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Jess Jonassen’s 63 not-out off 29 balls extended Brisbane Heat’s lead at the top of the WBBL table

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2019Adelaide Strikers‘ Sophie Devine continued her scintillating form in the WBBL with an unbeaten 63, her third straight unbeaten half-century, fifth in a row and sixth this season, to make short work of the modest 113 chase against Sydney Thunder in Wollongong. With 475 runs, Devine is second on the run-scorers’ list, behind Brisbane Heat’s Beth Mooney. After opting to bat, Thunder saw only one of their batters strike at over 100 – captain Rachael Haynes struck 33 off 27 – as their top order could only take them to 2 for 72 after 15 overs. They managed only two more fours after that but relied on singles, doubles and a few extras to score 40 in the last five overs and post 4 for 112. Megan Schutt finished with an economical 4-0-15-0 and Devine struck once to end with 4-0-21-1. Devine then opened the batting with Suzie Bates for a stand of 53 in under 10 overs to set the tone for the chase. Thunder took three quick wickets – two of those by Nida Dar – but Devine’s blows and the modest total meant the Strikers were home with five balls to spare.Nicola Carey’s unbeaten 55 and Belinda Vakarewa’s four-for helped Hobart Hurricanes to their first win in eight games, and their third win this season, as Sydney Sixers lost by five wickets with 10 balls to spare at the North Sydney Oval. Having elected to bat first, Sixers had their top four batters dismissed cheaply within the first six overs by Vakarewa. Tayla Vlaeminck then dismissed Maddy Darke for a duck to leave Sixers reeling at 5 for 30. Marizanne Kapp fought back with an unbeaten 40-ball 55, helping the hosts past 100, making a 56-run stand with Lauren Smith (23 off 31 balls) and a 35-run stand with Dane Van Niekerk (17 off 9 balls). In the 134-run chase, Hurricanes’ top three batters fell early to Kapp and Stella Campbell. But Carey then took charge, playing cautiously as she brought up her half-century off 45 balls. Chloe Tryon joined Carey for a 48-run sixth-wicket stand, and with the requirement reduced to eight runs off 12 balls, Tryon hit two sixes in the 19th over to seal the chase for Hurricanes.Half-centuries from openers Amy Jones (70) and Meg Lanning (68*) headlined Perth Scorchers‘ 150 chase and helped them seal victory with nine wickets and five balls in hand against the Melbourne Stars at the Junction Oval. Scorchers are now placed fourth with 12 points, ahead of Melbourne Renegades who lost to Brisbane Heat in the first match of the day. Jones and Lanning nearly earned a 10-wicket win but their stand of 147 came to an end when Jones edged one to wicketkeeper Elyse Villani for her 70 off 55 balls with nine fours. Natalie Sciver hit the winning runs on the next ball, with Lanning unbeaten on 68 off 59. Earlier, the Stars saw a half-century opening partnership between Villani (59) and Lizelle Lee (24). No. 3 Mignon du Preez also chipped in with 38 off 22 to take them past 100 but their middle order couldn’t capitalise on the start to help them past 150. Medium-pacer Samantha Betts dismissed Lee, du Preez and Annabel Sutherland to finish with 3 for 21.Getty Images

Jess Jonassen’s sparkling 63 not-out off 29 balls extended Brisbane Heat‘s lead at the top of the WBBL table with a six-run win against the Melbourne Renegades at the Junction Oval. Renegades gave the visitors a scare as they needed 21 from 12 balls, and later 15 off the last over, but they lost three wickets in the last four balls, including two run-outs, and fell short to remain on ten points. Heat got a stable start courtesy of opener Maddy Green’s 32 off 31 before Jonassen walked out at the halfway mark, at 57 for 2. Wickets fell around her but Jonassen propelled the run rate from under six to over 7.5 per over by smashing six fours and three sixes. Heat collected 42 off the last three overs, with five fours and two sixes from Jonassen alone to post a strong 5 for 153. Renegades got a promising start with Danni Wyatt’s 40 off 18, but once she holed out to deep midwicket off Amelia Kerr in the eighth over, the hosts found it tough to stay on top of the chase, with only two more batters able to score at more than run a ball. Jonassen finished with 1 for 27 from her four overs to be named the Player of the Match.

Their best chance could be to target Pakistan’s shaky middle order that is heavily reliant on top-order contributions from Babar and Hafeez

The Preview by Danyal Rasool27-Oct-2018

Big Picture

Australia need to salvage some pride on this UAE tour, and they’ve almost run out of chances. Sunday represents their last chance to do that, and with the visitors guaranteed to return home without any silverware, it is only pride they can fight for. They haven’t really been competitive in the Tests as well as T20Is. The 1-0 defeat in the Tests was , if anything, flattering for Australia, while the apparently narrow margin of the defeat in the second T20I concealed how comfortable Pakistan had been for all but two overs in the entire game. There’s little evidence any of that can change in Dubai on Sunday, but with Pakistan perhaps looking to experiment with their line-up and the pressure off Australia now the series is over, it isn’t unthinkable they could come away with the whitewash avoided.It’s been a slightly strange series for Pakistan, in which they haven’t hit the spectacular heights you’d expect of the No.1 side. The batting has never quite come together, and the two-mid-ranging totals they compiled might have proved significantly harder to defend against a better side than the one they’re playing against now. Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez have been responsible for the bulk of the runs; no other batsman in either T20I scored more than 17 runs. Alternately, it might be a horses-for-courses approach, with Pakistan confident the bowlers can defend any total in excess of 140. This would mean Pakistan haven’t felt the need to take greater risks in search of higher totals.It is unlikely Pakistan will ease up on their intensity, though. There’s barely time between the end of this series and the beginning of the next; Pakistan take on New Zealand in the first T20I three days after this game ends. They will look to maintain the momentum and sustain their winning habits that will be necessary against the tougher challenge New Zealand will likely pose, with a whitewash being the perfect way to go into that leg of the home winter.

Form guide

Australia LLWLW
Pakistan WWWWW

In the spotlight

Pakistan’s middle order may be choc-a-bloc with all-round talent, but at the moment, it looks like a gaping hole as far as the batting order is concerned. The players coming in from No. 4 onwards haven’t provided Pakistan with the reliability a top-class side needs from its batsmen, and so far they have had to rely heavily on Babar and Hafeez Should Australia find a way to snare a couple of quick wickets tomorrow, that misfiring middle order will find itself thrust into a role it hasn’t fulfilled this series so far. It may well be the key battleground in Dubai tomorrow, as well as the best route to victory Australia have.Andrew Tye has been a regular for Australia in this format for the past 18 months or so, missing only one of his side’s 19 T20Is. Highly rated in Australia as a wicket-taker with plenty of variations – like any modern T20 fast bowler – he was perhaps the visitors’ best bowler in the first T20I, conceding just 24 runs while taking three wickets.However, his second T20I , where he went for 40 off four overs, was more representative of his overall international career. With an economy rate of 8.69, Tye is in the top ten for worst economy rates in T20I cricket; only thrice in his 21 matches has he gone for under seven runs per over. It means the batsmen have to chase higher totals, and if there’s one thing we know about this Australian side, the batting lacks confidence. If he can put in a performance closer to the one he enjoyed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, he will increase Australia’s chances of avoiding a whitewash here.

Team news

Pakistan could experiment, having already sealed the series. But everyone in the squad is more than up to the challenge, and competition for places is fierce. Opener Sahibzada Farhan may be given the chance to add to his solitary international cap, while Waqas Maqsood, included in the squad place of Mohammad Amir, could make his debut.Pakistan (possible): 1 Babar Azam, 2 Fakhar Zaman/Sahibzada Farhan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez , 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Asif Ali, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Shadab Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen Afridi/Waqas MaqsoodIt’s hard to see Australia making a raft of changes. It is improved performances that will get them results; there’s no X-factor sitting on the bench. Mitchell Starc is unlikely to be risked so soon after injury, given the series is gone. Ashton Agar may come back to the side, with Ben McDermott the likeliest to make way.Australia (possible): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Chris Lynn, 4 Mitchell Marsh/, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Andrew Tye, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 11 Billy Stanlake

Pitch and conditions

Conditions are much they same as they were on Friday. Australia will be keen to give batting first a try, though, after their unsuccessful chasing efforts.

Stats and trivia

• If Pakistan win tomorrow, it will be the first time they have whitewashed Australia in a limited-overs series longer than two games
• For Australians with five or more wickets, no one has a better T20I economy rate than Adam Zampa’s 6.05.
  

Lancashire kept their NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final hopes alive by brushing Worcestershire aside in their penultimate North Group game at Emirates Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2017Jos Buttler guided the chase with an unbeaten fifty•Getty Images

Lancashire kept their NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final hopes alive by brushing Worcestershire aside in their penultimate North Group game at Emirates Old Trafford, winning by seven wickets with 15 balls to spare.The lowly Rapids were stifled by spin as they posted only 127 for 8 on a pitch used for a Women’s Super League game earlier in the day. Lancashire’s quartet of spinners returned 4 for 66 from 13 overs combined, with in-form leggie Matt Parkinson the pick of them with 1 for 14 from four.Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone then shared a third-wicket stand of 76 in eleven overs. Livingstone hit 36 off 37 balls without a boundary, while Buttler finished unbeaten on 52 off 40 with four fours and two sixes. Offspinner Arron Lilley struck twice and later hit a brisk 31.The Lightning move up a place to sixth with their fifth win. They have 13 points from as many games and host Birmingham Bears on Friday. They must win and hope other results go their way to qualify.Parkinson’s economy rate was much-talked about even before this game having returned 4 for 23 in defeat to Yorkshire last Friday. Here, he bowled Daryl Mitchell with a big-spinning leg break in his latest miserly spell.Of all bowlers who have bowled more than three overs in this season’s Blast, the 20-year-old’s economy rate of 5.78 runs per over is the best. He has 13 wickets from eight appearances.Left-armer Stephen Parry opened the bowling and struck in the seventh over to get Mitchell Santner caught at deep midwicket. Pakistan overseas seamer Junaid Khan also claimed two-for.Only captain and opener Joe Leach, who fell to a brilliant one-handed diving catch by Buttler off Ryan McLaren, and Brett D’Oliveira made it into the twenties for the Rapids, with 24 off 17 balls and 30 off 33 respectively.Josh Tongue got rid of Jordan Clark courtesy of a fine tumbling catch at short fine-leg by debutant Patrick Brown four balls into the Lightning chase.Lilley then hit three fours in a row off Tongue at the start of the fifth over to take his side to 34 for 1 and ahead on Duckworth Lewis Stern with rain threatening the Manchester area. He had hit five fours by the time he was trapped lbw by legspinner D’Oliveira as the score fell to 47 for 2 in the seventh.Livingstone and Buttler took the score to 68 for 2 after 10, and when the latter hit Alex Hepburn’s medium-pacers for six over long-on to take the score to 90 for 2 in the 14th, it was the first boundary in almost eight overs. The half-century stand came up off 45 balls in the next over before, with net run-rate in mind, the last 30 runs came in double quick time for the loss of only Livingstone.

Glenn Maxwell has said his offspin will remain crucial if he is to nail down a long-term place in Australia’s Test-match plans

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2016Glenn Maxwell has said his offspin will remain crucial if he is to nail down a long-term place in Australia’s Test-match plans. Batting is Maxwell’s primary skill, but he does not want to go down the path taken by Steven Smith, whose rapid rise since his comeback to the Test team in 2013, after two years out, followed a decision to focus more on his batting.”I don’t think I can rest on just being a batsman,” Maxwell told . “I know Steve Smith went that way when he lost his Test spot, not really bowling much at all. But I don’t think I can go that direction. I have to keep working on both parts of my game and make sure they’re good enough.”I’ve decided not to play in England for the first time in four years. It might be a good chance to get a pre-season under my belt and spend a bit of time working on my game.”Maxwell was part of the Test squad that was scheduled to tour Bangladesh last year, but did not do so owing to security concerns. But he has not found a place in the 15-man squad for Australia’s next subcontinental assignment, the Sri Lanka tour in July-August, with Moises Henriques, a seam-bowling allrounder, taking his place.Steve O’Keefe, who bowls left-arm orthodox, is the second spinner in the squad, and Maxwell has admitted it will be difficult for him to take that slot, given he turns the ball the same way as Nathan Lyon, Australia’s lead spinner.”Competing with Nathan Lyon is always going to be tough,” Maxwell said. “I’ve just got to improve my batting to the point where they can’t resist having me as an allrounder and a back-up to him.”With the bat, Maxwell has shown good red-ball form in the limited first-class opportunities he has had in recent months, amidst all his limited-overs commitments. In the six Sheffield Shield matches he played in the 2015-16 season, Maxwell made 392 runs at an average of 56.00, with four half-centuries and a highest score of 98. Still, he feels he will need to keep scoring runs, starting with the ODI triangular in the West Indies, to keep himself in the frame for Test selection.”If I can make some runs then and also hopefully in Sri Lanka for the one-day series, it still puts pressure on those guys in the squad,” Maxwell said. “I was obviously a bit disappointed initially but having a look at the squad they’ve picked for Sri Lanka, I can understand. They’ve got all bases covered. I think it’s a squad that is going to win the series. It’s a really strong squad and I fully understand why I’m not in it.”

James Vince struck an unbeaten 99 to move Hampshire ahead of Kent at the top of South Group on a foggy night at Canterbury

ECB/PA13-Jun-2015
ScorecardJames Vince finished a ball short of his hundred was Hampshire went top•Getty Images

Hampshire’s James Vince hit an unbeaten 99 and made light of a double-digit asking rate to fire Hampshire to the top of South Group with a six-wicket win over previous leaders Kent Spitfires.In pursuit of 184 at a required rate of 10.22 in a game reduced to 18 overs per side by an early evening thunderstorm, Vince, the tall England Lions right-hander, clattered a season’s competition best 99 not out from 57 balls to see Hampshire home at a misty Canterbury with one delivery to spare.The visitors had made a poor start to their reply when Michael Carberry fenced at the fourth ball of the reply from Matt Coles to edge to Spitfires’ keeper Ryan Davies, making his T20 debut behind the stumps.Davies was in the action again in Coles’ next over, tumbling to his right to take a bottom-edged catch that dismissed Jimmy Adams for 16 as Hampshire reached 46 for 2 after their Powerplay.

Insights

These two sides served up a cracker once more and it was the same men – Sam Northeast, Alex Blake and James Vince – dominating with the bat. The two teams went about their batting very differently, however. In the first 16, Kent didn’t take more than 11 from a Hampshire over before Blake and Adam Ball pilfered 21 from each of the final two. Hampshire were far steadier. They notched boundaries in all but three and, prior to the last, took 12 or more from six (only three cost less than eight, too) to stay ahead of the rate and not require a blockbuster finish from Vince. – Will Macpherson

As fog descended on the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Hampshire had 75 on the scoreboard when Owais Shah walked across his stumps aiming for the short, mid-wicket boundary only to miss out and go lbw to Darren Stevens.But with first-choice bowlers David Griffiths and Calum Haggett out injured, Kent’s threadbare attack struggled in the middle overs as Hampshire’s Sean Ervine and Vince raised their side’s hundred after 10.2 overs to maintain the asking rate.Vince reached a 36-ball 50 and celebrated by clubbing his third six of the night over mid-wicket off deposed England spinner James Tredwell, but Ervine’s stay ended for 36 when he clipped Adam Ball to long off to conclude a stand that added 58 in 5.1 overs.Vince ploughed on however, plundering a fourth six off Ball that endangered the staff in a mobile burger bar positioned near the Old Dover Road as Hampshire edged home for a fourth win in six starts.Batting first after winning their fourth successive T20 toss, Kent’s Joe Denly opened his boundary account with an on-drive to the ropes against Fidel Edwards, who responded next ball with a yorker that pegged back Denly’s leg stump and sent the right-hander packing for six.Sam Northeast, the competition’s leading run-scorer going into the game, found his range with consecutive fours off left-arm spinner Danny Briggs to take Kent to 47 for 1 after their shortened, five-over Powerplay but, without addition to the score, Daniel Bell-Drummond missed a leg-side clip to be bowled by Yasir Arafat’s first ball of the night.Fabian Cowdrey moved to 13 with a rasping cover drive for four against Danny Briggs but, he missed an attempted cut to the left-arm spinner’s next ball to be bowled and leave Spitfires on 77 for 3 at the mid-point of their innings.Northeast launched a six over extra cover on his way to a 29-ball half-century – his fourth time past 50 in seven south group starts this season – but, four balls later, he holed out to long on to give Edwards a second scalp.Alex Blake and Stevens upped the tempo with a brace of sixes, the second of which took an out-of-sorts Stevens to 23 – his highest score in this season’s Blast event – but two runs later Stevens skied to long-off.Blake, who hit an unbeaten 71 off 30 balls in last month’s reverse fixture at the Ageas Bowl, took 21 off Arafat’s final over and a further two boundaries against Edwards took him to an unbeaten 49 from 25 balls and his side to 183 for 5.

Warwickshire will welcome back Jeetan Patel, the New Zealand offspinner who took 51 wickets in their Championship-winning campaign last season, as their overseas player for 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2012Warwickshire will welcome back Jeetan Patel, the New Zealand offspinner who took 51 wickets in their Championship-winning campaign last season, as their overseas player for 2013. Patel’s form was a key part of Warwickshire’s title success and also helped win him a recall with New Zealand.Patel has played for Warwickshire in three of the last four seasons, taking 74 first-class wickets at 25.72. New Zealand play two Tests in England in May 2013 but Daniel Vettori’s expected return to fitness may mean Patel is not required.”Winning the County Championship with Warwickshire is one of the highlights of my career and with such a strong squad available, I see no reason why we can’t push harder for success in all formats next season,” Patel said. “The new facilities at Edgbaston have made it one of the best grounds in the world and Birmingham has certainly become my adopted home. I’m looking forward to returning in 2013 and hopefully playing a major part in more success for Warwickshire.”Warwickshire will being their title defence against Division Two champions Derbyshire on April 10, with Patel available for the start of the season. One person who won’t be there to welcome the offspinner back is director of cricket, Ashley Giles, who will take charge of England’s limited-overs teams in January.”Jeets is a world-class spinner who’s produced many outstanding performances, and is a great role model to the younger players in the squad,” the outgoing Giles said. “Whilst I’m moving on to my role with the England team, I’m delighted that the club has been able to secure him as the overseas player for the 2013 season before I depart. His 51 wickets were crucial to winning the County Championship last season, and I know that everyone is looking forward to his return.”

A round-up of the first day’s play in the fourth round of Division One matches in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2011Sixteen wickets fell on an eventful opening day between Sialkot and Water and Power Development Authority at the Jinnah Stadium. Sialkot chose to bat after winning the toss but were wrecked by Sarfraz Ahmed, who claimed 5 for 36, and dismissed for 139 in 48.2 overs. Ahmed was supported by Azhar Attari and Imran Khan, who took 2 for 48 and 3 for 43 respectively. Opener Jawad Ahmed top scored for Sialkot with 38. WAPDA’s batsmen fared no better during their first innings, and ended the day on 101 for 6, battling for a first-innings lead. The wickets were shared by Sialkot’s bowlers, with Mohammad Abbas being the most successful with 2 for 39. WAPDA’s captain Ahmed Sajjad had top scored with 25.An unbeaten, brisk half-century from Ikramullah Khan helped Abbottabad recover from 134 for 6 to reach 278 for 9 against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. SBP’s bowlers struck frequently after they sent Abbottabad in, preventing all the top-order batsmen from coverting starts into substantial innings. Saad Altaf, Mohammad Naved and Rizan Haider took two wickets each. Abbottabad were 192 for 9 at one stage before Ikramullah, who scored 70 off 81 balls, joined forces with Mohammad Naeem, who was unbeaten on 23 at stumps.Aqeel Anjum remained not out on 119 to lead National Bank of Pakistan to a commanding position against Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium. Anjum added 133 for the second wicket with opener Khurram Manzoor, who scored 69. He then put on an unbeaten 64-run partnership with Fawad Alam, who was unbeaten on 29, as NBP reached 271 for 3 at stumps.Habib Bank Limited‘s (HBL) top order produced a strong performance to end the first day in a comfortable position against Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Ground. Khaqan Asral scored an unbeaten 119 at No. 4, while opener Ahmed Shehzad made 80 off 97 balls. Hasan Raza also contributed 52 before he retired hurt with the score on 242 for 3. Asral led HBL to 341 for 4 at stumps. Zohaib Ahmed took 3 for 54 for Islamabad.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) finished the first day against Karachi Blues on 285 for 5 at the National Stadium. Their openers Agha Sabir and Kamran Sajid scored 48 and 41 and put on 88 for the first wicket but both fell in quick succession. It was left to Sheharyar Ghani to hold the innings together and he did so with an unbeaten 106. PIA lost three wickets quickly to slump to 159 for 5 but Ghani had an unbroken stand of 126 for the sixth wicket with Sarfraz Ahmed, who was also not out on 62. Mohammad Sami was the best bowler for Karachi Blues, taking 2 for 37.A four-wicket haul from Iftikhar Anjum helped Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) reduce Rawalpindi to 297 for 8 on the first day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Rawalpindi had a promising start, with the openers adding 98 for the first wicket. Shoaib Nasir made 54 while Naved Malik scored 72. ZTBL began to strike regularly after that, and apart from Usman Saeed, who held up one end with 94, no one else made a sizeable contribution. Saeed missed his century when he was stumped by Zulqarnain Haider, who claimed five dismissals, off Zohaib Khan.

Despite a winless tour, Zimbabwe have generally committed themselves admirably in South Africa – the Benoni debacle aside – and team captain Elton Chigumbura insisted that the experience of playing top-level opponents would be helpful as Zimbabwe seek to

Liam Brickhill in Benoni22-Oct-2010Despite a winless tour, Zimbabwe have generally committed themselves admirably in South Africa – the Benoni debacle aside – and team captain Elton Chigumbura insisted that the experience of playing top-level opponents would be helpful as Zimbabwe seek to continue their development.”It’s been a positive series for us, despite the results, especially on the batting front,” Chigumbura told ESPNcricinfo. “Today was just a bad day for us all round. But for the tour as a whole, it’s been a positive thing for us because now we know where we are.”Zimbabwe may well have pushed South Africa a little harder had Chigumbura been in better form, but he struggled with both bat and ball in the one-dayers, managing 37 runs in three innings and picking up just two wickets for 129 runs in 16 overs. His struggles with the ball, in particular, contributed to a wider malaise in Zimbabwe’s bowling and the visitors’ seamers struggled to make an impression.”There’s plenty of room for improvement, especially in our bowling,” conceded Chigumbura. “We just need to get our skills to the top level, which has been the biggest let-down of the whole tour. We still have lots of work to do when it comes to control in our bowling. We are alright in the field, but our execution with the ball is where we’re not getting it right.”Chigumbura suggested that a preponderance of flat, batsman-friendly wickets had exposed Zimbabwe’s frailties rather more harshly than might have been the case if conditions had been more suited to seam and swing. “That’s the big difference,” he said.”If you play on flat wickets your margin of error is so small, and that’s when your real skills come into play. Our skills on flat wickets are not yet where we want them to be, and that’s something we need to work on with the World Cup coming up in the subcontinent and our tour to Bangladesh.”Zimbabwe’s next assignment is a trip to Bangladesh. Although the fixture list has not yet been finalised, the tour will give them vital experience in conditions similar to what they’ll encounter at the World Cup in February.”It’s going to be good to be playing Bangladesh in their sort of conditions. In a way it was also good to play against top level opposition on flat decks here, so hopefully when we go to Bangladesh our skill level will have gone up and we’ll have a better understanding of the importance of control in our bowling. I have been following their series against New Zealand, they’ve been playing very well. You know what to expect from them – they’re going to use their spinners to attack – so when we go home we’re going to be working on playing spin and also on our bowling. But our batting is good at the moment.”A noticeable omission from Zimbabwe’s squad on this tour was that of Ray Price. Since Zimbabwe’s series against Bangladesh in January last year, Price has picked up 49 wickets at just 25.46 – and that average drops to 23.73 in the 17 games Zimbabwe have won in that time – and Chigumbura suggested his absence had been keenly felt.”We missed Ray price on this tour. Pricey plays a really big role in the team. Unfortunately his father isn’t well so he wasn’t with us this time, but hopefully when we go to Bangladesh he’ll be with us and he’ll help a great deal on the bowling side.”

A round-up of the third day’s action from the fifth round of matches from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2009

Group A

Pakistan Customs stitched up a comfortable win, their first of the season, over Lahore Shalimar at Muridke. They began the third day with a lead of 181 and could only add a single run to that this morning, but by keeping Lahore Shalimar to 244 they allowed themselves an easy chase. Mohammad Iftikhar, the right-arm medium-pacer, struck twice early and then down the order to apply the pressure and the only batsman to reply was Sohail Idrees. Idrees batted 158 deliveries for an unbeaten 104, which contributed 59% of the total. However, it could ultimately only help set a target of 63, which was knocked off in 7.3 overs despite the loss of the openers.Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) dominated the first half of the day, thanks to Kashif Daud’s six wickets, but a batting collapse handed the momentum right back to Habib Bank Limited(HBL) at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. From an overnight lead of 122, ZTBL added a further 117 to their score as Daud ran down the order for a career-best 6 for 72. The captain Hasan Raza’s 33 and an unbeaten 36 from Mohammad Aslam at No. 9 could yet prove to be crucial given the situation at stumps. Set a target of 240, ZTBL slipped to 91 for 5 with Sarmad Anwar taking three wickets.In Rawalpindi, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) finished a fine day’s work needing another 70 runs to win with eight wickets in hand. That this was the result was down to their work in the field, when they dismissed Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) for 180 after their own innings came down for 293. No major partnerships were allowed to flourish as four of the five bowlers used restricted KRL. There was just one half-century, from Ali Khan, and despite losing two before stumps, including the opener Naeemuddin for a first-ball duck, SNGPL are in prime position to achieve their fourth win in a row.Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) didn’t buckle under a weight of runs – not yet, at least – and held out for another day against National Bank of Pakistan in Faisalabad. From an overnight 274 for 2, NBP declared at 441 for 5 with Rashid Riaz (63*), Mansoor Amjad (45) and Qaiser Abbas (38) piling on the misery for SSGC. Trailing by 259, SSGC replied with a steady second innings to ensure NBP will have to work a little harder on the final day. There were no substantial contributions but SSGC reached 143 for 6, leaving NBP four wickets to take for their third win of the season.An interesting tussle between Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the Gaddafi Stadium ended with the latter chasing 262 with ten wickets. PIA began the third day with a lead of 55 and extended it to 279 thanks to key roles at the top and down the order. Rafatullah Mohmand (48) and Adil Nisar (61) added 106 for the opening wicket but suffered a wobble after they and Jahangir Mirza (52) fell. However, the last five wickets rallied to add 129 and that set PIA a tough target. In the 2.3 overs left in the day they knocked off 17 of those.

Group B

Young fast bowler Mohammad Rameez capped an outstanding match by adding a career-best 8 for 27 to five in the first innings, helping table-toppers Rawalpindi beat Peshawar by 75 runs at the National Ground. Rameez was unstoppable with the new ball and utterly flummoxed Peshawar for a paltry 77. It was a stunning turnaround from Rawalpindi who, after being forced to follow on after making just 81, were carried to 334 thanks to Usman Saeed (79) and Zahid Mansoor (81). The pair rallied the top order confidently and a couple key hands down the order helped set Peshawar a target of 153. They didn’t even get near, with
Rameez slicing them apart amazingly. Rawalpindi have won four from four.A tidy outing in the field set up a nine-wicket win for Sialkot over Quetta at the Jinnah Stadium. Kamran Younis carried from an overnight 147 to 182 and the wicketkeeper Ahmed Butt made 94 to help the score to 354 even as Arun Lal took four more to finish with 7 for 87 against a lack of support. Then Quetta folded for 156 in 39 overs to Sialkot’s seam attack, and a target of 16 was easily achieved.Faisalabad, despite making 309, were forced to follow on by Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. The pressure of trying to get near Islamabad’s first innings of 485 told as no big stands were formed; the 84 for the second wicket was the best Faisalabad managed. Imran Ali battled with 73 from the top but received little support and Faisalabad needed 52 from Mohammad Salman and an unbeaten 39 from Zulqarnain at No.10 prop up the scorecard. Shehzad Azam (4 for 121) and Nasrullah Khan (3 for 96) shared seven wickets. Following-on, Faisalabad were 0 for no loss at the close.Chasing 316, Multan finished day three on 99 for 3 against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium. Multan only added nine to their first-innings total in the morning, after which Rizwan Haider and Zulfiqar Babar ran through Karachi Blues to dismiss them for 167. The duo struck all down the order and didn’t allow the opposition to dominate; there were no half-centuries while Shahzaib Hasan (42), Asad Shafiq (32) and Tanvir Ahmed (33) were cut off after they got starts. Shahzaid finished with 5 for 74 and Babar 4 for 43. Multan lost a couple wickets early on but were steadied by the No. 3 Rameez Alam’s unbeaten 58.Lahore Ravi replied well to Hyderabad’s 377, thanks to the opener and captain Kashif Siddiq’s 121 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Siddiq, who resumed on 70, saw his side slipped from 114 for 2 to 149 for 6 but found assistance from the lower order. Waqas Ahmed (33), Mohammad Irshad (65)and Adbul Ghaffar (27*) were superb in getting the score up to 348. In their second innings Hyderabad finished the day on 61 for 3, a lead of 90.

Wood from bats used by the two players have been made into the new trophy

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Nov-2024New Zealand and England will compete for The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, honoring the legacies of the late Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe.The trophy, made from wood sourced from a bat from each player, in collaboration with NZC, ECB and the families of each player, will be unveiled on Thursday morning in Christchurch ahead of the start of the three-match series. The trophy was designed by David Ngawati of Mahu Creative, who also designed the Tangiwai Shield for New Zealand’s Test series with South Africa.Both Crowe and Thorpe enjoyed hugely successful Test careers. Crowe, regarded as New Zealand’s finest batter, averaged 45.36 with 17 centuries. Thorpe, who tragically passed in August, averaged 44.66 with 16 hundreds.The bats gifted by the two families to create the trophy carry special meaning for these two sides. Crowe’s was the Gunn and Moore with which he scored his century at Lord’s 1994. Thorpe’s Kookaburra was the one used for back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand in 1997.Crowe and Thorpe went on to become mentors for latter generations, including members of both squad who will compete for this three-match series.”It is absolutely an honour,” said Joe Root, who worked closely with Thorpe during his time as a batting coach with the ECB. “What a great man. For me personally, to have someone who you watched growing up and took a lot from, then to get the opportunity to work with him as a coach. The amount he put into to my game, to have the opportunity to play for something with his name on it is really quite special and a nice way to remember his legacy and a player.”It’s a side that he had a lot of success against, a brilliant double hundred. He told us many times about that innings here in Christchurch [an unbeaten 200 in 2002], normally over a glass of sauvignon blanc.”It’s a really fitting way to remember two of England and New Zealand’s great players. How both sides play represents how they played the game pretty well. I expect a really exciting series, like the previous one was. It will be a really fitting way to remember two brilliant players.”In a statement released on Tuesday, NZC CEO Scott Weenink added: “Today’s generation of players are standing on the shoulders of those who went before them, players like Graham and Martin. It’s good that we recognise this and respect their legacy. Both those players were seriously good batsmen who understood the game intimately – they commanded respect wherever they went.”ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: “Martin and Graham are two legends of the game, and it is fitting that Test series between our two men’s sides will now be contested in their name.”It’s heart-breaking to have lost both men so early, but by honouring them in this way I hope we can help ensure the memories and legacies of two of our nations’ finest cricketers live on long into the future.”The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy will be unveiled by Deb Crowe (Martin’s sister) and former England Test captain Michael Atherton at the Hagley Oval ahead on the national anthems on Thursday.