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They have now become the country’s most successful first-class team having eclipsed five-time champions Rajshahi Divison

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2017Tier 1Khulna Division completed a hat-trick of National Cricket League titles after crushing Dhaka Division by an innings and 49 runs. They have now become the country’s most successful first-class team having eclipsed five-time champions Rajshahi Divison.Mehidy Hasan set up the victory at the BKSP-3 ground with a seven-wicket haul in the first innings as Dhaka were bowled out for 113 in 38.4 overs. Mehidy’s 7 for 24 was his best bowling figures, and he finished the game with his third 10-for in first-class cricket.Khulna replied with 459 for 8 in only 91 overs with Anamul Haque making his second first-class double-hundred while Mahedi Hasan blasted 177. Anamul struck 23 fours and four sixes in his 251-ball 202. Mahedi hammered 21 fours and two sixes in his 160-ball effort. The pair added 295 runs for the second wicket.Later, Mehidy and Rubel Hossain took three wickets each as Dhaka were bowled out for 297 in their second innings on the fourth morning.Nasir Hossain fell five runs short of a triple-century during Rangpur Division‘s drawn game against Barisal Division in Chittagong. Nasir’s 295, spanning ten hours and 510 balls and including 32 fours and three sixes, is now the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi in a first-class match.His 368-run fifth wicket stand with Ariful Haque, who made 162, is now the fifth highest stand in Bangladesh’s first-class history. Ariful struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 290-ball effort. Their partnership was the cornerstone of Rangpur’s mammoth 614 for 7 in reply to Barisal’s first=innings 335. Sohag Gazi had top-scored for Barisal with 99.Barisal reached 217 for four on the final day and were relegated to Tier 2 alongside Dhaka Division.Milton Ahmed

Tier 2Rajshahi Division were one of two teams to earn promotion for next season’s NCL after they drew their last Tier-2 game against Dhaka Metropolis.Batting first, Dhaka Metro posted 328 with Shadman Islam and Marshall Ayub hitting fifties. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took 5 for 105.Rajshahi’s reply was massive, as they posted 668 in 152.4 overs. Nazmul Hossain Shanto made 194 with 21 fours in seven hours and 42 minutes. He was involved in a record 341-run opening partnership with Mizanur Rahman, who made 175 off 210 balls, which included 30 fours and two sixes. Their partnership is a new high for opening stands in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket.Later, Farhad Reza also chipped in with 106 off 151 balls, an innings included 12 fours and five sixes.The game meandered to a draw as Dhaka Metro reached 118 for five on the final day. Shafiul Islam took three wickets.Sylhet Division also gained promotion to next year’s Tier 1 after a drawn game against Chittagong Division.Chittagong were bowled out for 215 with Abul Hasan and Enamul Haque jnr taking three wickets each. Yasir Ali top-scored with 81.Offspinner Iftekhar Sajjad then took a five-wicket haul as Sylhet were shot out for just 137. Left-arm quick Mehedi Hasan Rana took three wickets.Chittagong then stretched their lead to 458 thanks to more good form from Yasir, who struck an unbeaten century. His 102 came off 176 balls and contained seven fours and a six.Rajin Saleh then played a typical backs-to-the-wall innings to save Sylhet from defeat, his 104 coming in five hours and 36 minutes on the final day. Sylhet reached 309 for 7 in 126 overs. Iftekhar and Rana took three wickets each.

Zimbabwe fought back from 169 for 7 to fall narrowly short in a chase of 290

Vishal Dikshit22-Aug-20223:01

Takeaways: Gill and Axar’s steady progress in ODIs

A classy maiden ODI century and a stunning catch in the penultimate over of a tense chase from Shubman Gill gave India a thrilling 13-run win to complete a 3-0 whitewash after Sikandar Raza’s fighting hundred had brought the hosts back from the dead.From 169 for 7 in a chase of 290, Raza’s knock brought Zimbabwe to a point where they needed 15 to win from nine balls. But Raza, having already struck three sixes in reaching 115 off 94 balls, swung a slower ball from Shardul Thakur down the ground and was caught by Gill diving forward from long-on.It came down to 15 needed off the last over with just one wicket left, and Avesh Khan bowled Victor Nyauchi with a searing yorker that put the seal on India’s 3-0 scoreline.Raza led Zimbabwe’s charge almost singlehandedly from the 18th over on, scoring his third century in six innings and his sixth overall in ODIs even as wickets fell around him. Zimbabwe needed 95 from the last 10 with only three wickets left and Raza and the steadfast Brad Evans brought it down to 52 off 30.Raza then hit a six over the covers to begin a 12-run 46th over, and brought up his century in the next over as Zimbabwe inched closer. Thakur conceded just seven off the 47th over with his slower ones to make it 33 off 18. When Raza got strike in the next over, he scooped Avesh wide of short fine leg for four, and then clobbered him over the covers for another six next ball. An inside edge off Evans’ bat then ran away for four to lift Zimbabwe’s hopes further, bringing the equation down to 17 off 13. Avesh trapped Evans lbw next ball to leave Zimbabwe’s hopes resting entirely on Raza, but his wicket in the next over all but sealed the game for India.2:56

Axar: Chahar’s return, Avesh’s yorkers, Thakur’s death bowling were our biggest takeaways

Zimbabwe’s top-order show improved only slightly after the first two ODIs, with Sean Williams promoted to No. 3 after Deepak Chahar trapped Innocent Kaia with an inswinging yorker that followed a series of outswingers. Their problems were compounded when Takudzwanashe Kaitano walked off with what appeared to be a cramp in the sixth over and Tony Munyonga struggled to get going. Williams, however, struck three fours in his first nine balls, the best of them a decisive pull off Chahar. Singles and twos came more easily once the field spread, before Williams and Munyonga fell in successive overs. Axar Patel first trapped Williams plumb with a dart for 45, before Munyonga mistimed a lofted drive to wide mid-off off Avesh to leave Zimbabwe 84 for 3.Raza and Regis Chakabva moved them past 100 before Axar struck again, just past the halfway mark of the chase, taking a sharp return catch to his left to send back Chakabva. The returning Kaitano was then stumped off Kuldeep Yadav seven balls later to leave the chase on Raza’s shoulders with the asking rate having crept past 7.5. Raza decided to see off the two spinners and went after the quicks as conditions remained batting-friendly.He began Chahar’s second spell with a mighty six over midwicket and got a thick edge for four three balls later. After he crossed his half-century, he went after Thakur and Avesh. When Zimbabwe needed 115 from 12 overs, he hit three successive fours off Thakur in a 20-run over, before he and Evans collected a four each in the 41st, bowled by Avesh, to bring the equation down to 79 off 54. Raza and Evans put on 104 off 77, with Evans contributing just 28, but once India broke the partnership, there was not much batting to come.Earlier, Gill’s stroke-filled 130 off 97 balls gave them a competitive score even as Evans finished with a maiden five-for. KL Rahul opted to bat in “challenging” conditions early on, but himself looked scratchy before chopping on for 30 off Evans. Dhawan started the India innings with three fours in his first 10 balls, but Zimbabwe replied with tight bowling thereon. Dhawan got a life on 17 when he was dropped at point off Richard Ngarava, but he couldn’t capitalise, and handed a leading edge to cover for 40.Sikandar Raza almost derailed India with 115 off 95•Associated Press

It was all Gill after that. He walked in when India were going at just over four an over looked a class apart with his control and ability to score briskly. He timed the ball crisply, drove with confidence, and kept the score ticking even as Ishan Kishan took his time to ease himself in, getting a life when he was on 6 off 17 balls when Williams dropped a return catch in the 27th over. Kishan broke the shackles by slog-sweeping and lofting Raza for two fours in the 32nd over, before Gill collected two more against Williams.The duo accelerated after Gill reached a 51-ball half-century in the 34th over, taking 33 off the next three overs and bringing up their century stand soon after. But just as Gill raced towards his century and Kishan brought up his second ODI fifty, off 61 balls, Zimbabwe began to hit back. Gill survived a close lbw appeal on 97 off Evans in the 43rd over, and a review showed he had got a thick edge, but Zimbabwe still got a wicket off that ball, with Kishan run out when Munyonga swooped in from point and threw the stumps down at the non-striker’s end. Evans’ offcutter then bowled Deepak Hooda for 1 five balls later, but Gill was unfazed.He bowed down towards the dressing room to celebrate his century, off just 82 balls, off the next ball and continued to unleash his booming drives and pulls. He got a life in an eventful 46th over, when he was dropped at short fine leg on 110, after which Sanju Samson hit two successive sixes before holing out to deep square leg.Zimbabwe fought back in the last two overs, mainly thanks to Evans. In the last over he had Gill caught at long-off for 130 and Thakur miscuing a slower ball to mid-off while giving away only seven more, and finished with his maiden ODI five-for, which his father and former Zimbabwe allrounder Craig Evans applauded from the stands.

Fifties for Beaumont, Lamb and Sciver make South Africa toil despite Kapp 73

Firdose Moonda15-Jul-2022Sophia Dunkley, promoted to No.3 in this series, scored her first ODI hundred to seal the series for England, with a game to spare. Dunkley’s three-figure knock, along with fifty-plus scores from the other three in the top four, gave England their second-highest total against South Africa, and asked their visitors to complete their highest-successful ODI chase to draw level in the three-match rubber. Despite Laura Wolvaardt’s fastest half-century in the format, the South African line-up lacked substantial partnerships and fell far short.England’s batters have dominated the contest so far and, on a good run-scoring surface in Bristol, inflicted more pain on a side they beat here in the World Cup semi-final five years ago, almost to the day. England had century-stands for first and third wickets, both the third-highest in their respective positions for England against South Africa which book-ended their innings and finished with 105 runs in the last 10 overs and 46 in the final five.They took advantage of another lacklustre performance from the South African attack who, even with pace spearhead Shabnim Ismail back, lacked intensity and control. Ismail (too full) and Kapp (too wide) struggled to find their lines and lengths and with the seniors struggling, the rest of the attack could only apply pressure in patches. They prevented England from breaching the boundary between the 21st and 34th over but allowed them to score freely on either side of that squeeze.England’s new opening pair, Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb laid the foundation with the team’s first century stand since December 2019. They were prolific on the offside, with the cut through point making several appearances, and raced to 58 without loss after the Powerplay and 93 at the first drinks’ break.Desperate for a breakthrough, South Africa reviewed an lbw shot against Beaumont off left-arm Nonkululeko Mlaba. It was a poor referral and ball-tracking confirmed it was missing leg stump by a distance. Beaumont was on 41 at the time, and the dominant partner in the stand with Lamb, who then shifted gears.Lamb cut Mlaba through backward point to bring up fifty off 54 balls, a strong follow-up from her century on Monday, and then made room for herself to hit de Klerk over midwicket, through point and drag Mlaba over the in-field to surge ahead of Beaumont. Her eyes lit up when South Africa introduced their sixth bowler, Chloe Tryon, whose second ball was a loopy full-toss. Lamb swept but top-edged to Mlaba at short-fine leg to give South Africa some reprieve.South Africa took the opportunity to quiet England after that dismissal and had an opportunity against Beaumont when she scooped Kapp straight to mid-on but Mlaba spilt a simple chance. By then, Beaumont was on 52 and the drop could have proved costly but Beaumont developed cramp in her hand and three overs later, chipped Tryon to Ismail at mid-off.Issy Wong bowled with pace and penetration on her ODI debut•Getty Images

Just as South Africa gained some ground, Dunkley redirected the innings by hitting Ayabonga Khaka for back-to-back fours. England entered the last 10 overs on 232 for 2. Dunkley brought up her fifty off the 61st ball she faced and there was no stopping her from there. She took 16 runs off Ismail’s eighth over, reached her century off 87 balls and ensured England had a match-winning score.If they doubted that, it was only for 14.2 overs that Wolvaardt threatened. With two debuts in the XI, Lauren Bell and Issy Wong, Heather Knight chose to use Nat Sciver to open the bowling and her first four overs cost 32. Wolvaardt 21 runs off 12 deliveries she faced from Sciver, most of them full but one so short she pulled through mid-wicket. South Africa had a better Powerplay than England and scored 67 and Wolvaardt brought up 50 off 41 balls and an epic contest was brewing. But Wolvaardt’s 87-run stand with Andrie Steyn ended when she tried to clear the in-field off Charlie Dean and picked out Wong at mid-on.South Africa lost their next five wickets for 51 runs, including three to Wong. She had Lara Goodall caught at mid-on, Tryon caught behind and Nadine de Klerk caught by a diving Sciver at short cover. Ironically, the short ball that failed South Africa worked well for Wong.Kapp scored 50 off 46 balls, her 10th in ODIs, but had scant support. She was dismissed for 73 as South Africa entered the last 10 overs on 223 for 8, only nine behind where England were at the same stage, but six wickets adrift and with little chance of even batting out their overs. They were bowled out in 41 overs. Dean finished with the third four-fer of her career.

Ameen and Muneeba’s record-breaking first-wicket stand was backed up by Sana’s 4 for 26

Danyal Rasool03-Jun-2022An imperious top-order batting performance from Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali, backed up by a four-wicket haul by Fatima Sana, helped Pakistan to another rout of Sri Lanka by 73 runs, and a wrap of the ODI series with a game to spare.The victory was spearheaded by a sensational 123 by Ameen – her second ODI century – as part of a record 158-run opening stand with Muneeba. Ameen’s 150-ball knock was complemented by a more sedate 100-ball 56 from her partner, before cameos from Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar ensured Pakistan finished with a strong 253 for 2. Sri Lanka, in response, never got into top gear and seemed content to put together a respectable total as they huffed and puffed their way to 180 for 9 in their 50 overs.A somewhat enterprising start to the chase immediately ran into problems once Sana removed Hasini Perera for 14. While most Sri Lankan batters put together steady contributions, Pakistan’s chances of victory were rarely threatened.The story though could have been different. Opting to bat first for the first time this series, Pakistan enjoyed a huge reprieve when Ameen was put down at the slips before scoring a run. It was an error she ensured Sri Lanka regretted for the next three hours. A chanceless century would follow thereon, with runs ticking over and a solid platform being built, and it felt, in slow motion, as if Sri Lanka were being batted out of the contest.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Muneeba, too, was reprieved once, when a sharp caught-and-bowled chance was dropped by Kavisha Dilhari. She spent most of the innings playing second fiddle to the more exuberant Ameen as Pakistan clocked their first-ever century opening stand in an ODI. They continued pressing on, and it wasn’t until the 36th over that Muneeba, looking to force the issue, holed out to point.Sidra soon got to her hundred with a sweep past fine leg, but by now, Maroof was helping ensure Pakistan moved through the gears more quickly. From that point on, the last 40 balls yielded 57 runs as Pakistan breached the 250-run mark, setting Sri Lanka the highest total of the series to chase.Sri Lanka’s innings was defined by caution, and yet interspersed with some puzzlingly rash decision-making. While they were far too timorous against the bowlers, especially when there was generous flight on offer, there were also the obligatory run-outs, both coming at key stages. There was also uncertainty in the approach. A bright start was stymied when the first wicket fell; it would come in a passage of play that saw four powerplay overs bowled without a run scored.From there on, in truth, this was less of a match and more of a practice drill and the Pakistan bowlers were never quite shaken out of their rhythms. Nida Dar made amends for a dropped catch by putting an end to Chamari Athapaththu’s plodding innings, while Hansima Karunaratne sent Sana’s flighted half-volley straight down long on’s throat. Each of the top seven batters got to double figures while the target seemed increasingly irrelevant to the contest actually playing out.Sana returned to get two more lower-order wickets, and when Diana Baig picked up the ninth wicket, Sri Lanka’s only aim appeared to be to prevent getting bowled out.

Naveen-ul-Haq, Ben Mike close out first win in any format this season as Yorkshire stumble

ECB Reporters Network29-May-2022Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann’s century partnership led Leicestershire to a shock 31-run Vitality Blast win over Yorkshire at Headingley.The pair put on 109 as the Foxes fought back from a tricky start to set Yorkshire 189 to win. Dawid Malan’s half-century and another impressive innings from recent England Test call-up Harry Brook gave the Vikings hope, but Leicestershire secured their first win of the competition.Yorkshire’s pursuit of 189 got off to a flyer with 24 runs in the first two overs – all from the bat of Adam Lyth. But the Vikings lost two wickets in two overs as Lyth fell to Ben Mike for 24 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore to Naveen-ul-Haq for one.Naveen-ul-Haq closed out the win•PA Images/Getty

England duo Malan and Joe Root shared a half-century stand to guide Yorkshire to 77 for 2 at halfway with another 112 needed, but Root fell three balls later to Mike for 17 from 16 balls, caught trying to power the ball over the infield.Malan eased to a 37-ball fifty in the 13th over but departed one ball after his milestone to Callum Parkinson to leave Yorkshire 96 for 4.The in-form Brook struck two crisp boundaries to get himself going but with five overs remaining Yorkshire were up against it needing 69 to win. Brook, pushing for a Test debut at Lord’s on Thursday, passed 1,000 runs in all formats this season.But Shadab Khan was out for 16 as the Vikings’ hopes faded and they were all-but extinguished when Jordan Thompson came and went for one. Yorkshire needed 46 from the last 12 balls and Brook was unable to reach a third Blast fifty in succession, caught on the boundary for 29 off Naveen. Dom Bess and Matt Revis fell cheaply as Yorkshire could only reach 157 for 9.Leicestershire’s recovery to their total of 188 for 7 was an impressive one after losing three wickets inside the powerplay – with Scott Steel, Hamish Rutherford and Arron Lilley all caught in the deep.Related

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Lewis Hill attempted to get the Foxes back on track as he dumped Shadab into the stands, but he fell to Adil Rashid the following over for 22 – the England spinner’s 250th career T20 wicket.From 51 for 4, Ackermann did shift the momentum Leicestershire’s way with 15 off Shadab’s next over as his partnership with Patel got under way. The pair were patient, guiding the visitors to 76 for 4 at halfway before increasing their rate as the stand wore on.Their fifty partnership came up in the 13th over, before the 15th and 16th overs went for 15 and 18 respectively, with Patel clearing the ropes three times in 10 balls.Ackermann’s fifty came from 31 balls and Patel’s from 30 and their partnership of 109 set a club record fifth-wicket stand in T20s. Ackermann was removed by Thompson with 15 balls remaining, before Patel departed for a career-best 57 in the final over.The win was Leicestershire’s first across formats this season, after a winless start to the County Championship season and successive defeats to start the Blast – including being bowled out for 89 in Saturday’s televised game against Derbyshire only 24 hours previously.

If fit, the fast bowler, who hasn’t played for South Africa since the Galle Test in July, would have been selected alongside Dale Steyn for the upcoming ODIs against Zimbabwe

Firdose Moonda19-Sep-2018Vernon Philander has begun bowling rehabilitation this week as he recovers from an ankle injury that could sideline him until at least November.Philander has struggled with his ankle since twisting it against India in late 2015 and while the latest recurrence of the niggle will not affect his Test-playing ability, it may impact his chances of making a case for World Cup selection.If fit, Philander would have been picked alongside Dale Steyn for the upcoming ODIs against Zimbabwe but he will miss out. Philander also cannot be considered for the white-ball trip to Australia in October-November but may have an opportunity to return during the T20 tournament that is due to be played from early November to mid-December. However, it’s likely Philander will only make a comeback on Boxing Day, when South Africa host Pakistan.Philander last played for South Africa in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in mid-July, where the injury flared up. He did not play the second Test in Colombo and has not played any county cricket or in any T20 leagues since as he concentrates on recovery. Surgery is an option, but that would require a longer recovery time and CSA’s medical team are opting for a more conservative approach.

Number of unsuccessful reviews increased from one to two per innings in the upcoming season

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2022Irrespective of whether the batters have crossed or not at the point of a catch being taken, the incoming batter will be on strike, except if the dismissal is on the last ball of an over, in IPL 2022. That, and the number of unsuccessful reviews going up from one – introduced in 2018 – to two per innings are among key updates to the tournament’s playing conditions, put out ahead of the upcoming season, starting March 26.Covid-19 might be perceived as a lesser threat around India at the moment than it was even a few months ago, but there remains a worry that, like was the case with Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat at the recent BBL, teams might have a number of players unavailable for a particular match. In that case, where a team has fewer than 12 players available – 11 on the field, of which at least seven must be Indian, and one substitute – for selection, the BCCI, “at its discretion, will attempt to reschedule the match for later in the season”. If, for whatever reason, this is not possible, the matter will be referred to the technical committee of the IPL, and the decision of the committee will be “final and binding”.Related

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Earlier, the rule was that if rescheduling the match was not possible, the franchise unable to field a team would be deemed to have lost the match, and their opponents would win full points.Also, with the number of teams increasing to ten, and the number of matches – including the playoffs – going up from 60 to 74, the BCCI has confirmed that the prize money for the franchises would be paid “based on the final standings and any increments would be adjusted and calculated based on ten teams rather than eight”.The tweak in the law of the game vis-à-vis batters crossing before a catch was taken and, the new batter going to the non-striker’s end, was changed by the MCC earlier this month, but the law comes into effect for international cricket only later this year, in October. The IPL has, however, decided to enforce it straightaway.The decision to change the law came as a result of it being trialled in the Hundred last year, as a way of further rewarding the bowler for taking a wicket.In terms of disciplinary procedures, the BCCI has said that “in the event post of Ombudsman is vacant then the Commission comprising of the members of the IPL Code of Behaviour Committee will step in to the role of Ombudsman”.

Captain’s classy 60 sets up nervy chase as Brave enjoy home comforts against Phoenix

Alan Gardner30-Jul-2021James Vince stroked 60 from 38 and Chris Jordan produced a late cameo with the bat as Southern Brave finally got their campaign up and running with victory under the lights at the Ageas Bowl. Liam Livingstone produced his first significant contribution of the Hundred with an unbeaten half-century and Adam Milne’s 3 for 15 had seemingly set up Birmingham Phoenix for a narrow victory – only for Tom Helm to blink first against Jordan in the final set of five.For the third game running, Brave conceded a century stand (no other men’s team has done so even once), as Livingstone and Miles Hammond lifted Phoenix from a precarious 47 for 3 after 37. Jake Lintott picked up 2 for 13 while Liam Dawson was also frugal – but neither bowled their full allocation as Brave’s big guns, Tymal Mills and Jordan, again proved expensive, Livingstone hauling Phoenix up above 150 with a boundary from the final ball of the innings.Vince led the Brave charge but Milne removed Quinton de Kock cheaply and Devon Conway suffered the rare indignity during his time in England of being made to look human, producing a scratchy 34 from 27. Conway took 21 balls to score a boundary and then had his stumps rearranged by the returning Milne, leaving 32 needed from 19.Jordan struck a vital boundary off Helm and Milne produced a late blip by delivering a wide and a no-ball in his final set, bringing the equation down to single figures. With Phoenix failing to bowl the 95th ball before the cut-off, they were made to bring an extra fielder up inside the ring – and their poor timekeeping was to prove costly, as Jordan thrashed Helm into the newly-created gap at deep square leg, before a wide and a dropped catch by Benny Howell at deep midwicket was followed by another wide as Jordan scrambled Brave over the line.Lintott provides cutting edge
Despite a much-vaunted pace attack for this competition, Brave have struggled to make an impact with the ball. Missing Jofra Archer as he continues his comeback from injury, Mills and Jordan had taken one wicket between them in Brave’s first two games; and their only wicket in the Powerplay was George Garton’s dismissal of Alex Hales at the start of Trent Rockets’ low-pressure chase of 127.Related

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Brave started much better in their first outing at home, with Garton proving difficult for the two right-handed Phoenix openers to get away during an opening “tenner”. Colin de Grandhomme sneaked through a cheap set and Mills then finally got himself on the board for the campaign when Daniel Bell-Drummond slapped to point for 9 off 10. Phoenix were 27 for 1 after 25 and although Livingstone targeted de Grandhomme, hitting him for two sixes either side of being caught off a no-ball, the introduction of Jake Lintott seemed to put Brave on top.The left-arm wristspinner, a Blast wildcard pick after his success for Birmingham Bears, claimed a wicket with his first 100-ball delivery in Cardiff earlier in the week, but was then collared by Ben Duckett. On a bigger ground, he had greater protection to toss it up, and this time he struck twice in four balls – Finn Allen stumped coming down the pitch, Moeen Ali bowled while slog-sweeping – for impressive figures of 2 for 3 from his opening ten.Livingstone, we presume
That Livingstone would prove to be the headline act for Phoenix sooner or later was no surprise, coming just a couple of weeks after he had blitzed an England record 42-ball T20I hundred. But despite a few trademark towering blows into the stands, this was an innings that was more perspiration than inspiration.Liam Livingstone powers one through the offside•Getty Images

Livingstone was reprieved on 12, when replays showed de Grandhomme had overstepped after a big top edge had settled in the hands of mid-off, and although the next ball was dumped over the ropes, he only managed to find the boundary once from his next 23 balls. He moved into the 40s with a thick top edge over the keeper, crashed Mills into the crowd next ball and then brought up his half-century with another slice over short third man.Taking the pressure off during the middle of the innings was Hammond, moved down after the first two matches to fill an unfamiliar middle-order berth. From 6 off 9 he looked increasingly fluent and briefly overtook Livingstone to be 41 off 25 – but only ended up facing four of the last 15 deliveries. He said afterwards his strategy was to “get down the other end” and let his partner go to work, but Livingstone’s struggle for timing continued, even if his 68 off 44 looked like decisive.Vince’s lone hand
The women’s match earlier in the day had produced a cakewalk of a chase for the home side, Danni Wyatt’s fireworks seeing them to a target of 141 with 18 balls to spare; consequently, both Vince and Moeen Ali had been keen to bowl first at the toss. Vince got his way and made the early running in Brave’s chase. In fact, he did the early everything – during the time he was out in the middle, he scored 60 out of 82 and all nine of his side’s boundaries.He began in circumspect fashion against Milne’s extra pace in the Powerplay, but climbed into Helm, taking his first five for three fours and a six. Howell’s second ball was lofted for a regal six over deep extra cover, while four more boundaries came from the spin of Moeen and Livingstone. But with Conway dealing almost exclusively in singles, the pressure on Brave’s captain increased – and when he top-edged a sweep off Moeen to short fine leg, they were left needing 70 off 42.It looked beyond them until Jordan joined his captain in making a stand, as Brave’s men matched the women by pulling off the highest chase in their side of the tournament so far.

Surrey, his county, did not put a time frame on his recovery

Matt Roller20-Mar-2023Tom Curran is expected to miss the start of the T20 Blast after being diagnosed with a stress fracture of the lower back for the second year in a row.Curran announced in February that he would take an indefinite break from red-ball cricket, saying that prioritising white-ball cricket was “the right decision for my body and for my mental health”.But earlier this month, while playing in the Pakistan Super League, he reported pain in his lower back and scans upon his return to the UK revealed another stress fracture.”Tom Curran returned early from the Pakistan Super League and scans have shown he has suffered a stress fracture of the lumbar spine,” Surrey, his county, said in a statement.The club did not put a timeframe on Curran’s return, saying: “Tom will be out for a period of time whilst he recovers and undergoes rehabilitation at Surrey.”ESPNcricinfo understands that he is considered a doubt for the start of the Blast on May 20, and may miss the competition altogether depending on his timeframe.He was also recently retained by Oval Invincibles on a £100,000 contract in the Hundred, which starts on August 1.Curran, who recently turned 28, has played 60 times for England across all formats but has slipped down the pecking order at international level. His most recent appearances in ODI and T20I cricket came in July 2021.He has spent the first two months of the year playing overseas, first for Desert Vipers in the inaugural edition of the ILT20 and then for Islamabad United in the PSL.

Jake Ball has been ruled out of the Lord’s Test against South Africa with a knee strain

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2017Jake Ball will not be available for England’s first Test against South Africa due to a knee strain. He has also been ruled out of Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday, head coach Peter Moores has confirmed.The seamer felt pain in his knee when bowling during the second innings of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship game against Kent on Tuesday. He went for a scan on Wednesday to assess the damage and was unable to take to the field when the third day of the day-night match resumed after a rain delay.Ball is set to miss the next two weeks of action, which puts him out of contention for the start of the Investec Test series against South Africa, which begins on 6 July at Lord’s. England are already set to be without Chris Woakes and have worries over the fitness of Stuart Broad, Ball’s Notts team-mate, after he suffered a recurrence of his heel problem last week.Nottinghamshire hope Broad will be able to play in the Royal London Cup final, having sat out the pink-ball match at Trent Bridge.”Jake is naturally very, very disappointed to miss out on the final, having previously been made available to play by the ECB, particularly after missing out on selection when Notts beat Glamorgan at Lord’s in 2013,” Moores said. “He’s given his all in this competition when he’s been available to us, and we’ll miss him for what will be a really tough game against Surrey.”Jake is a very strong character and I’m sure he’ll bounce back from this. I know he’ll be wanting us to beat Surrey as much as anybody.”