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The tension between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the WICB appears to have eased slightly, with the batsman set to play in the Test series against Pakistan starting next week

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2011The tension between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the WICB appears to have eased slightly, with the batsman set to play in the Test series against Pakistan starting next week. The West Indies side for the first Test has not been officially released, but ESPNcricinfo has learnt from a reliable source that the squad includes Chanderpaul, who was axed for the one-day series that concludes in Guyana on Thursday.The Test squad will also include the fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who hasn’t played for West Indies since the tour of England in mid-2009. The uncapped batsman Kraigg Brathwaite, 18, is also expected to be named, after an impressive few months of first-class cricket, which was followed by his unbeaten 168 for West Indies Under-19s against Australia last month.During the past two weeks, Chanderpaul and the West Indies board CEO Ernest Hilaire have been involved in a war of words over the batsman’s treatment after the World Cup. Chanderpaul claimed he had been asked by the West Indies selectors to retire at the end of the World Cup, and that he was dropped from the ODI squad when he refused to quit.He was also upset at Hilaire’s comments that for 15 years, the West Indies side had lacked discipline and application. Chanderpaul took that as a personal affront, and said he was concerned that, having just been dropped from the side, it would create the impression that he was an indisciplined individual, had not applied himself and considered himself to be bigger than the team.Along with Chanderpaul, the senior batsmen and former captains Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were left out of the squad for the first two one-dayers against Pakistan, and Hilaire said West Indies needed to build a new team for the future. However, Sarwan returned for the fourth ODI on Monday and Chanderpaul will be welcomed back during the Tests.

Everton are interested in a late window swoop for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek as they look to make some new signings before deadline day next week.

What’s the story?

The Toffees have already made a couple of additions in this January transfer window, and despite having no new permanent manager in place, are continuing to push ahead with their plans for recruitment.

According to The Daily Mail, England international Loftus-Cheek has emerged as a potential target for the club, although Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is keen to keep him at Stamford Bridge.

The report adds that Everton are desperate for some midfield reinforcements before the close of the window next week.

Imagine him and Doucoure

While Abdoulaye Doucoure may currently be out injured, the prospect of seeing the marauding Frenchman with someone equally as imposing as Loftus-Cheek is a potentially mouth-watering one.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the England ace would bring some extra physicality to the Everton engine room, but crucially would add a real goal threat to the side from midfield too.

It was only in 2018/19 that Loftus-Cheek netted ten goals and provided another five assists from midfield in one season, with BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves lauding him as an “unstoppable force” during that campaign.

And, his former boss at Fulham, Scott Parker, raved about him during his loan spell there just a couple of seasons ago.

He said: “His self-belief is right there, his self-belief has to be there, he’s playing in the best league in the world and at times is unplayable in the best league in the world against teams and against players who are world-class.

“You look at his career and other than the period at Palace there hasn’t really been a sustained period (of first-team action), he was at Chelsea for a long time, probably had a few bit-parts, never really had a consistent run of games so I think that’s helped as well.”

The £18m-rated star would be a shrewd signing by the Toffees.

Meanwhile, Moshiri could make a surprise signing by landing this man…

James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide

Andrew McGlashan in Adelaide24-Jan-2011James Anderson hopes his return to the England team can help turn around their poor one-day form which has left them in a must-win situation heading into the fourth ODI at Adelaide. Anderson arrived back in Australia at the weekend following a post-Ashes break back home that left the visitors with a second-string attack.Along with Anderson’s absence for the first three matches, Stuart Broad is also out injured while Graeme Swann hasn’t played the last two games due to a knee problem and has also suffered a back spasm. Tim Bresnan has now been forced out of the series with a calf strain so Anderson’s return will be a timely boost for the squad. However, he still has to show he’s over the effects of another long journey before taking his place.”To be honest we’ll just see how the next couple of days go,” he said. “I’ll practice tomorrow [Tuesday] and if I come through practice I’ll certainly be putting my name forward for selection.”I’d like to think I bring some energy with both my bowling and fielding. I don’t think we are that far away having seen the first three games. We aren’t far away from a win and turning the momentum around.”Energy has been a buzzword for England in this series. It’s one of the reasons Matt Prior was recalled to the World Cup squad because of the part he plays in the fielding unit and it was noticeable on Sunday, at the SCG, how Paul Collingwood, who replaced the injured Kevin Pietersen, tried to get under Australia’s skin.The end result, though, hasn’t proved very effective although the depleted bowling attack has done a reasonable job only to be let down by some poor batting in the last two matches. But despite the scoreline, and the prospect of conceding the series very early, Anderson insists the squad are as buoyant as when he departed in the afterglow of the Ashes.”I know we are 3-0 down but the dressing room seems just as positive as when I left,” he said. “They are still in good spirits. We know we are just one game away from turning the momentum around. We are looking to Wednesday to be a good all-round performance with both bat and ball.”Anderson has twice benefited from England’s rotation policy, firstly last winter when he missed the tour of Bangladesh and now this latest break. He was the stand-out bowler during the Ashes, sending down 213 overs in the five Tests for 24 wickets, so was grateful of the down time and believes the current injury problems show how important it is to factor in these periods of rest.”It was nice to get a break. My body certainly needed it after the Test series,” he said. “As you’ve seen we’ve got a couple of injuries at the minute. It’s crucial that we go into the World Cup with a full-strength squad. The management have made good decisions in the past resting players so I’m sure they are going to do exactly the same leading up to the World Cup.”England will again have to consider the balance of their side at Adelaide because, for two matches running, they have not had the ideal attack for conditions. In Hobart they were a quick bowler short then they strengthened that department on a slow pitch at the SCG where James Tredwell could have been useful.Spin is likely to play a role in this match, but Anderson has fond memories of what a swing bowler can do following his Test performance. His first-morning burst when he removed Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to leave Australia 3 for 2 set England on their way to victory. They are desperate for something similar again from their leading bowler.

A classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan05-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZulqarnain Haider carried Pakistan to another one-wicket victory and kept the series alive•AFPA classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare. Zulqarnain Haider struck the winning run after just about managing to keep his head as everyone else lost theirs, and South Africa will be left to wonder how they let another match slip away.When Morne Morkel removed Abdul Razzaq in the 47th over, having also bagged Younis Khan for a measured 73, the game, and the series, was in South Africa’s grasp with Pakistan needing 31 off 23 balls, but again their bowling and fielding couldn’t cope under pressure. Graeme Smith, back leading the side after missing two matches with a hand injury, spilled a tough chance from Wahab Riaz and then Dale Steyn, who was playing his first international of the season, conceded 12 off the 48th over as two short balls were pulled past short fine-leg.South Africa messed up a chance to run out Wahab when Johan Botha produced a wild throw from the outfield as he came back for a third, then in the penultimate over another chance was missed when Morkel hurled the ball past the stumps from his follow through and two overthrows ensued. Amid all the drama, it left Pakistan needing four off the last over but a final twist seemed almost inevitable, and duly arrived when Wahab was finally run out.It meant Haider was on strike with three needed from three balls and he levelled the scores with a chip over midwicket as Parnell missed the chance to win the game for South Africa by failing to flick the ball into the stumps. The next delivery was short on leg and, after the manic scenes, it was a relatively calm nudge to square leg which sealed the result.It was breathless cricket, the third game in a row that had shown how much the 50-over game still has to offer. There was proper, conventional batsmanship from Younis and Smith, innovative striking from Botha, quality fast bowling from Morkel and Shoaib Akhtar and impressive spin played out in front of a crowd that grew after the sun had gone down.Chasing 275 was always going to be tough but this was a better surface than for the third game, which had been too slow to enable clean strokeplay. Younis, who only hit one boundary, was carrying his team into a winning position alongside Razzaq as the pair added 49 for the sixth wicket with the batting Powerplay still up their sleeve. It was the ideal combination to complete the chase – Younis’ calmness alongside the brute force of Razzaq – but Morkel removed Younis via an inside edge and two balls later Abdur Rehman was run out in a hopeless mix-up.Pakistan had been ahead, or within touching distance, of the asking rate throughout the chase but South Africa had kept chipping away. What made the final disintegration of their fielding so surprising was that it was shaping as the difference between the teams. Younis and Asad Shafiq added 56 for the third wicket before Shafiq was run out by a direct hit from mid-on by Wayne Parnell, then Shahid Afridi – who took three boundaries in an over off Steyn to kick-start the innings – was brilliantly caught at long-off by Parnell as he tried to launch Botha into the stands.Imran Farhat had fallen in the first over, trapped lbw from around the wicket by Morkel, but Mohammad Hafeez set a positive tone and latched onto the extra pace of Steyn, who returned after a lengthy absence. It was fascinating viewing as Steyn worked through the gears and Hafeez was winning the early battles with a string of boundaries.Steyn had his revenge when Hafeez tried to whip a straight delivery through the leg side and was comfortably leg before. Ultimately, though, his 10 overs cost 79 runs, the second most expensive analysis of his career, and questions will again be asked about how South Africa bowled in the closing overs, especially as Rusty Theron, who kept his nerve in the previous match, was left out.Smith had a far more productive return to action although his lay-off had only been two games after taking a blow on his hand in the opening encounter in Abu Dhabi. He was soon back in the grove and eased to a 57-ball half-century, adding 94 for the third wicket with de Villiers, who laboured against Pakistan’s spinners in a boundary-less 70-ball innings.Smith missed out on a hundred when he tried to work Hafeez through the leg side, and for a while South Africa lost momentum as Wahab put himself on a hat trick by yorking JP Duminy and David Miller. Botha responded with a string of clever boundaries, including two reverse sweeps off Hafeez and a brace of scoops over short fine-leg against Wahab. The impetus was back in South Africa’s camp, but it’s been impossible to predict the outcome in this series and this was to be another thriller to the end.

Lahiru Thirimanne and Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka to a total of 294 when they were dismissed late on the first day in Sydney

The Report by Brydon Coverdale02-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJackson Bird picked up 4 for 41•AFPSix days ago, while the Sri Lankans were capitulating to lose the Boxing Day Test, Lahiru Thirimanne was back home in Sri Lanka enjoying a day off in between one-day commitments for Ragama. He must have been as surprised as anyone to find himself batting on the opening day of a Test match at the SCG less than a week later. Thirimanne acclimatised to his new role quickly and although he narrowly missed out on a maiden Test century, he ensured Sri Lanka were able to bat until stumps. Just.At the close of play, the Sri Lankans had just been dismissed for 294. It could have been better had Thirimanne or Mahela Jayawardene, who both made half-centuries, gone on to triple figures. But it could also have been much worse after the Sri Lankans were sent in by Michael Clarke, who had chosen four fast bowlers on a pitch tinged with green grass. Jackson Bird finished with 4 for 41 and Mitchell Starc bounced back from his rest over the Christmas period with 3 for 71, and while it took until nearly 6pm, Clarke would have been pleased to end the day with the Sri Lankans all out.For a while, that appeared unlikely as Thirimanne and Jayawardene steered Sri Lanka to 2 for 134, and later the score was 4 for 222. But once Australia’s bowlers found their way into the tail, the end came quickly. The final five wickets fell for 44 and a briefly entertaining last-wicket stand of 21 between Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep had the unexpected benefit for Australia of allowing Ed Cowan and David Warner to start their innings on the second morning instead of late on the first evening.Pradeep finished on 17 not out, his highest first-class score, and Lakmal was the last man out when he edged to slip for 5 off the bowling of Bird. It was the third catch of the day for the retiring Michael Hussey, who also put one down early in Jayawardene’s innings. Bird had also picked up the wicket of Rangana Herath, who skied a catch to mid-off for 5, shortly after the last of the recognised batsmen, Dinesh Chandimal, was superbly yorked by Starc for 24.Starc had been involved in the previous wicket as well, when he took a diving catch at mid-on to get rid of Dhammika Prasad, whose heaving pull off Peter Siddle was a shot deserving of a dismissal. Another fine catch had brought Prasad to the crease, when Thirimanne, on 91, was deceived by Nathan Lyon. Thirimanne drove hard at a ball that was wider than he expected, and his edge lobbed up towards point and was brilliantly taken by a diving David Warner.It was a disappointing end for Thirimanne, who was initially scratchy and struggled to rotate the strike, but found his touch as the innings wore on. Thirimanne would not have played this match but for Sri Lanka suffering two injuries to their top seven. Chandimal, the backup batsman in the squad, came in for Kumar Sangakkara and when Prasanna Jayawardene was also ruled out due to his broken thumb, it allowed Thirimanne to play his eighth Test.He was impressive in his 151-ball innings and scored 13 fours and one six. He drove with authority and used his feet to Lyon, also pulling strongly against the fast bowling. Thirimanne had been fortunate to make it that far; he was given out lbw for a golden duck when Bird bowled full and straight, but after some consideration Thirimanne asked for a review and was reprieved as replays indicated the ball had pitched a fraction outside leg stump.Jaywardene also had a lucky break early. On 4, he edged Siddle to second slip and Hussey was slow to react to a chance he should have taken, and managed only to get his left hand to the ball, which then ran away to the boundary. It was a very similar shot that brought Jayawardene his half-century, another edge that this time bounced just in front of Hussey before running to third man for four. It ended a three-year drought for Jayawardene, who had last made a Test fifty away from home in November 2009.He was fluent in his 110-ball innings, which featured 12 fours and a six. He was strong through point and when flicking through the leg side, and he also used his feet Lyon. However, on 72 Jayawardene was caught at slip driving hard at a Starc delivery angled across him and after the third umpire checked for a no-ball and found Starc’s heel had landed legally and then slid forward, it was the end of an encouraging 62-run stand for Sri Lanka.Thilan Samaraweera (12) and Angelo Mathews (15) both made starts but failed to go on; Samaraweera was plumb lbw to Siddle and Mathews edged Starc to Hussey at second slip. It was a busy day in the field for Hussey, who had brought about the first wicket of the day when Dimuth Karunaratne (5) went for a pull from just outside off stump and top-edged Bird high and over the slips cordon and was taken by Hussey, running back with the flight of the ball from second slip.Bird, the best of Australia’s bowlers, also got rid of Karunaratne’s opening partner, Tillakaratne Dilshan, who occupied the crease for 100 minutes before he was caught behind for 34. They were the only two wickets the Australians picked up in the first session, but by stumps the bowlers had done what Clarke wanted. Now, it’s up to Australia’s shortened batting line-up.

England powered to a 3-0 series sweep by thrashing Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the third Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2010
Scorecard
England powered to a 3-0 series sweep by thrashing Sri Lanka by 89 runs in the third Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka.Rain had forced both the second and third game to be played on a single day and having secured the series with a 17-run win in the 2nd T20I England ensured they finished the series on a high.Jenny Gunn setup the victory with an aggressive 69 from 46 balls, sharing a 62-run stand for the second wicket with Danielle Wyatt, who made 27. The pair rattled along at more than a run a ball with Gunn smiting three sixes and four fours in her innings.Fran Wilson (16 not out) and Suzie Rowe (24 not out) added 43 from the last five overs to push England up to 160 and leave Sri Lanka demoralised.What looked an imposing target become impossible after Sri Lanka lost three wickets in the opening four overs. Chamari Atapattu was run out for a duck in the first over before Danielle Hazell struck twice in her next two overs to leave the hosts reeling at 14 for 3. They never recovered and Dilani Manodara, with a brave unbeaten 25, was the only player to make double figures. Instead Hazell added a third wicket and the rest of the bowlers shared one each as Sri Lanka crumbled to 71 all out and a series whitewash.

Taking to Twitter, journalist Rudy Galetti of Sportitalia TV has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan shot stopper Samir Handanovic.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing new keepers?

Even though it seems as if Tottenham number one Hugo Lloris is likely to pen a one-year extension at the club, the future of number two Pierluigi Gollini is up in the air.

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Reports even claim the Lilywhites could decide to cut short his loan spell and send him back to Atalanta despite having the option to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of 2021/2022 (L’Eco di Bergamo via The Spurs Web).

This comes amid ‘concerns’ those within Tottenham have over Gollini’s fitness as they weigh up making his move a permanent one (The Athletic), but it appears Spurs may also have their eye on alternative options already.

The Latest: Galetti makes Handanovic claim…

Taking to Twitter, reporter Galetti has shared news on a brand new target for Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici as news emerges on Handanovic.

The 37-year-old’s contract at the San Siro expires this year, meaning he is now free to negotiate pre-contract summer moves with overseas clubs.

Tottenham have apparently taken an interest in doing this and Handanovic now ‘could arrive’ in England as a free agent later in 2022.

It is also believed that Conte has personally ‘asked for’ his former keeper as Spurs keep tabs.

The Verdict: Right call?

Arguably solid for a quick-fix, the 81-cap Slovenia international is a player Conte certainly knows well and played regularly during his time at Inter Milan.

Over the last two seasons, Handanovic has been a mainstay in the Nerazzurri starting line up but came under-fire for some of his unreliable performances near the end of 2021.

He has, however, stood out with brilliant performances as well since then and his experience working under Conte could be of real benefit to Tottenham.

A seasoned and experienced shot stopper with plenty of time at the top level, he has also been called a ‘monster’ by his goalkeeping teammate Michele Di Gregorio, currently on loan at Serie B side Monza.

On a free deal, Handanovic certainly shouldn’t be dismissed as an option should Gollini leave.

In other news: ‘I’ve been told this morning’…Sky journalist shares ‘breaking’ Spurs transfer news on live TV, find out more here.

Series has added significance as a result of the unsavoury headlines that have enveloped the sport in recent times

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2010Having lost the Test series 2-0 back in 2008, setting the record straight is high on Ricky Ponting’s priority list. At the same time, he recognises that a contest that has produced some gripping cricket over the past decade and more has added significance as a result of the unsavoury headlines that have enveloped the sport in recent times. Winning will be important, but it will be just as crucial that both Test matches are played without controversy or rancour.”Whenever I’ve spoken about this series over the last couple of weeks, I’ve said how important it is for the international game that this series is played in the right spirit,” he said on the eve of the Mohali Test. “You’ve got to expect that it’s going to be a fierce contest because you’ve got two very good teams playing international sport. But both teams will understand that they can’t overstep the line. There’s enough negativity around the world at the moment about international cricket that we have to do the best we can in this series to ensure that people want to watch the game again. There’s no doubt that things have been tarnished a bit the last few weeks.”The immediate target is victory in Mohali, a venue where India haven’t lost since the days when West Indies were still kings of the Test-match castle. “We’d love to come here and win,” Ponting said. “We know how big the challenge is. We also know just how competitive a series it was over here last time. Last time, I don’t think any of our bowlers had played Test cricket in India.”We’ve got a little bit more experience this time round. Our batting group is a bit like India’s, pretty experienced. Most of us have played a fair bit here in the subcontinent. It’s not so much about revenge, it’s about us playing a brand of cricket over the next 10 days that’s going to be good enough for us to remain competitive and win both of these Test matches.”Over the past decade and a half, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has seen some titanic tussles, but according to Ponting, it still ranks a step below the Ashes in terms of prestige. “I’m not sure if it’s bigger than the Ashes,” he said. “If you look at international cricket at the moment, Australia has three major rivals. We have England, and there’s always an added edge whenever we play an Ashes series. Then you have South Africa, who have been the No.1 or No.2-ranked Test and one-day team for a few years now. Our rivalry against them has been very strong. And there’s India, who we’ve had some amazing battles with over the past five or six years. All those series are exceptionally entertaining to be part of as a player. I would still put the Ashes slightly above the other two.”Given that India are unlikely to provide the sort of pace-friendly conditions that gifted Australia victory at Nagpur back in 2004, Ponting wasn’t unduly concerned by the nature of the pitch. “I had a quick look at the wicket yesterday,” he said. “We haven’t been out on the ground just yet but as soon as the rest of the boys arrive, we’ll go out and have a look at the conditions and see what we’re confronted with. A few of the guys talked to the groundsman yesterday and he felt there was probably a little bit more moisture in the wicket than usual. That’s had a lot to do with the weather last week, obviously.”Our preparation since we’ve been here has been very good. I’ve been really impressed with the work the boys have done, coming off a long break. Everyone’s keen, fit and fresh and we’re looking forward to getting out there and getting the Test match underway tomorrow. This is a great challenge for the Australian cricket team, to take on the No.1-ranked side in the world.”Strong performances with bat and ball in the lone warm-up game have enhanced the good vibes in the Australian camp. “I think the big thing we got out of that was our partnerships,” Ponting said. “Our batting partnerships in the first innings of the game were very good. The guys having come off no cricket for such a long period of time…to execute our skills as well as we did was very satisfying. We’ve been very specific with the way we’ve played as well. We focussed on fewer areas that we have to do very well and the things we had talked about going into the tour game were the things we did very well. I also thought our bowling partnerships late on day two were outstanding.”If there’s one thing that’s left a few creases on his forehead, it’s the late arrival from South Africa of Michael Hussey and Doug Bollinger. “They arrived Tuesday afternoon, so when you’re looking at Test-match preparation that’s not ideal.” said Ponting of the two men who won the Champions League T20 with the Chennai Super Kings. “They were flying for close to 24 hours. That meant that yesterday was a lighter day than they would normally have had. Doug bowled maybe two overs in the nets, and Hussey had quite a short hit.”We were just trying to freshen them up as much as we can. Huss got through very well. We’re going to wait on Dougie and he should have a good solid workout in the nets today. We’ll see how he gets through that and how he pulls up tonight as far as his fitness goes for tomorrow.The positive for us is that they’ve been playing good competitive cricket for the last two-and-a-half weeks. They should be in pretty good shape with their cricket skills.”With India also affected – MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Rahul Dravid were also part of the final stages of the competition in South Africa – we’ll soon find out which team bounces back best from the disrupted preparation.

Gianluca Di Marzio has now dropped some exciting Glasgow Rangers transfer news on Aaron Ramsey.

The Lowdown: Not playing

Ramsey is simply not playing enough games at Juventus, with only five appearances in total for the Old Lady across all competitions so far this term.

Thus, given his whopping £400,000-per-week wages, Juve will probably want to offload him before the deadline, especially as they spent a lot of money to bring in Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina.

The Latest: Agreement sought

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Di Marzio, an ‘agreement is sought’ between Juve and the Ibrox faithful, with talks ‘in progress’ between the two clubs:

“#Juventus, negotiation in progress with @RangersFC: an agreement is sought for #Ramsey.

“But the @BurnleyOfficial resists.”

The Verdict: Exciting

To get a player of Ramsey’s calibre through the door would certainly be exciting for all Teddy Bears fans.

Of course, he is a big name, having played in the Premier League with Arsenal, while he has over 70 senior caps for Wales.

His wages will be a big issue though, and the Light Blues will have to negotiate very well to get that number down.

He also has a history of injury problems, which the Gers will hope that he can overcome.

Nonetheless, what a statement signing he would be for RFC, having already captured the loan signing of Amad Diallo from Manchester United.

In other news, find out what the latest Jordan Campbell has revealed on one potential Gers exit here!

A round-up of the latest matches from the Metbank Pro40 in Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2010Nick Compton’s powerful form continued with an unbeaten 90 to set up a 36-run victory for Mashonaland Eagles against Southern Rocks. He hit seven fours and two sixes in his 80-ball innings, adding 93 for the third wicket with Forster Mutizwa who clubbed 62. Their stand formed the backbone for a strong total of 257 for 6 and they made the perfect start in the field when Chad Keegan trapped Steve Marillier lbw first ball. Keegan added two more wickets and Rocks slid to 53 for 5 in the 13th over to leave them a mountain to climb. Steve Tikolo threatened to turn the innings around with 68 off 55 balls, but Rocks were well behind the D/L target when rain ended the contest in the 30th over.Mountaineers put in an impressive bowling display to earn a 78-run victory against Matabeleland Tuskers which was enough to gain a bonus point and move them ahead of their opponents on run rate. Donald Tiripano was the star with 4 for 16 to remove Tuskers middle order after Tinashe Panyangara had claimed two important wickets despite being expensive. The Mountaineers top order also struggled, but the difference was Timycen Maruma who hit a brisk 67 off 48 balls to lift them to 205 for 9 which proved more than enough.