Tourists suffer setback in only warm-up match ahead of first Test at Old Trafford

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2024England Lions 324 and 122 for 3 (Yates 57*) beat Sri Lanka 139 and 306 (Madushka 77, Dhananjaya 66, Mathews 51) by seven wicketsRob Yates anchored England Lions with a 68-ball half-century, as Sri Lanka’s tourists slipped to a seven-wicket defeat in their first-class warm-up at Worcester.Chasing a modest 122 for victory after bowling Sri Lanka out for 309 on the third afternoon, the Lions had resumed with victory in sight on 47 for 2 overnight, and needed just 19.5 overs to seal the deal on the final morning.Yates, who had reached the close on 17 not out, added 40 more runs at the top of the order, with Sri Lanka’s only success in the curtailed day’s play coming when Hamza Shaikh, England’s Under-19 captain, was pinned lbw for 16 by Milan Rathnayake.However, James Rew, another recent mainstay of the Under-19 set-up, joined Yates in an unbroken 53-run stand for the fourth wicket, finishing on 23 not out from 41 balls as he picked off the winning single off Dhananjaya de Silva.Sri Lanka now head to Emirates Old Trafford, where the first Test against England gets underway on Wednesday.

Somerset’s disappointing end to season ends in five-wicket defeat at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Skipper James Vince led from the front as Hampshire clinched runners-up spot in the Vitality County Championship with a five-wicket Division One victory over third-placed Somerset at Taunton.The home side added 120 to their overnight second innings score of 60 for four before being bowled out for 180, skipper Lewis Gregory top-scoring with 59 and Jack Leach making 33 not out. Kyle Abbott finished with five for 37 from 18 overs.Set 121 to win, Hampshire lost wickets to the first two balls of their second innings, bowled by Gregory, who was denied a hat-trick when Kasey Aldridge spilled a low chance at second slip offered by Vince.It proved an expensive miss as Vince went on to hit 54 and Liam Dawson 44 not out, helping the visitors to reach their target on the third afternoon from 27 overs.Hampshire took 19 points from the game to guarantee second place behind Surrey and Somerset only three, having seen their concerted challenge for all three trophies end without winning one is a desperately disappointing end to the campaign.Hopes that their fifth-wicket pair Tom Kohler-Cadmore and James Rew could build them a significant lead in the morning session were soon dispelled when Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by Mohammad Abbas, having added only two to his overnight score of 15.At 62 for five, the hosts led by just two runs. With a further 13 added, Aldridge, on 11, became Abbott’s fourth victim of the innings when edging to third slip. That brought in Gregory, who wasted no time in launching a spirited counter-attack, hitting Liam Dawson for three successive fours and a six in the 32nd over.James Rew, unbeaten on eight overnight, began solidly and the pair had taken the score to 108 when he drove loosely at a wide delivery from Abbas and was caught behind for 19.Gregory went to a defiant 38-ball half-century, with eight fours and a six, while Leach looked more competent with the bat than some of Somerset’s top order in a partnership of 55 that frustrated Hampshire for 12 overs.Inevitably, it was Abbott who ended it, scattering Gregory’s stumps with a ball that nipped back between bat and pad to make the score 163 for eight, a Somerset lead of 103. Off-spinner Felix Organ then chipped in with the last two wickets as Alfie Ogborne was caught behind cutting and Shoaib Bashir bowled pushing forward, while Abbott finished with match figures of nine for 74.Lunch had been delayed for the fall of the final wicket and Hampshire’s second innings began after the interval. It could hardly have started more dramatically as Toby Albert was caught behind off Gregory’s first ball and Nick Gubbins edged to fourth slip off the second.The chance offered by Vince off the third was far from easy, but Aldridge appeared to get two hands to the ball just before it touched the ground. With so few runs to defend, Somerset had to take every opportunity.Still they had hope as Fletcha Middleton edged Gregory to wicketkeeper James Rew to make it 21 for three and Leach gained a leg before verdict against Tom Prest, reverse sweeping, at 46 for four.But that was as good as it got for Somerset. Dawson joined Vince in defying the spin attack of Leach and Bashir, calming any nerves in the visiting dressing room with a solid stand of 57 in 14 overs.Vince went to his fifty off 58 balls with a four through mid-on off Bashir, misfielded by Leach, who looked the more menacing of the two England spinners in both innings, as his match figures of seven for 77 compared to Bashir’s none for 78 illustrated.By the time Vince was stumped dancing down the pitch to Leach, Hampshire needed only 18 more runs and the outcome was all but settled. Dawson had the satisfaction of hitting the winning runs off Bashir at the end of a crucial 56-ball contribution.

Kings were struggling at 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 before Chase and Jones silenced the home crowd

Deivarayan Muthu07-Oct-20242:08

Faf du Plessis: ‘We’ve been waiting for the trophy a long time’

Two months after sprinter Julien Alfred delivered St Lucia’s first Olympic medal, St Lucia’s very own Daren Sammy and his Kings gave the region its maiden CPL title, silencing a packed crowd at the Providence.The crowd had been at its loudest when Guyana Amazon Warriors reduced Kings to 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 on a slow, two-paced surface. Kings went nine overs without a single boundary. Roston Chase was battling illness. Aaron Jones was struggling so much that Sammy contemplated retiring him out. Amazon Warriors’ four-pronged spin attack had their side dreaming of back-to-back titles.Jones, however, turned the tables on them and crushed their dream. After being on 10 off 19 balls, Jones zoomed to 38 off his next 12 balls, forging an unbroken 88-run partnership with Chase, who has been with Kings for five seasons.Chase played the Marlon Samuels role, something he’s been doing for West Indies for a while, and capped a stellar week for him, in which he had also earned a CWI central contract.

Amazon Warriors slow off the blocks

After being asked to bat first on a sluggish pitch, Amazon Warriors could only manage 27 runs in the powerplay for the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0) who had picked out mid-on in the very first over. This was the second fewest Amazon Warriors had scored in the first six overs in 13 games this season.Khary Pierre, who had spent much of his time at Trinbago Knight Riders in the shadows of Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein, came away with 2-0-6-1 during this phase. As for Alzarri Joseph, he handcuffed Moeen Ali with wide lines before Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad had him miscuing a slog-sweep to midwicket for 14 off 20 balls. Then, in his next over, Noor also claimed the prized scalp of Shimron Hetmyer when he had him carving his stock ball to sweeper cover for 11 off nine balls.Shai Hope contributed 22 off 24 balls before Chase knocked him over with an offbreak that kept low. By the time, Noor finished his spell with figures of 4-0-19-3, Amazon Warriors were 102 for 7 in 18 overs.Noor ended the season with 22 wickets; only CPL legend Dwayne Bravo has bagged more wickets in a season (2015) in the league.Aaron Jones played a vital innings under pressure for St Lucia Kings•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Shepherd, Pretorius turn up the tempo

That Amazon Warriors eventually had a fairly competitive total on the board was down to the big-hitting of their finisher Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius, who was the Player of the Match in the CPL 2023 final. They combined for three sixes and two fours in the last two overs, which overall yielded 36 runs for Amazon Warriors.

Amazon Warriors roar back

Shepherd then struck with the new ball when he had Johnson Charles, one of the heroes for Kings this season, chopping on for seven off ten balls. After bowling that wicket-taking delivery, Shepherd walked off the field with some discomfort.Amazon Warriors’ slower bowlers then tightened the screws on Kings as Faf du Plessis, Ackeem Auguste and their New Zealand recruit Tim Seifert all fell in a space of three overs. Chase and Jones then got together but they couldn’t get the boundaries away.

Chase and Jones finish it off for Kings

After the calm, came the storm. The pair lined Moeen’s offspin up for a sequence of 6,6,4,6,4 in a 27-run 16th over. Just like that, they snatched the game from Amazon Warriors’ grasp.Jones also went after Pretorius in the next over, taking 20 runs off the 17th over. Shepherd returned to bowl, but by then the game was over for Amazon Warriors.Jones provided a throwback to his unbeaten 94 off 40 balls in the opening game of the 2024 T20 World Cup with his six-hitting and celebrated those maximums with animated fist pumps. That world tournament paved the way for Jones’ return to the CPL (as a local player through his Barbados passport) and he made it a memorable night for himself and Kings. Coach Sammy wrapping Jones up in a bear hug will be one of the most lasting images for Kings in this triumphant campaign.

The 29-year-old batter’s toil in Pakistan’s first-class circuit attained meaning in Multan when he made a century on Test debut

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2024Kamran Ghulam has never made any attempt to hide his desperation. All he wanted to do was play international cricket, and he would wait as long as it took. On Tuesday, 11 years on from his first-class debut, as he sat in front of the media after becoming the 13th Pakistani to score a hundred on Test debut, it is that burning desire he repeatedly recalled.”I’d been waiting for my chance a long time but I never gave up,” Ghulam, 29, said. “I had been waiting for my chance. That’s all I thought about. I kept being selected and then omitted from squads, and all I used to think about was how to take the chance I’d been given.”That thinking has paid off well. Ghulam came into the side under huge pressure as he replaced Babar Azam. The stakes were further raised by the situation he walke out to – Pakistan were 19 for 2, having lost Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique cheaply as the England spinners threatened to run riot.”When I came to the wicket we’d lost two wickets. But I wanted to play with a positive mind like I do in first-class cricket. That was at the back of my mind, and I wanted to play my natural game.”And Ghulam’s domestic oeuvre is particularly hefty. Only 12 players have scored more runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy since he made his debut in 2013, with his average, a smidge under 50, placing him behind only Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel and Usman Salahuddin.It was what he drew on as he negotiated a tricky opening session, banking his aggressive shots before lunch, and setting the platform for a 149-run partnership with Saim Ayub that gently eased England’s grip on the game. He hung around when Ayub fell, building up another 65-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan, one in which he brought up his century with a slap over midwicket off Joe Root. By the time he fell, missing a drive off Shoaib Bashir who cleaned him up, he’d scored 118: his 17th first-class hundred.”I’ve scored a lot of first-class runs,” Ghulam said. “I didn’t care about the venue or the team, I just needed to make my debut. I knew I had a lot of hard work behind me, and thankfully that work has paid off for me.”He also acknowledged the circumstances in which he’d made his debut, paying tribute to the man he replaced in the side. “Babar is a very good player and at the back of my mind I was thinking he’s a legend, a very good player. But I thought I’d give 110% and play with a positive mindset. I knew I had to take my opportunity.””And,” he says in his vulnerable, soft spoken tone with characteristic understatement, “when it came, I did well.”

Hero of 2022 Championship season has not played first-team cricket since saving team from relegation

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2024Liam Norwell, the former Warwickshire seamer whose final-day heroics saved the club from relegation in 2022, has been advised to retire on medical grounds after failing to recover from a series of long-standing injuries.Norwell, 32, was released by Warwickshire in August, having not made a single senior appearance since taking a career-best 9 for 62 at Edgbaston in September 2022, to beat Hampshire by five runs in a thrilling County Championship climax.His efforts kept Warwickshire in the top flight at Yorkshire’s expense, and he was rewarded with a two-year contract extension in March 2023. However, he missed that year’s entire campaign after suffering a back injury in pre-season, and though he returned to action in four second XI games in June 2024, he tore his pectoral muscle in the last of those against Worcestershire.After undergoing another operation, his contract with Warwickshire was terminated by mutual consent. Warwickshire Performance Director Gavin Larsen said at the time: “I’m gutted for Liam because I know how hard he’s tried and trained to get back to full fitness. He’s been close to making a return on a few occasions but not quite got over the line.”After finally overcoming the back injury he suffered terrible luck by tearing his pec when he looked to be getting back to his best.”Genuinely quick on his day, Norwell took a total of 347 first-class wickets, including 94 for Warwickshire. He took 49 of those at an average of 18.21 in 2021, and was included in the England Lions tour of Australia that winter. He was named as a stand-by for England’s Test tour of the Caribbean the following spring, but later revealed that a family illness would have prevented him from answering the call.”I’ve really enjoyed my time as a Bear since joining and have shared in some great team successes and memories,” Norwell said back in August. “After finding the problem, and finally overcoming my back issues during the winter, I was hoping for a productive season and being able to return to my best.”I have worked incredibly hard but this significant injury, needing surgery, was very hard to overcome. My focus now is on getting fit and healthy again, and working out what is next for my family and I.”

The home side pulled off a fantastic chase after earlier seeing two of their bowlers ordered out of the attack for running on the pitch

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2025Jake Fraser-McGurk finally found his hard-hitting best, blasting Melbourne Renegades to a thrilling three-wicket BBL win over Brisbane Heat that ended their title defence but the home side’s finals hopes were fleeting.Out-of-form this summer for South Australia and Renegades, Fraser-McGurk smashed 95 from 46 balls to help Renegades pull off the second-highest successful BBL chase at Marvel Stadium.The dynamic 22-year-old attempted to reach his maiden BBL century with a six down the ground, but Matt Renshaw took an impressive catch near the rope with Renegades still requiring 17 to win.Related

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But Fergus O’Neill finished the job as the Renegades chased down Heat’s 196 for 4 with 12 balls to spare. It left Renegades, for a few hours, fourth in the table but Perth Scorchers’ win over Adelaide Strikers ended their finals hopes.Fraser-McGurk, who missed out on selection for Australia’s Champions Trophy squad last week, entered the match having made just 93 runs from his first nine BBL games this season.But he destroyed a star-studded Heat bowling attack containing internationals Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Swepson and Michael Neser. It was his best BBL score and his third fifty in 45 matches in the competition.After winning last year’s title, Heat needed to defeat the Renegades to be any chance of qualifying for the finals.They racked up 196 for 4 after being sent in to bat as opener Jack Wood, keeper Tom Alsop and Renshaw unleashed on the Renegades attack.Umpire Donovan Koch removed Will Sutherland and Fergus O’Neill for running in the protected zone•Getty Images

During a bizarre innings, Renegades captain Will Sutherland and fellow quick O’Neill were both banned from bowling for the rest of the match following intervention from umpire Donovan Koch for running in the danger areaSutherland was taken out of the attack with a ball to go in his third over after Donovan spoke to him, while O’Neill still had nine deliveries he could have bowled for the innings. It is rare for one player to be removed from bowling mid-over, but two in the same match is virtually unheard of.Renegades opener Josh Brown, who has never bowled before in his 37 previous T20 appearances, was forced to fill the void left by Sutherland and O’Neill.Brown’s 2.4 overs went for a whopping 0 for 48, as Heat piled on the highest total at Marvel Stadium this season. But Brown later began Renegades’ chase with 32 off 11 balls.Sutherland had a nightmare start to the match, twice being hit for three-consecutive sixes – first by Wood in the third over, then by Renshaw in the 12th.

Sarwate’s 66 not out steered Kerala to 131 for 3 at stumps

Ekanth27-Feb-2025Kerala’s pace trio of Nedumankuzhy Basil, MD Nidheesh and Eden Apple Tom ensured that Vidarbha did not run away with the advantage on day two of the Ranji Trophy final in Nagpur. Aditya Sarwate, who is a bowling allrounder otherwise, was promoted to No. 3. The move came off as he finished the day unbeaten on 66 to carry Kerala to 131 for 3.Vidarbha, finalists from the previous edition, did post a challenging total, though. Nachiket Bhute, who came in at No. 11, scored a crucial 32 off 38 balls. The 44-run stand between Bhute and Harsh Dubey for the tenth wicket extended the first session from its scheduled two-and-a-half-hour duration to three hours and took Vidarbha to 379.Darshan Nalkande then took out both Kerala openers in his first two overs. They recovered, thanks to a 93-run stand between Sarwate and Ahammed Imran. The latter fell to a Yash Thakur bouncer close to stumps, but Sarwate and Sachin Baby ensured that Imran’s was the last wicket to fall on the day.The day started with Vidarbha on 254 for 4 and runs flew early on. Thakur flicked the first ball of the day to the midwicket boundary and the fifth ball of the next over to the square-leg boundary. Nidheesh found some swing and adjusted his lengths to keep the batters in check, but Apple Tom’s lines were inconsistent and he was driven when he bowled full.An attempted bumper to Danish Malewar was pulled behind square for the first six of the day. It brought up his 150, and reduced Apple Tom’s opening spell to a two-over stint, in which he went for 18 runs.Danish Malewar puts one away during his 153•PTI

Vidarbha slowed down after the introduction of Basil as he offered Nidheesh support and his team control. The latter induced an outside edge off Thakur in the 95th over but it didn’t carry to gully. In the next one, Basil got one to nip back and smash Malewar’s stumps to end his innings on 153.Bassil removed the other set batter, Thakur. He angled in a full ball from wide of the crease to beat Thakur on the flick and pin him lbw.Apple Tom’s return in the next over was rewarded with the wicket of Yash Rathod, who is Vidarbha’s highest run-getter this season so far. A length ball from around the wicket straightened off the pitch, took the edge, and was caught at first slip as Vidarbha slumped to 297 for 7.The Yashes were gone, but the two Akshays – Wadkar and Karnewar – kept the innings afloat with a 36-run stand for the eighth wicket. Wadkar punched Basil through the covers off the back foot, and Karnewar picked up a streaky boundary each off Apple Tom and Basil. Wadkar carved a six just over deep-backward point off Nidheesh before a streaky boundary came in the form of leg-byes.The stand was broken when Rohan Kunnummal took a sharp, low catch at cover to dismiss Karnewar. In what was supposed to be the final over before lunch, Wadkar went for a powerful cut but the length ball from Apple Tom seamed away, took the edge and led to a caught behind.Bhute smashed two sixes off Jalaj Saxena, the first of which took Vidarbha past 350. Dubey, his partner, was comfortable as he rotated strike and swept Saxena for four. The stand went past the 35-over session, which yielded 119 runs and five wickets, but ended 13 balls later as Bhute was out caught behind off Nidheesh while trying to run a back-of–good-length ball to deep third.Aditya Sarwate brings up his half-century•PTI

Nalkande speared in a yorker on off stump in the first over to catch Kunnummal by surprise. The ball dribbled onto the stumps off the bat and Vidarbha were rolling. From the other end, Thakur missed his line and went for three boundaries. That didn’t stop Nalkande, though, as he swung in a full ball to catch the inside edge of Akshay Chandran’s drive that clattered onto the stumps.Thakur overpitched again and Sarwate cover drove his way from 0 to 8. In his next over, he bowled a short ball that was cut past cover for four more. Kerala were 30 for 2 off six overs, with 28 runs coming off Thakur.A double-change nearly worked for Vidarbha after that as Bhute drew an edge off Imran’s bat but Atharva Taide, the substitute fielder, dropped the chance at second slip. Sarwate picked up two more boundaries through the off side as Kerala breezed through to tea on 57 for 2.The batters looked assured in the final session that began with spin. Parth Rekhade was replaced by Nalkande after being swept for two fours in consecutive overs. Dubey, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament by a distance, found turn and stacked back-to-back maidens with Nalkande. While Nalkande created two near chances in the 24th over, the batters were safe.Sarwate hit Nalkande for two fours in his next over and ended his spell. He brought up fifty and Kerala’s hundred in the 30th over. Thakur tried out the bouncer which cost him a boundary but earned Imran’s wicket soon after as the batter miscued a pull to midwicket. Sarwate picked up a couple more boundaries with Baby holding fort at the other end as Kerala finished the day trailing Vidarbha by 248.

Wellalage, Hasaranga and Asitha Fernando shared all the wickets as Australia folded for 107 in pursuit of 282

Tristan Lavalette14-Feb-2025A shorthanded Australia will enter the Champions Trophy bereft of confidence and desperate for answers after a hefty 2-0 ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s massive 174-run victory in the second ODI in Colombo was set up by Kusal Mendis and captain Charith Asalanka powering them to 281. Kusal made 101 off 115 balls, and had strong partnerships with Asalanka and Nishan Madushka, before Australia were routed for just 107 in the 25th over.It was Sri Lanka’s largest ODI victory over Australia, who recorded their equal eighth-lowest total in the format. Australia were comprehensively outplayed through the entire match. Their seam-bowling stocks have been decimated, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis missing this series and the Champions Trophy for various reasons.With Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis rested, left-arm quick Ben Dwarshuis was given an opportunity and bowled tidily with the new ball. Sean Abbott rebounded from a sloppy performance in the first ODI to finish with 1 or 41 off ten overs. Legspinner Tanveer Sangha played his first ODI in 16 months, but returned figures of 0 for 34 from five overs.But Australia again struggled in the backend, with their death bowling looming as a major concern ahead of the Champions Trophy. Chasing 282 loomed as a tough task for their batters too, but Australia’s batting order was bolstered by the inclusions of Travis Head, Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell with Cooper Connolly, Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne making way.After his century in the first ODI, Charith Asalanka scored 78* in the second•AFP/Getty Images

However, Australia capitulated on what had appeared a relatively benign surface in a batting effort even worse than their 165 all out in game one. They succumbed to quick Asitha Fernando early before crumbling against spinners Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga, who claimed seven wickets between them.Having made a second-ball duck in the opener, Matt Short scored just 2 on Friday before misjudging a delivery from Asitha that skidded on and trapped him lbw. Short reviewed forlornly, and it was another disappointment, after having struggled against Pakistan in the white-ball series in November.With Head returning, Jake Fraser-McGurk slid down to No. 3, and it briefly looked like doing the trick after he whacked a couple of boundaries. But when on 9, Fraser-McGurk was undone by a slower ball from Asitha, and fell tamely to continue a run of recent low scores, bar a 95 off 46 balls for Melbourne Renegades in their final BBL game against Brisbane Heat.Head had started in trademark belligerent fashion with consecutive boundaries off Asitha, but the dismissals of Short and Fraser-McGurk disrupted his rhythm, and on 18 holed, he out to Asitha at deep square leg.It was left to stand-in skipper Steven Smith and Inglis to steady the ship, and they raised Australia’s hopes with a 46-run fourth-wicket partnership. The two noted players of spin ticked the scoreboard over, but Inglis appeared to have been lucky on 18 when he was stumped by Kusal off Hasaranga only to be given not out although replays suggested he did not have his foot behind the line.Steven Smith’s outstanding tour finished after falling lbw to Wanindu Hasaranga•Getty Images

But it didn’t matter because he was soon bowled by Wellalage, who was on a roll when he also dismissed Glenn Maxwell with a lovely flighted delivery that hit the top of off stump. Smith had looked supreme earlier in his innings, but his team’s predicament proved too difficult even for him. His outstanding tour finished on a sour note after falling lbw to Hasaranga, and he reviewed in vain as Australia’s lower order offered little resistance.It was Australia’s sixth loss from their last eight ODIs, and they will enter the Champions Trophy unfancied. In contrast, Sri Lanka won their ninth ODI from their last 13 matches, but probably have bittersweet emotions as they are not part of the Champions Trophy after a horrid 2023 World Cup.But they should at least momentarily enjoy a strong series victory, having backed up their remarkable turnaround 49-run win in the opener at the same venue. Asalanka once again elected to bat and hoped for an improved batting performance after their top-order struggles in the opener. Dwarshuis took the new ball in Johnson’s absence, but it was Aaron Hardie who dismissed a frustrated Pathum Nissanka for 6 off 20 deliveries.Hardie had performed strongly in game one with sharp seam movement from a back of a length, but quickly realised this surface was flatter, and thus reverted to attacking the stumps. Having only returned to bowling at the backend of the BBL, Hardie hit the deck hard and looked physically strong in a positive for Australia ahead of the Champions Trophy.Kusal, who scored twin fifties in the second Test, sparkled from the get-go and played the new ball with ease as his partnership with Madushka blossomed. Replacing Avishka Fernando at the top of the order, Madushka was decisive in his movements and strong off the back foot as Smith turned to spin.Dunith Wellalage was on a roll•Getty Images

In a fairly uncommon sight these days, legspin was utilised at both ends, with Sangha and Adam Zampa bowling in tandem. Playing his third ODI and the first since just before the 2023 World Cup, Sangha was coming off a strong backend to the BBL where he had helped Sydney Thunder reach the final. But he failed to threaten while Zampa improved from his sub-par performance in the first ODI; but a breakthrough was not forthcoming.Kusal whacked Zampa for consecutive boundaries to reach his half-century off as many balls, and also Madushka soon reached his milestone as they closed in on a century partnership. But Madushka was unable to kick on, and hit a well-directed bouncer from Dwarshuis straight down the throat of Zampa at fine leg.Just as he has through the tour, Smith trusted his gut instincts, and the reintroduction of Abbott worked a treat when out-of-form Kamindu Mendis chopped on to his stumps for 4.After his extraordinary ton in the first game, Asalanka started nervously when he mis-hit Zampa only for Maxwell to misjudge the high ball, and he was unable to take a trademark miraculous catch this time around.Asalanka found his groove and combined brilliantly with Kusal, who registered his fifth ODI century before holing out to Zampa in the 45th over. But Asalanka, who finished unbeaten on 78 from 66 balls, continued on his merry way along with Janith Liyanage to lift Sri Lanka to a formidable total that proved well beyond a beleaguered Australia

Zafar Gohar takes three wickets against former teammates

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Jul-2025D’Arcy Short raised a thrilling half century as resurgent Gloucestershire beat Middlesex by nine runs at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to extend their winning run in the Vitality Blast to four games and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.Making up for lost time following a slightly disappointing start to his Gloucestershire career, the left-hander clubbed a breathtaking 83 from 48 balls, hit 8 fours and five sixes and staged progressive stands of 100 and 52 with Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft for the first and second wickets respectively to propel Gloucestershire to 204 for 5 after they had lost the toss.Hammond weighed in with a hard-hitting 48 from 33 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes, Bancroft contributed 30 not out from 19 deliveries and Ben Charlesworth smashed a nine-ball 22, while Middlesex spinner Zafar Gohar claimed 3 for 54.Stephen Eskinazi made a game of it, scoring a superb 75 from 41 balls, striking 8 fours and 3 sixes and sharing in a high-octane opening stand of 87 in 7.5 overs with Kane Williamson, who made 34. But Gloucestershire’s bowlers held their nerve, Josh Shaw claiming 3-48, including the crucial wicket of Eskinazi, and David Payne and Graeme van Buuren returning figures of 1-22 and 1-28 respectively as the visitors came up short on 195-7 in an entertaining South Group contest.In destructive mood, Hammond twice drove Tom Helm through the covers for four in the opening over, before hoisting former teammate Ryan Higgins high over long-on and raising an imperious six as Gloucestershire came flying out of the blocks. Josh Little received similar treatment at the hands of Hammond, who drove him straight down the ground, while Short weighed in with five boundaries as the turbo-charged opening partnership advanced the score to 57 at the end of the powerplay.Particularly strong off the back foot, overseas star Short cut and pulled with impunity, matching the more abrasive Hammond blow for blow as the Middlesex bowling struggled to exert even a semblance of control. Hollman conceded 19 runs off the ninth over, Hammond pulling him over deep backward square and Short taking him for a further two sixes to move to within sight of a half century.Having played his part in a superb opening stand of 100 in 10.5 overs, Hammond fell two short of 50 when holing out in the deep off the bowling of former Gloucestershire spinner Gohar to afford Middlesex much-needed respite. But any let-up in Gloucestershire intensity was temporary, Short going to his maiden 50 for the county via 33 balls. Fellow Australian Bancroft came out swinging, issuing a statement of intent when harvesting a brace of fours at the expense of Hollman in a 12th over that yielded 14 runs.Little and Higgins discovered a nagging length to briefly slow the scoring thereafter, but Short redressed the balance by pulling Zafar for back-to-back sixes and then straight-driving the spinner for four as the home side rediscovered their mojo to raise 150 in the 15th. No wonder Middlesex breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Australian hit a ball from Little straight up in the air and was held at extra cover with the score 152.Pushed up the order, Charlesworth ensured there was no let-up for the visitors, smiting Hollman for three successive sixes as the 17th over yielded 20 runs. Helm bowled Charlesworth in the next over in an act of damage limitation, but lusty hitting from Jack Taylor and Ollie Price ensured Gloucestershire equaled their highest T20 total of the season on home soil.Middlesex needed a fast start and their openers obliged. Eskinazi plundered 17 runs off the second over, bowled by Shaw, and Williamson drove Payne for six in the third to give the Middlesex reply early impetus. Returning paceman Ajeet Singh Dale fared little better as the openers adopted a high-risk strategy to race to 50 in 4.1 overs.Williamson and Eskinazi mustered 12 boundaries between them in a powerplay that yielded an impressive 73 runs and served notice to Gloucestershire’s under-pressure bowlers that they had a real fight on their hands.Something special was required to break the partnership and Jack Taylor took a superb diving catch at extra cover to remove Williamson for a 23-ball 34 off the bowling of Singh Dale with the score 87-1 in the 8th over. Matt Taylor removed Max Holden two overs later, but Middlesex were still well-placed on 101-2 at the halfway stage of their innings.Experienced campaigner Eskinazi represented the Londoners’ best hope and he went to 50 from 28 balls, while new batsman Ben Geddes hit the ground running to keep the required rate at around 10 an over. Gloucestershire needed a wicket and Graeme van Buuren had Geddes held at long-on for 13 as Middlesex slipped to 123-3, their hitherto serene progress subsequently held up by three overs without a boundary as the home side fought back.Eskinazi held the key and Gloucestershire supporters celebrated wildly when he was pinned lbw by Shaw in the 15th over, with 61 still needed from 5.2 overs. Gloucestershire’s bowlers largely succeeded in cutting off the supply of boundaries thereafter, and Payne tricked Higgins into hitting his own wicket in the act of reverse sweeping, while Shaw had Leus Du Plooy caught in the deep in the 19th over as the home side finally regained a grip on proceedings.
Joe Cracknell and Zafar raised three sixes between them in the final over, but it proved too little too late.

He last played a Test eight years ago, and comes into the squad after Bashir’s injury

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-20251:30

Ehantharajah expects Dawson to shine for England

Spin-bowling allrounder Liam Dawson is in line to make a Test comeback after eight years after he was added to the England squad for the fourth Test against India, starting on July 23 at Old Trafford.Dawson, who last played a Test in July 2017, comes in after offspinner Shoaib Bashir was ruled out of the remainder of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a fractured finger on his left hand.Related

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Dawson has played just three Tests but has been a consistent performer for Hampshire in recent years, winning the PCA Player-of-the-Year award in 2024 and men’s domestic MVP in 2023. In the current County Championship, he has played all nine games for Hampshire to collect 21 wickets at an average of 40.04. More recently, he has been in action in the Vitality Blast, picking up 11 wickets in ten games.”Liam Dawson deserves his call-up. He has been in outstanding form in the County Championship and consistently puts in strong performances for Hampshire,” national selector Luke Wright said in an ECB statement.Dawson, 35, has played all three formats for England, most recently in T20Is. It was in 2016 that he made his international debut, and he was a member of England’s 2019 ODI World Cup-winning squad before falling out of favour. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo last year, Dawson had even said Test cricket was “completely off the radar” for him. He recently earned a T20I recall after nearly three years, playing in three games against West Indies last month, where he claimed his best international bowling figures of 4 for 20.England currently lead the five-match series 2-1 after a dramatic end to the third Test at Lord’s where Bashir took the last wicket of Mohammed Siraj to seal England’s slim 22-run win.

England squad for fourth Test against India

Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes