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Victory keeps mathematical hopes of quarter-finals alive, although results must go their way

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Jul-2025Worcestershire Rapids retained their sliver of a hope of Vitality Blast qualification with a 45-run win over Notts Outlaws at Visit Worcestershire New Road.The Rapids amassed a hefty 206 for seven thanks to punchy contributions from the top five, led by Ethan Brookes (57 from 20 balls) and Brett D’Oliveira (46, 36). Dillon Pennington took 3 for 34.The Outlaws replied with 161 all out (Tom Moores 57 from 29, Matt Montgomery 47 from 22, Brookes 3 for 30) to suffer a defeat which leaves their qualification hopes also hanging by a thread. The Outlaws must beat Lancashire Lightning tomorrow and hope that Warwickshire Bears and Leicestershire Foxes lose. The Rapids, meanwhile, their group games over, need the Bears, Foxes and Outlaws to lose, accompanied by the required seismic shift in net run-rate.Both sides require a highly unlikely cocktail of results from the final round of games. After their erratic campaigns, it’s highly likely that neither will figure in the quarter-finals.The Rapids were put in but Isaac Mohammed (27, 15) delivered a vibrant start before he was superbly held on the deep mid-wicket boundary by Calvin Harrison, so close to the Ladies Pavilion that he could have had a cake.D’Oliveira and Kashif Ali kept the tempo high with a stand of 62 from 39 balls. Kashif (34, 21) lifted Liam Patterson-White to long-on and D’Oliveira steered Pennington to slip but Brookes and Adam Hose bashed 59 from 28 balls.Hose (33, 21) lifted Pennington to long off but Brookes struck the ball beautifully to thunder to an 18-ball half-century. He took his side past 200 with 16 from three balls from Sams in the final over.The Outlaws’ chase suffered early damage when Freddie McCann sliced a slog at the eighth ball, from Khurram Shahzad, to cover and Jack Haynes was brilliantly caught by Blast debutant Ben Gibbons at long on. Gibbons took a simpler catch from a failed Joe Clarke scoop off Shahzad and when Moises Henriques skewed Brookes to backward point, The Outlaws were 49 for four and in a pickle.Montgomery kept his side in contention by flailing a six and nine fours. The South African was starting to worry the home fans and had taken 19 from a Ben Allison over before lifting the last ball of it to deep cover.Brookes’ happy day continued when he had Sams and Patterson-White caught off successive balls. Moore peered through the gloaming to biff a 27-ball half-century but his departure, to another fine boundary catch, this time by Hose, effectively ended the content.Both these teams still harbour a vestigial hope of qualification but both are likely to be sitting at home in quarter-final week pondering what might have been with a bit more consistency.

Wicketkeeper to captain in intra-squad warm-up as Silverwood preaches continuity

George Dobell30-Jun-2020Jos Buttler is set to retain his place in England’s Test team for the start of the series against West Indies.While Buttler has endured a lean run of form with the bat in recent Tests – he has averaged 23.32 in 13 Tests since the start of 2019 and 17.55 in five Tests since the end of the last English season – he retains the faith of the team management and is poised to keep the gloves ahead of competition from Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.Underlining that faith, Buttler has been confirmed as one of the team captains in England’s warm-up match, starting on Wednesday, and as England’s vice-captain in the first Test against West Indies next week. England’s regular Test vice-captain, Ben Stokes, has been promoted to the captaincy in the absence of Joe Root, on paternity leave, and Buttler is taking on Stokes’ previous role. England hope to have Root back for the second Test.The three-day warm-up match will feature 27 players – there are 14 on Buttler’s side and 13 on Stokes’ – so will not have first-class status. The only three players from the 30-man training squad not taking part are Amar Virdi, Jamie Overton and Root. All three are understood to be fit, but Root is leaving the squad on Wednesday to attend the birth of his second child and the team management have decided that, in order for key players to gain the match practice required, there is no room for the other two. The match will be live-streamed from static cameras at each end of the ground on the ECB’s website Although England’s head coach, Chris Silverwood, was giving little away when he spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon, he did confirm Buttler’s inclusion and hinted that, in general, those players “in possession” of places at the end of the South Africa tour might be in favourable positions. With the Sri Lanka tour subsequently postponed and the English domestic season curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, none of the players involved have played since the South Africa tour finished.”I wouldn’t say selection is a blank page,” Silverwood said. “You know the people who are the mainstay, the engine room of the team. It is difficult to go too far away straight away from where we finished off.Jos Buttler gives a thumbs up in England training•ECB

“Jos will be vice-captain and he is in possession [of the gloves] at the moment. No, you don’t [have to be a genius] to work that out.”That would appear to represent bad news for Foakes and Bairstow. While it remains possible England could recall Bairstow as a specialist batting replacement for Root – he is probably competing with Dan Lawrence and Joe Denly for the position – his preference for batting in the middle order may count against him.Equally, it is possible England could play Buttler as a specialist batsman and recall Foakes. Certainly Buttler’s Test record as a specialist batsman – 35.68 in 20 Tests – is significantly better than his record as an all-rounder – he averages 27.43 in 21 Tests when he has kept – but all the evidence suggests England are inclined to make few changes.If possession really is a key factor in this selection, it would appear to be good news for Denly and Dom Bess, too. But Denly could be squeezed by the return of Rory Burns at the top of the order, while Bess is fighting off competition from both Moeen Ali and Jack Leach as spinner. Moeen, with five Test centuries behind him, might have an especially strong claim for a recall in a side lacking Root.The beneficiary of Root’s absence could well be Lawrence. While Denly’s durability has been admirable, his failure to register a century in his 14 Tests and his age (he’s 34) may both count against him. Lawrence impressed on the Lions tour to Australia – he made 190 in the warm-up match and 125 in the unofficial ‘Test’ – and, aged 22, is seen as a growing force. With one eye on a return to Australia in 18 months, this could be the time to promote him. Zak Crawley, who seemed to grow in stature with each appearance in South Africa, looks set to retain the No. 3 spot behind Burns and Dom Sibley.ALSO READ: Ben Stokes to captain as Joe Root misses first Test for birth“Dan has settled in very well,” Silverwood said. “He’s a confident guy. He has come in, been himself and played well. He’s certainly one of them that has put his best foot forward.”The other area England are facing competition for places is in their seam bowling. The enforced break has given the bowlers an almost unique opportunity to rest and work on their strength and conditioning. The result is that, right now, they are all deemed fit.”The only thing the lockdown has done is delivered me a load of fit fast bowlers,” Silverwood said. “All the guys coming back have had a good break. They are refreshed and they’re firing. They are very, very motivated to crack on. The one thing I have been impressed with is the shape that everyone has come back in.”Crucially, the three quickest bowlers of those involved in this warm-up match – Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Olly Stone – are all available, giving the selectors (and for this first Test, Stokes should be considered a selector) an intriguing dilemma. Wood, at his best, is hard to omit and claimed nine wickets in England’s most recent Test. But similar might be said about Archer, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Tough choices loom.Team Stokes: Dominic Sibley, Keaton Jennings, Zak Crawley, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes, Moeen Ali, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Jack Leach, Olly Stone, James Anderson, Saqib Mahmood.Team Buttler: Rory Burns, James Bracey, Joe Denly, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (c), Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Dominic Bess, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Robinson.

Fabian Allen bursts into top ten among T20I bowlers as West Indies take 3-0 lead against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2021Pakistan captain Babar Azam has consolidated his position as the No. 1-ranked batter and Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie has made a gain of 14 spots to move to No. 36 after the latest week of ODI fixtures in England and Ireland. Fabian Allen, meanwhile, entered the top ten among T20I bowlers after an impressive run against Australia at home, where West Indies are 3-0 ahead in the five-match series.Azam’s career-best 158 in the final ODI against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday, which earned him eight rating points, kept him 16 clear of Virat Kohli, who is at second place.

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Following England’s series sweep, there were two major movers low down in the tables. James Vince, who hit 102 – his first century for England across formats – rushed up 85 spots to No. 113 among batters, while Saqib Mahmood, who picked up nine wickets in the three games, gained 89 places to be 63rd among bowlers.Ireland’s historic maiden ODI win over South Africa in their second fixture, after the first game was washed out, also led to some of their players making progress. Balbirnie’s 65 and 102 in the two games gave him a career-high 584 points as he gained 14 places to be ranked No. 36, while William Porterfield (up five spots to 74th) and Harry Tector (up 37 to 90th) among the batters, and Craig Young (up four to 78th) and Josh Little (up 22 to 86th) among bowlers moved up.T20Is: West Indians make big gains
It wasn’t just Allen, who rose 16 positions, but there were a number of West Indians who made big strides up the tables as their team won the third T20I against Australia.Related

• Babar fastest to 14 ODI tons, hammers career-best 158

• Mahmood, Gregory earn T20I call-ups as Morgan returns

Of the bowlers, Obed McCoy, who has five wickets from two matches – including 4 for 26 in the first T20I – has jumped 15 spots to No. 38. while Sheldon Cottrell and Dwayne Bravo, with two wickets apiece so far, have risen by two places to 22nd and seven places to 37th, respectively.Meanwhile, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer and Lendl Simmons – all among the top five run-getters in the series at the moment – had their own gains too. While Gayle and Russell were tied at No. 103 after rising 22 and 38 ranks, respectively, Hetmyer has raced up to No. 62 by climbing 37 places and Simmons moved to No. 64 after gaining six spots.Tests: Mahmudullah finishes at No. 44
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs in their one-off Test in Harare, and Mahmudullah, who announced midway into the match that it would be his last in the format, gained 19 spots to get to 44th place after his 150* in the first innings. Liton Das, who scored 95 in that innings, rose 15 places to get to No. 55.The bowling star for Bangladesh was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who finished with a match haul of 9 for 148. He gained six places to get to No. 24.And though Zimbabwe lost the game, captain Brendan Taylor’s 81 and 92 pushed him seven spots up to No. 28, while Blessing Muzarabani’s 4 for 94 in the first innings took him up to No. 45 among bowlers, a gain of six spots.

The PCB had terminated its cable-distribution deal and suspended the broadcasting deal with PTV Sports, which was expected to earn them US$ 200 million over three years

Umar Farooq23-Nov-2021A sessions court in Lahore has issued a stay order to prevent the PCB from suspending its deal with the state-owned broadcaster PTV.The PCB had signed a three-year broadcast deal in 2020 with PTV, as well as an agreement with I-Media Communications Services, to ensure the PCB’s broadcast content is not redistributed illegally by cable operators. The official signing of the deal had taken place in the presence of Imran Khan, the Pakistan prime minister who is also the PCB’s patron-in-chief.But last week the PCB terminated its cable-distribution deal and suspended the broadcasting deal with PTV Sports, deals from which, on signing them, the PCB said were expected to fetch them US$ 200 million over three years. The PCB also opened a new tender inviting bids for new media rights for home internationals for the upcoming series against West Indies and Australia. That process will have to be put on hold for now until the dispute is sorted.At heart is the nature of the arrangement. The deal allowed PTV to broadcast all Pakistan’s home bilateral commitments as well as all domestic cricket, though the PCB held on to the production rights. The deal with I-Media Communications Services was meant to ensure that the distribution of cricket content would only be done through licensed cable operators, and the value of the content would be protected against potential illegal distribution.The expected earnings from this deal would come from advertising revenue and also, for the first time in Pakistan, distribution revenue from the cable operators – the equivalent of revenues that broadcasters make from subscriptions – through I-Media. That revenue is important in countries such as England, Australia and, increasingly, India but has been non-existent in Pakistan due to the nature of the industry.It is believed to be on the basis of non-compliance on payments from the I-Media contract that the PCB has gone to court. In its plea before judge Talat Mahmood, PTV said that it “had been honouring” the terms of the deal at every stage. PCB, however, had suspended the deal with both parties because of the supposed non-compliance when it came to implementing the Digital Pakistan policy (one part of which is regulating the illegal cable operator business).PTV also claim that PCB had never addressed any grievances to PTV’s managing director, as the contract stipulated – ESPNcricinfo understands that PCB wrote directly to the Information Minister – who oversees the state-owned PTV – when required.The broadcast deal was signed in the face of a shrinking broadcast market, more so after the Covid-19 pandemic. It ended a long-running broadcast relationship with Ten Sports. International rights for PCB’s home series were sold separately to various channels around the world.Pakistan has few local sports broadcasters to choose from though recently, the ARY Group has launched an HD sports channel called A-Sports, which covered the T20 World Cup and is presently broadcasting the Abu Dhabi T10 league. PTV, however, broadcasts its content on standard definition, which the PCB wants to change to HD.Neither PTV or PCB chose to speak on the matter when contacted.

On a pitch where none of his team-mates crossed 20, Prabhsimran scored a 65-ball 103 to secure two crucial points for Kings

Alagappan Muthu13-May-20232:09

Muzumdar: Prabhsimran has come through the grind of U-19 and U-23 cricket

A special century from Prabhsimran Singh knocked Delhi Capitals out of IPL 2023 and pushed Punjab Kings up to sixth place, well within reach of a playoff spot.In demanding batting conditions, the Punjab opener, who had begun the season with a highest IPL score of 16, found ways not just to survive but to keep scoring quick runs in a way nobody else managed to. It felt like a coming-of-age innings.

How it started

When there is pace in the pitch, it’s easy to hit through the line and keep scoring runs steadily. When it is not there, it’s hard to even get the ball off the square. So you get your runs in fits and spurts.Kings suffered 22 balls for no runs in the powerplay, but hit seven others for 32 runs (5×4 and 2×6).A lot of this work was the result of Prabhsimran’s enterprise. His role in the team is to do whatever is necessary to maximise the field restrictions. And he performed admirably, switch-hitting spin for sixes and moving around all over the batting crease, just to throw the bowlers off their plans.But then his role changed. From being the guy who could not place any price on his wicket, he became the guy who simply could not get out. So he settled in. Got used to the pitch. And by around the 11th over or so, he was finding ways to hold his shape and exert complete control over his shots.Prabhsimran was 53 off 44. Then he was dropped on 68. Then he was 102 off 61.Prabhsimran Singh soaks in the applause as he walks back after his ton•BCCI

That’s 49 in 17 balls. On a pitch where none of his team-mates crossed 20, and only two others managed to score at better than run-a-ball. This was a spectacular display of perseverance, even if he did have a tiny bit of help.In conditions where the ball isn’t coming onto the bat, all you have to do is take pace off, hit a hard length and, most importantly, target the stumps. Do not let the batter free his arms.Prabhsimran though was basically invited to free his arms. According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, a majority of the balls he faced (33) were either outside off stump or worse, wide outside off stump. And he took 60 runs from them including seven fours and three sixes.Capitals should have known better. The chance they created – the catch that Rilee Roussouw dropped – was the result of a mis-hit to a ball that arrived in line with this body. They didn’t learn. And they were punished.

How it ended

Capitals had a great start to the chase. They came out knowing 168 was a tricky target, and that they had to knock off a significant portion of it within the powerplay. David Warner helped them accomplish that goal, taking them to 65 for 0 in six overs. He cruised to a 23-ball fifty, scoring 42 of those runs in boundaries. But the thing is, Capitals only faced six balls of spin in that period.It didn’t make sense why Kings would have let any of that happen on a pitch where the ball was both stopping on the batters and turning more than a fair bit.Eventually, Shikhar Dhawan turned to spin and the game changed.Cornered by Harpreet Brar (4 for 30) and Rahul Chahar (2 for 16), Capitals lost three wickets for two runs between the ninth and the 11th overs. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster quantified this swing in momentum – in a mere eight balls, Kings went from a lowly 20% chance of winning this game to 78% favourites.By the end, Capitals needed seven players to combine just to reach the total they allowed one batter to get. These were not the conditions to give away a century.

Rollicking chase sealed with 77 balls to spare as tourists ring changes in build-up to series

Matt Roller12-Jul-2022Was this a case of mistaken identity? As England’s full-strength 50-over side capitulated to a ten-wicket defeat in south London, bowled out for 110 by India, their second-string counterparts blitzed their way to a target of 319 in just 37.1 overs against South Africa in Taunton.Somerset had made 265 for 5, the highest total in the history of English domestic T20, at this ground on Saturday night and the short boundaries are notoriously inviting. On another excellent batting pitch at their home ground, Will Smeed and Tom Banton added 113 for the first wicket in 13.4 overs – more than the ODI side had managed in 25.2 – to remove any kind of scoring pressure from the chase.Smeed eventually fell for 90 off 56 balls in what was his first senior 50-over innings, hitting seven fours and six sixes against the same South Africa attack that will be used in next week’s ODI series against England. Ben Duckett and Stephen Eskinazi added 127 for the fourth wicket in 15 overs; Duckett fell with two to win, but Eskinazi hit the winning runs by crashing Marco Jansen through point, bringing up his half-century in the process. The margin of defeat was six wickets, but with as many as 77 balls remaining, this was a genuine thrashing.South Africa were not overly concerned. “It was good for the batters to spend some time in the middle and get used to the conditions,” Janneman Malan, who top-scored with 103, said. “We always saw today as a warm-up: time in the middle for the boys, time on our feet. Their guys were prepared well for today and they played well but we saw this as a proper warm-up game and it’ll be a competitive game in two days’ time.”Keshav Maharaj, standing in as captain for the 50-over leg of this tour with Temba Bavuma absent through injury, juggled his bowlers and the tourists used 16 players with either bat or ball; Quinton de Kock, who was rested as a precaution due to a bruised finger, was the only squad member who did not play some part. Thursday’s second tour match, which has List A status, will be a better test of their standing heading into the England series.But this was still a significant result, one which reasserted the extent of England’s depth in limited-overs cricket – even if the cream of the crop were enduring a rare off-day simultaneously. Like Manchester City, Barcelona and Ajax’s football academies, England have encouraged their developmental sides to play in the same manner as the first team, as evidenced by the team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final earlier this year, and the Lions’ romp had all the hallmarks of the first team’s style. “They fell into the brand that England want to play perfectly,” Malan said. “They obviously have their structures and their blueprint. It looks like they bought into it.”Related

• Injured Bavuma ruled out; Maharaj and Miller to lead white-ball teams in England

• Will Smeed loves living in the 90s as Somerset defeat Surrey

• Rilee Rossouw gives Derbyshire a rocket in record-breaking Somerset win

• Boucher on Bazball: 'It's probably the way that red-ball cricket is going'

• Taunton tussle awaits as South Africa take on Lions in tour opener

South Africa started cautiously, working their way to 39 for 1 after the powerplay after Kyle Verreynne had slashed Sam Cook to point. Malan and Reeza Hendricks took a liking to George Scrimshaw’s extra pace, adding 80 for the second wicket, but England’s slower bowlers dragged things back: Benny Howell, making his Lions debut at 34, restricted the scoring with his unique brand of “fast spin” and Jake Lintott, the left-arm wristspinner, had Hendricks caught behind, edging a googly through to Banton.Malan continued to accumulate, reaching a 112-ball hundred, but was one of three men to fall to Rehan Ahmed, the 17-year-old legspinner, as South Africa looked to take him down. He finished his six overs with figures of 3 for 54 as Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller attacked, but David Payne nailed his yorkers at the death, taking four late wickets to restrict South Africa to 318.Smeed and Banton, Somerset’s opening pair, were both beaten outside off stump early on but soon found their range, adding 78 inside the 10-over powerplay and taking on Anrich Nortje’s express pace. Banton reached his half-century off 43 balls and whacked his next for six off Maharaj, but then fell looking to repeat the trick as he top-edged to short third.Smeed, the 20-year-old batter, will not make his List A debut until Thursday and last played a 50-over game in club cricket, but looked like a natural after getting himself set. He generated remarkable power off the back foot against South Africa’s spinners, clubbing Maharaj for two sixes in the space of four balls before hitting a back-to-back pair off Tabraiz Shamsi to fly into the 70s.He was in no mood to slow down, reaching 90 with a hoick over midwicket off Andile Phehlukwayo, but was bowled a ball later, looking to swing him across the line once more. His innings, off 56 balls, reinforced his status as one of England’s brightest young talents; a full international debut is a matter of when, not if.Sam Hain came and went for a 17-ball 20 at No. 3 but Duckett and Eskinazi did not let up. Duckett breezed along, scooping and dinking South Africa’s seamers and accumulating at will against spin, while Eskinazi – overlooked by all eight teams in the Hundred – brought up a 36-ball half-century when he hit Jansen for the winning runs, crashing him through point. If England need reinforcements for the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday, they will not have to look far.

A round-up of last week’s Super Smash matches where Colin Munro, Devon Conway and Tarun Nethula sparkled

Deivarayan Muthu04-Feb-2019

No. 1 v No.2? No contest

The match between table leaders Knights and the then second-placed Stags came with a big billing, but it petered out into a one-sided affair, with the Knights racking up 230 for 5 in a 131-run victory. Highest team total: check. Biggest margin of win for the team: check. Best figures for the Knights in an innings: check. They checked nearly every box at the McLean Park in Napier on January 25.After being inserted by the Stags on a flat pitch, they blitzed past 200 thanks to rapid half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Brett Hampton. Both batsmen went on a six-hitting spree and kept mowing the ball over the leg side. All told, they muscled 98 runs together in just 34 balls.The Stags then subsided to 99 all out in the chase as Tarun Nethula stepped up spectacularly in Ish Sodhi’s absence with 6 for 23.

Mitchell, Tickner rewarded for Super Smash form

Heard of former All Black John Mitchell, who later coached the side? Meet his son Daryl, who grew up with the dream of becoming an All Black or a Black Cap. Rugby’s loss could well turn out to be cricket’s gain as Mitchell is likely to make his international debut in the upcoming three-T20I series against India.Mitchell is among the cleanest strikers in New Zealand domestic cricket and often bowls at the death for the Knights. He is currently the second-highest run-getter this season with 318 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.33 and strike-rate of 140.08. But the most telling stat is that no batsman has hit more sixes this season than his 19.When Mitchell and Hampton was smoking the ball to all parts of the McLean Park, quick Blair Tickner used his height to his advantage and bothered them with his extra pace and bounce. He isn’t as quick as ‘Flash’ Ferguson, but has been rewarded for his consistency. After bagging 21 wickets and ending has the top wicket-taker in the 2017-18 Super Smash, he has claimed 15 wickets this season, just four behind the chart-topping Kyle Jamieson.

Match of the week

The clash between Knights and Aces in Auckland. The Knights had a chance to secure a home final, but the Aces toppled them to confirm their place in the knockouts, with four balls to spare. Colin Munro’s spot in the ODI team is under threat, but in his most favoured format, he punched his way to 54 off 30 balls to set up the Aces’ chase of 197.Craig Cachopa and Robert O’ Donnell then sustained the surge in the middle overs, leaving them with 56 to get off the last five overs. Knights’ death bowlers Kyle Abbott and Mitchell missed their lengths as Cachopa and O’Donnell took the game deep. The equation eventually boiled down to six off the last over. Abbott started with two off-side wides, the second of which was a tight call, and then bowled Cachopa with the next ball, but Daniel Bell-Drummond calmly finished off the chase.

Batsman of the week

Wellington Firebirds’ Devon Conway. He smote a 58-ball hundred – the second of the season – against the Volts in Dunedin to fashion a 11-run win. He followed it with a 22-ball 39 against the Stags, but it was not enough to take his team into the knockouts.

Bowler of the week

Nethula gets a game only when Ish Sodhi is away on national duty. He took 6 for 23 in only 19 balls at the McLean Park – the second-best figures in a New Zealand T20 competition. On a flat track, Nethula went wide of the crease and unleashed a slew of wrong’uns to hasten the Stags’ collapse. However, he found himself out of the team when Sodhi returned. Such is the depth of the Knights.

A round-up of the first day’s play of the second-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009The first day’s play of three games – between Goa and Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, and Jharkhand and Vidarbha – was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Group A

Scorecard

A Wilkin Mota-inspired Tripura gained the upper hand against Rajasthan in Agartala. Mota grabbed a career-best 6 for 22 to help Tripura skittle out the opposition for 102; only three Rajasthan batsmen reached double-digits. Mota again stood out in the reply, making an unbeaten 38 to steer his team to 73 for 3 at stumps.

Group B

Scorecard
Only 30 overs were possible on the opening day of the fixture between Madhya Pradesh and Kerala in Indore. MP scored at a brisk pace, with Naman Ojha and Hrishikesh Kanitkar scoring half-centuries. Both were unbeaten after adding 120 for the second wicket, as MP finished the rain-affected day on 134 for 1.

Derbyshire unable to prise out five more wickets for victory after final-day declaration

ECB Reporters Network08-Sep-2022Derbyshire 306v (du Plooy 82, Came 78, Dal 56, Rushworth 3-60) and 214 for 9 dec (Madsen 58, Raine 5-43, Trevaskis 3-81) drew with Durham 223 (Jones 87, Conners 4-55) and 176 for 5 (Trevaskis 42*)Durham’s Liam Trevaskis and Paul Coughlin denied promotion hopefuls Derbyshire victory in a dramatic end to the LV=Insurance County Championship match at the Incora County Ground.The sixth-wicket pair batted through the final 17 overs to steer Durham to a fighting draw after they had been set 298 in 87 overs. Trevaskis faced 57 balls for an unbeaten 42 and Coughlin was 19 not out off 53 as Durham closed on 176 for 5 from 53 overs.Mark Watt took 2 for 37 in 13 overs but Derbyshire could not force the win that would have taken them to second in Division Two.Durham paceman Ben Raine claimed two more wickets to finish with 5 for 43 in 22 overs before Derbyshire declared on 214 for 9. Derbyshire had batted on for seven overs, adding 29 runs for the loss of Anuj Dal and Nick Potts before the declaration came.With showers forecast in the afternoon, they needed to make early inroads but Michael Jones again started positively, taking three fours from the second over from Nick Potts. Jones had scored 24 out of 26 when he tried to leave a ball from Ben Aitchison and got a bottom edge into his stumps.Aitchison should have had a second when Sean Dickson on 11 edged him low to first slip where Watt spilled the chance at the second attempt. But Derbyshire had a second breakthrough in the next over when Scott Borthwick played across a low dipping full toss from Conners and lost his middle stump.At lunch, Durham required a further 237 in 67 overs but their hopes took another blow when Dal removed Dickson. The allrounder thought he had the opener caught behind earlier and when Dickson missed a big swing and lost his off stump, he gave him a loud and visible send-off.Durham’s chances now rested with Nic Maddinson who drove Watt for consecutive fours before rain stopped play for 20 minutes with the loss of five overs.When play resumed under threatening clouds, Watt broke through in the first over when Maddinson pushed forward at a ball that went on with the arm and was caught behind. Watt struck again in his next over, tempting Jonathan Bushnell into a drive which he edged low to Wayne Madsen at slip.It was now a question of whether the rain would stay away but as the players were leaving the field for bad light, a storm broke over the ground, holding up play for two hours.The umpires decided the match could resume at 4.50pm, which gave Derbyshire 17.1 overs or 103 balls to take five wickets. And there was drama immediately with Coughlin put down at second slip on 1 as he pushed forward at Watt.Trevaskis and Coughlin showed application and good judgement to frustrate Derbyshire who, with seven overs left and the light deteriorating, were unable to use their pace bowlers. With spinners on at both ends, Derbyshire had every fielder in a catching position but the pair stood firm and the home side called off the hunt with one over remaining.There was a touching finale as the players and coaching staff applauded umpire Nick Cook off the field in his last appearance at Derby before he retires at the end of the season.