Yorkshire sign Jack White from Northants

Yorkshire have signed Northamptonshire seamer Jack White on a two-year contract after activating a clause in his contract allowing him to move to a Division One club.White, 32, only made his debut in 2020 but has built a strong record, particularly in red-ball cricket where he has taken 114 wickets 25.18.”I’m incredibly honoured and extremely excited to begin this new chapter with Yorkshire,” White said. “Headingley is a special place to play and having had discussions with the coach and the leaders of the club I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my game and playing my part in achieving success for Yorkshire.”Yorkshire finished second in Division Two last season, securing a return to the top flight for the first time since 2022.Gavin Hamilton, general manager of cricket for Yorkshire, said: “We’re delighted Jack has committed his future to Yorkshire. He is a brilliant addition to the team – offering up another dimension to our bowling attack.”He’s someone who puts in the hard work and came into the professional game at a later stage of his development. He is the kind of player and person who will continue to add to our dressing room, and we look forward to working with him at the club.”Northamptonshire said they were “disappointed” to lose White, who was under contract until the end of the 2025 season.”While it is a real shame that Jack has decided to move elsewhere, everyone would like to thank him for his efforts in a Northamptonshire shirt and we wish him the best moving forward,” chief executive, Ray Payne, added.

Bartlett suffers side strain, Dwarshuis called in as cover for ODIs

Australia are facing the prospect of losing another pace bowler from their UK tour after Xavier Bartlett pulled up with a side strain in the first T20I against England in Southampton.He had overcome a no-ball from his first delivery, which saw Phil Salt taken at mid-off by captain Mitchell Marsh who had not heard the call and started to celebrate, to claim the wicket of Jordan Cox later in the powerplay. In a rare sight of a quick operating unchanged in a T20, Bartlett was given his four overs off the reel by Marsh as he extracted swing on a cold night but aborted his attempt to complete his last two deliveries.If, as seems likely, Bartlett’s tour is over it would add to the loss of Spencer Johnson (side) and Nathan Ellis (hamstring) from the trip. Riley Meredith, who had been called up for the Scotland series after Josh Hazlewood’s calf injury, was retained for the England T20 matches after Ellis was ruled out with an injury initially sustained in the Hundred.Related

  • Matthew Short makes his case to be Warner's successor

  • Does England-Australia allrounder-fest point way to T20's future?

  • Liam Livingstone embraces veteran status and targets ODI comeback

  • Hazlewood, Zampa close out victory after Head's onslaught

  • Ellis out of last two Scotland T20Is and England tour with hamstring injury

Bartlett’s injury opens up the prospect of Meredith coming into the side for the second T20I in Cardiff on Friday. Allrounders Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly are the other options.Ben Dwarshuis is heading to England to provide cover for the injury-riddled Australian ODI squad•BCCI

The selectors had not confirmed who would come into the one-day squad which Ellis was set to be part of. New South Wales left-armer Ben Dwarshuis will fly in ahead of the ODIs although currently he is there to provide cover and has not officially been added to the squad. Dwarshuis is uncapped in ODIs but has played three T20Is.Bartlett had not been due to be part of the ODI leg despite bursting onto the scene with consecutive four-wicket hauls against West Indies earlier this year. A side injury would likely put him in doubt for the start of the domestic season with Queensland with the Marsh Cup beginning later this month before the Sheffield Shield starts in early October.Hazlewood made an impressive return to action in Southampton with 2 for 32 from his four overs which included the key wicket of Liam Livingstone who had threatened to bring England back into the contest. He and Mitchell Starc will be part of the one-day series but Pat Cummins is missing the whole tour to work on strength and condition ahead of the home summer.

Pollard: We need to produce next batches of Bravos, Pollards, Narines

Trinbago Knight Riders, the perennial pre-tournament favourites in CPL, have had an up-and-down season so far, but considering the number of challenges they’ve had to deal with, including injuries to Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, their captain Kieron Pollard isn’t too perturbed.While Bravo has called time on his playing career after a groin injury cut short his CPL 2024 stint, Narine is working his way back from a quad strain. As for Russell, who was nursing a hamstring injury at the start of the tournament, his workload is being managed. To add to their troubles, USA fast bowler Ali Khan had been sidelined from the entire CPL 2024 with injury.”From a performance perspective, we’ve played eight games – won five and lost three. We’ll take that,” Pollard said before TKR’s final home game of the season, against Barbados Royals. “The first step in any tournament is to qualify. If we were in fifth or sixth place, it would be a different conversation. So, you expect this to happen. This is T20 cricket but given all the obstacles that have transpired throughout the season, we will take where we are [fourth place] at this particular time.Related

  • Bryan Charles replaces Dwayne Bravo at TKR

  • Dwayne Bravo announces retirement from all cricket

  • David Miller: 'As you get older, you understand your game a lot better. You think more clearly under pressure'

  • David Miller in the 500 club: key numbers from a few, long T20 careers

“We still have an opportunity to finish in the top two. We still have to play good cricket and we still have to play consistent cricket but this happens. The tournament has got a bit harder, despite having names on paper, all teams are stronger and they are playing very, very good cricket. Tactically, they are up there in terms of how cricket should be played, which is a good sign for us in the Caribbean.”Having had the services of Bravo, Narine, Russell, Pollard and Nicholas Pooran over the years, TKR put together what was arguably the most star-studded T20 line-up. In CPL 2024, they have unearthed some new T20 talents, including 21-year-old Shaqkere Parris and 27-year-old Keacy Carty, who has already represented West Indies in both ODI and Test cricket.Shaqkere Parris hit six sixes during his maiden CPL fifty•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Just six T20s old and an emerging player in the CPL, Parris has also attracted attention outside of the Caribbean. While speaking on his Youtube channel recently, R Ashwin said Parris has Pollard’s “touch” after he had cracked 57 off 33 balls against St Lucia Kings in Gros Islet. Then, in Port-of-Spain, he launched Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Gudakesh Motie for a 124-metre six. While Pollard was also pleased with Parris’ progress, he added that the youngsters in the region need to develop their game even further.”It augurs well. You talk about his scores in Barbados but he also played here in Trinidad as well for Victoria in the concluded local season as well,” Pollard said of Parris. “Again, it’s something as a team we had looked at in terms of scouting and he coming onto the scene and get an opportunity – play five games – and having a conversation about just not playing because you have to play but giving us an opportunity to select him as a normal player when that time comes is what exactly he’s done as an individual. So kudos must go to him as well, taking up the mantle to show that this is what he’s made of.”But if I can say this we would have loved to have some local guys – local from Trinidad as well – in the squad from a performance perspective. And that’s how we look at it. Not just because you’re from Trinidad, we’re going to select you, we look at performances as well. So that means our own players need to have a look at themselves and persons above as well to develop what is needed going forward.”This Under-23 is made for local guys to get the opportunity to fly the flag. For Parris and Nathan Edward, they’ve shown us what they can do and hopefully in the future we can have more of those talents coming through because we need the next batches of the Dwayne Bravos, the Sunil Narines and Kieron Pollards, Lendl Simmons and [Denesh] Ramdins from Trinidad as well. So, a lot of work to be done on that.”

Surrey working on a deal to sign Shakib to play one County Championship match

Shakib Al Hasan could be in line to play one County Championship game next month with Surrey working on a deal to bring him in, before he leaves for Bangladesh’s tour of India. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the match, set to be played from September 9, against Somerset in Taunton. Surrey will be without all of their England players as that round coincides with the end of the ongoing Sri Lanka Test series and the start of the Australia white-ball series.From London, Shakib will fly to Chennai where Bangladesh play their first Test against India from September 19. Bangladesh are set to play two Tests and three T20Is against India, before their home series against South Africa in October. Shakib is currently playing in the Test series in Pakistan.A former member of parliament in Bangladesh’s previous government, Shakib is among 147 people against whom charges have been filed in connection with an alleged murder during the protests in Bangladesh in early August. At that time, Shakib was out of the country, playing in the Global T20 Canada.Related

  • Shakib among 147 named in FIR for alleged murder during Bangladesh unrest

  • Bangladesh dig deep to find glory in a time of upheaval

  • Shakib picks up fine and demerit point for throwing ball at Rizwan

  • The champion cricketer is back – whither Shakib the Bangladesh hero?

The BCB had said that Shakib can continue playing for Bangladesh since the investigation is in its nascent stages. “It’s an FIR (first information report), there are a lot of legal procedures left to prove someone guilty following the filing of FIR,” new BCB chief Faruque Ahmed told the Dhaka-based the on Tuesday. “At this moment there is no bar on Shakib to continue playing. We have responded to the legal notice served to us and we have said the same thing (no bar on Shakib playing in the UK) there too.”ESPNcricinfo has learned the ECB has the right to withhold Shakib’s registration to play in their domestic system even if he is granted a UK visa.Bangladesh’s Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said on Wednesday it was unlikely for Shakib to be arrested.”This is a matter for the police administration,” Nazrul told reporters in Dhaka. “We have tried to say as much as we can. Filing a case does not mean an arrest. I believe our Ministry of Home Affairs will take steps to ensure that no one becomes overly enthusiastic about making an arrest. I hope Shakib will not be arrested. As far as I know, our police force has been given certain instructions.”Bangladesh posted a historic win against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi, with Shakib taking three important wickets on the fifth day. He is also part of the second Test, whose first day, on Friday, was washed out due to rain.

India vs South Africa at the T20 World Cup final: all you need to know

So India and South Africa it is. How many times have they met in ICC finals? Or a knockout match?

This will be the first time that the two teams meet in the final of a men’s ICC tournament. India and South Africa did meet in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, which India won.

Can they be called the two best teams in this tournament?

Well, one can say that the two most in-form teams have made it to the final. Both India and South Africa are unbeaten in the tournament, and both teams topped their respective groups in the group stage and the Super Eight, although South Africa have an extra win under their belt given India’s washout against Canada.Whoever wins the final will be the first team to win a men’s T20 World Cup unbeaten.

Which team has taken the tougher route?

South Africa registered wins over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Nepal in the group stage before beating USA and England in the Super Eight. They faced West Indies in their final Super Eight match, knowing that a defeat would knock them out, but eked out a three-wicket win in a tight contest that was shortened by rain.Related

  • Luggage holds sway over historical baggage in tight turnaround to final

  • Heartbreak or glory, India and South Africa are already winners

  • Unbeaten India and South Africa come face to face in bid for glory

  • SA team delayed in Trinidad because of runway closure in Barbados

  • Shamsi: 'Huge achievement, but we didn't come here to get to the final'

After a string of narrow victories, South Africa hammered Afghanistan by nine wickets in the semi-final to march into the final.India, meanwhile, began their campaign with wins over Ireland, Pakistan and USA. Their perfect record in the group stage was marred by rain, as their game against Canada in Lauderhill was washed out. India started the Super Eight stage with big wins against Afghanistan and Bangladesh and capped it off by beating Australia.In the semi-final, India put in another comprehensive performance to down England by 68 runs.In terms of opposition, it could be argued that India faced tougher teams, having to overcome Pakistan, Australia and then England in the semi-final, but South Africa were seriously tested in most games but still found a way.

Okay, so why is this final a big deal for South Africa?

Well, it is a historic occasion for South Africa because it is the first time they will be competing in the final of a men’s World Cup, ODI or T20. In fact, apart from winning the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998, South Africa have not made the final of any ICC men’s tournament.They have come close on many occasions, reaching the semi-finals in five ODI World Cups (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023) and two T20 World Cups (2009 and 2014) before this year, but for the first time they have got to within one win of the title.

And why is it important for India?

While India won the first ever T20 World Cup, in 2007, they are without a World Cup title since 2011 and their last ICC silverware was the 2013 Champions Trophy. They have come close since, reaching the final of the T20 World Cup in 2014, and the semi-finals in 2016 and 2022, as well as the semi-finals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups. They also finished runners-up in the two World Test Championship finals – in 2021 and 2023. Last year, they were unbeaten en route to the final in a home ODI World Cup, but faced heartbreak in the final. Less than 12 months later, they have a chance to heal some of those wounds and end their barren run in global events.

When was the last time a World Cup was held in the West Indies?

The 2010 T20 World Cup was the last one hosted by the West Indies. That year’s final, between England and Australia, was also played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

So what do we know about the pitch and conditions?

Well, this will be the ninth match of the tournament at the venue. The first game here went to a Super Over, but there haven’t been any close contests here since.The teams batting first won three of the next four completed matches at the venue, and Scotland had raced to 90 for no loss in 10 overs against England before that game was called off. The last two matches in Bridgetown had West Indies and England bowling USA out cheaply and completing comfortable chases.South Africa haven’t played here this tournament, but India have had one game here – a 47-run win over Afghanistan.

Wind, is that going to be a factor?

It could be windy, with wind gusts predicted at 35 kmph from the east, going up to 45 kmph. But it probably won’t have as much of an influence as it did in Gros Islet when India took on Australia.

The India-England semi-final was affected by rain. What’s the Barbados weather forecast looking like for the final?

According to AccuWeather, there are some showers expected, so we may face interruptions. There is a roughly 50% chance of precipitation in the morning between 4am and 9am, but that comes down to roughly 30% between 10am (the scheduled toss time) and 1pm, when it goes up again to roughly 50%. There will be 190 minutes of extra time allotted on Saturday to try and complete the game. Both teams need to bat at least 10 overs for a winner to be declared.

So there is a reserve day?

Yes, the final does have a reserve day. The match will only go into Sunday if at least 10 overs each is not possible on Saturday even with extra time. The game, if already underway, will pick up from where it left off on Saturday, not start from scratch.Like match day, the scheduled start of play on the reserve day is 10.30am local time. There are some showers forecast for Sunday too, though the forecast for match hours is relatively better (about 20% chance of rain) than what’s expected overnight and later in the day.

What happens if we can’t get a result even after the reserve day?

If the weather prevents the match from being completed even on the reserve day, both teams shall be declared joint-winners.

And what happens if it’s a tie?

A Super Over will decide the result, and if that also ends in a tie, there will be another Super Over and so on until a result is achieved.If the Super Over is abandoned because of poor weather after a tied game, the two teams will be declared joint winners.

Chase admits WI need to improve their middle-overs batting

Needing to win three out of three to win a home World Cup and recreate the joy they did at Kensington Oval when they beat USA, West Indies clearly know where they need to get better: when they are batting in the middle overs. Both their average and run-rate have been the lowest in that phase this World Cup. They are losing a wicket every 20 balls in the middle overs despite scoring just 123 per 100 balls. Even these numbers make them look better than they have been as it includes the onslaught against USA when they were assured of a win and had to go hard in order to improve their net run-rate.It was in the middle overs against England, their only defeat so far, that West Indies let the game slip away. Especially in the first half of the middle overs, when they scored just 40 runs from overs seven to 11 in batting-friendly conditions. They had resolved to do better in those periods but never got tested when they played USA.”When we lost to England, we struggled in that period after the powerplay,” Roston Chase admitted. “I mean USA and South Africa is two different opponents, but we spoke about that, and the guys came out and executed it well today. It was only four overs outside of the powerplay, but that’s the main focus, because we know we have the power at the end. So it’s just for us to control that powerplay with the batting and our bowling, and then for us in the batting to keep the momentum going through that 7 to 15 period where we fell down horribly against England.”Related

  • West Indies and South Africa face off in virtual quarter-final at T20 World Cup

  • Maharaj: South Africa have found a way to win 'small moments' at the T20 World Cup

  • Shai Hope silences strike-rate critics, with bat and words

  • Chase, Hope help West Indies thump USA for NRR boost

Middle overs is also where Chase might have a role to play. Just to be able to stay busy and not starve the in-form hitter of the strike. “Easy for me because my job is just to give them the strike and let them hit it for six,” Chase joked when asked how it was playing in a team full of power hitters. “So that’s right up my alley. I guess that’s why I’m pencilled in at 4 to just be that transition between the boundaries and just keeping the strike rotated as well. Because I find that most of the time the boundary hitters, they usually hit boundaries, but then they may get a few dot balls. And then it equals out the equation. But if you have me there just to stroke it around and look nice, that’s good.”If he hasn’t batted till the 10th or the 11th over, though, Chase’s role is likely to be restricted to bowling in the middle overs and fielding at backward point, where he pulled off a stunning catch against USA. “If I see 10 overs come and I haven’t gone up there yet, I just keep my eyes on Rovman [Powell, the captain] all the time,” Chase said. “Once I see he give me a look, I go, yeah. Yeah, it’s for the better of the team. And the guys go out there and execute and give it their all. I’m happy with that.”In the absence of Brandon King, West Indies are now likely to open with Shai Hope, who was tried in the Chase role once earlier during the tournament. If Hope bats through into the middle overs, he is not the one to get bogged down. Undefeated South Africa are not the usual South Africa unit that used to stall in the middle overs. They in fact choked out England in the middle overs in the last match. Don’t be surprised if this contest comes down to the middle overs.

Bavuma: Win sweeter because we have been on the other side

Temba Bavuma hailed South Africa’s “incredible achievement” as they completed a 2-0 clean sweep over India, winning their first series in the country in 25 years. Bavuma, who was part of the squad when South Africa lost 3-0 in India in 2019 – and 3-0 in 2015 – said the victory tasted even “sweeter” as he knows the feeling of being “on the other side of the result.””It’s not every day that you get to think that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win,” Bavuma said after South Africa trounced India in Guwahati by 408 runs, their second-highest margin of victory ever by runs. “I think what makes it sweeter as well for some of us within the group is the fact that we’ve been on the other side of the result.South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, have been on an incredible run in Test cricket in the last year and a bit. Since August 2024, they have lost only one out of 15 Tests, with Bavuma winning all of his 12 Tests as captain. According to Bavuma, the positive change in mindset and “guys wanting to be the men for the team” have been the biggest reasons behind South Africa’s recent success.Related

  • 'Just dream a bit' – How South Africa turned hope into history

  • Jansen reaches great heights and carries South Africa with him

  • SA coach Shukri Conrad: 'Wanted them to really grovel'

  • Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

“There’s a big shift in our mindset in terms of what we want to do when we’re out there on the field of play,” Bavuma said. “We want to play what is in front of us and adapt accordingly. Guys go out there quite clear on their roles and what they’re trying to do. There’s a strong sense in each other that anyone on their day can do it for the team. As a captain, sometimes it’s very hard to take the ball out of the bowler’s hands. Everyone wants to continue bowling and you see it with the batting as well.”We don’t have the guys who go on and score big 150s and all, but we’ll have four or five different guys going on to score 60s and 70s. I can go on forever about the team, but I feel like the team is in a good space.”

‘Struggled to take the ball out of Harmer and Maharaj’s hands’

Bavuma also heaped praise on his two premier spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, particularly pointing out the competitiveness between the two, which in turn has boded well for the team. That South Africa won the Test series with Kagiso Rabada out due to injury impressed Bavuma even more.”Simon, as a spinner, as a player, he’s got the wealth of experience,” Bavuma said. “He complements Keshav quite well. A little bit on the taller side, a bit more guile with the ball. What I appreciate is the competitiveness between the two. They are the two guys that I have struggled to take the ball out of their hands.Simon Harmer and Aiden Markram celebrate Rishabh Pant’s wicket•Associated Press

“Simon was the man for us in this series. We’re so used to Kesh being that guy. We’re in a good space from a bowling point of view. A guy like Simon, Kesh as well on his days, them stepping up, having lost a guy like KG [Rabada] who was a big player for us, again speaks about the need for the guys to want to do it for the team.”For Harmer, this was a sweet comeback after ten years. Having toured India back in 2015, with limited returns, he finished the two-match series with 17 wickets in four innings at an incredible average of 8.94 and said he will now go back with “a lot more fond memories”.”It’s been a long road,” Harmer said after winning the Player-of-the-Series award. “Ten years later, back here, completely different feelings. I’m going to leave with a lot more fond memories than I did the last time but I think as a whole, as a team, for us to leave here 2-0, that was always the goal. And for us to get over the line against a very good Indian team, I think it was a hell of an effort.”Despite an incredible series, Harmer is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, with Maharaj being South Africa’s preferred spinner, particularly at home.”Keshav’s record speaks for itself. He’s an incredible bowler and he deserves to be the number one spinner,” he said. “I’m very happy playing the supporting role and if the opportunity presents itself for me to play, I try and take it with both hands. At the end of the day, I just need to make sure that I’m getting better, keep trying to evolve, keep trying to get better.”

McAndrew's five gets defending champions South Australia up and running

A super spell from South Australia quick Nathan McAndrew inspired the reigning one-day champions to a 79-run bonus-point win against Victoria.Set a target of 274 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, Victoria were in trouble straight away as McAndrew dismissed openers Matt Short and Campbell Kellaway cheaply.After steering Victoria to victory in a dramatic Sheffield Shield finish two days earlier, teenage sensation Oliver Peake also fell to McAndrew When Peake departed, the visitors had crashed to 61 for 4.Wicketkeeper Sam Harper saved some face for Victoria, crafting a team-high 59 from 68 balls. Harper had more than solid support from Blake Macdonald.But SA did all the early work and Victoria couldn’t recover, with McAndrew taking the final scalp for a five-wicket haul as Victoria were out for 194 in the 45th over.SA defeated their state rivals again after claiming bragging rights in last season’s Dean Jones Trophy final. They endured a difficult start to their title defence, losing the first two one-day games to slump to 0-2.Victoria also entered the match winless from two starts, meaning they have dropped to 0-3 and requiring a power of work to be in contention for back-to-back finals.Earlier, Jake Lehmann’s superb run of form continued with an outstanding 85 to anchor SA’s 273 for 8.Fringe Australia white-ball batter Jake Fraser-McGurk showed some promising signs at the top of the order after a difficult 12 months. He smashed 34 from 29 balls, while Harry Manenti made 34 off 46 deliveries.Xavier Crone was the pick of the Victorian bowlers with 4 for 61 which included bowling Fraser-McGurk with a beauty and having Jason Sangha taken at second slip with consecutive deliveries.SA took a liking to the under-strength Victorian bowling line-up missing captain Will Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill. Opening bowler Cameron McClure went for 1 for 68 from his eight overs.Victoria are next in 50-over action on October 20 when they host New South Wales at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, while SA face Queensland on the same day at Karen Rolton Oval.

Smith puts England on notice with sparkling Gabba knock

Steven Smith issued an ominous warning to England ahead of the Ashes, slamming 118 for New South Wales in his first game of cricket in more than two months.Fresh off a six-week stint in New York where he didn’t pick up a bat, Smith looked in imperious touch as he helped NSW to 349 for 5 in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland.Related

  • Australia's top order: What are the selectors' options?

  • What does Pat Cummins' absence mean for Australia?

  • Webster falls cheaply as Perry takes five

After the opening day’s play at the Gabba was washed out through rain, Kurtis Patterson also hit 122 while youngster Will Salzmann impressed with 65 while opening.The only sour point for NSW was Sam Konstas being bowled middle stump for 10, leaving a ball from left-armer Hayden Kerr that angled straight into his wickets.Konstas is now essentially no chance of retaining his spot as Australia’s opener, and could benefit from a summer out of the spotlight in the Shield.But there is no question mark over Smith’s form heading into the first Test in Perth on November 21, where he will captain Australia in place of the injured Pat Cummins.Smith played out 21 dot balls to start his innings on Wednesday, but from the moment he on-drove Sam Skelly to the boundary to get off the mark, the right-hander looked on.A flurry of drives and pull shots followed, with the 36-year-old treating the Gabba as his playground and looking every bit at his best three weeks out from the first Test.Sam Konstas was bowled by Hayden Kerr•Getty Images

Some 86 of his runs came in boundaries, including a big six down the ground of Mitchell Swepson when he charged the legspinner and took him on.Three boundaries came in three balls at one stage off quick James Bazley, with the first two crunches through the covers and the last a classic straight drive.Once renowned for being a cricket nuffy who perhaps trained too much, Smith insisted last week he now needed only two hits in the nets to prepare for a summer.And by the time he drove Tom Straker to bring up his century off 158 balls on Wednesday, the proof of that was clear and England had been put on notice.Smith was eventually well caught by Matt Renshaw at gully, but by then he looked well placed to set himself up for a big Ashes summer.Arguably Australia’s best-performing batter in Ashes history aside from Don Bradman, Smith has hit 12 career centuries against England and averages 56.01.His runs on Wednesday came as England’s ODI side collapsed on Wednesday across the Tasman, all out for 175 in a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand.Smith’s century also overshadowed the superb innings of Patterson. The former Test batter found form following a lean start to the Shield season, after his late-career revival last summer was one of the best stories of Australian cricket.Patterson cover-drove superbly and hit 14 boundaries in total, before being caught behind trying to drive Marnus Labuschagne late in the day.For NSW to win this match they will likely need to score big and only bat once, while Queensland’s hopes are effectively gone through Smith and Patterson’s 202-run third-wicket stand.

Sophie Devine stars as Brave maintain perfect start

Southern Brave 103 for 2 (Wyatt-Hodge 43, Wolvaardt 33*) beat Northern Superchargers 102 (Armitage 36, Devine 3-15)A tight bowling performance led by Sophie Devine followed by a comfortable run chase with Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Laura Wolvaardt at the helm saw Southern Brave easily defeat North Superchargers by eight wickets at Southampton and make it three wins from three in The Hundred women’s competition.Electing to bat first, Superchargers started in a subdued fashion, scoring just four from the first 10 balls and losing Alice Davidson-Richards (2) and Phoebe Litchfield (5) on the way to posting 19-2 in the 25-ball powerplay.Davina Perrin (13) was run out by Tilly Corteen-Coleman going for an incredibly risky second as the visitors continued to labour against tight Brave bowling, reaching 43-3 at halfway.Mady Villiers took the big wicket of Annabel Sutherland (20), the Aussie well caught by Maia Bouchier at long-on, before Georgia Adams removed Superchargers wicketkeeper Bess Heath (3), brilliantly caught running backwards by her opposite number Rhianna Southby.Skipper Hollie Armitage (36 not out) stuck in and was joined by Lucy Higham (13) at 74 for 7, the pair rallying late in the innings, sharing a partnership of 27 before Higham was dismissed by Devine (3-15) as the Kiwi took two-in-two in the final set to see Supercharges 102 all out.In the chase, Grace Ballinger conceded just a wide from the opening set as Maia Bouchier started cautiously.A single by Wyatt-Hodge off Kate Cross to take the score to 5-0 saw the experienced right-hander become the second player to pass 1,000 runs in The Hundred after Nat Sciver-Brunt reached the milestone last week.Bouchier (5) was caught at mid-off off Cross, but Wyatt-Hodge put her foot on the gas, hitting Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin for three consecutive boundaries, combining with Wolvaardt to bring up the Brave’s 50.Wyatt-Hodge was stumped off Katherine Fraser for 43 with 20 runs still required, but Wolvaardt (33 not out) and Devine (15 not out) saw the Brave home with 17 balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero Devine said: “The support we’ve had down here these last two games has been exceptional, so nice to have a couple of wins here and we’ve got a bit of travel to do now.”We were a little bit in two minds as well with the overhead conditions and a used wicket, the great thing about this competition is the wins at home and being able to play to your home conditions and I think we did that exceptionally well today.”Credit to everyone, I think we adapted really well with the ball and the way Danni and Wolvy went out there with the bat, they made it look like a different wicket.”

Game
Register
Service
Bonus