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Total of 26 players picked up in open market ahead of August competition

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2023Grace Scrivens, England Under-19 captain, has been retained by London Spirit for this year’s Women’s Hundred, with several of the Under-19 team that recently reached the World Cup final in South Africa also signed for their maiden campaigns.A total of 26 players have been picked up in the open market, following the inaugural Women’s Draft, which took place in March.And Scrivens – who was one of the stand-out players in South Africa with 293 runs and nine wickets across England’s seven games – will once again be heading for Lord’s, where she’ll be captained by her senior counterpart, Heather Knight, when this year’s Hundred begins in August.”I’m delighted to be back,” Scrivens said. “Playing at Lord’s in front of such a big crowd was so exciting last season and I can’t wait to do it again.”Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Oval Invincibles), Liberty Heap (Manchester Originals), Josie Groves and Alexa Stonehouse (both Trent Rockets) are among the other Under-19 players to be picked up for the tournament.”I’m happy to see a lot of the Under-19 team being announced,” Scrivens added. “We really enjoyed the World Cup campaign and it’s great to see everyone continuing their professional progression in a world class competition like The Hundred.”Birmingham Phoenix have picked up a trio of non-England players, in Abtaha Maqsood (Scotland), Sterre Kalis (Netherlands) and Erin Burns (Australia).Other notable signings include the USA’s Tara Norris, a breakout star of the inaugural WPL, who has also joined London Spirit, while Georgia Adams Southern Vipers’ captain, returns to her original team, Southern Brave.

Full list of signings

Birmingham Phoenix: Abtaha Maqsood, Erin Burns, Chloe Brewer, Sterre Kalis

London Spirit: Grace Scrivens, Tara Norris, Niamh Holland

Manchester Originals: Liberty Heap, Phoebe Graham, Fi Morris
Northern Superchargers: Marie Kelly, Aylish Cranstone, Phoebe Franklin

Oval Invincibles: Eva Gray, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Kira Chathli

Southern Brave: Georgia Adams, Rhianna Southby, Danielle Gregory

Trent Rockets: Josie Groves, Emma Jones, Naomi Dattani, Alexa Stonehouse

Welsh Fire: Alex Griffiths, Claire Nicholas, Sarah Bryce

Pakistan secure clean sweep of trophies after holding nerve in tricky run-chase

Firdose Moonda14-Feb-2021Pakistan subjected South Africa to their first T20I series defeat in the subcontinent and fourth successive T20I series loss, leaving them empty-handed from their first tour to the country since 2007. In an entertaining finale at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan relied on Mohammad Rizwan and the lower order to take them home, while Babar Azam enjoyed his best knock of the series after scores of 0 and 5 in the first two matches.This victory was Pakistan’s 100th T20I win, making them the first team to register a century of success in this format.South Africa have no similar good news to report. They saved one of their worst batting collapses for last and lost seven wickets for 55 runs to slump to 65 for 7 just after the halfway stage of their innings. It was up to David Miller to prop them up and he pulled off one of his most authoritative knocks while ushering the tail to take South Africa to a competitive total.The side fielding second has found it difficult to control the ball in the wet conditions but South Africa put on a spirited effort when their turn came. However, their frontline seamers were all expensive and untidy, allowing Pakistan to win with eight balls to spare. If anything, South Africa will take heart from the knowledge that their second-string side fought hard in Pakistan, but it won’t take away from the pressure building on this outfit. South Africa have only won two out of eight trophies in the Mark Boucher era, dating back to December 2019.Dream Debut Zahid Mahmood was called up to the Pakistan squad in place of the injured Shadab Khan and had to wait for the last match for an opportunity but he made the most of it. He started with a short ball that Janneman Malan smashed through long-on but soon recovered to take two wickets, and could have had a third in his opening over to celebrate a dream start to international cricket.Mahmood’s first victim was South Africa’s stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen, who tried to sweep the first ball he faced but didn’t account for the extra bounce. He top-edged to Usman Qadir at short fine-leg. With the next ball, Mahmood had Malan trapped in the crease by the topspinner in front of middle stump. It was given not out initially but Mahmood convinced Babar to review with three seconds left on the clock and ball-tracking showed that Malan was out.Three balls later, Mahmood thought he had Andile Phehlukwayo when a full ball hit him below the knee roll but the review showed it had pitched just outside leg stump. But Phehlukwayo didn’t last much longer. He slog-swept the next ball he faced to deep mid-wicket, leaving South Africa 48 for 6.Mahmood enjoyed more success in his third over when he bowled Dwaine Pretorius with a delivery that turned gently as Pretorius attempted to mow it over midwicket and missed.David Miller revived South Africa with an outstanding counterattack•AP Photo

Miller Time David Miller wanted to have an influence on South Africa’s performance and he ended up scoring more than half of their runs and sharing in a 58-run ninth-wicket stand with Lutho Sipamla to ensure they set Pakistan a challenging target.Miller had only faced one ball when South Africa slumped to 48 for 6, in the eighth. Though the situation was dire, it meant he had more than half the innings to bat, giving him time in the middle that he does not usually benefit from. Miller’s first boundary came from a sweep shot off Qadir, whom he also swiped through square leg. But he really cashed in on Mahmood’s final over, sending him for two sixes over long-on to put South Africa in sight of a hundred.With only the tail to bat with, Miller waited to get as close to the death as possible before he took the bowling on. He took two fours off Shaheen Shah Afridi and a monstrous six off Hasan Ali before tearing apart Faheem Ashraf’s final over, with four sixes. Miller benefitted from some ordinary captaincy from Babar, who did not let Qadir bowl out, and poor lengths from Faheem, who bowled short throughout the over and then dished up a full toss at the end.In total, South Africa scored 54 runs off the last four overs, and Miller scored 45 of those. He was leg-side dominant and scored 57 in that area, including five of his seven sixes and four of his five fours. This knock was also Miller’s first half-century T20 cricket in almost two years. His last one came 13 innings ago, also against Pakistan, when he scored an unbeaten 65 to set South Africa up for a match-winning total in Johannesburg in March 2019.Rizwan falls short of record Rizwan’s magical week has ended. After scoring his first Test century last Sunday and his first T20I hundred on Thursday, Rizwan was on track to join Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle as one of only three players to reel off four fifty-plus scores. He took on South Africa’s left-arm spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Jon-Jon Smuts and pulled, cut and slogged anything short, wide or slow but was undone by Tabraiz Shamsi.The wristspinner almost bowled him with a delivery that was low on leg stump and squirted past, and could have had him caught behind but Klaasen could not hold on to a tough chance from the bottom edge. Shamsi’s next ball was yorker-length, Rizwan tried to sweep and missed and was struck on the boot in front of middle stump. He reviewed, in hope, but ball-tracking showed his leg stump would have been disturbed and he had to go for 42. Shamsi’s star rises After spending the early part of his career playing second fiddle to Imran Tahir, Shamsi stood up as South Africa’s best bowler in the country of Tahir’s birth. He collected career-best figures of 4 for 25 in this match to cap off a sterling series in which he turned the ball more than the home spinners and consistently challenged batsmen who can pick and play spin.After taking a wicket with his first ball and threatening Rizwan twice before getting rid of him, Shamsi bowled Hussain Talat with a straight ball, as Talat played for spin and left off stump exposed, and then had Asif Ali caught at long-on looking for six but failing to get hold of the ball. Shamsi finished the series with six wickets for 61 runs at an economy rate of just over five runs an over.

The win kept the Strikers’ slim finals hopes alive, while the Hurricanes lost for the third time batting first this season season

The Report by Alex Malcolm31-Jan-2019
An electrifying century stand from Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey helped Adelaide Strikers break a four-game losing streak in a massive upset over Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston.The win kept the Strikers’ slim finals hopes alive, while the Hurricanes lost for the third time batting first this season season.Chasing 170, Weatherald and Carey scored 84 runs in the Powerplay against a Hurricanes attack that has scythed through opponents all season.The striking was belligerent and brought back memories of last year’s final, when Weatherald’s assault yielded a title-winning century. He fell 18 runs shy of another BBL hundred, but his 82 from 42 balls made light work of the chase. Carey’s 54 from 35 was equally brilliant as the Strikers won with seven wickets and 12 balls to spare.The chase overshadowed another masterclass from Matthew Wade. He made his highest T20 score, 88 off just 54 balls to underpin the Hurricanes’ total of 7 for 169. It was his fifth half-century of the tournament and he was part of a 10th half-century opening stand with D’Arcy Short in the BBL.But both Wade and Short fell to the crafty skills of Ben Laughlin who made the difference with his 3 for 31. He also had Wade dropped twice. But in removing Wade in the 18th over, he cut the chase down significantly as Hobart only managed 27 runs from the last 24 balls of the innings.It’s Groundhog day, againThe Strikers were on the receiving end of an unbroken 158-run stand between Wade and Short at Adelaide Oval earlier in the season and history looked set to repeat in the Powerplay. They cruised to 53 without loss here. The Strikers tried a fresh new-ball option with Cam Valente opening the bowling and delivering three overs upfront. He did a good job not concede a boundary in his first two overs before Wade cleared the fence in his third. Laughlin finally made the breakthrough forcing Short to miscue with a clever slower ball. Wade got a huge slice of luck, dropped at long-off by Michael Neser off Laughlin two overs later. He made the Strikers pay pulverising them, particularly square of the wicket. Half his runs came from boundaries and the rest was through smart placement and excellent running.Alex Carey goes after the ball•Getty Images

Laughlin strikes backWade looked set for first T20 hundred when he was dropped for a second time on 86 by Wes Agar after skying another ball off Laughlin. But he missed a low full toss next ball to be trapped plumb lbw. Two balls earlier Ben McDermott had fallen to Rashid Khan, and the innings lost all the momentum.George Bailey couldn’t continue his form holing out for a three-ball duck. Laughlin and Neser delivered a brilliant mixture of yorkers, slower balls and bouncers to take 4 for 19 in the last three overs. They conceded only one boundary and it came by accident, with Jofra Archer leaving his bat raised while ducking a bouncer only for it fortuitously to fly off the middle of the bat fine of third man.The boys are backIt’s been a lean tournament for Carey and Weatherald by their lofty standards. They had two fifty partnerships earlier in the season but their last four games had been plagued by mix-ups and mis-hits. Sometimes all it takes is one slice of luck. Weatherald edged his first ball wide of second slip and away to the boundary. On another day it would have gone straight to hand. It released any nervous tension.Wade then gambled with 18-year-old offspinner Jarrod Freeman in the second over and it backfired. Weatherald and Carey clubbed 17 from the over and kept going. They struck eight fours and three sixes in 15 balls of extraordinary striking. Weatherald played one of the shots of the tournament when he hit James Faulkner inside out over cover for six. Carey raised him with a monstrous strike over long-on off Archer having already hit three consecutive fours.Both men had some fortune. Weatherald was dropped by Archer at mid-on while Carey gloved a ball short of the keeper. They reached 0 for 84 in the Powerplay, the equal fourth-best in BBL history. Their 116-run partnership was finally broken with Carey falling to a bizarre caught and bowled off Simon Milenko. Weatherald kept rolling, striking 11 boundaries and two sixes during his 82 from 42 balls. He was frustrated not to finish the chase off, holing out at deep midwicket. There was another little hiccup when Jake Lehmann was trapped infront three balls later but Jono Wells and Colin Ingram cruised home from there.

Gary Ballance’s superb century rescued his side and then tipped proceedings firmly in their favour against Worcestershire.

ECB Reporters Network25-Sep-2018
ScorecardGary Ballance has played a significant role in ensuring Yorkshire’s Division One survival in the Specsavers County Championship and a superb century rescued his side and then tipped proceedings firmly in their favour against Worcestershire.The one-time England batsman followed up his hundred in the draw against Nottinghamshire and 85 in the victory over Lancashire by holding together the Tykes innings after Worcestershire had been bowled out for 340 at Blackfinch New Road.Ballance fought a virtual lone hand while completing his third ton of the campaign – and steering Yorkshire past the threat of being asked to follow on – until he was joined by Jack Brooks in a run-laced final session. The pair added a record-breaking 171 in 27 overs for the ninth wicket and shepherded the visitors into a lead that had seemed unlikely when they joined forces at 232 for 8.It surpassed Yorkshire’s previous ninth wicket best against Worcestershire of 150 by Azeem Rafiq and Matthew Hoggard at New Road in 2009.Brooks is certainly signing off in style before joining Somerset on a three-year contract as he followed up his six-wicket haul in Worcestershire’s first innings with 82 before he was dismissed in the penultimate over.It left Ballance unbeaten on a chanceless 189 from 213 deliveries with two sixes and 29 fours as Yorkshire closed on 417 for 9 – a lead of 77. But, as well as Ballance and Brooks played, Worcestershire were left to reflect on another situation in a season of promise that slipped from their grasp when well placed – a major factor in their relegation to Division Two.They seemed powerless to stop the onslaught and were also handicapped by the absence after tea of paceman Josh Tongue with a foot injury as Ballance and Brooks cut loose almost at will.Worcestershire resumed on 319 for 8 and Ben Coad struck with the fourth delivery of the day without addition to the score as he trapped Ben Twohig leg before. Brooks then added to his five-wicket haul by wrapping up the innings as Dillon Pennington was caught behind to leave Tongue unbeaten on 30.When Yorkshire began their reply, Adam Lyth made a quickfire 27 before he fell lbw to Wayne Parnell and Jack Leaning was undone by a fine delivery from Tongue and was comprehensively bowled. Hey Spinner Ben Twohig struck with the final delivery before before lunch as Jeet Raval went to cut and dragged the ball onto his stumps.Former Worcestershire batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore went leg before to Twohig and Jonathan Tattersall had his off stump knocked out by a Tongue delivery which kept low. Pennington, who had impressed in Worcestershire’s win at Scarborough, had Tim Bresnan pouched at second slipTongue’s third success was also clean bowled in the form of Tykes skipper Steven Patterson and, shortly after tea, debutant James Logan was lbw to Moeen Ali. But then the balance of power shifted dramatically as Ballance and Brooks raced along at more than six an over.The carnage only ended when Brooks, having struck 15 fours in his 99-ball knock, edged Moeen – by now bowling medium pace – through to keeper Ben Cox. A total of 203 runs came from 32 overs after tea.

Allrounders Sophie Molineux and Nicola Carey will be in line for their international debuts as both were picked for ODI and T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2018Australia captain Meg Lanning will return to international cricket during the upcoming India tour as she will lead the ODI and T20 sides after being out of action for seven months. Allrounders Sophie Molineux and Nicola Carey will be in line for their international debuts as both were picked for both formats.Australia were, however, without two injured players – South Australia allrounder Tahlia McGrath and New South Wales quick Lauren Cheatle. McGrath played a key role in Australia’s Ashes success and was in good form during the WBBL as well but experienced back pain in the final round of the Women’s National Cricket League, as scans showed a recurrence of bone oedema in her lumbar spine. Cheatle had missed the Ashes T20Is with a back injury and has not played since then.Lanning played her last international match in July – the World Cup semi-final against India in Derby where Australia lost by 36 runs. In August, she underwent shoulder surgery and missed the Ashes as well as the WBBL as a result. She was hoping to make a return for Victoria in the final round of the WNCL last weekend but Australia decided to go easy with her return.”Meg’s rehab has been progressing well, she’s back to her old self with the bat and with a few weeks until the first match, we’re confident she’ll be right to play when the times comes,” national selection Shawn Flegler said. “Meg will resume the captaincy and we’re extremely fortunate to have Rach as her deputy after doing a fantastic job as stand-in skipper during the Women’s Ashes. She’ll be a great sounding board for Meg and will continue to drive the standards of the team.”Rachael Haynes was named the vice-captain of the two squads after Alex Blackwell retired from international cricket recently.Molineux and Carey are two promising allrounders picked in the squads. Molineux represented the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL and was named the Young Gun of the Year during the third season after she scored 318 runs and picked six wickets with an economy rate of 6.38. In the six innings of the WNCL, Molineux scored 170 runs with two half-centuries and collected eight wickets with an economy rate of 3.46. The left-arm bowler was also given the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year award in January 2017.Getty Images

“Sophie is a really exciting youngster that has shown immense talent as a batter and spin bowler and someone who the selectors have had their eyes on for a while,” Flegler said. “She’s been a standout especially in the Women’s Big Bash and this tour will give her the opportunity to get a taste of the Australian setup in what will be some challenging Indian conditions.”Carey, who represented the Sydney Thunder, scored 149 runs from 10 innings in the WBBL but at an impressive strike rate of 126.27 and struck a 19-ball 47 against the Renegades in Sydney in December. Also a left-hand bat like Molineux, Carey bowls right-arm medium-pace and picked 17 wickets in the WBBL, joint-fourth on the wickets tally.With the 2018 and 2020 World T20s coming up, Australia also saw the inclusions of two youngsters and recent international debutants in the squad – NSW team-mates Belinda Vakarewa and Naomi Stalenberg. Vakarewa made her ODI debut in the World Cup last year and returned to the ODI squad after missing the Ashes. Stalenberg, on the other hand, made her T20I debut two years ago against India and will have chance to add more caps to her name after a few middle-order cameos for the Thunder in the WBBL.Former internationals Shelley Nitschke and Ashley Noffke will travel with the squads as assistant coaches in place of the outgoing coaches Tim Coyle and Joe Dawes.Australia will fly to India on March 3 and will play two warm-up matches in Mumbai on March 6 and 8 before heading to Vadodara for the three ODIs starting March 12. They will then return to Mumbai for the T20 tri-series featuring India and England.ODI squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Rachael Haynes (vice-capt), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade WellingtonT20 squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Rachael Haynes (vice-capt), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

As the Big Bash League wallows in praise after another successful year, the financial challenge facing English professional cricket remains as stark as ever as it seeks to increase the capacities of its stadia with an eye to the crowd potential of Twenty2

David Hopps28-Jan-2017As the Big Bash League wallows in praise after another successful year, the financial challenge facing English professional cricket remains as stark as ever as it seeks to increase the capacities of its stadia with an eye to the crowd potential of Twenty20 cricket.That challenge is illustrated by Warwickshire’s financial results for 2015-16, which have just been announced.Edgbaston has become the accepted home of Twenty20 Finals Day and a once unimpressive ground has been transformed into an appealing 24,000-capacity stadium but it has not been without financial pain.Warwickshire have reported turnover of £14.3m and an operating profit of £785,761 for 2015-16. That county cricket has the potential to prosper – admittedly thanks to a hefty central contribution from international revenue – is therefore apparent.But once the paying off of debts, interest, tax and depreciation is taken into account – most of them arising from the £32 million redevelopment of Edgbaston, which was completed in 2011 – the situation is more challenging.Factor in a payment of £1.1 million to Birmingham City Council to service a loan and the situation worsens. Add depreciation charges of £1.4 million, tax and other costs and the bottom line loss is £2.26m. Quite a difference.Warwickshire’s story is far from unique. Durham needed an ECB bail-out. Yorkshire are desperate to fund the replacement of a dilapidated main stand at Headingley and already have debts of £23m.The 18 English counties are indebted to a total of £150m-plus and the ECB is sitting on offshore reserves which rose as high as £73m before falling last summer because Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan did not attract particularly lucrative TV deals.Those reserves are jealously guarded. The former ECB chief executive, David Collier, justified the stockpiling as a contingency should the death of the Queen, and a resulting 12 days of mourning, cause heavy financial losses.Even more disturbing for English cricket would be a shift of the balance between international and club cricket. Should that occur, the English counties would have to become more self-sufficient and only a lucrative T20 tournament can deliver that.Warwickshire had a relatively successful year in 2016 season. They won the Royal London Cup and attracted more than 80,000 spectators across five days of England’s Test victory over Pakistan.The club also achieved ticket and hospitality sell-outs for its one-day international – England versus Sri Lanka – and NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day.Off the field, Edgbaston increased its share of the West Midlands’ conference and events market by developing year-on-year sales from £2.2 million to a record £2.5 million. Revenue from commercial advertising also increased.Twenty20 cricket, however, has yet to set Birmingham alight – attendances at Birmingham Bears’ home matches in the NatWest Blast are growing but not spectacularly.That makes it no surprise that the club is strongly in favour of a move to a more marketable new T20 competition based upon the biggest grounds in the country. A 25,000-seater stadium needs to be filled not just for international cricket but for T20, too.Craig Flindall, Warwickshire’s chief operating officer, said: “The 2015-16 financial year was always forecast to be the most challenging in our 2016-2019 financial cycle, and the results are in line with our budgets set at the start of the year.”The quality and volume of our major match days remains the primary driver of revenue and profit and a significant fall in both was expected in 2016 because of the comparative demand for the Investec Test match against Pakistan.”However, the transformation in the business since 2010, when England last hosted Pakistan in a Test at Edgbaston, is reflected in the comparison in the results, with turnover and EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation] in 2016 being £6.5m and £2.4m higher than 2010 respectively.”English cricket is pinning hopes over the next few years on a major financial inflow from the Champions Trophy in 2017 and from the 2019 World Cup. If 50-over cricket is conceding ground to T20, the process is slower at international level where T20 international fixtures are deliberately underplayed. The ECB are desperate that this trend persists for a few years yet.Flindall captured that mood. “We expect to see EBITDA and bottom line revenues grow significantly over the next three years as Edgbaston hosts up to 28 days of major match cricket,” he said. “We have an 11-day programme in 2017, which includes five matches in the ICC Champions Trophy, England’s first day/night Investec Test match and NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day.”Beyond the coming season, Edgbaston’s major match allocation includes a Test against India, a T20I and T20 Blast Finals Day in 2018, and an Ashes Test match and five matches in the World Cup in 2019.Financial pressures at Sky TV, however, where Premier League football viewing figures have dropped markedly, will leave the ECB nervous as they conduct negotiations for the next TV rights deal.Measured against the value of those rights is the recognition that cricket’s popularity has waned in the UK as it has disappeared from State schools and free-to-air TV and there has been a shrinking of the amateur game.Filling Edgbaston for a domestic NatWest Blast fixture will remain a challenge unless there is a major jolt to the system.At a time of flux in the broadcasting market, there are new markets to be explored, but until that flux settles, and a new TV rights deal is delivered that can sustain the future of English cricket, disquiet will remain.Warwickshire are an example of that. Most of the 18 first-class counties know the feeling.

After finishing at the bottom of the table in 2015, Kings XI Punjab, with some low-key purchases and a new captain in David Miller, will look to bounce back this season

Deivarayan Muthu07-Apr-20163:50

Jayawardene: Kings XI can build on good starts

2015 form

Kings XI Punjab were left with the wooden spoon, with 11 defeats in 14 matches

Big Picture

Kings XI in 2014 were like a volcano blowing its lid. Nine totals of 170 or more, four of which passed 200, helped them march into the playoffs and beyond. By the time they made their first IPL final, they had re-branded themselves as the most entertaining team in the tournament. The following season, though, it all went bust and Kings XI were the first to be knocked out. Perhaps, the only constant across the two topsy-turvy years was captain George Bailey’s cherubic smile.

Kings XI Punjab squad

David Miller (capt), Kyle Abbott, Anureet Singh, Armaan Jaffer, Farhaan Behardien, KC Cariappa, RishiDhawan, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell,Nikhil Naik, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha, Sandeep Sharma, Pradeep Sahu, Mohit Sharma, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Shardul Thakur, M Vijay, Manan Vohra

It won’t be there in 2016 though. Bailey, who missed his berth in Australia’s World T20 squad, will not be part of the IPL and his successor at Kings XI, David Miller, has very little captaincy experience. He will also have to do the heavy lifting in the batting line-up along with Glenn Maxwell, especially with Virender Sehwag retiring and becoming the team’s mentor.Manan Vohra, who along with Miller were the only players retained by the franchise in 2014, was re-signed ahead of the auction this year, and looks set to open with M Vijay, despite their poor run last year. Kings XI also have the option of Shaun Marsh, who has been part of their set-up since the inception of the league.The side began the rebuilding job by snapping up useful – if a little low profile – allrounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis, seamer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh.They also recalled an old friend in Kyle Abbott at the auction. It seems Kings XI are largely reliant on their overseas roster though, Axar Patel and Sandeep Sharma have gone on to become India internationals via the IPL.

Burning questions

Like any team in transition, Kings XI have a few of them. Let’s start with the captain himself. Miller has led all of three times in domestic cricket, bagging golden ducks in two of those games. Can he cope with the responsibility of leading a team comprised of players from diverse cultures?Can the Sharmas prove their fitness and deliver? Sandeep had missed the entire Indian domestic season in 2015-16 because of injury, while Mohit sustained one of his own during the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and was subsequently ruled out of India’s limited-overs tour to Australia, the Asia Cup, and World T20.Does the spin attack have enough bite? There is Axar, who has added flight and turn to his primary mode of operation, flat fizzers. There is Maxwell, who has often been considered a frontline option by Australia. Gurkeerat Singh, Swapnil Singh and KC Cariappa, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 2.4 crore in 2015, provide back up. Nagpur has been slotted as Kings XI’s second home and if the pitches there are anything like they were during the World T20, they will need as many options as possible.Mitchell Johnson, who was retained, has not played competitive cricket since his international retirement last November. Does he still have it in him to lead the attack?

The go-to men

Maxwell and Miller had blitzed 139 boundaries between them in 2014, but that count shrunk to less than half last year. Kings XI will rely on them to bring in the X-factor. They’ll also want Vijay to retrofit some of his Test-match stability into the T20 arena.”Everything you see and like about Kings XI starts with Sanjay Bangar,” Bailey had said of the coach, following Kings XI’s surge in 2014. “His ability to draw younger players out of their shells has been phenomenal and he has been fantastic in managing the overseas players”. Bangar now faces the challenge of rebuilding the side from the rubble with an inexperienced captain.

Bargain buy

Swapnil was part of the list of 25 probables for the 2007-08 Under-19 World Cup. He did not make the final cut for Malaysia, but made his first-class debut, for Baroda, at . Swapnil has played just 76 domestic matches over a decade, of which 31 have come in the last two seasons. Swapnil, who claimed the second-best bowling figures in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament – 6 for 19 – can also bat a bit in the lower order. At INR 10 lakh, Swapnil is a decent acquisition, if he clicks. Swapnil had earlier been part of Mumbai Indians’ squad, but is yet to get a game in the IPL.

Availability

Everyone available

Coaches

Head coach – Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach – Joe Dawes, fielding coach – R Sridhar, physiotherapist – Patrick Farhart, mentor– Virender Sehwag, peak performance coach – Anand Chulani

Quotes

“The IPL is a platform where talent meets opportunity and that excites me. I think that’s the theme of this team. He [Miller] came in as a 20-year old boy, sat on the benches for a season [as] an unknown quantity and today is the captain.”
“My job is to motivate them [the youngsters], tell them about conditions …and share my experience with them. It is important when you want to take a risk. Maybe that’s too early or too late; I can share my experience with them and he can take the risk at the right time.”

A round-up from the 12th round of the Logan Cup

Cricinfo staff06-Feb-2010Assured batting from the trio of Keith Dabengwa, Bonaparte Mujuru and Dion Ebrahim, in addition to Chris Mpofu’s match-haul of seven wickets, were the highlights in Matabeleland Tuskers’ seven-wicket win over Mashonaland Eagles at Bulawayo. Asked to bat first by the Eagles, the Tuskers’ top order set up a strong platform to dominate the match. Mujuru and Ebrahim contributed 70s before Dabengwa took centre-stage. His score of 136 included 13 fours and three sixes, and in the company of Charles Coventry, guided his side to an imposing 425 for 8 declared.Despite Prince Masvaure’s 94, the Eagles’ reply was always behind the eight-ball, as a concerted allround effort from the Tuskers’ attack pegged them back. John Nyumbu picked up three wickets, while Mpofu and Ebrahim scalped two apiece to ensure that the Eagles fell just short of avoiding the follow-on. They fared marginally better in the second dig, reaching an even 300 thanks to Ryan Butterworth’s 102, but would be disappointed with the way they collapsed from the strength of 192 for 2. Mpofu was in the thick of action, striking body blows on either side of a promising third-wicket stand between Butterworth and Forster Mutizwa. Mujuru and Ebrahim struck their second fifties of the game to ensure that the victory target of 140 was achieved in the 33rd over.Sean Ervine marked his comeback to the Zimbabwe domestic scene with a grand display that yielded 364 runs as Southern Rocks managed to hold on for a draw against Mid West Rhinos at Masvingo Sports Club, a middle-order wobble late on the fourth day notwithstanding. The Rhinos had their backs against the wall from the outset, as Blessing Mahwire and Tanyaradzwa Munyaradzi reduced them to 56 for 5. Malcolm Waller then put his head down to score a hundred and take his side from dire straits to respectability. A final score of 267 still looked under-par and required a lion-hearted performance from the bowlers. That was exactly what the Rhinos’ attack provided, reducing the Rocks to shambles at 13 for 4. Enter Sean Ervine.In the company of his brother Craig, Sean counterattacked in majestic style. Craig matched Sean shot for shot in the stand of 178 before falling 19 short of a century. There was to be no letting up from Sean though, as he brought up three-figures and then doubled his score in a batting display of rare dominance. After 22 fours and 3 sixes in 274 balls where he had given his side a lead in excess of 100, he was finally run out, the last wicket to fall. The Rhinos had a tough task on hand, and responded in fitting fashion as Innocent Chikunya and Brendan Taylor added 235 for the second wicket to take their side out of the red. Chikunya was the more sedate partner, striking 75 before falling to Tafadzwa Kamungozi, but Taylor was in a zone of his own. Striking at a rate better than a run-a-ball, he carted the bowlers to all corners, his four sixes and 24 fours standing testimony to the havoc he wreaked. He brought up the second 200 of the match, before falling to the man who had scored the first one. The Rhinos declared at 443 for 5, setting a sporting target of 337 for the Rocks.Early wickets fell again – two on this occasion – leaving Sean to do the repair-work for the second time in the match. And he responded in earnest yet again. Steve Marillier helped him add 131 for the third wicket and raise visions of a stunning chase. The Rocks were then set back by the losses of Marillier and Craig in quick succession, but Sean kept them in the hunt with another audacious display. Tendai Chisoro supported him, as he blasted 17 fours and a six to bring up his second three-figure score for the match. Graeme Cremer sparked a late collapse where three wickets fell for nine runs, prompting Sean to adopt a safety-first approach. His dismissal in the dying stages, for 160, put paid to hopes of a result in what had been a game of fluctuating fortunes.

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.

Khushi produced a chanceless ton while Browne is 94 not out with Essex just 44 runs behind

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2024Essex 314 for 3 (Khushi 107, Browne 94*) trail Durham 358 by 44 runsA century by Feroze Khushi and Nick Browne’s unbeaten 94 enabled Essex to take control of their Vitality County Championship match against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.Replying to the home side’s 358, the First Division leaders were 314 for 3 at the close, leaving their side just 44 runs in arrears and perhaps laying the foundations for Essex’s third victory in four matches this season.Durham’s batters will have something to say about that, of course, on top of which this Riverside pitch is still good for batting and the weather forecast for Sunday is grim. But nothing should detract from the quality of Khushi’s chanceless century, the second of his career and his first since he reached three figures at Canterbury in 2022.And even when the 24-year-old had been dismissed by Callum Parkinson for 107, Browne shared an unbroken stand of 54 with Jordan Cox to leave his side well placed to take a first-innings lead.Related

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The first wicket to fall in the morning session was that of the nightwatcher, Sam Cook, who was bowled by Paul Coughlin for 25 in the 19th over of the innings. By then, however, the stand-in Essex skipper had helped Dean Elgar put on 64 for the first wicket, a partnership which removed much of the shine from the new ball.Five minutes before lunch, however, Durham took the wicket they most wanted when Elgar’s loose drive outside the off stump to a ball from Matthew Potts edged a catch to Ollie Robinson. The opener’s dismissal for 46 left his side on 97 for 2 at lunch but Potts could reflect that he had been unfortunate not to get an lbw decision against the South African in the first half-hour of play, a period in which Ben Raine had also had two confident leg before appeals against Elgar turned down.In the afternoon session, Khushi and Browne carefully consolidated their side’s position with Khushi being especially quick to seize on anything loose, driving and pulling Brydon Carse to the boundary in the space of three balls. He reached his fifty off 102 balls when he off-drove Parkinson to the boundary and celebrated the achievement two deliveries later with a straight drive for four.The hundred partnership was put up in less than two hours and perhaps the most noticeable feature of the afternoon session was the ease with which the pair dealt with Durham’s six-man attack on a good batting pitch. Off-spinner Colin Ackermann bowled the last over before tea, at which point Essex were 220 for 2, with Khushi on 88 and Browne unbeaten on 46.The evening session continued much like the afternoon’s. Carse overpitched in the first over after the resumption and Khushi clipped him through midwicket for four to get into the nineties. A glance to fine leg two overs later and then a punch through midwicket off Ackermann took him to his hundred off 156 balls. He had batted 203 minutes and hit 16 fours.Ten minutes later, Browne reached his fifty off 143 balls via a slice of good fortune when an attempted off-drive to a ball from Ackermann only produced an edge between Robinson and first slip Coughlin. Liberated by that achievement, Browne took two successive fours off Ackermann but three overs later, Khushi drove Parkinson straight to Graham Clark at shortish extra cover and departed.Browne and new partner Cox soon had to face the challenge of the new ball but they did so with little fuss.