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Allrounder joins up for latter stages of T20 Blast as well as red-ball fixture at Scarborough

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2022Surrey have signed uncapped Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie for the rest of the Vitality Blast, after losing Kieron Pollard to injury.Hardie, who has been in Sri Lanka with Australia A, has joined up with the squad and will be available for Surrey’s Blast game against Kent on Friday. Surrey are top of the South Group with two games left to play and have already qualified for the quarter-finals.The 23-year-old was part of the Perth Scorchers squad that won the 2021-22 Big Bash League, and has played alongside Laurie Evans and Jason Roy for the franchise.”I’m super stoked to be joining Surrey,” Hardie said. “I spoke to Laurie and Jason about what it’s like to play here at The Kia Oval and I’m really excited to see what the crowd bring on Friday. I’m keen to learn from players like Hashim [Amla] as well as the younger guys in the dressing room like Will Jacks and I hope I can make a good contribution to the team.”Hardie, who averages 50.30 with the bat in first-class cricket, and 25.34 with the ball, will also be in contention to play in Surrey’s LV= Insurance Championship fixture against Yorkshire at Scarborough next month. Surrey currently sit top of Division One, with just over half of the Championship season played.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “Aaron’s all-round skill sets will bring us very good options in our T20 campaign and the County Championship game at Scarborough.”

After a tiny wobble, half-centuries from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman make short work of the 187-run chase to seal the series 2-0

Danyal Rasool18-Aug-2022An all-round performance from Pakistan ensured there wouldn’t be a repeat of the nervy finish of the first ODI, crushing Netherlands by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. Wickets all around for every frontline Pakistan bowler hobbled Netherlands throughout their innings and skittled them out for 186 in 44.1 overs. Only a 109-run partnership between Bas de Leede and Tom Cooper demonstrated any fightback, but aside from that, just one man – and two partnerships – managed to get out of the single digits.The early loss of the openers gave Pakistan a small scare, but half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put them back on course, before a brisk cameo from Agha Salman applied the finishing touch, Pakistan getting home with 16.2 overs to spare.

Bas de Leede reprimanded for breaching ICC code of conduct

Netherlands allrounder Bas de Leede has received an official reprimand and a demerit point for breaching the ICC code of conduct during the second ODI against Pakistan in Rotterdam on Thursday.

De Leede was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the use of an audible obscenity during an international match.

De Leede admitted to the offense and accepted the sanction imposed by Chris Broad, the match referee, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Winning the toss and batting first on a used pitch, Netherlands found themselves under intense pressure straightaway. None of the inconsistent, lackadaisical bowling performance from the first game was on evidence from Pakistan as Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah emerged flying out of the blocks, reducing the home side to 8 for 3 inside four overs.Vikramjit Singh was the first man to go, Naseem dragging one slightly back of a length that shaped away to take the outside edge. Max O’Dowd miscued a Rauf delivery to Babar at mid-off, before Wesley Barresi found his stumps knocked back for the second game in succession. He did consider playing a shot this time but left too large a gap between bat and pad, and watched his off stump battered once more.For a while, Cooper and de Leede gave Netherlands hope that those early wickets were not much more than a rocky start, setting their side back on course nicely. They didn’t go into their shells, Cooper setting the tone immediately when he hooked Naseem behind the wicket for six in the sixth over, and smashed the final ball of that over through the leg side for another boundary. There was an element of fortune – and a rare sign of sloppiness from the Pakistan bowlers – in the same over, when Naseem had Cooper caught, only for the umpire to find he had overstepped.Cooper then greeted Shadab Khan to the crease with a six in his first over and tonked Mohammad Wasim for three successive boundaries. De Leede was far more circumspect, his first boundary coming as late as his 51st ball, when he took on Mohammad Nawaz and cleared the rope. But with the run rate improving and the partnership ticking past 100, Netherlands appeared to be back on track for the score they might have aimed for at the start.Babar Azam cuts on his way to a brisk half-century•KNCB/Gerhard van der Laarse

But Nawaz removed Cooper with the tamest of dismissals as the batter scooped one back to him, and the rot set in once more. Skipper Scott Edwards fell for 5, the first time he hasn’t managed a half-century in five ODI innings, and Pakistan’s bowlers were on top once more, de Leede watching helplessly on as the visitors ran through the other end.With Netherlands nine down, de Leede threw caution to the wind. A six off Wasim indicated the shifting of gears, and another six and four in the following over briefly raised hopes he might actually get to three figures. But, when on 89, Rauf offered him a slower delivery in the slot – ostensibly a gift – he mistimed it to Fakhar Zaman at long-on, and Netherlands fell well short of par.Pakistan’s openers found the going rough early on once more, Aryan Dutt and Vivian Kingma tying Fakhar and Imam-ul Haq down early once more. This time, the home side ensured they removed the pair before any damage could be done, with Kingma’s double-strike in the fourth over putting Pakistan under pressure. The fast bowler got one to rear off a length and grow big on Fakhar, who spooned it back to him, before Imam was caught at point driving on the up.A score similar to the one Netherlands posted in the first ODI might have piled the pressure on, but with just 187 to chase, there was little reason for the experienced Babar and Rizwan to panic. The early fire was seen off cautiously and Pakistan soon began to wrest back total control.Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s batting coach, might have been glad for the middle order to get some much-needed practice, but Babar was determined to break the back of the chase first. While Rizwan, perhaps short of confidence in this format, struggled to get out of the blocks early, Babar eased to yet another half-century, his eighth 50-plus score in nine innings. When his miscue found de Leede at midwicket, it brought Salman to the crease, with the following passage of play likely Pakistan’s most satisfying.In just his second ODI, he understood the value of this opportunity, looking to go on the attack from the outset. Rizwan gained more confidence and upped his scoring rate as the jeopardy of the game ebbed away, but it was Salman who took the lead role. With 12 to win, he struck ten off the first three balls of the 34th over. Needing a six to get to his half-century, he slapped Kingma over long-on for a colossal six to bring it, and Pakistan’s series victory, up in style.

Nathan Ellis has been called into the squad while David Warner has been released for the last game

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2022Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the last ODI against New Zealand, and there will be no final outing for the prolific David-Warner-Aaron Finch opening combination after Warner was released from Australia’s squad to manage his workload.Stoinis will miss the final game in the Chappell-Hadlee series with a low-level side strain. He will return to Perth to try and recover in time for the brief T20I tour of India, with the contingent leaving late next week. But side strains can be problematic to overcome in a short time frame.Pace bowler Nathan Ellis, who has played three ODIs, has been called into the squad for the last game in Cairns on Sunday.Related

• Injured Marcus Stoinis ruled out of West Indies T20I series

• 'I reaped the rewards of the guys who bowled before me' – Zampa after career-best figures

• Stead throws his weight behind misfiring Williamson

• Finch announces retirement from ODIs, to continue as T20I captain

Warner’s release from the squad means that Finch will have a different opening partner for his final ODI. The pair will finish as Australia’s fourth-most prolific, with 3788 runs including 12 century stands.Marnus Labuschagne could be an option to go in alongside Finch. Josh Inglis, who replaced Marsh, is the spare batter in the squad, while Cameron Green may be available again after missing the second match following the cramps he suffered in the first game.Stoinis is the second injury Australia have suffered to one of their allrounders over the last couple of weeks, with Mitchell Marsh heading home after the first match against Zimbabwe to nurse a minor ankle injury, although there were indications that he would be available for the India tour.In the second ODI on Thursday, Stoinis removed James Neesham but was then off the field when the victory was secured.While much of the focus has been on Finch’s form struggles, Stoinis’ returns have also been underwhelming. Since the start of the 2019 World Cup, he has made 308 runs in 19 ODI innings at 17.11.Both Stoinis and Marsh were key parts of Australia’s T20 World Cup success last year. Marsh cemented himself as the team’s No. 3 – despite missing the defeat against England – and Stoinis became a middle-order finisher alongside Matthew Wade. The pair also provides handy pace-bowling options. However, heading into this year’s tournament, there is the question of how Australia can fit Tim David into their side.

Simon Katich takes over as head coach at MI Cape Town in the SA20 league, Hashim Amla named batting coach

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Sep-2022Mark Boucher is the frontrunner to take over from Mahela Jayawardene as Mumbai Indians’ head coach in the IPL. On Tuesday, ESPNcricinfo had reported that Boucher would take charge as head coach at MI Cape Town in the SA20 league, but the latest update is that Simon Katich will fill that position.In a media statement on Thursday, the Mumbai Indians group confirmed Katich’s appointment, adding that he will be assisted by Hashim Amla as the batting coach, while Robin Peterson will be the team’s general manager. James Pamment will take charge as fielding coach (and continue in the same role with Mumbai Indians at the IPL too).Katich is one of the most sought-after coaches going around on the T20 franchise circuit. He has worked at several IPL franchises: from being an assistant to Jacques Kallis at Kolkata Knight Riders to being head coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore, plus two months as assistant coach at Sunrisers Hyderabad, a post he quit abruptly because of bubble fatigue earlier this year. Most recently, Katich was the head coach when Manchester Originals reached the final in the men’s Hundred, where they finished runners-up to Trent Rockets.Related

• Timeline of Boucher's stint – success, failure, drama

• Boucher's exit after eventful tenure leaves big hole in coaching staff

• MI – Jayawardene and Zaheer elevated to global roles

MI Cape Town are owned by Reliance Industries Limited, which, apart from IPL giants Mumbai Indians, also owns MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. In August, MI Cape Town were the first SA20 team to announce their five direct signings prior to the auction: Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada and Dewald Brevis, who also plays for the franchise in IPL. The SA20 player auction is scheduled for September 19 in Cape Town.The new support staff appointments follow the group’s overhaul of its existing coaching set-up. Mahela Jayawardene, who was the head coach at Mumbai Indians since 2017, has been elevated to the global head of performance, and Zaheer Khan, the director of cricket operations till last season, is now the global head of cricket development. They will both be involved with all three teams owned by the group.Part of Jayawardene’s brief is to oversee the coaching staff at all three franchises, and he worked with the Mumbai Indians ownership group to finalise the coaching staff at all three teams, details of which are expected to be unveiled this week.With Jayawardene moving to the new role, there has been a lot of curiosity about his replacement at the IPL team, and Boucher could well be the man for the job.Boucher hit the headlines on Monday when, immediately after South Africa lost the Test series in England 2-1, he stepping down as their head coach, effective after the end of South Africa’s campaign at the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki explained at the time that Boucher wanted to “pursue other interests and opportunities”.While he might not have extensive experience as a coach on the T20 franchise circuit, Boucher had a run as wicketkeeping coach at Knight Riders in the 2016 IPL. Prior to that, he had also played for Knight Riders as well as Royal Challengers. Soon after, he moved to take charge as head coach at Titans in the South African domestic circuit before moving to the lead role at the South Africa men’s national team.

Batter looking forward to experiencing the ‘atmosphere’, with the IPL set to return to home-and-away format from 2023

Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Sep-2022Ruturaj Gaikwad is “waiting for the moment” that Chennai Super Kings return to Chepauk, which is the ground where “it all started” for him.Since Covid-19 hit, the IPL has had to adapt and make do without its usual home-and-away format. In 2020, it took place behind closed doors in the UAE. In 2021, it had to be suspended midway and then shifted overseas. In 2022, all 74 matches were held in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Next year, the BCCI believes the tournament will go back to normal, which means the Super Kings will once again be back at their fortress.Related

• Chennai joins the Sanju Samson fan club

• Thakur: India are looking at me for all three formats

• Ganguly: IPL to return to pre-Covid home and away format in 2023

• 'Rushed' Gaikwad finds his red-ball rhythm to score a fine century

Gaikwad has been in Chennai over the last week or so, playing for India A against New Zealand A. While he has been part of the Super Kings side since 2019, he made his debut only in 2020 and has never had the experience of playing in front of the Chepauk crowd in the yellow jersey.”I had seen the atmosphere, I had seen the electrifying noise. I have experienced everything. So, obviously that was going on in mind when I would practise for two days [with India A in Chennai],” Gaikwad said in a video for the Super Kings website. “I was imagining the crowd and CSK entering the stadium. So actually, I am just waiting for the moment. But the first time when I played here was actually special because I feel this is the place where I started my journey. Coming to CSK and getting to learn a lot of things, getting to know the first experience of what it is at the higher level. So this is the place where it all started.”Beyond the fanfare that greets the Super Kings at Chepauk, the ground has played a significant role in the team becoming one of the best in the IPL. Super Kings sides over the years have been built to exploit the spin-friendly pitches here and they’ll be looking forward to that bit of home advantage when the league kicks off again. Plus there’s a small matter of a big farewell (potentially). In 2021, MS Dhoni said he hopes to finish his career at Chepauk.Shardul Thakur got four wickets in the first one-dayer•PTI

Shardul Thakur, who was also part of the India A series, was hit by nostalgia too. Having represented the Super Kings for four seasons, the fast bowler was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the 2022 auction. He was a vital cog in the CSK set-up and signed off his stint as their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021.”It feels really great, I mean, the moment I entered the stadium, it felt all nostalgic,” Thakur said. “Yes, I have had my times with CSK, I have played a few games here, but even before that, I have played Ranji [Trophy] games. 2010 was my first game here in Chepauk. The stadium and the ground have changed a lot since then but I would say the weather is still the same. [It’s an] amazing experience, I would always look forward to playing in Chepauk whenever there is an opportunity.”The Chennai crowd really got behind the India A team too. If the first one-dayer had 200-odd spectators, it only grew, in both numbers and noise, until roughly 2,000 people were on hand to watch the home side produce a 3-0 sweep. They cheered especially loudly every time Thakur ran in and pick up a wicket. Chants of “CSK, CSK” rang around the stadium whenever Gaikwad produced a good piece of fielding or whenever he hit those pleasing cover drives.Both players have been in good nick recently with Thakur claiming a four-wicket haul in the first one-dayer against New Zealand A and Gaikwad racking up 108 and 94 against the same opponent in an unofficial Test.”Obviously, I have known him for quite a few years,” Thakur said of Gaikwad. “I actually remember someone telling me about him in 2017. Then, I saw him doing well in the domestic circuit and then India A, and then he came into the CSK set-up. Seeing him do so well, and when he got his real opportunity, I mean when he played a full season in the IPL, he straightaway made a mark [scoring 635 runs in 16 innings]. He had played a few games in 2020 but he played a couple of games in the middle order and opened in one of the games.”It was not a very kind stint towards him. But, in 2021, he made a mark from game one till the finals. He was the top performer of CSK, and he actually delivered to everyone’s expectations. It’s good to see when a youngster comes and delivers for the team and straightaway makes the mark in lifting the trophy I’d say – not only in the league phase or knockouts but to lift the trophy.”

They have been brought in by CWI as part of a three-man working group which will be chaired by a high court judge

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2022Brian Lara and Mickey Arthur are part of an independent panel assembled by CWI to undertake “a comprehensive review” of West Indies’ first-round exit from the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.West Indies, champions in 2012 and 2016, bowed out of the tournament before the Super 12s stages after defeats to Ireland and Scotland in their first-round group, an outcome which CWI said had “caused great disappointment and frustration among all West Indies cricket stakeholders” and saw Phil Simmons step down from his role as head coach.Related

• Review panel urges CWI and West Indies players to find 'middle ground'

• West Indies coach Phil Simmons hopes to finish tenure on a high

• Simmons quits as West Indies coach after 'unfathomable' World Cup exit

• Pollard bemoans 'sad day' for WI cricket, says players not at fault for T20 WC exit

• Pooran: 'This is not going to stop me, I'm going to continue to learn'

Lara and Arthur – who are currently employed by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Derbyshire respectively – have been brought in as part of a three-man working group which will be chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr, a high court judge at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.They have been asked to conduct “a thorough and independent review of the West Indies men’s T20 team’s preparation and performance” and will speak to “as many stakeholders as practicably possible” over the next six weeks, including selectors, squad members, management staff, board officials, ex-players, territorial boards and franchises and the Caribbean Premier League.They will collate their findings and submit their recommendations as part of a final report to CWI’s board of directors by December 15.Ricky Skerritt, CWI’s president, said: “It is vital that players, coaches, administrators, and all of us who love West Indies cricket, recognise that creating a sustainable learning culture, throughout the organisation, is a prerequisite for player growth and team improvement.”Emotion-based and knee-jerk type decisions have failed CWI repeatedly in the past. I am confident that this independent World Cup review process will produce findings and learnings that should be of great benefit to our cricket system going forward.”

The young duo shared nine wickets in the second innings to leave New South Wales winless

AAP04-Dec-2022Young bowlers Will Sutherland and Todd Murphy combined to lead an injury and illness-hit Victoria to a memorable 69-run Sheffield Shield win over New South Wales in Melbourne.Resuming on day four at 1 for 58, needing another 175 for victory, NSW lost 7 for 76 in the first session and were dismissed for 163 about a half hour after lunch.Related

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Paceman Sutherland and offspinner Murphy between them took the first eight wickets of the fourth day. Player-of-the-match Sutherland, who took 4 for 57 in the first innings, finished with his Shield-best match figures of 9 for 115 and the 23-year-old scored 39 in Victoria’s first innings.The 22-year-old Murphy’s second innings figures were his best in first-class cricket and added to his haul of 3 for 44 in the first innings also give him his best match return of 7 for 86.Opener Daniel Hughes was the NSW second innings’ top-scorer with 33, with Adam Zampa and Chris Green the only other batters to pass 20.Victoria’s first outright win of the season lifted them back to fourth above South Australia who defeated Tasmania by 208 runs in Hobart on Saturday.NSW, who sacked coach Phil Jaques last week, are winless in the Shield and are bottom of the ladder in both that competition and the one-day Marsh Cup, in which they have tasted success just once in five matches.Will Sutherland finished with nine wickets in the match•Getty Images

Victoria used 14 players in the match with Sam Harper and Jon Holland subbed out after testing positive for Covid-19 and replaced by Matthew Short and Ruwantha Kellapotha respectively.Jack Prestwidge was dragged out of club cricket on Saturday to deputise for the concussed Sam Elliott.NSW looked in front for much of the game, but only had a first innings lead of 51 after bowling Victoria out for 209 and then subsiding from 2 for 155 to 260 all out.Sutherland made the initial breakthrough on day four, trapping Jason Sangha lbw and Murphy effectively derailed the NSW chase of 233, by bowling Hughes and having Matthew Gilkes and Moises Henriques caught.A sixth-wicket stand of 27 between Sean Abbott and wicketkeeper Baxter Holt briefly held up Victoria until Sutherland came back into the attack.He had Abbott caught behind and Baxter Holt and Chris Tremain both lbw. After lunch, Sutherland had Chris Green caught at fine leg and Kellapotha secured the win by bowling Mickey Edwards.

Batter went out of comfort zone in bid to overcome 50-over World Cup axing

Valkerie Baynes12-Feb-2023From “one of the lowest phases” of her life following her omission from the 50-over World Cup, to a tension-easing half-century as India began the 20-over version with victory against Pakistan, Jemimah Rodrigues likes how life is going right now, but says she owes her turnaround to some turners on Mumbai’s maidans.Rodrigues’ unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 58 with Richa Ghosh handed India a seven-wicket victory after their opponents set them 150 to win.They got there with just one over to spare and afterwards Rodrigues, who scored a 38-ball 53 not out, said that playing alongside 14-year-old boys in Mumbai after being dropped from last year’s squad exposed her to the sort of pressure needed to help pull off India’s highest successful run-chase at a Women’s T20 World Cup.”I’d taken a break when I went back to my coach Prashant Shetty and my dad,” Rodrigues recalled. “We worked out our plan. In a week I had to play two games, more match time, the rest I would practise and Sunday was my day off. At the same time I was putting myself in challenging situations.”I was not playing on flat wickets, I was playing on turning wickets. In Mumbai I went to Azad Maidan during that time and I was playing matches against the boys. In the morning, there’s so much dew, this huge ground, many pitches, nobody covers the ground – you can put your finger inside the pitch. In those conditions I had to play under-19 boys.”Second-innings it’s a drastic change, it’s turning square and good quality bowlers. In the first game of the tournament I scored some 45-odd runs and that gives you a lot of confidence, that is like scoring 80 on a flat track. So putting myself in such situations actually helped me, getting out of my comfort zone. It was the toughest part.”I played with under-14 boys. Imagine the kind of pressure, me being an India player playing with under-14 boys, if I lose my wicket, ‘kya hai ye’ [what is she even]. It’s like that – those are the thoughts in my head. That was a lot of pressure but I had to fight through those thoughts.”But I believe all these little things just build up and make you the player you are, and I am grateful for everything that happened. You give me an option to go back and change things. I wouldn’t change anything. I like how my life is going.”Rodrigues was left out of the squad for the 50-over tournament in New Zealand after failing to reach double figures in five ODI innings in 2021, making her last appearance in the format in July of that year. In T20Is during that time, her highest score was 49 not out from five games, although she enjoyed a resurgence last year, averaging 38.58 from 20 matches.But it took a lot of hard work and plenty of support from family, friends, team-mates and Shetty to help her navigate the toughest times.Rodrigues survived a stumping attempt by Muneeba Ali•ICC/Getty Images

“Honestly, many times I had nothing to tell myself,” Rodrigues said. “There were so many times I’d given up, I didn’t have the strength to carry [on].”I changed the way I practise. I changed the way I plan my innings. I understood my game better. I understood the value of good relationships at that time and at the same time it felt like that was that was one of the lowest phases of my life but it turned out to be the reason why I could come here today.”It was exactly this time last year when I was home and I wasn’t in a good headspace because I was dropped from the 50-over World Cup. That was the toughest time for me. If it was not for my family and my parents and my brothers and there’s so many people I couldn’t name them because we’ll sit here until 12 o’clock at night. There were so many people who helped me throughout this time.”Rodrigues struck three fours in what turned out to be the final over to seal victory at Newlands on Sunday, in a match played before a good-natured crowd whose enthusiastic cheering belied its modest size – recorded during India’s innings at 3,578.Related

• 'After the tenth over, suddenly things are changing' – Harmanpreet worried about end-overs bowling

• 'There are girls all over Pakistan who want to play cricket but they need opportunity' – Fatima Sana

• Left out of the WPL party, Maroof & Co look for joy at the World Cup

• Rodrigues, Ghosh punish sloppy Pakistan to seal tense chase

“When I came out today, I don’t have to prove to anyone anything,” she said. “A lot of time it happens that you’re making a comeback in the World Cup and you want to prove a lot or this or that. I’ve done that in the past and it won’t work for me. So I was like ‘I don’t have to prove to anyone anything’, I’ve done well and that’s why I’m here, I’ve performed and that’s why I’m back in the team. So I was very confident with that and when I was batting out there I just thought of how I could help India to win.”Missing injured opener Smriti Mandhana, India slipped to 65 for 2 then lost captain Harmanpreet Kaur for just 16. But Ghosh, who was part of India’s Under-19 team which delivered the country’s first World Cup in Women’s cricket, struck a composed 31 not out off 20 balls to help Rodrigues deliver the win.India are intent on translating the success of their teenagers into a senior title having finished runners-up to Australia in the T20 final three years ago and, more recently, at the Commonwealth Games where they lost by just nine runs. In the latter, Rodrigues shared a 96-run stand with Harmanpreet to put India within reach of the gold medal and she indicated there was a sense of unfinished business about this side.”It’s never a closed chapter,” she said. “The Commonwealth was still very fresh… we had a good partnership but I lost my wicket at a very wrong time. That still haunts me. I believe it still haunts our team because for our bowling attack to restrict that team to 165 (161 for 8) on that day against a full-blooded Australian side, I think credit goes to them.”It’s all learning. If not now, but it’s surely and definitely going to happen in the future and we are prepared for that. Maybe that’s what’s going to prepare our team for something bigger and greater that’s in store for us in the future.”

Stars needed 21 off 25 balls with seven wickets in hand but somehow couldn’t get over the line

Tristan Lavalette14-Jan-2023Melbourne Renegades conjured a rousing comeback victory to seriously dent crosstown rival Melbourne Stars’ already slim finals chances in a tense contest at a roofed Marvel Stadium.Chasing 163, Stars were cruising after an 88-run opening partnership between Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers. They still appeared well in the box seat needing 21 runs off 25 balls with seven wickets in hand before crumbling under pressure.With Stars requiring 12 runs off the final over, seamer Will Sutherland held his nerve and ran out Luke Wood on the fourth delivery. But Nick Larkin then hit a boundary and needed a six off the last delivery to force a super over.A composed Sutherland landed a wide yorker as Renegades again claimed the bragging rights in the Melbourne Derby after prevailing in a controversial contest at the MCG on January 3.Renegades seamer Kane Richardson finished with 2 for 17 in his 100th BBL game, as bottom-placed Stars’ finals chances have virtually been extinguished.Related

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Fawad turns back the clock in Renegades return

Veteran spinner Fawad Ahmed’s last appearance with Renegades was eight years ago, but the 40-year-old returned as an injury replacement for experienced batter Shaun Marsh.He came into the attack in the sixth over, but was hit for six by Rogers. As he so often has done over his career, Fawad fought back and dismissed Rogers after Sutherland claimed a superb juggling catch around the boundary rope.With Stars starting to wobble, Fawad bowled a maiden in the 13th over and then came back in a pivotal 17th over where he conceded just four runs to ensure a tight finish. Fawad finished with 1 for 20 from his four overs but left the field in the dying overs with an apparent knee injury. Renegades will hope it is not serious after Fawad proved he has something left in the tank.Sam Harper continued his good form with another fifty•Getty Images

Stars fail to cash in on good fortune

Marvel Stadium’s roof was closed after oppressive weather in Melbourne with temperatures hitting 37 degrees Celsius when the match started.Off to a flier, Clarke received fortune when he hit the roof off a delivery from Sutherland to end the third over. Under the BBL’s playing conditions, a ball hitting the roof is deemed a six having once been a dead ball under old rules.Had there been no roof, Clarke probably would have provided a catching opportunity and he cashed in to plunder Renegades’ attack with a blistering half-century. Stars had more good fortune in the 16th over when Beau Webster hit a delivery straight up in the air before hitting the roof. But he couldn’t capitalise and holed out shortly later as Stars spiralled much like their infamous defeat against Renegades in the BBL grand final in 2019.The heartbreaking defeat has almost surely ended their finals chances in what has been another disappointing season for Stars.

Finch might need to move up the order

Aaron Finch has batted almost exclusively at No. 4 this season much like the role he had slotted into for Australia. He had batted quite well with a couple of half-centuries before going off the boil with three straight single digits heading into this match.Coming to the crease in the sixth over, Finch started aggressively in contrast to his fairly sedate batting this season, where he has been intent on being the glue of the innings. He smashed three boundaries in his first five deliveries capped by smacking legspinner Adam Zampa down the ground. But on the next delivery he was deceived by a slower delivery to hole out to long-on.Finch might need to return to opening, where he has had so much success during his long career. Renegades’ batting has been a mishmash this season and held together at the moment by Sam Harper, who smashed his third straight half-century in a purple patch. A late flurry from Jonathan Wells, who hit 44 off 24 balls, powered Renegades to a competitive total that looked beyond them.

Quieter derby for Zampa

During the last Melbourne Derby, chaos ensued when Stars skipper Zampa attempted to run out Renegades batter Tom Rogers at the non-striker’s end.Zampa was jeered by some of the 38,5000 fans at the MCG and the incident sparked global debate. It was a low-key outing this time around for Zampa, who led a shorthanded Stars attack without quick Nathan Coulter-Nile and allrounder Marcus Stoinis.He juggled his bowlers around with young seamer Brody Couch snaring the wickets of Martin Guptill and Rogers although he was expensive in his season debut. After missing out on Australia’s upcoming Test tour of India, Zampa had a point to prove and he claimed the key wicket of counterpart Finch through trademark guile.

New Zealand bowled 208.5 overs, and had to contend with extreme conditions on the final day, to complete an innings victory

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Mar-2023There were strong winds that blew deliveries off course and forced broadcast staff to abandon their posts at the Adelaide End, middle-order batters that fought back, and tailenders who resisted for hours.Through all that, New Zealand’s bowlers “kept on coming”, said captain Tim Southee. New Zealand had bowled 66.5 overs in the first innings, and then, having enforced the follow-on, ended up delivering 142 more – a total of 208.5 overs.And despite Monday’s conditions, which were extreme even for Basin Reserve, where strong winds frequently affect play, New Zealand still completed their innings victory, to seal the series 2-0.Related

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“We’ve had a few follow-ons, and you’re preparing yourself to possibly be out in the field for a long time,” Southee said. “It was great to have the guys want the ball in their hand, and wanting to keep coming in. Guys putting up their hand up to bowl into the wind. I think of Blair Tickner’s spell early in the day, to come into the wind, and to get the two guys out early was massive and set up the day. Doug Bracewell coming in after a long period of time and wanting to bowl into the wind. The guys just kept on coming. That’s a characteristic of the side – to keep going in tough times.”She was pretty blustery out there. Not pleasing conditions to be out there in. I can’t remember too many times when the camera was taken down. It just shows the sheer force of the winds and the gusts that were out there today. Some horrible conditions at times. The guys just managed to find a way to get the job done.”With the Basin Reserve surface having flattened out, New Zealand peppered the opposition with short balls – Tickner started the day with a bouncer barrage that dismissed the overnight pairing of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews, who on the previous tour had batted out an entire fourth day at this venue to save a Test.This time, however, they were both out in the opening exchanges of day four, out trying to take on the short ball. Sri Lanka had ended the third day 113 for 2, but were 116 for 4 pretty quickly.”It was a pretty slow surface,” Southee said. “The ball was 40 overs old, and we had Matt Henry at the other end bowling more traditional lengths, and we thought Blair bowling short was our best chance to get a couple of early wickets and it came off today.”This was New Zealand’s fourth Test in fairly quick succession, after having finished a two-Test series against England not long before Sri Lanka arrived. At the end of a big bowling effort, Southee paid tribute to New Zealand’s endurance over their Test season.”The guys are all a bit weary after a busy wee while,” he said. “Test cricket isn’t easy. The guys were a bit heavy in the legs, but very pleased to have this game wrapped up.”There’s a lot of character shown throughout the home summer, and also in Pakistan as well, which is a tough place to go. We got ourselves in positions to win both of those Pakistan matches as well. It’s been a pleasing few months in the whites. A number of guys have stepped up. We’ve won from different positions, and have shown character to bounce back from a loss at Mount Maunganui [against Bangladesh]. It’s nice for Test cricket to be ticking along.”