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Mathews fell for 39 in his farewell Test, even as Chandimal’s fifty helped SL reduce deficit to 127

Madushka Balasuriya19-Jun-2025Partnerships were the name of the game for Sri Lanka as every top-order batter chipped in to whittle away at Bangladesh’s healthy first-innings total of 495. By stumps, Sri Lanka’s deficit had been trimmed to just 127.A majority of it was cut down courtesy Pathum Nissanka, who struck a career-best 187 off 256 balls. It was his first ton on home soil, and a knock that had seen him dominate from the first new ball to the second. He would have been eyeing a maiden Test double hundred – to go with one in ODIs – but that second new ball and the unpredictability of a wobble seam combined to dislodge him, as Hasan Mahmud sneaked an inducker through bat and pad late in the day.That wicket may end up keeping Bangladesh’s heads from dropping heading into day four, after the Sri Lanka batters had spent the majority of day three steadily shaking out any confidence the visitors may have gathered during their dominance on the opening two days.Nissanka was part of four steady stands, alongside Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis, which were worth 47, 157, 89, and 38, respectively. More pressingly for Bangladesh, the scoring during each of these stands came at a fair clip, with Sri Lanka’s run rate consistently hovering around four an over.Dinesh Chandimal and Pathum Nissanka added 147 for the second wicket•Sri Lanka Cricket

But even following Nissanka’s dismissal, any respite seemed short lived as Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu already sped to a stand of 37 off 45 deliveries by the end of play. For Bangladesh, the four wickets were shared equally among Mahmud, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan and Mominul Haque. But with three of the five bowlers employed going at over four runs runs an over, it was a tough day out for the visitors.On a surface that had started showing signs of deterioration – but one that was still good for batting by Galle’s usual day three standards – Sri Lanka’s batters showed Bangladesh where theirs had faltered. Well, as much as you could falter having scored 495.Bangladesh had spent the first two days content at progressing at a touch above three runs an over, rarely shifting pressure on to the Sri Lanka bowlers. In the end, it proved to be the difference between a total of near-500 and perhaps 600.Fine margins, usually, but with Sri Lanka knocking off 75% of Bangladesh’s total in just three sessions, there now lies the very real possibility that Bangladesh could be asked to bat out day five – rain allowing – just to save the Test. And while this Galle surface has been more batter-friendly than usual, the ball misbehaved occasionally, and you imagine that will only get more frequent over the next two days.That said, Sri Lanka still have work to do to make that possibility a reality. But you wouldn’t back against them judging by how they went about their batting across the day.Angelo Mathews got a guard of honour from the Bangladesh players•Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

Aside from a brief period before tea, when scoring slowed to a trickle, Sri Lanka’s batters had it all their own way. This was down to a combination of positive intent from the batters, and some inconsistent lines and lengths from the Bangladesh bowlers. Nissanka, in particular, was batting with supreme authority: anything short was dispatched square, and anything overpitched was laced through the covers.His aggression, and ability to alleviate even small periods of pressure with a boundary or two, meant the pressure on his partners was kept to a minimum. It saw Chandimal notch up a 33rd Test fifty, while Mathews, too, might have enjoined a similar milestone if not for being at the end of one of those rare deliveries that misbehaved. Mominul, the part-timer, got one to dip and turn past Mathews’ forward defence, tickling the outside edge on the way.Each of the wickets to fall, in fact, were against the run of play. Debutant Udara had made it look a far cry from his first Test during a fluent 34-ball 29, before chipping a leading edge back to Taijul. Chandimal, meanwhile, clipped a leg-side offbreak low to leg slip off Nayeem.But with each wicket, Sri Lanka simply dusted themselves off and set about putting together another brisk stand. It was a sharp contrast from Bangladesh’s innings, which had two mammoth stands in the middle, but either side of those had only one reach even 20.Sri Lanka had begun the day with similar efficiency, wrapping up the Bangladesh innings inside the first 15 minutes of the morning session. Asitha Fernando did the honours, ending with figures of 4 for 86.

Josh Inglis has kept his spot in the middle order for the third Test while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon return

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-20250:44

Lyon: No point to prove in third Ashes Test

Usman Khawaja has been left out of the third Test in Adelaide, raising the prospect of him having played his final match for Australia, with Australia’s selectors backing the positive approach brought by the Jake Weatherald-Travis Head pairing.As expected, captain Pat Cummins and offspinner Nathan Lyon return to the side at the expense of Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett.Khawaja missed the second Test in Brisbane having not recovered from the back spasms he picked up in Perth that prevented him from opening in either innings.Earlier this week Khawaja said he was 100% fit and eager to retain his spot. The prospect of him taking a middle-order role had been raised but the selectors have opted to retain Josh Inglis with Weatherald and Head continuing their opening partnership.Usman Khawaja remains out of Australia’s XI•AFP/Getty Images

They came together in the second innings in Perth to add 75 in the run chase before combining for 77 in the first innings at the Gabba with selectors seeing the value in what it has done to the England attack.”I think the big thing that’s shifted on us is probably Trav opening after that first Test and how good that has looked with the Weathers, so we’re pretty happy with that batting line-up,” Cummins said ahead of his first Test of the series after a back injury. “It didn’t feel like it needed to change in the middle order.”So far it’s looked like they [Head and Weatherald] have been able to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Whatever has been thrown at them, they’ve had an answer to. It’s really set up the platform for our innings.”I think you’ve seen people like Marnus [Labuschagne] and Steve [Smith] walk in after that as well and really get on the back of that and start their innings well. I don’t know if it’s scrambled the opposition, but it’s certainly kind of got that momentum, kept that scoreboard ticking over and started our innings brilliantly.”Khawaja turns 39 during the Adelaide Test and has averaged 31.84 since the 2023 Ashes with one century in 45 innings.Pat Cummins prepares for his Test comeback•Getty Images

Asked whether there was a road back, Cummins said: “Yeah, potentially. I think the selectors have been quite adamant [that] we’re picking a side each week, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week. We do that with the bowlers this week.”Obviously, Nathan Lyon’s coming back in. One of Uzzie’s great strengths he’s scored runs at the top, he’s scored runs in the middle. If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, then he wouldn’t be here in the squad. So, absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.”Cummins, meanwhile, lauded the fact Australia were 2-0 up despite being stretched by injury, including himself yet to feature and Josh Hazlewood being ruled out of the series.”Incredible, I think it shows just great depth in the Aussie cricket system at the moment with fast bowlers,” he said. “When I said it’s almost worked out perfectly…we’re halfway through a series, I’ve come back on line, you’ve got Ness and Doggy who are resting from this week, but they’ve obviously got themselves into the series and are available for the last two games.”You’ve seen Jhye Richardson out the back bowling. So it feels like everything’s come together and we’re not just hanging on to the end of a series like sometimes you are. We’re actually peaking and hopefully there are heaps of resources available.”But the guys who have stepped in have been fantastic and I think it’s a huge credit to those guys who have stepped in but also the coaches and Steve managing those guys throughout the day.”Steven Smith missed training on Monday due to illness but was first in the nets on Tuesday.Australia XI for third Ashes Test1 Jake Weatherald, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Josh Inglis, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland

Unbeaten 70 from Australian opener proves decisive as Welsh Fire fall short of famous comeback

ECB Media09-Aug-2025David Warner made his first half-century in the Hundred to see London Spirit take the spoils against Welsh Fire in Cardiff, despite a thrilling, unbeaten 86 from Jonny Bairstow in response.Like a boxer on the ropes, Bairstow sat back and absorbed the blows as his Fire team fell to 55 for 6 at the halfway point of their reply, before launching a high-octane counterattack that took them close to a famous victory.Bairstow’s 50-ball innings contained six sixes, and saw 74 runs plundered from balls 66 to 95, leaving 17 required off the last five of the innings. As the Sophia Gardens crowd belted out “Wales, Wales, Wales!” it appeared that Bairstow – ably supported by Chris Green – would pull off the comeback but Luke Wood got Spirit over the line.Warner’s innings was a different affair, but was equally effective in driving the visitors – the Australian legend using his experience and nous to work out a defendable total on a track that had something for the bowlers.David Warner made his first fifty of the Hundred•Getty Images

With the ball, before the Bairstow show, Liam Dawson and Richard Gleeson were both parsimonious and though they may briefly have feared that their hard work would be undone it was runs on the board that emerged victorious in the end, Kane Williamson and Justin Langer getting off and running and consigning Fire to a second defeat in two.Warner, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “That got very close at the end, and credit to the way Jonny and Greeny batted. They were absolutely superb. The partnership they built was fantastic, and what it did do was what we’re trying to do here – entertain the crowd and hopefully everyone was excited by that game.”I think what the guys were saying there was that across the last 25-30 balls it wasn’t that stoppy. It skidded, but it was still slow in the wicket. We tried to execute as well as we could but Jonny was on fire there, he was hitting the ball cleanly and obviously we got over the line but it was a good effort by them.”When you’re out there batting, the five balls and then 10 balls from one end – you think you have to change ends as a batter. I’m getting used to it, but what I am loving is the crowds. It’s fantastic. It’s all about the kids, and us trying to put entertainment on the TV – credit to everyone who came out today, thank you.”This is a really important win for us. We lost our first game at home but we’ve got an away game in Manchester coming up, and hopefully we can tick that off.”

England’s senior batter full of praise for team-mate after emphatic victory in Wellington

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Dec-2024Joe Root has hailed Harry Brook as “far and away the best player in the world” after Brook powered England to their first series victory in New Zealand since 2008.Both Root and Brook registered centuries in an emphatic 323-run win in the second Test against the Black Caps that confirmed an unassailable 2-0 scoreline after just three days at the Basin Reserve. It was their 35th and eighth hundreds respectively, with Brook’s 123 in tough first-innings conditions earning him the player-of-the-match award.Brooks’ opening-day effort, reaching three figures in 91 deliveries (the second-fastest of his career), came in challenging conditions, dragging England to 280 inside just 54.5 overs, having at one stage been 26 for 3. The tourists were then able to dismiss New Zealand for 125, establishing a 155-run lead that Root’s 106 would eventually lift to a mammoth 582. In reply, New Zealand could only muster 259 in just 54.2 overs.Last week, Brook moved up to No.2 on the ICC Test rankings off the back of his 171 in the first Test at Christchurch, which set up an eight-wicket win. Root sits at No.1, but England’s all-time leading run-scorer believes his Yorkshire and England team-mate is currently at the top of the modern game.”Brooky is by far and away the best player in the world at the minute,” Root said, off the back of Brook’s exploits in New Zealand.”He can absorb pressure, he can apply it. He can whack you over your head for six. He can scoop you over his head for six. He can smack spin. He can smack seam.”He’s so hard to bowl to and dovetailed with someone like Pope [174 for the fifth wicket in the first innings], who’s extremely busy and scoring in awkward areas, [which] makes it very difficult to stop the flow of runs. I think they just played exceptionally well together.”Related

• Brook rises to No. 2 in Test batting rankings, closes gap with table-topper Root

• Joe Root: Harry Brook's 317 is just the first of his 'monster' scores

• Stats – England's first series win in NZ since 2008, New Zealand's worst home defeat

• England crush New Zealand to claim series despite Blundell defiance

• Stokes lauds England's 'more dominant cricket' for series win in NZ

Brook returned the compliment to Root, who has a chance to beat his previous calendar-year best of six centuries (2021) in this Saturday’s third and final Test at Hamilton.”I’m trying to catch him, but he’s too good, isn’t he?” Brook said, when asked if he fancied taking the No. 1 tag off Root. “[He] got another hundred this week. No, he’s obviously one of the best players, if not the best player, to have ever played the game.”Though only two years into his Test career, Brook’s average of 61.62 from 23 Tests is currently third on the all-time list. Having become England’s first triple-centurion in 34 years with 317 against Pakistan, his work in New Zealand over the last two weeks has moved his average away from home to a remarkable 89.35, though he has only played in those two countries.Brook, however, insists on keeping his feet on the ground and believes he has more work to do to improve all aspects of his game.”I’ve only played 23 games, so them stats could soon come soaring down!” he said. “So I’m just trying to keep on getting as good as I can and working hard in the nets and improving areas that are uncomfortable. Just keep on going really. You can always get better everywhere.”Meanwhile, Root has been announced on the shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The award, to be judged by the public on who they regard as most accomplished sportsperson in 2024, has only been won by a cricketer on five occasions. Ben Stokes was the most recent, in 2019, while Stuart Board finished runner-up last year.”I didn’t expect that at all, really,” Root said of Monday’s announcement. “I guess I’m honored to be involved in it. You know, it’s been a wonderful year of sports so to even be considered is is pretty humbling, to be honest.”I wasn’t expecting at all, but it’s something I’ve watched as a kid growing up. I don’t really know how to sum it up.”England will meet up in Hamilton on Wednesday ahead of the third Test. A number of players left Wellington on Monday to explore New Zealand’s North Island and will travel separately to the inland city.

India posted 217 for 3, their highest-ever T20I total, in their first bilateral T20I series win at home since 2019

Shashank Kishore19-Dec-2024A high-scoring entertainer that had more than 47,000 fans in anticipation of a thriller fizzled when West Indies’ middle order imploded to give India the T20I series 2-1. The orchestrators of the win were Smriti Mandhana, who hit her third straight half-century, and Richa Ghosh, who exhibited incredible ball-striking to smash the joint-fastest T20I half-century.India’s 217 for 3, their highest-ever T20I total, came from a vastly different approach from two nights ago, where 160 seemed pedestrian on the face of dew. When West Indies fought back to propel themselves to 123 for 4 on Thursday, needing 95 off 36, they had an outside chance. But Chinelle Henry’s dismissal for a 16-ball 43 led to a meltdown they couldn’t recover from, with left-arm spinner Radha Yadav walking away with four wickets.This was India’s first bilateral T20I series win at home since 2019.Mandhana tees offMandhana unfurled a stunning cocktail of classical strokes and brute force in the power play. She hit seven straight boundaries at one stage, three off Henry and three off Deandra Dottin as India counterpunched after losing Uma Chetry in the first over.Mandhana created boundary-scoring opportunities by messing with the bowler’s lengths. She didn’t allow Henry too many opportunities to swing the new ball by getting to the pitch of it and lofting imperiously through the line. The consequence of that was Henry dropping short, which was met with a ferocious Mandhana cut.It was one of those evenings where every single bowler erred in their lengths or in their planning against Mandhana. When they bowled short, she stayed leg side of the ball to open up the arc between cover and point. When they dragged down, she was quick to help them over, and when they erred on the fuller side, Mandhana cleared her front leg and swung cleanly.This helped Mandhana raise her third straight half-century, off just 27 balls, to set the base. From 61 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, India waltzed their way to 99 for 1 at the 10-over mark.Rodrigues buildsAmid the carnage from Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues was by no means a second fiddle. Having survived a close lbw shout on 6 in the sixth over while looking to nudge across the line, Rodrigues went on the offensive by picking Karishma Ramharack, the mystery spinner, for three boundaries in the sixth over.Rodrigues was her usual busy self, bringing out her trademark sweeps and chips against spinners during the course of a 98-run second-wicket stand with Mandhana before falling in the 11th. Attempting to sweep a full delivery, Rodrigues was trapped lbw for a 28-ball 39.Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues laid the platform with a rapid stand•BCCI

Bist makes an impression, Richa finishesWith the platform set, India could’ve sent in Richa Ghosh at No. 4 but they chose to persist with Raghvi Bist, playing in just her 2nd T20I. On her part, Raghvi made up for her inexperience with excellent game awareness, farming strike and allowing Mandhana first until she fell for 77, and Ghosh later to take centre stage. She did this while also tantalising with some sweetly-timed strokes occasionally, hitting two fours and a six in her unbeaten 22-ball 31.On a night when it didn’t seem like a batter could outmuscle Mandhana, Ghosh arrived and immediately carted a six first ball followed by a back-cut so late that she nearly played it off the keeper’s gloves to bisect backward point and short third. Any relief West Indies may have had having dismissed Mandhana dissipated in a jiffy.That should’ve been the extent of Ghosh’s damage, but for West Indies reprieving her in the 16th when Aaliyah Alleyne and Chinelle Henry nearly ran into each other near the wide long-on fence. Neither called for the ball that landed right between them.On 154 for 3 in 16th over at that point, India blasted 63 more with Ghosh alone accounting for 44 of those. By the time she was out trying to clear long-off, Ghosh had hit three fours and five sixes in her 17-ball half-century, the joint-fastest in T20Is alongside Sophie Devine and Phoebe Litchfield. There was no area in the arc between point and square leg that Ghosh didn’t pepper in front of the wicket.In playing a blinder of the kind she exhibited on Thursday night, Ghosh proved why she’s better off playing a finisher across in white-ball cricket, and not as an opener in ODIs, like she did in two of the three ODIs in Australia where lower-order firepower seemed non-existent.Chinelle Henry took the fight to India with 43 off 16•BCCI

Henry sizzles but West Indies fizzleWest Indies came out swinging, and India offered them two chances almost immediately. Mandhana’s reprieve off Qiana Joseph, running to her left to grab a skier at mid-off, cost them just 10 as she was out top-edging a slog to short fine in the fourth over to S Sajana.Renuka Singh’s chance to Dottin at fine leg when she top-edged a sharp Saima Thakor short ball threatened to prove costlier. But she managed just 25, in which she exhibited traits that has made her a feared batter the world over. Dottin’s dismissal hot on the heels of Mathews left West Indies at 69 for 3 in the ninth over.With the asking rate spiralling with every passing over, Henry, who had a T20I highest of 34 prior to this game, got stuck into Deepti Sharma, slamming her for two fours and a six in the 14th as she raced to 43 off 15 before getting a thick edge off a slog to Bist at short third. That was the last flicker of hope for the West Indies gone right there, and with it the possibility of a series win.

Head spent more than a year on top of the rankings, but last played a T20I in September 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025India batter Abhishek Sharma has overtaken his Sunrisers Hyderabad opening partner Travis Head to go top of the T20I batting rankings.Head had held on to the No. 1 position since June last year, when he toppled Suryakumar Yadav, but having last played a T20I in September 2024 and opting to sit out of Australia’s five-match series in West Indies, he slid down a slot as Abhishek became the third Indian to top the T20I batting charts after Virat Kohli and Suryakumar.Abhishek last turned out for India in the five-match T20I series against England in February, scoring a 54-ball 135 in the final game of that series.Josh Inglis, who racked up 172 runs in the five matches against West Indies and finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the series, moved up six places to ninth in the rankings. Shai Hope, despite a century helping him finish as the second on the run charts in the series, stayed tenth.

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While Tim David moved up 12 places to 18th after he scored the fastest T20I century for Australia, and Brandon King made gains by moving up nine places, Cameron Green was the biggest mover from the series, shooting up 64 spots to sit at No. 24.Among the bowlers, fast bowler Nathan Ellis jumped up nine spots to go joint-eighth.Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes’ century and five-wicket haul at Old Trafford saw him move up three spots to No. 3 in the Test allrounders’ charts, which is still led by India’s Ravindra Jadeja, who has been in fine form in the ongoing series between the two teams.Washington Sundar, who brought up his maiden Test century in Manchester, moved up eight places to go joint-thirteenth, with career-high ranking points of 193.

George Hill steers hosts on shortened day with both dressing rooms eyeing Hampshire result

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Yorkshire 465 for 9 (Hill 88, Raine 4-79, Ghafari 4-114) lead Durham 346 (Raine 101, White 5-69) by 119 runsYorkshire are closing in on Division One survival in the Rothesay County Championship, but Durham are not quite sure of the size of their task heading into day four at Headingley.Should Hampshire – 148 for 9 chasing 181 to beat Surrey at the Utilita Bowl – lose, seventh-placed Yorkshire would be safe no matter the result here in this season finale. Second-bottom Durham would need a draw to be safe.Should Hampshire win – they are eighth in the table – Yorkshire would need to draw here, which they are very well placed to do. But Durham would need a miracle victory to get out of trouble.Yorkshire, replying to a first-innings 346 all out, started a weather-affected day on 314 for 5 and advanced to 465 for 9 in the 51 overs possible, with George Hill compiling a skilful season’s best 88.It’s difficult to see how Durham can win, so they desperately need Surrey to do so down on the south coast.Bad light interrupted play on three occasions at Headingley, with the bulk of the evening lost. No play was possible beyond 3.25pm.Hill impressively supplemented Indian batter Mayank Agarwal’s superb 175 on day two with his fourth fifty of a season which has seen him excel with the ball. His seamers have accounted for 47 Championship wickets.He shared in half-century stands with fellow allrounders Matthew Revis and Jordan Thompson, the latter contributing an unbeaten 44.The morning session was a relatively quiet affair, with Yorkshire advancing to 365 for 7. Ben Raine, who has been excellent with 4 for 71 from 33 overs added to his first-innings century, and Matthew Potts struck for Durham.Raine broke a sixth-wicket stand of 50 between Revis, 38, and Hill. Revis, crowned Yorkshire’s members’ player of the year at the end of day two here, was trapped lbw by an in-ducker before Dom Bess pulled Potts to deep backward square-leg.Hill was a calming presence for Yorkshire as they stretched their lead. In all, he hit 14 fours in 175 balls. Thompson was more expansive, whipping Will Rhodes over deep midwicket for six.Hill moved to a fifty off 105 balls shortly before the hosts reached 400 for 7 in the early stages of the afternoon. By this stage, Yorkshire led by 54 and Durham’s need for wickets was becoming more desperate.Hill did fall short of what would have been his season’s first century when bowled trying to attack the legspin of Afghanistan’s Shafiqullah Ghafari. But Yorkshire’s lead was 97 at 443 for 8.Hill and Thompson had shared an eighth-wicket 86, the latter allrounder playing his last match before a winter move to Warwickshire.Matt Milnes edged to slip to hand Ghafari a fourth wicket before the third bad light stoppage at 3.25pm was the last. With the players off the field at that stage, Durham’s dressing room would have been buoyed by news from Southampton.Yorkshire will head into day four in a much more relaxed state given their strong performance here. Durham, on the other hand, will be on tenterhooks not quite knowing the size or shape of their task in hand.

Patel will look to build on his unbeaten 74 to help Gujarat pocket the 28 runs they need for the decisive first-innings lead

Shashank Kishore20-Feb-2025Eight games into his maiden season, 22-year old Jaymeet Patel has already made massive contributions as a batting allrounder. Like his quarter-final century against Saurashtra or his twin half-centuries in a must-win against Himachal to qualify for the knockouts.On Friday, he’ll have a chance to put impactful performances like those to shade, if he can build on his unbeaten 74 to help Gujarat pocket the 28 runs they need for the decisive first-innings lead against Kerala. The first innings hasn’t yet been decided in the game, but the scorecard hardly reveals how fascinating this slow burn of a contest has been – purely for the contrasting approach of both sides.Kerala went slow and steady for two full days and posted 457; Gujarat responded with slightly more urgency, led by the experienced Priyank Panchal who made 148 to lay the foundation of their heist. But when things started to happen early on day four, batters went into their shell as the pressure mounted, before Jaymeet absorbed all of it to grind his way to what could be a career-defining half-century yet.Related

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Gujarat’s hopes of a lead had all but vanished at 357 for 7. Jaymeet and Siddharth Desai, the left-arm spin allrounder, have since put on 72 in 36.4 overs, batting through the final session, to keep Gujarat’s hopes of making their first final since 2016-17 alive.When stumps were drawn, Kerala’s spinners two frontline spinners – Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate – had bowled a combined 97 out of the 154 overs. Jalaj, who bowled unchanged right through the morning session, bowled 61 of those himself, to have figures of 4 for 137 – a spell that could yet prove to be the turning point if Kerala go on to nip out the three remaining wickets early to take the first-innings honours.Resuming on 222 for 1, Kerala struck early when Manan Hingrajia was lbw to Saxena’s straighter one from around the stumps. The ball of the day, however, was the one Saxena bowled to dismiss the set Panchal, the ball ripping in from the rough to dip and beat Panchal’s inside edge to crash into the stumps. Then he had Urvil Patel stumped after beating him in flight and skid. At this point, Kerala were gung ho, as Gujarat slipped to 292 for 4.Hemang Patel, the bowling allrounder who came in as a concussion sub for Ravi Bishnoi, earned a promotion up the order and walloped a quick-fire 28. The decision to replace Bishnoi was made after he experienced delayed concussion this morning, for a fielding effort on Day 3 where the ball bounced onto his forehead as he tried to stop the ball at point.Hemang’s impetus for quick runs briefly put Kerala on the back foot, but an attempt too play one shot too many had him miscue a hoick that was brilliantly taken at square third man by substitute Shoun Roger. When Chintan Gaja was lbw, a decision that was upheld through DRS, Gujarat were right on the edge. Until they were brought back to life by Jaymeet, who stands in the way of Kerala and a maiden Ranji final.

SL scored 156 in rain-reduced game, with WI’s target revised to 195, and Sherfane Rutherford smashed 50* off 26 deliveries

Madushka Balasuriya26-Oct-2024(23 overs) After a series in which they consistently failed to get the rub of the green, the stars finally aligned for West Indies as they ended their tour of Sri Lanka with a morale-boosting win. Evin Lewis, playing his first ODI since 2021, struck an unbeaten 102 off 61 balls, as West Indies chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 195 in a rain-reduced game of 23 overs with eight wickets to spare. In fact, they got the required runs with an over to spare. It was their first ODI win in Sri Lanka following ten straight defeats, and their first win on this tour since the first T20I.Sri Lanka, for their part, had put up a valiant effort after their innings had been cut into less than half. The first 17.2 overs had come prior to the rain intervention, and upon resumption, they were given just a further 5.4 overs to set a competitive total.Enter Kusal Mendis, who bludgeoned an unbeaten 56 off 22 deliveries – he got the half-century off 19 balls – as Sri Lanka themselves struck 75 runs in those final 5.4 overs to end on 156 for 3, and gave themselves a fighting chance. In the end, though, a combination of a wet outfield, wet ball and a laser-focused Lewis proved too much to overcome.Brandon King (18 off 19 balls) and Shai Hope (22 off 27) had kept Lewis company for most of the chase, but it wasn’t until Sherfane Rutherford joined him in the middle that West Indies truly took control of proceedings.Rutherford’s brisk cameo saw him plunder 50 off just 26 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes, with his partnership with Lewis amounting to an unbeaten 88 from just 45 deliveries. It was a pivotal stand in the context of the game, as it came just as Sri Lanka might have been harbouring thoughts of a late heist.Kusal Mendis blasted a 19-ball fifty•AFP/Getty Images

With the required run rate at roughly 8.5 an over from the outset, West Indies had done well to just about keep up with it over the opening ten overs – there was at least one boundary in seven of the first 11 overs. But in such a short chase, even a couple of quiet overs can heighten the pressure – and so it proved to be.Between the 11th and 17th overs, Sri Lanka gave away just 40 runs as the required rate rose to above 11.50 runs an over. Skipper Charith Asalanka had done well in this period by shuffling his pack to sneak in some cheap overs from himself and Kamindu Mendis – both of whom made up the fifth-bowler quota after Wanindu Hasaranga had struggled with controlling a wet ball.Where Asalanka erred was in bowling himself for one over too many, which allowed Rutherford and Lewis to go after him. That 14-run over set the tone, after which the pair never looked back. The miserly Maheesh Theekshana was rinsed for 18 in the next over, while even the excellent Asitha Fernando was hounded for 26 off his final two. Dilshan Madushanka, playing his first ODI since March, went for 50 in five.Sri Lanka, though, will have positives to take away from this game, particularly in how aggressively they approached the post-rain period, knowing that they didn’t have much time to scrounge up a competitive total. The opening 17.2 overs had seen Sri Lanka stitch together a measured start, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando putting on 81.That, though, owed much to West Indies dropping three chances – two of Nissanka and one of Avishka – inside the opening ten overs. This poor catching did not get much better after the five-hour rain delay, with Kusal also dropped twice on the way to becoming the third-quickest Sri Lanka batter to 4000 ODI runs.Sherfane Rutherford hit four fours and three sixes•Associated Press

It all began with the four balls left in Roston Chase’s second over, as Kusal proceeded to clatter each of them for boundaries – two precise pulls, one stunning straight drive, and finally a fortunate inside edge down to fine leg. In all, Sri Lanka struck 12 boundaries in the final 34 deliveries they faced.The shortened game also had some knock-on effects on West Indies’ bowling plans, as the new provisos meant three bowlers were given a quota of five overs each, while two others were handed four apiece. Once Chase’s over, in which Kusal had struck four consecutive boundaries, was belatedly completed, and with Sri Lanka in raucous mood, West Indies were suddenly faced with the proposition of figuring out how Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, and Alzarri Joseph – who had bowled four, four and three overs, respectively – would split the remains.And with the economical Matthew Forde already having bowled five overs prior to the rain break, it meant only two more bowlers could bowl five; so they needed to find one more over from somewhere.With Chase having been dispatched upon the resumption of play, it was left to Rutherford to roll his arm over, and he was duly taken for 17 runs courtesy two fours and a six. And as Kusal’s carefree innings continued in earnest, Sri Lanka eventually managed to muster up a competitive total – though it proved to be just not good enough on the day.

The visiting attack shared the wickets around while they were gifted two run outs by Tasmania

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2025Tasmania teenager Aidan O’Connor posted a half-century on debut but couldn’t prevent Victoria taking honours on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash in Hobart.O’Connor top-scored with 53 as the hosts were bowled out for 236 on Saturday after being sent in to bat. The 18-year-old allrounder struck six fours and a six in his 92-ball innings.Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald (41) and Tim Ward (45) both got starts but couldn’t go on with the job as regular wickets fell. Ward’s dismissal – run out from cover after a horrid mix-up with Jordan Silk – sparked a middle-order collapse, with Tasmania losing 4 for 31 in the space of 10 overs.Victoria’s bowlers spread the workload. Captain Will Sutherland, veteran Peter Siddle, Sam Elliott and Fergus O’Neill all claimed multiple wickets.Siddle had Silk caught at second slip shortly after he was involved in the run out of Ward. Jake Doran was bowled when he shouldered arms at Will Sutherland.O’Connor is one of two first-class debutants for last-placed Tasmania alongside 20-year-old Raf MacMillan.