All posts by n8rngtd.top

Anderson: 'There are no thoughts about retirement'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“Coach and captain want me around, so as long as I am still hungry, want to put in the work then I will keep trying to give my best”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2023James Anderson has insisted he has had “no thoughts about retirement” despite taking four wickets in his three Ashes Tests this summer.Anderson, who will turn 41 this week, admitted he has been “frustrated” not to have a bigger impact on the series, but said in his column: “I still feel like I’m bowling well.”He wrote: “I have certainly not had the returns I would have liked in this series. Everyone goes through a lean patch but you just don’t want it to be in the most high-profile series we play.Related

  • Cummins: 'To go home winning the urn will be phenomenal'

  • Warner quashes Oval retirement rumour, eyes Ashes victory

  • Brook eyes century to close out Ashes ahead of Oval reunion

“Ten or 15 years ago the debate would be about whether I should be dropped. Now it is about my future. I understand that. It is The Oval, the end of a series and a time for speculation.”I keep talking to the coach and captain. They want me around, so as long as I am still hungry, want to put in the work then I will keep trying to give my best for the team. That is exactly where I am at the minute.”Anderson added that he still loves Test cricket “as much as I ever have” and that the last 14 months have been his favourite period as an England player. “There are no thoughts about retirement,” he wrote.”If I was bowling horrendously, with my pace down and hobbling around in the field I might be thinking differently. But the hunger is still there. I feel like I’m bowling well, that I can still offer something to the team. I felt like I bowled well at Old Trafford and if I get another chance this week, I will just keep trying the same stuff and hope my luck changes.So far, James Anderson has four wickets in three Tests this Ashes•Getty Images

“It is just one of those things. There are always one or two players who have a lean series. It can be a batter who gets good balls and then a bit of bad luck. It felt like that was my week in Manchester. I felt like I beat the bat plenty of times, but just didn’t take the wickets that you want as a bowler to help the team win.”There were a couple of times when I bowled a tight five-over spell then Woody [Mark Wood] came on and took a wicket straightaway. It feels like maybe I created the pressure, then Woody came on and let loose. It’s teamwork.”Anderson also declared himself available to play in the fifth Test at The Oval, which starts on Thursday.”I’ve chatted to a few of the guys because it is frustrating when you go through this,” he wrote. “You are frustrated and desperate to help the team, desperate to win games.”But unfortunately for me it was not to be this series. I’ve still got another game to go if I do get a chance and I will try and do the best I can.”

Josh Inglis and the life of the reserve player

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The wicketkeeper-batter has had more opportunity in South Africa but will likely be sidelined when the World Cup starts

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2023Josh Inglis knows that his chance to feature in the ODI World Cup might come with a last-minute tap on the shoulder. It’s a situation he’s getting used to as a regular back-up player in Australian squads.The ongoing tour of South Africa has seen him offered more opportunity than has often been the case: the three T20Is and the first two ODIs before being rotated out for the third. There should be more chances to come over the next couple of weeks with two games left in South Africa and then three in India – and it’s likely he will get at least one outing with the wicketkeeping gloves – but come the World Cup, if everyone is fit for Australia, he probably doesn’t start.On the previous tour of India in March, he was called into the side in Mumbai when Alex Carey fell ill, while his versatility with the bat will also see him provide back-up for almost any position in the order.Related

  • Australia's top order lays down their World Cup marker

  • 'We'll have to be better' – Australia's 'slip-up' to spin in Potchefstroom won't go unnoticed

  • The story of Keshav Maharaj's miracle comeback

“I feel like it’s been the story of my international career,” he said. “A lot of the games I’ve been involved in have sort of been at the last minute. Think that comes with being a spare batter or replacement player in the squad that when those situations arise you are the next one in.”Preparation-wise, you’ve just got to stay mentally ready the whole time and prepare as if you are going to play because these things just seem to happen more and more now with concussions, Covid etc, so just got to stay ready then hope for the best when you get a crack.”Since making his international debut in early 2022, Inglis has appeared in 12 T20Is and five ODIs – the two games in Bloemfontein were his first consecutive outings in that format.He was part of the 2021 T20 World Cup squad in the UAE and also initially selected for the 2022 edition in Australia before being ruled out with a hand injury caused when playing golf.Inglis has racked up plenty of hours on tour, including for part of this year’s Ashes either side of flying home for the birth of his child, and particularly during Covid when larger squads and bubbles were required, it meant lengthy periods not playing much cricket.Josh Inglis is a versatile batter who will cover various positions•Gallo Images/Getty Images

“I mean, I’d rather be playing,” he said. “I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing, being involved in a lot of tours and a lot of cricket is really exciting…but obviously at times I’ve gone long spells without playing much and it can be quite tough when you are just coming in for the odd game with no real rhythm and match practice. Obviously, it’s not ideal but I’m doing everything I can, I’m working my socks off and will try and cement a spot in all three forms.”At 28, he has time on his side to become a more regular part of Australia’s line-ups and there are just a few questions starting to be raised about Carey’s form with the bat ahead of the World Cup although it’s unlikely initial plans will change at this stage.But if Inglis is required, he has given a glimpse of his batting prowess in South Africa, firstly with 42 off 22 balls in the third T20I in Durban and then a maiden international fifty in Bloemfontein where he overcame a sluggish start of 13 off 19 balls to explode through the gears.”I was pretty satisfied at the end,” he said. “I haven’t played a hell of a lot of cricket lately and seeing the boys get off to an absolute flyer and seeing the names coming be, I thought I probably had to get on with it. But at that stage the wicket had slowed up and the ball was a bit older. I just had to be a little bit patient, probably didn’t get off to the start I wanted but got away a bit towards the end of my innings.”

Jake Fraser-McGurk on his record hundred: 'Everything felt a lot slower than usual'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“People forget I’m still only 21, so hopefully got plenty of cricket to come and the way I see it, I’m just getting started”

Andrew McGlashan10-Oct-2023When you knock AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle off their perch life can become a bit of a blur, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that for Jake Fraser-McGurk his feat in Adelaide a few days ago, where he scorched a 29-ball hundred, was still sinking in.Fraser-McGurk’s astonishing display at Karen Rolton Oval shaved two deliveries off de Villiers’ 31-ball hundred against West Indies in 2015 as the fastest List A century, and also bettered by one Gayle’s 30-ball T20 effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2015 meaning Fraser-McGurk holds the fastest hundred in the professional game.”I had no idea [about the record]. I was just trying to hit the ball to the boundary,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I came off and a few of the boys said you’ve broken a few records and the one that sticks out is AB against West Indies, I remember watching that innings, it was incredible.”Related

  • Fraser-McGurk and Bartlett handed Australia ODI call-ups

  • Jake Fraser-McGurk's 29-ball ton breaks AB de Villiers' List A record

  • Who is new world-record holder Jake Fraser-McGurk?

  • Tasmania hold off Fraser-McGurk's record century to take victory

The onslaught began when Fraser-McGurk took 32 off Sam Rainbird’s second over. He passed fifty off 18 deliveries and needed just 11 more to reach the century. In all, he struck 13 sixes, and 23 off the 38 balls he faced before finding deep midwicket went to the boundary.”I was seeing the ball so clearly and everything felt a lot slower than usual, I was in that zone, that mental state, which is something as a batter you try and be in every single time but it’s rare,” he said. “To finally have that happen is very pleasing.”The mind-boggling display has come early in a new phase of Fraser-McGurk’s career following a winter move from Victoria to South Australia, although he will remain with Melbourne Renegades for the BBL. After making headlines as a 17-year-old when he scored half-centuries on both his List A and first-class debuts, it has been a tricky journey in the early years of his career.”It’s tough leaving your home and all your friends,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of cricket with the Victorian boys throughout my junior career. I’ve got lifelong friendships with those blokes but just felt I needed to be a bit selfish and do what’s best for me, get some more opportunity elsewhere, and South Australia came calling and took that with open arms. They’ve been absolutely brilliant.”He was particularly full of praise for batting coach Steve Stubbings – “up there with one of the best I’ve had, everything is so clear with him” – but he continues to lean heavily on his long-time coach Shannon Young back in Victoria.While the innings against Tasmania took things to a different level, Fraser-McGurk had given a hint at his batting mindset this season with a combined tally of 66 off 43 balls in the Sheffield Shield match against the same opposition, which followed two brisk 2nd XI scores against Queensland.”Every time you go out you have to adapt to conditions, but I usually do go out there and bat with some positive intent and try to get the game on my terms,” he said. “It’s a new process I’m working on, still learning and trusting, watching the ball incredibly hard, being calm and having full confidence in myself that I can play the shot I want to each delivery.”Having struggled to kick on from his promising debuts as a 17-year-old, Fraser-McGurk admitted to having doubted himself at various stages but believes that having started so young can make it easy to forget his game is still developing.”You have that thought in the back of your head when you think you aren’t really up to it when you’re not doing well,” he said. “I started pretty well in both debuts and was thinking it could only really go up from there being a naive young kid. I’ve been around for a while, but some people forget I’m still only 21, so hopefully got plenty of cricket to come and the way I see it, I’m just getting started.”I’ve caught myself a few times thinking this is so hard, but then I realise where some other greats of the game were at my age. Steve Smith was a bowler at my age and now he’s one of the best batsmen in the world, so things like that, you have to realise you’ve got plenty of time.”But it never means taking a backward step or stop working as hard, just means you have time to figure out your craft and now hopefully getting that score away, it can be a bit clearer for me.”

New Hurricanes captain Ellis hopes to end BBL trophy drought

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The fast bowler re-signed with the franchise earlier this year and replaces Matthew Wade in the skipper’s role

Tristan Lavalette16-Nov-2023Fast bowler Nathan Ellis has been appointed the new Hobart Hurricanes captain, replacing Matthew Wade in the role.Hurricanes, along with Melbourne Stars are the only two franchises that have failed to win a BBL title since the T20 competition began in 2011 despite being consistent performers. They’ve been runners-up twice and never finished last – Adelaide Strikers are the only other team to have avoided the wooden spoon.But new captain Ellis is hoping to lead Hurricanes to a drought-breaking title. Ellis, 29, re-signed with the Hurricanes earlier this year and for the past five seasons has been their trusted spearhead alongside speedster Riley Meredith.Related

  • Harry Brook withdraws from the BBL

  • Joe Clarke goes from Melbourne Stars to Renegades

  • Tim Paine joins Adelaide Strikers as assistant coach in BBL

“The Hurricanes are a franchise that I hold very dear to my heart and have done a lot for me,” Ellis said. “So to have the opportunity to lead and hopefully bring some silverware home to Tasmania is really exciting.”He takes the reins from Wade, who in the off-season had been linked to a move to Melbourne Renegades before signing a contract extension until at least 2026.Wade will captain Australia during the five-match T20I series against India in the aftermath of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Ellis is also part of the squad, which features several players on the fringes of Australia’s white-ball teams.Since his spectacular international debut in August 2021, where he took a hat-trick against Bangladesh, Ellis has impressed in T20Is with 18 wickets at an average of 11.88 from eight games.His death bowling prowess, where Ellis deceives through canny slower deliveries, makes him an intriguing option as he eyes next year’s T20 World Cup. Ellis, who is not part of Australia’s ODI World Cup squad, has been unable to find the same success in 50-over cricket with ten wickets at 38.20 from eight matches.”He embodies everything the Hurricanes stand for; a great work ethic, resilience and a fantastic attitude towards the game and his team-mates,” Hurricanes head coach Jeff Vaughan said.Hurricanes start their season on December 11 against Sydney Sixers in Launceston.

ODI World Cup digest: New Zealand maintain perfect record; Warner vents at DRS

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Phillips, Latham and the bowlers combine to down Afghanistan while Warner suggests umpire’s decision stats should be shown on scoreboards

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-20231:07

Bond: Latham always ends up with contributions that matter

—Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament Index

NZ keep perfect record as Afghanistan fall apart in chase of 289

After causing a major stir in the 2023 World Cup by beating defending champions England on Sunday, Afghanistan briefly harboured hopes of upsetting the 2019 runners-up too. But the New Zealand brand of professionalism and experience came to the fore once more as they managed to keep their unbeaten record intact to make it four out of four in the competition.Sent in to bat, New Zealand slipped from a comfortable 109 for 1 in the 21st over to a not-so-comfortable 110 for 4 in the space of nine balls. However, captain Tom Latham and the do-it-all man Glenn Phillips revived the innings with a 144-run stand for the fifth wicket. They were also helped by Afghanistan’s sloppiness in the field with as many as six chances – five catches and a run out – going a begging as New Zealand racked up 288 for 6.Click here for the full report

Match analysis: New Zealand’s do-it-all man Glenn Phillips shows he can play the waiting game

1:07

Bond: Pleased with how Phillips batted today

Glenn Phillips is a man of many hats. He played both hockey and football at school before becoming a professional cricketer. He is also into archery, hiking, surfing and mountain-biking. He even has a flight simulator back home and dreams of becoming a commercial pilot after he finishes his sporting career.Phillips is also New Zealand’s do-it-all man on the cricketing field. He has opened the batting alongside Rachin Ravindra in Under-19 cricket. He can tee off from the get-go in the middle order. He can finish an innings. He can also keep wicket, though a back condition has somewhat restricted that skill. His outfielding skills need no introduction. He can also bowl quickish offspin. He is also an innovator.Click here to read the full analysis from Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai

Must Watch: Did Afghanistan make a big mistake at the toss?

1:22

Deep Dasgupta’s advice to Afghanistan: ‘Bat first and back your bowlers’

News headlines

  • Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott lamented Afghanistan’s sloppy catching against New Zealand and urged them to improve on that front.
  • David Warner has called for greater umpire accountability and has vented his frustration at the ball-tracking technology following his lbw dismissal in Australia’s win over Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday.

Match preview

India vs Bangladesh, Pune (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEST)5:31

Bond: India could turn up 80% and still be good enough to win

The defending champions have been upset by Afghanistan. Australia haven’t looked like Australia of World Cups past. Pakistan seem lacking too. And the South African juggernaut fell apart against Netherlands. Of all the pre-tournament favourites, only India and New Zealand have played like favourites. The latter have made it four wins in four, and now India are looking to do the same, against Bangladesh in Pune.Bangladesh may have a favourable 3-1 ODI record against India in the last 12 months – most recently winning their Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup last month – but beating India in India is easier said than done.Full previewTeam newsIndia (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajBangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahmant

Analysis: Slow and steady England not winning the powerplay race

England haven’t been very quick off the blocks with the bat•ICC via Getty Images

At their best, England are unstoppable. But they have hardly got started across their first three games of this World Cup: in their defeats to New Zealand and Afghanistan, they started their batting innings in a different gear to their opponents, and never really recovered.On the tournament’s opening day in Ahmedabad, Jonny Bairstow hit the second ball he faced for six, flicking Trent Boult over square leg for six as he took 12 runs off the game’s opening over. But England managed only 51 for 1 after 10 overs, then leaked runs with the new ball as New Zealand raced to 81 for 1 at the equivalent stage.Click here to read the full analysis from Matt Roller

Hardik takes over from Rohit as Mumbai Indians captain

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It is understood that Rohit will continue playing for Mumbai in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-20238:59

Jaffer: Surprised that Mumbai Indians moved on from Rohit so quickly

Hardik Pandya will captain Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024, taking over from Rohit Sharma, who led the team through a decade of thrilling highs. Rohit, who led Mumbai to five IPL titles, is the joint-most-successful captain in the tournament’s history alongside Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni.The leadership change comes less than a month after Mumbai brought Hardik back to his original franchise after he had captained Gujarat Titans to a title and a runners-up finish in back-to-back seasons.Related

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  • Mumbai Indians trade Hardik from Titans and trade Cameron Green to RCB

  • IPL 2024 auction: Titans' Hardik-sized hole, and other key positions the teams need to fill

While the development might come as a surprise to some, Mumbai had a clear plan when they traded Hardik from Titans. The franchise had identified Hardik as Rohit’s successor and wanted to ensure a smooth transition as in the past, when the captaincy baton had passed from Sachin Tendulkar to Harbhajan Singh and then Ricky Ponting to Rohit.It is understood that Rohit will continue playing for Mumbai in the IPL.”It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready,” Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai’s global head of performance, said in a statement. “Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin to Harbhajan and Ricky to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL.”Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best.”In all, Rohit led Mumbai 163 times in the IPL and the Champions League T20, winning 91 games, tieing four and losing 68. Under him, Mumbai reached five IPL finals – in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 – and won all of them. The last three seasons have been less successful for Mumbai, though. They failed to make the playoffs in 2021 and 2022, and went out of the 2023 tournament with a loss to Titans in the second Qualifier.It remains to be seen whether the captaincy change at Mumbai is a precursor to a similar shift in India’s T20I team. Rohit is currently India’s all-format captain, but has not played a T20I since the semi-final defeat at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. In that time, Hardik has captained India in the format when available – he has led them in 13 of their last 25 T20Is – but is currently out of action with an ankle injury sustained during the recent ODI World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav – another Mumbai Indians player – captained India in the recently concluded T20I series in South Africa.

O'Rourke gets maiden Test call-up, Ravindra picked for SA Tests

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Kane Williamson included as well after recovering from a hamstring injury

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2024Rachin Ravindra is set to add to his three Test caps after being named in the New Zealand squad for the two-Test series against South Africa that starts on February 4 in Mount Maunganui. New Zealand have also handed a maiden Test call-up to Canterbury fast bowler Will O’Rourke, who is known as the clone of Kyle Jamieson, although only for the second Test in Hamilton.New Zealand have named Kane Williamson in the side after he missed the last three T20Is against Pakistan due to a hamstring injury. Tom Blundell and Jamieson, who are also recovering from injuries, have been included as well.From the Test squad that toured Bangladesh in November-December last year, Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel have not found in a place against South Africa because of the conditions expected at home.Related

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  • A South Africa Test squad with just seven capped players

  • Meet Will O'Rourke, New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson clone

Ravindra comes into the squad at the expense of Henry Nicholls, who has suffered somewhat of a form slump. Barring an unbeaten 200 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in March 2023, the batter hasn’t crossed 40 in his last 11 Tests.Ravindra made his Test debut in November 2021 against India in Kanpur but has not played the format since the new year’s Test against Bangladesh in 2022. However, a breakthrough 2023 which culminated in him bagging the ICC Emerging Player-of-the-Year award has seen him get a Test recall.O’Rourke, 22, recently made his ODI debut in the three-game series against Bangladesh at home picking five wickets at 23.00. He is currently playing the Super Smash – the domestic T20s – where he has picked nine wickets in the last five games.Mitchell Santner kept his place and so did Glenn Phillips, who showed his wares in Bangladesh. With scores of 87 and 40 not out, the middle-order batter was named Player of the Match in the second Test in Mirpur which New Zealand won by four wickets. He also picked a three-for in the first innings.Glenn Phillips showed his wares against Bangladesh•Associated Press

Since making his debut against Australia, this will be the first time that Phillips will be playing a Test at home since January 2020, if picked in the XI.”It was pleasing as a selector to see different players making contributions during the recent series in Bangladesh,” head coach Gary Stead said. “Glenn and Mitch both earned selection on the back of their recent work in red-ball cricket. Will O’Rourke has impressed us in stepping up from domestic cricket to New Zealand A and then international level. Rachin Ravindra is another player who has really impressed us with his contributions to the team over the past 12 months in international cricket.”Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson and Kane Williamson are all at slightly different points in their rehabilitation plans. But we’re confident they’ll be good to go at Bay Oval.”New Zealand are chasing their first-ever Test series win against a weakened South Africa, who have as many as eight uncapped players in the side, including captain Neil Brand. Duanne Olivier is the most experienced member of the side with 15 Tests to his name. Stead, however, expected stern challenges from the South Africa unit regardless.”The Proteas are a highly competitive team across formats and, having never won a Test series against them home or away, we expect two stern challenges,” he said. “It’s an honour to be involved in any Test match and I know the players are looking forward to the start of a big Test summer – in what is a big year of Test cricket home and away.”

New Zealand Test squad

Tim Southee (capt), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke (second test only), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

The Perry show floors Mumbai, puts RCB in playoffs

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Allrounder smashes the record for best figures in the WPL, before producing a vital unbeaten 40 to snuff out Warriorz and Giants’ top-three hopes

Ashish Pant12-Mar-20242:23

Takeaways: Mandhana’s brave call at the toss pays off

Coming into Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final group game of WPL 2024, Ellyse Perry had not picked up a single wicket in six outings. She more than made up for that by returning the best-ever figures in the WPL, and propelling RCB into the playoffs. It was a sensational display of swing bowling from Perry, who finished with 6 for 15 to help bowl Mumbai Indians out for a mere 113.And Perry wasn’t done yet. With RCB losing their top three quickly, she then carried the chase with an unbeaten 38-ball 40. She had an ally in Richa Ghosh, who remained not out on 36 off 28 as RCB sealed a seven-wicket win in Delhi.RCB’s win snuffed out Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz’s playoff hopes.

Mandhana’s decision at the toss bears fruit

It takes a brave captain to go against the tide, especially in a game that could make or break the team’s season. Six of the seven games in the Delhi-leg of the WPL before today had been won by the sides batting first. Even the one that Mumbai won chasing required a Harmanpreet Kaur special. Despite that, Mandhana elected to field, citing the match being played on a fresh surface as the reason. And her decision paid off.With Yastika Bhatia out due to illness, Mumbai had a new opening pair in S Sajana and Hayley Matthews. The duo added 43 for the opening wicket, but once Matthews fell, it was all one-way traffic.

Perry magic leaves Mumbai dumbfounded

It started with a catch, it ended with the poles being hit four times – interspersed by two lbws – as Perry ripped through Mumbai in a sensational display of swing and seam bowling. She was involved in each of the first seven Mumbai wickets to fall and by the time she was done, RCB had one foot in the playoffs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Sophie Devine struck first removing Matthews with Perry taking an excellent catch diving forward at deep midwicket. Perry started well with the ball conceding only a run in her first over, but Mumbai were still motoring along at close to eight runs an over.From no wickets off her first nine balls, she picked up six off her next 15 as Mumbai collapsed from 61 for 1 in 8.3 overs to 82 for 7 in 13.It was the good length ball that brought about Mumbai’s undoing. Perry first got through Sajana’s defences with a sharp in-ducker that clattered into her off stump. The very next ball, Perry went away from Harmanpreet who drove at it half-heartedly only to manage a thick inside-edge back onto her stumps.The first ball of her next over, Perry got another good length ball to deviate sharply back into Amelia Kerr, who was rapped on the pads and a loud appeal ensued. RCB challenged the on-field umpire’s not-out decision and were proven right. Amanjot Kaur pulled Perry first ball but was sent back immediately after with another booming inswinger that cut her in half.Perry picked her fifth wicket by cleaning up Pooja Vastrakar and then claimed the WPL record for the best figures off the final ball of her spell trapping Nat-Sciver Brunt in front. In all, Perry bowled 18 dot balls in her four-over spell, leaving Mumbai clueless.Priyanka Bala, on WPL debut, remained unbeaten on 19 to take Mumbai past the 100-mark.Richa Ghosh produced a vital, unbeaten 36 off 28•BCCI

Perry, Ghosh take RCB into the playoffsIf six wickets weren’t enough, Perry also starred with the bat after RCB lost their top three quickly. Sophie Molineux, opening the batting for the second game running, had a life on 4 when Sciver-Brunt spilt a simple catch at extra cover. She couldn’t last long though with Matthews getting her stumped for 9. Sciver-Brunt then saw the back of Mandhana the next over before Shabnam Ismail beat Devine for pace.At 39 for 3 after 6.1 overs there would have been some nerves in the RCB camp. Perry settled some of them by hitting Saika Ishaque for a four and six. Ghosh then had a big reprieve when Sciver-Brunt again shelled a simple catch at midwicket off Ismail. And unlike Molineux, Ghosh made Mumbai pay.Both batters paced their innings well and once they got a hang of the surface, they opened up their shoulders. It was fitting that Perry got RCB over the line lofting Vastrakar over mid-on to seal the deal in 15 overs.

Record-breaking Sunrisers seek to spoil Capitals' homecoming

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Rishabh Pant is set to play in front of his home crowd for the first time since his return to action

Abhimanyu Bose19-Apr-20241:49

Kuldeep vs Klaasen – A match-up to savour?

Match details

Delhi Capitals (P7 W3 L4 6th) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (P6 W4 L2 4th)
New Delhi, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)

Big picture – Delhi Capitals’ homecoming

After setting up base in Visakhapatnam for the first half of the season, Delhi Capitals are back in the national capital for their first game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season. Capitals played two games in Vizag this year, winning one and losing the other.For Capitals captain Rishabh Pant, it will be his first appearance in front of the Delhi home crowd after his return to competitive cricket since his horror car crash in December 2022. Pant, after a slow start to the season, has found his rhythm, scoring 210 from seven games with two fifties. His strike rate of 156.72 is also his best in an IPL season since 2019. He has been excellent behind the stumps as well, and was named Player of the Match in Capitals’ last game primarily for his wicketkeeping.Related

  • Ponting: 'Attacking batting and not defensive bowling will win this IPL'

But Capitals’ homecoming could easily end up not being a happy one as they go up against a rampaging Sunrisers Hyderabad side that has not once, but twice broken the record for the highest total in the history of the IPL.How Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma go in the powerplay against Sunrisers’ explosive left-handed opening duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma could be the deciding factor in how the match shapes up.

Form guide

DC WWLLW (Most recent match first)
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Team news and Impact Player strategy

Delhi Capitals
Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was optimistic about opener David Warner returning from a finger injury. Ponting said Warner was “85-90%” fit on the day of their last match in Ahmedabad, but a final call on his availability for Saturday will be taken after he trains on the eve of the match against Sunrisers. If Warner returns, he could slot in directly for Sumit Kumar, as Capitals played their last match with just three overseas players. But one of Shai Hope or Jake Fraser-McGurk could also make way, if they don’t want to mess with their batting order too much.Probable XII: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 David Warner, 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk/Shai Hope, 4 , 5 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 .Pat Cummins has a terrific record against left-hand batters, so watch out, David Warner and Rishabh Pant•BCCI

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers have a fully fit squad and will likely field the same side they did in their last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While Travis Head has been the player subbed out when they have batted first and subbed in while chasing, they will likely start with, or bring in, Mayank Markande depending on the toss. However, if they are batting first and are facing a collapse, Rahul Tripathi is an option as well.Probable XII: 1 , 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Abdul Samad, 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 T Natarajan, 12 .

In the spotlight – Kuldeep Yadav and Heinrich Klaasen

With Sunrisers boasting of two powerful spin-hitters in Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, Kuldeep Yadav with his left-arm wristspin could be key for Capitals. An injury earlier in the season meant he has only played four games so far in IPL 2024, picking up six wickets, but he has been difficult to get away. He has achieved an economy rate of 6.06, and has only gone for more than a run a ball once, against Rajasthan Royals.With Kuldeep and Axar Patel in Capitals’ ranks, Heinrich Klaasen‘s ability to take down spin will be of great importance to Sunrisers. Among batters with more than 200 runs, only Dinesh Karthik has a better strike rate this season than Klaasen’s 199.21. He is also the most prolific six-hitter not only in this year’s IPL but in all T20s in 2024.

Pitch and conditions

It’s the first game in Delhi this season, and Ponting said the pitch looked good with more grass cover on the square than last year, and he expects it to play better than it did in 2023, when Capitals lost five of their seven home games.

Stats that matter

  • Sunrisers have the two fastest scorers in the powerplay this season in Head and Abhishek, who have struck at 207 and 206 respectively in the first six overs in IPL 2024.
  • Pat Cummins has a superb record against left-hand batters this season: five wickets at an average of 14.00, and an economy rate of just 6.56. He could come up against three Capitals’ left-handers on Saturday in David Warner, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel.
  • Capitals have won four of their last five matches against Sunrisers. The one defeat came at the Arun Jaitley Stadium last year.

Quotes

“I think our batsmen are going great. We don’t mind having a shootout tomorrow. If it’s a high-scoring game against Sunrisers, so be it. We know and expect that they’re gonna play the way that they played so far in the tournament, which has been, you know, going really hard at the top of the order with the bat and trying to post a big first-innings total. So we’re happy to try and match them in that. We think we’ve got as good a batting line-up if not a better batting line-up than theirs, so we’ll see how things work out tomorrow.”

Shepherd, David and Bumrah help Mumbai get off the mark

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Stubbs’ blazing fifty not enough as Coetzee picks up four wickets to consign Capitals to a fourth loss in five games

Hemant Brar07-Apr-20242:47

Shepherd: ‘I keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball’

Having lost the first three games, Mumbai Indians finally opened their account in IPL 2024 as they beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.After being sent in, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave Mumbai a start of 80 in seven overs. Capitals staged a comeback in the middle overs but Tim David (45* off 21) and Romario Shepherd (39* off 10) muscled 96 in the last five overs – Shepherd hit Anrich Nortje for 32 in the 20th – to lift Mumbai to a daunting 234 for 5.Prithvi Shaw kept Capitals in the contest with 66 off 40 balls. After he got out, Tristan Stubbs took over and ransacked an unbeaten 71 off 25 balls. But that Nortje over proved to be the difference in the end as Capitals fell short by 29 runs.Related

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  • Shepherd blasts 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 off Anrich Nortje in the 20th over

Rohit gives Mumbai a blazing start

Given a flat pitch and small boundaries at the Wankhede, Mumbai knew they needed to score big, and Rohit and Kishan laid the perfect foundation.Kishan started by hitting Khaleel Ahmed for three fours in the seamer’s first two overs. From the other end, Rohit hit Ishant Sharma for two successive fours. He took it a notch higher against Jhye Richardson by launching him for two back-to-back sixes.Seeing the fast bowlers leaking runs, Rishabh Pant turned to his spinners. But Rohit was into overdrive by now. In the next nine balls, he hit four fours and a six against Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav. At the end of six overs, he had moved to 49 off 23 balls and Mumbai to 75 for no loss.

Capitals pull it back

Once the field restrictions were relaxed, Capitals staged a comeback with Axar dismissing Rohit. On the last ball of the seventh over, Rohit stepped out of his crease but Axar bowled it short and fast to beat the batter and rattle his stumps.In the next over, Nortje spoiled Suryakumar Yadav’s return. Nortje welcomed him to the crease with a searing yorker before having him caught at mid-on for a two-ball duck.Thanks to their quick start, Mumbai reached 100 in the tenth over before Axar hurt them again. Having hit a six off the previous ball, Ishan Kishan smashed the next to the left of Axar who stretched out his hand to pull off a stunning return catch.With Hardik Pandya taking his time – he was on 19 off 20 balls at one point – Mumbai could manage only 63 runs in the nine overs after the powerplay.Romario Shepherd muscled away a 10-ball 39 to lift Mumbai Indians•BCCI

The David-Shepherd show

Mumbai were 138 for 4 after 15 overs. At that stage, Capitals must have harboured hopes of restricting them under 200. David and Shepherd, though, had other plans.David started the 16th over by smashing Richardson for a six. In the next two overs, he hit two more sixes and Hardik also chipped in with one but it was Shepherd who made the bigger dent. In the 20th over, he bludgeoned Nortje for 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 to crush Capitals’ morale.

Shaw keeps Capitals’ hopes alive

Shepherd was not done hurting Capitals. In the fourth over, he had David Warner holing out to mid-on with a wide slower ball.Shaw was slow to start. After four overs, he was on 13 off 15 but soon found his range. In the eighth over, he hit Piyush Chawla for 6, 4, 4 off successive deliveries. With a pulled four off Gerald Coetzee, he brought up his half-century, off 31 balls.Along with Abishek Porel, Shaw took Capitals past 100 in the 11th over but Bumrah ended his innings on 66 by uprooting the leg stump with a searing yorker.

Stubbs’ blitz goes in vain

Stubbs wasted no time to get going. Facing his third ball, he heaved Chawla over deep midwicket for a six and repeated the dose three balls later. Bumrah dismissed Porel for 41 off 31, and Pant fell cheaply, but Stubbs kept going.He hit Akash Madhwal for two fours and a six on the first three balls of the 17th over and brought up his half-century – his second in two games – off just 19 balls.His hitting meant Capitals reached 172 for 4 after 17 overs, five runs ahead of Mumbai at the same stage. But Bumrah conceded only eight in the next to make it 55 needed from two overs.Stubbs hit two sixes off Shepherd at the start of the 19th and ended it with another six. But with little support from the other end, Capitals were left needing 34 from six balls. Coetzee conceded only four and also picked up three wickets as Stubbs got stuck at the non-striker’s end.

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