All posts by n8rngtd.top

Kane Richardson will play his first cricket since the England tour having missed the IPL and series against India

Alex Malcolm10-Dec-2020Melbourne Renegades captain Aaron Finch is fit and available for the Renegades’ first two BBL matches this weekend but could be rested during the tournament in order to spend some time at home.Finch missed Australia’s second T20I against India in Sydney after suffering a minor glute strain in the first match in Canberra last Friday. He returned for Tuesday’s final T20I in Sydney and Renegades coach Michael Klinger confirmed Finch would lead the side in Saturday’s opener against the Perth Scorchers in Hobart.”He’s definitely going to be playing,” Klinger said. “He came into Hobart last night and obviously played the last T20 game for Australia and has been passed fit. He’ll have his hit out tomorrow with us leading into the game so he’s ready to go and he always comes to the Renegades set up with a fantastic attitude.”Finch hasn’t been home to Melbourne since leaving for Australia’s UK tour in August due to international duty and the IPL.ALSO READ: ‘I’m feeling like the luckiest cricketer in the world’ – Noor AhmadThe unusual nature of this season’s BBL means that players will be hubs for at least the first part of the season prior to the new year. The Renegades are keen to allow Finch to head home at some stage which means he could miss a couple of games during the tournament.”There may be periods where we give him time to go home,” Klinger said. “We’re quite lucky in our first period where we’ve got two blocks where we’ve got six-day breaks after our back-to-back games on the 12th and 13th so there may be a period there where we can get Finchy home.”There are complications at the moment with Covid and how many days you can be away and then isolating before you get back into the hub here in Hobart or elsewhere. If there’s an opportunity to give him some time off then we definitely will because I think it will definitely help him but also help us when comes back refreshed.”Experienced paceman Kane Richardson has joined the squad after opting out of the IPL and Australia’s limited-overs series with India in order to remain in Adelaide and spend time with his wife and new-born son.”Kane joined the group two days ago,” Klinger said. “The good thing is he’s had a lot of bowling. He had a good hit out yesterday where he played in a couple of practice games and he’s raring to go on Saturday.”Aaron Finch plays one off the back foot•Getty Images

The Renegades haven’t been so fortunate with the availability of their two Afghanistan recruits Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad for the first two games. The pair had their initial flight to Australia cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Adelaide in November which delayed their arrival to Australia by nine days. As a result, they are still in hotel quarantine and won’t be available this weekend.”They come out of the quarantine on the 15th so they’ll be with us game three,” Klinger said. “It’s certainly exciting to have Nabi with his experience and ability but also such a young raw talent in Noor Ahmad.”I had a good chat with Rashid Khan yesterday when we played the Strikers in a practice game and he speaks so highly as a young player, not only with his skill but also with his control as well. I’m really excited to let him loose, to be honest, and see how he goes. A lot of Australian players have struggled in the past against wristspin so he could have a big impact on the tournament.”Klinger was able to call upon former Gloucestershire team-mate Benny Howell, who was already in Victoria, to come into the squad.”I played with Benny for seven years at Gloucester so I know all the tricks he has and how talented he is,” Klinger said. “He’s been extremely successful in the UK and the Bangladesh Premier League. I’d probably describe him as a shorter version of an Andrew Tye. He’s got all the slower ball, knuckleballs, and he’s a fantastic finisher with the bat as well.”The Renegades won’t have South African legspinner Imran Tahir until the New Year. They are hopeful he will arrive just before Christmas in order to be out of quarantine for at least the five matches and finals if the Renegades qualify. Imad Wasim will join the squad on Boxing Day after Pakistan’s T20I overs series in New Zealand is complete.Nabi’s absence from Saturday’s clash with the Scorchers has opened the door for one of Jake Fraser-McGurk or Mackenzie Harvey to play. The two young batsmen were unavailable last season due to the Under-19 World Cup but Klinger was keen to give one of them an opportunity this week after both had impressed in the Renegades practice matches.

Bangladesh are likely to leave for New Zealand on February 24, nine days after the Dhaka Test ends

Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2021Shakib Al Hasan will miss Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand later this month as the BCB granted him paternity leave for the duration of the entire tour. According to BCB cricket operations chairman Akram Khan, board president Nazmul Hassan spoke with Shakib before the decision was made.”Shakib is not going [to New Zealand]. He applied [for leave] to stay with his [expecting] wife. After talking to the board president, we granted him leave,” Khan said.

New Zealand vs Bangladesh 2020-21

• March 20, 1st ODI, Dunedin

• March 23, 2nd ODI, Christchurch

• March 26, 3rd ODI, Wellington

• March 28, 1st T20I, Hamilton

• March 30, 2nd T20I, Napier

• April 1, 3rd T20I, Auckland

Shakib’s thigh strain forced him out of the ongoing Dhaka Test against West Indies. He is currently recovering under the BCB’s medical team.Khan said that the Bangladesh touring party is likely to leave for New Zealand on February 24, nine days after the Dhaka Test ends. The players will not have a training camp in Dhaka, as they will only have a short time with their family before getting into a hard quarantine in New Zealand.”The chances of holding a camp in Bangladesh are low. It’s very difficult to keep players in quarantine or bio-bubble all the time. After this series we will send them on vacation. After that, we might take them from here to there [New Zealand] and train.”

He picked up the injury while fielding at short leg on the third evening of the second Test

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2021Shubman Gill, the India opening batsman who copped a blow in his left forearm while fielding at forward short-leg on the third evening, has been taken for a “precautionary scan”, the BCCI confirmed on Tuesday, the fourth morning of the second Test in Chennai.It was the last ball of the 18th over of the England second innings, bowled by R Ashwin, and Dan Lawrence stretched out to get to the pitch of the ball and swept with power. Gill tried to take evasive action at the close-in position but the ball still hit him in his hand.Only one over was bowled on the day after that incident, and the BCCI said via a tweet on Tuesday: “Shubman Gill sustained a blow on his left forearm while fielding on Day 3 of the 2nd Test. He has been taken for a precautionary scan. The BCCI Medical Team is assessing him. He won’t be fielding today.” The fourth day started with England at 53 for 3 chasing 482 for victory, and a 2-0 lead.Gill made his Test debut on the recent tour of Australia, and scored 45, 35*, 50, 31, 7 and 91 in his three Tests there as India won the series 2-1. He finished the series with an impressive average of 51.80, only behind Ravindra Jadeja’s 85.00 and Rishabh Pant’s 68.50 among Indians. Then, in the first Test against England, also in Chennai, Gill scored 29 and 50 even as India lost by 227 runs to fall 1-0 back in the four-Test series, and he had scores of 0 and 14 in the ongoing game.

New Zealand will be without Kane Williamson and Trent Boult among others, as Bangladesh look for turnaround

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2021

Big Picture

Bangladesh will hope a change of format can bring a change in their fortunes in New Zealand after they were swept 3-0 in the ODIs. The three-match T20I series begins in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon, with the home side likely to present a very new look.New Zealand will be without their regular captain Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert, who have all been rested to prepare for a grueling IPL schedule. But they will have the experienced Tim Southee, who is leading the side in Williamson’s absence, as well as Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi.Bangladesh too are in a similar situation now that they are without Tamim Iqbal, who is not available due to personal reasons. Already without Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s squad has only Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah as experienced players. They will be hopeful that Mohammad Mithun can continue his good form from the ODI series, while Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar can recover from the lean patch. Bangladesh have the likes of Mohammad Naim, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Afif Hossain among the young batsmen who didn’t play the ODIs.Their bowling has also looked sharp at times, particularly pacer Taskin Ahmed and offspinners Mahedi Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. But Mustafizur Rahman wasn’t his old self during the ODIs, while Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin and Hasan Mahmud played only one game each.Bangladesh, however, will be most worried about their fielding. They dropped five catches in the second and the third ODIs, while looking lackluster at the back-end of both matches.New Zealand are a much better fielding side by comparison, and with the injection of newcomers, can expect the standard to rise a bit more. Finn Allen is the most exciting of all the youngsters after his productive Super Smash tournament earlier in the season. Fireworks will also be expected from Guptill, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, who will be batting in the top five.Southee will have Hamish Bennett, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne in his pace attack. Legspinners Sodhi and Todd Astle will also be wicket-taking options for the home side.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches)
New Zealand WLLWW
Bangladesh WWLLLTaskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Daryl Mitchell has given a major glimpse into his capabilities with a breathtaking century in the third ODI against Bangladesh. He can be termed as a 360 degree batsman and a bowler who can be relied upon in critical situations.Taskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour. He is fitter and tougher, especially mentally, but will need wickets to spruce up his return to the national side.

Team news

Adam Milne and Todd Astle look likely to start the series for New Zealand. Daryl Mitchell could continue on his ODI role in the T20I side as well, particularly after his maiden ODI hundred in the previous innings.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Finn Allen, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Mark Chapman, 6 Will Young, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Todd Astle, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Adam MilneFor Bangladesh, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud will be returning home having not regained fitness in time for the T20Is. He has not trained or played due to a stiff back following the first ODI in Dunedin. Thus, they may field a similar XI to the last two ODIs, with the addition of Mohammad Naim – who could replace Tamim Iqbal – and Mohammad Saifuddin being the only likely changes.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Seddon Park usually dishes out flat batting pitches, with the side batting first averaging 183 in T20I internationals. But during the 2020-21 Super Smash, that figure has come down to around 140. Despite that, mostly dry conditions on Sunday means it is expected to be a big-hitting affair in Hamilton.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh’s lowest total in any format in New Zealand was 78 all out at Seddon Park in 2010.
• New Zealand newcomer Finn Allen hit 25 sixes in this season’s Super Smash.

Quotes

“We have played a lot of T20 cricket this summer, so the guys know how to chop and change pretty quickly these days. It should be good fun.”

With ODI form still flying, batsman seeks permanent home at No. 4 for T20 World Cup, No. 3 for Ashes

Valkerie Baynes24-Mar-2021Jonny Bairstow’s “easy chemistry” with fellow opener Jason Roy was on show despite England’s heavy defeat to India in the first match of their ODI series in Pune on Tuesday – and Bairstow wants the chance to settle as comfortably elsewhere in the order for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.A 135-run partnership between Bairstow and Roy – their 12th century opening stand in ODIs – had England well on track to reach their target of 318 before a middle order sorely missing the resting Joe Root fell away to leave them short as they slumped to a 66-run defeat. Bairstow scored 94 off 66 balls and Roy 46 off 35 while no other England batsman passed 30.With his position as ODI opener firmly established, Bairstow is keen to convince the selectors to persist with him at No. 4 in T20Is, having been moved down to that spot in South Africa late last year, and at No. 3 in Tests, despite his struggles there earlier on this tour of Asia.Related

• Blaming Jonny Bairstow for England's defeat would ignore wider context

• Jonny Bairstow's middle-order success vindicates England's reshuffle

• Debutants Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya star in India's 66-run win

• On show in Pune: England and India's differing methods of ODI batting

• Virat Kohli rises to No. 4 in T20I rankings for batsmen

Bairstow was unbeaten in both of England’s victories during their 3-2 T20I series defeat to India with scores of 26 and 40 not out.”I was happy in the T20s, the runs I scored there batting at No. 4 and contributing, being there at the end in two of the games was really pleasing to me,” Bairstow said on Wednesday. “If you take South Africa in, to be at the end at Newlands and the end in two of these games here, I’m pretty happy with how that’s going.”It’s a different role, but at the same time, it’s a good role to be in because you’ve got an opportunity to be there at the end, winning games.”And while 28 runs from four Test innings in India – including three ducks – and, before that, scores of 47, 35 not out, 28 and 29 in two Tests in Sri Lanka have Bairstow’s designs on the No.3 spot for the Ashes at the end of this year looking less secure, he made made his case verbally to be given a chance during the English summer to make it his own.Jonny Bairstow heaves one over the leg side•Getty Images

“I’m very keen to do that,” he said. “People will have spoken about the last two Tests here but, prior to that in Sri Lanka, to score the runs and come in at three, and previously at three for England I’ve been pretty happy. Hopefully I do get more than four games there… even with those lower scores in the last couple of Tests, average-wise, it was still okay.”There wasn’t anyone in those last two games that exactly lit it up, was there? So a pink-ball Test match at a new venue that nobody scored any runs at, and then obviously the last game, I thought, an umpire’s call decision that didn’t necessarily go my way in the first innings, but to be honest with you, I’m happy with where my game’s at and how I’m striking the ball.”I do hope that that is the case and I do get an opportunity to be batting at three going forward, because I do feel that my game’s in a good enough place. Having four games in the winter on the subcontinent, which is never going to be easy, full stop… but going back home in the summer to England and then moving forward with the experiences that I’ve had over in Australia. I think going to Australia with a wealth of experience, as we know when you’re entering a major tournament, gives you a better chance of having success over there.”So yeah, that is something that I do want to do, want to pursue, and hopefully I am given the opportunity.”Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow had England in control of the run-chase•BCCI

Bairstow’s most pressing task, however, is to help England win their next ODI, also in Pune, on Friday to keep the three-match series alive.He took the lead role in the first match, moving from 6 off 18 at the end of the fifth over to 28 off 24 by the end of sixth as he plundered 22 runs off debutant Prasidh Krishna, which he said was indicative of his understanding with Roy.”It’s an easy chemistry,” Bairstow said. “There’s no great shakes to it. We speak about very simple things out in the middle and keep things very simple. It’s a very go-with-how-the-game-pans-out approach.”It wasn’t a crash, bang, wallop start. People might think, ‘they’ve gone from ball one’, but in actual fact we hadn’t. There was probably three overs, four overs at the start where it was very much toned back and we went a different route.”Understanding each other enough to know that and not putting pressure on each other to have to go after it because we’ve got complete trust in each other’s games in order to know that one over and you’ve caught it up. I think that runs throughout the side, but having that trust in each other’s games to just go right, let’s stay calm, stay relaxed and not pile pressure on each other is the important factor of it.”

Bangladesh might field three pacers, and Najmul Hossain Shanto is likely to continue batting at No. 3

Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2021Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam has been included in Bangladesh’s 15-member squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka – the announcement came less than 24 hours before the start of the game on Wednesday, midway through the visitors’ only practice session in Pallekele.

Squad for first Test

Mominul Haque (capt), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali, Shoriful Islam

Although it was not clear if Bangladesh would opt for his left-arm pace in the first Test itself, captain Mominul Haque has made it clear that pace would be crucial for Bangladesh in the series opener.”I think our batting and pace bowling will be crucial. The pace bowlers with experience and those who are playing regularly, like [Abu Jayed] Rahi, Ebadot [Hossain], and Taskin [Ahmed] are more dependable,” Haque said. “We will have a pace-dependent bowling attack but it doesn’t mean we will lose the sting in our bowling.”The big-built Islam shot into prominence last year after Bangladesh won the Under-19 World Cup, where he took nine wickets at an average of 15.77. He also did well in the domestic white-ball tournaments last year – 16 wickets in ten games in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup and four wickets in three matches of the 50-over President’s Cup – before being handed a T20I debut in New Zealand last month.Related

• Nissanka and Mominul in focus as struggling Sri Lanka and Bangladesh eye revival

• Mickey Arthur's picks: Hasaranga, Nissanka, Oshada, Embuldeniya

• Three questions for SL, three questions for Bangladesh

• Uncapped Mukidul, Shohidul in Bangladesh 21-player Test squad that will travel to Sri Lanka

The six players from the 21-member preliminary squad who didn’t make the cut would remain in Sri Lanka, given that Bangladesh have a strict nationwide lockdown in place because of the Covid-19 situation, and no international flights are allowed to land the country until the end of April. In this group of six is offspinner Nayeem Hasan, who played both Tests against West Indies in February.Hasan’s exclusion, though, was on expected lines as Bangladesh already have Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam in the squad. Given the greenish tinge on the Pallekele pitch, the visitors may opt for three pace bowlers, with either Shadman Islam or Saif Hassan opening with Tamim Iqbal.The inclusion of Najmul Hossain Shanto suggested that he would continue to get chances at No. 3 despite poor numbers recently against West Indies.Apart from Hasan, Bangladesh have also dropped Mustafizur Rahman, who is away playing in the IPL, and Soumya Sarkar for form, while Hasan Mahmud is out with injury. The others not considered for the first Test, but who are part of the 21-member squad, are Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Shohidul Islam, and Nurul Hasan.

Eleven players and support staff received their first dose, while two squad members received their second dose

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2021Thirteen members of West Indies’ red-ball training squad and management have received their vaccinations against Covid-19, CWI confirmed on Wednesday. The West Indies players and support staff are currently in a bio-secure bubble in St Lucia, preparing for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.In a statement, CWI said that they were able to secure Covid-19 vaccines for “all interested squad members” through the support of the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).”Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health measures in the management of infectious diseases,” Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, St Lucia’s chief medical officer, said. “Cricket is an important sporting activity in the region and ensuring that it can be facilitated safely, is of importance to us in St. Lucia. We welcome the teams here and look forward to successful and safe activities over the coming weeks.”Eleven players and support staff received their first dose of the vaccine, while two squad members also received their second dose. CWI stated that several members of the training squad had already received their first doses in their home countries, and will receive their second dose later in the summer. Last week, the West Indies women’s squad had received their first doses of the vaccine while training in Antigua.West Indies are scheduled to host South Africa for two Tests, as well as five T20Is next month.

Eight unsigned players earn call-ups after impressing in Blast campaign

Matt Roller02-Jul-2021Jake Lintott, the Birmingham Bears left-arm wristspinner who signed his first professional contract earlier this year, has been signed by Southern Brave as a wildcard pick for the inaugural season of the Hundred.Lintott, 28, had played only four senior games a year ago, but has taken 19 wickets for the Bears with an economy rate of 6.60 since the start of the 2020 Vitality Blast season, and has earned a £24,000 deal as the final player in the Brave’s men’s squad.Dillon Pennington (Birmingham Phoenix), Sam Cook (Trent Rockets) and Leus du Plooy (Welsh Fire) have also earned wildcard deals on the back of impressive Blast seasons, as have Freddie Klaassen (Manchester Originals) and Ben Raine (Northern Superchargers).ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The two London clubs, Oval Invincibles and London Spirit, have opted for younger players: the Invincibles have signed Kent wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox, while the Spirit have signed Middlesex seamer Blake Cullen, who impressed Eoin Morgan in the early stages of the Blast.Raine, who has taken nine wickets and conceded 7.45 runs an over this season, was the first man picked up in the draft following a random draw.”There were a few nerves flying around leading up to this because I think every cricketer in the country wanted to be in the Hundred,” he said. “I thought I’d had a decent Vitality Blast with the ball so I was hopeful of getting a spot.”Looking through our team there will be a real Northern feel to it which will be nice. There’s a lot of Durham lads that I’ve played with and Yorkshire lads I’ve played against so there will be a bit of familiarity. It’s a good sign for the amount of talent in the region and I’m very proud to be picked up by the Northern team.Four other domestic players were also confirmed as replacements on Friday: Jordan Thompson replaced Olly Stone (injured) at Northern Superchargers; Sam Hain and Ollie Robinson replaced Wayne Madsen (injured) and Harry Gurney (retired) at Manchester Originals; and Will Smeed replaced Henry Brookes (injured) at Birmingham Phoenix.Related

• Jake Lintott takes four as Birmingham romp to crushing win over Northants

• 'Being unpredictable is a big thing in T20' – Jake Lintott's unorthodox path to success

• Sam Cook four-for, Will Buttleman fifty hand Surrey first loss of the campaign

• Jade Dernbach joins Derbyshire on loan after limited role with Surrey

The news means disappointment for a number of county players, including Middlesex’s Stephen Eskinazi, the leading run-scorer in the Blast and second in the run charts last season. Chris Dent, Arron Lilley, Jack Leaning and Ed Pollock are among the batters to have been overlooked, while bowlers Graeme White, Dan Moriarty, Gavin Griffiths and Matt Milnes all missed out.There is still a possibility that a handful of unsigned domestic players will end up being involved in the competition. Teams will be able to sign partial replacements for players who are named in England’s Test squad to India and do not have red-ball central contracts – which will potentially include Mark Wood and Craig Overton – and there are injury doubts over a number of players with Hundred deals including Tom Abell, Pat Brown, Richard Gleeson and Liam Plunkett.Wildcard signings: Ben Raine (Northern Superchargers), Jordan Cox (Oval Invincibles), Sam Cook (Trent Rockets), Jake Lintott (Southern Brave), Freddie Klaassen (Manchester Originals), Blake Cullen (London Spirit), Leus du Plooy (Welsh Fire), Dillon Pennington (Birmingham Phoenix)

Oval Invincibles knocked out after failing to defend 134 at the Ageas Bowl

Matt Roller16-Aug-2021Southern Brave knocked Oval Invincibles out of the Hundred and secured their own spot in the knockout stages, with Alex Davies and Colin de Grandhomme’s innings of 40 not out sneaking them across the line in a nervy chase of 135.Jake Lintott, the left-arm wristspinner, set up their win by upstaging Invincibles’ overseas spin pair of Sunil Narine and Tabraiz Shamsi. On a used pitch, Narine and Shamsi returned combined figures of 0 for 61 in 40 balls in the run chase; Lintott, the 28-year-old who only turned pro earlier this year and was a last-minute wildcard pick in Brave’s squad, managed 3 for 14.Lintott pegged Invincibles back after a flying start – they were 46 for 0 after 16 balls – but Alex Blake’s 44 not out ensured they had something to bowl at. Brave lost three early wickets in the chase and struggled to score freely, but a calm, unbroken stand of 67 between Davies and de Grandhomme sealed the win, with Davies pulling Reece Topley for six to get them across the line with five balls to spare.Brave started the season with consecutive defeats, replicating their head coach Mahela Jayawardene’s template from his time at Mumbai Indians, but have won all five of their completed games since then, four of them at home. They will play Trent Rockets in Friday’s eliminator if Birmingham Phoenix beat Northern Superchargers on Tuesday night; if Phoenix lose, Brave will go straight into Saturday’s final.Jacks in a box
This was the eighth game that the Ageas Bowl’s central hybrid pitch had been used across the Hundred, and it had something in it for everyone. The artificial weave meant there was good bounce for the quicks but that some balls sat up nicely from a length, and the spinners found some grip throughout.The result was that the best time to score runs was the Powerplay, a fact Will Jacks recognised very early on. He teed off, sweeping and slog-sweeping two fours and six off Danny Briggs in the second set of 10 and then went after Tymal Mills – just as he had in an abandoned T20 Blast game at The Oval earlier in the summer.He hit Mills for two sixes over the leg side, with a top-edged four sandwiched in between. When he carved George Garton away over point, he was on 39 off 12 balls, with Oval flying on 46 off the first 16.Garton, spinners take over
After a bright start, the lights went out on the Invincibles innings, as they suffered a slow-motion collapse of 53 for 7 in 58 balls through the middle phase. Garton struck twice in consecutive balls, having Jacks caught at deep midwicket then inducing a top edge from Colin Ingram thanks to extra bounce from back of a length, and then the spinners rolled into action.First, Briggs cramped the strike-starved Jason Roy for room, bowling him via the pad with the first ball after the Powerplay, and then Lintott sprung into life by angling the ball across Invincibles’ batters. All three of his wickets came through googlies, as he bowled the reverse-sweeping Sam Billings, had Laurie Evans caught behind, and watched Tom Curran slap a cut straight to point.Blake sprung into life at the death, further denting Mills’ figures and hitting Chris Jordan for two fours and a six in his 44 not out, but he admitted at the interval that Oval were under-par. “We just didn’t play smart cricket,” Billings said afterwards. “We batted very poorly. All we needed was to take it deep and all of a sudden you’re looking at 150-plus.”Defiant Davies
Brave lost their two overseas openers inside 11 balls, with the in-form Quinton de Kock cutting Topley straight to point and Paul Stirling getting a leading edge after failing to read a Curran slower ball. They then lost their captain, James Vince, who was skewered by Davies and run-out scrambling to make his ground at the non-striker’s end.Davies was under pressure – “it doesn’t help when you run the skipper out,” he joked afterwards – but ran brilliantly throughout his innings, facing only five dots and working the ball into gaps in recognition of the fact that Brave needed a significant partnership to get them across the line. He added 36 with the pinch-hitting Garton, who largely struggled for timing but smashed two sixes before he was run out looking for a third after Evans had slipped on the boundary rope but then recovered brilliantly.That brought de Grandhomme to the crease, who had managed only 16 runs in the tournament to date in five innings. Like Davies, de Grandhomme ran well, pushing for twos and rotating the strike so that Invincibles could not line a bowler up. He pulled Topley and Shamsi for sixes, keeping the required rate in check.Topley delivered a waist-high no-ball that went for two runs and then two overthrows with 15 needed off 10 which crushed any hope of an Invincibles fightback; instead, they are left to reflect on a season that included a perfect home record but disappointing performances in their three away defeats.

Shoulder injury will likely rule batter out for six weeks

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Jul-2021Kusal Perera is almost certain to be out of Sri Lanka’s series against India, after picking up a shoulder injury. The team has not divulged the exact nature of the injury, nor withdrawn him officially, but a team doctor says he’s likely to be out for six weeks.Although Perera is no longer captain, having been replaced in that role by Dasun Shanaka following the contracts standoff between the players and the board, he remains one of Sri Lanka’s key batters in the top order. He is, in addition, the team’s primary wicketkeeping option, with Niroshan Dickwella still suspended over his breach of the team bio-bubble, in Durham. Perera’s probable absence, as well as that of Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka (all of whom bat in the top five) means that Sri Lanka will only have what is essentially a second-string top order.Although Perera has not been in particularly good form recently, he has been one of Sri Lanka’s best batters. He was one of Sri Lanka’s three half-centurions in the ODI series, against England, and struck his team’s most-recent century, when he hit 120 off 122 balls to lead Sri Lanka to their only win in a three-match series against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka have not officially named their squad yet. The first of three ODIs against India, who are fielding a second-string side, is scheduled for Sunday.