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To qualify for Super Eight, Netherlands need to beat Sri Lanka by a big margin and hope Nepal beat Bangladesh

Madushka Balasuriya16-Jun-20241:21

Maharoof: Sri Lanka need to unleash Chameera

Match details

Netherlands vs Sri Lanka
Gros Islet, 8.30pm local

Big picture

Well, where do you go from here? For Sri Lanka, safe to say, this is nowhere near where they would have wanted to be, as yet another major ICC tournament goes by with them toiling with little more than pride to play for.This turn of events might rankle even more considering that coming into this tournament there had been a quiet confidence in the Sri Lankan camp, particularly of positive results against one or both of South Africa and Bangladesh – certainly the latter whom they recently beat in T20Is – as well a deep run in the tournament. But things didn’t quite work out that way, and following a washout against Nepal, they are now faced with the very real prospect/ignominy of ending at the bottom of their group with not even a win to their name.It’s also their final ICC tournament until their home T20 World Cup in 2026 – there’s a Champions Trophy next year but they missed out on qualification – so regardless of the result, there will no doubt be an inquisition back home into the state of white-ball cricket.Related

• Mathews on Sri Lanka's exit: 'We've let the entire nation down'

• Bangladesh favourites to make Super Eight, but Nepal could ask difficult questions

As for the Netherlands, there is still a chance to qualify for Super Eight, but it requires a dominant win against Sri Lanka, as well as Nepal beating Bangladesh.If this scenario had been posited a couple of years ago, it’s safe to say Bangladesh would have been pretty relaxed, but such has been the upward trajectory of the Associate members, especially at this tournament, such upsets are not nearly as surprising as they once might have been.Nepal’s agonising defeat to South Africa allied with Sri Lanka’s dismal showing so far in this tournament has lent itself further to these unlikely scenarios, but there’s more to it. While Sri Lanka have Test tours of England and South Africa scheduled for the year following this campaign, the failure to qualify for the Dutch means their cricket for the foreseeable future is done, so they’re certainly not in want of added motivation. With them playing after Bangladesh and Nepal, they will go in knowing exactly what’s needed of them.In terms of head-to-head records, Sri Lanka have never lost to Netherlands, but the more recent encounters haven’t been as one-sided as the scorecards might suggest.

Form guide

Netherlands LLWLL (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWLW

In the spotlight – Aryan Dutt and Angelo Mathews

Aryan Dutt had impressed with a three-wicket haul in the last encounter between these two sides – at last year’s ODI World Cup. While he was overlooked in the more seamer-friendly conditions of Dallas and New York, he found his way back into the side against Bangladesh in Kingstown. With spin set to play a key role in Gros Islet, Dutt’s control and variation could prove pivotal in the powerplay to expose Sri Lanka’s soft middle order.Angelo Mathews’ last T20I at Gros Islet was all the way back in 2010•ICC/Getty Images

When Angelo Mathews last played at Gros Islet, his career was in its infancy. Then too it was during a T20 World Cup, but Sri Lanka Cricket – at least on the field – was in a better place. Now 14 years later, he is back as an ageing stalwart with his team having been eliminated at the first hurdle. He has also struggled to keep up with the more aggressive approach T20 cricket demands – his career strike rate stalling at 119.48, well below the standard bearers of the format. With Sri Lanka’s power-hitters currently restricted to their top three and an out-of-form Dasun Shanaka, they need Mathews to show he’s capable of adapting to the times.

Team news – spin to win?

Spin-bowling allrounder Saqib Zulfiqar could come into the XI should the Netherlands opt for an extra spinner.Netherlands (probable XI): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Tim Pringle/Saqib Zulfiqar, 9 Aryan Dutt, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian KingmaIf Sri Lanka want an extra spinner, they could hand allrounder Dunith Wellalage a T20I debut.Sri Lanka (probable XI): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamindu Mendis, 4 Dhananjaya de Silva, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga (capt), 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Nuwan Thushara

Pitch and conditions

There were runs aplenty in the Australia-Scotland game, which will be encouraging for both sets of batters but Australia’s deployment of three spinners might provide some indication as to the most effective tactic on this Gros Islet pitch. As for the weather, there is a possibility of rain later in the night.

Stats that matter

• Sri Lanka have a 9-0 win-loss record against the Netherlands in limited-overs cricket.
• Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka are the only Sri Lankan batters to average above 25 and have a strike rate of above 130 in T20Is since January 2023.
• The average first-innings score at Gros Islet is 161.

Quotes

“They gave us great support, no matter where we play. Whether it was in Sri Lanka or even here, there were a lot supporting us. And I feel very sorry as we couldn’t do anything for them. I want to apologise for that.”
“For our guys, it’s an awesome opportunity to play cricket in different parts of the world. It’s something we thrive off. We love playing in different conditions in different parts of the world. Obviously, it’s short breaks between games but that’s just part of how these World Cups go and our guys love that.”

The visitors scored 385 runs on day three for just the loss of just three wickets, ending with a lead of 397

Madushka Balasuriya26-Jul-2023Stumps An Abdullah Shafique double-ton and a rapid Agha Salman century were the major highlights in a day in which Pakistan ground down and extinguished any lingering hopes Sri Lanka might have harboured of winning this Test. The visitors’ commanding performance on day three saw 385 runs scored for the loss of just three wickets.By stumps, Pakistan had amassed 563 for 5 and a lead of 397, with the only question remaining being one of when exactly the declaration would be made. While there are still two full days of cricket left to play, it’s unlikely the weather will allow for the full six sessions to play out.At the crease at the close were Salman on a 148-ball 132 with Mohammad Rizwan alongside him on 37 off 61. Rizwan had been drafted in as a concussion sub after Sarfaraz Ahmed had copped an Asitha Fernando bouncer on the back of his helmet; he would bat on following the blow, but would have to retire hurt following a late onset of symptoms.

Asitha receives demerit point for breaching ICC code of conduct

Sri Lanka quick Asitha Fernando has received a demerit point for breaching the ICC code of conduct during the third day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the SSC. This was his first offense in a 24-month period.
Fernando was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”
The incident occurred in the 81st over of Pakistan’s innings when Asitha celebrated Saud Shakeel’s dismissal in an inappropriate manner. Since Asitha admitted to the offense and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee David Boon, there was no need for a formal hearing.

As for Sri Lanka’s bowlers, they toiled all day for little reward. The three main attacking options – Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and Asitha Fernando – were all taken for triple digits. And the few wickets that came, only arrived after significant damage had been done, and at an agonisingly slow rate – one per session.A brief glance at the session scoring rates tells its own story, with each progressively expunging any life out the Sri Lankan attack; the morning session saw 95 runs at 2.92 per over, the middle session 124 runs at 4.43 per over, and then in the final session Pakistan plundered 166 runs at 5.03. Pakistan’s list of partnerships, meanwhile, read as follows: 13, 108, 89, 109, 25, 124 and 95.If those numbers weren’t enough, there were records to tack on too. Saud Shakeel, who racked up his sixth Test fifty in seven Tests, in the process became the first batter in the history of Test cricket to score fifty or more in each of their first seven Tests – Shakeel also has two hundreds to his name. Abdullah Shafique became the highest scoring opener at the SSC, to go along with his maiden Test double ton, and there probably might have been some sort of record for collective mental anguish caused to the opposition, had we some sort of device to measure such a thing, as Babar Azam directed his wards to just bat and bat and bat.Related

• Sarfaraz ruled out of second Test with concussion

• The Pakistan Way provides Pakistan's perfect day

But this is not to takeaway from the batting itself, which was far from tedious. In fact, one could argue it’s some of the most effective going around. In hindsight, the pacing of the day’s play seemed tailored to sussing out any potential Sri Lankan ambitions of reeling themselves back into the game.The morning session, as highlighted by the aforementioned scoring rate, was a slow burn. It took 13 balls for the first scoring shot, a pull to the backward square leg boundary, and then the next 18 deliveries saw just two runs scored. Boundaries would litter the session, but in general it was a cautious one by the visitors. Crucially though, they had lost just the wicket of Babar.Agha Salman finished day three unbeaten on 132 off 148•AFP/Getty Images

But as the day progressed and the afternoon sun began to beat down harder, so did Pakistan’s batters. Shafique would prove the constant – defending stoically, lofting majestically and easing pressure like a well-oiled valve. At the other end was where the dynamism was sought. Shakeel was the initial foil, but once he fell business really picked up.Pakistan’s lead at that point was a touch over 150, with quick runs the order of the day. Enter Sarfaraz, who would crack three boundaries in his 22-ball stay before being ruled out of the Test. Salman would follow and he would scarcely slow down. His fifty came off just 50 deliveries, his century off 123; by the end of play he had notched 15 fours and six.Shafique, meanwhile, continued to play like he had done throughout the innings, knocking over the strike with the odd boundary thrown into the mix. Only once he reached his double-century, did he play a shot in anger, slicing one high to mid-off.But like with each wicket that preceded it, this one only brought more pain for the hosts, as concussion sub Rizwan matched Salman’s intensity, and the visitors piled on ever more runs.There was speculation a declaration might have been forthcoming in the final hour before stumps, but now the wait is to see if there will be one made overnight. Sri Lanka might be looking forward to the reprieve, but unless rain intervenes, they still have a substantial grind ahead if they’re to save this Test.

“Being able to produce the kind of freedom in my performance was the biggest thing for me”

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2020For Glenn Phillips, who has had a stop-start international career, smashing a 46-ball century – the fastest in T20Is by a New Zealand batsman – against West Indies was “absolutely massive”. No, it won’t make him believe his future with the national team is all sorted out, but “you don’t get those very often, so I am going to enjoy it”.”That’s just an incredible day. You don’t get them very often… make the most of it,” Phillips said at a media interaction after New Zealand beat West Indies by 72 runs in the second T20I to go 2-0 up in the three-match series. “My whole thing is to try and be an entertainer for the crowd and, in that moment, having the crowd’s back, I wanted to give them something special, the whole team wanted to give them something special. It was amazing for me personally, (that) I could be part of it.”ALSO READ: Stats – Phillips hits fastest T20I ton by a New ZealanderPhillips and Devon Conway got together at 53 for 2 in the seventh over, but they didn’t really pick up pace till the last ball of the tenth over, when Phillips smacked Kieron Pollard for six. Then came the drizzle, overs that netted them 18, 11 and 24 runs, and then a rain delay. The big hitting continued after that as the two put together a 184-run stand, Conway ending on 65* from 37 balls to Phillips’ 51-ball 108.”Big part of our game plan is communication, reading the situation, adjusting to it. So, for me and Devon, we’ve never played with each other before, the communication side of things is even more crucial,” Phillips said. “We’ve both played a lot of T20 cricket, and when you lose two quick wickets, you don’t want to lose three or four. Especially on a ground like this where it’s hard to get going again, on a pitch that’s a little bit two-paced.”So we decided to give ourselves a couple of overs and by the time we both got going, it was 11-12 overs, and we have a very deep batting line-up, so that death phase can start much earlier, especially with the wind being an absolute hurricane in one direction. So making the most of that side and hitting with the wind and basically getting the momentum going. And then even when the rain came, just carrying on from where we started.”We’ve always been a team that’s big on our running between the wickets, especially on a big ground like this, which, I feel we adapted to very well after playing at Eden Park, which is so small, and twos are hard to come by. We said to each other ‘the moment we hit the ball, we’re going to run and look for two, no matter what’. He’s quick between the wickets, I am quick between the wickets, so we might as well use that asset especially when you’re not necessarily in the power-hitting mode.”Phillips, 23, made his international debut in a T20I in February 2017, but has only played 13 matches in the format now (along with one Test).”I had to go back, work on things, and took a step back to be able to move forward again. Then I had the opportunities in the Caribbean (Premier League), which slowly worked my confidence back and I was able to have a couple of good performances, being able to come out against these boys has had a massive part of play in that,” Phillips said. “And be able to produce the kind of freedom in my performance was the biggest thing for me – and, yeah, I was absolutely ecstatic. You don’t get those very often, and I was going to enjoy it.”The stint with Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL – he top-scored for them with 316 runs at a strike rate of 127.41 from ten innings this season – have helped in a big way, Phillips said, especially learning to play smartly against spin: “The problem is not necessarily being able to find the boundary, the problem is finding the ones in between and not put myself under pressure.”Phillips, however, isn’t looking too far ahead. “There’s guys that are established and still having to come back. And there’s players that are higher up in the rankings than myself. All I can do is, when I am given the opportunity, do the best that I can possibly for the team, because if the team’s winning, then everyone’s happy,” he said. “Whether I am playing here or I am playing for the Tallawahs, or the (Auckland) Aces or my club back home, just being able to play the role that I need to play for that team and take it one day at a time.”

Northamptonshire stumble to six-wicket defeat that hurts last-four hopes

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2023Derbyshire Falcons skipper Leus du Plooy led from the front with a crucial unbeaten 40 from 23 balls to keep his side’s Vitality Blast quarter-final hopes alive with victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Du Plooy guided the Falcons over the line at Wantage Road with four deliveries to spare after they appeared to be wobbling at 112 for 4, despite a third-wicket partnership of 68 from 47 between Harry Came and Wayne Madsen.
Falcons’ Pakistan international seamer Zaman Khan had earlier claimed 3 for 26 – including eye-catching yorkers to dismiss Emilio Gay and AJ Tye – as Northamptonshire were restricted to 156 for 8. The result enabled Derbyshire to leapfrog their hosts to go sixth in the North Group table, just a point off the quarter-final places.Having won the toss and opted to bat, the Steelbacks lost Ricardo Vasconcelos in the opening over, pinned leg before by offspinner Alex Thomson. That wicket ushered Chris Lynn to the crease and the big-hitting Queenslander pulled a short ball from Zak Chappell over midwicket for six, combining brute power with shrewd placement as he reached 33 from 23.However, attempting to smash Thomson’s first ball after the powerplay over the top, Lynn picked out the long-on fielder and Derbyshire cemented control as George Scrimshaw sent Justin Broad’s middle stump cartwheeling. Scrimshaw also picked up the prize wicket of David Willey, caught behind off a miscued pull and that meant the Steelbacks needed Gay, who had seen little of the strike early on, to hold their innings together.The left-hander seemed on the verge of his second T20 half-century, having steered Zaman to the cover boundary to reach 47 – but the Pakistan international had the last word with his next delivery, a fast swinging yorker that took out Gay’s leg stump.It was a similar tale for Saif Zaib, whose leg-side maximum off Zaman took him to 25 from 13, only to punch his next ball straight to long-off and it needed Ben Sanderson’s audacious ramp for four in the final over to haul Northamptonshire above 150.However, the Falcons found it hard to get the ball away at the start of their reply, stuttering to 37 in the powerplay for the loss of Luis Reece and Haider Ali – the latter giving Tom Taylor the charge and skying into the gloves of Lewis McManus.Taylor was unfortunate not to add the scalp of Madsen, who survived a compelling lbw appeal before he had scored and capitalised on that close call by drilling the bowler back down the ground for four. There was also frustration in the field for Taylor, who did well to prevent Came’s drive off Freddie Heldreich from crossing the long-off fence, but could not hold on after palming the ball back into play.Madsen continued to milk the bowling cleverly until Willey brought himself back on to bowl the veteran for 35 from 24 and, with pressure building, Came holed out to deep midwicket soon afterwards. But du Plooy kept the scoreboard moving along, finding the boundary regularly enough to keep Derbyshire in touch and drove Sanderson for six in the penultimate over before Taylor conceded four wides to end the contest.

They name five quicks in the 15-member squad with Abrar Ahmed the only specialist legspinner

Danyal Rasool24-May-2024Babar Azam will lead a Pakistan side for the third successive time at the T20 World Cup when he will fly out with the 15-member squad for the tournament next month. The PCB neither named a vice-captain nor any traveling reserves even though the World Cup will be played in the USA and the Caribbean over almost a month.In an announcement that came hours before the ICC deadline to submit the final squad, there were a few surprises with Pakistan sticking to the touring party they chose for the T20Is in Ireland and England. No one from outside that group was selected. Hasan Ali, who was released back to Warwickshire earlier this week, missed out, alongside Irfan Khan and Agha Salman.Abbas Afridi made the final cut, meaning Pakistan go into the tournament with five specialist fast bowlers. Imad Wasim, who came out of retirement for this tournament, was the left-arm spin option, with Abrar Ahmed the only specialist legspinner.Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience. These players have been playing together for some time and look well prepared and settled for next month’s event,” a statement attributed to the selection committee in a PCB release said.”Haris Rauf is fully fit and bowling well in the nets. It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing at Headingley [in the first T20I against England which was washed out], but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the upcoming matches, as he will have an important role to play along with other strike bowlers in the T20 World Cup.”ESPNcricinfo learnt that an initial squad was finalised and sent to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi on May 23, but a conflict around due process emerged, with certain members of the selection panel feeling they had not been consulted properly. Naqvi asked to see the minutes of the meeting and voting patterns of prior meetings, which had not been recorded.As a result, the squad was rejected and returned to the selection panel, with Naqvi insisting the members achieve consensus on the squad and the meeting minutes be recorded. The PCB rejected any notion of the chairman interfering in specific selection decisions, and that the reason for the initial squad being rejected was the failure to follow due process as set out for the selection committee.Pakistan had opted to not announce a provisional squad at the start of the month, something most other sides did. In the end, they were the last team to officially confirm their final squad, with all 19 other teams having submitted theirs a few days ago.Pakistan are currently in the middle of a T20I series in England, with the second match in Birmingham on Saturday. They fly out to the USA after the series concludes, with all four of Pakistan’s group stage matches in the United States. They don’t play any warm-up games before the big tournament.Pakistan begin their T20 World Cup campaign against USA in Dallas on June 6 before they play India in New York on June 9. Pakistan will stay in New York to face Canada on June 11 and then travel to Lauderhill to play Ireland on June 16 for their final group game.

Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

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.

The West Indies quick will now head home to recover before travelling to the PSL

Andrew McGlashan30-Jan-2024Shamar Joseph has been ruled out of his ILT20 stint with Dubai Capitals due to the toe injury he picked up during the Gabba Test.Although scans showed no fracture after he was clattered on the boot by a Mitchell Starc yorker, Joseph battled pain on the fourth day to produce one of the greatest spells in Test history as he claimed 7 for 68 to inspire West Indies to a famous eight-run win – their first victory in Australia since 1997. At the start of the start of the day, he had not expected to feature before he was dosed up on painkillers by the team physio.Once introduced into the attack, Joseph bowled unchanged to rip through Australia’s batting line and was still nudging 150kph late in the spell. “I’m not putting down this ball until the last wicket falls,” he told his captain Kraigg Brathwaite.Related

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• Shamar Joseph lands PSL deal with Peshawar Zalmi

He had been due to head straight to the ILT20 having signed with Capitals before the Australia tour but will now return home to recover before travelling to the PSL where he was signed as a replacement player by Peshawar Zalmi overnight.Joseph is unlikely to be short of offers from T20 leagues around the world after the stunning start to his career where he claimed Steven Smith with his first delivery and claimed two five-wicket hauls.However, in the aftermath of his Gabba heroics, Joseph committed to always being available for West Indies duty.”I will always be here to play Test cricket for the West Indies,” he said. “I am not afraid to say this live. There will be times when T20 might come around and Test cricket will be there … but I will always be available to play for the West Indies no matter how much money comes towards me.”It was a busy 24 hours for Joseph after the Test as he fielded various media requests while he was lauded back in the Caribbean with newspapers leading the front pages with the cricket result. Numerous leaders from around the region also posted their praise and congratulations on social media.Managing Joseph will now need to be at the forefront of West Indies’ selectors’ thoughts and balancing the offers he gets from overseas. During the spell in Brisbane, Ian Bishop expressed how he hoped money could be found to protect Joseph.”Important for the board, Guyana govt & cooperate bodies to find a way to allocate funds to compensate Shamar Joseph & 1 or 2 other fast bowlers to keep them in the Caribbean & control how much cricket they play,” Bishop posted on X. “Their pace is everything. Don’t allow burnout.”Although Joseph was never due to feature in the white-ball leg of the Australia tour, he could yet come into contention for the T20 World Cup in June which will be hosted in the Caribbean and West Indies. His next opportunity in Test cricket will come on the tour of England in July where West Indies will play three Tests.The ODI series against Australia begins in Melbourne on Friday. West Indies will be captained by Shai Hope and coached by Daren Sammy. Three T20Is follow, for which Rovman Powell will take over as captain.

Bengal eliminated in Super Over while Rajasthan, Kerala and Gujarat perish in quarter-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2021
Super over
Ritwik Roy Chowdhury’s unbeaten 18-ball 36 went in vain for Bengal as Karnataka’s Manish Pandey effected a final-ball run out in the second quarter-final to take the game into a Super Over when the scores were level. In the Super Over, Bengal capitulated to lose their two wickets for only five runs, which Karnataka surpassed easily to secure their place in the semi-final.Chasing 161, Bengal started their innings with 20 off the first over, but slowed down as Shreevats Goswami, Abhishek Das and Sudip Chatterjee fell inside the powerplay. Writtick Chatterjee, the No. 3, then scored 51 in 40 balls, but his dismissal – along with the wickets of Kaif Ahmed and Shahbaz Ahmed – brought Karnataka back into the contest.

Semi-final line-up

• 1st semi-final: Tamil Nadu vs Hyderabad, November 20, Delhi
  2nd semi-final: Karnataka vs Vidarbha, November 20, Delhi

However, Roy Chowdhury nearly won Bengal the match when they needed 20 to win off the final over off seamer Vidyadhar Patil. Roy Chowdhury started the over with two sixes followed by a single, after which No. 9 Akash Deep hit a four and ran a double to bring the equation to one run off one ball. But, Deep was run out trying to pinch a single off the final ball courtesy Pandey’s direct hit.In the Super Over, Roy Chowdhury was stranded at the non-striker’s end, facing zero balls. Kaif was out for a duck, and Goswami was run-out for 5 while trying to pinch a second run. Pandey took just two balls to chase the target down and ended the game with a six over midwicket.That Bengal had to chase 161 was courtesy Karun Nair’s unbeaten 55 off just 29 balls. Karnataka’s scoring rate hovered around six for most of the innings, but they accelerated towards the death overs. Nair hit three sixes and four fours and the late boost was provided by Abhinav Manohar, who scored 19 off nine balls, and Aniruddha Joshi, who scored 16 off 10.Sanjay Yadav’s 32 off 22 and a nine-ball unbeaten 19 in the death from Shahrukh Khan sealed a chase of 182 for defending champions Tamil Nadu in the first quarter-final against Kerala, with three balls to spare.TN needed exactly 50 from the last five overs, and Sanjay and Shahrukh struck a combined three sixes and a four in the next three overs to bring the equation down to a more comfortable 14 off 12 and later four off the last over.Sai Sudharsan top-scored for them, hitting seven fours in his 31-ball 46, and there were handy contributions from Hari Nishaanth (32 of 22) and captain Vijay Shankar (33 off 26) as well.Although Kerala’s left-arm seamer Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan took 3 for 26, he did not find support from his team-mates.Kerala’s innings began with a 45-run opening stand between Rohan Kunnummal (51) and Mohammed Azharuddeen. Kunnummal added another 46 for the second wicket with Sachin Baby (33), but two wickets at the score of 91 off Sanjay’s left-arm spin jolted Kerala as they lost captain Sanju Samson for a duck.No. 5 Vishnu Vinod then smacked an unbeaten 65 off just 26 balls, at a strike rate of 250. In the last three overs, Kerala smashed 62 runs – featuring seven sixes and a four – to reach 181 for 4, but the late rally wasn’t enough.File photo: Former Under-19 batter Tilak Varma impressed for Hyderabad once again•ICC via Getty

After Tilak Varma cracked a 50-ball 75 to take Hyderabad to 158, their bowlers rallied to restrict Gujarat to 128 and seal a semi-final spot in the fourth quarter-final. Ravi Teja, the right-arm seamer, was Hyderabad’s standout bowler with three wickets for 27 runs while left-arm seamer Chama Milind took two wickets for 28.It was the two early wickets from Milind and Teja that rocked Gujarat’s chase. Saurav Chauhan was then run-out for 9 to leave Gujarat reeling at 33 for 3 after eight overs. Although Het Patel (25), Piyush Chawla (25) and Ripal Patel (35) contributed from the lower-middle order, the slow scoring rate in the first eight overs meant Gujarat were hardly in control of the chase.For Hyderabad, Tilak – the team’s most consistent batter this season so far – hit five fours and two sixes for a strike rate of 150. He was supported by captain and opener Tanmay Agarwal’s 21-ball 31. The death-overs fireworks were provided by Rahul Buddhi, whose unbeaten 16-ball 25 took Hyderabad past 150.Vidarbha’s well-rounded bowling attack rattled Rajasthan in the morning game and secured their semi-final spot with a comfortable nine-wicket win in the third quarter-final. Ambidextrous spinner Akshay Karnewar’s four overs for only seven runs strangled Rajasthan after they were 18 for 5 inside the powerplay.Rajasthan’s recovery was slow and they managed only 84 for 8. Thirty-nine of those came off Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s bat from No. 5, as he stayed unbeaten. Only two other Rajasthan batters – Mahipal Lomror and wicketkeeper Suraj Ahuja could score in double digits.The eight wickets that Vidarbha took were shared by every bowler, with right-arm seamer Yash Thakur taking two and the rest collecting one each. No Vidarbha bowler had an economy of more than six an over.Rajasthan gave the new ball to Ravi Bishnoi, but he had a wicketless run as Vidarbha openers Atharva Taide (40*) and Ganesh Satish (28) put on a 63-run stand. Vidarbha captain and No. 3 Akshay Wadkar and Taide then finished the game off with 31 balls to spare.

Fiery burst wrecks hosts’ hopes of taking lead, before Gubbins’ fifty builds for visitors

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025 Hampshire 293 (Middleton 79, Weatherley 62, Taylor 5-55) and 139 for 2 (Gubbins 55*) lead Worcestershire 249 (Libby 100*, Hose 82, Baker 5-72) by 183 runsSonny Baker’s five-wicket haul and a Nick Gubbins half-century helped drive Hampshire into the ascendency on Day Three of the Rothesay County Championship clash against Worcestershire.Baker’s morning burst of three wickets saw him to figures of 5 for 72, as Jake Libby’s 100 not out could not see Worcestershire into the lead despite early promise, as his side were bowled out for 249.With a lead of 44, the visiting side batted through the day with relative comfort on a flattening wicket, as Joe Weatherley and Fletcha Middleton made early progress for their side.Gubbins then scored an unbeaten 55 to see his side to 139 for 2 at the close, with the away side well in the hunt for a third County Championship victory of the season.With a lengthy delay to the start of proceedings on the third morning of the match, Hampshire enjoyed an excellent start to the day as Baker produced an eye-catching three wicket burst to reduce Worcestershire to 189 for 5.The visitors welcomed a stroke of luck in the second over of the day when Adam Hose feathered a strangle down the leg-side, to depart without adding to his overnight score, before Baker picked up the wickets of Brett D’Oliveira (1) and Ethan Brookes (0) as the hosts reeled under the clouds at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Searching for their first Rothesay County Championship win since mid-May, Hampshire began the afternoon session in similar vein to the morning, with Libby watching his side fall behind in the contest.Matthew Waite helped add 34 with the Worcestershire opener, before he nicked off to James Fuller for a cautious 21 as the Division One strugglers watched another promising position fall away beneath them as they limped to 223 for 6.Part-timer Nick Gubbins was thrown the ball in the 80th over of the innings as the visitors looked to move things on before taking the new ball but were overjoyed when Tom Taylor was pinned LBW in an innocuous over as the home side slid further behind the eight-ball.Hampshire tightened their grip on the match, as Kyle Abbott (1 for 27) and Baker removed Ben Allison and Adam Finch, with Libby 98 not out and his side still trailing by 46 runs.Libby added the two runs required to reach a gritty century off 235 balls, registering the first century by a Worcestershire player at Visit Worcestershire New Road this summer.Baker capped a fine individual performance as he returned in the next over to secure his five-wicket haul and ensure his side took a healthy lead of 44 runs into their second innings, with Worcestershire all-out one run short of a batting bonus-point.Hampshire lost Joe Weatherley in the 11th over of their reply, when he was LBW to a full ball from Waite but marched on unfazed to pass fifty with comfort.Middleton got in and showed signs of extending his good form from the first innings but was unable to capitalise on his positive start as he was caught behind off an Adam Finch delivery, with his side 120 runs in front.Gubbins made his way to a comfortable half-century as the evening drew to a close, as he and Tilak Varma batted through to stumps with Hampshire in total control at 139 for 2, with a commanding 183-run lead heading into the final day.

While India are the most recent winners of the tournament in 2023, it was played in ODI format

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-20252:05

Jaffer: Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL

As far as Sri Lanka are concerned, they are defending champions at this year’s Asia Cup. The case they are making is that the ODI version of the Asia Cup – which India last won in 2023 – is a different tournament entirely.The tournament alternates between the two white-ball formats based on which World Cup is around the corner. In 2023, it was the 50-over World Cup. In 2025, it is the T20 World Cup. And as far as the T20I version of the Asia Cup goes, Sri Lanka are the most-recent victors, having taken the title in 2022.”Mentally, the fact that we are defending champions is a really good thing,” Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said ahead of his team’s first Asia Cup game, against Bangladesh on Saturday. “It was a lot of these players that played in that last tournament here [in UAE] as well. We know that because we are champions we can go far. The players are using that as motivation.”Related

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At home, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tend to play on slower tracks not especially suited to batting. But Asalanka expected the Abu Dhabi surface to be different.”When you’re rating these conditions with other venues in the UAE, I think Abu Dhabi is the best pitch for batters. Once the ball gets softer it’s much easier to bat here, and the outfield is very nice. Every batsman wants to play in Abu Dhabi.”Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are very familiar with each other, having played three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests since the start of the year. Sri Lanka won the ODI and the Test series but Bangladesh took the T20I series.