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The ability to adapt quickly to unfamiliar conditions was crucial to New Zealand’s victory in the first Test over Zimbabwe, according to coach Mike Hesson. He praised Neil Wagner and BJ Watling for assessing the Bulawayo surface, which did not offer much pace or bounce but grew abrasive as the game went on, and working out how to succeed on it.Wagner’s career-best 6 for 41 was headlined by his short-ball barrage, an unusual sight at Queens, where most seamers stick to simple plans and wait for a mistake. But Wagner bent his back and attacked Zimbabwe’s line-up in the first innings and the early parts of the second, before adjusting his strategy and searching for reverse-swing as the ball aged.Although his second-innings returns were a third of his first innings, it showed his dual use as a wicket-taker, with both new and old ball, something that has come with being more certain of his game.”When he came up three or four years ago he was excited and keen to make an impression. He probably didn’t stick to his gameplan for too long but he’s a lot more experienced now and he’s certainly got the confidence of the captain,” Hesson said. “He’s able to change his game, as we saw. He can swing the new ball if he’s given it. He can certainly reverse the old one and we know he can bowl bumpers. Especially on unresponsive surfaces, he’s a good bowler.”Equally good but less celebrated was Watling, whose century did not get the same attention as Tom Latham’s or Ross Taylor’s, perhaps because it came after theirs. Watling’s was the fastest of the three hundreds and ensured the game did not drift at a time when Zimbabwe’s wearing bowlers were focused on containing. Watling tired them out even more, pierced the gaps and rotated strike with intent.”He is incredibly perceptive. He is one of the few players that can adapt technique mid-game,” Hesson said. “He makes subtle changes to his grip. He is a very talented and very hard-working cricketer.”Some conversations around the match spoke of Watling being the best wicket-keeper batsman in Test cricket at the moment, a label Hesson would not mind endorsing. “His keeping in very tough conditions, in the subcontinent, in England, has been exceptional for us. He often bats with the tail and he has an ability to eke out as many runs as possible. We’re not going to trade him for anyone,” Hesson said.Overall, Hesson assessed New Zealand’s performance as “very thorough,” with both batsmen and bowlers executing the patience plan as intended. “We talked about playing the long game. We did that. We also showed how important the new ball was. We can be a little bit impatient with the ball at times but I am clutching to find some work-ons. Before hand, we said 20 wickets would be tough to take so we’re pleased that we did it.”New Zealand will have Monday off before spending a night at Heath Streak’s farm outside Bulawayo and will then return to training on Thursday in preparation for the second Test which starts on Saturday. Doubtless, they will be eyeing a clean sweep in Zimbabwe before moving on to South Africa, where they will face a tougher challenge in their bid to keep climbing the rankings.”These two series are a chance for us as a group to gain some of the ground that we lost a few months ago against Australia,” Hesson said. “We had gone eight series without a loss before we faced them at home and away. Before that, we had gained a lot of ground and then we lost some.”

Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler would be candidates to play in England’s Test side purely as batsmen according to head coach Trevor Bayliss.The England selectors will meet on Thursday morning to select the squad for the first Investec Test against Pakistan at Lord’s before it is announced later that day, and Bayliss said it would be an “interesting” meeting.There will definitely be one enforced change following Nick Compton’s decision to take a break from the game, although he would have been dropped after a torrid series against Sri Lanka.Stokes is currently making his comeback from knee surgery by playing as a batsman for Durham after being injured in the first Test against Sri Lanka, while Buttler is seeking a Test recall having been dropped against Pakistan in the UAE.Buttler will be considered as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps after Bairstow’s inconsistent series against Sri Lanka, but Bayliss indicated that he thought him a viable option without the gloves and also suggested that Stokes did not have to be a certainty to bowl to come into consideration.”From my point of view, he’s in contention for a batting spot if it’s fit,” Bayliss said of Stokes. “He’s playing the next four-day game as a batsman and might, depending on how he’s gone in the last few days in the nets, he might bowl some short spells. I’m just saying a guy who has made plenty of runs in Test cricket already, he has to be discussed I’m sure.”Knowing Jos and the type of sportsman he is – whatever he’s doing: darts, snooker, football, cricket – he’s a game player. He could play as a bat, I’m sure. He could field, he wouldn’t have too many problems at all. We saw Jonny field in these one-day games and he’s a very similar sportsman as well, a good athlete, and I think Jos would be the same. He played in the IPL as a fielder. I think he could handle it.”Buttler has not played a first-class match since the Dubai Test against Pakistan in October, but Bayliss does not think that has to be a deciding factor into whether he returns to the line-up.”Not for Jos, I don’t think, the way he plays,” he said. “Personally I think he’d be better in Test cricket if he played like he does in the white-ball game. That would be devastating, him coming in at six or seven and being able to play like that.”He certainly looks like he has a lot of confidence at the moment, this series against Sri Lanka has probably been as consistent as he’s played since I got here. The way he has struck the ball, the way he has carried himself, his keeping as well was pretty good, he’s certainly in contention.”Alongside a decision on Stokes’ fitness, an assessment will need to be made over James Anderson who has a stress fracture of his right shoulder blade. Anderson has resumed gentle bowling but Bayliss said it was a day-to-day process given the unusual nature of the injury. Jake Ball, who was in the squad throughout the Sri Lanka series, and has been rested from Nottinghamshire’s current Championship match against Lancashire, would be the favourite to replace Anderson.The batting vacancy could be filled by a straight swap of Compton for another top-order batsman, the favourite being Durham’s Scott Borthwick, but if it was taken by either Stokes or Buttler it would require a reshuffle in the order which would require either Joe Root or James Vince to bat at No. 3.Bayliss reiterated his belief that Root is England’s future No. 3, but said that he thought Vince – who made a maiden international fifty in the final ODI against Sri Lanka having replaced Alex Hales – would not have a problem adjusting to the position which he holds for Hampshire in domestic cricket. Vince had a difficult start against Sri Lanka in the Tests, with 54 runs in four innings, but seems certain to retain his place.”Long term, I think Root is our No. 3,” Bayliss said. “Rooty would have to want to do it, it’s a big change and he’s done well at No. 4. My way of thinking is you put your best batter at No. 3. But from what I’ve seen of Vince, I think he could handle No. 3 also. In a way he’s a similar style of player to Rooty, a classical player, plays nice and straight, so there’s no reason why he couldn’t make a success of No. 3.”

In the coming years, the UAE’s ILT20 could see games take place in Saudi Arabia after it entered into a partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF). The league gains official recognition in the Kingdom as part of its expansion across the Gulf region.While no specific date has been set on the first matches that will be played in Saudi Arabia, the SACF has sanctioned the ILT20 as an official men and women’s competition that could host matches in the Kingdom in future seasons. The linkup will also provide Saudi Arabia players with a direct pathway into the tournament, starting with the auction for this year’s edition on October 1, where each franchise will be required to sign at least one player from the country.”We are very proud to announce our partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation,” ILT20 chairman Khalid Al Zarooni said. “Saudi Arabia is a key part of the Gulf region, and its commitment to developing cricket is inspiring. This partnership is built on our shared vision of growing the game beyond borders. The DP World ILT20 will create opportunities for players, and hopefully bring world-class cricket closer to the fans.”Related

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The agreement will also see the ILT20 and SACF work together on talent identification and grassroots development, with a development tournament planned in Saudi Arabia next year.HRH Prince Saud Bin Mishal Al-Saud, chairman of SACF, said: “This collaboration reflects our commitment to developing cricket in the country, and providing our players with opportunities to grow and succeed on an international stage. With Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 placing strong emphasis on sport and community engagement, we believe this partnership will inspire more young men and women to take up cricket.”The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 this year, and will run until January 4, 2026, featuring six teams across 34 matches.

Surrey continued their Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup charge with a three-wicket win over Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.Warwickshire were lifted to 239 all out by a dazzling maiden professional century by Davina Perrin (113 from 125 balls). Supported by Natasha Wraith (47, 49), Perrin salvaged her side from 32 for five after early damage done by Ryana MacDonald-Gay (four for 47) and Alice Monaghan (three for 48)Surrey then reached 240 for seven with 20 balls to spare as Alice Capsey’s sparkling 79 (73) underpinned the chase and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s composed 43 not out (43) saw it to a comfortable conclusion.Surrey chose to bowl and did so very effectively in the opening overs as four batters had their furniture rearranged in the first 40 balls. Monaghan bowled Meg Austin through a pull and Abi Freeborn through the gate. MacDonald-Gay bowled Bethan Ellis behind her legs and induced Amu Surenkumar to play on. When Sophie Beech, on her debut, tucked her first ball to leg and was called for a quick single by Perrin and run out by Phoebe Franklin’s throw, it was 32 for five.Perrin and Wraith skilfully excavated their side from the hole with a partnership of 118 in 19 overs. Perrin posted the century stand in the grand manner with a straight six off Danielle Gregory before Monaghan returned to hit the stumps for a third time, Wraith’s as she tried to lift to leg.Issy Wong (21, 27) continued the recovery in a stand of 55 in nine overs with Perrin whose superb innings finally ended when she she lifted a Gregory full toss to long off. She walked off to a huge ovation and with her team right back in a game they seemed to have lost in the opening overs.Surrey’s reply took an early hit when Wong trapped Kira Chathli lbw. Bryony Smith (38, 31) and Capsey added 75 from 62 balls but when Smith launched Phoebe Brett over long off for six she immediately signalled for treatment and soon had to retire hurt having aggravated a side strain.Surrey shrugged off the blow as assertive cameos from Paige Schofield and Grace Harris kept the scoring rate high. Schofield fell lbw when she missed a sweep at Georgia Davis and Harris, match-winner in the final three days earlier, was bowled by Wong.Capsey was lured down the track by Brett and stumped and Millie Taylor kept Warwickshire in contention by removing Monaghan and Franklin in an over, but Wyatt-Hodge, with plenty of time on her side, eased Surrey calmly to their target.

There will be no WBBL matches scheduled at the MCG or the SCG in the upcoming home and away season but the possibility of another MCG final remains open after Cricket Australia committed to a Saturday night final that will be held the day before the start of the BBL season.CA released the schedule for the upcoming WBBL season on Friday. The tournament is going to be completed in a tight 35-day window between November 9 and December 13, squeezed between the Women’s ODI World Cup in India and the men’s BBL which begins on December 14.The WBBL season will get underway with a grand final rematch between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades at the Allan Border Field in the first game of a double-header with Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes also facing off at the ground in a twilight match.Related

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There are 10 double-headers in all, but just one at a major international venue with the Adelaide Oval hosting two matches on November 28. The WBBL made a bold move last season to host matches at major venues as part of a ‘Stadium Series’, with three matches hosted at the Adelaide Oval, two at the SCG, one at the Gabba and three at the MCG including the final.But Big Bash League general manager Alistair Dobson said it was a difficult year to promote stadium games due to the tightness of the schedule.”Each season when we look at the schedule, we are always looking for the balance of the right venues and the right opportunity to promote those games,” Dobson said. “We’ve enjoyed playing in bigger stadiums for the past couple of seasons, and are really looking forward to being back at Adelaide Oval this year.”The other games, largely due to scheduling reasons and needing to optimise those games in those big stadiums, we haven’t found the right slot for them this year.”That’s not to say we won’t be back there in the future, because [playing] the world’s best cricket league in the world’s best stadiums is still a part of our thinking going forward, but not for this season.”WBBL schedule 2025-26•Cricket Australia

There is a possibility though that the MCG could hold the final if one of the Melbourne teams earns the right to host it given the CitiPower Centre (Junction Oval) will not have lights erected in time for the WBBL season, with the final scheduled to be a Saturday night game after last year’s final was played during the day.The North Sydney Oval, the Allan Border Field and the WACA all have lights which means the SCG, the Gabba and the Perth Stadium would unlikely be used for the final if required. The Adelaide Oval will also be unavailable on December 13 due to the third men’s Ashes Test being hosted on December 17 but the Karen Rolton Oval has lights for Adelaide Strikers to host there.There has been some raised eyebrows among clubs regarding parts of the schedule with each team having to host a game at a neutral venue. Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers will play in Adelaide just two days before Strikers and Scorchers play against each other in Melbourne. But the request of the broadcasters Channel Seven and Foxtel to minimise the amount of movement of broadcast equipment across the tightly condensed season has forced some compromises in the schedule.

Stumps Seven balls after bringing the light meter out for the first time on day two, the umpires pulled the plug on the day’s play because of bad light. If that was somewhat abrupt, a third-umpire decision that took its time coming added drama to what turned out to be the last delivery of the day.Mahmudul Hasan Joy, on 38, decided to skip out of the crease to Dane Piedt, and missed the ball with his wild swing. The ball bounced a fair bit, and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne collected it in front of his right shoulder and whipped the bails off. The TV umpire saw multiple replays and concluded Mahmudul was not out – the bat was behind the line but in the air, but it seemed to have lifted after being grounded once. Verreynne’s expression showed how tight it was.Related

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The day belonged to Verreynne, who hit his second Test century in the afternoon session. That, combined with Wiaan Mulder’s maiden half-century and Piedt’s resistance from No. 10, took South Africa to 308 despite them being 108 for 6 at one stage. And with a cushion of a 202-run first-innings lead, Kagiso Rabada struck twice early in the second innings to have Bangladesh at 4 for 2, before a fightback from Mahmudul, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim.Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque fell for single-digit scores within the first four overs for the second time in as many days, as Rabada extracted plenty of pace and bounce with the new ball. His wickets came off back-of-a-length deliveries. In the third over, he got one to nip into Shadman, who inside-edged to short leg, where Tony de Zorzi took a sharp catch to his left. Three balls later, Mominul went defending but got an outside edge to third slip, where Mulder went low to grab a dipping ball.Mahmudul and Shanto added 55 to rebuild briefly, before Keshav Maharaj trapped Shanto in front. Maharaj got a full delivery to turn in from outside off, and Shanto, who had opened his stance up in looking to defend, was struck on his back leg, which was dragging towards off.Mushfiqur then hit an entertaining 31 off 26 deliveries in an unbroken stand of 42 with Mahmudul to ensure there was no further damage, although Bangladesh still ended the day 101 runs behind South Africa.Hasan Mahmud took two wickets in the first session•BCB

The advantage South Africa enjoyed was down to Verreynne. He swept every other ball that came his way, and when he finally missed one, he was stumped by Litton Das. That ended South Africa’s innings at 308 but by then, Verreynne had raced to his hundred. He took just 144 balls to score 114, becoming only the third wicketkeeper-batter from his country to get a Test hundred in Asia. Fittingly, the landmark came off a paddle sweep off Taijul Islam in the 86th over.Both Verreynne’s sixes were pumped once he was past the three-figure mark: one a slog-sweep off the wicketless Nayeem Hasan, and the other a pull off Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Just before that, Mehidy had broken a frustrating ninth-wicket stand of 66. Piedt, who batted solidly, nudged and pushed his way to 32 before he was trapped in front off the 87th delivery he had faced. It turned in and he was given out on field. Piedt reviewed, and it returned an umpire’s call. And immediately after Verreynne’s second six, Mehidy slowed the ball down to have him stumped.Earlier, the overnight pair of Verreynne and Mulder took their seventh-wicket to 119. The pitch seemed to have settled nicely for batting on the second morning, with no apparent turn available for Taijul. Verreynne particularly looked assured against Hasan Mahmud, who had started the day alongside Taijul, nudging the pacer past mid-on for three, and clipping and driving him for boundaries.Wiaan Mulder made 54, his highest Test score•AFP/Getty Images

Taijul then had Mulder poking, only for the outside edge to fall short of slip. That had as much to do with Mulder playing with soft hands as the slowness of the surface. Mulder and Verreynne adjusted to the pitch, and calmly did the job against the spin of Taijul and Nayeem.Both batters used the sweep and the reverse sweep to great effect despite Nayeem turning the ball in appreciably on occasion. That was down to them taking a good stride forward to get to the pitch of the deliveries, and playing their shots with confidence. They played 38 sweeps – or reverse sweeps – against spin on the second morning, and got 59 runs off them, including seven boundaries and a six.Bangladesh posted a man close in at square leg to prevent the batters from earning easy runs from the sweep, and yet Verreynne got to his half-century when he drilled one to the man there. Mulder then got to his half-century at the start of the 64th over, when he cut Nayeem for four behind point.Shanto had brought Mahmud back into the attack, and he struck back-to-back blows. First, he pitched on a back-of-a-length outside off, the ball holding its line. Mulder went for the punch, but edged to wide slip. Next ball, Mahmud went much fuller, reversing the ball into Maharaj and beating his defence to uproot off stump.But Piedt, who was in next, not only denied Mahmud a hat-trick, but also annoyed Bangladesh no end.

A combination of bad light and heavy rain meant only 35 overs were possible on the opening day of the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, in which Bangladesh scored 107 for 3.The toss itself was delayed by an hour because of a wet outfield caused by overnight rain. When the toss finally happened, the coin fell in India’s favour. Under overcast skies, Rohit Sharma had no hesitation in opting to bowl first – the first time India had done so in a home Test since 2015.Rohit expected his three seamers – India fielded an unchanged XI – to exploit the conditions. He said the pitch was a little soft and had a bit more grass than the usual Kanpur surface. Bangladesh read the conditions completely differently. Not only did they want to bat first but also picked three spinners.Jasprit Bumrah got the ball to move both ways and bowled three maidens to start with, but could not take a wicket. Mohammed Siraj did not find any success either as Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan survived the opening spells. Zakir, in fact, could not open his account despite facing 20 balls in that period.Things changed when Akash Deep was introduced in the ninth over. With his third ball, he had Zakir walking at him and edging it towards gully, where Yashasvi Jaiswal went low to his right and pouched it with both hands. The TV umpire was consulted about the fairness of the catch. He had only one good angle but it was enough for him to deduce that the ball went straight into Jaiswal’s hands.A few overs later, Akash Deep struck again. Continuing from around the wicket, he got one to beat Shadman’s inside edge and hit him on the pad. The on-field umpire denied the huge lbw appeal – it looked like the ball, at best, would have clipped leg stump. India opted for a review and, to everyone’s surprise, the projection showed the ball hitting a good chunk of the leg stump.Shanto came out with a positive mindset and picked up a few streaky boundaries off the outer half of the bat. Mominul, too, had begun tentatively but grew in confidence as the innings progressed. He picked up a four each off Akash Deep and Siraj via the ramp before driving Bumrah through the covers.As the last over before lunch was in progress, it started to drizzle which delayed the second session by 15 minutes. When play resumed, R Ashwin did not take long to get one go with the arm from around the wicket and beat Shanto’s inside edge to trap him lbw for 31. It ended the 51-run stand for the third wicket.Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim had a few nervy moments after that. Akash Deep got Mushfiqur’s outside edge but it went for four through the gap between third slip and gully. Three overs later, Mominul went after a full delivery from Bumrah, only to edge it over the cordon for another boundary.That was also the last over before it became too dark to continue. Soon, it started pouring down, forcing the umpires to call off play just before 3pm local time.

Middlesex and Yorkshire, second and third in Division Two, will head into the final three games of the Vitality County Championship season separated by just one point after they put the finishing touches on a high-scoring draw on day four at Headingley.The promotion rivals will battle it out with leaders Sussex for two top-flight places in 2025.Middlesex started the final day on 441 for five in their first-innings reply to Yorkshire’s 601 for six declared. They reached the follow-on target of 452 comfortably but were bowled out for 522 in the closing stages of the morning.Former England off-spinner Dom Bess finished with seven for 179 from a marathon 70.4 overs, while in-form Ryan Higgins completed an excellent 155 off 259 balls.Yorkshire’s second innings began shortly before lunch, with a lead of 79, and they reached 150 for two from 35 overs when bad light stopped play at 4.10pm. Opener Adam Lyth made 62 and James Wharton was 50 not out.Yorkshire took 13 points from this 11th round fixture and Middlesex 11.Given the placid nature of the pitch – only two batters across both sides failed to reach double figures during the four days – this final day was unlikely to be one that lived long in the memory, as a crowd of only 237 indicated.It started with no prospect of a win for either side, especially given both wouldn’t want to risk a defeat to their closest rivals in the table.If this had been a final round dead rubber, for example, it would have been no surprise to see a contrived result. But there was absolutely no chance of that in a match with such high stakes.Despite conceding 522, with Sam Robson’s opening 108 yesterday supporting in-form Higgins, Yorkshire bowled tidily and kept the scoring rate below three runs per over.Of the 174.4 overs in the Middlesex innings, 143.4 of them were bowled by the spin of Bess, Dan Moriarty and Lyth.Bess and left-armer Moriarty – nought for 174 from 61 – bowled more overs than they ever had previously done in a first-class innings.Bess led the way impressively, while new ball seamer Ben Coad added two wickets during the fourth morning to finish with three for 54 from 14 overs.Bess made the breakthrough in the day’s second over when he had Luke Hollman caught at second slip by Jonny Bairstow – one-handed at the third attempt, leaving Middlesex 441 for six.Despite being 11 runs short of the follow-on, there were no alarms during the early stages of a day played out under the Headingley floodlights.Higgins reached his 150 off 252 balls. Of his five Championship centuries this season, four have been above 150.But he was next to go, bowled by Coad, who uprooted off and middle stumps. And when Coad bowled captain Toby Roland-Jones shortly after, Middlesex were 513 for eight in the 169th over.Bess then wrapped up the innings, and his third career seven-wicket haul, by getting Tom Helm caught at short-leg and Noah Cornwell brilliantly caught by a diving Jordan Thompson as he ran back from mid-off.Yorkshire started their second innings just before lunch with personal milestones and time in the middle the only targets.Lyth needed 105 to reach 1,000 Championship runs for the season, a milestone Higgins achieved in his innings on day three.Having shared 66 for the first wicket with Fin Bean, he reached his fifty in 63 balls after lunch in no frills fashion. But he fell short of a century and 1,000 when he drove Tom Helm’s seam to short cover on the verge of tea, leaving Yorkshire 149 for two in the 34th over.Earlier, Bean had been trapped lbw by Hollman’s leg-spin for 30, while Wharton added the aggression, pulling two of the three sixes he hit against spin.The latter reached his fifty just after tea, off 55 balls, but the players left the field for the light almost immediately and did not return.

Felix Organ struck 74 not out off 57 balls before Brad Wheal and John Turner destroyed Lancashire’s batting and their hopes of Metro Bank One Day Cup progression.Hampshire had stumbled to 50 for 4 but Organ headlined a fightback with 74 and his second fifty of this season’s campaign. Lancashire then outdid their host’s top-order collapse by sinking to 19 for 5 in the face of Wheal and Turner’s electric new-ball pace. The duo ended up with 3 for 14 and 4 for 24 respectively.Chris Green’s valiant 100 – his first List A century – saved some face but Organ again impressed by taking 2 for 31 with his offspin to complete a 71-run victory and keep Hampshire in the mix at the top of Group A.Hampshire have lost a wicket before the end of the second over in each of their One Day Cup matches so far. Having been stuck in, the trend continued when Joe Weatherley – released by Southern Brave – nicked Will Williams behind. His opening partner Fletcha Middleton lasted until midway through the fifth over when Tom Bailey found bounce and away movement to touch the edge.The first boundary eventually came off the 42nd ball – when Nick Gubbins flicked off his hip – but he played onto his own stumps to make it 32 for 3, with Tom Prest seeing the sag continue to 50 for 4 with a chip to short midwicket. But with so many top-order wobbles so far in the competition, Hampshire know how to right the ship.Toby Albert and Ben Brown put on 44 to steady things and once they had been run out and caught sweeping, Organ and Dom Kelly added 76 to breeze Hampshire to the brink of a seemingly impossible 200. An easing pitch and ball helped, but a proactive approach saw boundaries flow, particularly from Organ’s bat as he reached a 47-ball fifty.Initially a top-order batter, Organ has found a niche for himself bowling offspin and coming in later in the order. But his grounding with the bat has made him invaluable for Hampshire, with scores of 59 and a match-winning 46 not out previously in the competition.Kelly fell for a run-a-ball 36, before Eddie Jack came and went, but Organ spearheaded 62 runs coming off the last six overs to end up on 74, and take his side to 222.John Turner was lethal with the new ball•Getty Images

A now tricky-looking chase overwhelmed Lancashire, as they slipped to 19 for 5 inside 10 overs. Wheal and Turner are not a batter’s dream with their paces in the vicinity of 90mph, and on a pitch offering bounce and movement with the new ball, they were almost unplayable.Scotland international Wheal’s first two victims were Harry Singh – who couldn’t keep down a lifting ball outside off stump to guide to point – and left-hander George Balderson – who couldn’t stop himself nibbling at a ball angling across him.Turner, who hasn’t featured for Trent Rockets yet in The Hundred, crashed into Josh Bohannon’s off stump a ball after seeing the batter dropped, before George Bell was sensationally caught over the shoulder by Weatherley.Green wasn’t going to allow Lancashire set a record low – 59 in their fourth ever List A match in 1963 – as he put on 51 with Rocky Flintoff and moved towards his second format half-century, which came in 48 deliveries.Flintoff was leg before to Organ, Jack Blatherwick slapped to mid off, Bailey was bounced out by Wheal and Charlie Barnard was caught at extra cover as no one could stick with Green long enough to form a match-winning partnership.Williams stayed long enough to allow Green, the best batter on the day, to reach a much-deserved hundred in 94 balls, but next ball he was bowled to give Turner his fourth to complete the win.

Match details

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh
June 24, Kingstown, 8:30pm local

Big picture – race to the semi-finals

It’s the last Super Eight game of the T20 World Cup 2024 and it’s open season as far as the fourth semi-final spot is concerned, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who will be out in the middle, and Australia, who can at best wait and watch, all in the fray.Here’s what will do it for each of them:

• It’s simple for Afghanistan – win and get into the semi-finals; lose and they are out, since their NRR will stay below Australia’s even with a super-over defeat.
• Australia are done with their games with a net run-rate of -0.331. They get into the semi-finals if Bangladesh win but Bangladesh’s and Afghanistan’s NRR remain below theirs.
• For Bangladesh to go through, they need to win by 62 runs (having scored 160, say) or win in 12.5 overs (chasing 160), which will take their NRR above that of the other two.
• There’s rain around, of course, and shared points do the job for Afghanistan.

But facing Afghanistan are a down-on-their-luck Bangladesh side, after two meek defeats against India and Australia.Related

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It has been another dream run for Afghanistan in a World Cup. They had fought hard in the 50-over tournament in India last year, only to finish in sixth place. This time, they have roared through the group stage, and although there were hiccups against West Indies and India, Afghanistan’s landmark win against Australia has put them right back into contention for the semi-finals.Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran complement each other, and they added their third century stand of the competition against Australia. That Afghanistan did not rely solely on their spinners in their historic win was also pleasing for them. Gulbadin Naib, who has bowled in only three out of 11 T20I matches this year, stunned Australia with a four-for, with Naveen-ul-Haq chipping in with three. This sort of performance frees up Rashid Khan from always having to deliver the knockout punches while also keeping things tight.Bangladesh’s batting has also struggled significantly at this T20 World Cup. The top order has the lowest collective average among the Super Eight teams. Their middle-order is also showing signs of wear and tear, which has led the team management to tinker with the fast-bowling line-up to bring in the extra batter.2:01

Trott: ‘Nice feeling to know what’s needed to qualify’

Form guide

Bangladesh LLWWL
Afghanistan WLLWW

In the spotlight – Gulbadin Naib and Shakib Al Hasan

Gulbadin Naib was the eighth bowler against Australia, but he ended up taking his maiden four-wicket haul in T20Is in that game. He has been around for 12 years now and only recently made his IPL debut for Delhi Capitals. Needless to say, he is high on confidence.By his standards, this year’s T20 World Cup has mostly been a forgettable one for Shakib Al Hasan. He has scored one half-century, while it took him four matches to get his first wicket. Shakib became the first bowler in the tournament’s history to reach 50 wickets, but has only taken three at an average of 37 in this edition. He hasn’t batted high enough and Shakib’s bowling too hasn’t been properly utilised. Could this be Shakib’s swansong in the T20 World Cup?

Team news – Bangladesh might bring Taskin or Shoriful back

Bangladesh could go back to Taskin Ahmed or Shoriful Islam to replace Jaker Ali. Afghanistan are likely to go in unchanged at the same venue where they beat Australia.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hosain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Jaker Ali/Taskin Ahmed/Shoriful Islam, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Mahedi Hasan, 10 Tanzim Hasan, 11 Mustafizur RahmanAfghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Azmatullah Omarzai, 4 Karim Janat, 5 Rashid Khan (capt), 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Nangeyalia Kharote, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiShoriful Islam could replace Jaker Ali in Bangladesh’s XI•ICC/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Teams batting first have won every game in Arnos Vale, including Bangladesh defending 106 against Nepal. Afghanistan will also have a fair measure of the pitches after their 21-run win against Australia. Weather, however, may not be great as there’s some rain forecast.

Stats that matter

• Naib became the first bowler in the T20 World Cup to take a four-wicket haul after coming into the attack as the eighth bowler
• Gurbaz and Ibrahim now have three century opening stands in the T20 World Cup, the most by a pair
• Tanzim Hasan and Rishad Hossain have 11 wickets apiece, equalling Shakib’s tally from 2021 for the most wickets in an edition for Bangladesh

Quotes

“It’s a nice feeling to have that fact that we’re playing the last game as well. You will know exactly what the scenario is and then what’s needed to win. That’s always a nice feeling. But I think with cricket, so many things are thrown in and so many results can go against you or for you. So, we’ve just got to focus on our match against Bangladesh and when all the other matches are played. We’ll know what we need to do and the decisions we need to make.”
“One thing you’ve got to acknowledge is you can’t fight genetics. You have to have a genetic predisposition to power initially. But power is something that takes a lot of time. If you’re not predisposed to being strong… West Indians don’t have to find power. They’re born with power. We’re not born with power, so we have to do it a different way. We’re looking at the strength and conditioning element, we’re looking at different things of how we can do it a Bangladeshi way.”