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Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik has been given a category A contract by the PCB for the period between July 2015 and June 2016

Umar Farooq05-Sep-2015Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik has been given a category A contract by the PCB for the period between July 2015 and June 2016, while offspinner Saeed Ajmal and fast bowler Junaid Khan were demoted to category B.

PCB’s monthly retainer

Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, is to undergo surgery on a back injury that will rule him out of Middlesex’s NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final against Northamptonshire on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2016Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, is to undergo surgery on a back injury that will rule him out of Middlesex’s NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final against Northamptonshire on Tuesday.McCullum featured in six games for Middlesex during the Blast group stage, before leaving to participate in the Caribbean Premier League. He continued to battle a long-standing back problem while playing for Trinbago Knight Riders and, after they were eliminated at the semi-final stage, he has opted to have an operation.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, was understanding of McCullum’s injury situation, which he had been managing with injections and painkillers. As well helping Middlesex qualify from the T20 group stage for the first time since 2008, contributing 132 runs from five innings at a strike rate of 148.31, McCullum led the club’s averages in the Royal London Cup, in which they narrowly missed out on the last eight.His absence will be a blow to their chances of beating Northants, the 2013 champions, at Wantage Road, with Eoin Morgan also suffering from a chipped finger bone. Morgan is unavailable for the Blast quarter-final but Middlesex hope he could be fit to play on Finals Day, on August 20, should they make it through.Middlesex’s other T20 signing, New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, suffered a pelvic stress fracture playing for the club in June, while Adam Voges – captain of the side in Championship cricket – is in Sri Lanka as part of Australia’s Test tour.”I have been in regular contact with Brendon whilst he was at the Caribbean Premier League and was aware that he was struggling with his back,” Fraser said.”The short nature of a T20 means there is always the temptation to play someone when they have an injury but Brendon felt he could not do himself justice and did not want to risk letting the team down in such an important game. He has been having regular injections and dosing up on painkillers for some time just to get by, which is not particularly good for you.”As a club we have not had a lot of luck with injuries in the past couple of weeks. Seven 1st XI players have been forced to miss cricket or play in discomfort for one reason or another. But we will travel to Northampton on Tuesday with an excited and extremely capable squad. These are the sort of games we wanted to be involved in when we discussed our goals at the start of the season and we will give it everything we have got.”

Visitors indebted to Luke Hollman’s four wickets, Sam Robson’s 76 as Danny Lamb threatens to steal game

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2021Middlesex’s young bowlers just about held their nerve to secure a six-run win over Lancashire in a magnificent Royal London Cup match at Emirates Old Trafford.Defending 257, the visitors were indebted to 20-year-old leg spinner Luke Hollman, who took 4 for 56, but the visitors had to withstand a late assault from Danny Lamb, whose 21-ball 33 looked as though it might win the game until he was bowled by Ethan Bamber when four balls remained in the game.Middlesex’s total owed much to Sam Robson’s 81-ball 76 and also to Martin Andersson’s partnerships with tailenders Thilan Wallalawita and Bamber that saw 67 runs added for the last two wickets in less than ten oversThe visitors probably envisaged making an even bigger total when they were 80 for 1 in the 18th over but Stevie Eskinazi became the second of his side’s batters after Josh de Caires to be caught by Lamb when he top-edged a rank full-toss from George Balderson to fine leg where the Lancashire all-rounder dived full length to clutch the ball in his right hand.Eskinazi’s departure for 45 was followed by that of the Middlesex skipper Peter Handscomb for 14 seven overs later and once again Lamb literally had a hand in things when he dived backwards from short fine-leg to take a one-handed snare off Jack Morley.Related

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By that stage Robson had reached his fifty off 54 balls and the four-day opener continued to bat fluently despite injuring his groin and needing a runner. Robbie White was caught behind off leg-spinner Luke Wells for 18 and that wicket started a collapse that saw Middlesex decline from 154 for 3 to 190 for 8 in nine overs.Three of the five wickets were taken in eight balls by Tom Bailey, who finished with 3 for 33 and was clearly the pick of his side’s attack. Indeed Bailey was the only bowler to concede less than five runs an over and Wallalawita helped himself to two sixes and a couple of fours when Jack Morley and Liam Hurt’s radar malfunctioned. Andersson ended the innings unbeaten on 42.Lacashire’s reply began badly as both Josh Bohannon and Wells fell to Bamber and James Harris for single-figure scores but Keaton Jennings and Rob Jones had put on 63 in some comfort before Jennings injured his calf when setting off to complete a leg bye.Following treatment he was helped from the field in obvious pain but Jones and Steven Croft added a further 77 before Croft fell to Hollman for 41. Balderson then hit de Caires for two sixes over the short leg-side but both he and Jones were dismissed by Hollman, whose eighth over was crucial in deciding the outcome.Jones was caught by de Caires at long-off for a career-best List A score of 72 but that only prompted Lamb’s defiant assault that nearly brought Lancashire a famous victory. Jennings’ injury prevented him coming out to bat when Lancashire’s ninth wicket fell.

West Indies need a win to save the series, while a strong victory would partially absolve the hosts of the disappointment of two defeats at the hands of India and Pakistan

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Oct-2015

Match facts

October 22-26, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)1:09

Holder upbeat about West Indies’ chances

Big Picture

The only predictable thing about Sri Lanka’s weather is that the meteorological department’s forecasts will be wrong. They expect daily afternoon thunderstorms in Colombo all through the Test. Going by their track record from Galle, this is an excellent sign the cricket will not be interrupted over the next few days, even if plenty of rain has fallen on the city recently.Both teams will be pleased a result looks likely. West Indies need a victory to save the series, and to inspire a new captain and his young team ahead of a difficult tour of Australia. Meanwhile, a strong series win would partially absolve the hosts of the disappointment of two mid-year humblings at the hands of India and Pakistan.Sri Lanka arrive full of confidence following the innings victory in the first Test, of course, but their batting may still be vulnerable. Milinda Siriwardene and Kusal Perera are playing their second and third Tests respectively, opener Kaushal Silva has gone some time without a big score, and the no. 3 position has been so problematic Sri Lanka are likely to give 20-year-old Kusal Mendis an opportunity there. West Indies conceded 484 in Galle, but that had been more a reflection of poor catching, than toothless bowling. The extra pace and carry often available on the P Sara pitch will raise the visiting attack’s chance of scripting an upset (much like Tim Southee and Trent Boult had done at the venue in 2012), so long as chances are held.The hosts will be happy with the state of their own fielding, however. Dinesh Chandimal claimed a stunner at short midwicket in the first innings at Galle, but Sri Lanka were sharp in the field generally, where they had been almost abysmal for much of the past year. The board is still hunting for a head coach, but several players have already spoken positively of interim coach Jerome Jayaratne’s work so far.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka: WLLWLWWest Indies: LLLWL

In the spotlight

Dinesh Chandimal was virtually unselectable for large portions of 2014, but he has suddenly begun to bat with freedom and watched the runs flow. He averages 51.69 in 2015, and provides the positivity and dynamism Sri Lanka have often had from their long-term no. 4 batsmen. Having often enjoyed batting on quicker, bouncier tracks, he is better-suited than most in the side to make runs at the P Sara.Devendra Bishoo was not quite at his best in Galle, yet he created the most chances from the West Indies attack, and finished with the most wickets as well. Though the P Sara suits the quicks, it has also been kind to visiting spinners this year – Yasir Shah, R Ashwin and Amit Mishra prospered at the venue. If West Indies’ batsmen can keep their side in the match for the first three days, Bishoo may have a key role to play in the second innings.

Teams news

Kusal Mendis appears almost a certainty to debut in place of Lahiru Thirimanne, who has suffered a poor stretch of Test form in the past three months. Rangana Herath will likely take up Thirimanne’s vice captaincy. Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal is also likely to be replaced by Dilruwan Perera, following Kaushal’s modest outing in the first Test.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal , 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Kusal Perera (wk), 8 Dhammika Prasad, 9 Dilruwan Perera, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Nuwan PradeepShai Hope’s twin failures in Galle may allow Rajendra Chandrika to reclaim a position at the top of the order. The rest of West Indies’ XI is likely to remain unchanged.West Indies (probable): 1 Kragg Braithwaite, 2 Rajendra Chandrika/Shai Hope, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jemaine Blackwood, 6 Denesh Ramdin, 7 Jason Holder (capt.), 8 Devendra Bishoo, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

Rain clouds have generally gathered over Colombo in the afternoons this past week, and usually drop their payload after dusk. The pitch is understood to be a little dry beneath the top layer, which will bring the spinners into the match.

Stats and trivia

• Angelo Mathews needs 151 runs to reach 4000 for his career. If he does it in the first innings, he will be the equal second-fastest Sri Lankan to that milestone (in terms of innings played) alongside Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera. Mathews has, however, batted largely at no. 6.
• Jermaine Blackwood has 548 runs at an average of 45.66 this year.
• Each of the 10 most recent Tests at the P Sara Oval have had a result. Each of the nine most recent Tests in Sri Lanka have also ended in a result

Quotes

“This wicket has more bounce and pace than Galle and our fast bowlers have been bowling really well even though they haven’t got too many wickets. Dhammika Prasad has been brilliant over the past few games been taking three to four wickets all the time. Nuwan Pradeep’s bowling has been equally good.””I can tell you for sure the guys are upbeat for the second Test match. The guys know the situation of the series. The batsmen need to give us a chance to get 20 wickets. In the last game we only got one opportunity with the ball and we only got 10 wickets. Hopefully we can put some runs on the board in the second Test.”

England’s comprehensive series win in South Africa was made possible by a variety of big performances

Firdose Moonda28-Jan-2020After a rousing start to their campaign with a memorable win at Centurion, South Africa’s lack of batting depth and bowling penetration was ruthlessly exposed in a trio of defeats at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and the Wanderers. One man, however, showed fight with ball and bat to hint at a more promising future. Here are their marks out of ten.9Anrich Nortje

South Africa’s find of the series ended as the highest wicket-taker overall, ahead of his own team’s spearhead Kagiso Rabada and England’s Stuart Broad. Nortje bowled at a consistently high pace in the upper 140s throughout the four Tests, used the short ball to good effect and showed an ability to deliver long, pressure-building spells which bodes well for the future of South Africa’s attack. He collected his first five-wicket haul at the Wanderers and also put in two lengthy vigils as nightwatchman, one of which gave him his highest Test score of 40 and formed part of a match-winning partnership at SuperSport Park.7.5 Quinton de Kock

A class above the rest of South Africa’s batsmen, de Kock finished as the leading run-scorer among both teams, 56 runs ahead of Dom Sibley, and scored a half-century in every Test. De Kock seemed to be operating on different surfaces to the rest, took the attack to the opposition bowlers and scored quickly. What he needs now is to develop the nous to switch gears and play the long game by batting time, which will help him convert his fifties into hundreds at a better rate. His work behind the stumps was tidy, apart from the occasions when he dived in front of first slip and catchable chances went a-begging. As South Africa’s new ODI captain and Test-captain-in-waiting, de Kock has shown he has the form to take on more responsibility.6.5 Rassie van der Dussen

Van der Dussen enjoyed a satisfying debut series where he demonstrated composure and maturity in a batting line-up sorely lacking in experience. He scored fifties in three of the four Tests, including sharing in a match-winning partnership in Centurion and falling two runs short of a maiden century at the Wanderers. Most impressively, he coped well with being moved from No.5, where he played the first three Tests, to No.3 in the finale, where he made a career-best 98. His versatility has given South Africa’s top order options for the future. Though he dropped three catches, he took eight and proved himself a competent slip fielder.6 Keshav Maharaj

Tasked with the often thankless job of holding up an end, Maharaj bowled more overs than anyone else despite being benched for the final match, and was mostly successful in his containing role. At Newlands, in particular, he allowed South Africa’s quicks to rotate while keeping runs down, but in all three matches, he struggled against Ben Stokes. After playing some rash shorts early in the series, Maharaj bedded in when it was too late in Port Elizabeth and scored a free-spirited second Test half-century to again show that he has something to offer with the bat.5.5 Kagiso Rabada

A fourth demerit point in a 24-month period meant that Rabada’s series was blighted by his ban from the finale at the Wanderers and highlighted his continued disciplinary issues, which have seen him miss a second Test in less than three years. Still, Rabada remains South Africa’s poster-boy and was their leading wicket-taker until his suspension. He showed glimpses of his best at SuperSport Park, where he took seven wickets in the match. His dismissal of Joe Root in Port Elizabeth, where his celebration breached the ICC Code of Conduct, revealed both how much he values big wickets and how big the burden on him has been in an attack that lacks the bite of old.Beuran Hendricks

South Africa’s search for variation, particularly now that Vernon Philander has retired, may have found an answer in left-armer Hendricks. On his home ground, the Wanderers, he was fairly impressive on debut, especially in the second innings where he took 5 for 64. Hendricks has enough domestic experience to have gained a good understanding of his game, and how to vary his lengths, and could be a handy bowler for South Africa to keep around.Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander leave the field after the 3rd day of the 3rd Test•AFP / Getty Images

5Dwaine Pretorius


A dependable allrounder, who offers consistency with the ball and stoicism with the bat, Pretorius had a decent first series without offering anything exceptional. His economy rate of 3.15 speaks to the containing role that South Africa were looking to fill with a fourth seamer, and he played a part in some important lower-order partnerships. Whether Pretorius has all the skills to succeed Philander is doubtful, but South Africa deemed him important enough to stop him from signing a Kolpak deal on the eve of the series, so we can expect to see more of him in the future.Pieter Malan

A resolute start on his debut, where Malan scored 84 in the second innings at Newlands, gave way to a forgettable final two Tests. Malan was out twice to spinners in Port Elizabeth, got a good ball from Mark Wood first-up at the Wanderers and then played a nothing shot off Chris Woakes in the second innings. All-in-all, it would appear Malan has wasted the opportunity to have a long run in the Test team, especially with South Africa desperate to find a permanent partner for Dean Elgar. On the evidence of this series, Malan is not it.Dean Elgar

Elgar has escaped a certain degree of scrutiny because the other end of the opening partnership has been so problematic but it won’t be long before the spotlight turns to him. Although he scored 88 in Cape Town, the shot he played to be dismissed (a mow to mid-off against Dom Bess which Elgar described as a “brainfart”) was a microcosm for a serious flaw in his game. Elgar’s shot selections were not those of a senior player – from his playing across the line in Port Elizabeth to him flashing a short, wide ball straight to point and then pulling like a No.8 in Johannesburg – and underline what has become a problematic period in his career. South Africa needs players of Elgar’s ilk to do better and overall, he had a disappointing series.4.5 Vernon Philander

Philander bowed out with South Africa at an all-time low but at the right time for himself. Though his 4 for 16 at SuperSport Park made it seem as though he still had years left in him, a disappointing performance in Port Elizabeth, where he went wicketless and only bowled 16 overs, made it clear that his time was up. He finished 10th on the overall wicket-takers’ list in the series. In his final outing, Philander took two wickets in the first innings and then send down nine deliveries in the second before tearing his hamstring. He was also fined 15 percent of his match fee for giving Jos Buttler a send-off and a further 60 percent as part of South Africa’s slow-over-rate penalty. Philander again showed with the bat that he had what it took to contribute more to the line-up, and he may look back on that as potential unfulfilled.3.5 Dane Paterson

His new-ball performance in Port Elizabeth can best be described as flat, which did not give Paterson the best start to his Test career. An honest trier, Paterson does not appear quick enough to merit a place in the attack long-term, unless he can bring in some of his other much-talked about skills to the table. At domestic level, Paterson is known to move the ball off the seam and is vaunted for his accuracy, some of which we saw in the second ininngs at the Wanderers.Faf du Plessis

In what could prove to be his last series, du Plessis was under immense pressure and it showed. His poor form from the India series bled into this one and he top-scored with 36, making it a year and 11 innings since he last scored a half-century. Usually, du Plessis has been to hide poor form behind strong leadership but even that let him down. His captaincy in the first innings in Port Elizabeth and during the tenth-wicket partnership in the first innings at Wanderers left him looking strategically wanting and has only increased questions over his future. Du Plessis’ usually pleasant media mannerisms became visibly tetchy as the matches wore on, and he notched up a third successive series defeat.Zubayr Hamza

An eye-catching 39 at SuperSport Park suggested Hamza has the technique to develop into a strong No.3 for South Africa but perhaps not quite yet. He appeared tentative against teasing lengths in Cape Town and visibly afraid of the short ball in Port Elizabeth, where Mark Wood had his number. Hamza was left out of the Johannesburg Test and will need to find form domestically before he can be reconsidered.3 Temba Bavuma (33 runs at 16.50)

The most-talked about man in the series, especially when he was not there, Bavuma was unable to repeat the heroics of four years ago, when he scored his only Test hundred to date against England. But he dominated the conversation nonetheless. He was injured for the first match and dropped for the next two, but made a career-best 180 to force his way back in for the finale. He was out for 6 in the first innings but struck a positive 27 off 29 balls in the second before receiving a snorter from Stuart Broad. Curiously, Bavuma’s social media throughout the last four weeks has suggested he feels hard done by and has a point to prove. Now we have to wait for him to do that.2Aiden Markram (22 runs at 11)

After recovering from a broken hand (the result of punching something in the change-room during the India tour), Markram was strangled down the leg-side for 20 at Centurion, then struck on the pads for 2 before fracturing a finger and being ruled out for the rest of the series. The injury is not his fault but his lack of form is cause for concern. Markram has not scored fifty in seven innings and last scored a century almost two years ago. South Africa have big plans for him but they can’t be fulfilled if his trajectory continues like this.

Colin Ackermann’s hundred almost made Northants pay for a day of dropped chances but Leicestershire agonisingly fell two runs short and still remain without a win

ECB Reporters Network29-Jun-2017
ScorecardNorthamptonshire plucked victory from the jaws of defeat against Leicestershire to win the pink-ball Specsavers County Championship match by just two runs at Wantage Road.Colin Ackermann’s 105 and Matt Pillans’ late-order 56 were steering Leicestershire towards a record chase of 394.Then Pillans, with only No. 11 Dieter Klein for company, received a ball from Rory Kleinveldt that bounced a little more and took the splice of the bat to point. Leicestershire old-boy Josh Cobb dived forward to take the catch and Northants pulled a win out of the fire – it was Northamptonshire’s joint-second narrowest margin of victory.A thrilling final day where Leicestershire resumed needing 350 more to win with ten wickets in hand swayed back and forth. At 299 for 5 Leicestershire were on course to get up, only for Richard Gleeson to take two wickets in two balls seven overs into the second new ball. But then Pillans, on-loan from Surrey, swatted a 41-ball fifty – for the first time in first-class cricket – to revive the visitors’ hopes.In need of another breakthrough, Gleeson delivered – drawing an edge from Ackermann to wicketkeeper Ben Duckett after an innings worthy of winning a game. When No. 10 Clint McKay also fell caught behind, to Kleinveldt, 26 were still needed.But back came Leicestershire. Klein survived for 20 balls and escaped an edge behind the wicket that Duckett dropped diving to his right when seven were needed. He and Pillans nudged Leicestershire to within one hit. Gleeson bowled a maiden to Klein before Kleinveldt came up with the winning moment – a potentially pivotal one for Northants’ hopes of promotion.Northants’ coach David Ripley said: “It’s the year of the thriller – the fourth game from seven that’s been very tight – and it feels pretty good. I thought the game had slipped away at the death, they were edging to victory and we were looking back to dropped catches or maybe batting extra time, lots of things were going through my head.”Leicestershire were heartbroken, denied a first win of the season. Ackermann’s century gave them a sporting chance, a well-paced innings that steered his side from danger after both openers fell in the first seven overs of play. He faced 198 balls and struck 14 fours and a six, sharing stands of 127 with Mark Cosgrove, and 58 with both Ned Eckersley and Pillans.Rory Kleinveldt struck in the nick of time for Northants•Getty Images

Ackermann was the rock around which Leicestershire built their chase which was reduced to 117 needed with five wickets in hand in 32 overs after tea as Northants took the second new ball.The target was brought down to 95 when Gleeson suddenly found a double breakthrough. First Lewis Hill drove at one that left him and edged to first slip. Next ball, a knee-high slower ball struck Rob Sayer and he was given out lbw to record a pair.Ackermann edged the first ball he faced to the second new ball through third slip who had just been removed but responded to being beaten outside the off stump by Ben Sanderson by running down the wicket and lifting a six into the Spencer Pavilion over long-on and hoisting another boundary over extra-cover.But he couldn’t win the game on his own. Enter Pillans on his Leicestershire debut, whose first-innings 35 saved Leicestershire from a huge deficit. He uppercut Gleeson over backward point for six, pulled four more through midwicket off Sanderson and lifted the next ball over mid-off for another boundary. It looked like being a fairytale debut until Kleinveldt found a ball to snatch the dream away.That it took until the death was of Northants’ making. Six chances were shelled, one on the third evening and five on the final day. The biggest misses were of Cosgrove on 23 – a sitter to Alex Wakely at second slip that would have had Leicestershire three down after just over an hour’s play – and Ackermann on 43 – a flying edge to first slip that Kleinveldt put down. Duckett’s miss appeared to be one-drop-too-many but Northants had a Get Out of Jail card up their sleeves.

The India captain’s comments come with the Australian team facing an uproar over their on-field behaviour in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-20184:02

‘We believe we have the quality to win in Australia’ – Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli has made it clear that he, and his side, will be drawing their own “line” about behaviour on their tour of Australia, and will not stand for conduct that goes against their “self-respect”.”Aggression depends on the situation on the field. If the opposition is aggressive towards you, then you counter it,” Kohli said on the eve of the first T20I in Brisbane. “We have never been a team that started something, but we always draw a line at our self-respect. If we feel that someone is crossing that line, then we stand against it.”But aggression can also mean how much effort you are putting in for each wicket as a team. Aggression is shown through your body language on the field, or for bowlers how long they can keep bowling in the same area. For batsmen, aggression can definitely be there in your body language, without saying a word or doing anything. For me, aggression is a passion for winning, and an obsession that I have to win every ball for my team. People have different meanings for aggression, but as far as I’m concerned, for me it is winning the match come what may, and giving 120% for my team every ball. Whether I’m on the field, or sitting outside and clapping for someone else, or batting, whatever it is.”Kohli’s comments come, with the Australian team facing an uproar over their on-field behaviour, in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal that resulted in bans for Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. In that series in South Africa where the scandal exploded, the first two Tests had been marked by heated exchanges between players even before the ball-tampering incident happened. At the time, the Australians had talked about the ‘line’ and how they always pushed it but never crossed it.Kohli’s words could ignite the debate again, with the India captain firm that his team would have its own code.Aaron Finch, the Australia captain, said that his team would focus more on being intense with their actions rather than words, echoing Kohli’s comments on aggression. “Going hard doesn’t mean being verbal or in people’s faces,” Finch said. “It can be about your body language, your presence at the crease, when you’ve got the ball in your hand. How you move around the field as a team, diving in the circle and cutting off ones. That’s presence and fierceness and that’s tough cricket. The verbal stuff’s the easy stuff, and that gets lost sometimes.”We’re still as intense and desperate to win no doubt. It’s about going about that the right way and playing hard is part of the Australian way of doing it. For different people that means different things, it might be the intensity you go about it, it might be your body language. It’s not all about verbal and things like that, which people tend to get confused with sometimes. They talk about being tough and aggressive and that means verbal, but I don’t see it that way. It’s about your presence on the ground.”On Monday, fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile had said that he hadn’t been sledged by India on the field, and that he, personally, wasn’t one to indulge in chatter on the field. “I’ve never been sledged by them,” he said. ” [In] T20 it’s a little bit hard to sledge, you don’t have that time in the field to really get angry, so I don’t think you’ll see too much of it during the T20s. I don’t talk to any of the batters personally, in T20s I don’t think people have too much to say. If they get an opportunity, I don’t think that’ll happen, it’ll just be talk with the ball, talk with the bat.”

Hardik Pandya came close to taking a wicket in Hamilton on several occasions, but instead ended up with 44 for 0

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2019
4.3
HH Pandya to Munro, FOUR, magnificent! Picks the length early and whips this up and over the infield as it bounces past Vijay Shankar at deep midwicket. Vijay covered good ground again but the ball spun away and he ended up crashing into the advertising hoardings. Seems fine though12.1
HH Pandya to Munro, 1 run, dropped by Khaleel! Slower short one, spinning away from the batsman who plays half a pull, skies it towards backward square leg where Khaleel goes reverse cups but drops12.5
HH Pandya to Munro, 4 leg byes, a bouncer on middle and leg, goes for the pull, gets an edge that goes just over the short third man fielder [Pant], another boundary for Munro. Signalled leg-byes, might have just hit the elbow17.1
HH Pandya to de Grandhomme, 1 run, slower one outside off and smashed in the air towards extra cover, Rohit dives to his right and spills

The Spartans were left reeling from the batting onslaught of Rassie van der Dussen and Dan Christian, and a career-best 6 for 20 from Nono Pongolo

Liam Brickhill12-Dec-2018Nono Pongolo starred with a pitch-perfect, career-best 6 for 20, the best figures ever recorded in a T20 at the Wanderers, to bowl Tshwane Spartans out for 138 in the 18th over, as Jozi Stars secured a home play-off berth with a massive 101-run win. The Spartans had been set 240 to win after Rassie van der Dussen and Dan Christian shared in a 118-run stand that included 12 sixes as Stars soared to 239 for 3, the highest score of the competition. Kagiso Rabada then dismissed AB de Villiers for a duck before Pongolo took over, and Stars’ victory ensured that this ground will host the play-off eliminator match on Friday night. Despite the scale of their defeat, Spartans still have a slim chance of getting into the play-offsStars hadn’t looked like breaching 200 when they reached 49 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay, but Ryan Rickelton shifted through the gears with two sixes and a four. The introduction of Rabada as a pinch-hitter at No. 4 also signaled a change of intent: he clipped the very first ball he faced from Robbie Frylinck over midwicket for four.If the plan was to boost the run rate with carefree hitting, it worked. Rabada swiped back-to-back boundaries off Mendis on either side of the ground and cut Elgar high over point, keeping the run rate well over 9 in a rapid stand, before he was caught one-handed on the ropes at midwicket by a leaping Lutho Sipamla.The Stars had a solid platform laid at 121 for 3 with seven overs to go when van der Dussen was joined by Christian. From those overs rained an incredible 12 sixes and 118 runs. Von Berg had his figures ruined in his final over, as Christian collected three sixes, the second of which took the score beyond 150. Having taken a brief backseat while Rabada and Christian led the charge early on, van der Dussen walked down the pitch at Corbin Bosch, the quickest bowler on either side, to bring up a 30-ball fifty in the 17th over.The fifty partnership came up with Christian’s fourth six, a gargantuan hit off Bosch that endangered the birds circling around the floodlights, and the Spartans were clearly rattled by the severity of the onslaught. Repeatedly they offered up length in the slot, and there was a sense of inevitability as van der Dussen and Christian peppered the stands with an eye-catching display of power-hitting.Christian raced to fifty from 18 balls – the quickest so far in the MSL – and van der Dussen had a century in his sights after he plundered three sixes from Sipamla’s fourth over. The century stand was raised from just 38 deliveries, and 101 runs flowed from the last five overs, the second-most ever during that period of the game in all T20 cricket. Van der Dussen, mic-ed up to talk to the commentary team when Stars took the field, credited the Highveld conditions “Altitude,” he said, “the ball flies here.”Like Bosch, Rabada cranked it up it his opening spell, nearing 150km/h. It was Beuran Hendricks who struck first though, Andrea Agathangelou pulling a short one straight out to Rickelton at deep square leg in the third over of the chase. When Elgar was bowled by Duanne Olivier, Spartans were 24 for 2 and listing dangerously as the required rate moved beyond 13.That wicket brought de Villiers to the crease, and he was perhaps the only player whose reputation suggested he might be able to dig Spartans out of this hole. But he flashed at the second ball he faced, bowled by Rabada, only for Simon Harmer to pull off a superb aerial catch in the gully. Perhaps out of respect, Rabada barely celebrated the wicket, managing a sheepish smile as he was high-fived by his excited team-mates.Eoin Morgan shone briefly, taking two fours and a six down the ground off Christian’s first over, but the introduction of Pongolo turned the match decisively in Stars’ favour. With his first ball, he had Morgan well caught at point by Beuran Hendricks, and with his third, he found the leading edge of Bosch’s bat as Stars slipped to 72 for 5.Pongolo returned in the 15th over, removing Gihahn Cloete the ball after he had brought up a battling 39-ball fifty, before Fryinck lapped a slower ball straight to van der Dussen at deep square leg. In his final over, another slower ball brought Pongolo his first ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, and Jeevan Mendis then skied his final delivery to Reeza Hendricks at deep midwicket. When van der Dussen was awarded Player of the Match, he called Pongolo up to take it instead.”This is what dreams are made of,” a breathless Pongolo said after his performance. “This is what it’s about. We needed to win, and it’s nice to produce it when it’s needed.”Spartans must now focus on their final game against Durban Heat at Centurion on Wednesday – a bonus point and a big in that game could still take them to third, provided Paarl Rocks beat Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, but not by a big margin.If Spartans, Rocks and Giants all finish on 21 points, then Spartans will qualify as they had won both their matches against Rocks and both these sides would have more wins than Giants. The latter can qualify with a straight victory over the Rocks while the Rocks will get through if they win with a bonus point or score a straight win, provided the Spartans lose.

The duo’s half-centuries meant Bismah Maroof’s 63 went in vain for Pakistan, leaving the series tied at 1-1

The Report by Liam Brickhill18-May-2019Lizelle Lee and Marizanne Kapp both scored fifties as South Africa chased down Pakistan’s 128 for 5 with one ball to spare in the second Twenty20 International in Pietermaritzburg. Together they added 96 runs for the second wicket to chase down a total that had been built around Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof’s 63 not out. Although Lee fell moments before the match was won, Kapp remained unbeaten after registering her maiden T20I half century, hitting the winning runs.South Africa were well ahead of the asking rate when Kapp joined Lee in the middle in the fifth over, but tight spells from Pakistan’s attack meant that no boundaries were scored between the fifth and 12th overs. A steadily climbing required rate touched 8.55 before
the pair opened up once more and broke the shackles with a flurry of boundaries.Lee was first to her fifty, reaching the mark off the 45th ball she faced in the 17th over. South Africa needed just 12 off the final two overs, but Sana Mir ended her spell with a tight, five-run over to leave Nida Dar with seven to defend. Kapp swatted Dar’s
first ball for four to raise her fifty, and a single off the next ball put Lee back on strike.With two runs still needed and three balls remaining, Lee slogged a full toss out to Iram Javed at deep backward square, but the batting pair crossed while the ball was in the air, leaving Kapp on strike. A fierce straight drive ricocheted off non-striker Chloe Tryon, the ball bouncing into the gap beyond mid off, and a sprinted two brought victory for the hosts.Kapp’s match-winning knock meant that Maroof’s 63 – her second consecutive fifty-plus score – went in vain. She had entered the fray in the seventh over of Pakistan’s innings, after Umaima Sohail and Javeria Rauf had added a steady 36 in their opening stand.Maroof was soon into her groove, ticking into the 30s at better than a run a ball, but her partners at the other end struggled to give her consistent support, with Sohail’s 23 the next best score. Shabnim Ismail gave away a miserly seven runs in her first three overs,
which included a maiden, but elsewhere Maroof found opportunities to score, taking two boundaries off Kapp’s third over and following that up with back-to-back fours off Masabata Klaas.A single off Kapp brought up a 39-ball fifty for Maroof in the 19th over, and she ruined Ismail’s figures a little with two more boundaries to end the innings, but Pakistan’s total was not quite enough to overcome the hosts. After South Africa’s series-levelling win, the teams will meet again at the same venue on Sunday.