Imran Tahir claimed career-best figures of 5 for 24 in South Africa’s victory in Auckland, in a timely audition before the IPL auction

Firdose Moonda17-Feb-2017With a career-best 5 for 24 to underline his No. 1 ranking in both limited-formats, Imran Tahir seems to have everything he could want at the moment, except maybe one thing.”I wish I could have muscles like him,” Tahir joked, the day before the one-off T20 against New Zealand in Auckland.The person Tahir was referring to was Sonny Bill Williams, the New Zealand rugby player, boxer and signature bad-boy-turned-good, who is a close friend of Hashim Amla. Amla introduced Williams to Tahir and other team-mates including Wayne Parnell two years ago and they make a point of catching up when they’re in the same country, and Tahir is still in awe of Williams’ superstardom.”When I first met him I was shaking because we were walking on a street in Auckland and I could see people’s reaction and I was blown away,” Tahir said. “He stopped for everyone and took pictures. I’ve never seen someone who’s that famous.”Cricketers in South Africa seldom get similarly swamped, not even when they are dominating internationally the way Tahir is, and he knows that a more imposing physique will not change that. “I’m happy with what I am – I’m not jealous of him,” Tahir clarified, amid some giggles. Imagine a Tahir with bulging biceps and thunder thighs.
Jokes aside, Tahir’s body will soon come up in discussions about how much longer he will be able to play. He turns 38 next month and has been playing cricket at a high level for two decades but has managed to avoid major injury. Being a spinner, whose action does not cause as much wear and tear as a quick bowler’s would, he is thought to have at least another two to three years, although he has suggested he could keep going for between five and ten. That doesn’t seem so outlandish when considering that Tahir has stayed fit and become more athletic and agile in the field than he was when he first emerged on the international scene.Tahir’s dedication to his craft has only increased as his career has progressed. He maintains that having waited so long to play for South Africa – Tahir moved to the country in the mid-2000s but only become eligible to play for them in 2011, when he was 32 – he wants to hold on to it for as long as he can.And there is maybe one other thing. The IPL auction takes place in three days’ time and this T20 was a last audition for some of the players looking to get deals – though Tahir insisted it was only a passing thought to him. He was released by Delhi Daredevils and has a base price of US$75,000, which is just short of a million South African Rand.Given how well Tahir has been performing recently, he is expected to fetch more than that. So while he may not have the muscles, he could soon boost his earnings by more than a million in one day.

Mumbai Indians batsman Nitish Rana says a change of scenery going from the Delhi Ranji Trophy side into the Mumbai Indians dressing room has helped alleviate his batting woes

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai13-Apr-2017A change in environment and talking to senior players in and around the dressing room in recent times has turned the confidence switch on for Mumbai Indians batsman Nitish Rana. While trying to settle on a batting lineup with more stability in the middle order, Mumbai have batted Rana at No. 3 and 4 in their first three matches and he has excelled in all of them. The last few months, however, have not been as smooth and celebratory as they seem on television.After scoring 45 off 36 balls against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday, Rana revealed that the recent stretch before the start of the IPL had not been smooth for him at all.”My problem was that I was feeling mentally disturbed, I had started overthinking about things,” Rana said after Mumbai’s four-wicket win against Sunrisers. “Change of environment made a big difference. When I came here, I got to interact with big players like Sachin [Tendulkar] sir, Mahela Jayawardene, Rohit [Sharma] . I had spoken to Gautam Gambhir also. So when I expressed what I was feeling and when they shared their own experiences, it helped me a lot.”The troubled times Rana was referring to were during the domestic season in India. He started off with a century in Delhi’s opening Ranji Trophy match against Assam, but his form tapered off and he did not score a fifty in the next 11 innings. He played five T20 matches for Delhi in the Inter-State T20 Tournament with a high score of 22 and when he produced scores of 5, 5 and 0 in the one-day matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was dropped from the side.”I was not able to play my game, I was not able to enjoy because I had gone into a shell,” Rana said. “Before the Ranji season had ended, I had spoken to Gambhir the last match I played in. He helped me get clarity. He noticed a few things in me and he has known me since my childhood, for about 10-12 years because we are from the same club. So he cleared my mind a lot. When I came here, I got similar advice from Sachin sir and Mahela sir. So then I tried to make changes in my game accordingly and things worked for me. I scored well in a practice game and in the first match also. So gradually [I regained] my confidence.”The changes in surroundings and company for Rana have been aided by the faith Mumbai Indians have shown in him by making him bat up the order. Mumbai’s depth in terms of frontline domestic batsmen in the middle order has been tested since Ambati Rayudu has been out injured for the last two matches. Even though Rohit Sharma has moved down from the opening slot, they needed another hard-hitting batsman who could bat before Kieron Pollard and set the base for him for the end overs.Batting first in their opening match, Rana started with 34 off 28 balls against Rising Pune Supergiant. While chasing 179 against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rana batted ahead of Rohit, at No. 3, and set up Mumbai’s win with 50 off 29 balls. On Wednesday night, he propelled Mumbai’s chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad by top-scoring with 45 off 36 balls. With 129 runs through three games, he is Mumbai’s leading scorer so far in the current IPL campaign but remains hungry.”You can still ask for more,” Rana said. “I would have preferred to stay not out. Cricket is that kind of a game that things can turn quickly. So it would have been better if I had stayed unbeaten in both matches.”

With his team looking down and out, MS Dhoni smacked an unbeaten 61 off 34 balls to lift Rising Pune Supergiant to a six-wicket victory

The Report by Sidharth Monga22-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
MS Dhoni was at his devastating best•BCCI

The finisher is not finished yet. MS Dhoni struck a 34-ball 61 to help clean up some of the mess he himself created as Rising Pune Supergiant chased down 177 with a last-ball boundary. Dhoni’s slow start of 26 off 23 balls had converted an equation of 90 off 55 into 47 off 18, but he took out the best bowler of the tournament, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in an almighty assault of 35 runs off his last 11 balls to seal the win.Before Saturday, Sunrisers Hyderabad had lost only two of the 12 matches in which they made 175 or more. On Saturday, though, they huffed and puffed on a flat pitch, without the services of Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman, but it wasn’t enough. The fielding didn’t help – they dropped Rahul Tripathi on 17, who then made 59, Manoj Tiwary too was given a life in a tense final. That Sunrisers had something to bowl at was thanks to Moises Henriques’ 28-ball 55. This loss was as much because of their fielding as their batting before Henriques.Dhawan-Warner go-slow
Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner are the two slowest openers of this season. They are also the slowest partnership, and as a result, their side has been the second-slowest in Powerplays. While Dhawan’s strike rate of 118 is more in keeping with his career stats, Warner struggled uncharacteristically as Sunrisers crawled to 55 for 1 in 8.1 overs, with Dhawan top-edging the first ball Imran Tahir bowled.Kane Williamson took risks to try to correct the rate, and was lbw to Dan Christian after walking too far across. Christian’s miserly spell continued, going for just 20 in four overs, as Sunrisers, the best side in the middle overs this year, managed only 68 runs between the sixth and the 15th to be reduced to 113 for 2.Moises mayhem
Even as Warner failed to convert a slow start, Henriques unleashed his array of strokes, mostly over midwicket or through point. He scored 34 runs off the last 14 balls he faced as Rising Pune lived up to their reputation of being the worst side at the death, conceding 63 off the last 30 balls, which is worse than their tournament average so far.Bipul and Rashid v Tripathi and Smith
Bipul Sharma replaced the unwell Yuvraj Singh in the Sunrisers XI. He had bowled only 21 overs in his last 10 matches for them, but in Pune he took the new ball and shackled the openers. He bowled nothing in their swinging arc, and gave them no pace to work with. Ajinkya Rahane fell prey to him, but Tripathi managed to find a way around him, hitting the quicks away, especially Mohammed Siraj, off whose bowling he was dropped, and Siddarth Kaul. Against spin he scored 17 off 18, and against pace he managed 42 off 23.At the other end, Smith too struggled with the lack of pace from Bipul, but finally in the 10th over, Bipul’s last, he delayed his bat swing and slogged him for back-to-back sixes. That rearranged the left-arm spinner’s figures to 4-0-30-1 and brought the asking rate down to 9.4.The ebbs and flows of Rising Pune Supergiant’s clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Just before that, Rashid Khan did something not many can claim to have done: he bowled a wrong’un that Smith didn’t pick and beat the batsman comprehensively. Now perhaps in the 11th over Smith picked it, or perhaps he read it off the hand, but he went back to cut, and inside-edged the googly onto his pad and then onto the stumps. Smith was livid with himself as he walked off. Out walked Dhoni, his strike rate under 100 this season, and ahead of Ben Stokes, Manoj Tiwary and Christian.The Dhoni show
Ever since Dhoni’s last-ball win for Pune against Kings XI Punjab last year, no chasing side had won a match off the last ball in the IPL. Surely Dhoni didn’t want to take this to the last ball but he can’t help himself, can he? At the presentation, he said he wanted to see Rashid off without further damage because the ground was small and the asking rate could be managed. But as well as he prodded and nudged, Rashid struck with his electric fielding to run Tripathi out off his own bowling.Rashid was done, with 17 runs off his four overs, and the required rate was above 12 for the last six overs, but Dhoni still struggled to find his range. Siraj, bowling the 16th over, tied him and Stokes down with yorkers, and even beat Dhoni for pace. Dhoni 21 off 19, and 56 required off four overs.On came Bhuvneshwar, for overs 17 and 19, and removed Stokes with the first ball he bowled, and the equation went up to 47 off 18. Dhoni now picked on the rookie Siraj, dropping a slower ball over long-on and upper-cutting a slower bouncer over point. With 30 required off two, Dhoni still needed to take another bowler down, and he couldn’t have left it for the last over.Bhuvneshwar, Dhoni’s favourite bowler when he was India captain, had not conceded 10 runs in any of his death overs this IPL. But Dhoni got stuck into his protégé as Bhuvneshwar kept missing his line or length by inches. A border-line wide first up, followed by a squirt for a four to leg, then a lofted drive over point, and finally the helicopter shot that sent everyone into frenzy.There were now only 10 runs to defend and youngster Kaul was given the last over. He should have had Manoj Tiwary, who had done his job so far, caught first ball. What looked like a six had got caught up in the wind, but the fielder Rashid couldn’t control it inside the midwicket boundary. Kaul followed it up with four really good deliveries to bring it to two required off the last over. He continued what he had been doing – yorkers from round the wicket – but missed his length, and Dhoni drove him through extra cover for four.

Bottom side Durham enjoyed the upper hand over promotion-chasing Kent during a cut-and-thrust opening day to their Specsavers County Championship encounter in Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network08-Jun-2017Durham 318 for 5 (Collingwood 93*, Pringle 71) v Kent

ScorecardPaul Collingwood continued his fine form with an unbeaten 93•Getty Images

Bottom side Durham enjoyed the upper hand over promotion-chasing Kent during a cut-and-thrust opening day to their Specsavers County Championship encounter in Canterbury.With their veteran skipper Paul Collingwood leading from the front with an unbeaten 93, Durham rallied after losing a brace of wickets in each of the first two sessions to go in at stumps on 318 for 5 and three batting bonus points after Collingwood and fifth-wicket partner Ryan Pringle (71) had combined either side of tea to add 141 in 42.3 overs.Collingwood, one of only six players from both sides still surviving from the previous championship clash between these two counties in 2010, escaped a couple of concerted appeals for lbw, but otherwise appeared untroubled against a useful Kent attack that, for the first time, included Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah.Batting first after winning the toss, Durham openers Stephen Cook and Keaton Jennings did well to survive tight, new-ball bursts by Matt Coles and Darren Stevens. Having posted a first-wicket stand of 79, both departed within seven deliveries.Jennings lost his off stump to Will Gidman’s sixth ball of the match, a skidding leg-cutter, to go for 43, then, in the next over, Stephen Cook, having mustered a patient 25, played across the line to a full delivery from Coles to exit lbw.Yasir came on at the Nackington Road End for the customary over before lunch, but was guilty of under-pitching in his maiden over in championship cricket. His 20 wicketless overs throughout the day cost 60 runs.The same could not be said of Stevens who, soon after the interval, drew Graham Clark (13) forward with an away-swinger that feathered the bat for a catch behind by Adam Rouse.The veteran Kent allrounder then bamboozled 21-year-old Cameron Steel (34) who pushed inside the line at one that nipped off the pitch to clip the top of off stump.Kent ought to have had a fifth victim when Pringle, on 8, edged an attempted drive against Coles into the cordon only for Will Gidman to down a regulation, waist-high chance at second slip.Four-down at tea but with a first batting bonus point in the bank, Collingwood must have been content with his side’s work over the first couple of sessions, but things improved immeasurably after tea.On a personal note, the 41-year-old went past 500 Championship runs for the season and 16,000 in his first-class career in posting his fourth fifty of the campaign from 84 balls and with eight fours. Then Pringle reached his fifty from 92 balls and with eight boundaries.Pringle finally went to the second new ball for a season’s best 71 after spending 158 minutes at the crease. Coles got one to dart down the St Lawrence slope and take the toe end of the bat for Rouse to pull off a tumbling catch behind the timbers.At the day’s start, Kent had accommodated Yasir by jettisoning James Tredwell, the county’s beneficiary for 2017, from their squad. The former England offspinner has bowled only 32.4 overs to date this summer for a modest return of 2 for 106.James Harris, the Middlesex loanee instrumental in wrapping up Kent’s latest win against Sussex in Tunbridge Wells last month, has since returned to his parent club.Durham, who have a host of injuries, gave a first-team debut to teenage all-rounder Matthew Potts, a graduate of the county academy system.

Beckenham continued to be a batsman’s paradise as Northants responded to Kent’s 701 for 7 declared with big runs of their own

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2017
ScorecardNorthamptonshire batsmen Max Holden and Adam Rossington filled their boots in sublime batting conditions at Beckenham where Northamptonshire reached 528 for 7 in their first-innings reply to Kent’s mammoth 701 for 7 declared.The visiting fifth-wicket partners joined forces to bat through the entire mid-session and well into the final hour before Holden fell for a career-best 153. Soon after, Rossington followed him back to the pavilion for a season’s best 112 leaving Kent’s rookie seamer Matt Hunn to finish a tiring day with decent figures of 3 for 90.Requiring 552 simply to avoid the follow-on, Northamptonshire resumed on their overnight score of 180 for 1 and suffered a huge blow to their survival aspirations when England batsman Ben Duckett perished to only the sixth ball of the day.The diminutive left-hander, who hit a sublime double century on this ground last season, leant back to club Matt Coles’ fourth ball through mid-on to move to 105 but, in aiming an expansive drive two deliveries later, Duckett edged behind to Sam Billings, who was standing in for Adam Rouse behind the timbers.Coles gave way at the Beckenham End after a spirited seven-over spell of 1 for 26 to be replaced by Hunn, who also enjoyed success in his first over of the day. Alex Wakely, the Northamptonshire skipper, misjudged the line of Hunn’s fourth delivery, shouldering arms to one that pegged back off stump to make it 219 for 2.At the Worsley Bridge Road End, Pakistan wrist-spinner Yasir Shah whirled away in a wicketless, 11-over opening stint. He got the occasional delivery to turn, while one to Holden spat alarmingly from
the footholds, only to balloon to safety.Yasir then switched ends to bamboozle Rob Keogh with a darting top-spinner that rushed past Keogh’s back-foot force to peg back off stump in the penultimate over before lunch. It proved to be Yasir’s sole success from 34 overs bowled during the day.Kent took the second new ball immediately after the restart and, despite lung-busting efforts by Coles and Mitch Claydon, they were unable to make any impact other than beating the outside edge half-a-dozen times.Pretty soon, spinners Tredwell and Yasir were twirling away in tandem with three or four close fielders around the bat, but Northamptonshire stood firm with Holden, the Middlesex loanee, reaching a patient half-century from 146 balls, with only five fours.Rossington, the more aggressive of the pair, needed only 59 deliveries to reach the milestone hitting seven fours and a six along the way as Kent continued to toil throughout the mid-session without success.After tea, Holden, the wiry left-hander, notched his second century in Northamptonshire’s colours from 216 balls and with 13 boundaries, while Rossington, seemingly content to bat time, went into his shell.Holden received a healthy round of applause from the visiting dressing room balcony when passing 124 – his previous first-class best scored against Durham at Chester-le-Street last month – and they went up again soon after for Rossington’s 100, scored off 132 balls with 11 fours and a six. It was his first ton of the summer and the sixth of his career.Their run-fest and a stand of 239 ended when Holden, aiming an ambitious short-armed jab to a length-ball from Hunn, clipped to deep square-leg where Rouse, taking a rest from keeping, took a stunning diving catch on the ropes to send Holden packing after five hours at the crease.Rossington followed just before stumps for 112. Wearily chasing a wide one from Hunn to be caught behind, then Coles came on to have Steven Crook well caught at second slip by James Tredwell to give Kent their sixth success of an arduous day in the dirt.

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour

Firdose Moonda03-Jul-20172:34

‘Fantastic honour to work with this team’ – Domingo

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied and been interviewed to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour. There had been suggestions that he would not seek an extension in the position after CSA said they were going to go through a full recruitment process for the role.”I have forwarded my application form and I have gone through an interview,” Domingo said in London, three days before South Africa’s first Test against England at Lord’s.In Domingo’s most recent previous media engagement, on June 11 when South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy, he had still not decided whether he would put his name forward for the job. Then, there were only five days left for interested parties to apply. Domingo confirmed he had submitted his details “before the closing date” on June 16 and was interested in taking South Africa forward.Domingo outline a “whole host” of factors he considered before making himself available for reappointment. “No.1, family life, which is important. No.2, the performance of the team, which is obviously important. And then whether you feel you’re the right guy to take the team forward, whether the team’s showing signs of improvement in all formats,” he said.Under Domingo, who took over in mid-2013 when South Africa were on top of the Test rankings, South Africa initially maintained their status but then lost several senior players and a slump in form that saw them slip to No.7. Despite being under enormous pressure to let Domingo go, CSA stuck with him and extended his contract twice in that time. Domingo went on to oversee the Test side’s resurrection to No.2.In shorter formats, Domingo has been in charge through two 50-over tournaments and two T20 events and is the only coach under whom South Africa have won a World Cup knockout match – the 2015 quarter-final – but he has not been able to break their ICC trophy drought, something he would like to change. “There’s a lot I’d like to achieve with this side – an ICC event is a big thing for us,” he said. “We’ve also started the process of rebuilding our Test side. We’re still not where we need to be, we’ve got our ranking back up but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”South Africa remain a team in some kind of transition – as many teams do – and it has long been touted that a foreign coach could be the essential to take them to the next level. However, among the names reportedly mentioned as candidates only one, Phil Simmons, is not local. Instead it is believed that CSA is not looking beyond the country’s borders with Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana considered the frontrunner to succeed Domingo.Toyana has won four trophies in five seasons with the Lions franchise and nurtured the likes of Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma and Chris Morris. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed Toyana was interviewed. Domingo must be aware of the same but said he will not let perceptions affect how he goes about his job.”I’ll be honest with you, if that is it, then so be it. It’s cool. It’s out of my control. It’s not something I go to bed thinking about or wake up in the morning thinking about,” he said. “It’s not something that generally affects me. I can’t comment on what the particular feeling is towards how people are seeing the process. It’s out of my control. It’s not the way I see it, and the way I see it is that there’s due process that needs to take place. They need to decide if I’m the right guy to take the team forward and so be it. That’s how it is.”A clutch of senior players seem to have already decided that he is. In recent months, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers – all three leaders in their own right – have thrown support behind Domingo which could help his cause. “Player support is massively important. The most important support you need is from your players,” Domingo said. “We work with these players day in, day out. I’ve loved my time working with them and, obviously, by the support they’ve shown they’ve enjoyed what we’ve offered the team. That is satisfying.”Domingo maintained that whatever happens he will finish his current term pleased with the job he has done. “It’s a fantastic honour to work with this team. I’ve loved my time with it and hopefully I can continue. If not, it’s in the best interests of the team. I’ve had a fantastic run and loved every single minute of it. It’s not my decision — it’s up to the board.”CSA has appointed a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend the new coach to the board when they next meet on July 21. A final decision will be announced after the England series, which ends on August 8.

The format, player movements, where the teams stand, and everything else you need to know ahead of the fifth season of the Caribbean Premier League

Peter Della Penna04-Aug-20172:02

Four reasons you should watch CPL 2017

What is the CPL?
The Caribbean Premier League is a six-team franchise T20 competition that’s perhaps better than England’s T20 Blast but not quite as big as the IPL. From a quality and entertainment perspective, it’s about on par with Australia’s Big Bash League.More than anything, what makes the CPL unique from other T20 competitions is Caribbean flair. It’s not just Dwayne Bravo who is dancing after each wicket. The league is filled with crowd-pleasing entertainers, and that infectious energy spreads into the stands where the support is reinforced by soca, reggae, calypso and other island beats.Each of the six teams plays each other twice, five games each home and away (with the exception of the four neutral-venue games in Florida). The top four teams qualify for the playoffs in Trinidad & Tobago.CPL Draft v IPL Auction
Unlike the IPL auction, where players go to the highest-bidding franchise, the CPL uses a player-draft system modelled on American sports franchises. Each draft slot has a fixed salary; players taken in the first round get US $160,000, fifth-round picks make $70,000, all the way down to $4000 for the final selections in the 15th round.Squads have the choice to retain players from previous seasons or release them back into the draft pool. They also must pick an ICC Americas player from either USA or Canada, who are not considered overseas players, as well as an Under-19 West Indies player to round out their 17-man squads.As teams are only allowed a maximum of four overseas players in the XI, most franchises carry no more than five overseas players in their squad. So, unlike in the IPL, where overseas stars can be picked at will to boost the bench, CPL franchises are much more judicious in their overseas draft picks. If you get a dud, it’s far more difficult to swap them because there may only be one overseas player waiting on the bench and one who is not necessarily a like-for-like skillset swap.Where do the teams stand?
Jamaica Tallawahs
The defending champions are relying more on brain than brawn, after a major revamp in the offseason. Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton, their openers and two leading scorers, are gone, while Andre Russell, the 2016 CPL Player of the Tournament, is still serving his one-year ban for a doping-code violation.Lendl Simmons was tipped to fill part of the opening void after coming over from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Kumar Sangakkara was retained to provide stability in the top order and behind the stumps. Coach Paul Nixon places high value on players with a winning mentality, and few fit that description more heading into this season than Imad Wasim, who was part of the victorious Pakistan side in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year.Imad forms a three-man left-arm spin attack, along with Shakib Al Hasan and Garey Mathurin, as they focus on building pressure by choking the scoring rate. Kesrick Williams was taken in the 13th round in the 2016 draft for just $5,000, but after topping his team’s bowling charts with 17 wickets, has earned a pay rise to $30,000. Another good season should attract the attention of other overseas leagues.Guyana Amazon Warriors
Three times a bridesmaid, but never the bride. Guyana topped the table at the end of the league stage last year, but with Martin Guptill leaving for New Zealand duty, they were walloped in the final by Jamaica to fall short of the title for the third time in four years.Guyana were dealt a major blow on the eve of the tournament when the leading scorer of CPL 2016, Chris Lynn, was ruled out of the season due to upcoming shoulder surgery. He has been replaced by the up-and-coming Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, while the batting order has been injected with fresh blood in the form of Chadwick Walton and USA captain Steven Taylor, who is expected to take on a bigger role after limited opportunities in his two years with Barbados Tridents.Imad Wasim will form a part of a potent spin attack for the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs•PSL

The Australian Adam Zampa, last season’s leading CPL spinner, is no longer with the side. In most cases, any replacement would be considered a downgrade, but the arrival of Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan may be what this side needs to clear the final hurdle and claim their first title.St Lucia Stars
Formerly called the Zouks, the Stars received a double-blow ahead of their first match when their top two picks, David Miller and Lasith Malinga, withdrew. In their places is a pair of New Zealanders, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jesse Ryder.In the past, Ryder was as capable of imploding as he was of exploding on the opposition. If he can rediscover his peak form, it will go a long way toward ensuring the Stars return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher formed the most consistently destructive opening combination of CPL 2016, but with the exception of Shane Watson, Stars struggled to find support down the order. That will need to change for sustained success.Trinbago Knight Riders
The 2015 champions are the most settled of the six squads, with the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Dwayne Bravo, supported by fellow returnees Kevon Cooper and Sunil Narine. Outside of Rashid, Knight Riders may have plucked the best acquisition of the offseason by drafting Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan in the eighth round for $30,000.On the batting front, Knight Riders will have to endure the early-season absence of Hashim Amla, their leading scorer from 2016, while South Africa’s Test series continues in England. Brendon McCullum will have to pick up the slack in Amla’s absence and will be keen to bounce back after a subpar 2016 season.Barbados Tridents
After winning the title in 2014 and losing in the final in 2015, Tridents missed the playoffs for the first time in 2016. AB de Villiers finished as their second-highest scorer despite playing just six games, and they have addressed the top-order deficiency by revamping the batting.Dwayne Smith was brought over from Amazon Warriors, while the CPL’s most high-profile batting newcomer, Kane Williamson, was snapped up in the second round for $130,000. Twin legspinners Imran Khan and Damion Jacobs provide captain Kieron Pollard with attacking options in the field.St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
This side has undergone the biggest facelift during the offseason in a bid to change their fortunes, having finished with at least a share of last place in every season. Gayle was the most high-profile acquisition, and despite a poor IPL, he still possesses the intimidation factor that Patriots lacked in the past. If he clicks, Gayle and Evin Lewis may give Patriots a lethal opening combination.The bigger changes, though, were made in the bowling, which was the weakest of any side last year despite having one of the top T20 bowlers in the world in Samuel Badree. Hasan Ali, the Man of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy, and Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi are new additions, while the $130,000 big ticket item Chris Morris will enhance the bowling further when he arrives after the end of South Africa’s tour of England.

Washington Sundar took five wickets and then scored a fighting unbeaten 42 to consolidate India Red’s stronghold in the Duleep Trophy final

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2017At 17 years and 199 days, Washington Sundar had become the IPL’s third-youngest debutant•BCCI

India Red strengthened their position in the Duleep Trophy final after taking a first-innings lead of 184 following five-wicket hauls from Gohil and Washington Sundar. Sundar then struck an unbeaten 42 to give his team the upper hand at stumps.India Blue started the day on 185 for 5, and managed to add another 114 runs, with Abhimanyu Easwaran completing his fourth first-class hundred in the process. But Vijay Gohil and Sundar cleaned up the India Blue tail. Once Easwaran’s dismissal ended the 140-run sixth-wicket partnership, India Blue quickly collapsed, losing their last five wickets for 36 runs. India Red then survived a top-order stutter to reach 187 for 7 at the end of play on the third day, their lead burgeoning to 371.India Red were quickly reduced to 58 for 4 in their second innings, before Baba Indrajith and Sundar added 77 runs for the fifth wicket. Indrajith fell on 59 in the last session – the fifth man to go – with the team’s score at 135. India A lost two more wickets before close of play.India Red’s early collapse was triggered by offspinner Akshay Wakhare, while Bhargav Bhatt’s spell towards the day’s end helped limit the batting. Bhatt removed the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav (22) and Gohil in the final session before Sundar and Siddarth Kaul (5*) saw the evening off.

A total of 140 proved more than enough as Shakera Selman took 2 for 7 in three overs, Anisa Mohammed finished with 2 for 14 in four and the even their most expensive bowler only conceded runs at 4.5 to the over

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2017
ScorecardHayley Matthews poses with the Player-of-the-Match trophy•WICB Media

A scarcely believable bowling performance from West Indies, keeping Sri Lanka to a mere 69 in 20 overs, gave them a 1-0 lead in the women’s T20I series that began in Antigua on Thursday. Medium-pacer Shakera Selman took 2 for 7, offspinner Anisa Mohammed finished with 2 for 14 and the even their most expensive bowler only conceded runs at 4.5 to the over. A total of 140 proved plenty more than enough.The eventual margin of victory – 71 runs – was West Indies’ third largest in T20Is with Sri Lanka matching their third-lowest total in T20Is. Only two batsmen got into double-figures – Ama Kanchana making 18 off 21 balls at No. 3 and wicketkeeper Rebeca Vandort with 10 off 23 balls at No. 7.The innings began to flag when Selman ripped out both openers in her first two overs. Chamari Atapattu, who was a sensation in the Women’s ODI World Cup, was caught behind for 1 off the fifth ball of the chase and her partner Yasoda Mendis was lbw for a duck. Mohammed took out the middle order and soon Sri Lanka were 33 for 5 in the 12th over with no way out. They managed to play out the full 20, making one run more than West Indies’ Hayley Matthews (37) and her captain Stafanie Taylor (31). Late acceleration from the recalled Britney Cooper (20 off 11 balls) to lift the total from 106 for 4 to 140 in the space of19 balls almost seemed unnecessary.

The drawn inaugural day-night women’s Test meant the Women’s Ashes was in the balance ahead of the Twenty20 leg of the series

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Nov-20170:52

‘We made sure they didn’t get a sniff’ – Knight

England’s captain Heather Knight held firm as the visitors scrounged a draw from the inaugural day-night women’s Test, leaving the Ashes in the balance ahead of the Twenty20 leg of the series.On a wearing pitch at North Sydney Oval, England were under pressure throughout the final day, particularly after Amanda Wellington’s reprise of Shane Warne’s epochal legbreak to Mike Gatting when she spun past Tammy Beaumont with a delivery that pitched outside leg stump before biting back to take the top of the off stump.It was a moment to savour, but Wellington’s inability to follow it up with a rush of wickets was largely down to Knight, the embodiment of calm temperament and sound technique in an innings that ensured England would not be overwhelmed following Ellyse Perry’s epic double-century on days two and three.Starting the day in considerable deficit, Beaumont and Lauren Winfield played soundly early on to avert the prospect of a collapse, but found life difficult against Wellington and her hard spun legbreaks.Getty Images

Beaumont’s exit was of the kind that can send shudders through a dressing room, and it was to the credit of Knight and Georgia Elwiss thst they were not dislodged once Winfield had been pinned lbw on the front toe by an inswerving yorker from Tahlia McGrath shortly after the start of the second session.So securely did Knight occupy the crease that Australia’s captain Rachael Haynes was compelled to accept the inevitability of a stalemate around an hour before the scheduled close of play, England having forged into a lead that made them safe from defeat.This in turn means that the series remains open ahead of the final three T20 fixtures, the first of which will take place at North Sydney on Friday. Perry was rightly named Player of the Match for her double-century.