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Michael Pepper added a maiden first-class century to two hundreds in this season’s T20 Blast to put Essex in command of their Vitality County Championship match against Worcestershire.The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had only passed fifty once before this summer, and his previous highest red-ball score of 92 came three years ago at Durham, but his unbeaten 125-ball 112 turned the tide in Essex’s favour as they seek to end a run of three games without a win.Pepper was joined at 227 for 7 by Shane Snater (53) and the pair put on 136 in 26 runs to not only overhaul Worcestershire’s 266 but lay the foundations for a 138-run first-innings lead. Tom Westley had set the ball rolling with 68 from 126 balls before he became the first of Amar Virdi’s three wickets for 126 in a marathon 37.4-over spell. Ethan Brookes also picked up three wickets before Worcestershire reduced the deficit by two runs without loss in five overs in the evening.Before the game was effectively taken away from them, Brookes had been an unlikely terminator of Essex’s serene second-wicket partnership that had put on 65 in 13 overs after the loss of Dean Elgar to the last ball of day one. Brookes had never taken a first-class wicket before he broke Robin Das’s middle-stump with a bit of extra pace followed by a jubilant running leap into the air.The 23-year-old seamer did not have long to wait for his second as Jordan Cox, released by England the day before to play for Essex, showed the first real attacking intent in his uncharacteristically obdurate 21-ball innings when he drove uppishly to short midwicket.Brett D’Oliveira brought himself on for an over before lunch and with his third ball had Matt Critchley lunging forward before being rapped fatally on his front pad.Westley settled into an innings that mixed abandon with caution before reaching his fifty from 95 balls. Early on he hit three fours in an over from Tom Taylor, two off his legs through midwicket and the third driven crisply through extra cover. Yet he managed only two more boundaries in reaching his fourth half-century of the season.The Essex captain had put on 55 with Paul Walter when he received a delivery from Virdi that jumped up and caught the edge of his bat before ending in Gareth Roderick’s gloves. Six balls later, Walter’s forceful knock was over when he slashed Logan van Beek to slip the ball after chipping him over extra cover for his fifth four.Brookes returned for a cameo in which he strangled Simon Harmer down legside to claim a third wicket in only his seventh over of the innings. The majority of the heavy lifting was done by the loaned-in pair Virdi and van Beek, who bowled nearly 60 of the 107.4 overs Essex faced.Essex overtook Worcestershire’s first-innings 266 soon after the new-ball had been taken and shortly before Pepper and Shane Snater chalked up their first fifty partnership in 12 overs – 22 runs coming in the first three overs of the new Kookaburra – their second fifty spanning a further 11 overs. At one point they needed just six overs to move from 300 to 350 as the tempo increased.Pepper is renown for his 360-degree game and outrageous shots in the short form, but his most audacious effort was when he chopped Joe Leach over slip’s head to the third-man boundary. The majority of his runs were orthodox shots, mainly between extra cover and cover points. Snater went past fifty from 73 balls with successive fours off van Beek but fell next ball when beaten for pace. Sam Cook batted freely before Virdi got one past his defences.Pepper scampered a two off Brookes to reach three-figures from 116 balls and celebrated with a further 10 runs from the next three balls, including a six high over midwicket. Jamie Porter hung around long enough to see the centurion over the line before he was Virdi’s third victim.

Glamorgan eased to only their third victory in this season’s Vitality Blast as they beat Sussex Sharks by 24 runs under the DLS method at Hove.The visitors laid the foundations for a huge total of 235 for 6 – the third-highest in their Blast history – when they plundered 81 in the powerplay as Sussex badly missed the control with the new ball normally offered by Ollie Robinson, who was absent with a back niggle.It’s debatable if even Robinson would have been able to tame Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson, who hit a career-best 87 off 47 balls before he was caught at extra cover in the 19th over, one of four wickets for Sussex skipper Tymal Mills who is now the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 19.Daniel Hughes led Sussex’s response with 74 off 38 balls, his fourth half-century in this season’s competition, but having been set an unlikely 79 from 28 deliveries following a 50-minute rain delay they finished on 190 for 8 and slipped to their third defeat of the season, although they remain second in the South Group.Carlson and co. set the tone by thrashing 75 in the first five overs after Glamorgan were put in, including 60 in boundaries. It needed a great slower ball by Mills to stymie their progress which Will Smale pulled to midwicket after hitting eight fours and a six in a stand of 79 from just 33 balls. Carlson then put on 72 off 37 with Tom Bevan and 47 off 24 with Colin Ingram to maintain their momentum.Mills was the only Sussex bowler in the first half of the innings to concede less than ten runs in an over and his mood didn’t improve when Tom Clark dropped the ball over the rope while failing to take a catch on the midwicket boundary offered by Bevan.Glamorgan might have fancied posting a score of 250-plus when they had 194 on the board after 15 overs but, spearheaded by Mills, Sussex dragged it back slightly by taking four wickets and only conceding 39 in the final five.Mills led the way with 4 for 29 as Ingram missed a straight one and Marnus Labuschagne drove to mid-on before he snared Carlson, who struck three sixes and nine fours, only to be foxed by Mills’ speciality slower ball with a century in his sights.Sussex were left needing to score at nearly 12 an over but after losing Harrison Ward in the second over Australian Hughes and another left-hander, Clark, added 55 in 27 balls to keep their challenge alive.But legspinner Mason Crane made an immediate impact when he came on in the seventh over with two wickets in his first three balls. Clark was stumped when he missed a googly and James Coles lost his middle stump heaving across the line.Hughes and John Simpson shared 49 off 31 balls but the required rate had climbed to 14.75 when Simpson failed to clear long-on in the 12th over. Hughes hit two sixes off Chris Sole when play resumed at 10.10pm but then he holed out to deep backward-square to effectively end Sussex’s hopes.

New Zealand will finally get their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign underway when they take on Afghanistan in Providence on Friday night, and their captain Kane Williamson is acutely aware of the threat their first opponents pose.Afghanistan possess one of the better bowling attacks in the World Cup, and they are getting better with more experience at the top level, according to Williamson.”Certainly a number of players in their side,” Williamson told reporters when asked if there’s anyone in the Afghanistan team they have kept their eyes on. “I mean, all of the players, to be honest, they have such a skillful team, one of the better bowling attacks, I think, in the competition.”And we’ve seen that in franchise competitions, the involvement, the number of Afghani players. And they’re getting better and better,” Williamson said. “They’re getting more and more top-level cricket. And we saw at the last World Cup how strong they were in the ODI format too. So, a really highly skilled team and a number of threats.”One of those threats is their star legspinner Rashid Khan, who Williamson has had the experience of playing with in the IPL – first for Sunrisers Hyderabad and then Gujarat Titans.Rashid Khan cools off during a training session ahead of the New Zealand game•ICC via Getty Images

“Obviously, Rashid’s been around for a while now, although still a young man, but an extremely gifted world-class player,” Williamson said. “But there are a number of other players in their side throughout, really, that make them an exciting team and a real challenge.”Williamson came into the World Cup, like several of his team-mates, on the back of the IPL. But New Zealand’s T20I captain played just two matches in the season where Titans failed to make it to the knockout stage for the first time in three years.”Yeah. I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. I’ve been involved in a few IPLs now and sometimes play more, sometimes play less,” Williamson said. “And the balance of overseas players has a lot to do with that. And so, from my perspective, it’s just trying to help the team as much as I can and then put quite a bit of time into some of the fitness side of things and other parts of your game.”But when you are on the road playing a lot, you know, sometimes it’s hard to get those windows. But equally, you know, there’s cricket coming up, which is the World Cup. So, it’s trying to put time into moving your game forward because there’s so many opportunities over there.”Obviously, playing is nice and it’s nice to have that reference point when you play and then you train. But yeah, that’s the experience I had,” Williamson said. “And some aspects were enjoyable and others were just part and parcel of what happened. But yeah, that was fun.”Williamson also praised the decision to expand the World Cup to 20 teams.”It’s a fantastic thing. I remember playing in World Cups when I first started and they were bigger tournaments, you know, and that sort of exposure is only beneficial for all teams,” he said. “And then you come to tournament time and anything can happen, which is the beauty of the sport, but ultimately great for the growth.”

Match details

Bangladesh vs Netherlands
June 13, Kingstown, 10:30am local

Big picture: Winner stays in touching distance of Super 8s

Netherlands will hunt for their first big fish (Full Members side) when they take on Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup’s newest venue in Kingstown, St Vincent. It is a fresh pitch where competitive cricket hasn’t been played for a while now. Both sets of batters, battered and bruised in New York, will look forward to a better experience.Bangladesh endured a hectic travel schedule after their South Africa game in New York, with their chartered flight out delayed by five hours. They arrived early Tuesday morning in their Kingstown hotel, and cancelled training on that day.Coupled with the travel stress, Bangladesh are dealing with heartbreak of a close defeat to South Africa. Their inability to put away Keshav Maharaj’s full-tosses in the final over cost them the game. Bangladesh have had trouble closing off T20I chases over the last eight years, and on Monday, Mahmudullah and Jaker Ali, reputed big hitters, could not find a boundary in the last three overs of their chase.Related

• The Bangladesh-SA thriller that you think you saw, but TV didn't fully show

• Washout puts SL on brink of exit; SA confirm Super Eight spot

Their top order batting has also been worrying. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto opened with Tanzid Hasan against South Africa, with Soumya Sarkar left out, but neither opening pair has managed a double-digit stand yet in this tournament. Litton Das showed a bit of form against Sri Lanka but gave it away cheaply against South Africa. Only Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah have shown batting form, while it has mostly been the bowling attack that has kept Bangladesh afloat.Netherlands will have their hands full against Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Taskin Ahmed with the new ball, before Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain go at them in the middle overs. The pace trio has done well in the death overs too, and among the spin-bowling allrounders Mahmudullah has been mostly economical while Shakib Al Hasan, despite a poor start to the tournament, can never be counted out.Netherlands themselves have bowled brilliantly in the T20 World Cup, beating Nepal in Dallas and pushing South Africa close in New York. Logan van Beek, Bas de Leede and Tim Pringle have bowled well in partnerships alongside Vivian Kingma and Paul van Meekeren.Like Bangladesh, they too have batting problems. Max O’Dowd has made their only half-century so far, while the rest of the batters haven’t taken off, particularly Michael Levitt who was their form player leading up to the T20 World Cup.This could be a tense scrap in Kingstown, with the result coming down to which bowling attack can better dominate on the day.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Netherlands LWLLL

In the spotlight – Logan van Beek and Taskin Ahmed

Taskin Ahmed has performed admirably as the attack leader. He has taken the big wickets of Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka in Bangladesh’s two games, while going at just 5.50 per over. It is still early days but if he can keep getting the ball to shape and maintain his overall fitness, Taskin could end as one of the top bowlers of the tournament.Logan van Beek has already bowled arguably the ball of the tournament. His delivery to Reeza Hendricks in New York pitched on middle and off, squared up the batter, and flicked the off bail as van Beek flew into a celebratory run. He has been Netherlands’ best bowler in their two matches so far, picking up five wickets. Accuracy is van Beek’s hallmark, regardless of whether he is bowling with an upright or wobbly seam.All aboard the Logan van Beek flight•ICC/Getty Images

Team news: Bangladesh could look at batting options

Bangladesh are still unsure about their top and lower middle order. Soumya Sarkar and Mahedi Hasan are among their batting options if they are looking for another change.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Najmul Hosain Shanto (capt), 3 Litton Das (wk), 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan, 10 Taskin Ahmed 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Barring last-minute injuries, Netherlands are likely to continue with the same XI.Netherlands (probable): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Bas de Leede, 6 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 7 Teja Nidamanuru, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Tim Pringle, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian Kingma.

Pitch and conditions

International cricket returns to Arnos Vale after nearly ten years. The ground has never hosted a CPL match either, so it is hard to predict what the conditions might be like. There’s a bit of early-morning rain in the forecast in the region.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh, incidentally, played the last international match at Arnos Vale, a Test-match defeat to West Indies in September 2014. Mahmudullah is the only member of their T20 World Cup squad to have featured in that game. They will also play against Nepal here on June 17, and a three-match T20I series against West Indies later this year.
• Bangladesh hold an overall 4-3 win record over Netherlands in all formats but they lost their most recent meeting, the 2023 World Cup game in Kolkata.
• Netherlands made their best start with the ball against a Full Member team in T20Is when they reduced South Africa to 12 for 4 in their last game.
• Tanzim Hasan has picked up three wickets in the powerplay overs at this World Cup, at an average of 8.33.

Quotes

“We spoke about this ground. I think Shakib was telling me that he made his captaincy debut in this ground. Riyad has a Test five-for.”
“We are in the ground for the first time today. It seems to be in wonderful shape. The wicket is great. I think tomorrow’s match is one that the island has waited a long time for.”

Russell Domingo, the former South Africa and Bangladesh coach, has been named Hampshire men’s head coach on a two-year contract. He will be joined in the club’s new coaching set-up by another South African, Shane Burger, who previously coached Scotland before moving on to Somerset.Domingo was in charge of South Africa between 2012 and 2017, followed by a three-year stint with Bangladesh. He has been head coach of Johannesburg-based Lions since 2023, and has also worked in the PSL. ESPNcricinfo understands Domingo will continue in his Lions role, splitting his time between the UK and South Africa.He succeeds his countryman Adrian Birrell at Hampshire, with Birrell stepping down at the end of the 2025 summer after seven seasons on the south coast.Burger joins as assistant coach (bowling), while former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams will continue in his role as assistant coach (batting).Related

• Hampshire target white-ball double as coach Birrell prepares to step down

• Timeline: Domingo's stint as head coach of Bangladesh

• Domingo replaces Gough as Lahore Qalandars coach

• Men's county ins and outs 2025-26

“I’m thrilled to be joining Hampshire Cricket,” Domingo said. “This is a club with incredible history, outstanding facilities at Utilita Bowl, and a clear vision for success both on and off the field.”I’ve been genuinely impressed by the ambition here and the strong cultural values that underpin everything Hampshire does. The combination of developing young talent whilst competing for trophies is exactly the challenge I’m looking for, and I can’t wait to get started.”I’m looking forward to working alongside Jimmy and Shane and getting to know the players as we prepare for what promises to be an exciting season ahead.”Burger said: “I’m really excited to be joining Hampshire Cricket. The quality of young bowlers coming through here is exceptional, Sonny Baker, Eddie Jack and Scott Currie have already earned England recognition, and I’m looking forward to helping them continue that development.”I love the ambition and vision of the club and the future seems bright. I’m excited to be part of that journey alongside Russell and Jimmy and I can’t wait to get started.”Hampshire endured a turbulent finish to last season, losing in both the final of the Vitality T20 Blast and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. They appeared destined for relegation to Division Two of the County Championship, after suffering a points deduction for a substandard pitch, before being reprieved on the final day by Durham’s collapse against Yorkshire.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, added: “We’re delighted to announce our coaching team for next summer. Russell Domingo will serve as head coach, with Jimmy Adams and Shane Burger joining him as assistant coaches. Together, they form a strong and experienced unit that will continue to champion the cultural framework that has underpinned Hampshire cricket over the years.”We exist to win and to develop, and I’m confident this team will continue to drive that ethos as we move into an exciting future. It’s a fantastic place to be at this moment in time, and the season ahead promises great opportunities.”

Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck injury during the first India vs South Africa Test in Kolkata, has been ruled out of the second Test in Guwahati, which starts on Saturday. Rishabh Pant, who led in Kolkata after Gill left the game, will be India’s captain.Gill had travelled to Guwahati on November 19 after spending time under observation in a Kolkata hospital, but has now been ruled out of participation in the game. Gill “will head to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury,” the BCCI said in a statement on Friday morning.As reported by ESPNcricinfo on Thursday, it was understood that Gill is at risk of further neck spasms if he plays so soon after recovering. He has been advised more rest. The development could also impact his selection in the ODI squad for the three matches against South Africa starting on November 30. The squad for that series is expected to be picked on November 23.Related

• Rishabh Pant's battle with Simon Harmer could define his first Test as captain

• Mystery pitch leaves SA guessing ahead of Guwahati Test

• What type of pitch will India want in Guwahati?

With Gill out and no replacements named, India have to choose one of B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy as his replacement.Gill was admitted to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test after he retired hurt having faced only three balls in India’s first innings. On the morning of the third day, the BCCI said he would take no further part in the Test. India went on to lose the match by 30 runs after being dismissed for 93 in a chase of 124 on a pitch with uneven bounce. Gill had missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm too.On Thursday, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had said in a press conference that the team would not risk playing Gill if there was any chance of the spasm recurring.”He is definitely recovering really well,” Kotak said. “Now, the decision [whether to play him or not] will be taken tomorrow evening. The physios, doctors, they will have to take a call that, [even] if he is fully recovered, [during the] game, he should not get that spasm again.”[…] If we have a, guarantee that, very likely, he won’t have this issue again, then he will play. If there is a doubt, then I am sure, he will take rest [for] one more game, because it won’t be helpful to the team [if he plays].”

The 2025 edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will not take place this year as was originally planned, SLC has announced. In a press release, SLC said that the decision was taken “after careful consideration of the broader requirement of preparing well in advance” for next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.The 2025 LPL was originally slated to be held between November 27 and December 23 across three venues – Colombo, Kandy and Dambulla. SLC, however, has now decided to move the tournament to another window, in order to allow “full focus on ensuring comprehensive venue readiness ahead of the World Cup.”As per ICC guidelines, all venues for the upcoming 20-team World Cup are meant to be in perfect condition to meet the demands of hosting a major international tournament. Accordingly, SLC said they needed the time to upgrade and enhance the infrastructure in and around the grounds.The R Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo, which is one of three venues in Sri Lanka, had temporarily paused its renovation work to host 11 matches in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. SLC confirmed that the ground will resume development work immediately upon the completion of its scheduled games.The last two seasons of the LPL took place during July and August, however this year, with the 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin in February, SLC had initially felt the later window better suited their needs.ESPNcricinfo had also learnt that talks are underway to incorporate a sixth team into the LPL. The first five editions saw five teams representing Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla and Jaffna compete. Earlier this year, Jaffna Kings – formerly the longest-standing franchise, having joined in the tournament’s second edition – and Colombo Strikers were terminated by SLC for “failure to uphold contractual obligations.” As a result, the LPL currently has no franchise owners with a history stretching back beyond 2024. New owners for both the Jaffna and Colombo teams are yet to be announced.

Matt Henry’s sixth Test five-for eclipsed Brendan Taylor’s international comeback, and entrenched questions over Zimbabwe’s batting in the longest format. Zimbabwe were bowled out for their lowest total in nine innings, and second-lowest since 2023, with Taylor’s 44 and Tafadzwa Tsiga’s 33 the only individual scores over 11. That Taylor and Tsiga never batted together further underlines the issue, as Zimbabwe mustered a best partnership of only 29 on a surface where they chose to bat first.There was some early movement but with less bounce on offer than last week, and the quality of New Zealand’s seamers shone through. Henry led the attack, but debutants Zakary Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher were also impressive. They varied lengths well, and bowled tight lines to a plan to give New Zealand’s line-up the best of the batting conditions.In response, Devon Conway and Will Young put on New Zealand’s third-highest opening partnership against Zimbabwe, and New Zealand’s first opening stand of over 150 in almost three years. It was their fourth century stand together, and first for the opening wicket. Though separated late in the day, Conway and Young put New Zealand ahead, and memories of Taylor’s slog earlier in the day already far from mind.Related

• Brendan Taylor grateful for second chance with Zimbabwe

Taylor was called into action immediately on his comeback after a three-and-a-half-year ban when he was elevated to open the batting – something he had only done six times before – in place of Ben Curran. The reason for that became obvious as Taylor looked, by a distance, the most aware of his off stump, left well, and defended solidly.With all those qualities on display in the morning, he will be livid with the manner of his dismissal shortly after lunch. Taylor became Henry’s third wicket when he popped a tame catch to stand-in captain Mitchell Santner at extra cover to end a two-hour-and-23 minute stay at the crease.By then, Zimbabwe were in all sorts of trouble. They had already lost the rest of their top order thanks to poor shot selection in the face of excellent bowling. Brian Bennett, who partnered Taylor, was out as early as the ninth ball when he chased a delivery that shaped away and edged Henry to second slip, and will have to address his technique going forward.Brendan Taylor scored 44 on his return to Test cricket•Zimbabwe Cricket

Henry should have had Nick Welch off the next ball when he edged a good-length delivery. But Will Young, who took the catch that dismissed Bennett, could not hold on. Welch was beaten on the outside edge at least twice more by Henry, who then beat his inside edge and had him out lbw.Zimbabwe would have hoped an experienced middle order would stabilise them, but Sean Williams and Craig Ervine went cheaply. Williams was worked over by Foulkes, who moved the ball away late, and edged to third slip, where Young took a diving catch to his right. Then, on the stroke of lunch, Ervine reached for a full, wide ball, and handed Young a third catch. Zimbabwe went to the break on 67 for 4, with Taylor on 33 and well set. His shot of the session was an upper cut off Duffy that was struck powerfully and placed well.The same could not be said of the shot Taylor played in the afternoon, when Henry bowled on a good length outside off, and Taylor tried to drive off the back foot but chipped the ball to Santner. At the start of the next over, Foulkes set a leg-side trap for Sikandar Raza, and banged it in short and Raza walked straight in. He moved to the off side, and guided the ball into Rachin Ravindra’s hands. That was the third time in as many innings in this series that Raza was dismissed by the short ball.Foulkes had Trevor Gwandu lbw three balls later, and Zimbabwe had crashed to 83 for 7. The end of the innings was only a matter of time. Henry picked up his fourth when Vincent Masekesa played down the wrong line and the ball hit the top of off stump, and his fifth when Blessing Muzarabani backed away and was bowled. Foulkes also chased a fifth, but Tsiga and Tanaka Chivanga resisted with a 25-run last wicket-stand.Will Young remains without a century one inning into his 22nd Test•Zimbabwe Cricket

Tsiga played a couple of well-timed shots through deep third and midwicket, and offered a rare glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe’s batting. But he ran out of partners when Chivanga failed to use his feet and drove Fisher to mid-off to give him a wicket on debut. Zimbabwe were bowled out inside 49 overs.In response, New Zealand raced to 57 without loss after ten overs, and 40 of their runs came in boundaries. Conway got hold of fuller deliveries from Chivanga, while Young, who was struck on the glove, took on Muzarabani’s short ball. Zimbabwe’s new-ball pair then adjusted their lengths, but when Muzarabani and Chivanga went full, it was too full, and Conway cashed in. Chivanga’s fourth over cost 14 runs as Young cut him twice and then edged a back-of-a-length ball over the slips to bring up New Zealand’s fifty.Gwandu’s introduction quietened things down, but only a touch, as New Zealand accumulated with ease. Chivanga changed ends, and it was off him that Young brought up his 11th Test fifty and New Zealand’s hundred with a flick through midwicket.Zimbabwe’s best chance came shortly after the day’s final drinks break when Muzarabani drew Conway’s edge, but the chance died on Ervine at slip. Muzarabani also found the inside edge, but the ball raced away for four. Conway rode his luck, and then brought up his 13th Test fifty. New Zealand were in the lead with 14.4 overs left to play on the opening day.They were 33 runs ahead when Masekesa thought he had the breakthrough. He hit Conway, on 72, in front of middle and leg, and appealed for lbw but it was turned down. Zimbabwe finally had some joy when Young tried to pull Gwandu but chopped on. Young remains without a century one inning into his 22nd Test. Conway finished the day on 79* alongside nightwatcher Duffy.

Former Australia batter Lisa Keightley has replaced Charlotte Edwards as the head coach of Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). MI were without a head coach after Edwards left the role to take over as the England Women’s head coach earlier this year, after coaching MI for the first three years of the WPL.”It’s an honour to join the Mumbai Indians, a team that has set the benchmark in the WPL,” Keightley said in a release. “The culture of excellence and care is something I deeply admire. I look forward to working with this talented group to build on our success and continue inspiring on and off the field.”Keightley, a two-time ODI World Cup winner with Australia in 1997 and 2005, has had several coaching roles in recent years, with England Women, Australia Women, Delhi Capitals (WPL), Sydney Thunder (WBBL) and most recently guiding Northern Superchargers to the Women’s Hundred title less than a month ago.