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“All I am thinking about is about playing for Bengal. I have forgotten everything that happened in the past”

Sreshth Shah12-Aug-2024Wriddhiman Saha has said that he wants to bury his past issues with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), as he looks ahead to a fruitful reunion with the team that he represented from 2007 to 2022.Speaking to the media at the Eden Gardens, Saha was clear that he did not want to discuss the past at all, and instead had his focus on serving Bengal cricket for the remainder of his career. Saha, 39, said, he was keen to take the field as a Bengal cricketer but was also open to a coaching stint in the future.”I don’t think of the past or the future, but only stay in the present. And on that note, currently, all I am thinking about is about playing for Bengal. I have forgotten everything that happened in the past,” he said. “But I am open to help Bengal in any capacity possible. Since I am a cricketer, I would be better off helping Bengal in coaching instead of any administrative role.”Saha had parted ways with the Bengal team before the 2022-23 domestic season following a clash of words with CAB joint-secretary Debabrata Das, who in a statement had made references about Saha “giving all sorts of excuses” to “skip” Ranji Trophy games for Bengal.Related

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At the time, Saha had sought an apology, and even though the CAB selected him for subsequent games, he didn’t back down from getting the NOC (No-Objection Certificate) that would take him as a player-mentor to Tripura.The incident happened around the same time that Saha, then 37, was also informed by the Rahul Dravid-led India team management that he would not be considered for upcoming Test squads following India’s return from the away tour of South Africa in January 2022.”I am not looking at retiring at the moment,” Saha, wearing a cap with the slogan “Never Give Up”, said when asked about his prospects of working in the media or participating in various T20 leagues. “When I will retire, I will leave all forms and all formats of cricket, but right now, I am focused on red-ball cricket, white-ball cricket, the IPL, and I’m available for everything. I will be managing my workload with one eye on my age, but I still have the drive to play cricket and see Bengal do well.”While CAB president Snehasish Ganguly was tight-lipped about whether Saha would be handed the Bengal captaincy now that Manoj Tiwary has retired from cricket after the 2023-24 season, he did say that someone of Saha’s experience was necessary for Bengal to fill the gap left by Tiwary. Ganguly also said CAB were delighted in not only getting Saha, a “son of the soil”, but also former vice-captain Sudip Chatterjee, who had left for Tripura around the same time as Saha.However, Saha’s availability for Bengal now leaves the team with two high-quality wicket-keepers in their ranks with Abishek Porel also in the mix and potentially only one place in the XI for either player. On finding the balance between grooming a young wicketkeeper like Porel and using his experience to help Bengal, Saha said he would support Porel’s growth wholeheartedly and ensure he doesn’t fall by the wayside just to accommodate the senior pro.”Even before I left Bengal, I was grooming Abishek from the sidelines, and that will continue,” Saha said. “I have been seeing his growth from his young days, and have been having conversations with him. I am sure the management will also aim to give Abishek all the opportunities possible.”Wriddhiman Saha had signed with Tripura for the 2022-23 Indian domestic season, before making a return to Bengal•PTI

Bengal have been knocking on the doors of a Ranji Trophy title for the last four years, reaching the final twice but losing on both occasions to Saurashtra in 2019-20 and 2022-23. However, one concern among the fans of Bengal cricket has been the lack of Bengali cricketers in the team. Saha, though, felt players should mainly be selected only on merit.”When you get selected for India, there is no quota of having these number of boys from North Zone or South Zone or East Zone or West Zone,” he said. “If you play well, you will get an opportunity, and that’s what has been happening in Bengal. Even if some of our players have originated from outside Bengal and may not be Bengalis, it does not make them any less part of the Bengal team. Shahbaz [Ahmed], Akash [Deep] and [Abhimanyu] Easwaran, I have seen them training here from their young days. They haven’t just come here overnight. They are as much a part of the Bengal side [as others].”I can understand that some people may feel that the Bengal team should have more Bengalis, but I don’t feel that’s enough reason as talent and hard work should be the primary criteria. If you see that way, then you’ll also say Manoj Tiwary is not a Bengali. But that’s obviously not true. So I do not feel that’s such an issue in Bengal cricket, especially when you’re doing so well, like we have seen the team in the last four to five years.”Last season, Bengal failed to qualify out of their Group in the Ranji Trophy, finishing third behind Mumbai and Andhra in Group B. In the List A Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bengal were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, they were knocked out in the preliminary quarter-final.

Vice-captain backs team-mate to turn on the style at some point in coming series

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Jun-2023Ollie Pope has backed Zak Crawley to make an impression in the Ashes, believing the England opener can strike a run-a-ball hundred against Australia’s much-vaunted attack.Crawley remains a point of contention in a team that has won 11 out of their last 13 Tests under Ben Stokes’ captaincy. He’s been a constant selection since the start of last summer, but heads into the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston this week averaging just 27.69 in that period. There have been just four scores above fifty – including a century against Pakistan back in December – the last of which came against Ireland at Lord’s last week.Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum remain huge advocates of the 25-year-old, citing his potential as a reason not to judge him solely on output. During a poor run last summer, McCullum stated that Crawley’s skillset “is not to be a consistent cricketer”, encouraging him to continue playing his way at the top of the order for the team’s good.And last week at Lord’s, faced with an 11-run chase in the fourth innings against Ireland, Stuart Broad related how the talk in the innings break had been about the possibility of Crawley winning the game with consecutive sixes. “The conversation in that 10 minutes was ‘can you do it two balls?'” he said. “Don’t take four overs, don’t worry about getting out …” In the end, Crawley sealed the chase with three fours in four balls.Such sentiments are echoed by Pope. Though the vice-captain cedes Crawley himself has not been happy with his returns so far, Pope feels the Ashes, and the bowlers England will face, provides the perfect opportunity for the Kent batter to show just how high his ceiling really is.”The player that Zak is, he could have a tough first game, have a tough first innings of a second game and then go and blast a hundred off a hundred, because he’s got the ability to do that against Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon – these guys,” said Pope. “That’s the exciting thing about Zak as a player – you know he can take the game and, in the space of a session, set the tone or break the back of a run-chase.”We chat about it openly and he wouldn’t mind me saying – there have been times when he hasn’t scored the weight of runs that he has wanted. But there have also been times where he has played some knocks that have gone under the radar. He’s scored his three hundreds (in his career) but he’s also had a lot of big knocks at the top of the order.”Pope cites knocks against India and South Africa last year as examples of Crawley’s under-rated contributions. The former was 46 at Edgbaston, part of an opening stand of 107 with Alex Lees, which provided a platform for a chase of 378. The latter was 38 from 101 deliveries in the second Test against South Africa that, following centuries from Stokes and Ben Foakes, led to a first innings of 415 for 9 declared that England were able to fashion into an innings victory to square the series at Old Trafford.Related

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There is also Crawley’s only score of note against Australia, a 77 compiled at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It is this knock, against Cummins, Starc, Boland and Green, that coaches and team-mates believe showcase the scale of Crawley’s ability, more so than the 267 against Pakistan in 2020. “He’s obviously a player who can deal with 90mph bowling at his head,” said Pope on that innings.Crawley is clearly at the end of his tether with constant criticism of his selection. Last month he stated he did not care for the views of “the average punter” questioning his place on social media. That noise will only get louder with the heightened interest in the Ashes bringing greater scrutiny.Pope sympathised with his team-mate’s situation and feels greater focus on the five matches against Australia should not make the next six weeks the be-all and end-all. Not just for Crawley, but for the rest of an England side angling to claim the urn for the first time since 2015.”Firstly, Zak is a top bloke and a very well-liked bloke in the changing room,” Pope said. “There’s a lot of media around it, because of the numbers. There’s been a lot of chat. Coming in after someone like Alastair Cook and the way he played – what a legend of the game he is, averaged 40-odd – there’s probably a bit of a stereotype maybe as to that England opening spot, you need to be averaging 40 and batting this way.”Just because it is an Ashes series, there’s more on it because there are more public eyes watching. But it doesn’t have to be a make-or-break series. There’s pressure on us all going into this series. We’re playing one of the best teams in the world in our home conditions, so we’re desperate for everyone to do well. But at the same time, if it doesn’t go to plan, what we’ve done as a team in the last year and a bit … for nobody is it a make-or-break series.”

‘I just hope other formats outside of T20 aren’t left behind,’ says England Test and ODI opener

Valkerie Baynes05-Dec-2023Tammy Beaumont has made an impassioned plea to preserve the ODI format as a cornerstone of women’s cricket, amid the explosion of T20 franchises and a push by a handful of top-ranked nations to play more Tests.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo on the eve of England’s three-match T20I series and four-day Test against India in Mumbai – and just a fortnight after the men’s 50-over World Cup ended, igniting debate over whether the format was on the brink of extinction – Beaumont said it was crucial for the women’s game to nurture all three versions of the international game.”The more the game goes on, I think the more it’ll diversify and there’s more talent in every country, so now you can almost field very different teams depending on the format,” Beaumont told the podcast on Tuesday. “I just hope that other formats outside of T20 aren’t left behind because that’s a real issue that has happened in the men’s game.Related

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“One of the few good things about the women’s game, being quite a long way behind the men’s game still, is that we can learn from the mistakes of the men’s game. The WPL and all the franchise leagues, and the investment, and the amount of money that has come into the women’s game are absolutely amazing and some might say overdue, but also I think we need to protect where the game’s come from.”We see the men’s game talking about 50-over cricket: ‘is it even worth doing?’ Well, if only four nations are playing Test cricket in women’s cricket, then we have to protect 50-over cricket at all costs.”I think everyone would love to have loads of Test-playing nations and play big Test series but, at the moment, that’s not a reality. At the same time, if you’re just a Test match player and you play two Tests a year, you’re not playing much cricket. Hopefully we can keep and protect all formats of cricket and not just jump on the wave of T20 and leave everything else behind.”Beaumont hasn’t played a T20I in nearly two years, having lost her place following the 2022 Women’s Ashes in Australia as then-head coach Lisa Keightley plumped for a more youthful squad, ahead of England’s failed home Commonwealth Games campaign later that year.And while current head coach Jon Lewis has said the door is not shut on Beaumont’s T20I career, she remains out of that squad in India, despite setting this year’s Hundred alight with a 61-ball 118, the competition’s highest score across genders, en route to becoming the season’s second-highest run-scorer in the Women’s competition.In Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier and captain Heather Knight, England have a wealth of top-order batting options and, while Beaumont is a mainstay as ODI opener and automatic pick for the December 14-17 Test following her double-century against Australia in June, breaking back into the shortest format has proved extremely difficult.But her desire to promote the 50-over format feels less motivated by her personal circumstances than from her broader perspective as a broadcaster, having branched into that field while still playing. She regularly commentates on England Women’s internationals she is not involved in, as well as Hundred games, and has covered some England Men’s fixtures too.”If we’re going to say teams want to play Test matches, we want to push it in the women’s game, but realistically at the moment the money-maker is T20, and T20 franchise cricket in particular. You can’t go from T20 cricket to Test match cricket, it’s so different,” she added. “The only thing that is a bridge between the two is 50-over cricket.”England, Australia, India can afford to put on Test matches, that maybe people aren’t coming to yet, and invest in the marketing and put an event on for four or five days. Other cricket boards can’t afford that. A 50-over game they can do, they can invest in it and see the game grow and then, when they might be ready to take on Test cricket, players know how to potentially build an innings.”Not an innings over six hours, over two days or whatever, but a longer innings, whereas T20 is only going to go one way, where you’ve got to go at a strike-rate of 150-plus from the off. There’s definitely room for all three, and the Hundred in my opinion… but we’ve got to work with all three formats at the moment across the globe and protect all of them.”Beaumont admits, however, that Women’s internationals have posed the toughest challenge of her commentating career, not least during England’s 2-1 T20I home series defeat to Sri Lanka, after they had beaten Australia in both white-ball legs of the drawn Ashes. Then, the inevitable noise swirled around whether she should be back in the T20I side.”It’s probably the most difficult thing, but I think it’s about having quite clear principles in what I want to be as a commentator,” she said. “Sharing a dressing-room with the players, my key principle is if I wouldn’t go and say it to their face, I don’t say it on air because at the end of the day their parents are watching, their family’s watching at home, friends. Anything you do say, if it’s overly critical or overly harsh and you wouldn’t say it to their face, they’re going to find out.”I’ve said to the girls, if I do say something on air that you don’t agree with, just come and talk to me because I would never want that to jeopardise anything at all. But at the same time, I am outside the T20 squad. It only takes an absolute gun opening batter to come along and I’d probably be out of the ODI side squad as well at some point. So I’ve got to think about the future.”Not that she doesn’t harbour ambitions to return to the shortest format at international level, where she is stranded on 99 T20I caps.”That’s up to the selectors,” she said. “They’ve got a good idea of what their World Cup team might look like and you’ve just got to keep putting your hand up and churn out runs and put in match-winning performances.”At the same time, you can’t control everything. There’s so many good T20 players in England now, particularly opening the batting. Everyone’s putting their hand up to try and have a go in the powerplay. If I got an opportunity it would be amazing but at the same time, just keep going.”

Warwickshire strike early but captain’s innings keeps rivals at bay

ECB Reporters Network09-Sep-2024Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.

Suryakumar, Wadhera hit fifties as Mumbai win with 21 balls and six wickets to spare

Shashank Kishore09-May-20232:29

Moody: RCB will be shattered as a bowling unit

If ever you needed an example of a team walking home in a 200 chase without any stress, this was it. And in doing so, Mumbai Indians fired their IPL 2023 campaign into orbit as they made a stunning climb from No. 8 to No. 3 after razing Royal Challengers Bangalore in another six-fest at the Wankhede.At the forefront of their march were Suryakumar Yadav and Nehal Wadhera, who put together 140 off just 64 balls in a sensational spell of on-demand boundary hitting that had seasoned bowlers such as Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel searching for answers.From 101 needed off 60, Suryakumar’s pyrotechnics that brought him his IPL best – a 35-ball 83 – brought the equation down to 8 off 26 when he walked off to a standing ovation. It was his fourth fifty-plus score in his last six outings, marking a sensational turnaround in fortunes after a cold first half.Suryakumar’s partner for much of that innings, Wadhera, made the most of his promotion up the order in Tilak Varma’s absence due to a niggle. The ferocity of their partnership had a deflating effect on RCB, who now join a cluttered mid-table that has four teams on 10 points with a possibility of a fifth joining there on Wednesday night.

Behrendorff’s powerplay act

Long before there was an inkling of what was to come, Jason Behrendorff set the stage alight at Wankhede by stinging his former team with the wickets of Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat. Kohli was out giving him the charge off his fourth ball, nicking a heave that was overturned through DRS, while Rawat’s top edge to an attempted scoop landed in Cameron Green’s lap as he ran back from slip.Prior to the double-strike, Behrendorff could’ve also had du Plessis first ball if Wadhera hadn’t dropped him at midwicket. Du Plessis, though, made them pay along with Glenn Maxwell as the pair quickly offset RCB’s early losses to fire them from 16 for 2 to 56 for 2 after six overs.

The Maxwell-Faf show

RCB’s soft middle order has been a cause for concern all season, but Maxwell and du Plessis weren’t going to die wondering. In fact, du Plessis took two fours off Chawla and continued the attack against Green. On the other side of the powerplay, Maxwell welcomed Chris Jordan – Jofra Archer’s replacement in the XI – by pumping him for two sixes in his very first over to raise the half-century of the partnership off just 25 balls. As it turned out, it was just the start of the mayhem that was to follow.Du Plessis was all muscle, backing away to swing cleanly if he wasn’t lofting through the line on instinct. Maxwell was a mix of the inventive and the ridiculous, switch-hitting, slog-sweeping, scooping and reverse-ramping his way, treating the bowling with such disdain that you wondered if Mumbai were in for a target in the vicinity of 230. The pair had put on 120 off just 60 balls when Maxwell dragged one across the line to deep midwicket for a 33-ball 68.Suryakumar Yadav celebrates after bringing up his half-century off 26 balls•BCCI

The RCB slowdown

RCB would lose Mahipal Lomror and du Plessis, for a 45-ball 61, in the next two overs to expose that brittle lower middle order. It’s at this point that RCB decided to summon their Impact Player by bringing in Kedar Jadhav. It was now on him and Dinesh Karthik to give the finishing kick.Karthik struggled for rhythm, but flicked a switch from 8 off 7, to slam Kumar Kartikeya’s left-arm spin in the 18th over. But his dismissal with 11 balls left had RCB shortchanged. Akash Madhwal, the rookie seamer, delivered an excellent final over, only his second in the game, that went for six as RCB finished with 199; the last five had just brought them 48 runs.

The Kishan turbocharge

Five runs, four innings, two ducks.Rohit Sharma shredded that with a ferocious flat-bat off Hazlewood first ball. Ishan Kishan followed Rohit’s cue to take the attack to Mohammed Siraj, flicking and whipping his way to sixes. In trying to sustain his onslaught against spin, he was out to Hasaranga after hitting him for a four and six. Two balls later, Rohit was out lbw to a delivery he tried to nudge against the turn to one that didn’t turn as much as he expected. Mumbai were up against it at 52 for 2 in five overs.

SKY takes over

Over the next five overs, Suryakumar and Wadhera kept up with the asking rate by playing risk-free cricket, before the flick was well and truly switched on. Hasaranga’s return to deliver the 11th with Mumbai needing 101 more led to a torrent as both batters picked a six apiece.Du Plessis now went back to Hazlewood to stifle the scoring, especially with Harshal Patel struggling for rhythm. But Suryakumar’s grand hitting behind the V, where he used pace to takedown Hazlewood and Siraj for sixes behind square on either side, left everyone awestruck. He brought up his half-century off just 26 balls, and then raised the tempo even more by nonchalantly lofting a slot-ball from Siraj into the second tier down the ground.By now, Suryakumar was seeing it like a football, so big that even a beamer aimed at his body was swatted away for six like it was child’s play. His dismissal to Vyshak Vijaykumar in a double-wicket over was somewhat of an anti-climax at the end, but by then the result was a foregone conclusion.Wadhera fittingly finished it off with a lofted six over cover to bring up a second-straight fifty. By then, Mumbai had razed down the fastest 200 chase in IPL history – with 21 balls to spare – and the second-fastest overall.

Jaker smashed 72 not out off 41 and Rishad bagged three wickets as the hosts were bowled out for their lowest total against Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam20-Dec-2024Bangladesh completed their demolition of West Indies with an 80-run win in the third T20I at the Arnos Vale Ground. It resulted in their first 3-0 win in a T20I series in nearly two years as they capped off a tough West Indies tour with a trophy. After posting 189 for 7, they bowled West Indies out for 109, their lowest total against Bangladesh, with the margin of victory being Bangladesh’s second-biggest in terms of runs.Jaker Ali continued to be their tour’s MVP, signing off with a dramatic, match-winning performance. His unbeaten 72 powered the visitors to 189 for 7, their highest score in the West Indies, before Rishad Hossain helped bowl the opposition out cheaply.Jaker had walked off the ground when he was on 18 after a mix-up with Shamim Hossain. But the TV umpire Zahid Bassarath instead adjudged Shamim as the one dismissed, as he had placed his bat inside the crease after Jaker. It sparked a dramatic turnaround, as Jaker struck six sixes and three fours in his 41-ball knock.

Parvez sparks rapid start

Bangladesh had their best start of the series with the bat. Parvez Hossain Emon, who replaced the injured Soumya Sarkar, went after debutant Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd in the first three overs. Parvez then launched Alzarri Joseph over wide long-on for his first six, before Litton Das fell for 14, his first double-digit score in six innings across formats.Parvez continued to go after the fast bowlers, blasting Joseph for his second six over long-on. Next ball, though, Justin Greaves caught Parvez at the square-leg boundary after juggling a couple of times. Parvez made 39 off 21 balls, giving Bangladesh their best powerplay (54 runs) of the series.File photo: Parvez Hossain Emon smashed 39 off 21 balls•ICC via Getty

Jaker’s dramatic re-entry

Bangladesh were 102 for 4 at the start of the14th over when Jaker struck Gudakesh Motie towards deep midwicket. Spotting Obed McCoy getting injured trying to take the catch, Jaker signalled to Shamim not to take the third run as the ball had spilled away from McCoy.In the next over, Jaker and Shamim had a communication breakdown, with both batters ending up at the striker’s end, while Roston Chase broke the stumps at the bowler’s. Jaker, who ran through the striker’s end, was irate with Shamim. He walked off fuming while the third umpire spotted that he had actually reached the crease before Shamim.The fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite hauled Jaker, who had taken off his gears inside the dressing room, out to the middle to continue his innings. The distance between Jaker and Shamim, not looking at each other, as they crossed each other near the boundary was immense.

Jaker takes full advantage

As if one dramatic run-out was not enough, Mahedi Hasan was also run-out in the same over. Jaker, however, regrouped quickly in the following over, hitting Joseph straight down the ground for his second six. McCoy then conceded 20 runs in the 18th over when Jaker and Tanzim Hasan Sakib struck a six each; Jaker blasted him with a slog sweep, and Tanzim swung him over long-on.Joseph then went for 25 in the last over, with Jaker hitting him for three sixes in the last four balls of the innings. It turned out to be Bangladesh’s best-ever 20th over in a T20I.File photo: Rishad Hossain got three wickets, apart from affecting a run-out•Cricket West Indies

West Indies in tailspin

For the third game in a row, West Indies lost half their side before reaching 50. After Taskin Ahmed removed Brandon King early, like in the previous two matches, Greaves was caught at long-on off Mahedi. Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran struck a cluster of boundaries before Pooran fell to Mahedi for the third time in the series, bowled off an inside edge for 15. West Indies finished the powerplay on 45 for 3.

Rishad sends ’em packing

As if Pooran’s fall was not enough, Charles then seemed slow in reaching the crease while completing the single; Rishad’s throw caught him short. This was two balls after Hasan Mahmud had dismissed Roston Chase for a duck.Rishad further got into the act, with three wickets. The legspinner had Rovman Powell caught behind in the tenth over with a dipping delivery, leaving West Indies on 60 for 6. In his last over, the 15th of the innings, Rishad had Motie caught straight down the ground while Joseph gave a simple catch to Hasan at extra cover. Tanzim and Taskin removed the last two wickets to spark the celebration in the Bangladesh camp.

Despite his solid performance, he was unhappy not finishing the game off

Firdose Moonda14-Jul-2025Most batters would be satisfied with top-scoring in their first international match, especially if their team went on to win the game. Rubin Hermann, who made 45 in South Africa’s winning chase of 142 against Zimbabwe, was not.”I was a bit more irritated that I left 12 runs on the table before I could actually shake hands with the guys and say I’ll pull the stumps out and end this game,” Hermann said at the post-match conference. That was effectively my role – just to be there at the end. So I was disappointed I couldn’t do that but maybe I am just nitpicking. Probably anyone would have taken that. But I want to be a guy to win games for South Africa, and I should have been there at the end.”Related

• A tri-series of transitions for SA, NZ and Zimbabwe

• Linde, Brevis and debutant Hermann star as SA beat Zimbabwe in tri-series opener

More irritated because he was actually asked if he was disappointed that he didn’t get a half-century in his maiden outing but, as has been the theme for South Africa on this tour, the landmark didn’t matter as much as collective cause. “It’s disappointing to fall five runs short of a milestone but that’s just an added bonus,” Hermann said. “It’s not a focus of mine to maybe have personal achievements in that regard.”His words echo those of stand-in Test captain Wiaan Mulder, who last week declared South Africa’s innings closed on 626 for 5 in the second Test. He was on 367*, 34 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s world-record as the player with the highest individual Test score. Afterwards, Mulder explained that he felt the record should be, “left to the legends,” and he stuck to that line even when he revealed that Lara himself later told him he should have gone on to better Lara’s score of 400. Mulder’s broader explanation was about putting the team’s goals before his own and that seems to be the South African way under Shukri Conrad, who has taken over all formats.Hermann said he has “fit into the environment quite easily,” and understands exactly what is expected of him. “It’s a holistic picture coming from the Proteas all the way down to domestic cricketers, which made the step up a lot better, because I knew what I did to get me here was what they’re looking for,” he said. “It’s not a situation where you have to go and impress anyone, you just have to be yourself because they’ve selected you for you and because you fit the brand they want to play.”In Hermann, who finished fifth on the overall SA20 run-scorers’ list earlier this year, where he played for the Paarl Royals, South Africa are looking for an attacking top-order player who also has the ability to rebuild an innings. Hermann found himself doing that on occasion for the Royals, especially in situations where Lhuan-dre Pretorius did not come off and once Joe Root had left the campaign. His experience in that tournament helped him when he found himself called on with South Africa 17 for 2 against Zimbabwe and in need of stabilising.”I was quite fortunately, or unfortunately possibly, in that role quite a lot in SA20, so I’m quite comfortable playing that role. I really do enjoy the pressure situations where we have to take control of the game again, and I was glad I could do it again today,” he said. “I know if I just give myself a chance, I’ll catch up with my strike rates in any game.”Hermann had 17 runs from the first 20 balls he faced, which included a four and a six, but then went on to take a hat-trick of fours off Wellington Masakadza. He had 30 from 25 balls and finished on 45 from 37 balls, a strike-rate of 121.62. By the time he was dismissed, South Africa were two shots away from victory, which speaks to the way in which he changed the complexion of the innings. Instead of seeing himself as being under scrutiny to perform, he analysed the situation as an opportunity to show what he can do.”It’s an absolute pleasure and privilege. I don’t see any tournament or any innings I play now as pressure. Obviously there’s expectation, but expectation and pressure are two different things,” he said. “There’s always expectation to perform and obviously it’s just more highlighted here. “I’ve had a longer journey than most. I’m very thankful because it built certain characteristics in my game and maybe some mental resilience that will stand me in good stead. This is the first step. I hope there’s another couple more steps to go and I can have a decently long career playing for South Africa.”At 28, Hermann has been active in the South African domestic system for the last eight years and has played for three different teams – Northerns (and the Titans), Mpumalanga and North West. He had his breakthrough season with the Paarl Royals, where he averaged 41.62 and is now among the national plans as South Africa build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Luke Wood three-for puts seal on comfortable victory at Wantage Road

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2023Steven Croft smashed his maiden T20 century to power Lancashire Lightning to an imposing 204 for seven and set up a 35-run victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.Croft took the attack to the Steelbacks attack, blasting seven sixes and five fours in his 101 and shared a 146-run partnership in 12 overs with Daryl Mitchell (48). The pair had led a belligerent fightback after Ben Sanderson (2 for 29) had raised home fans’ hopes by removing England power hitters Jos Buttler (0) and Phil Salt (12) in his first two overs.With Luke Wood (3 for 39) taking three wickets in an over in the powerplay, the hosts’ hopes rested once more on Australian big hitter Chris Lynn but when he fell for 21, it was left to all-rounders Tom Taylor (40) and AJ Tye (35) to entertain the crowds in a lively stand of 58 in five overs as the Steelbacks fell to their sixth defeat of the campaign. Lightning now have five wins from nine games, keeping them firmly in contention for a playoff spot.The Steelbacks’ evening had started promisingly when they restricted Lightning to just 39 for three off the powerplay. Sanderson trapped Buttler leg before in his first over and removed Salt in his second thanks to keeper Lewis McManus who took a diving legside catch. Wells became the third wicket to fall when he holed out off Taylor with Willey taking a well-judged catch.That though brought Mitchell and Croft together who were quick to go on the attack. Mitchell hit his first delivery for four and later dispatched Tye high over extra cover.Croft hit the first six of the game over long on off Sanderson and greeted Freddie Heldreich by sweeping him over square leg for two sixes and a four in his first over. He pulled Taylor over deep square for six and then hit the next two balls he faced, both from Heldreich, for two further maximums.Mitchell was also clearing the ropes, smashing two sixes down the ground off Zaib’s only over. He offered the bowler a sharp return chance though, but the bowler could not hold on.Justin Broad, playing his maiden first-team game for Northamptonshire finally made the breakthrough in his only over, accounting for Mitchell who was caught by Lynn off an attempted scoop.Croft fell soon after reaching his century thanks to Zaib who held onto a steepling chance at deep backward square off Tye, who also removed Tom Hartley in the final over.Liam Livingstone (25) played some big shots, clubbing England teammate Willey down the ground for six before he was run out off the final ball of the innings.Northamptonshire’s new opening pair Ricardo Vasconelos (15) and Emilio Gay (13) took 22 off the first two overs. Gay hit three consecutive boundaries off Jack Blatherwick before he was caught off the leading edge off the first ball of a highly eventful over from Wood.Vasconcelos pulled a free hit from Wood for six but departed to the next delivery when the bowler took a sharp low return catch. Wood then accounted for Willey next ball, caught by Salt, before Zaib safely survived the hattrick ball.Zaib hit Blatherwick into the top of the Turner Stand but was caught behind by Buttler off the next delivery to leave the Steelbacks in real trouble on 47 for four.Broad (14) looked unfazed on the big occasion, reverse sweeping Hartley for four and crunching Wells through extra cover before he was put down at long-on. Wells soon had his man though when Broad was caught by Mitchell at long-off.Lynn needed to play another powerhouse innings for the Steelbacks and had a stroke of luck when he was put down on the boundary off Hartley with the ball running away for four. But Hartley struck soon afterwards when he had Lynn caught off a top edge attempting to hook. Three overs later Wells picked up his second wicket when he bowled Lewis McManus (11).Tye and Taylor were determined to go down all guns blazing and took on the bowlers to give the home fans something to cheer. Tye dispatched Livingstone over the ropes and hit Blatherwick for an even bigger six over deep square leg. The fun ended when the Australian tried to uppercut Mitchell over the infield on one leg and was caught by Blatherwick for 35 (two sixes, three fours). Mitchell then had Sanderson caught and bowled two balls later.Taylor continued to blaze away, ending the game with an enormous six over deep midwicket to finish unbeaten on 40 (one six, two fours).

No play possible with Somerset well placed in their first innings

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2023No play was possible on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Somerset and Kent at Taunton.Somerset were due to resume their first innings on 214 for two, with Lewis Goldsworthy unbeaten on 70.But it was Kent who were more frustrated by the weather as they desperately need points to escape the threat of relegation from the Championship First Division.At present, they still need another wicket to pick up their first bowling point, with Middlesex currently ahead of them in the standings, despite having themselves missed out on batting points after being bowled out for 121 at Lord’s.Heavy rain during the night and morning left the outfield at the Cooper Associates County Ground saturated and there was never much prospect of the game resuming.Umpires Martin Saggers and Tom Lungley took the decision to abandon play for the day at shortly after 2pm.It was one of five abandonments on a rain-affected second day of the current round, with Lancashire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Worcestershire all hosting wash-outs.

The two-match Test series between these two teams which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2024Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series in May, with one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup. This comes days after the BCB announced that the team will be touring the USA for three T20Is in May, ahead of showpiece event that will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies from June 1.The first three T20Is, from May 3, will be played in Chattogram, while the last two matches will be held in Dhaka.The BCB also said in a release that the two-match Test series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025. It will be the first Test series between the sides since 2018.Related

• Bangladesh set to tour USA for three T20Is ahead of World Cup

The last time the two teams played against each other in a bilateral T20I series was in July 2022 in Harare, when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh 2-1. Overall, Bangladesh hold a 13-7 win-loss ratio against Zimbabwe in the shortest format.Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 8 against Sri Lanka scheduled in Dallas. They are part of Group D along with Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe fixtures

• 1st T20I: May 3
  2nd T20I: May 5
  3rd T20I: May 7 (first three games in Chattogram)
  4th T20I: May 10
  5th T20I: May 12 (last two games in Dhaka)

Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Uganda and Namibia advancing from the Africa leg of qualifiers for the 20-team event. They had also failed to make the cut for the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups, but will be part of the 2027 ODI World Cup as co-hosts.