout but insists 'right call' was made

New Zealand have been hugely impressive in brushing Australia and Sri Lanka aside, and victory in Brisbane would seal for them a semi-final berth for the third successive T20 World Cup. Moreover, given their net run rate, they will be close to locking in the top spot. New Zealand will still be well-placed even if they lose, though they would likely need to beat Ireland in Adelaide on Friday to ensure their progress.Enough about the permutations and onto the game itself, which could be won and lost in the two powerplays. Trent Boult and Tim Southee, New Zealand’s opening bowlers across formats for most of the last decade, have been lethal with the new ball since arriving in Australia, while England’s top order is yet to fire. Jos Buttler has been very successful against Boult in T20s: but can he take his Rajasthan Royals team-mate down in Brisbane when it matters most?England’s seamers were excellent with the new ball against Afghanistan but were wayward against Ireland; they conceded 59 runs in the first six overs, with Chris Woakes coming in for particularly brutal treatment. Finn Allen is the key wicket: New Zealand blitzed 65 for 1 against Australia when he raced out of the blocks but stumbled to 25 for 3 against Sri Lanka after he fell early on.Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone could be shuffled up after limited opportunities so far this tournament•ICC via Getty Images

Recent form

England LWWWW
New Zealand WWLLW

In the spotlight

“The one person that you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes,” Paul Collingwood, England’s assistant coach, said on Monday. Stokes has managed only 41 runs off 42 balls in his five T20Is since arriving in Australia, and for all his quality as a bowler, fielder and leader, now is the time for him to turn the intangibles into game-defining contributions.England’s batters have targeted Ish Sodhi whenever they have faced him in T20Is: he has nine wickets in as many appearances against them, with an eye-watering economy rate of 10.64 runs per over. Sodhi took the key wicket of Buttler in last year’s semi-final, and will need to be at his best on Tuesday night against a deep batting line-up.

Team news

England’s selection came under scrutiny after their defeat to Ireland but they were due to play an unchanged team against Australia before the game was washed out. As a result, it seems unlikely they will make changes barring a late injury, though Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali could be shuffled up the order after limited opportunities so far in this tournament. Stokes has hardly trained, but has been declared fully fit.England (probable): 1 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Harry Brook, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Adil RashidNew Zealand might consider bringing Michael Bracewell in to counter England’s left-hand batters•AFP/Getty Images

Mitchell Santner bowled a solitary over in last year’s semi-final, with Kane Williamson reluctant to use him against Dawid Malan and Moeen. England have added an extra left-hander to their middle order this year in Ben Stokes, which could block Santner’s use again; as a result, New Zealand might consider bringing Michael Bracewell, the offspinning allrounder, into their side.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Michael Bracewell/Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Pitch and conditions

David Hussey describes the Gabba as “probably the best batting pitch in Australia for white-ball cricket”, and the numbers back that up: the average scoring rate there in men’s T20Is is 7.94 per over, the second-highest of any Australian ground. The pitch was on the slow side in Australia’s win against Ireland on Monday, and the same strip will be used on Tuesday, which could bring spinners into play.Bad weather has followed England around over the last week, and the forecast for the match is not the best either, with rain due to fall throughout Tuesday morning. However, the weather is expected to clear up later in the day, and the Gabba’s renowned underground drainage system could ensure the teams get on to the pitch.

Stats and trivia

• Buttler will become the second player to reach 100 men’s T20Is for England after Eoin Morgan, and will overtake his predecessor as their all-time leading run-scorer in the format if he can makes at least 64.
• Malan has dominated Sodhi during their previous meetings in T20Is, hitting 105 runs off the 58 balls. It is one of only five head-to-head match-ups in T20I history where a batter has scored more than 100 runs off a single bowler, where ball-by-ball data is available.
• Allen has the highest strike rate in T20 history among batters with at least 1000 runs.
• New Zealand have never played a T20I at the Gabba, and have a poor historic record there across formats. They have not won a game in Brisbane in the last 20 years, their most recent victory coming in an ODI against South Africa in January 2002.

Quotes

“It’s frustrating when you’ve got the rain around in Melbourne: it was almost like English conditions there. It’s nice to come up to Brisbane where it’s a lot warmer, and we’re all looking forward to getting a full 40 overs in.”
“Our brand of cricket might not look as aggressive as them, but we need to stick to what we have done well for a period of time, and make sure we throw our own punches in our own way.”

Chameera and Vandersay’s ninth wicket-stand took Sri Lanka home after Ngrava’s five-for

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Jan-2024Sri Lanka’s ninth-wicket partnership snuck their team home in the Colombo rain, battling off a spirited Zimbabwe bowling and fielding performance led by Richard Ngarava. Defending only 209, Ngarava took early wickets, and finished with 5 for 32 from his 10 overs, as the likes of Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani produced menacing spells of their own.And together they had repeatedly had Sri Lanka on the ropes in their chase, particularly when No. 9 Dushmantha Chameera and No. 10 Jeffrey Vandersay came together with Sri Lanka needing 37 to win off 45 balls. But the pair batted sensibly. Ngarava had already been bowled out at this stage, and Muzarabani was the last remaining threat – Craig Ervine having used his most-threatening bowlers up early in his quest for wickets.Together Chameera and Vandersay whittled down the requirement, before in the penultimate over, Vandersay scooped Faraz Akram over his shoulder, and then drove him through the covers for four next ball, in what were the final dramatic moments in a match that had swung in either direction repeatedly.That these last blows came in the rain, which had earlier caused a significant delay, only added to the theatre. That this partnership had been forged after the departure of Janith Liyanage, who hit 95 off 127 balls, thus providing the most substance to this innings, made the finish even more riveting.Of all the regrets Zimbabwe will have from this match, however, none will be greater than their collapse from the 37th over onwards. Having been 182 for 4, and headed towards a score of around 250, they lost their last six wickets for 26 runs. Captain Ervine, who had made 82 off 102, was the first to depart in that sequence, having been caught athletically by Sadeera Samarawickrama at backward point.It was Liyanage’s innings that ended up defining the match however, and he who was most responsible for pushing the game deep as the other batters fell around him. (The next-highest score on the Sri Lankan card was 21.) Although he too struggled against Ngarava’s new-ball bowling, he was patient until the hittable balls came, crashing Ngarava to the cover boundary to start the seventh over, before pulling him neatly behind square several balls later, when Ngarava bowled short.Janith Liyanage helped steady Sri Lanka after early losses•AFP/Getty Images

With the surface somewhat tacky, his innings was mostly a slow grind. He’d hit only three boundaries after 82 balls, although he was forced to enter a more aggressive mode when the tail came in. He hit two sixes, both off spin and both on the legside, and forged an important 46-run seventh-wicket stand with Maheesh Theekshana, who contributed 18.Having earlier completed his half-century off the 85th ball he faced, Liyanage seemed headed for a maiden ODI ton in only his second game. But with rain coming down in the 43rd over, and Sri Lanka behind the DLS rate, Liyanage attempted to thump Muzarabani over long off for four, and wound up only miscuing it to the fielder. Zimbabwe smelled victory and employed attacking fields with both Vandersay and Chameera yet to get off the mark. But those two tailenders’ cool heads would defy Zimbabwe.But it had been Ngarava’s tenacity in his first spell that set the tone for what became an intense defence of their modest total. He claimed Avishka Fernando’s wicket fifth ball with a back-of-a-length delivery just outside off stump, which Fernando inside-edged through to the keeper.In Ngarava’s next over – another edge. Sadeera Samarawickrama flashed at a fullish wide ball, and sent it to Ervine at second slip. Zimbabwe would get only these two wickets in the first powerplay, but having been 16 for 2, Sri Lanka were forced to bat with more caution. In his next spell, he also dismissed Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, having built further pressure with more back-of-a-length bowling.And though there were mistakes in the field, and with the ball (Muzarabani bowled Kusal Mendis off a no-ball, for example), it was their nosedive with the bat that prevented Zimbabwe from posting a competitive score. Ervine had driven beautifully through the course of his innings, and had struck up half-century partnerships with Joylord Gumbie, and Ryan Burl.But when he cut a Chameera ball too close to Samarawickrama, who flung himself explosively at the ball to intercept it, Ervine left the lower middle-order exposed, and they succumbed rapidly to the spin of Theekshana and Vandersay. Theekshana picked up 4 for 31 in the innings. Vandersay and Chameera took two wickets apiece.

Trapdoor opens on visitors after crushing defeat at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2024Durham’s Matthew Potts took a career-best nine for 68 to help his side complete their innings and 63-run thrashing of Lancashire in the Vitality County Championship match at The Riverside.Resuming on 155 for four and needing another 190 runs to avoid their their fourth innings defeat of the season, Lancashire lost their last six wickets in less than a session and were bowled out for 282. The only shred of comfort for the visitors was offered by 20-year-old Matty Hurst, who made 67, his second fifty of the match and fifth half-century of the season.At one stage of his devastating spell from the Lumley End, Potts was on a hat-trick but he had to settle for three wickets in four balls when Tom Bailey nicked his second delivery to first slip Scott Borthwick.The Durham spearhead, who hadn’t featured in the Championship since June due to his England commitments, finished his first spell on this final morning with figures of 10-1-30-5 and ended the game when he had Anderson Phillip leg before wicket to complete a match return of 12 for 126.”That feels really good,” Potts said afterwards. “It was great to come back and deliver for the boys at the end of the season. I felt that was only right that we turned up to do the job.”Scott Borthwick told me after my sixth over that it was time to put my feet on ice but I got a wicket and he said: “Okay, I’ll leave you on,” and I said “Good luck taking me off,” but after my tenth over I was absolutely goosed. I’d thrown everything I could at them.”I took the second new ball and threw the old one as far as I could off the field. It’s a disgusting thing, I’ve got it in my pocket and it looks as though I’ve been throwing it for my dogs for the past hour.”Durham take 24 points from the game, effectively ending any lingering fears of relegation, whereas Lancashire take one point, a return which keeps them in ninth place in Division One and deepens their anxieties that they will be playing in the second tier next April.”Ours is a very quiet changing room at the moment,” Keaton Jennings, Lancashire’s captain, said. “The players are hurting. It’s tough to take, you don’t want to turn up every week and get spanked around, it’s not why we spent months and months working in the winter.”We now have to make sure we turn up next week. We have two really big games ahead of us and it could come down to eight days of cricket.”Lancashire’s collapse began with the ninth ball of the morning when George Balderson was leg before wicket to Potts for 16 but it really moved into top gear about half an hour later when Venkatesh Iyer played on to the Durham fast bowler and Tom Hartley immediately lost his off stump when not attempting a stroke.Bailey prevented the hat-trick but nicked his second ball from Potts to Borthwick to leave yet another Lancashire innings in tatters on 195 for eight.Hurst and Anderson Philip delayed Durham for a few overs but Borthwick’s bowlers were not to be denied. Having made a fine 67 off 125 balls, Hurst hooked Potts to long leg where Callum Parkinson took an excellent tumbling catch a few inches from the boundary rope.After an entertaining last-wicket stand of 61 in 12 overs between Anderson Philip and Tom Aspinwall, the game ended when Potts was recalled and dismissed Phillip for 41. Aspinwall finished unbeaten on 26.The bad news for Durham supporters ahead of their final two Championship games is that Potts will now join England’s squad for the one-day internationals and will not be available to the county for the rest of the season.

“I have resigned for the greater interest of cricket,” he told ESPNcricinfo

Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2024Jalal Yunus has resigned from his position as a BCB director and the chairman of the cricket operations committee.Jalal’s resignation comes after the National Sports Council, the control authorities of 41 different sports bodies of Bangladesh, asked him to step down.Jalal, a former fast bowler who played professionally in the 1980s, has been a sports organiser since the late 1990s. He has been in the BCB continuously in important roles since 2009, and became the cricket operations head in December 2021.”I have resigned for the greater interest of cricket,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I am all for cricket running properly and correctly. I am alright with their intention to replace me as per the constitution. I don’t want to be a stumbling block for cricket’s progress.”Meanwhile, Ahmed Sajjadul Alam, the other NSC nominated director in the BCB, turned down the board’s request to step down on the same day.”I told them that since they nominated me as the NSC councillor and then I became a director, they have to do it. They can inform me their decision regarding me,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Alam is also a veteran sports organiser, who is currently the BCB’s tournament committee chairman.The NSC’s move follows the new sports adviser, Asif Mahmud, calling for reform in all sports federations in Bangladesh, including the BCB.He has said that he wants to see a politics-free sporting arena. BCB, the custodian of Bangladesh’s most popular sport, was built on political clout particularly in the last 15 years.BCB chief Nazmul Hassan was the country’s sports minister, while there was a member of parliament, a former MP, a former mayor and two cousins of the country’s prime minister in the BCB’s board of directors. Even two of Bangladesh’s top cricketers were members of parliaments.The NSC can now nominate another individual to replace the resigned Jalal as their director in the BCB. Reportedly, Faruque Ahmed, the 58-year-old former Bangladesh captain and two-time chief selector, is likely to be the NSC-nominated director.