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Shane Warne has been confirmed as the captain of the Melbourne Stars for this season’s Big Bash League, and he will be joined by Lasith Malinga in the line-up

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2012Shane Warne has been confirmed as the captain of the Melbourne Stars for this season’s Big Bash League, and he will be joined by Lasith Malinga in the line-up. The Stars unveiled their latest signings on Tuesday in Melbourne, which brings their list to 16 and leaves them with two more spaces to fill before the November 30 deadline.Warne, who turns 43 next month, was widely tipped to lead the Stars after Cameron White stepped down as captain in July. Warne no longer plays in the IPL and has not played a match since last summer’s BBL, in which he took seven wickets at an average of 26 and a strike-rate of 6.74.”I’ve always admired his attacking captaincy and in addition to his bowling guile we believe his leadership will have a positive influence on the team both now and in to the future,” the Stars chairman of selectors Ian Chappell said of Warne. “This is a strong addition to what was always a highly competitive squad.”The addition of Malinga also provides a major boost for the Stars, who reached the semi-finals of last year’s tournament but could not progress to the decider. Malinga, 28, did not take part in the BBL last season and his appearance for the Stars will help him move up the list of all-time Twenty20 wicket-takers – he currently sits fourth with 161 victims at 16.91.Malinga joins the England all-rounder Luke Wright as the two internationals on the Melbourne Stars list. Chappell said Malinga would be valuable for several reasons.”For quite a few years now Lasith Malinga has been one of the premier short-form bowlers,” Chappell said. “He fulfills two important roles – he takes wickets and there’s no better finishing bowler in the game.”Lasith has always been a popular player on tours of Australia and with a large Sri Lankan population in Victoria, his presence is sure to add to the atmosphere wherever he plays. Indicative of the confidence on both sides, the Stars were delighted when Lasith agreed to a multi-year contract.”

Uncapped players Nasir Hossain and Shuvagoto Hom have been selected in a 15-man Bangladesh squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that also has Mohammad Ashraful being preferred over Raqibul Hasan

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2011Nasir Hossain earned his first call-up to the Bangladesh side after the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the Zimbabwe tour late on Friday evening. Mohammad Ashraful has been preferred over Raqibul Hasan in the squad, which also includes another uncapped player Shuvagoto Hom.The announcement came two days after BCB chief Mustafa Kamal received the names of the selected players from chief selector Akram Khan, who had called for a change in the process which allows the board’s technical committee to discuss the selectors’ choices.Nasir, a 19-year-old from Rangpur, was highly rated after outperforming most allrounders in the country for the past few years. Since he graduated from the sports institute BKSP, Nasir has regularly attracted big-money moves to the top Premier League clubs.”It was my dream to play for Bangladesh,” Nasir told ESPNcricinfo. “I told my family and I think they are happier than I am.”Considered for the ODI series alongside Shuvagoto, Nasir is being propped up for a role in the lower middle-order, according to Akram, while Shuvagoto will be tested at the No. 4 position, a spot that has been Bangladesh’s scourge.”Nasir has a bright future and we have picked him and Shuvagoto for the ODI series,” Akram said. “I think he is far ahead of all the other good allrounders and we have considered him for his positive frame of mind.”Predictably, Ashraful and Junaid Siddique made comebacks, though both played Bangladesh’s previous Test match in England last year. Ashraful showed poor form during the 2011 World Cup and was dropped for the Australia ODIs in April. “We considered both Ashraful and Raqibul for the same position and I think Ashraful won the spot for his experience and some good knocks in South Africa (for Bangladesh A earlier this year),” Akram said.The squad will be led by Shakib Al Hasan, with Tamim Iqbal as vice-captain. Former captain and fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza, who had another knee surgery in May, is undergoing rehabilitation and continues to miss out.Bangladesh are visiting Zimbabwe for one Test and five ODIs. The tour starts with a three-day game against a Zimbabwe XI from July 30.Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vc), Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Shahriar Nafees, Robiul Islam, Shuvagoto Hom, Nasir Hossain.Reserves: Naeem Islam, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Alok Kopali, Syed Rasel, Sahagir Hossain (wk).

Umar Gul, who suffered a stiff hamstring during the second Test at Edgbaston, has recovered completely from the injury and is likely to be available for selection for the final Test of the England series, which begins on Thursday at Lord’s

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's24-Aug-2010Umar Gul, who suffered a stiff hamstring during the second Test at Edgbaston, has recovered completely from the injury and is likely to be available for selection for the final Test of the England series, which begins on Thursday at Lord’s.”We can’t say anything for certain but we are hopeful,” Salman Butt, the Pakistan captain said. It was feared that Gul would take no further part in the Test series when he first picked up the injury but Gul, who is Pakistan’s most experience fast bowler, has been working hard with Dale Nyler, the team physio, and trainer David Dwyer, to bounce back.While his team-mates were scripting Pakistan’s remarkable victory in the third Test, Gul was on the sidelines where he bowled ‘no-effort’ balls which involved him charging in from a full run-up and going through the remainder of his action before finishing the sequence without delivering the ball. The exercise was essential to determine if the injury was healing fast.”So far his recovery has gone as desired,” Dwyer said. But both him and Nyler will have a final look on Wednesday morning before giving their final assessment on Gul’s fitness to the team management which will sit in the evening to pick the playing eleven.For the last two days Gul has progressed to bowling flat out without any cause for concern. At the indoor training centre at Lord’s he bowled marathon spells of nearly 90 minutes and was happily sharing tips with Wahab Riaz, the man who replaced him in the previous Test.Gul’s recovery is good news for Pakistan, who are spoilt with riches in the bowling department. At The Oval last week, Riaz, the left-handed quick, made a memorable debut by claiming 5 for 63 on the first day to help set up Pakistan’s four-wicket victory. Riaz earned further points on the second morning when he offered stubborn resistance with the bat. His 27 logged over a two hours, and he stitched a 34-run partnership with Mohammad Yousuf for the third wicket to rob England of the chance of putting pressure on the Pakistan middle-order.Gul won’t be worried about the competition. At Trent Bridge he top scored with 65 in addition to a match haul of 4 for 102. At Edgbaston he was forced off the field after bowling nine wicketless overs in the first innings but batted with a runner to bolster Pakistan’s lead with a 27-run stand with Mohammad Asif for the last wicket.Gul will have fond memories of playing at Lord’s, after performing well there against Australia earlier in the year. He was on the verge of a hat-trick during Australia’s second innings and finished the match with five wickets. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, was positive about Gul but remained non-committal about his availability for the final Test: “We will have to see tomorrow and then decide.”

Respected coach Greg Shipperd lauded the credentials of the WA wicketkeeper while also backing 19-year-old Sam Konstas

Alex Malcolm23-Oct-2024Australia white-ball wicketkeeper Josh Inglis should be in the conversation alongside 19-year-old prodigy Sam Konstas to be the Test opener against India, according to one of the country’s most respected mentors and judges in New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd.Shipperd suggested Inglis should be a legitimate candidate to open the batting against India in the first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth, even if it cost his young NSW opening batter Konstas the chance to make a Test debut.Inglis, 29, is Australia’s incumbent ODI and T20I keeper having played 49 internationals for Australia but has not yet featured in a Test match where he has long been the understudy to Alex Carey. Inglis is in a rich vein of form at Sheffield Shield level with scores of 122, 48, 101 and 26 not out in his first four Shield innings this season. But he is no chance to displace Carey as the keeper given Carey has made 90, 111 not out, 42 and 123 not out in his first four Shield innings after making 98 not out in his last Test innings back in March.Related

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But after NSW lost to Victoria in a closely-watched Shield clash at the MCG, where Konstas made scores of 2 and 43 and fellow Test contender Marcus Harris made 26 and 16, Shipperd offered Inglis’ name as a genuine candidate without being prompted.”Let’s not forget Josh Inglis as well, who I think is probably a smokey in terms of the opening batting spot,” Shipperd said. “I’d have Inglis and Konstas in the conversation as one-two, two-one, and let the Australian selectors mull over those two.”His performances for Australia have been first-class, and I think they’re looking for a style of player at the top of the order, and Inglis may fit that brief.”He’s a right-handed version of David Warner, in terms of someone who wants to get on with the play and he’s got strokes all around the wicket. He’s played at the level internationally, and I think he’s a well-respected player.”Shipperd’s opinion is highly valued within Australian cricket and he has been a coaching mentor to current coach and selector Andrew McDonald.However, Inglis has never opened in first-class cricket. He has batted at No. 3 six times and averaged 12.66, at No.4 once and No. 5 six times but has only passed 50 in one of those seven innings. All of his seven first-class centuries, including his two this season, have come at No. 6 or below. He has opened for Australia in six limited-overs internationals for one half-century. His two T20I centuries, including one against India in India, have come at No.3.Sam Konstas worked hard in the second innings at the MCG for his 43•Getty Images

Inglis’ state captain, Sam Whiteman, endorsed him being in the selection mix. “I think if you’re looking to pick guys off form…absolutely [should be considered],” he said. “He’s seeing the ball as [well] anyone in the country. He’s so versatile with his game, the way he transfers from white ball to red ball. He just looks in great nick. I’m all for him playing for Australia in some capacity, absolutely.”Shipperd still believes Konstas deserves to be in the frame after an indifferent match at the MCG where he copped a rough lbw in the first innings and made a patchy 43 in the second that included a life and a loose dismissal trying to launch offspinner Todd Murphy into the Shane Warne stand.”I thought he was a bit stiff in the first innings and in the second innings, I think he started to show everybody again what he’s got,” Shipperd said. “He was really poised and balanced. Anytime you get through the first 25 overs of a Victorian attack with a new ball that shows you’ve got something and, but for a sad error in terms of judgment in that particular ball, I think he showed that he should be in a conversation at least.”Shipperd added Konstas is not letting the intense sudden media and public interest get to him.”He’s really relaxed and just focused on learning and focused on what his game is all about, in terms of what is working, and where the challenges may be,” Shipperd said.”And he had a couple of them in this innings where he did a couple of strange things in terms of his choices, but he’s reflecting on those as he is and we’re really confident that he’s got the game, if picked.”The next couple of matches for the Australian A team I reckon will tell the story in terms of what the Australian selectors will do.”Shipperd is in a unique position to comment on Konstas. He has compared him to a young Ricky Ponting already and Shipperd was Ponting’s coach at Tasmania back in 1993 when he made twin centuries in a Shield game as an 18-year-old. Konstas became the third youngest behind Ponting to achieve the feat against South Australia two weeks ago.Marcus Harris twice made starts against New South Wales•Getty Images

Ponting was made to wait two-and-a-half years between achieving the feat and making his Test debut. Shipperd was asked whether Ponting had benefitted from spending extra time in Shield cricket before being elevated, and whether Konstas should be handled in a similar manner.”I’m not sure. That’s a very good question, though,” Shipperd said. “Yes, he was made to wait. So whether that made him or he was already made anyway, because he was scoring multiple hundreds across the course of that journey between him not being selected and then finally selected, I think at around 21.”But Sam, I do see a lot of that skill level and that poise at the crease, shots on both sides of the wicket, in front of the wicket, behind the wicket. I think he’s got what it takes. And again, Ricky was trying to break into a super Australian side at that moment with probably no gaps. But there is a gap in the Australian team in the position Sam bats in at the moment. So he’s worth being heavily in the conversation.”Meanwhile, Victoria coach Chris Rogers said Harris would be frustrated with his returns against NSW. But the former Test opener believes Harris is still batting well enough to be in the frame.”I think he’d be disappointed he didn’t get the results,” Rogers said. “I think facing Mitch Starc, there’s always a chance you can get out. He’s a world-class bowler obviously. He got caught down the leg side twice. It can happen. He’ll be disappointed. But he still fought hard, he still moved well, he just didn’t have a lot of luck.”

Visitors recover from sticky start to post 282 after Blackpool weather relents

Paul Edwards11-Jul-2023
English fiction is replete with characters who repair to the seaside to help them recover from illness or other misfortunes. In Jane Austen’s Anne Elliot has “the bloom and freshness of youth” restored by the fine wind on the coast and even modern novelists such as John Banville and Ian McEwan use littoral settings for literary effect. At first glance, though, the comparisons between the gentle Elliot and Lancashire’s head coach, Glen Chapple, are not obvious. (At second glance, they disappear completely.) But Chapple’s players also appear to be using trips to their coastal outgrounds to restore their summer.In June, having drawn their first five Championship matches and sitting a miserable seventh in Division One, Lancashire went to Southport and defeated Hampshire by six wickets. This week, still bruised by their failure to qualify for T20 Finals Day, Keaton Jennings and his players are in Blackpool, attempting to assuage their disappointment by beating Essex, who will be travelling to Edgbaston for English cricket’s annual hogfeast on Saturday.On Monday, both sides were defeated by the omega block, a meteorological feature that brought fearsome downpours whistling in from the west and restricted the teams to just 28 balls, the final three of which were bowled over six hours after the preceding 25. Indeed, had not Stanley Park’s outfield been relaid at a cost of £180,000 over three years ago, the 100th first-class match to take place on this famous ground might have been abandoned soon after it started.Around three o’clock Chapple might have been wishing it had been given up as a bad job. For rather than build on their removal of three top-order batters on the sweating wicket in the first hour or so of the day, Lancashire’s bowlers had been punished by Tom Westley, who had reached his third century of the season with a cut off Colin de Grandhomme, and Paul Walter, who had clouted Tom Hartley for two leg-side sixes in the over before lunch and meted out the same indignity to Jack Blatherwick when the players returned. The pair had also set a new fifth-wicket record for Essex against Lancashire, beating the 147 stand shared by Sonny Avery and Tom Pearce, also at Blackpool, in 1948. What made things worse was that Hartley had dropped Westley on 78 when he grassed a low chance at midwicket off de Grandhomme. Rather than rebalance Chapple’s delicate humours, it was enough to cause a relapse.Medicine, though, was at hand, specifically the right hand of Blatherwick who clutched a firmly hit clip by Walter off de Grandhomme when the tall Essex left-hander had made 76 off 119 balls and extended his partnership with Westley to 155. That dismissal left Essex on 210 for 5, neither prosperous nor poor one might think on what looks a fine outground pitch. Simon Harmer, whose wicket is rarely donated to his opponents, then joined Westley and the pair added a watchful 65 in 24 overs before Lancashire took the second new ball and the game was changed by Tom Bailey, one of the circuit’s least lauded yet most skilful bowlers.The first breakthrough was made by Will Williams, who had Westley caught at slip by Rob Jones for 135 when the Essex skipper seemed disconcerted by a little extra bounce. The last four Essex batters, however, were removed by Bailey, who bowled Harmer with one that nipped away off a good length and then induced Doug Bracewell to sky a pull to midwicket, where Dane Vilas waited under the catch. Both Sam Cook and Will Buttleman fell leg before to the Lancashire seamer, who had by then taken four wickets in 20 balls to complete an innings return of 6 for 59.So much, so very satisfactory for most of the home supporters, some of whom had watched the rain thunder down 24 hours earlier and might have wondered whether the county match they had worked so hard to stage would be worth remembering. And any misgivings they still harboured can hardly have been eased by the sight of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook warming up on the outfield. Essex’s new-ball pair are skilled in making totals of 282 look mountainous, especially so when left with an evening hour in which they can expend their full efforts.And the prospect of an early tumble of wickets assumed a grim reality when Luke Wells attempted to leave Porter’s fourth ball of the innings but only inside edged it onto his stumps. That success merely spurred the bowlers to greater efforts; perhaps they even expected them. Certainly there was no shortage of appeals or near things as Jennings and Josh Bohannon played out the final 13 overs and home spectators postponed their plans for an early departure in favour of watching some of the day’s most gripping cricket. Three hours earlier, they had enjoyed Westley’s leg-side repertoire and his occasional cover-drive; now success was to be measured in forward defensive strokes and balls survived. The final over was bowled by Bracewell, whose penultimate delivery was leg glanced for four by Bohannon. A minute or so later he was punching gloves with Jennings and the players were leaving the long-shadowed field; the sight was far removed from the floods of the previous 48 hours and it offers a rich prospect for the remaining two days of this game.

Former England captain scores 75 before Brook and Dawid Malan add unbroken 210-run stand

ECB Reporters Network07-May-2022Harry Brook upstaged former England skipper Joe Root as Yorkshire feasted on the Essex bowling on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash at Chelmsford.Root, in what was remarkably only his 50th County Championship appearance for the White Rose despite making his debut back in April 2011, stroked his way to a half-century in 88 balls – the exact same number as his successor as England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, had taken to smash 161 against Worcestershire at New Road 24 hours earlier.However, youngster Brook stole the spotlight, giving another stunning audition ahead of the first Test of the summer against New Zealand next month, by smiting a thrilling century, so keeping up his record of scoring 50 or more in every innings so far this season. The 23-year-old, who closed on 110 not out, currently averages over 200 for the campaign.He shared a record unbroken stand of 210 with Dawid Malan, who passed 50 for the fifth innings in a row, as Yorkshire piled up 425 for 5 by the close – a lead of 22.Root was immediately in the action and got underway with a streaky four wide of second slip. Sam Cook beat him all ends up with a peach of a delivery next up, but that was a rare moment of concern.In many ways this was trademark Root, a delicate cut to third man here, a sweep to fine leg there, the back-foot punch and the off-drive all featured. He was merciless on anything short, too – all this either side of a lengthy stoppage for rain just 45 minutes into the day which drove the players off for an early lunch.At the other end, Matthew Revis looked too good for the nightwatchman role he’d played since the previous evening. The 20-year-old blunted the opening salvos and had just three singles to his name from his first 59 balls. A drive creamed through cover off Mark Steketee signalled a gear change and he later struck Shane Snater for successive boundaries.The century stand came up in two hours, but, with a half-century in sight, Revis pushed a ball from Simon Harmer to midwicket and set off without waiting for it to beat the fielder. Root sent him back, and when Critchley returned to the striker’s end Revis was left short.Root’s demise came equally out of the blue when he underedged a Critchley googly on to his leg stump on 75, but this brought Malan and Brook together and the latter got off the mark by slog-sweeping Simon Harmer over the square-leg fence. It was a sign of things to come as bristling with aggression he plundered already tiring bowlers, becoming the leading run-scorer in Division One this season when he reached 49. The single which followed meant his latest half-century had come in 48 balls.At the other end, Malan was all finesse and timing, his driving, whether straight or square a thing of beauty, reaching his landmark in 92 deliveries.The pair forged on in a lengthy last session. With great symmetry, having got off the mark with a six, Brook reached 101-ball century by hoisting Critchley over the ropes at midwicket.In the dying embers of the day, Yorkshire’s record books were rewritten when Brook and Malan’s sixth-wicket stand reached 201, surpassing the 200 set by David Denton and George Hirst against Essex way back in 1902.

Starc’s bowling will provide ample rough stuff outside the right-handers’ off stump, a key consideration given India lack the left-handers Lyon has feasted on of late

Daniel Brettig14-Dec-2020Nathan Lyon will welcome Mitchell Starc’s return into the Australian camp on Monday following compassionate leave ahead of the Test series against India. More specifically, he will welcome the return of Starc’s heavy boots to the bowling crease.The pair have been close over many years, underlined by how Starc stood up for Lyon back in 2012 when there was talk of a Shane Warne comeback. But there is also a very solid cricket reason: with the benefit of bowling into Starc’s footmarks at the other end, Lyon’s record in Tests they play together at Adelaide Oval is supreme.Over five Adelaide Tests since 2015, four of them day-night affairs, Lyon has plucked 26 wickets at 24.11 with a wicket arriving every 52.4 balls, as against his career average of 31.58 and strike rate of 62.9. Each time, Starc’s bowling has provided Lyon with ample rough stuff outside the right-handers’ off stump, a key consideration given India’s touring side lacks the left-handers he has feasted on in recent years in reaching the cusp of 400 Test wickets.”I’ve been working quite hard on bowling to right-handers, there’s so many of them in world cricket so it isn’t a new challenge for me, but we’re really just looking to compete against both edges, and try to bring both edges into play with catchers around the bat,” Lyon said. “So it’s going to be a challenge but very lucky to have Mitch Starc joining the squad tomorrow and I love his footmarks, so it should be good fun.”He’s one of my best mates and we talk every day. Forever talking to him, probably annoying him to be honest, but he’s pretty pumped, pretty excited. We’re really looking forward to having him back around the squad, we all know firstly the quality of bloke he is but also the quality of cricketer he brings to the table as well. Absolutely exciting to have Mitch join us.”If there were any doubts about Starc’s readiness to return to the heavy lifting of Test cricket after he missed one T20I with a minor side issue and then left the squad on compassionate leave, Lyon allayed them by revealing Starc had kept up bowling in Sydney, pink ball and all, in the SCG nets.”Mitch has played a lot of cricket already, he played two Shield games and bowled well down here in Adelaide, then played during the white ball series that he was available for, so I’m not worried about Mitch at all,” Lyon said. “He said he bowled with the pink ball the other day in at the Sydney nets before anyone got there and he said it was where he left off with the pink ball, so that’s exciting to know how good he is with the pink ball. He’s more than comfortable and more than confident and he’s got all our support as well, so looking forward to it.”We’ve got a few things lined up which are exciting, there’s a great vibe within the Australian cricket team at the moment, so I think we’re in such a better place than we were two years ago, it’s exciting and this is the tightest Australian team I’ve ever been a part of, so to have that opportunity come Thursday to get back out there and play some Test cricket, it’s going to be pretty exciting. But we’ve done a bit of homework and we’re ready to go.”Lyon’s own bowling has evolved considerably in recent years, making a major breakthrough against India in India in 2017 and seldom looking back since. Like the rest of the bowling attack, he is keenly aware of the opportunity to beat India now that the hosts will be bolstered by the extra runs of Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and, when fit again, David Warner.”It’s obviously disappointing when you lose guys to injuries and we all know what quality of player David Warner is, but I think both sides have superstars in each lineup, both got very good bowling attacks, so it’s going to be a massive challenge for both teams coming out to Australia.”We know what happened last series against India out here, we know how well they played, so I know as bowlers we’ve already spoken about that and we’re coming up with a few different plans to hopefully challenge the batters’ defence for longer periods of time this time around. We’re in a such a better place as a team right now, this team is probably the closest I’ve ever been a part of, it’s exciting, it’s a great feeling amongst the team, so it’s pretty exciting about the challenges that lie ahead.”Especially over the last five years my bowling’s gone to a new level and I’m very confident with where my bowling’s at. But they’re a very attacking side so they always want to try to attack a spinner, which is fantastic, I love that challenge.”

Priest 89, Heather Knight half-century lead Storm to 77-run thrashing of Stars

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2019Rachel Priest gave a masterclass in power hitting as Western Storm maintained their 100% record in the 2019 Kia Super League with a 77-run thrashing of Surrey Stars at Guildford.The New Zealand international blazed 89 in just 55 balls with six sixes and ten fours as Storm put up 171 for 4. Stars never threatened to chase it down with Sonia Odedra returning figures of 4 for 25 to hustle them out for 94.It means victory over Yorkshire Diamonds on Wednesday will see Storm head for Finals Day with a perfect 10/10 record in the group stages.For the Stars, this was a sixth defeat in a row in what has become a wretched campaign.Priest had her radar set from over one, hitting Dane van Niekerk into the crowd. Eva Gray got similar treatment, though the New Zealand would have had her heart in her mouth after one lbw shout from Marizanne Kapp which was turned down by umpire Sue Redfearn.Smriti Mandhana was superbly stumped by Sarah Taylor off van Niekerk, but Priest continued on with her relentless assault. Three more maximums and six fours carried her to 50 in just 33 balls with Storm skipper Heather Knight content to play second fiddle.Stars didn’t help their cause, Amy Gordon dropping Priest at deep mid-on on 76 before shelling another chance, this time to dismiss Knight when she had 22, Laura Marsh the unlucky bowler on both occasions.A century looked certain for Priest, but she fell 11 short, pulling a short one from van Niekerk to Natalie Sciver on the midwicket fence. The stand with Knight had realised 97 in 65 balls.Knight took charge, moving to her own half-century with a six and five fours. And though she fell to Marsh in the last over, 171 for 4 was another imposing score.The Stars made the worst possible start in pursuit of the target, Lizelle Lee falling to Freya Davies for one to continue her poor run in the campaign. Van Niekerk soon followed, hitting one huge six before nicking Deepti Sharma into the gloves of Priest.The rate required was soon beyond ten, but with Davies and Sharma bowling with superb accuracy, the Stars went six overs without finding the fence. Successive fours from Taylor ended the famine, but still the scoreboard pressure mounted. Taylor’s shot back over the head of Anya Shrubsole was a joy to watch, but England’s 2017 World Cup star extracted swift revenge when the Stars’ wicketkeeper fell later in the over to a catch by Knight at extra cover.Knight accounted for Bryony Smith and Sciver and Kapp fell in successive balls to Odedra, the latter having her stumps spread-eagled.There would be no hat-trick, but there was a third wicket for Odedra when Marsh was stumped for just a single. And she struck again later in the over as Gray found the hands of Sophie Luff. Naomi Dattani joined in the fun by mopping up the tail on a sorry afternoon for the Stars.

One week, a team scores 481 runs in 50 overs. The next, another loses chasing 189 after being 186 for 3. Clearly, cricket doesn’t do middle ground

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2018One week, a team scores 481 runs in 50 overs. The next, another loses a match chasing 189 . Clearly, cricket doesn’t do middle ground.#Collapzilla – High Wycombe, a club team in England, lost seven wickets in 11 balls•Peterborough Town CC

Far removed from the pyrotechnics of Jason Roy and Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, there was a club game in the town of Peterborough in Northamptonshire and the local team was looking beat. After all, there were 12 balls left, only three runs to get and seven wickets in hand. That’s when it happened. #CollapzillaThe unravelling of High Wycombe began with fast bowler Kieran Jones picking up four wickets in four balls to start the penultimate over of the chase, and ending it as a maiden over. Imagine the odds. Experts suggest it is somewhere between finding an Oxford-educated unicorn and owning car keys that never get lost.The final six balls were the responsibility of a 16-year-old offspinner. According to the , Danyaal Malik was the sixth-choice bowler in an under-strength attack.Nathan Hawkes took strike on 57. The first ball was reverse-swept for a single, but that was only the start of another collapse. The next four yielded three wickets and a remarkable victory.And so Peterborough won the regional final of the the ECB National Club Championship, and proceeded to the tournament’s last 16.* Yes, this was no friendly neighbourhood game of cricket, but a fixture right towards the top end of club cricket in England.*

Delhi Daredevils’ top order, the least experienced in the league, will face a formidable Kolkata Knight Riders spin attack in a home match on Monday

The Preview by Rachna Shetty16-Apr-2017

Match facts

Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders
Monday, April 17, 2017
Start time 1600 local3:08

Agarkar: Delhi should bat Pant higher than Nair

Head to head

Last season Daredevils beat Knight Riders at home by 27 runs but were walloped in their away match, collapsing to 98 in a nine-wicket defeat.

Form guide

• Delhi Daredevils (third): beat Kings XI Punjab by 51 runs; beat Rising Pune Supergiant by 97 runs; lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 15 runs

• Kolkata Knight Riders (second): beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 17 runs; beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets; lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets

Overall record Knight Riders have won 10 out of the 17 matches between the two sides. At Feroz Shah Kotla, Daredevils’ home ground, Knight Riders have won four out of six matches.

In the news

Given the possibility of facing a pitch similar to Daredevils’ game against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday, which played slow, there could be a case for Knight Riders making a switch, with Shakib Al Hasan coming in for Chris Woakes or Colin de Grandhomme. This could bolster their already formidable spin attack and lengthen their batting a bit against one of the most economical bowling attacks in the end overs. Daredevils, this season, have an economy rate of 6.44 in the last five overs, the lowest for all teams. Woakes has taken wickets for Knight Riders but has had an economy rate of under 10 in only one out of four matches.

Likely XIs

Delhi Daredevils: 1 Sanju Samson, 2 Sam Billings, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Shahbaz NadeemKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Colin de Grandhomme/Rovman Powell, 8 Chris Woakes/Shakib Al Hasan, 9 Kuldeep Yadav 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Trent Boult

Strategy punt

Expect Zaheer Khan and Chris Morris to bowl at least three overs inside the the Powerplay, especially if Sunil Narine falls early. They have enjoyed success against Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. Zaheer has bowled 40 balls to Uthappa for just 41 runs and two wickets. Against Morris he has scored just 26 off 27 balls. Morris has troubled Gambhir more: 21 balls, 16 runs, and three dismissals.

Key stats

• Knight Riders batsmen have scored a total of 224 runs in the Powerplay at a run rate of 9.20. Of these, Gambhir has scored 105 runs off 68 balls. His current strike rate of 154 is already his second best in Powerplays in IPL, after the 2012 IPL.
• Amit Mishra has 50 wickets at Feroz Shah Kotla. Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga – at Wankhede Stadium – are the only other bowlers who have taken more than 50 wickets at one venue.
• It isn’t just Morris and Zaheer Khan that Uthappa is vulnerable against. Amit Mishra has dismissed him four times in 10 innings in the IPL.
• Daredevils’ batting top four is the least experienced of the eight teams in the league. The overall collective experience of batsmen in the current Daredevils squad who have played in the top four stands at 377 T20 innings with 8587 runs at an average of 25.55, with one century and 51 fifties. The next least experienced team is Rising Pune Supergiant. Their top four batsmen have 785 innings, with more than 19000 runs