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“To be able to play cricket again after everything I’ve been through is nothing short of a miracle,” says Capitals wicketkeeper

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2024Rishabh Pant feels like he is making his debut all over again as he gears up for a comeback to competitive cricket after 14 months. On Tuesday, he was declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after undergoing an extensive rehabilitation process following a serious car crash in December 2022.”I’m excited and nervous at the same time. It feels like I’m going to make my debut again,” Pant was quoted as saying in a media release issued by the IPL team that he captains, the Delhi Capitals. The India wicketkeeper is currently part of their pre-season training camp in Visakhapatnam, where they will also play two home games during the first two weeks of the tournament.”To be able to play cricket again after everything I’ve been through is nothing short of a miracle,” Pant said. “I’m grateful to all my well-wishers and fans, and most importantly, the BCCI and staff at NCA. All their love and support continue to give me immense strength.”Related

• Rishabh Pant leads star-studded list of IPL returnees

• IPL 2024: BCCI clears Rishabh Pant to play as wicketkeeper-batter

• Pant can play T20 World Cup if he can keep wicket – BCCI secretary Shah

• Pant to lead Capitals, play first half as batter in IPL 2024: Capitals co-owner

Over the past two months, Pant has built up his workload and has played a series of practice games organised by the NCA in Bengaluru to get into the rigours of competitive cricket. While there were question marks over his involvement as both a wicketkeeper and batter until late last month, the NCA has given him a full fitness clearance.The option of using Pant as an Impact Player this season made Capitals pick two other wicketkeepers in their squad. Abishek Porel, who was signed as Pant’s replacement last year was retained, while they splurged INR 7.2 crore to acquire Jharkhand gloveman Kumar Kushagra.”I’m excited to return to Delhi Capitals & the IPL – a tournament I enjoy so much,” Pant said. “Our team owners and support staff have been by my side throughout with their full support, guidance and co-operation at every step, for which I am deeply grateful. I can’t wait to reunite with my DC family and play in front of the fans again.”On Monday evening, BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed Pant had been “batting and keeping well” and could be in contention to return to the India squad for the T20 World Cup in June. “If he can play the T20 World Cup for us, that will be a big thing for us. He is a big asset for us,” Shah said. “If he can keep, he can play the World Cup. Let’s see how he does in the IPL.”With BCCI’s clearance, Pant might return to action as early as March 23, when Capitals open their season with an away fixture against Punjab Kings.”We’re delighted to welcome Rishabh back to the Delhi Capitals family,” co-owner Parth Jindal said. “The kind of grit and resilience he has displayed in overcoming challenges is inspirational, to say the least. We’re humbled to have been a part of his journey to recovery, which has been exceptional. Rishabh’s return is one of the most highly anticipated ones in recent times, and I can’t wait to see him compete again.”

Titans were bundled out for 89 following which Capitals finished the chase in 53 balls

Alagappan Muthu17-Apr-2024At the start of the fourth over, Gujarat Titans were projected to reach 169. By the start of the sixth over, they were trending much lower, to 120. In the end, they were bowled out for double-digits, 89. It was their lowest-ever IPL total, having been brought into the tournament in 2022.Four of the six bowlers Delhi Capitals used returned economy rates of 4.5 or less, setting up the batters to go out there and do their thing. The chase was done in 53 balls, with six wickets to spare, and that mattered. Capitals are now in sixth place, above Titans on the points table, because their net run-rate rose from -0.975 to -0.074.

How the Titans fell

A slow, low, and turning pitch had the home team spiralling all through their innings. Shubman Gill tried to get ahead of it by going hard at everything. He hit two cuh-risp fours in five balls and in going for another he got caught at cover. Eventually it became clear why he was so desperate for early boundaries.The ball began holding in the pitch. Wriddhiman Saha went after it but was too early into the pull and dragged it onto his stumps. It began spinning. Tristan Stubbs, who had bowled only 177 balls in his 79-match T20 career, helped himself to two wickets in an over with his offbreaks.Four of the top six with single-digit scores. Rahul Tewatia batting in the powerplay. Sacrificing the option of R Sai Kishore as an Impact Player against the right-hander-heavy Capitals line-up to send in Shahrukh Khan. He was meant to firefight. He was the in-case-of-emergency-break-glass option. He returned with a duck. Out stumped even though the wicketkeeper didn’t collect the ball cleanly. It was that kind of day.Tristan Stubbs is thrilled after Rishabh Pant completes a second stumping – albeit a bit fortuitously – in his over•BCCI

Pant is a joy

Right at the start, a giggle was caught on the mic. It sounded very Rishabh Pant-y. He and Gill were just staring at each other and everybody else was stuck waiting as the Capitals skipper tried to remember what the plan was after winning the toss. “I think we’re going to bowl,” he said.Pant took two catches, one requiring a little more effort than normal, from how he needed to dive low and quickly to his left to take it and then call on DRS to confirm suspicions that David Miller had indeed nicked it.There were a couple of stumpings as well, one that almost didn’t happen. Pant had seen that Shahrukh’s back foot was nowhere near where it needed to be. He was beyond excited. That might have played a part in how he grabbed for the ball, hard-handed, and therefore couldn’t collect it cleanly. But it didn’t matter because the ball just bounced off his gloves and straight onto the wicket, prompting child-like glee at how a mistake he’d made actually turned out okay.This is why the world needs Rishabh Pant. A lot of his fans – and India fans – must be thrilled that he’s back playing cricket again because he is a game-changer. But really, he’s so much more than that. He reminds people to smile. To enjoy themselves. To have fun. Just by smiling and having fun himself.After the eighth over, when Kuldeep Yadav was upset with a wayward throw, acting like he had suffered a mortal wound, Pant ran down to the bowler, put one hand around his shoulders and used the other one to stroke his chest. There, there. Don’t worry. Be happy.He had a good game as captain too, bringing back Khaleel Ahmed for a third over inside the powerplay to see if he could sneak a fifth Titans wicket. That wasn’t possible but a maiden was. For some reason he bowled Stubbs ahead of Axar Patel which turned a score of 47 for 4 to 48 for 6. Pant spent the rest of the innings chirping away behind the stumps. It was like he was never even away.

Cricket Association of Bengal to host Bengal Pro T20 – for men and women – in June this year

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2024The Cricket Association of Bengal [CAB] has announced the launch of the Bengal Pro T20 tournament, with a men’s event and a women’s event, in June this year.If and when it gets off the ground, the women’s event will be the first full-fledged women’s franchise T20 tournament in India to be run by an association. There is the BCCI’s Women’s Premier League [WPL], of course, and there have been women’s exhibition T20 matches slotted around the men’s T20 leagues in Karnataka and Maharashtra, but not something along the lines of the many men’s tournaments in the country.Snehasish Ganguly, the president of CAB, provided the basic details of the two leagues at a press meet at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, which are as follows:

• The tournament will take place over a 21-day window in June, with eight teams in both the men’s and women’s events
• Men’s teams will have 17 players, and women’s teams will have 16 players, and all the players have to be from Bengal, as must be the coaches
• The men’s matches will be held at Eden Gardens, and the women’s at the Jadavpur University ground, which is also a regular venue for senior domestic games
• Every day is a double-header day: women’s matches will be held in the morning and the afternoon; men’s matches will be held in the afternoon and the evening
• All rules, including in matters of corruption, will be based on those in use in the IPL

“All the eight teams will be franchises-owned, which will be a first [in India for a state association-run tournament]. We have still not finalised the franchises, which will be announced at a later date,” Ganguly said. “The teams will be completely owned by franchises and all players will be paid as per the salary cap. CAB will not incur any expense for the league.”PTI reported that CAB has been in talks with Kolkata Knight Riders, the group that owns Lucknow Super Giants, Bandhan Bank, Shrachi Group, and Rashmi Cement, among others to own the teams.”For long, there had been criticism that Bengal cricketers were not getting opportunities like the ones from Tamil Nadu or Karnataka,” Ganguly said. “This will be the answer to it. Bengal has a lot of talent but they did not have a proper platform till now. This will be a perfect launch pad for them.”It is understood that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association [TNCA] has also been planning a women’s T20 league along the lines of their men’s Tamil Nadu Premier League, but it is understood that it will not get off the ground this year.

A 315-run partnership for the fifth wicket – a new Glamorgan record – came after the hosts were reeling on 41 for 4

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2024A brilliant recovery led by hundreds from Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson saw Glamorgan finish day two of their Vitality County Championship Match against Sussex on 411 for 9, a lead of 133 on first innings.Glamorgan were in real trouble in the opening session of the day after a burst of three wickets from Jayden Seales saw them slump to 41 for 4 before a record partnership of 315 from Ingram and Carlson took the home side into a first innings leadIngram was dismissed for 170 and Carlson made 148, by far the two highest scores of this match so far. Seales completed his third five wicket haul of the season just before the close as he further cemented his place as the leading wicket taker in Division Two.The day started with the ball dominating proceedings with Trinidadian Seales bowling with pace and late movement. A ball from around the wicket that seamed back into the left-handed Billy Root bowled the batter with him not offering a shot. 11 balls later it was Seales had his second when he bounced out Nightwatchman Mason Crane with a ball that lifted on him and was caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson.Seales claimed his third wicket when he had Sam Northeast caught behind off a good length ball to leave Glamorgan in real trouble. From there it was all about Ingram and Carlson who put on a record fifth wicket stand for Glamorgan going past the 307 made by Carlson and Chris Cooke against Northamptonshire in 2021.Once the shine had gone off the new ball it was all very straightforward for the Glamorgan pair and with Sussex without the spin option of Jack Carson due to a back injury he sustained while batting on day one as the visitors struggled for control.With the scoring rate hovering around four runs an over throughout the partnership, it was just after tea that Glamorgan went into the lead on first innings, a remarkable turnaround from where they were in the morning session.The second new ball saw Seales return to the attack but with two set batters he did not find the same penetration as in the morning session with Ingram scoring 14 runs from his first over back.Ingram became the leading run scorer in the County Championship as he made his third hundred of the season. Ingram’s form presents an interesting overseas player conundrum for Glamorgan with the arrival of Marnus Labuschagne imminent. Given their depleted bowling stocks Glamorgan may not be able to leave out Mir Hamza so that means only one of Ingram or Labuschange can play when the Australian does arrive with the club.When the breakthrough did come it came as a bit of a surprise, with Carlson hitting a ball into the hands of extra cover off Seales for 148. As has been the case in this match so far, wickets have tended to fall in bursts and Cooke was dismissed in the next over for one.Ingram was trapped lbw by Danny Lamb before the close as part of a spell of play that saw Glamorgan lose three wickets for three runs before a quick fire 26 from James Harris helped the home team reach 400 to claim their seventh bonus point of the match. Harris and Andy Gorvin both fell before the close to bookend the day with another cluster of wickets.

Royals have also retained Quinton de Kock and David Miller, while Patriots have brought in Rilee Rossouw and Sikandar Raza

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2024Barbados Royals have retained Maheesh Theekshana for the 2024 edition of the Caribbean Premier League, while St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have signed his Sri Lanka spin partner Wanindu Hasaranga and the slingy fast bowler Nuwan Thushara.Patriots have also signed the South African batting pair of Tristan Stubbs and Rilee Rossouw as well as Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza.Theekshana, 23, is yet to play a single game in the CPL. Two years ago, he was selected by Trinbago Knight Riders but he was unable to secure a no-objection certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket. Last year, he had to withdraw on account of a schedule clash after being picked to represent the national team at the Asia Cup. Royals have retained him despite this. Theekshana has 150 wickets in 145 T20s and an economy rate of 6.68.Related

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Royals finished second from bottom in 2023 with three wins from ten games. They were without two key players in that time – Quinton de Kock and David Miller, who have both returned to the fold for this year’s tournament which runs from August 30 to October 7. Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is the other South African in the squad. He represented the sister franchise Rajasthan Royals in the IPL earlier this year.Tristan Stubbs has signed for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots•BCCI

West Indies T20 captain and former CPL winner Rovman Powell offers further strength in the middle order with Jason Holder performing all-round duties.Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq is a new signing, returning to the CPL for the first time in three years and looking to add to his 220 T20 wickets. In all, Royals have confirmed 14 players on their roster, leaving them with three spots to fill when they attend the CPL draft in July.The highly-rated Alick Athanaze, the hard-hitting Rahkeem Cornwall and slower-ball specialist Obed McCoy are other notable members of the squad.Patriots’ list of local players, meanwhile, includes batters Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford and Andre Fletcher, who have all been retained, and the seam-bowling allrounder Odean Smith, who has been transferred from Guyana Amazon Warriors.Barbados Royals squad: Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Maheesh Theekshana, Alick Athanaze, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Kevin Wickham, Keshav Maharaj, Rahkeem Cornwall, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, Ramon Simmonds.St Kitts & Nevis Patriots squad: Wanindu Hasaranga, Rilee Rossouw, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sikandar Raza, Nuwan Thushara, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic Drakes, Odean Smith, Joshua Da Silva, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne.

Cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya’s role seemed to have some overlaps with Jayawardene’s

Madushka Balasuriya26-Jun-2024Former Sri Lanka batter Mahela Jayawardene, who had signed a one-year extension as their consultant coach in January, has handed in his resignation six months into his contract.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that Mr. Mahela Jayawardene, who served as the ‘Consultant Coach’ of the SLC, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect,” an SLC media release said. “Jayawardene, during his tenure, helped implement significant changes to the structure of the national team ecosystem and the High-Performance Center.”Jayawardene, who started his role from 2022, had seen mixed results during his time with SLC, with an unexpected win in the 2022 Asia Cup followed by a run to the final a year later being the highlights. But poor showings at the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups, and the 2023 ODI World Cup, had brought his position under scrutiny, though SLC themselves had been keen to extend his role citing his good work behind the scenes.Related

• Wanindu Hasaranga steps down as Sri Lanka T20I captain

• Jayasuriya appointed Sri Lanka's interim head coach

• Chris Silverwood resigns as Sri Lanka head coach

• Hasaranga refuses to blame pitches, scheduling for SL's early exit

• Mathews on Sri Lanka's exit: 'We've let the entire nation down'

His primary role, however, had been in overseeing an overall cultural shift within Sri Lanka cricket. What was notable was his championing of the National Super League, Sri Lanka’s domestic competition in both first-class and List A cricket, and technical improvements brought to the High Performance Centre, as well as an increased focus on data and performance analytics.Even within the national side, Jayawardene’s role had been more pronounced in recent years – he had accompanied the side on tour for major tournaments 2022 and 2023 – but his absence was conspicuous at the ongoing T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies, where Sri Lanka couldn’t make it to the Super Eight.ESPNcricinfo understands that the plan had initially been for Jayawardene to travel with the side, but as it transpired, recently-appointed cricket consultant Sanath Jayasuriya travelled with the team instead. Jayasuriya was announced in the newly-created role in December last year. On the face of it, the position seemed to have some overlaps with Jayawardene’s, with it understood to range from strategic and technical planning to the overall development of the national team.”It has become apparent to me that current decision-making is no longer fully aligned with the direction we were taking in some of these areas, and after careful consideration, I have concluded that it is best I step down,” Jayawardene had stated in his resignation letter, which ESPNcricinfo has seen.Jayawardene, who remains the second-most successful coach in the IPL, is currently the global head of performance at Mumbai Indians and its franchises.

LSG are also keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile, involving scouting and player development

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024Zaheer Khan has joined Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their mentor, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir’s exit after IPL 2023. Gambhir had taken up the mentor role at Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024 and has since become head coach of the India men’s team.Zaheer will also take on bowling coach duties, after Morne Morkel left the franchise to join Gambhir’s coaching staff with the Indian team. During a media interaction after his unveiling, Zaheer did not specify that he would be bowling coach, but said with a smile: “If I am there in the set-up, does the team need another bowling coach?”From 2018 to 2022, Zaheer was involved with the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise, first as director of cricket and then head of global development. Prior to that, he was part of three IPL teams as a player – MI, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Daredevils. In all, he featured in 100 games for the three teams across ten seasons, picking up 102 wickets at an economy of 7.58. He last played in the tournament in 2017, when he led Daredevils, before retiring from all forms of cricket.As reported earlier by ESPNcricinfo, apart from the role of mentor, LSG are keen on giving Zaheer a wider profile that will mean involvement with the scouting and player-development programmes during the off season.Related

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LSG’s coaching set-up is currently headed by Justin Langer, who will continue in the role after having replaced Andy Flower as head coach ahead of IPL 2024, with Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as his assistants. After securing playoff berths in their first two seasons, the KL Rahul-led side was pipped on net run rate for a spot in the top four in 2024.Zaheer’s return to the IPL fold comes at a time when teams are preparing for a mega auction. The IPL is likely to announce the retention rules by early September.

“Before we came, we were looking to win here. Everyone did their job and we’re very happy,” says captain Shanto after historic 2-0 sweep in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2024There were useful contributions from across the XI, but Bangladesh’s win in the second Test against Pakistan was orchestrated by their youngsters. Especially Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana, 24 and 21 respectively, who picked up nine wickets between them in the second innings to set up the 185-run chase. “They wanted to win, that was very important,” Najmul Hossain Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, said after the win when asked about his young pace duo.”As a fast bowler, I was looking for wickets, and the boys, our effort [with the ball], we really deserved it,” Mahmud said. “You have to take advantage [of conditions] as fast bowlers, and you’ve got to keep working hard together, and especially in red-ball cricket, it’s important to get the benefit from your fast bowlers as well as spinners, all together. It was a valiant effort.”Mahmud and Rana set the pulse racing, as fast bowlers do when they get the better of batters, repeatedly, but the match and series awards went to two more experienced men. Litton Das got the match award for his 138 in the first innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz got the series award for his tally of 155 runs and ten wickets. In this Test, the two of them came to the middle in the first innings when Bangladesh were 26 for 6 in reply to Pakistan’s 274. Litton scored 138 from No. 7 and Mehidy 78 from No. 8 to take Bangladesh to 262, keeping the match on an even footing.Related

• 'When we came back from 26 for 6, it was a new dimension': how Bangladesh pulled off their greatest feat

• Bangladesh's small wonders conjure a Rawalpindi miracle

• Pakistan's house of horrors grows bigger with series loss to Bangladesh

• Nahid Rana: A new express finds his fame in Rawalpindi

“It’s a big achievement by the Bangladesh cricket team. I am part of this, so I am very happy,” Litton said. “When me and Miraz [were] batting, the credit actually goes to Miraz, because the way he faced 20 balls, and [if he] hits five or six fours, the game will be easier. We just had conversations like this. They had good momentum. We had to kill that momentum. And let’s see what happens next. And after lunch, we just felt free and just went and batted.”After that stand with Mehidy, Litton had another partnership with Mahmud, of 69 runs, in which Mahmud contributed 13 but faced 51 balls.”When Hasan came, I didn’t have any scoring opportunities, because all the fielders were out,” Litton said. “So I took my time and thought I had to play the over, not the ramp or anything; I just was thinking how many overs I can play.”Mahmud and Rana took over after that. The Bangladesh fast-bowling duo put on perhaps their finest display, as the two young men, with Taskin Ahmed for company, put their team on course for victory, and history.”Very proud. Very young group, in terms of the number of games they have played. Probably not the kind of wickets we were expecting when we were talking about scouting for Pakistan. But this group has improved every Test and showed some good control second innings particularly, so very proud,” Andre Adams, the bowling coach, said.Shanto summed it up when collecting the trophy, and remembered to mention the two opening batters, Shadman Islam, who starred in the first Test, and Zakir Hasan, who gave them a fast start in the chase.”It means a lot, can’t express with words. Really happy. Before we came, we were looking to win here. Everyone did their job. Very happy,” Shanto said. [Mahmud and Rana] were very impressive. Most important was their work ethic. The way they did their work in the recent past. That’s why they got the results. They wanted to win. That was very important for our team.”The way Shadman batted, the 93 innings, and this innings, the way Zakir approached the innings, the momentum came to us.”Litton Das’s century was his second in an away Test•AFP/Getty Images

Mehidy dedicates Player-of-the-Series award to student protestors

This series took place not long after the student protests in Bangladesh, which led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government and widespread violence subsequently, leading to many deaths. The Bangladesh cricket team travelled to Pakistan earlier than scheduled to get in some practice, which they were unable to back home.The shadow of the events back home stayed with the team, with Shakib Al Hasan, their star player and also a member of parliament of Hasina’s Awami League party, being named with 146 others in a political murder case.”You know there have been problems in Bangladesh – I dedicate this award to the student protestors who were martyred,” Mehidy said when accepting his Player-of-the-Series award. “A rickshaw-puller was hurt in the violence, and eventually died. I want to gift this award to his family.”Adams took charge only in February this year, and when asked what the win meant to the people back in Bangladesh, said, “I don’t know what it means to all of Bangladesh, but I know Bangladesh is a very proud nation, so we are incredibly happy with these results given the turmoil over the last couple of months.”We were there at the time, and it was pretty scary. But we’re happy that things are returning to normal.”

Ireland were bowled out for just 132 inside 32 overs

Abhimanyu Bose02-Oct-2024South Africa 271 for 9 (Rickelton 91, Stubbs 79, Adair 4-50, Young 3-45) beat Ireland 132 (Dockrell 21, Williams 4-32, Fortuin 2-28, Ngidi 2-35) by 139 runs Career-best ODI scores from Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs respectively and career-best List A figures of 4-32 from Lizaad Williams helped South Africa crush Ireland by 139 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Rickelton and Stubbs put on a 152-run partnership in the middle of two mini-collapses to help South Africa get to 271 before Williams’ three-for in an eight-over opening spell left Ireland five down inside 14 overs. Ireland eventually only got to 132.South Africa got off to a watchful start, with Rickelton doing a majority of the scoring early on. He cut Mark Adair through point for a boundary off the first ball of the match before hitting a couple of cover drives off Graham Hume and Adair.In between, Hume induced the outside edge from him but was dropped by wicketkeeper Stephen Doheny.But Adair got the breakthrough in the seventh over, when he changed tactics and banged one in short. Tony de Zorzi got a top edge as he looked to pull and was taken at deep backward square.Temba Bavuma was then given out lbw first ball as a length ball jagged in from outside off, but was reprieved as he reviewed and ball-tracking showed the ball going over middle stump.But it was short-lived relief for the South African captain, as Craig Young got another inducker to beat his defence and crash into the stumps.Two wickets in two overs became three in three as Adair ended his first spell by getting Rassie van der Dussen to edge to second slip.Once the first powerplay ended, spin came in and that led to more chances. Stubbs tried to reverse-sweep Andy Mcbrine but hit it straight to short third where Craig Young shelled a catch in the seventeenth over. One ball later, Rickelton lofted debutant legspinner Gavin Hoey down the ground and just cleared long-on, who was standing a few yards inside the ropes and had to track back.Hume came back into the attack in the 22nd over, and was launched over long-on by Stubbs as he brought up a half-century stand with Rickelton.Rickelton brought up his maiden ODI half-century off 74 balls in the 26th over and immediately put his foot down on the accelerator.Hoey bowled a couple of half-volleys and Rickelton first lofted him down the ground before slog-sweeping him over midwicket. When Hoey shortened his length, Rickelton adjusted to steer it past the wicketkeeper for a boundary in what was an 18-run over.Stubbs brought up a 62-run fifty in the next over, before Rickelton slapped Campher through backward point for another boundary to bring up the century stand. While the first fifty runs of their partnership took 73 balls, they took just 39 balls to get the next fifty.Stubbs then came down the ground to Craig Young for a six over long-on that brought up 150 for South Africa in the 30th over, before Hoey was swept behind square by Rickelton next over.Even as Stubbs hit McBrine and Adair for boundaries, that was the last one Rickelton hit. After facing ten balls without a boundary, Rickelton tried to go after a full and wide delivery from McBrine but ended up dragging the ball on, falling nine runs short of a maiden ODI century.File photo: Lizaad Williams ended with 4 for 32•ICC via Getty Images

That dismissal sparked another mini-collapse as Adair combined with Balbirnie for two wickets in his next two overs. Stubbs pulled the fast bowler to Balbirnie at short midwicket before Phehlukwayo was done in by a slower ball and ended up spooning it short cover.A slower ball brought about another wicket as Wiaan Mulder was early in his attempt to pull Young and holed out at deep midwicket.Young then had his third when Williams skied his pull to deep midwicket, as South Africa lost five wickets for 38 runs.Bjorn Fortuin took South Africa past 250 as he hit Young for two boundaries before pulling Hume to midwicket for a 34-ball 28. Ngidi then hit a four and a six to take South Africa to 271.Ngidi continued giving South Africa momentum when the chase began, as he got Paul Stirling to chop on.Balbirnie and Curtis Campher then rebuilt for Ireland, adding 35 runs including top-edged sixes from both batters, before Williams drew an inside edge from Balbirnie that hit the stumps.Harry Tector brought out two gorgeous drives, one through point and one down the ground, off consecutive balls from Williams before he was trapped in front next ball.Williams then got one to stop on Campher, who was early into a shot and ended up offering a simple catch to cover.Debutant Ottneil Baartman then had his maiden ODI wicket when he got one to jag in and go through Doheny’s defence. George Dockrell and Adair hung around before the latter got a feather edge off Ngidi in the 21st over.Four overs later, Dockrell chopped on off Mulder before Fortuin trapped Hoey in front next over to ensure all of South Africa’s bowlers got on the wickets column.Williams returned to complete his quota and bounced McBrine out in his final over before Fortuin had Hume caught at mid-off to wrap up the win.

England find reverse-swing to make key inroads after Leach’s early breakthroughs

Andrew Miller15-Oct-2024There has been precious little for Pakistan cricket to cheer in recent months, but on the opening day of the second Test in Multan, Kamran Ghulam provided a moment of unbridled joy as he brought up a gutsy century in his maiden Test innings, to carry the fight for his embattled team.Though he fell late in the day for 118, bowled by Shoaib Bashir as he looked to stay proactive with the close of play looming, Ghulam’s debut efforts helped to lift Pakistan to 259 for 5 – scarcely riches by the standards that England were dishing up on this very same surface last week, but the beginnings of a score nonetheless.Despite Pakistan’s experience in the first Test, when their first-innings 556 ended up on the wrong side of an innings defeat, Ghulam’s resolute efforts – allied to a career-best 77 from Saim Ayub and an atypically entrenched 37 not out from Mohammad Rizwan – kept Pakistan on course for the sort of 300-plus score that could yet be competitive if their spin-heavy attack can take advantage of a pitch that had been heavily watered and dried with industrial fans in the four-day turnaround between Tests.The danger for Pakistan, however, may yet come from the weapons that they won’t be able to deploy. Despite two early wickets for Jack Leach, who has now claimed nine in three innings on this surface to reassert his status as England’s senior spinner, their most pronounced threat came through a mid-afternoon spell of reverse-swing, excellently harnessed by a three-pronged seam attack. Uniquely, all three hail from Durham, among them Ben Stokes, who was back to lead the team for the first time since his hamstring tear in August. In opting to ditch both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for this contest, much will be resting on their lone quick, Aamer Jamal, if Pakistan hope to utilise similar skills.All such considerations can wait for now, thanks to the efforts of Ghulam, who – at the age of 29 – was the second oldest Pakistani to record a debut century. He achieved the feat with a gleeful swing through the leg-side off Joe Root, after an anxious wait in the 90s that had encompassed the evening drinks break. A few more moments of delay could not perturb him, however, after more than a decade of service in Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, in which time he might have assumed that his haul of more than 4500 runs at 49 would forever be overlooked.His innings had begun at 19 for 2 in the tenth over, after Leach – thrown the ball early after Stokes’ quick assessment of the surface – had become the first England spinner to strike twice so early in a Test match since Johnny Briggs in 1889. His impact threatened another meltdown to match Pakistan’s fourth-evening collapse in the first Test, but Ghulam proved his mettle from the outset, showcasing his familiarity with the arid conditions and his faith in the methods that had finally got him noticed.His first boundary was a composed launch for six back over Leach’s head, and in easing through to his first half-century from 104 balls, he recorded a milestone that had eluded his more illustrious compatriot, Babar Azam, in the 18 out-of-form innings that had resulted in his omission.Brydon Carse produced a key breakthrough with the old ball•Getty Images

Ghulam had faced just two deliveries of fast bowling in his first 120, however, when Stokes brought himself into the attack midway through the afternoon, and the challenge instantly went up a notch. In his first over, Stokes found a fat edge that flew at a catchable height through the vacant slip cordon, and when a second edge fell short soon afterwards, Root found himself donning a helmet four yards from the bat in a bid to make any further chance count.The breakthrough, however, arrived at the other end. Ayub’s reputation had suffered in this series, largely as a consequence of his hopelessly misfiring opening partnership with Abdullah Shafique, which at least reached double-figures for the first time in nine innings. It didn’t get much further, however, as Leach bowled Shafique for 7 to reduce Pakistan to 15 for 1, before Shan Masood clipped on the up to Zak Crawley at midwicket for 3.In isolation, however, Ayub has been a qualified success at the top of Pakistan’s order, and this was his third half-century in four first innings, following his twin fifties against Bangladesh last month. But, with tea approaching, and England beginning to make the ball talk, Matthew Potts threatened his outside edge with a diet of hooping outswingers from over the wicket, before Stokes pouched a firm push through the line at a very straight silly mid-off (168 for 3).After tea, Brydon Carse, energetic as ever, roughed up Saud Shakeel with an excellent short ball, then found his edge for 4 with an even better 140kph/87mph delivery that fizzed through to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. And England’s position could have been stronger still had Ben Duckett clung on to a loose slap from Ghulam, on 79, as he chose to take the attack to the returning Leach and almost paid the price at mid-on.The value of Stokes’ economy with his seamers throughout a morning session was brought to bear in the evening, with Carse helping to keep Rizwan under the cosh for 19 deliveries without scoring before Potts took over and so nearly landed an innings-altering blow. His first delivery to Rizwan, on 6 at the time, zipped past the outside edge and into Smith’s gloves, but England declined to use a review – even though replays showed that the ball had grazed the splice of his bat.England’s endeavours were worthy of another breakthrough before the close, and though he had once again been the weaker link in the attack, Bashir obliged with a critical strike late in the day. Armed with the second new ball, he skidded a good-length delivery past Ghulam’s tired charge, and clipped the top of leg to prise a critical opening that could yet make the difference in Pakistan’s quest for a serviceable first innings.