The 29-year-old had fared modestly for Barbados Tridents before the injury, scoring 185 runs in seven innings

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2018Australia batsman Steven Smith will miss the rest of this year’s CPL with a side strain. The injury was revealed by his Barbados Tridents captain Jason Holder at the toss ahead of their game against St Lucia Stars on Sunday at Kensington Oval.A subsequent interview with the side’s head coach Robin Singh revealed that Smith has left for home to receive treatment for the injury.Smith was signed as replacement for Shakib Al Hasan after he became available to play in the CPL for the first time following his one-year suspension from international cricket for his role in the ball-tampering scandal during Australia’s tour of South Africa.The 29-year-old had fared modestly before the injury, scoring 185 runs in seven innings while also taking three wickets, though he was Man of the Match in one of the only two wins this year for the bottom-placed Tridents by scoring 63 and taking 2 for 19 against Jamaica Tallawahs in Florida.

Former allrounder to replace Matt LeBlanc when filming of new series gets underway in the coming months

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2018Andrew Flintoff has been handed arguably the most prestigious role of his post-cricket career, after being unveiled as one of the new hosts of the BBC’s long-running car show, Top Gear.Flintoff, who retired from cricket in 2009, was named on Monday morning alongside Paddy McGuinness, the host of the ITV dating show Take Me Out. He will replace the outgoing Matt LeBlanc when filming for the 27th series of the show gets underway in the coming months.”It’s not often you have the chance to do both of your dream jobs, but I’m now lucky enough to say I will have,” said Flintoff. “I’ve always been passionate about cars and I’m so excited to be joining the Top Gear team.”Flintoff, who retired from Test cricket in 2009, has forged a successful media career in recent years, including a regular team captain role on the Sky panel show A League of Their Own, and a BBC Five Live podcast, Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong Guy.His specialist knowledge of vehicles hasn’t had quite the same airing. He hit the headlines earlier this year after discovering his 6ft4in frame was too large to fit into a new Lamborghini for which he had just forked out GBP100,000.And in 2014, he successfully pleaded “exceptional hardship” in overturning a driving ban for speeding, arguing that it would affect those who rely on his “extensive charity work”, as well as the privacy of his three children.The vehicle with which he is most synonymous, however, is arguably the pedalo that he capsized in St Lucia during the 2007 World Cup, a fact that will no doubt be a recurring theme of a show that has long revolved around the interplay between its hosts.Top Gear’s original trio of hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, departed the show en masse in 2015, with Chris Evans signed to front the show alongside LeBlanc before departing after one series.Flintoff and McGunness reportedly impressed BBC bosses with their “infectious” chemistry during secret auditions at a test track near London.Patrick Holland, the controller of BBC Two, said: “This is a thrilling manoeuvre from the Top Gear team and I’m relishing what this trio will deliver. Both Paddy and Freddie love their cars but, more than that, they’ll bring a new energy and competitive spirit to Top Gear.”

England captain turns eyes to the future after another knockout defeat by Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2018Heather Knight, England’s captain, said that her overwhelming emotion was one of pride at reaching another world final, as her new-look side missed out on the chance to emulate the team of 2009 and add the World T20 title to last year’s 50-over World Cup win.Knight, who was one of only two batsmen to reach double-figures as England were bowled out for 105 in a sub-par batting performance, conceded that Australia had been the better side on the night, as they bounced back from the disappointment of losing the 2016 final to complete their fourth victory in six editions of the tournament.”Congratulations to them, it was not to be,” Knight said. “It’s quite raw at the moment, we’ll take time to reflect and work out where we go forward as a team, because we’ve got a massive year next year, with an Ashes series to look forward to. So we’ll reassess and move on.”It was the fourth time in as many tournaments that England had been knocked out of the World T20 by Australia, with three of those defeats coming in finals dating back to 2012. But Knight was determined to turn her eyes to the future, and predicted that this experience would stand her team in good stead for future engagements.Heather Knight practises her bowling in the nets•Getty Images

England’s plans for the tournament received a double setback before a ball had been bowled, with Sarah Taylor making herself unable due to her ongoing treatment for anxiety and Katherine Brunt – Player of the Match in their 2009 World T20 victory – was ruled out with the recurrence of a back complaint.”We came in a lot of inexperience and some of the girls that have come in stepped up brilliantly,” Knight said. “Sophie Ecclestone, she’s been around a year, what a spell from her tonight. She gave us a chance – well, not a chance, but she bowled brilliantly, I thought. Kirstie Gordon has been a real find and Sophia Dunkley as well.”It’s been a great experience for those girls, it’ll make them better players in the future.”Knight also refused to blame the conditions at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for their collapse, even though the sluggish nature of the surface there had come under scrutiny throughout the latter stages of the competition. And, on the day, heavy dew negated England’s spin threat.”The ball soaked up a lot of water,” Knight said. “And the umpires were getting [that], they let us change the ball a few times because it was nearly impossible to grip. But it was similar for Australia, similar conditions, and ones you have to deal with when you do come up against them.”It was a much better pitch than the semi-final – it skidded on a lot more. Danni Wyatt started brilliantly, but we kept losing wickets at key times and weren’t able to post a total that was competitive. We wanted to put runs on the board, we knew there’d be a bit of dew and we thought it would skid on a lot more. We didn’t adapt to conditions as well as we could, in terms of areas we hit, and wickets we lost, but I’m proud of the girls for reaching another world final.”

As the possibility of a Test debut looms, the Cape Cobras batsman says time off during MSL helped channel his game better

Liam Brickhill09-Jan-2019Zubayr Hamza doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, but the possibility of making his debut in the current South Africa batting unit is “something you only dream of”.Hamza has been travelling as a reserve batsman in the Test squad, but Faf du Plessis’ suspension has opened up an opportunity for the 23-year-old to be South Africa’s 100th cap since readmission.”As a batting unit, It’s something you only dream of, batting with these guys, playing in the same side and representing your country,” said Hamza at the Wanderers on Wednesday. “I haven’t received confirmation if I am playing or not. If given the chance that would be great, I have really enjoyed my time so far, the training has been intense and everyone has been welcoming. I have felt comfortable within the team surrounding. If given the chance, I am looking forward to it. There is a lot of excitement at the moment.”Hamza is yet to score a first-class century this season (he has three fifties for Cape Cobras), but has enjoyed an otherwise fruitful run at franchise level over the last two years, averaging a shade over 49 with nine centuries, including an unbeaten double. Although he is lacking in match time after missing out on the Mzansi Super League and a round of CSA four-day matches since he has been with the squad, he remains confident about his preparation and form.”It was disappointing, but the month off [from the MSL] gave me perspective and I focused on working on myself and on my game,” he explained. “Yes I haven’t started off too well this season with franchise cricket but I don’t feel out of form. I still feel like I’m batting well and that I have a lot to offer. The runs and performances haven’t shown it but that is not how I feel, I have been batting well. I have been training well with the world-class coaching staff that we have here, and I have learnt a lot so far.”Born and bred in Cape Town, Hamza matriculated from Rondebosch Boys High School. It is an institution that has produced a notable cricketing alumni including Jonathan Trott, Gary Kirsten, HD Ackerman and Andrew Puttick, who also played an early role in guiding Hamza’s development before he blossomed under Cobras coach Ashwell Prince.While not many will have seen him bat before, Hamza’s promising first-class record speaks for itself. He is a batsman with the kind of grit that could help him slot easily into a squad that has thrived off fast bowling and braved batting in seam-friendly conditions, and professed a “willingness to battle” as what he will look to bring to the side if selected.Hamza described his style as “at times free-flowing, but also willing to graft. Never looking the prettiest, but I take pride out of the innings where there’s a bit of struggle in them.” He grew up idolising players such as Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla, but says he has been feeding off most of the players in the squad on what it takes to perform at international level.”When I look up to someone, it’s not necessarily the person they are, but a combination of a whole lot of people and what they bring to the game,” Hamza said. “Faf for example is very cool and calm at the crease. Then there’s Kallis’ technique, or Virat Kohli’s passion. Stuff like that, I pay attention to. I look up to those things.”I have learnt a lot from every individual in the team, whether it is on the field or off the field. For me, I’d like to stay true to myself and stick to the game plans that have got me to this position. I will try to be self-confident and have self-belief.”I have tucked under a few guys’ wings so far,” he admitted. “I’ve been leeching as much information as I can about what it takes to perform at this level, and then sort of combining it and finding my own mixture to try and perform as an individual.”

Pakistan fought back after being bowled out for 181, reducing South Africa to 127 for 5 at stumps

The Report by Liam Brickhill26-Dec-2018The Boxing Day Test match moved rapidly forward on a frenetic first day in Centurion, South Africa and Pakistan’s seam attacks trading blows on a surface that offered encouragement for the quicks. After the early celebrations for Dale Steyn’s ascent to the top of South Africa’s Test bowling records, Duanne Olivier starred with a career-best 6 for 37 and Babar Azam’s fluent 71 in his first innings on South African soil was the only innings of substance as the visitors folded for 181.Whatever advantage South Africa had gained with the ball was swiftly put in perspective when Pakistan’s bowlers cut a swathe through the top order. A 69-run stand between Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma repaired the innings somewhat, but a deficit of 54 remained when stumps were called with the match in the balance.The hype on Wednesday morning had been focused around Steyn’s attempt at surpassing Shaun Pollock’s 421 Test dismissals – one that has been drawn out over the past year as Steyn fought his way back to full fitness. But once the game was under way, the wait wasn’t long and with his 19th delivery Steyn found the outside edge of Fakhar Zaman’s bat to move to 422 and break a record that has stood for a decade.Steyn’s emotion at the milestone was clearly evident. There were no crazy eyes, and no chainsaw celebration, but he was embraced by his team-mates and raised aloft by Kagiso Rabada as Tina Turner’s was belted out over the ground’s PA system. As he had promised, Steyn didn’t waste too much time settling and getting back to his mark to focus on taking the next wicket. He didn’t get another, but Olivier’s efforts rattled Pakistan thereafter.ALSO READ: Duanne Olivier, South Africa’s ‘other bowler’ who stole the showOlivier came on as the change bowler after the first hour and soon struck in consecutive overs to start Pakistan’s wobble. His first dismissal was fortuitous, the ball ricocheting off Shan Masood’s thigh pad and then glove and onto the stumps, but there was nothing lucky about the in-dipper that trapped Asad Shafiq in front of his stumps in Olivier’s next over.After lunch, Olivier dug one in at Azhar Ali to force a skewed edge that de Bruyn snaffled brilliantly, diving to his right from third slip, and half the visiting line-up was back in the change-room with just 86 on the board. Sarfraz Ahmed could not last the first over he faced, poking tentatively at a back-of-a-length delivery from Olivier to send an inside edge onto his stumps, and Mohammad Amir was given a thorough working-over before Olivier slipped a full one through his defences to collect his fifth.Olivier’s speeds matched those of his illustrious team-mates throughout: he operated consistently in the 140s and bowled as fast as 146kph as he vexed the tail, Amir being struck a stinging blow that immediately brought up a purple bruise on the little finger of his right hand before he had his stumps disturbed.Pakistan were seven down before reaching 100 yet on the board when Amir fell, but vitally Babar was still at the crease and he rose to the situation to shepherd what remained of the tail. Babar was the only visiting batsman to play the pull with any authority, and also took Steyn on in thrilling fashion in the afternoon.Babar’s riposte to Steyn’s return to the attack for a third spell in the 39th over was a flurry of attacking strokes that mixed venomous intent with a silken touch. Babar generally kept the ball along the turf with controlled aggression, but there was remarkable freedom in his strokeplay as he spanked Steyn out of the attack with 10 fours in four overs.Mohammad Amir celebrates•AFP

Invigorated by the battle with an increasingly wide-eyed Steyn, Babar raced to a 58-ball fifty, surviving a desperate review for caught behind when the ball had only flicked his trouser pocket. After Steyn had been removed from the attack, it was Rabada who finally got the better of Babar, a rare poor shot resulting in an edge to Faf du Plessis at first slip. Hasan Ali swung gamely for his 21 not out, but Shaheen Afridi feathered an edge to give Olivier his sixth wicket and bring the innings to an end.At that point, it was advantage South Africa, but a touch of variable bounce as early as the second session would not have escaped the attention of Pakistan’s bowlers and Hasan and Amir bristled in their new-ball spells. Hasan nipped one off the seam to trap Aiden Markram in front in the sixth over after tea, but it was the combination of Amir and Afridi that pressed the game forward.Amir’s return for a second burst brought immediate reward, the ball flying off the leading edge of Hashim Amla’s bat to be caught by Babar at gully. Afridi then found the edge of Dean Elgar’s bat even as he tried to shoulder arms, and with his very next delivery got one to spit off a length, taking the shoulder of du Plessis’ bat as the South African captain fell for a golden duck.South Africa were in serious strife at 43 for 4, and Bavuma and de Bruyn had to contend with a cauldron of pressure in the middle. They responded in fine style, gritting out the early exchanges before the runs started to come and the pressure eased. Their concentration was unfazed by a short stoppage for a passing shower, and de Bruyn greeted Yasir Shah’s introduction with a pull for six when the legspinner dropped short.Bavuma added back-to-back fours of his own off Yasir, the second of which brought up the fifty stand, and then shimmied down the track, slapping a drive through cover to bring up the team’s 100. Yasir leaked 24 from his first four overs, and Sarfraz once again turned to Amir in fading afternoon light.He broke through once again almost straightaway, catching de Bruyn in two minds at the crease to find the edge, and parity was restored once more with South Africa’s innings in the balance at 112 for 5. The focus returned to Steyn, now with bat in hand after being shunted ahead of Quinton de Kock as nightwatchman. He sliced two streaky boundaries, but survived to fight another day alongside Bavuma, who was unbeaten on 38.

Spin-bowling allrounder Anna Peterson, who was the Player of the Match in the third ODI, has been named as replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-20190:49

‘It’s easier to transition to the T20s after playing the longer format’ – Satterthwaite

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Bernadine Bezuidenhout has been ruled out of the T20 series against India, owing to a fractured middle finger of her right hand. Spin-bowling allrounder Anna Peterson, who was the Player of the Match in the third and last ODI on February 1, has been named Bezuidenhout’s replacement, and will join the squad in Auckland on Thursday.Coming off an underwhelming run in the three-match ODI series where she scored 22 runs in two innings took two catches, Bezuidenhout was struck on the hand when batting at the Basin Reserve nets ahead of the T20I series opener on Wednesday. New Zealand head coach Haidee Tiffen confirmed Bezuidenhout will return home to rest.”You never like to see players miss out due to injury and it’s no different in Bernie’s case but unfortunately it’s just part of the game,” Tiffen said. “We wish her a speedy recovery and know she will be doing everything in her power to get back on the park.”Peterson, meanwhile, finished as the hosts’ leading wicket-taker with five wickets in two innings in the ODI series, and the second across teams, behind India’s Poonam Yadav.Anna Peterson is congratulated after one of her three wickets•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

“Anna joins the side and brings with her experience as well as an option with both the bat and ball,” Tiffen said of the 28-year-old Peterson. “She will slot right in having already been with the squad for the ODI campaign.”New Zealand lost the three-match ODI series 1-2 but their captain Amy Satterthwaite was excited to see what the new faces can do during the T20I series that starts on February 6.Meanwhile, New Zealand Test opener Jeet Raval has been named captain of the New Zealand XI side for a one-off 50-over tour match against Bangladesh, in Lincoln on Sunday. Rachin Ravindra, the Under-19 batting allrounder, has also been included in the squad.”We’ve identified Rachin as a player of interest for a significant period of time now,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “He did a very good job for the NZ A team in both the UAE and at home against India A and we believe another day of international cricket would be very advantageous for him.”New Zealand White Ferns: Amy Satterthwaite (capt), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Caitlin Gurrey, Katey Martin (wk), Frances McKay, Leigh Kasperek, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Hayley Jensen, Anna PetersonNew Zealand XI to face Bangladesh: Jeet Raval (capt), Andrew Fletcher, Rachin Ravindra, Finn Allen, Dale Phillips, Katene Clarke, Sean Solia, Max Chu (wk), Theo van Woerkom, Iain McPeake, Andrew Hazeldine, Jamie Brown

Justice DK Jain met all three members of the CoA, along with the BCCI top brass in Delhi on Thursday

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2019The controversy surrounding Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul over their remarks on an Indian television chat show earlier this year will be the first case the BCCI’s newly-appointed ombudsman, Justice DK Jain, will adjudicate on. The decision was taken after Justice Jain met all three members of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), along with the BCCI top brass including its chief executive Rahul Johri, in Delhi on Thursday.It is understood that there is no timeframe for Justice Jain to take a final decision, which he would arrive at after a thorough inquiry, including calling both players to record their views. Both Pandya and Rahul have already apologised to the BCCI and the CoA twice in writing before returning to play. Pandya is currently recuperating from a back injury while Rahul is part of the ODI squad playing against Australia.ALSO READ: ‘Humbled’ KL Rahul uses suspension time to work on techniquePandya and Rahul were suspended by the CoA on January 11 for their offensive comments on the chat show , which was aired in the first week of 2019. Both players were subsequently called back home from the limited-overs tour of Australia.At the time, the two members of the CoA, Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji, were split on the next step. While Rai was in favour of banning the players for two matches, Edulji wanted the matter to be addressed properly through an inquiry process. The BCCI legal team’s opinion was sought, and the CoA was told that as per the BCCI’s constitution, only the ombudsman had the authority to carry out the inquiry.Consequent to the intervention of amicus curiae PS Narsimha on January 24, the CoA provisionally lifted the suspension allowing Pandya and Rahul to play, but pointed out that allegations of misconduct against them would be dealt with once the ombudsman took charge.The ombudsman’s position had been vacant since 2016 until the Supreme Court appointed Justice Jain in February, while also adding Ravindra Thodge as the third member of the CoA.

The latest gossip from the county circuit as the 2019 season gathers pace

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2019Our correspondents bring you the latest gossip from the county circuit as the 2019 season gathers paceIt would have been perfectly understandable if Somerset members in the Long Room of Colin Atkinson pavilion had wanted to celebrate their county’s first victory of the season on Monday by buying a cider at the bar.But if current plans go ahead, those supporters who want to enjoy a home-made pasty with their pint may find their collars felt by a West Country gauleiter.Somerset’s chief executive Andrew Cornish announced at a forum on Saturday evening that an executive decision had been taken that members would no longer be allowed to consume their own food or wine in the Long Room.Not surprisingly, this diktat has not gone down well. It would seem that any profit made by the club’s catering outlets as a result of the move will not outweigh the ill-feeling caused among loyal members who have already paid top-whack subscriptions.The club say that the complaint originated from the members themselves, some of whom were unhappy at pack lunches being consumed in a “premium” area of the ground, and it will be put to a vote as to whether food from home can be consumed on the balcony. However, if the ban is enforced, it looks like another example of cricket loading both barrels and taking careful aim at its foot.The other, more ironic consequence, of course, is that the only pasties available in Somerset’s pavilion will have to receive Cornish approval.***Lancashire supporters arriving at Emirates Old Trafford for next Wednesday’s Royal London Cup tie against Worcestershire may notice a familiar voice on the public address.The long-serving Matt Proctor retired last September and has been succeeded by John Gwynne, who will be most familiar to younger sports fans as one of Sky’s football reporters or as a darts commentator.However, Gwynne has needed little persuasion to return to Old Trafford as often as possible in recent years. Since he stopped being a cricket correspondent for the BBC in the North West, he has become well-known as an MC or interviewer at benefit dinners and he now has the prospect of spending his summer at Manchester, Liverpool and Sedbergh.Only one question remains: will Gwynne be able to conceal his full-throated ecstasy if a batsman is dismissed for … one hundred and eighteeeeeee?***The County Championship might be under permanent threat but at least it has entered the 21st century in terms of WiFi availability.All 18 counties now offer WiFi on their grounds thanks to a tie-up with Sky. We tested it at Trent Bridge last week and it was surprisingly fast – perhaps because not everybody has cottoned on to its existence.Just what you need to ensure you can message your thoughts to our County Cricket Live blog without using up your data allowance too quickly.Tom Taylor was in the wickets early for Leicestershire•Getty Images

We couldn’t help a snigger or two at the incorrigible optimist Paul Nixon as he assessed Leicestershire’s chances on the eve of the season.Nine players out, four in suggested a tough season ahead for the Foxes but Nixon overflowed with praise for Leicestershire’s prospects and, in particular, their new signing from Derbyshire, the seam bowler Tom Taylor.”Could be in contention for an England Lions trip by the end of the season,” said Nixon, so impressed was he by Taylor’s winter improvement.It appears we laughed too soon. Taylor took career-best stats of 10 for 122, promotion hopefuls Sussex were beaten at Hove and Nixon’s optimism was vindicated.***Perhaps the most surprising sight at Lancashire’s Media Day was to see Matt Parkinson virtually fully recovered less than a fortnight after being struck an horrific blow on the jaw by Surrey’s Mark Stoneman during a T10 Festival at the ICC Academy in Dubai.Parkinson, a 22-year-old leg-spinner who has been tipped to get an England call-up, was taken straight to hospital in Dubai where scans revealed no broken bones and the deep lacerations in his jaw were repaired by a plastic surgeon.Merely to escape with nothing more than stitches from such a life-threatening incident seems faintly miraculous but Parkinson is clearly made of stern stuff. And the astonishment at his availability was not confined to the media. “That ball couldn’t have been hit any harder,” said head coach, Glen Chapple.***In addition to the new players and refreshed ambitions on parade at Trent Bridge, this most splendid of county grounds is showing off another elegant architectural addition in the shape of the two-tier upwards extension of the central section of the Radcliffe Road stand.The project, which began in 2017, is now finished, providing extra broadcasting suites and hospitality areas, plus a swish new restaurant, under a stylish curved roof.Nottinghamshire have hired a Michelin-starred chef, Nottingham-born Tom Sellars, to ensure that the new eatery, which has been named Six, meets the highest standards of contemporary fine dining. (Sadly, he won’t be supplying the press lunches, although that’s not to say the first-floor dining room doesn’t look after us very nicely).Diners who do plan to eat there will need patience and deep pockets. Already, more than 2,000 foodies interested in such offerings as gin-cured chalk stream trout with cucumber and oyster emulsion, Packington chicken with asparagus, morels and wild garlic, or native lobster with lobster bisque and lovage, have been added to a priority booking list for the 40-seat restaurant. Last Friday and Saturday’s sampling menus were fully booked at £150 per head.***The ECB network correspondents are grumbling because they were asked for a letter of assignation before being issued with their press accreditation for the new season … even though their employer is the ECB.

They toppled a Dhoni-less Chennai Super Kings side to secure a vital victory after three losses on the trot

The Report by Liam Brickhill17-Apr-20193:30

TaitL Rashid does things the Warne way

Sunrisers Hyderabad broke Chennai Super Kings’ winning streak, and secured a vital victory after three losses on the trot, with a six-wicket win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Super Kings were without their talismanic captain MS Dhoni, who was rested after pulling up with back spasms in their last game. And aside from a 79-run opening stand between Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis, their innings lacked oomph. Despite the slowness of the track, their 132 for 5 was sub-par and after David Warner’s rapid fifty had set the innings up, Jonny Bairstow closed the match with an unbeaten 61.With stand-in captain Suresh Raina having opted to bat, halfway through their innings Chennai would have been pleased with their progress at 80 for 1. But just 52 runs came from the next ten as the innings fizzled out. The much-hyped showdown between Vijay Shankar and Ambati Rayudu came to nought, but in truth Super Kings could have done with a little more fire in the belly at the death.ALSO READ – Ambati Rayudu v Vijay Shankar – the non-fight after the mega hypeIndeed, Warner’s response at the top of Sunrisers’ chase showed that there were quick runs to be made despite the slowness of the pitch. Warner dominated the Powerplay and left Sunrisers’ brittle middle order with a very easy job to complete. Bairstow ensured there were no slip-ups, and a struggling Sunrisers unit took down the table-toppers with 19 balls and six wickets to spare.Watson, du Plessis lay platform
With three single figure scores and a duck in his last five innings before Wednesday, Watson came into this match without much form to speak of. Neither Watson nor du Plessis looked in particularly world-beating touch when the openers crawled to just 15 from the first four overs. The pressure was on, and a wicket at that stage could have been disastrous, but the experienced pair shrugged it off with five fours and three sixes in the next five-and-a-half overs to set the innings up.Rashid finds his length (eventually)
Rashid Khan’s mid-match comeback mirrored his team’s. One sensed a big moment when he was introduced in the eighth over with both openers set, but his first ball was a half tracker that was spanked to the square-leg boundary and Rashid leaked 14 from his first two overs as he struggled to find his length and repeatedly dropped short. His third changed the complexion of the match. With du Plessis and Watson having fallen in quick succession of each other either side of the halfway mark, Rashid finally got things right in his third over, nipping out Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav in the space of four deliveries – both batsmen unsuccessfully reviewing their dismissals – as Super Kings slipped to 99 for 4.Jonny Bairstow and David Warner get together•BCCI

Bhuvneshwar keeps it tight
Super Kings might still have made a fist of things at the death from that position, and they may well have been looking to target Bhuvneshwar Kumar in that regard. He had an economy rate of 12.6 between overs 16 to 20 heading into this game, and was seen practicing various versions of the cutter with head coach Tom Moody on the eve of this match. The extra work clearly paid off, and Kumar gave away just 15 runs in his last two overs – and just five off the final over of the innings – to stall Super Kings’ charge. Rayudu managed to get a couple away, but Ravindra Jadeja’s innings completely failed to launch as he finished with 10 not out from 20 balls.Warner moves back into the fast lane
Since his 55-ball hundred against Royal Challengers Bangalore almost three weeks ago, Warner had scored 146 runs off 140 balls at a strike rate of 104.28 coming in to this match. Despite his two fifties in the interim, Warner hadn’t been able to set the pace as he usually does, part of the reason Sunrisers had lost their last three matches. But tonight Warner once again rocketed through a Powerplay that brought 68 runs, racking up a fourth consecutive fifty-plus score against Super Kings at a strike rate of 200. At the other end, Bairstow faced just nine balls in the first six overs, but thanks to Warner the asking rate had been brought down to just 4.64 when he fell, toe-ending an attempted loft to mid off.Bairstow takes it home
Despite Warner’s quick runs, Sunrisers still had Imran Tahir to deal with. Warner had plundered three boundaries in a row in Tahir’s first over, but the legspinner recovered to have Kane Williamson caught and bowled in his second. However, Bairstow saw Tahir off and punished the other bowlers. Karn Sharma was swatted for two clean sixes in his first over, and Bairstow added a third off him to end the game in the 17th over. Though a couple of wickets fell at the other end, Warner’s knock had broken the back of the chase and Bairstow’s sealed the result.

Assistant coach says the team dynamic wasn’t healthy while they were going through a six-match losing streak this IPL

Ankur Dhawan in Mumbai05-May-20194:45

We fell badly in middle phase of tournament – Katich

There was an indication throughout the IPL that all wasn’t well in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp. Contradictory statements from the players and team management regarding Andre Russell’s batting position furthered that suspicion, before the situation escalated to the point where the allrounder questioned some of the decision making, besides adding that the atmosphere around the team hadn’t been the healthiest.Simon Katich, the KKR assistant coach, reiterated that the dynamic within the group had started to change during the course of their six-match losing streak and that’s something that they’ll have to work on as a group going forward.”Can’t hide from the fact that there was tension,” he said at the press conference. “That was pretty evident from the last few games after we got on a bit of a roll with losses. We’ve got to address that as a group. What is so important in the IPL is the dynamic if the group and I guess the unity. That’s something that KKR is very very proud of. It’s a very successful franchise and it’s something that everyone involved has worked very very hard to contribute to over a long period of time. That’s something we have to certainly work at to get better at it because there’s no doubt that throughout this campaign, the dynamic within our group has certainly changed.”Despite that, KKR came into this game against Mumbai Indians with a very good chance of making the playoffs. All they had to do was win.But the combination of Lasith Malinga, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were too difficult to handle. So much so that after being 49 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay, they finished 133 for 7.”It did go wrong, that’s for sure,” Katich said. “Today is obviously disappointing but it’s a tough ask coming to Mumbai, we don’t obviously have great record here [It was KKR’s sixth straight defeat at Wankhede]. Yes, it would have been great to win today and get through but to finish where we did is probably what we deserved given how our season went.”Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have a chat•BCCI

Looking back at a season that began brightly with four wins in five matches, Katich rued the home defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals the most, which he felt came back to hurt them in the end, given that one more win would have secured a playoff spot.”We had a very good start but it fell away badly through that middle phase of the tournament,” he said.”If you look back on our season, the two missed opportunities we had were in the matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. We hadn’t played well through the season but to lose those two games was always going to come back and hurt us in the end. When you look back in the end, that’s what probably catches up with you, when you don’t win at home, where that wicket suits our style of play, particularly our batsmen, given how flat it’s been.”Katich’s sentiments were echoed by the captain Dinesh Karthik, who conceded Knight Riders had a lot of work to do to get back to their best.”Through the whole tournament, we’ve been good a lot of times, bad at a lot of times, but this tournament is such that we had to play consistent cricket and we were not up to the mark,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It’s been decent. I don’t think it’s the best season that we’ve had. There’s definitely a lot of areas for us to improve and come back stronger next time.”