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Having elected to bat, Zimbabwe had got off to a quick start, but regular wickets from South Africa’s seamers meant they couldn’t post more than 132

The Report by Liam Brickhill12-Oct-2018Dane Paterson sends one down•AFP

South Africa sealed a series win in their T20I leg against Zimbabwe with a six-wicket win in the second match at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom. Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams top-scored with 41, but South Africa’s attack never let the visitors get away from them and Zimbabwe’s 132 for 7 wasn’t nearly enough to test a South African batting line-up full of seasoned T20 hitters. A 44-run stand between JP Duminy and Heinrich Klaasen put South Africa’s chase on course, and a 33-run partnership between Duminy and David Miller saw them home, with Duminy hitting the winning runs in the 16th over and finishing with 33 not out.Had this been a typical Potchefstroom pitch, South Africa might have completed their chase even sooner, but the ball didn’t come on to the bat as expected and Zimbabwe had an early opening when Rassie van der Dussen, opening the batting, chipped a return catch back to Chris Mpofu in the 4th over.At the other end, de Kock struggled to burst out of the blocks and had tapped his way to 15 from 19 deliveries before he and captain Faf du Plessis pressed the accelerator with 20 runs from Kyle Jarvis’ second over – and the last one of the Powerplay. De Kock fell straight afterwards to legspinner Brandon Mavuta, who once again brought energy and inventiveness to his spells.Mavuta should have had Klaasen caught behind in his next over, but a big deflection off the bat popped out of Brendan Taylor’s gloves. Klaasen took advantage of the lapse, hammering sixes over long-on and midwicket, and then taking South Africa’s score to 100 with a flick into the leg side in the 12th over.Duminy marshalled the chase from the other end, driving Williams through cover and slog-sweeping Mavuta over midwicket as whatever pressure Zimbabwe had been able to muster started to ease. With Miller for company, Duminy quickly whittled down the target and pulled Chris Mpofu to the deep square boundary to end the game and seal the series with more than four overs to spare.South Africa might have been made to sweat a little more over their chase had Zimbabwe been able to squeeze 20 or 30 more runs out of their innings, but they never really got going with the bat. Just three overs in their entire innings went for more than 10: the first when Hamilton Masakadza scooped, slammed and pulled 16 from Lungi Ngidi’s second over, the second when Williams slog swept a trio of sixes onto the grass banks as Tabraiz Shamsi bled 24 from his final over, and the third when Mavuta and Tendai Chisoro took 11 in a mad dash through the 20th over.Between times, tight lines, canny changes of pace and a pitch that didn’t quite play as quick as everyone expected tied the visiting batsmen down. Between Masakadza’s dismissal – heaving across the line to be bowled by Robbie Frylinck in the fifth over – and Taylor’s – missing a slog sweep at Shamsi in the 13th – Zimbabwe managed just one boundary and also lost Tarisai Musakanda for his second duck of the tour.Frylinck,Andile Phehlukwayo and – initially, at least – Shamsi helped South Africa control the middle of the innings. The two seamers conceded just a single each from their first overs, while Shamsi’s figures read 3-0-13-1 before Williams and Moor got hold of his final over.Dane Paterson, who opened the bowling with Ngidi on his return to international duty, was just as frugal. He also got the odd delivery to keep a touch low off a length, and struck with just such a delivery to get rid of Solomon Mire in his very first over, the batsman pulling at one that didn’t get up as high as he was expecting. Paterson returned to the attack to bowl Williams with a similar delivery in the 16th over, stalling Zimbabwe just as they were beginning to pick up momentum once again.Shrugging off his mauling by Masakadza at the top of the innings, Ngidi then found the edge of Elton Chigumbura’s bat and had Peter Moor caught in the deep as Zimbabwe’s batting ran out of steam to set a target that was well within South Africa’s reach.

After scoring his first hundreds of the summer, England’s Test captain can approach the challenge of India with faith in his game restored

Alan Gardner18-Jul-20180:48

Overcoming challenges a good World Cup preparation – Morgan

For a batsman as gifted as Joe Root, scoring a first century of the English summer in mid-July must constitute an unusually long wait. After 18 unsuccessful attempts across all formats, Root finally registered three figures in an innings at Lord’s on Saturday, and then promptly followed it up with another in the third ODI against India to seal England’s come-from-behind series victory.Both hundreds were unbeaten efforts in winning causes, and they could prove timely for another reason. England are set to embark on a demanding Test series against India, with five matches scheduled over six weeks from August 1, and to have their captain’s faith in his batting reaffirmed – albeit against the white ball rather than red – cannot do any harm. Root’s conversion issues have been even more acute in the longest format, but he will hope that a first Test hundred in 12 months is on the horizon.”It’s been a weird one really, I’ve not felt like I’ve been playing poorly or there’s been any sort of glaring mistakes in my game,” he said. “I think that’s why it was more frustrating but, ultimately, I had a think about how I wanted to go about things this series and I just went back to what has held me in really good stead for such a long time – trying to keep focusing on playing the situation, letting the guys bat around me and giving them the freedom to go and play. Over the course of the last two games, obviously it worked nicely.”Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of England’s eight-wicket stroll at Headingley was the fact that India’s spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, were kept wicketless on a surface that had aided Moeen Ali and, in particular, Adil Rashid. Kuldeep started the T20I and ODI series with a five-for and a six-for respectively, and has been included in the Test squad; however, after being dismissed twice off the first three balls he had faced from the left-arm wristspinner, Root found a way to adapt.In an exceptionally dry English summer, India’s spinners – which include Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, third and fifth on the ICC Test rankings – will pose a major threat, but Root said he had focused on the basics of footwork rather than using the spin-bowling machine Merlyn to practise against.”One thing that’s very easy to do is over-analyse things, over-think things,” Root said. “I felt like I was picking him [Kuldeep] fine and when you look at it for what it actually was, both games my movements weren’t quick enough and I wasn’t getting close enough to the ball, either going forward or back. The best players of spin in the world, their footwork is always sharp and when that contact point is there, you’re as still as possible. Under-arm feeds, trying to get close to the ball, [it is as] simple as that and the mindset of either giving myself as much time as possible or smothering the spin.”Joe Root’s ‘bat drop’ celebration provoked a ribbing from his team-mates•Getty Images

The question of England’s mental approach was at the forefront of Root’s thinking as he turned his focus to the Test series. Asked if he thought overcoming India in the ODIs gave England an edge, he suggested that their performance in beating Pakistan by an innings at Headingley last month – following a chastening defeat at Lord’s – was more significant as he seeks a steadier footing for the Test team after an up-and-down start to his captaincy.”Maybe slightly for the guys that have been involved in it [the one-day series] but it’s a completely different format and I think more importantly take all the good stuff we did in that last Test here, against Pakistan and try to replicate as much of that as possible – the way we went about it, the things that we did throughout that game, it left us a good benchmark,” Root said.”There will obviously be different surfaces, different challenges throughout but the way we approached it as a group, the mindset and attitude was really good. It was a good starting point for this team to kick-on after what’s been a difficult winter. That’s how I am going to judge it and that’s what I am going to put to the guys: how can we take that forward now?”There’s going to be a few challenges. We’ve not played Test cricket for quite a long time throughout this summer, which is quite strange really – it’s been a strange order to the way things have gone – but we’ve got an opportunity to play a round of county games now and get really ready for it, a few guys are obviously playing in that Lions game as well and I think it’s really important we look to start strong.”As for his most recent hundred, there was one moment Root wanted to quickly forget. After reaching his 13th ton in ODIs, surpassing Marcus Trescothick’s record for England, with a pulled four from the final ball of the chase, Root dropped his bat in MC style; but despite England Cricket tweeting approvingly, his team-mates were less impressed with such a sign-off.”It was something that I immediately regretted,” he said. “I’ve not heard the end of it, it was literally the most embarrassing thing I’ve done on a cricket field. I don’t think it will be the last I hear of it from the group – they’ve been hammering me.”You’d think if you were going to do a celebration like that, you’d have smacked it 30 yards out of the ground… it was just an absolute car crash.”

“Hurting” after the one-run loss to Peshawar Zalmi, the Quetta Gladiators head coach lamented the loss of Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen, who had led them to the playoffs

Umar Farooq in Lahore21-Mar-2018Last season, Quetta Gladiators made it to the PSL final in Lahore without their first-choice overseas players, and the depleted side was bowled out for 90 by Peshawar Zalmi, eventually losing by a massive 58 runs. This season, Quetta made it to the first eliminator with the help of their two best overseas players – Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen – but those two pulled out from the Lahore trip and Quetta were knocked out. What would have added to Quetta’s pains was how they came close to winning on Tuesday night, when they needed three to win off the final ball, but fell short by only one run.A team that had the potential to win the title crashed out mainly because they were deprived of their best possible combination. Feeling “hurt” because of the situation, their head coach Moin Khan has urged the PCB to avoid picking players in the PSL draft who refuse to tour Pakistan. He also dismissed the importance of individual players and said the brand of PSL was taking a hit because of players pulling out at the most important stage of the tournament.”We, in the coming season, should only pick players who have the consent to visit Pakistan,” Moin said after the match. “We do not need to push for individuality as our league has now become a bigger brand and now we need to go on and think about the teams. So going into the future, we don’t need to get these players who don’t want to come to Pakistan. In fact, this is hurting Pakistan as it is sending a negative signal and affects our country’s image as well.”Their refusal on visiting Pakistan sends a false impression that we are an unsafe country, but I am pretty sure we are a safe country and they should come here and play. I personally feel we eventually shouldn’t be dependent on these players. If somebody respects Pakistan and the image of the country, he should come and play this league.”Watson and Pietersen, who had scored 319 and 155 runs respectively along with Watson’s 11 wickets, had led Quetta’s top order in the group stage while Rilee Rossouw held their middle order as they won five games out of the 10 played in the UAE. But their entire combination for the eliminator in Lahore was disturbed after Watson and Pietersen pulled out due to safety concerns. Quetta had to then pick players from outside their roster who landed in Lahore hours before the game.Thisara Perera, for example, had to take three flights to reach Lahore. Peshawar, on the contrary, had their full-strength side to play, led by West Indies’ Darren Sammy.Quetta were the most aggrieved team, led by Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who had to come up with a new combination for the eliminator. Moin Khan said he pushed his local players to step up despite the limitation, and dispelled the importance of overseas players but stated that he was let down by a few local players and that a few unnecessary shots cost them the game.”[I am] feeling hurt as a head coach,” Moin said after the match. “It was a good match in terms of entertainment but we made mistakes and a few unnecessary shots were played. But overall your combination is broken…it happens because Shane Watson didn’t come despite committing and about KP we always knew he wouldn’t be coming to Pakistan. So the problem is very obvious and otherwise we are not really choking because we were without our right combination and our strength was broken so we were nowhere.”Even today, our one overseas player – Thisara Perera – he joined us at a time when we were making our way to the ground and he landed in Lahore after three connections from Colombo to Dubai to Karachi to Lahore. Tom [Kohler-Cadmore] and Mahmudullah landed earlier this morning. No matter how big a player you are, your body needs rest. We had discussed in our team meeting that we don’t need to depend on our overseas players, and have to show our commitment and take responsibility as a team. Winning and losing is a part of the game but I am happy that we still managed to stretch the game in the end and we had a close finish.”

Kent battled hard for an unlikely draw but Ben Coad’s nine wickets in the match completed a 172-run win

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2019Prolonged Kent resistance eventually counted for little as Yorkshire’s persistent attack mopped up the seven wickets required to secure a 172-run Specsavers County Championship win in Canterbury. Facing an improbable victory target of 384, the hosts did superbly well to take the match into its final session before White Rose seamer Ben Coad mopped up the tail with a season’s best 6 for 52.The fourth day started with a stoical fourth-wicket stand between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Fred Klaassen which frustrated the Tykes’ attack throughout the opening session in adding 54 runs inside 34 overs either side of lunch. Yorkshire finally broke through soon after the resumption when Klassen, the 26-year-old nightwatchman making his Championship debut for Kent, steered one from Duanne Olivier to second slip to end his two-and-a-half hour, 110-ball stay for 13.Hampered by the loss of Tim Bresnan to a calf injury – the former England seamer slipped over when delivering his first ball of day and limped off after completing only two overs – Yorkshire’s attack continued to chip away to pick up three more wickets in the mid-session.Interim Kent captain Heino Kuhn, who has one first-class fifty to date this season, went for a seven-ball duck when nicking to second slip after an ugly, low-handed defensive prod. Bell-Drummond, who offered two chances that were both dropped in the cordon by Lyth, moved past 5000 first-class career runs during his 170-minute stay and was nine short of a battling fifty when he played across one from Steven Patterson to go lbw.Then, after being checked out for concussion following a fearsome blow on the helmet from an Olivier bouncer, Kent’s first innings century-maker Ollie Robinson drove a slower ball away-swinger from Coad to Gary Ballance at cover to make it 142 for 7.Alex Blake and Harry Podmore resisted for 22 overs either side of tea until the introduction of offspinner Jack Leaning accounted for Blake, leg before when prodding outside the line of an arm-ball. With 24 overs remaining Yorkshire took the second new ball through Coad and Olivier, but Podmore and Matt Milnes continued Kent’s defiance into the final hour of the match.Moments later, Coad ran one up the slope to pluck out Podmore’s middle stump for 29, scored in a shade under two hours then, in his next over same bowler had last man Mitch Claydon caught at short leg to secure victory with 15.1 overs to spare.Coad led the bowling plaudits with six wickets, to go with his two previous five-wicket hauls this summer, and Olivier 2 for 92 in clinching unbeaten Yorkshire’s second win of the campaign that takes them to second spot in the table. After their second defeat on returning to Division One Kent slip to fifth.

The board also introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis

Mohammad Isam10-Aug-2025The BCB has brought in Alex Marshall, Julian Wood and Tony Hemming as the three new appointments after its meeting in Dhaka on Saturday. Wood will come in as a specialist batting coach for three months. He is a power-hitting specialist who recently worked with Sri Lanka Cricket.Marshall has been appointed as a consultant for the board’s anti-corruption department, for one year. Marshall was the ICC’s anti-corruption unit general manager until September last year. BCB’s media committee chair Iftekhar Rahman said they want Marshall to “enhance” the board’s anti-corruption unit.Rahman also said that the BCB has appointed the ICC’s integrity unit to oversee the BPL’s anti-corruption operations.The BCB’s anti-corruption unit is currently investigating corruption allegations from the BPL and Dhaka Premier League of the 2024-25 season.The BCB has also brought back Hemming, who recently resigned as the PCB’s head curator. Hemming had taken up the Pakistan role after being BCB’s curator from July 2023 to July 2024. Hemming’s appointment brought the question of whether Gamini Silva, the Shere Bangla National Stadium curator, will continue in his role. Rahman said that Gamini was given a one-year extension.”Tony Hemming has been appointed head of turf management for two years,” Rahman said. “All our international venues and curators will be under him. He will also undertake the process of training Bangladeshi curators. All the board directors had a lot of interest in bringing him back.”Hemming is one of the best curators in the world. Maybe he had a good experience with the BCB in the previous occasion, that’s why he agreed to come back. The turf management will run as Hemming will want. Time will tell if Gamini will stay or not. He has been given a 12-month extension.”Meanwhile, the BCB introduced Mymensingh as the latest first-class team. It will replace Dhaka Metropolis, which was introduced in 2011 to make it an even number of teams in the first-class competition.”Mymensingh is one of the country’s newest divisions,” Rahman said. “They will play in the NCL first-class tournament from the coming season. They will replace Dhaka Metropolis. Mymensingh will play all divisional tournaments though we can’t accommodate them in the upcoming NCL T20s as the schedule has been made. Mymensingh will play in the T20 tournament from the next edition.”

The 19-year-old opener was the centre of attention in his first two Tests and is now about to embark on his first tour

AAP14-Jan-20251:52

Smith: Konstas can bat conventionally too, he’s got ‘all the tools’

Sam Konstas has conceded his emotions got the better of him during his first Test series but the batting prodigy will keep backing himself on the tour of Sri Lanka.Konstas has not yet heard from selectors about their top-order plans for the two-Test series that begins on January 29, with Travis Head a chance to open after a fruitful shift to the top during Australia’s last subcontinent tour in 2023.Related

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Usman Khawaja’s track record against spin and gutsy 41 runs in the series-deciding run chase against India are likely to factor into plans, as would the chance to give teenager Konstas his first taste of Test cricket abroad.”It’s obviously a huge honour representing my country and touring to Sri Lanka. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and I’m keen to learn and get better,” Konstas said. “Obviously we’ve got a strong squad. If I do get the opportunity [to open], hopefully I’ll take it with both hands.”Konstas won hearts and minds with his creative shot selection during his first two opportunities, opening alongside Khawaja in Test victories against India at the MCG and SCG. But his ongoing battle with seasoned Indian foes captured just as much attention.En route to a half-century in his first innings, Konstas found himself at the centre of drama after Virat Kohli barged into him between overs at the MCG.Sam Konstas made a crucial half-century in tricky conditions against Perth Scorchers•Getty Images

His decision to chirp at Jasprit Bumrah backfired late on day one in Sydney, with a posse of Indian players swarming him at the non-strikers end when Bumrah dismissed Khawaja despite Konstas’ attempts at time-wasting. Konstas expected it would be easier to remain level-headed in Sri Lanka.”It’s going to be completely different with the crowds, obviously,” he said. “It was the first time playing with big crowds and maybe the emotions got to me a bit, reflecting on it. But obviously Sri Lanka are going to be tough to beat in their home conditions. I’m looking forward to that.”There has been no shortage of punditry questioning Konstas’ high-risk approach to Test cricket, especially after the teenager slogged straight to a fielder in the all-important final chase at the SCG.But he will remain his confident self if given a chance in Sri Lanka, where he has previously travelled for a 10-day skills camp.”I feel like I’ll just keep backing myself. Obviously I’m going to adapt with my different methods. I can’t wait for that to happen,” he said.Konstas will have one last hit-out for Sydney Thunder against Sydney Sixers this Friday before flying out to Australia’s training camp in the UAEThe 19-year-old has made two half-centuries in his first four BBL knocks, including 53 runs in the defeat of Perth Scorchers that sealed Thunder’s spot in the finals on Monday night.He was not selected in Australia’s squad for the Champions Trophy, having played only one List A game, but is keen to become a fixture in international white-ball cricket as well as Tests.”That’s a dream come true hopefully but they [selectors] haven’t said anything,” he said. “I’m just focusing on tonight. We had a good win and we’re off to the Sixers. I’m just being in the present moment and trying to score some runs.”

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates and analysis of today’s World Cup encounter from Cardiff

Liam Brickhill15-Jun-2019

Home side bowled out in 24.3 overs, then blitzed in chase that only last 20.5

Firdose Moonda02-Sep-2025South Africa 137 for 3 (Markram 86) beat England 131 (Smith 54, Maharaj 4-22, Mulder 3-33) by seven wicketsEngland’s batters lasted more than 100 balls, but not much more. They were dismissed in 147 balls for their fourth-lowest total against South Africa in a display of batting that could best be described as fatigued, perhaps from a month of playing in the Hundred.By the time South Africa’s batters had faced 100 balls, the job was as good as done. Aiden Markram scored the fastest fifty by a South African opener, off 23 balls, and dominated an opening stand of 121 with Ryan Rickelton to take South Africa home and open the series with an emphatic win. They batted for 125 balls.The whole match lasted just 272 balls, perhaps as a nod to the difference in preparation for these two sides for this series to where there are on the road to 2027. While South Africa played a series Australia, England only had an optional training session as they rolled in straight from the Hundred. That may also mean England are just beginning their planning for the next World Cup, while South Africa see themselves as on the path as they seek to adopt a more fearless style of play. England often use that kind of language but their loose drives and soft chips were more reckless than brave against a well-drilled South African attack.Keshav Maharaj, recently elevated to No. 1 on the ICC’s ODI bowling rankings, was the most successful bowler and picked up the third four-for of his career. Wiaan Mulder scooped 3 for 33 to mark only the second time he has taken three wickets in an ODI. South Africa also took all their catching chances, seven in total, after a ragged showing in Australia, and made good on Temba Bavuma’s decision to bowl first.England started off in signature style as Jamie Smith closed out the first over with back-to-back drives off full Nandre Burger deliveries and Ben Duckett pushed one past Lungi Ngidi that went for four. But Burger also found swing and in his second over, Duckett was tempted to play at a good-length ball without moving his feet and nicked off to continue a tough run. Duckett only had one score over 20 in eight innings in the Hundred but concerns about his form seemed immaterial when Joe Root drove Burger for four with a high elbow off the second ball he faced and held the pose for good measure.Runs kept coming in boundaries as Root took two off Ngidi and Smith took advantage of width from Burger. However, Bavuma stuck with his frontline seamers and it paid off. Root prodded at an Ngidi ball and edged behind, Ryan Rickelton diving to his right to hold the ball in his glove but it popped out as he hit the ground. He was able to get both gloves to the rebound and claimed the catch, which was confirmed on replay.Harry Brook responded by tonking Ngidi’s first ball for four and Smith just kept swinging. Corbin Bosch was brought on in the ninth over but was guided past third and then through midwicket as Smith entered the 30s. England finished the Powerplay on 57 for 2, with 44 of those runs in boundaries.The Smith-Brook partnership grew to 38 and the pair were on top of South Africa’s seamers when a moment of misjudgement separated them. Brook hit Mulder into the covers and called for two but the second run wasn’t on, Tristan Stubbs swooped in and threw to Rickelton, who broke the stumps and England were 82 for 3. Still, with Smith batting well, they would not have had many concerns. Smith brought up his second ODI fifty, and second successive one, when he sent Maharaj through the covers for four off the 46th ball he faced.At the end of that over, Jos Buttler hit the ball to the boundary, where Tony de Zorzi dived to stop four and hurt his hamstring in the process. He left the field for treatment, did not field again and was not required to bat.An incident like that could easily have shifted momentum England’s way but the opposite happened. In the next over, Smith flicked Mulder to fine leg, Bosch made good ground to his left and took an excellent one-handed catch and the collapse had begun. England lost seven wickets for 29 runs in 43 balls and almost all of them were avoidable.Jacob Bethell was lured into a drive by a floated up Maharaj delivery, got a thin edge and the ball was parried off Rickelton’s gloves to Markram at slip. He took the catch while almost blindsided by his own keeper. Will Jacks popped a simple return chance back to Maharaj; Buttler was leaden-footed when he drove and inside-edged Mulder to Rickelton and Jofra Archer nicked the next ball low to first slip, where Markram picked up another. Mulder was on a hat-trick but Maharaj cleaned up. He had Adil Rashid trapped in front of leg stump and removed debutant Sonny Baker’s middle stump to dismiss England inside 25 overs.Baker would be the first to attempt to defend their score. Given the opening over on debut, his second ball slid down leg and Markram helped it on its way for four. Baker then overcompensated and offered width as Markram cashed in on the off side. The first over went for 14 runs.Rickelton, who has struggled for rhythm from the Australia tour, could not find any early on in England either. He could not get Archer’s first four balls away and then edged the fifth one in the direction of first slip. Root claimed the catch as he seemed to think he got his fingers under the ball and while some replays agreed, others seemed to show the ball bouncing just in front. Rickelton was given not out. Archer finished the over by hitting him on the pads but England didn’t review. If they had, Hawk-Eye showed the ball would have been hitting leg stump and Rickelton would have been out for a duck.Instead, he watched as Markram continued to show Baker no mercy and took 20 off his second over, including two sixes. Rickelton’s opportunity finally came against Baker in his third over and he just about found his touch. He drove Baker for four, edged him short of slip and then flicked off the pads. Despite his first three overs costing 44 runs, Baker got a fourth over and still could not get it right. He overpitched, Markram drove for four, then down the ground and then over the covers to bring up his half-century off 23 balls, with 44 runs scored in boundaries.Baker’s four overs cost 56 runs and he was taken out of the attack before bring brought back in the 12th over and delivering a boundary-free six balls. His relief was short-lived. Baker’s next two overs cost 18 runs and his final analysis of 7-0-76-0 was the most expensive by an England player on debut.Markram had three figures in his sights but with 11 runs left to win was strongly caught by Smith at cover, who intercepted a ball that was destined for the boundary. Bavuma tried to finish it quickly but was caught at mid-off and Tristan Stubbs’ nightmare run continued as he was bowled for a duck to leave Rashid on a hat-trick. Across all formats, Stubbs has only scored one half-century in 35 innings this year. Dewald Brevis finished it off with a six as England lost for the third successive time to South Africa.

Adam Lyth’s career-best bowling display in vain as Yorkshire fall two wickets short of first win of the season

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2024Ricardo Vasconcelos hit a valiant 129 not out as he attempted to power Northamptonshire to an unlikely victory over Yorkshire in this Vitality County Championship match which ended in high drama on a see-saw final evening at Wantage Road.Yorkshire had set up a tantalising run chase of challenging 326 to win in a little over two sessions, and when Vasconcelos warmed up for the T20 Blast game with 17 boundaries all around the ground, a home win looked a possibility.But a dramatic clatter of wickets as Yorkshire’s attack staged a late fightback set nerves jangling in the home dressing room, Vasconcelos had to switch gears to ensure his side held out for the draw, eight wickets down, in an innings full of character and maturity.At 165 for 2 in the 33rd over, with Vasconcelos sharing a quickfire stand of 63 in 55 balls with Karun Nair (36), Northamptonshire were set for an enthralling white ball style finish. But a persistent Yorkshire bowling attack fought back hard taking three wickets for 13, and the last six for 54, as first innings centurion Adam Lyth concluded a memorable 200th Championship match with career-best bowling figures of 4 for 56.In an innings full of character and maturity Vasconcelos held his nerve as Northamptonshire saw out the draw.Earlier Yorkshire captain Shan Masood (131 not out) declared his side’s innings on 264 for 6 just before lunch, dangling the carrot of a chase which would have been the tenth highest to beat Yorkshire by any team in its history.Ultimately, though, the loss of 17 overs during two stoppages for rain took too much time out of the game, and the captains shook hands shortly after 6.20pm. The draw leaves both sides winless after seven games, Yorkshire taking 14 points and Northamptonshire 13.

India’s T20I captain “can’t wait to be back” with the team set to tour Bangladesh in August 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2025India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav had a successful hernia surgery in Munich, Germany and is currently in recovery.Suryakumar was last seen at IPL 2025, where he was a crucial part of Mumbai Indians’ run into the playoffs. The 34-year-old middle-order batter set a new world record for consecutive 25-plus scores (16). On the back of that, he finished with a total of 717 runs, the highest by a non-opener in IPL and the highest by an MI batter in a single season.India’s immediate assignments are the ongoing Test tour of England, which carries on until August 4. Then they shift focus to a white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which contains three ODIs and three T20Is. Suryakumar isn’t a regular for India in 50-overs cricket – he hasn’t played the format since the 2023 World Cup final. Given this schedule, he had some free time on his hands to complete the surgery and his recovery before he takes charge of the T20 line-up in Chattogram on August 26.