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Fifth-wicket stand of 124 ensures platform provided by openers does not go to waste

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2024George Bartlett and Rob Keogh led a solid Northamptonshire batting display on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.The pair both scored half-centuries and added 124 for the fifth wicket to get the innings back on track after Anuj Dal struck twice to reduce Northants to 121 for 4. Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay shared an opening stand of 99 but it was Bartlett’s 76 and Keogh’s unbeaten 75 that gave Northants the advantage, closing on 297 for 5.Ross Whiteley claimed his first Championship victim for nearly three years but Blair Tickner was the pick of the attack and deserved more than one wicket from 21 overs.Derbyshire began the day by naming allrounder Whiteley in the team for his first Championship match since he played for Worcestershire in June 2021.Whiteley spent the morning in the field after Northants decided to bat in sunny conditions although both openers needed some good fortune to survive on a pitch offering assistance to the seamers.South African fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon knocked Vasconcelos off his feet with a yorker first ball of the match although it was Tickner who posed the biggest threat.The New Zealander went past the bat numerous times in an outstanding six-over opening spell that included four maidens and cost only three runs. But the pressure eased once he was out of the attack with the other bowlers unable to maintain the same consistent line.When Tickner was brought back on, Vasconcelos pulled him for four to reach his 50 from 89 balls but just when it was looking like a fruitless session for the home side, he moved one back in to have him lbw.Northants would still have been satisfied with their position at lunch but the picture quickly changed after Gay was dismissed by the first ball of the afternoon session.It was an innocuous delivery from Dal but Gay played it into his stumps as he aimed to push it to the offside and Dal struck again in his next over. Luke Proctor had never looked comfortable and after facing 17 balls without scoring, he went across to glance and lost his leg stump.There was an even bigger success for Derbyshire when Zak Chappell got one to straighten to bowl Karun Nair for 6 to leave Northants in danger of failing to build on the foundations laid by the openers.Another wicket would have opened the door for Derbyshire but Bartlett and Keogh regrouped and batted through the rest of the session. Bartlett reached his 50 from 72 balls when he cover drove David Lloyd for his ninth four and by tea the pair had added 74 to shift the initiative back to the visitors.Whiteley was brought into the attack after the interval and after Keogh guided him past gully for four to go to 50 from 103 balls, he broke the stand in his next over. Bartlett was surprised by a ball that lifted from just outside off stump and could only fend it to slip where Aneurin Donald took a simple catch.It was an important breakthrough ahead of the second new ball which Derbyshire took immediately but Keogh and Justin Broad denied them any further success.

“These things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases than come and go. That is fine”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-20243:07

Hardik: There are ups and downs but you can’t leave the battle

It has been a tough few days in the life of Hardik Pandya, and he acknowledges it. But he won’t “run away from it” and will “keep working hard – hard work never goes to waste – and keep smiling”.”Eventually, I believe, you have to stay in the battle. Sometimes life puts you in situations where things are tough, but I believe that if you leave the game or the field, the battle that is, you won’t get what you want from your sport, or the results you are looking for,” Hardik said ahead of the T20 World Cup in an interview with . “So, yeah, it has been difficult, but at the same time, I have been process-driven, I have tried to follow the same routines I used to follow earlier.”At the same time these things happen; there are good times and bad times, these are phases that come and go. That is fine. I have gone through these phases many times and I will come out of it as well.”Related

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It all looked rosy for Hardik till IPL 2024 started. After that, as the new Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, he oversaw a last-place finish for his team. His returns with bat (216 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 143.04 and average of 18.00) and ball (11 wickets in 12 innings at an economy rate of 10.75) were mediocre. It appeared that he had offended the fans at both MI – where he had replaced a popular and well-loved captain, Rohit Sharma – and Gujarat Titans, his previous team, who he had guided to a title win and a second-place finish in his two years at the helm. For large parts of the IPL, he was booed at stadiums, even at neutral ones.Now he is at the T20 World Cup. As India’s vice-captain, deputy to Rohit. And as India’s premier fast-bowling allrounder.”I don’t take my successes too seriously. Whatever I have done well, I have forgotten about them immediately and moved forward. Same with difficult times,” he said. “I don’t run away from it. I face everything with [my] chin up.”As they say, this too shall pass. So coming out [of these phases] is simple: just play the sport, accept that [you need to] maybe get better at your skillset, keep working hard – hard work never goes to waste – and keep smiling.”Along with the hard work, Hardik stressed on the importance of going back to a point in time when things weren’t as good for him as they are now, when he had to fight for opportunities, a period that perhaps shaped him.”I think it comes down to self-belief,” he said. “I believe a lot in hard work. You can succeed only if you put in the effort for it. I want to give myself the opportunity to… why do I prepare and commit myself every time? The only reason is that while I am not guaranteed success, I am guaranteed an opportunity to be successful. I focus simply on how do I keep getting better. Speak to myself. Try to know my real version.”Hardik Pandya right now at 30 is a much, much easier job compared to what Hardik Pandya was when I was 16. So I go back to the 16-year-old and I ask him how did you do it, why did you do it?”At that point of time, I didn’t have facilities or opportunities. Hard work gave me opportunities and opened doors for me. So I am in that zone right now [where] I am going and asking the 16-year-old – because he is my actual motivator, because if that guy hadn’t set the platform I probably wouldn’t have been here.”India played Bangladesh in their only warm-up game ahead of the T20 World Cup today in New York on Saturday, and Hardik started his time in the USA well, with a 23-ball 40 not out and 1 for 30 in three overs. India’s first match at the main tournament is on June 5, against Ireland, also in New York.

Disciplined fielding and key run-out enables young team to claim 2-1 series win

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2024England U19 268 for 9 (Benkenstein 102) beat Sri Lanka U19 260 (Weerasinghe 80, Perera 53) by four runs – DLSSkipper Luc Benkenstein’s century and a disciplined bowling performance helped England Men’s U19s clinch their three-match one-day series against Sri Lanka with a four-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis method in the decider at Hove.The Essex batter made 102 in England’s 268 for 9 in a contest reduced to 45 overs because of rain. In gloomy conditions Gayana Weerasinghe led Sri Lanka’s reply with a polished 80 off 76 balls and Mahith Perera’s half-century threatened to take his side to victory. But Perera was run out by Freddie McCann’s direct hit in the 43rd over and the Sri Lankan tail were left with too much to do.England had won the toss and Nottinghamshire’s McCann, who made 174 in Monday’s win on the same pitch, looked in the mood to make Sri Lanka pay when wicketkeeper Sharujan Shanmuganathan dropped a simple catch in the second over when he had yet to score. McCann took three boundaries in an over off Hivun Kenula but then gave off-spinner Vihas Thewmika a simple return catch in the eighth over.It was one of three wickets to fall before the rain arrived in the 16th over but when play resumed Benkenstein, who made 51 in the first match of the series at Chelmsford last Friday, and Essex team-mate Charlie Allison started to prosper.Benkenstein’s first 50 runs came off 69 balls and his partner was only slightly quicker (62 balls) to his half-century before both pressed the accelerator. Benkenstein needed just 29 more deliveries to reach his hundred, which included seven fours and five sixes, as he played aggressive shots on both sides of the wicket.Allison contributed an impressive 87 off 85 balls to a stand of 184 in 29 overs, with seven fours and two sixes, before he played on to Thewmika trying to hit him over mid-wicket in the 37th over. Benkenstein flayed a widish delivery from Dinura Kalupahana to deep backward point for 102 in the next over and England lost momentum.Sri Lanka’s bowlers dragged it back well in the closing overs, taking 6 for 44 in 7.2 overs with Thewmika finishing with 4 for 33. It left them needing 269 at 5.9 runs an over.England’s seamers chipped away when Sri Lanka replied. Harry Moore broke through by bowling Hiran Jayasundara through the gate and McCann picked up the first of two wickets with his off breaks when Pulindu Perera reverse-swept straight to gully.Debutant Alex Green had left-hander Shanmuganathan well caught by Allison, diving forward at deep mid-wicket, and when Noah Thain’s gentle away-swing accounted for captain Dinura Kalupahana with his first ball, Sri Lanka needed 144 in 21 overs.Weerasinghe and Mahith Perera kept them in the hunt, putting on 64 for the fifth wicket in nine overs, but England maintained a happy knack of striking when they needed to and Weerasinghe drove Dom Kelly’s slower ball to mid-off where Benkenstein held a good catch.Sri Lanka hopes now rested with the wristy Perera whose stand with Diniru Abeywickramasingha looked to be taking them over the line. But Abeywickramasingha mis-timed a scoop after they had added 46 for the seventh wicket and Perera (53 off 54 balls) was brilliantly run out by McCann’s direct hit from backward point as England held their nerve.

Earlier, the game was supposed to take place behind closed doors but now that it has been moved, the fans can come in as well

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2024The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been shifted from Karachi to Rawalpindi on account of ongoing construction at the National Stadium in order to get it ready for the Champions Trophy in 2025.According to the original schedule of the two-match series, Karachi was due to host Bangladesh between August 30 and September 3 and the game was supposed to go on without any spectators due to the redevelopment work, but now with the PCB moving the game to a new venue, fans will be able to attend as well.A press release from the PCB on Sunday said, “we have been guided by the construction experts on the timelines for the readiness of the [National Stadium in Karachi]. They advised that while construction could continue during playing hours, the resulting noise pollution would disturb the cricketers. Additionally, the dust from the construction work could also affect the health and wellbeing of the players, officials, broadcasters, and media.”Given that construction must continue uninterrupted to ensure the venue is operationally ready for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB, after consulting all stakeholders and reviewing operational and logistical matters, has decided to hold both Tests in Rawalpindi.”Related

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Karachi is due to host England as well when they visit in two months. On that subject, the PCB said, “at this stage, we will not like to speculate on the hosting of the second Test in Karachi from 15-19 October and will continue to work closely with the architects and construction experts on the safe and secure hosting of the match, while keeping the England and Wales Cricket Board updated.”Pakistan have a bumper home season with seven Tests and an ODI tri-series featuring New Zealand and South Africa. But the Champions Trophy in February is the marquee event given it will be the first ICC tournament held in Pakistan since the ODI World Cup in 1996. To make sure it goes off well, the board has been working on sprucing up its stadiums.The PCB was hopeful of being able to split all these matches across the three venues they had available – Rawalpindi, Karachi and Multan. The Lahore upgrade had ruled the Gaddafi stadium out of contention for any of the home season’s matches until early next year. It is understood that the PCB was initially against taking the Bangladesh Test out of Karachi because of logistical challenges.The first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh begins on August 21 in Rawalpindi, where the hosts are preparing to go in without a specialist spinner in anticipation of a pitch with pace and carry. The second Test will start at the same venue on August 30.

New Zealand have separated the opening pair of Bates and Devine; Harmanpreet will bat at No. 3 for India

Vishal Dikshit03-Oct-2024

South Africa vs West Indies

Dubai, 2pm local timeSouth Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonRelated

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• 'It can be tough to do both skills full out' but Kapp will do it for SA

• 'I'm still World Boss' – Dottin is as hungry as ever

Tournament form guide: South Africa and West Indies lost both their warm-up games in the lead-up to the tournament, although South Africa’s losses were more surprising. They were bowled out for 92 against New Zealand to lose by eight wickets and then couldn’t get close to their target of 145 against India. West Indies’ losses came against teams ranked much higher than them. They first lost to India by 20 runs and then to Australia by 35 runs, on both occasions struggling to chase down totals in the 140s.News brief: South Africa finished as the runners-up in the 2023 T20 World Cup and will be looking to carry their form into this tournament after a 2-1 away series win against Pakistan. Despite a poor 7-14 win-loss record against West Indies, South Africa have won three of their last four T20Is against them. West Indies, too, come on the back of a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka, although that was back in June. South Africa could go spin heavy by picking 18-year-old legspinner Seshnie Naidu along with allrounders Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus. It’s expected to be a hot afternoon in Dubai, with the temperature around 37°C at the time of the toss. It won’t be much cooler even when the game ends.Player to watch: She last played a T20I in August 2022. Since then, she has played franchise cricket around the world, retired from international cricket, and returned. Deandra Dottin is a powerhouse of a figure, not just a batter. Her presence in the West Indies line-up will be a massive boost who need to start on a winning note if they are to make the semi-finals.0:57

Shafali Verma: Dubai is so hot that we couldn’t even breathe during first practice

India vs New Zealand

Dubai, 6pm local timeIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan SajanaNew Zealand squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Isabella Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuTournament form guide: India won their two warm-up games with fairly convincing margins, by 20 runs against West Indies and 28 runs against South Africa. New Zealand, meanwhile, had a 50% success in the warm-ups. They beat South Africa by eight wickets and went down to England by five wickets.News brief: Two players were named in the India squad subject to fitness: allrounder Shreyanka Patil and wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia. Both played both warm-ups, which bodes well for India. Head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed on match eve that captain Harmanpreet Kaur would bat at No. 3, as was the case in the two warm-ups. She has batted there only five times since the start of 2019. The last time was against Ireland in the 2023 T20 World Cup when India’s opening stand lasted 9.3 overs. New Zealand come into the tournament after a streak of ten straight losses in T20Is, most recently being blanked 3-0 by Australia, against whom they play their second game. Therefore, they would be desperate for a win on Friday to push for a semi-final spot. If India have made a late call about their No. 3, New Zealand have decided to move their power-hitting captain Sophie Devine to the middle order recently, with Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates to open. Both teams are expecting plenty of dew in this evening game, so toss could play a massive role.Player to watch: Shafali Verma has worked on her mental game, she has worked on her consistency, and she is trying to mature into a more complete batter. If she can strike a balance between her early ball-bashing mentality with consistent performances from the first game itself, she could play a vital role in giving India a start similar to her nickname in the dressing room for her batting style: (dashing).

The camp was organised as Pakistan stutter through one of the bleakest periods in their history

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2024The PCB’s much-trailed ‘connection camp’ ended on Monday with what officials said was a roadmap to bring the game out of the doldrums it finds itself in at the moment.Officials and the team management, including both head coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, described a day of open and robust conversations, including about the lack of unity within the national side, with the two national captains, Shan Masood and Babar Azam, and a group of other players.The camp was organised as Pakistan stutter through one of the bleakest periods in their history, with administrative tumult begetting a succession of disastrous on-field results. Over the last year, Pakistan have lost to Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup, to USA at the T20 World Cup and most recently 2-0 to Bangladesh in a home Test series.Related

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Speculation has been rife throughout of growing differences in the dressing room, building from last year but propelled this year by the appointment and swift removal of Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan’s T20I captain, and the return of Babar Azam as the T20I captain. Kirsten, the white-ball coach, is said to have been surprised by the degree of it when he first took up the job.Salman Naseer, the PCB’s chief operating officer, acknowledged that a lack of unity had been part of the discussions, not just within the team but between the board and players.”The session was about this, that we openly and candidly accept and identify [issues] and ask for a commitment from each other, demand it, on how we can improve our performances and how we work together as a team,” Naseer said at a press conference in Lahore after the camp ended. “Our unanimous view was that we need to resolve this going forward and need to identify how we do it.”Naseer did not go into the details of the discussions, saying that providing a “safe space” was essential in allowing people to open up. But tension between players and the board has also been building, especially after a number of top stars were denied NOCs to participate in leagues over the summer. Afridi, Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah were all prevented from playing in leagues before the start of Pakistan’s home season, with workload management the primary reason cited by the board.”Where the talk is of unity, it wasn’t only about the team,” Naseer acknowledged. “It was between the team and management and how we can work together to do things more successfully. These were definitely part of the discussions. We talked about planning, we talked about workload management.”Everyone is feeling that the performances of players, and management, can be better. The idea was to sit together, identify issues and what can be better. What our vision is and how do we get there?”The camp is not believed to have brought up the more immediate questions facing the Pakistan side, in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Bangladesh and with England’s imminent arrival for a three-Test series in October. But Kirsten, who has been in Pakistan for the last 12 days watching the Champions Cup, struck a note of optimism in praising the depth of talent in Pakistan – in contrast to the chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s recent observations on the same.”I’ve been here the last 12 days or so watching the Champions Cup and have been really encouraged at the depth of quality of players in this tournament,” Kirsten said. “It’s been fantastic to see. I’ve really enjoyed the tournament. The quality of the competition has been high. Been great to see a lot of young players showcasing what they are capable of.”The discussions will continue, according to Gillespie. “Because we’re new to the job, our job is to listen and learn and look to implement ways where we can be more effective as players, as a team, and as coaches. What was really clear today was the pride the Pakistan players have in playing for Pakistan and how they want to inspire the country. That was really exciting to hear. The players care and are desperate to do well. We’re on this journey together and we’ll do everything we can to help.”

India suffered a collapse of 6 for 31 which left them nine runs short in the end

Firdose Moonda13-Oct-2024India’s T20 World Cup semi-final hopes have been taken out of their hands after a nine-run defeat to Australia in their final group-stage match. India have lost two of their four matches and will have to wait on the result of New Zealand vs Pakistan tomorrow to find out if they will advance to the knockouts. Any margin of victory for New Zealand will eliminate India but a Pakistan victory will decide the semi-finalists on net run rate.Permutations aside, the tournament finally got the thriller it had been crying out for in an intense clash in front of an electric, sold-out Sharjah crowd of 14,946. They were treated to a high-octane affair with both sides acutely aware of what was at stake amid injury concerns. Australia were without captain, opening batter and wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy, who arrived on crutches after sustaining a foot injury against Pakistan, and Tayla Vlaeminck, who has been ruled out of the tournament.India also lost Asha Sobhana to a knee injury after the toss and needed Australia’s permission to replace her in the XI, which was given. Radha Yadav, who had appeared as a substitute fielder in previous games, was included in Asha’s place. Later, Renuka Singh left the field limping after bowling her four overs but came back to face the final ball of the match.Harmanpreet Kaur’s fifty was not enough to take India over the line•Getty Images

By then, India’s chances of victory were gone after their chase started brightly but was pinned back by wickets at crucial times. They were 47 for 3 in the seventh over before a 63-run stand between Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma put them back on track. A collapse of 6 for 31 left Harmanpreet the last batter standing and despite a second successive half-century, she could not take India over the line alone.Australia were uncharacteristically messy in the field, put down two chances and bowled four wides and a no-ball but had enough at their disposal to defend. Grace Harris, opening in Healy’s place, was their top-scorer with a 41-ball 40 and shared a 62-run stand with Tahlia McGrath, which steadied Australia after two early losses. Ellyse Perry’s 23-ball 32 gave them much-needed impetus at the end.

Wary Wareham doesn’t review

Australia were off to a slowish start with 17 runs from their first 16 balls when Renuka struck with a delivery that angled away from Beth Mooney. Australia’s senior opener reached for it and hit a low chance to Radha at backward point, where she dived forward to take a good catch. Georgia Wareham was pushed up to No. 3, where she has occasionally been used as a pinch hitter, and the first ball she faced thudded into the front pad as she missed her flick.Renuka was joined by every single one of her team-mates in appealing and umpire Sue Redfern eventually raised her finger as Wareham began walking off. Harris asked Wareham if she wanted to review but she decided against it, only to return to the dressing room and find out that ball tracking showed that the ball would go on to miss leg stump by some distance. Australia held Perry back and stand-in captain McGrath was in at No. 4, where she had to rebuild.

Middle-overs acceleration from McGrath and Harris

Harris and McGrath took Australia to 37 for 2 in the powerplay and launched into attack mode from the eighth over, when they both took on Pooja Vastrakar. McGrath hit her through cover for four and then Harris scooped her over fine leg in an over that cost ten runs and took Australia past fifty. Australia were 65 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings and the Harris-McGrath stand grew to 62 off 54 balls and India were desperate to separate them.Tahlia McGrath led Australia’s recovery from No. 4•ICC/Getty Images

They reviewed an lbw appeal against McGrath off a Renuka full toss which was missing leg. McGrath was then dropped on 31 by Harmanpreet off Radha at cover. The India captain got both hands on the ball but it burst through. Harris hit the next ball in the air and Harmanpreet ran back to try and take an overhead catch but missed. It was third time lucky for India when McGrath charged Radha, missed and Richa Ghosh stumped her.

And then drama

Harris went nine balls later when she pulled her WPL team-mate Deepti to Smriti Mandhana at short mid-on and India had their foot on the Australian middle order’s throat when Ashleigh Gardner’s leading edge found Radha at cover. After 15 overs, Australia were 101 for 5. Perry showed intent when she took 13 runs off Shreyanka Patil’s third over.India thought they had another important breakthrough when Deepti appealed for lbw after Phoebe Litchfield missed an attempted reverse sweep. Redfern gave it out on field and Litchfield was walking but Perry convinced her to review. The ball was pitching outside leg stump and even though Litchfield changed her stance, the third umpire Jacqueline Williams deemed that Litchfield did that only after the ball was delivered and asked Redfern to change her decision to not out. India initially protested the decision but soon calmed down. Litchfield was on 5 at the time, finished the innings unbeaten on 15, and hit a six off the last ball.

Shafali smashes it upfront but India lose two in the powerplay

India’s intent was evident off the bat of Shafali Verma, who had to wait until only the sixth ball she faced when she found the boundary with great force. She slogged Gardner over square leg for India’s first four, then sent Megan Schutt over her head for four more and finally went all the way, slamming Schutt over long-off. Shafali had soon raced to 20 off 12 balls but fell to Gardner for the fifth time in T20Is, trying to clear Annabel Sutherland at long-on.Shafali Verma found the fielder to the T after a blazing start•ICC/Getty Images

Australia sensed an opportunity to break through and when Sutherland rapped Jemimah Rodrigues on the pad. They reviewed the call after it was given not out only to find that the impact was outside the line. Their next review was successful, when Mandhana was beaten on the pull and hit on the back thigh off Sophie Molineux’s quick, skiddy first ball. Ball-tracking confirmed it was hitting the middle of middle stump and India ended their powerplay on 41 for 2.

Australia put the brakes on

Australia got even further ahead when Rodrigues pulled Schutt straight to Gardner at deep midwicket in the seventh over. It allowed them to apply the squeeze. Deepti gloved a sweep for four in the eighth over but then there were no boundaries for three overs, at the end of which Australia had confirmed their semi-final spot.Harmanpreet pulled Darcie Brown through deep square leg in the 11th over, which was her first boundary and off the 15th ball she faced. Another 20 balls went by before India found the boundary again, in the 14th over by which point the required run rate was above ten an over. India needed 62 runs off the last six overs.

Another half-century for Harmanpreet but it’s not enough

The India captain almost single-handedly kept her side in the hunt, especially when the boundaries dried up. At the end of the 14th over, she hit the four that reignited the chase and she went on to find gaps in the field that kept India in it. After Deepti sent Wareham over short fine for four, Harmanpreet bisected the gap between extra cover and mid-off.Deepti and Ghosh were dismissed in the space of three balls and Harmanpreet struck successive fours off Gardner to make sure India stayed in the contest. She brought up fifty off 44 balls but was at the non-striker’s end for most of the final over, from where watched four wickets fall and India’s chances fade away.

It will be inaugurated ahead of the India vs England men’s T20I in Kolkata on January 22

Edited PTI copy21-Nov-2024Jhulan Goswami, the former India and Bengal fast bowler, will have a stand named in her honour in the ‘B’ Block of Eden Gardens in Kolkata, following a proposal by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).A proposal to rename the ‘B’ Block in honour of the highest ODI wicket-taker in women’s cricket has been placed before the apex body of the CAB. It is expected to be unveiled during the India-England men’s T20I on January 22 next year.”I never imagined something like this would come to fruition. I would definitely love to watch a match from there,” Goswami said. “For any cricketer, the ultimate dream is to represent her district, state or country, but receiving an honour like this is truly monumental.”A dedicated stand is a huge, significant honour, and it’s only possible because of the CAB’s vision to promote women’s cricket. Words can’t do justice to this recognition.”Goswami finished her international career with 44 wickets in 12 Tests, a world-record 255 wickets in 204 ODIs, and recorded another 56 dismissals in 68 T20Is. With 355 wickets, she also has the record for the most wickets in women’s international cricket.Eden Gardens also has stands named after former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and former international cricketer Pankaj Roy. There are also stands named for two former BCCI presidents, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Biswanath Dutt.

Tanusree Sarkar led the way for Bengal with 113 off 83 balls, while Priyanka Bala, Dhara Gujjar and Sasthi Mondal scored half-centuries

Shashank Kishore23-Dec-2024Shafali Verma smashed a 115-ball 197 for Haryana in the quarter-final of the senior women’s One-Day Trophy against Bengal in Rajkot. She hit 22 fours and 11 sixes in her innings as Haryana posted 389 for 5.But Bengal pulled off the chase with five wickets and five balls to spare. This is by far the highest successful chase in women’s List A cricket. The previous record was 309 by Northern Districts against Canterbury in 2019.Almost every Bengal batter contributed to the cause. Openers Dhara Gujjar (69 off 49) and Sasthi Mondal (52 off 29) provided a start of 100 in 9.1 overs. After that, Tanusree Sarkar led the way with 113 off 83 balls. Once Sarkar was dismissed, Priyanka Bala took over and saw the team home with an unbeaten 88 off 81 balls. Earlier, Sarkar had picked up 3 for 56 with the ball.For Shafali, it was her second hundred in the ongoing competition, having opened the tournament with a 98-ball 139 against Uttar Pradesh. In seven innings, Shafali scored 527 runs at an average of 75.28 and a strike rate of 152.31.Shafali Verma is doing her best to make a comeback in the Indian team•ACC

Shafali’s rich run of form comes at a time when she has been left out of India’s white-ball squads. She was dropped from the ODI squad for the Australia tour, having scored only 108 runs in six ODIs at an average of 18 this year. Despite her strong start to the women’s one-day tournament, Shafali was left out of the squad for the ODIs against West Indies as well.In her absence, India have struggled to find a stable opening partner for Smriti Mandhana. In Australia, where they lost 3-0, they trialled Priya Punia and Richa Ghosh. While it seemed as though the move to promote Ghosh in the second ODI was due to an injury to Punia, the wicketkeeper-batter confirmed at a press conference that she had been in line to open even before the game.Related

• Shafali dropped for Australia ODIs

• Reddy dropped; Kashyap, Bist, Rawal get maiden call-ups for WI series

Against West Indies on Sunday, India had another new opening combination with Delhi’s Pratika Rawal partnering Mandhana. Rawal made a patient 40 in a 110-run opening stand as India secured a massive victory.Shafali’s most recent outing for India was during the home ODIs against New Zealand in October, when she made 56 runs in three innings. She was in poor form during the T20 World Cup in UAE – 97 runs in four innings – where India made a group-stage exit.When Harmanpreet Kaur was asked about a number of senior players missing from the squad prior to the series against West Indies, she had said it could only be answered by the “right person,” a reference to the selection committee. “Because I can only talk about the team that’s here, and what things we can do to win this series. I think regarding Shafali, or any other player, [it’s] better to ask the right persons.”A few weeks prior, Harmanpreet had said how Shafali was crucial to India’s plans. “She [Shafali] is a very important player for us and has done exceptionally well for the country,” she had said ahead of their series opener against Australia in Brisbane. “We are looking forward to seeing her get back into her zone and perform well for the team.”

A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways

S Sudarshanan18-Feb-2025

Who’s playing

Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, 7:30pm IST

What to expect: Battle of middle-orders

That Capitals have the most successful opening combination in the WPL meant that the middle order has escaped scrutiny. But not anymore, after they almost lost their opening fixture this season and then went down heavily to RCB. Capitals’ middle-order batters (Nos. 4 to 7) average 21.97, which is the lowest in the WPL. Jess Jonassen (13), Marizanne Kapp (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12) have batted the most innings in these positions for them.In stark contrast, UP Warriorz have the best average for these positions (28.44), with Deepti Sharma (14), Grace Harris (14) and Tahlia McGrath (9) being the regulars. This could partly be attributed to the fact that they have used five opening pairs across the three seasons.Related

• Athapaththu to leave WPL early to play for Sri Lanka

A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways. Warriorz are yet to get off the mark, having lost their opening game to Gujarat Giants.

Team news and likely XIs

Capitals played their full-strength XI in the last outing against RCB. Expect them to go in with a similar structure that allows them batters till No. 11.Delhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Minnu ManiWarriorz could think of getting in Poonam Khemnar to shore up the lower middle-order firepower. There could also be a case to play Anjali Sarvani for the left-arm seam angle.UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Uma Chetry (wk), 4 Deepti Sharma (capt), 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Shweta Sehrawat/Poonam Khemnar, 8 Alana King, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti Goud

Players to watch: Shikha Pandey and Kiran Navgire

Overlooked from the Indian side after the T20 World Cup 2023, Shikha Pandey continues to grab the spotlight with performances in T20 competitions around the world. After the WPL last year, she played in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, Women’s Big Bash League and Women’s Super Smash, picking up 25 wickets across them. She’s begun WPL 2025 on the right note – keeping MI in check in the opening game and conceding runs at 6.75 runs per over against RCB even when the scoring rate was close to nine. She has been the third-most economical bowler in WPL 2025 so far.Kiran Navgire opened the batting with Vrinda Dinesh for UP Warriorz•BCCI

In the WPL, Kiran Navgire takes a liking to spin. She has a strike rate of 156.84 against spin (95 balls faced) as opposed to 106.50 against pace (123 balls) in the competition. She has been dismissed 22 times by pace and only five times by spin in the WPL. When she hit 125 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy earlier this season, four of her five sixes came against the spin duo of Shivi Yadav and Reetika Agarwal. Is there a case for Warriorz to bat Navgire in the middle order? Or for her to see off fast bowling and wait for spin, in case she continues to open?

Key stats

• Deepti Sharma is one of only four players in the WPL with over 400 runs and 15-plus wickets.
• Meg Lanning, the leading run-scorer of the WPL, has been in a slightly lean patch in T20 cricket. She has only three half-centuries (one of them in the Hundred) and averages 21.34 since the last WPL.
• Since her ODI best of 3 for 62 against Australia, Saima Thakor has picked up just one wicket in nine outings across formats. She went wicketless in Warriorz’s first match.