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Kevin O'Brien heroics give Ireland Super Over win

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Ireland beat Afghanistan in a T20I after a sequence of 12 losses, having last won against them in November 2013

The Report by Hemant Brar10-Mar-2020
Ireland won the Super OverKevin O’Brien smashed Rashid Khan for a six on the last ball of the Super Over to give Ireland their first win over Afghanistan in last 13 T20Is in the third and final match of the series in Greater Noida.After Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi could manage only eight against Craig Young in the Super Over, Paul Stirling hit a four off Rashid’s second ball to reduce the equation to four required from four balls. Rashid got Stirling lbw on the next delivery and conceded just one from the next two to make it three needed from the last ball. But O’Brien sealed the game to give his side a consolation win after Afghanistan had pocketed the series by winning the first two T20Is.It was Rashid who had earlier helped Afghanistan tie the match in regular time. Afghanistan needed 16 from the final over and then 13 from the last three balls but Josh Little bowled two wides either side of a Rashid six. With five needed from last delivery, Rashid scythed the attempted wide yorker over covers to level the scores.Afghanistan, though, had only themselves to blame to be in such a situation. Gurbaz gave them another brisk start with a 29-ball 42, and at one stage, they needed 52 from 48 balls with eight wickets in hand. Then, Barry McCarthy bowled Karim Janat but it was Simi Singh who turned the game around by dismissing Nabi and Najibullah Zadran off successive balls in the 15th over.Unlike the last game, Asghar Afghan struggled for the timing and could manage only 32 off 30 balls before getting out in the final over. Rashid helped them tie the scores but couldn’t fetch them the victory in the Super Over.Earlier, Naveen-ul-Haq and debutant legspinner Qais Ahmad picked up three wickets each to restrict Ireland to 142 for 8. Naveen sent back Stirling and Andy Balbirnie in his first two overs but O’Brien and Gareth Delany added 62 in 6.5 overs to revive the innings. Ahmad broke the stand by dismissing O’Brien for 26 off 21. In the next over, Rashid dealt Ireland another blow by getting rid of Delany, who struck 37 off 29.That put the brakes on the scoring rate and despite Harry Tector’s 22-ball 31, Ireland could manage only 40 from the last seven overs. But what looked like a well below-par total at the innings break proved just enough in the end.

Pakistan seek positive approach on spicy track

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Another green track is expected to greet New Zealand and Pakistan at Seddon Park for the second Test

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton24-Nov-2016

Match facts

November 25-29, 2016
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)1:26

Even contest ahead where Pakistan will look to put spinners to use – but for them to do that, the game must last long enough

Big Picture

While tawny Asian pitches can still prompt outrage and consternation, tracks coloured a lurid, nausea-inducing green have quietly become a New Zealand trademark. The response from most touring sides has been perfectly even-handed. “These are their home conditions,” is the consensus. “We just have to play on what we get.”On the eve of the Test, Hamilton’s track has as much grass as the pitch did in Christchurch, and as the air is warmer up north, the ball may swing more here, as well as seam. Word around the ground is that the toss may also prove significant; teams that have won it in the last four Tests have inserted the opposition. They have always wound up victorious.It is the batting that gave Pakistan most cause for concern in Christchurch and, as can often be the case with batsmen in unfamiliar conditions, they veered between extreme approaches – too loose in the first innings, too tight in the second. Now they are preaching the “get runs, before the good ball gets you” philosophy that has recently found credence on tough tracks. They will also want to take the game deep – it is legspinner Yasir Shah who has most consistently wrenched matches open for them, and it is the quality of his spin that marks the visitors’ clearest advantage over New Zealand.The hosts are without Trent Boult for the first time in over three years, but have the firepower of Matt Henry sliding in to replace him. With a win behind them, and a damp surface underfoot again, banished is talk of the dusty whitewash in India, even if the batsmen haven’t all reclaimed their form just yet.They remain wary of Pakistan’s propensity to work out foreign conditions, and hit back after losses, but will be happier with the forecast than the visitors. Rain is expected on the first day, and may continue, in patches, all through the weekend. Less sunshine, means less evaporation, means less turn off the pitch for Yasir.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)


New Zealand: WLLLL

Pakistan: LLWWW

In the spotlight

Tim Macintosh, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Martin Guptill, Hamish Rutherford, Michael Papps, Craig Cumming – just pick any Anglo-Saxon first name and there will have been a modest New Zealand opener that answered to it, over the last ten years. The latest man to take guard is Gujarat-born Jeet Raval. Stylish and composed in his debut outing, and emerging with the highest match aggregate on a difficult pitch, Raval knows Pakistan will have better plans for him in this Test. If he is effective again in Hamilton, he will raise hopes that he can break the great New Zealand openers’ curse.The quality of Yasir Shah’s spin marks Pakistan’s clearest advantage over New Zealand•AFP

With long-term collaborator Misbah-ul-Haq now out of the picture, the middle-order batting/recovery responsibilities fall heavily on the shoulders of Younis Khan. There are mild whispers he is no longer his old self on sporting pitches, but surely this is premature; the man has scores of 218 and 127 and 51 in his last seven innings. Nevertheless, such is life in international sport when you reach a certain age. Pakistan will look to him for leadership in this match. After three consecutive single-figure scores, Younis will want a big score more than anyone.

Teams news

In addition to Henry, Mitchell Santner appears likely to play – displacing Todd Astle. The top order will likely remain unchanged after Ross Taylor was cleared to play.New Zealand (probable) 1. Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt HenryOn a spicy surface, Pakistan have hinted they prefer Mohammad Rizwan over Sharjeel Khan. As a bonus, Rizwan can also fit into the middle order without causing changes elsewhere. Rahat Ali took 4 for 62 in the first innings at Christchurch, but looks likeliest to miss out if Wahab Riaz enters the fray.Pakistan (probable) 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Azhar Ali (capt.), 3 Babar Azam, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Sohail Khan

Pitch and conditions

Green and damp on this occasion, Hamilton has seen bounce, turn, reverse swing and conventional swing, at different points over the past few years, so it is difficult to know what to expect. Unless rain washes out several sessions, a result appears likely, though.

Stats and trivia

  • Until this match, Trent Boult had not missed a New Zealand Test since early 2012 – he had played in 44 on the trot.
  • New Zealand have lost three of their last five Tests at Seddon Park – they beat West Indies and Sri Lanka, and lost to Australia, Pakistan and South Africa
  • Mohammad Amir’s 3 for 43 in the first innings at Hagley Oval was his best analysis since his return from suspension.
  • Pakistan have not lost a series since August 2014, when they were defeated 0-2 in Sri Lanka


Quotes

“I think it will swing more in Hamilton than in Christchurch, with the humidity.””Younis has gone through a lot of times in his career like this – when he hasn’t scored runs in the first match, but he always bounces back.”

Assam, Rajasthan take first-innings points

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A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group A matches on October 4, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2015
ScorecardAssam held on during the final day to secure three points against Karnataka•PTI

Assam drew their Group A encounter against defending champions Karnataka, but gained three points by virtue of a first-innings lead. Set a target of 388, Assam managed their way to 259 for 5, thanks mainly to Arun Karthik’s unbeaten 115 and Gokul Sharma’s 55, that was part of a 132-run fourth-wicket stand.Two quick strikes form Vinay Kumar left Assam on 40 for 3, after starting the day on 30 for 1. J Suchith then ended Karthik and Gokul’s century stand when he went through the defences of Gokul in the 61st over. Shreyas Gopal trapped Tarjinder Singh lbw in the 70th over after which no further wickets fell.Assam’s left-arm spinner J Syed Mohammad, who finished with match figures of 7 for 135, was adjudged the Man of the Match. Scorecard Vineet Saxena’s unbeaten 80 and and Puneet Yadav’s 75 not out helped Rajasthan salvage a draw against Delhi at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The hosts also took away three points from the game owing to their 102-run first-innings lead.Chasing 336, Rajasthan started on an overnight score of 20 for 1 and added only six runs to the total before Ankit Lamba edged Pawan Suyal behind for 12. Ashok Menaria, who made 1 off 23 balls, was dismissed by Pradeep Sangwan when he trapped the batsman leg before in the 25th over. Delhi could inflict no further damage, though, as an unbroken 150-run stand ensued between Saxena and Yadav, helping the home team play out a draw.Deepak Chahar, who backed up his 5 for 60 with a 48-ball 50 in Rajasthan’s first innings, was adjudged the Man of the Match.
ScorecardCenturies from Ankit Bawne and Chirag Khurana ensured a first-innings lead for Maharashtra in their Ranji Trophy opener against Haryana in Gahunje. Only two innings had been possible in the match, with a bulk of the second day being rained out. There was barely any chance of an outright result so the hosts continued batting until the close of play. Maharashtra finished on 570 for 6, well clear Haryana’s 335.Bawne seems to have picked up where he left off last season. His 172 off 291 balls was the seventh fifty-plus score over the last 14 innings. He struck 20 fours and two sixes and was part of a 246-run sixth wicket partnership with Khurana, who remained unbeaten for a career-best first-class score of 136.
ScorecardOffspinner Akshay Wakhare snapped up his eighth five-for to lead Vidarbha’s push for an outright win, but Odisha, who were following on, managed to draw the match with the help of Anurag Sarangi’s 92.Things had looked dicey for Odisha when they wobbled from 54 for 0 to 65 for 3, but Sarangi and the captain Samantray (34 off 113 balls) combined for an 88-run partnership which stalled Vidarbha’s charge for seven points. Pratik Das was unbeaten on 39 off 101 when the match was called to a close and the Vidarbha settled for three points. Wakhare finished with match figures of 9 for 161.

Finch sets up four-run win for Australia

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One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but one Finch made Australia’s day at the MCG, where the hosts ended England’s eight-match winning streak in Twenty20 games

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG14-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch’s unbeaten 53 set up Australia’s win•Getty Images

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but one Finch made Australia’s day at the MCG, where the hosts ended England’s eight-match winning streak in Twenty20 games. In his second game for his country, the hometown batsman Aaron Finch muscled a promising unbeaten half-century that pushed the total to 7 for 147, and the seamers held their nerve to give Cameron White his first victory as Australia’s captain.In another tense finale after the final-ball thriller in Adelaide, England needed 13 off the last three deliveries, and Chris Woakes slammed Brett Lee over long-on for a crowd-silencing six that made the equation seven from two balls. But Woakes and Tim Bresnan couldn’t repeat the dose against the pace of Lee, who bowled short at the end, and Australia’s four-run win was confirmed with a pair of singles.England’s chase had started well, as Ian Bell cut and drove a pair of sizzling boundaries through point off Shaun Tait’s first over, and he and Steven Davies reached 0 for 60 in the eighth over. England’s Twenty20 record looked certain to extend to nine consecutive wins, but things became much tighter when Bell was yorked on 39 by Mitchell Johnson, who finished up with 3 for 29.Kevin Pietersen fell in the same over as Bell, having driven Johnson to White at short cover, and it was game on. The loss of Paul Collingwood, who scooped Shane Watson to mid-off trying to lift his rate, added to England’s problems, and he was gone for 6 from 10 balls. As he was in Adelaide, Watson was Australia’s best bowler, keeping things tight while also collecting wickets, and he ended up with 2 for 17 from four overs.A couple of overs later, Watson added Davies, who scored 29 from 26 balls, and was caught by David Warner at mid-on. Luke Wright (18) was sharply taken at mid-off by Steven Smith off Johnson and when Morgan, on 14, was caught on the boundary by Finch off Shaun Tait, it left the equation firmly in Australia’s favour. Bresnan and Woakes were left needing 29 from the final two overs, and just fell short.It was a fine result for Australia, after they stumbled to 5 for 80 from 12 overs. England’s spinners strangled the runs following a brisk start from Watson and Warner, and it took the young Finch to set the innings in flight once again. Graeme Swann collected 2 for 19 from his four overs and Michael Yardy finished with exactly the same figures, and the spin duo was so successful that Paul Collingwood turned to Kevin Pietersen’s offbreaks once Swann had bowled out.Pietersen didn’t have quite the same success, and was launched down the ground for six by Finch, who top scored with 53 not out from 33 balls. Finch and Steven Smith put on 51 for the sixth wicket, including several crowd-pleasing shots from Finch, notably an audacious scoop over his shoulder for four off Ajmal Shahzad.A short but muscular batsman whose style resembles that of his fellow Victorian Brad Hodge, Finch also showed his power when he slapped a slower ball from Shahzad over midwicket for six just after Shahzad had Smith caught at cover for 13. They had come together with the score at 5 for 80, when a horribly scratchy David Hussey was put out of his misery for 8 from 16 deliveries when he pulled Yardy to deep midwicket.Such was Hussey’s struggle to time the ball against the spinners that even his hometown crowd was collectively groaning at every dot ball. Tim Paine scored much faster and made 21 from 12 balls, including a mistimed six to get off the mark when he drove Woakes down the ground to long-on, and Watson (17) had also launched two sixes off Shahzad and Woakes, while Warner worked his way to 30.Perhaps the strong start was spurred by a bout of patriotism, after the pre-match build-up included the crowd supposedly setting a new world record for the most people simultaneously doing the chicken dance. The idea was sponsored by a certain company for whom the collective term for chickens is a bucket, and it was about as credible as the honorary colonelship given to Harland Sanders by Kentucky governor Ruby Laffoon in 1935.A much more laudable effort was to come from the Australians on the field.

Domestic grind prepares Akash well for the deep end

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The fast bowler says his experience with various domestic teams helped him settle into the Indian team environment quickly

Alagappan Muthu25-Sep-20244:00

Akash Deep: ‘Very fortunate to play for India under Rohit Sharma’

India fast bowler Akash Deep has given a ringing endorsement of the country’s domestic system, saying it is so rigorous that players who make the step up from there to international cricket have already been battle-tested.”The structure the BCCI has for domestic cricket is so strong that by the time you get to this level, you have already played a lot of good-quality cricket,” Akash, who has played two Tests so far, said in Kanpur. “You know what your bowling is like and what you need to do. So I don’t find anything new here. The processes we follow to get here, we just need to follow those and take those forward.”India have invested a great deal into their pathways to create a strong pool of players capable of stepping into the national team in any format. Akash came through it himself, taking 35 wickets in the Ranji Trophy in 2019 at an average of 18.02 as Bengal made the final. From there he was picked to play for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy in 2022, the Deodhar Trophy in 2023, then onto India A cricket and, on the back of 11 wickets in two games against England Lions, a Test debut in February 2024. He picked up three wickets in his first spell, dismissing Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, and 2 for 19 in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh.Related

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The seniors in the Indian team also help newcomers feel at ease in a new environment. “I am very fortunate to play for India under [Rohit Sharma],” Akash said. “He keeps things so simple. I had some hesitation when I came to the Indian team, about the pressure, some confusion… but when I got to the ground, [Rohit] made things so simple for me that I didn’t know if I was playing domestic cricket or international cricket. I don’t think in my life I could have asked for a captain who makes things so simple.”Having been put at ease, Akash drew on all that he had learnt on his way up to international level – he had come in on the back of 30 first-class, 28 List A and 41 T20 games, where he picked up 104, 42 and 48 wickets respectively – and worked on how to improve further.Akash Deep already feels at home in international cricket•BCCI

“I have played a lot of cricket in the last two years,” he said. “Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, so we are used to playing cricket for long periods. I think that as a cricketer, it’s important to understand yourself. Suddenly if we are selected for a new team, there shouldn’t be any confusion. ‘I have done this in the Ranji Trophy, what am I supposed to do here?'”I have worked on that, worked on my strengths. What can I add to my bowling? I have spent time thinking about those things. It’s about the simple things. I don’t put pressure on myself, that I have to play in [November’s tour of ] Australia, or in any other big series. I stay in the present. I think about today, this match, which helps me keep things simple.”Akash was asked about “this match” and in particular the pitch in Kanpur. “Whatever the wicket is like, if I play, my job is to put the ball in good areas,” he said. “Even if the wicket is not favouring fast bowlers, I need to find a way to pick up wickets. From what I have seen, it’s a sporting wicket, not a batters’ wicket.” India face Bangladesh at Green Park for the final game of the series after taking a 1-0 lead in Chennai.Akash also opened up on a little connection that he has with the ground here. “I am from Banaras, which is not far from here. I had heard of the stadium – Green Park – when I was young, and I thought that it’s because the whole ground was green. I hadn’t seen any stadiums at the time. I remembered it after coming here, that the first stadium I had heard of was Green Park. It feels nice, that I am here, at the place I had heard of as a kid.”

Zimbabwe express interest in hosting Women's T20 World Cup 2024

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Tournament was due to be held in Bangladesh in October but anti-government protests have meant the venue is likely to be changed

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2024Zimbabwe have emerged as one of two options being considered to host the Women’s T20 World Cup this year. The tournament, which is due to start on October 3 and was scheduled for Bangladesh, is likely to be moved after anti-government agitations prompted security concerns. The UAE is the other place being considered, after India ruled themselves out on Thursday. It is understood that a decision is expected to be made by the ICC board on Tuesday, August 20.Zimbabwe’s interest, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, comes on the back of intentions to promote themselves as a destination for big cricket after successfully hosting the last two ODI World Cup Qualifiers (in 2018 and 2023). The country last hosted a World Cup in 2003, along with South Africa and Kenya.Since then, Zimbabwe spent several years isolated from major events, which included the Robert Mugabe regime cutting itself off from much of the world, hyperinflation, a self-imposed Test hiatus between 2005 and 2011, and the men’s team failing to qualify for two successive ODI World Cups and two of the last three T20 World Cups. The women’s team has never competed at a World Cup (neither have the UAE’s) and will not feature at this year’s event either, but Zimbabwe are eager to be neutral hosts of the tournament.Related

  • Healy: 'Hard to fathom' T20 World Cup going ahead in Bangladesh

  • Bangladesh to approach UN about keeping hosting rights for Women's T20 World Cup

  • BCCI rejects ICC's offer to host Women's T20 World Cup

  • Bangladesh turmoil: ICC mulls back-up options to host women's T20 World Cup

  • Bangladesh in turmoil: how will cricket be impacted?

Zimbabwe will co-host the men’s Under-19 World Cup with Namibia in 2026 and the ODI World Cup with South Africa and Namibia in 2027. By then, the country will have two more international grounds with Zimbabwe Cricket and local government authorities working together to build multi-purpose facilities in Victoria Falls and Mutare.For now, Zimbabwe can offer Harare Sports Club (which also has newly installed floodlights) and Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo as venues for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. These grounds also hosted all the televised matches in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, with streaming games held at Takashinga Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club.The weather in Zimbabwe is expected to be a major selling point, with the country entering summer in October and minimal rain expected. India rejected the offer to host because the country will be experiencing the last of the monsoon. Sri Lanka is also understood to have fallen out of contention for weather-related reasons.Crucially, Zimbabwe will be able to generate fairly good crowds, including school children at venues, where the maximum capacity is 10,000. A concern with the UAE as a venue is the lack of spectators in stadiums that can seat over 20,000 people. Zimbabwe are also hopeful that the relatively lower cost of hosting a tournament in their country compared to the UAE will give them an advantage when the final decision is made.

Vince, Dawson centuries turn screw for Hampshire

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Warwickshire lose Alex Davies after being set 498 to win late on the third afternoon

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Warwickshire 254 and 40 for 1 need a further 458 to beat Hampshire 298 and 453 for 6 dec (Vince 166*, Dawson 120, Hannon-Dalby 3-65)James Vince and Liam Dawson harvested merciless centuries as Hampshire piled pressure on Warwickshire on the third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Vince scored an unbeaten 166 off 197 balls, his 29th first-class century, and Dawson 120 (157 balls), his 15th, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 255 in 53 overs as the visitors amassed 453 for 6 declared.That set the home side a victory target of 498 in a day and 12 overs and Warwickshire reached 40 for 1 by the close. Both teams will enter the final day with a chance of victory, but a draw is much the likeliest outcome on a pitch that is flattening out by the hour.It remains to be seen whether Hampshire’s pragmatic approach on the third day proves successful. They plumped for steady accumulation, only very belatedly showing some aggression after tea when Vince and Dawson were each past 100. That policy of attrition may well transpire to have asked too much of their bowlers to force victory in such batter-friendly conditions.When Hampshire resumed on 88 for 2, Nick Gubbins and Felix Organ took no risks. They extended their partnership to 50 in 19 overs before Gubbins, having struck just three fours in 202 minutes, edged Danny Briggs to slip.Vince lifted his second ball, from former team-mate Briggs, over long-on for six, but thereafter the pattern of defending and nurdling resumed and continued throughout a turgid morning. Organ’s stubborn defiance ended when he was slickly caught at point by diving substitute Che Simmons off Olly Hannon-Dalby.The former Yorkshire seamer then trapped Ben Brown lbw and at 184 for 5 further quick wickets would have left Warwickshire scenting their first Championship victory of the season, but Vince and Dawson took full advantage of the easing conditions. They batted through the afternoon for 139 runs in 34 overs, Vince reaching his first century of the season from 185 balls, against an attack which persevered nobly but impotently.When, deep into the last session, the lead passed 450 a declaration appeared overdue, but Vince and Dawson stayed to turned the screw on a tiring attack under the broiling Birmingham sun. They passed Hampshire’s previous highest sixth-wicket stand against Warwickshire – 251 by Phil Mead and Jack Newman at Bournemouth in 1928 – before Dawson swung Dan Mousley to deep midwicket where Will Rhodes judged the catch well. After James Fuller raised the 450 with the sixth six of the innings, over long-off off Jake Bethell, the declaration at last arrived.Hampshire had 12 overs to get into Warwickshire’s top order and they struck an important blow in the ninth of them when Kyle Abbott’s first ball trapped Alex Davies lbw. The home side have a lot of batting to do to get safe on the final day – but very favourable conditions in which to do it.

Papua New Guinea qualify for 2024 Men's T20 World Cup

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A 100-run win over Philippines ensured they will top the East Asia-Pacific Regional Qualifier table

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2023Papua New Guinea have qualified for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup after beating Philippines by 100 runs in Port Moresby to guarantee a first-place finish in the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier.Quickfire fifties from Tony Ura, Assad Vala and Charles Amini laid the platform for PNG to post a total of 229 for 6 in their 20 overs after they were sent in to bat. Philippines only managed 129 for 7 in their chase.PNG have won all five of their matches so far, and will end their tournament with a match against Japan on Saturday.Related

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Japan, second on the four-team table with six points from their first four games, began Friday with a chance of keeping their qualifying hopes alive if they beat Vanuatu. That didn’t happen, however, as Vanuatu rode on a dominant all-round display from Nalin Nipiko – four wickets and an unbeaten 50-ball 74 – to pick up their first win of the tournament.The 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted jointly by the West Indies and the USA, is set to be a 20-team tournament. The teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 8 stage. The Super 8 teams will be split into two groups of four each, with the top two in each group reaching the semi-finals.Twelve teams had already qualified for the next T20 World Cup before the regional qualifiers. These are hosts West Indies and USA, the top eight teams at the 2022 T20 World Cup – Australia, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka – and Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who qualified by virtue of the T20I rankings.Apart from PNG, seven other teams will make the tournament via regional qualifiers. On Friday, Ireland and Scotland sealed their spots by finishing in the top two positions in the Europe Region Qualifier. Qualifiers for the Americas (for one spot), Africa (two spots) and Asia (two spots) will also take place over the coming months.

Conway and Latham propel New Zealand after Agha Salman century

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The visitors have cut their deficit down from 438 to 273 on a slow pitch in Karachi

Himanshu Agrawal27-Dec-2022Devon Conway and Tom Latham added 165 unbeaten runs in New Zealand’s highest opening stand in Tests in Pakistan – they went past the previous best of 136 set way back in 1965 – as the hosts toiled hard on a Karachi pitch which seemed to have eased out enough for steady run-scoring.It was mostly a chanceless partnership throughout; the fact that Babar Azam himself came on to roll his arm over as stumps approached was an indication of how dominant was the batting and how ineffective the bowling was, having also bowled the final over before tea. New Zealand’s deficit was down to 273 after Agha Salman’s maiden Test century earlier in the day had pushed Pakistan to 438.On the way to an undefeated 82, Conway also became the fastest New Zealand batter to 1000 Test runs, getting there in 19 innings. Although both he and his partner are both left-handed, they present entirely different problems for bowlers when they’re at the crease together. As if to exemplify this fact, on Tuesday, both of them scored the exact same proportion of their runs – one-third – in diametrically opposite directions. Conway in the arc between point and long-off and Latham between fine leg and midwicket.Pakistan started the evening session with spin from both ends, as Nauman Ali aimed for the rough outside the batters’ off stump, while Abrar Ahmed mixed things up with his variations. And though there was enough turn to keep things interesting, with the odd ball scuttling through at ankle-height, the breakthrough they were striving so hard for never came.Conway often took a big stride forward to smother the spin, and even used the reverse sweep to hit two boundaries, while also driving and slashing each time the bowlers went too full or too wide. Latham, on the other hand, relied on the conventional sweep and the flick, getting 40 of his 78 runs through those shots.Pakistan could have broken the partnership at 105 in the 31st over when Conway inside-edged a ball from Nauman through to the wicketkeeper. Except it all looked very innocuous and seemed like the right decision was made when the umpire ruled not-out. After all, Sarfaraz Ahmed was the only one to appeal – and even that was half-hearted. But then came the replays which showed evidence of a nick.Abrar Ahmed joins in on Agha Salman’s century celebration•Associated Press

Although not everything went to plan, Pakistan still have plenty to play with and that’s largely down to Salman, who hit 103 off 155, piling on quick, useful runs with the tail. Pakistan’s last four wickets fetched 120 runs, with Salman scoring 99 of those in partnerships of 54 with Nauman, 39 with Mir Hamza and 24 with Abrar.Salman had started the afternoon session unbeaten on 54, with Hamza for company. He racked up his last 49 runs from just 45 balls, smashing ten fours to ensure Pakistan crossed the 400-run mark. Salman attacked Neil Wagner, often making room to swat or pull his short deliveries. And when Wagner tried something different, Salman hit three fours in the 125th over: swung to deep square leg, lofted over extra cover off a full length, and slapped to deep point when the left-arm quick went for a slower ball.Confident of his aggressive strokes, Salman reverse swept Ish Sodhi a few times, before raising his century off a pull when the legspinner pitched it short and outside leg. Eventually, Tim Southee trapped him in front when the batter tried to hoick across the line but missed.Southee had also dismissed Babar for 161 with the fourth ball of the day before a dull period in the morning followed. The visitors struck late twice though. That quietened things to the extent that Salman and Nauman went 28 deliveries without scoring, starting with the third ball of the 95th over.Nauman got off the mark off his sixth delivery, but waited until his 48th to produce his next scoring shot, a slog sweep off Ajaz Patel for four. Salman kept things ticking at the other end. New Zealand thought they had him on 36 when they challenged Aleem Dar’s not-out decision for a leg-before appeal. But replays showed Sodhi’s googly was turning in enough to miss leg stump.New Zealand finally broke the frustrating stand which lasted more than 26 overs, when Wagner, brought into the attack with the short-ball ploy in mind, sent Nauman back just before lunch. Michael Bracewell at a short square leg plucked a catch leaping to his left as Nauman tried to pull a rising delivery, before Sodhi got his first Test wicket in four years when Wasim tried a funky scoop shot to a short ball, only for the ball to pop up and into Tom Blundell’s gloves.

Mandhana's KSL feats down to 'freedom to swing bat' – Harmanpreet

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Smriti Mandhana smacked 421 runs in nine innings. That is the most runs by a player in a women’s T20 league anywhere in the world

Annesha Ghosh26-Aug-2018In her maiden Kia Super League season, Smriti Mandhana smacked 421 runs in nine innings. That is the most runs by a player in as many innings in a women’s T20 league anywhere in the world. The next-best tally belongs to Australia captain Meg Lanning, 405 at the inaugural Women’s Big Bash in 2015-16.While Mandhana herself admitted she “did not expect” to be so prolific, India T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who debuted the same year as Mandhana in both the WBBL and the KSL, put her deputy’s performance down to the “freedom to swing her bat”.”Smriti is someone in the Indian side I discuss a lot of cricket with,” Harmanpreet told ESPNcricinfo after returning from England, where her side Lancashire Thunder were eliminated in the league stage. “When I met her in the UK, she said her team [Western Storm, who will be defending their title on Finals Day on Monday] had given her the freedom to swing her bat. And it was clear [she was enjoying herself].”Among the many causalities that the Mandhana juggernaut claimed in the KSL was Harmanpreet’s own side, which lost both their home and away games to Storm. While Harmanpreet announced her belated arrival in the tournament with a scintillating 21-ball 34 not out on debut, Mandhana marred her captain’s first outing at home – in Manchester – with a maiden T20 ton.”That was one of the best innings I’ve seen her play,” Harmanpreet said. “She was looking very confident; you could see that in her strokeplay. That’s what you need in a player: confidence and flow. And that comes, to a great extent, from that freedom.”Smriti Mandhana launches one over the top•Getty Images

In a frame bookended by the joint-fastest women’s T20 half-century five days earlier, and 49 that helped keep Storm’s blemish-free KSL streak against Thunder alive, the century also played a part in tempting the team to live stream the reverse-fixture in Taunton.That Mandhana had struck her maiden World Cup century a year ago at the same venue may also have helped make the decision. Besides, the explosiveness of the Harmanpreet-Mandhana combination, and the contrasting nature of their aggression, makes them a unique selling proposition for any domestic tournament.”We both played in the WBBL and now the KSL, so that experience is there,” Harmanpreet said. “We’ve come to know each other quite well that way, and the output of my discussions with Smriti has mostly been that she likes being given freedom.”When you’re playing for the country, there’s a lot of pressure on you to deliver, game after game. You have to live up to the expectations that the tag of a ‘match-winner’ brings with it. But it works well for Smriti when she is assured of that freedom by the captain and the management.”Harmanpreet also underlined that having “a good line-up and 4-5 strong players down the order” has helped Smriti’s freewheeling approach. It was only seven months ago that Mandhana made the same assessment when talking about Harmanpreet’s batting in the WBBL. “The batting depth of Harry ‘s side [Sydney Thunder in 2016-17] was good… it helped her style.”Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates her winning boundary•Getty Images

While Harmanpreet emerged Thunder’s second-highest run-getter and their Player of the Tournament, Mandhana had a forgettable run with Brisbane Heat. An ACL injury put a premature end to her campaign and ruled her out of competitive cricket for nearly six-and-a-half months. Their next international assignment was the World Cup in June-July last year. Harmanpreet’s campaign took flight as the tournament progressed, while Mandhana’s tapered off.During the recent home season too their run-scoring trends ran in opposite directions. Mandhana dominated the run-charts across limited-overs formats, while Harmanpreet struggled for the most part through the ODI series against Australia, the tri-series that also featured England, and in the 50-over series against England. In the Asia Cup, though, Harmanpreet returned to form with a Player-of-the-Tournament performance, while Mandhana’s runs dried up.It was of little surprise, therefore, that the final phase of their KSL 2018 campaigns followed the same script. In her last match in the league, Harmanpreet led Thunder to victory, while Mandhana’s Storm suffered their second straight loss the same evening, going down against a side that Harmanpreet narrowly missed playing for last season.As for Mandhana’s tournament-ender, she was dismissed on 5. It was the only single digit score in her nine KSL outings, and it came via a mode of dismissal – run out – that has plagued Harmanpreet through a major part of 2018 and also in the KSL, where she was involved in no fewer than five such dismissals.A preparatory camp in Chennai, starting August 30, will bring the Indian team together after nearly three months without international cricket. In that time, they have had a change of coach and one of their most senior players has retired from T20Is. With the World T20 coming up in November, Harmanpreet hopes both she and her vice-captain can finally be in form at the same time.”She’s performed immensely well in the KSL, touchwood. And I hope she’s able to take that forward into the next series [a tour of Sri Lanka in September] and then into the World T20. Whether it’s Smriti or me or someone else in the team – a batter or a bowler – individual performances only count when they contribute to the team’s victories.”