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While backing his current partner, Warner also said he would have full faith in Will Pucovski

Daniel Brettig23-Nov-20201:08

Don’t need to break something that’s working – Warner

David Warner has depicted Joe Burns as his most effective opening partner since Chris Rogers, while conceding that the Australian selectors will ultimately have the final say over whether he is partnered by the Queensland batsman or the rising star of Victoria’s Will Pucovski.The selection chairman Trevor Hohns made an extraordinary admission when announcing the Test squad, stating that Warner would be given a say in the choice of the opening combination after he and Burns provided a strong platform for the Test team last summer, following plenty of top-order misadventures during the 2019 Ashes series.Hohns’ words in turn made Warner’s still more significant than usual, and while he couched his views with the usual caveats about the selectors, he left little doubt that he felt Burns was good value for his spot, particularly in terms of how the pair have complemented each other as players in a way he had not experienced since Rogers retired in 2015. Warner and Rogers opened together in 41 innings between 2013 and 2015, averaging 51.32 with nine century stands; Warner and Burns average 50.55 from 27 stands including six century partnerships.ALSO READ: Chappell – This Australia-India series might hinge on who makes the better selection decisions“I know you guys would like an answer. For me to be honest I’ve had over a dozen opening partners and it’s never been quite stable. I think they gave me the opportunity to ask me who I feel comfortable with, and when I was batting with Rogers we had a great partnership and…we bonded really well together out in the middle,” Warner said. “I think with me and Joe, we’ve done that over the past few years.”I’ve known Joe for a long time, we’ve played out in the middle together, we know each other’s game very well, but it’s upon the selectors to pick the right person to fit that position. If they go the way of Will, he’s batting fantastic, he’s been in and out of the Test squad and he removed himself with some sad times with his mental stuff. So for him he’s in the right frame of mind at the moment, it probably is an opportunity for him to come into the team.”But as we know it’s harder to get out of this team than get in, so whoever they go with, I’ll be well and truly happy with, as long as the person who comes in does their job. At the moment I didn’t think Joe did anything wrong last summer, we put on some great partnerships, averaged over 60 and that’s what you want from your opening partnership. It’s upon the selectors to pick their team and I’ve got to be happy with that and embrace it.”Joe Burns and David Warner run between the wickets•Getty Images

Reflecting on how he and Burns had gelled, Warner said that their ability to start with a long partnership together in the first Test of the summer against Pakistan in Brisbane, after Warner’s personal hell during the 2019 Ashes, had further reinforced what was already a strong relationship.”I haven’t spoken to Cracker [Hohns] yet, no, if they come to me and ask me, I’ll speak honestly,” Warner said. “But with me and Joe we’re good friends off the field as well, so having that support when you’re out there, I know last year we were both quite nervous when we were going into that first Test and then for him coming back into that team, not getting the opportunity in England, there’s a few nerves that float around.”But we obviously know how to get off strike with each other, but that’s just normally what you do anyway as a cricketer – if Will’s there he’s not going to do anything different. So it’s about building that bond and relationship and we’re the two that go out there together all the time when we face up, so you’ve got to have that bond and partnership.”Asked about criticism of Hohns’ suggestion he would be consulting Warner from the former Test captains Ricky Ponting and Mark Taylor, the opener said that his views were formed soundly on the basis of recent performance from the duo, even if Warner has been able to put far more individual runs on the board than Burns.”They’re two guys who have captained their country. I’m sure they would have had a say in their teams as well. But obviously they were captains,” Warner said. “As I see it, I don’t think it’s just like the selectors are going to come and ask me. It’s just more of a preference in the sense of the amount of time I’ve spent with Joe Burns in the middle.”Obviously we won a lot of games last year, so for me, you don’t really break something that is working, which is obviously the opposite to when things aren’t going your way and you’ve got to try and find solutions to problems. That’s the only thing I can sort of back that answer up with. As you say, when you get into the Australian team, you have to put numbers on the board and Will is an exceptional talent and a great player and he’s in the right mind-frame at the moment.”This next sort of A game is going to be the tell-all. It could well be the bat-off for that position. It’s going to be interesting to see but the selectors will pick the team.”Warner also reflected on how, at the age of 34, his game had evolved into a lower risk – though still free scoring – mode of batting. “I’ve just recently turned 34, so my days are numbered, when you’re in the 30s. There’s obviously a risk element but there’s a cricket smarts element to it as well,” he said. “For myself, it’s about getting off to a good start and taking calculated risks in that middle-overs period if we’re talking about 50-over games.”I think last year was probably the most disciplined I’ve batted in Test match cricket as well. I faced a lot of balls in the games and gave myself a lot of time. I really took pride in the last 12-24 months, to apply that discipline and you keep learning as you get older.”You don’t always have this game down pat. You’ve always have to keep thinking outside that square and bowlers have different ideas and ways of trying to get you out. You’ve got to be on top of your game to be able to adapt to that.”

Sussex and Gloucestershire made up for lost time as 22 wickets went down on the second day at Hove

ECB Reporters Network28-Apr-2018
ScorecardSussex and Gloucestershire made up for lost time when their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match resumed at Hove on Saturday. Just 21 overs had been bowled on the opening day, when no wickets fell, but 22 went down on the second day and Sussex, 51 for 2 in their second innings, led by 13.Having begun the day on 86 for 0, Sussex were bowled out for 145, losing all 10 wickets for 59 runs in 26 overs before lunch, with Ryan Higgins taking a career-best 5 for 21. Luke Wright, who was dropped twice, was Sussex’s top scorer in the session with 13.There was some encouragement from a lively pitch, and the overcast conditions suited the bowlers too. But a number of batsmen also perished by their own careless hands.Luke Wells had added just two runs to his overnight 25 when he was caught behind playing forward to Higgins. In the same bowler’s next over Phil Salt, 54 not out overnight, skied to long leg.The wickets continued to tumble: Stiaan van Zyl was caught in the gully off Higgins, Harry Finch was caught behind off Daniel Worrall and captain Ben Brown was lbw to Worrall for a second ball duck, leaving Sussex 105 for 5.Mark Burgess and Ollie Robinson, rashly, were caught in the slips from successive deliveries with the score on at 116, both off Higgins, and it was 117 for 8 when David Wiese lost his leg stump to Matt Taylor. Briggs and Wright had a final fling but Gloucestershire still had time to face one over before lunch.Sussex broke through with the score on 27, when Chris Dent dragged on a delivery from Robinson, losing his middle stump.A vigorous innings from Benny Howell, who had hit star Sussex signing Ishant Sharma for three fours in four balls, came to an end when he was lbw to one that moved into him from Wiese. Ishant was taken out of the attack after his first three overs cost 32 but Robinson struck again when he bowled James Bracey for 15.It was 102 for 4 when Robinson took his third wicket, having Gareth Roderick lbw for 23 as the batsman shuffled forward.At tea Gloucestershire were still well placed, but Jack Taylor, hooking as he took his eye off the ball, was caught at long leg – 107 for 5. Gloucestershire were not even sure of gaining a first-innings lead when Craig Miles was eighth out at 144. But some firm blows from Kieran Noema-Barnett (31) gave his side an advantage worth 38. Wiese and Robinson shared nine wickets between them.When Sussex batted again, in the best conditions of the day, Salt had his middle stump plucked out by Higgins for a second-ball duck. Wells was then bowled by Noema-Barnett for 22 with the last ball of the day.

Sean Dickson hit an excellent 142 to ensure West Indies endured three sessions of leather chasing on the second day against Kent at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2017
Sean Dickson dominated the West Indian attack•Sarah Ansell / Stringer

Sean Dickson hit an excellent 142 to ensure West Indies endured three sessions of leather chasing on the second day against Kent at Canterbury.Kent declared in the final over of the day on 331 for 9 to secure a first innings lead over the West Indies of 66 runs going into the third and final day of the tourists penultimate warm-up game before the first Test with England starting on August 17 at Edgbaston.Dickson, who amassed a career-best 318 against Kent’s County Championship rivals Northamptonshire last month, cracked 29 fours and three sixes in his four-and-a-half hour stay that left the tourists wondering when their next wicket would come.Dickson and first-class debutant Zak Crawley combined to post a record 182 for Kent’s second wicket – beating the county’s previous best against the tourists of 79 set by Brian Luckhurst and Alan Knott in 1969 – as the West Indies toiled all day for eight wickets.Roddy Estwick, the West Indies bowling coach, was happy in the way his attack bounced back late on “A lot of our guys haven’t really played in English conditions so they’re still learning, trying to get their lengths right.”If you look at Azzari Joseph, he got better as the day went along. He didn’t start as well as we’d have liked, but we made one or two technical adjustments with his run up and we spoke about his lines, and he was able to look a lot better.”I felt the figures of Miguel Cummins didn’t do justice to the effort he put in and Bishoo didn’t get any help of the wicket. But you have to credit Kent also, they batted nicely, they were patient and when the bad balls came along they put them away.”While Dickson, 25, took the plaudits, Crawley cut an impressive figure reaching a 94-ball 50 as Kent moved past the tourists’ modest total of 265 all out soon after tea.Crawley, 19 years-old and six feet six inches tall, played a mature and responsible knock full of well-timed drives and pulls as Kent, resuming on their overnight score of 1 for 1, dominated.The pair set out to punish anything loose or wide as Crawley, a product of Tonbridge School, got off the mark on his first-class debut with a rasping pull for four through mid-wicket against Alzarri Joseph.Dickson, making his first appearance for the county since the start of the NatWest T20 Blast, looked in good fettle from the off. His sweetly-timed punch drive flew past Joseph for four and he almost repeated the dose only to see the non-striker’s stumps act as an inadvertent barrier.The pair posted their half-century partnership inside 20 overs then Dickson upped the tempo by hitting the first six of Kent’s reply just before lunch pulling a short one from leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo over the ropes adjacent to the St Lawrence lime tree.Dickson twice edged balls from Joseph just short of the keeper, then nicked one through the slip cordon for four but the delivery from Raymon Reifer was called a no-ball.Dickson went on to post the 12th first-class 50 of his career from 105 balls with seven fours to go with his maximum, but might have gone for 51 when Bishoo downed a stinging caught and bowled chance.The pair ploughed on during the mid-session with Crawley cracking seven fours before he departed to a stunning diving slip catch by Kieran Powell.Acting Kent skipper Sam Billings scored a typically impish 25 before being run out by Shai Hope’s throw from the deep then Dickson’s stay ended when he holed out to long off. In a wonderfully old-school display of sportsmanship, the West Indies’ side lined up to shake Dickson’s hand as he trudged off.In the quest for quicker runs Adam Ball danced past one from Kraigg Brathwaite to be stumped and Will Gidman was bowled by Reifer.Against the second new ball Adam Rouse missed an attempted sweep to be skittled by Brathwaite, Charlie Hartley fenced to second slip and Adam Riley had his off pole plucked out to give Joseph hard-earned figures of 4 for 72.In the final over of the day Calum Haggett took a blow on the hand from Miguel Cummins sparking Kent’s declaration.

Fifties from Josh Cobb, Ben Duckett and Rob Keogh saw Northamptonshire move closer to a quarter-final spot in the Royal London Cup with an easy chase against Derbyshire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016
ScorecardJosh Cobb top-scored as Northamptonshire completed a comfortable chase•Getty Images

Fifties from Josh Cobb, Ben Duckett and Rob Keogh saw Northamptonshire move closer to a quarter-final spot in the Royal London Cup with an easy chase against Derbyshire at Wantage Road. Cobb and Duckett shared an opening stand of 116 as Northants chased 273 with seven wickets in hand.Victory takes them to nine points in the North Group and, with a very healthy run-rate, it should be enough for qualification. Derbyshire now have to win their final game against Leicestershire and hope other results go in their favour.The day began well for the visitors with Ben Slater making an unbeaten 148 – the third-highest List A score for Derbyshire and highest against first-class opposition – as they posted what appeared a competitive 272 for 7 but Northants made very light work of the chase, winning with eight overs to spare.Cobb and Duckett broke the back of the chase with Northants’ best opening partnership in the competition this season of 116. Cobb was able to find boundaries at will and he cleared his front leg to swing his first six over long-on. Another followed as Jimmy Neesham returned to the attack. In between, Cobb slog-swept Matt Critchley only just over the head of deep midwicket.A century seemed to be waiting for Cobb but he fell for 88 in 91 balls in a bizarre dismissal when his bat – slipping from his grasp – flew further than the ball.A hundred was also at Duckett’s mercy as he continued a truly remarkable run of form. He survived a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Shiv Thakor on 26 before slapping the next ball over mid-on for four, driving another past extra-cover and finally carving over the covers for his second six – the first having come with a straight drive off Ben Cotton.A scoop off Thakor and another drive through extra-cover brought a fine fifty in 43 balls but he was yorked by Alex Hughes for 70 in 56 balls – his fourth score over 50 in six innings in this season’s competition.Slater’s impressive 148 not out was consigned to a losing cause. With a hundred against Durham earlier in the competition, he arrived in form and looked very assured. After moving past fifty in 73 balls, he accelerated well, using Azharullah’s sixth over to provide some middle-innings impetus with three fours flicked over the leg side.Slater survived another flick that nearly carried to long leg diving forward but was otherwise chanceless in going to a hundred in 120 balls with 10 fours and a six. His only trouble came playing the left-arm spin of Graeme White, who again provided excellent control and threatened with the help of some turn on a used wicket. He produced the opening breakthrough after a first-wicket stand of 69 when Billy Godleman reverse-swept to backward point.White’s second wicket came to end the second-wicket stand of 96 after Slater and Wayne Madsen that had Derbyshire nicely poised at 165 for 1 in the 33rd over. Madsen miscued a drive to point for 39. White took 2 for 32 from his 10 overs.But it was the return of Richard Gleeson that prompted Derbyshire’s slide from 204 for 2 to 209 for 5. He clean bowled Neil Broom and Thakor, trapped Jimmy Neesham lbw and then also bowled Wes Durston to finish with 4 for 66. He leaked 15 from his final over but it was still not enough for Derbyshire.

Rohit Sharma, the India batsman, has said he is relishing opening the batting for India in one-day cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2013Rohit Sharma, the India batsman, has said he is relishing opening the batting for India in one-day cricket. The consistent run he had all through the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in West Indies, he said, was his most satisfying phase in international cricket so far.”I am enjoying my new role as an opener. That I have been successful and my contribution has helped the team’s cause makes it even more satisfying,” Rohit told in an interview. “From the point of view of consistency, this has certainly been my best phase as an international cricketer.”Rohit, who usually bats in the middle order, was bumped up to open in the last two ODIs of the home series against England in January after the out-of-form Virender Sehwag was dropped and Ajinkya Rahane failed to grab his chance. He began with 83 off 93 balls in Mohali and has opened in all India’s ODIs since, averaging 43.72 in 12 games. In the West Indies, he produced scores of 60, 5, 46, 48* and 58 in difficult batting conditions. And the move seems to be working for India too, as they have won nine of those 12 games and all three tournaments.The ODI opener’s role has changed with the introduction of the rule by which two new balls are used, Rohit said, but he has the technique to succeed. “The role with two new balls coming into play is different. It’s no longer going after the bowling from the word go. There are a few shots that should be avoided during the initial overs.”But I was always confident about my technique. The opener’s job is specialised one, but I always knew that I could hold my own if I am given an opportunity at the top of the order. The innings of 83 against England wasn’t the best but proved to be a morale booster for me.”India’s next one-day series is against Zimbabwe, beginning July 24.

Preview for the match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran26-Apr-2013

Match facts

April 27, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)The earlier Chris Gayle goes, the better it is for Mumbai•BCCI

Big Picture

Halfway through the tournament, Royal Challengers Bangalore are in pole position, tied on points with Chennai Super Kings but ahead on net run rate. They have played a huge chunk of their home games in a cluster, and made the most of familiar conditions and vociferous support, winning six out of six at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Their two losses have been away games.For their next six matches, starting with Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, Royal Challengers will be traveling the country. Away from the comfort of their surroundings, their consistency will be put to test. Royal Challengers should guard against peaking too early, and their coach Ray Jennings said their early success will count for nothing if they lose focus in their second round of games. A pleasing aspect for Royal Challengers is that their two leading wicket-takers are Indians, Vinay Kumar and RP Singh.Mumbai Indians are a better team on paper than their position in the points table – No. 6 – suggests. They sprung a surprise when Ricky Ponting opted out of the previous match and handed over the captaincy to Rohit Sharma. Mumbai scrambled to a five-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, and with their next six games at home they have a chance to get back into the top four. What remains to be seen is whether Ponting returns.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

Mumbai Indians WLLWW
Royal Challengers Bangalore WWWLW

Players to watch

All bowlers v Gayle – How does one keep Chris Gayle quiet? Among the Pune Warriors bowlers who got slaughtered in Bangalore, only Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Luke Wright finished with economy rates of less than seven. Length deliveries were duly hammered and the bowlers were guilty of bowling far too many deliveries on the middle and leg line. Fast yorkers are an option and Mumbai have one such bowler who could crack the Gayle puzzle. Malinga v Gayle will be the contest to watch.Dwayne Smith replaced Ponting as opener two matches ago, and though Smith failed against Delhi Daredevils, he made it count with a match-winning 62 against Knight Riders in the next game. With Ponting struggling for runs, Smith could make the opening position his own going forward.

Stats and trivia

• Lasith Malinga is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the IPL, with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Amit Mishra, on 88 wickets
• Malinga has bowled the most balls at Gayle in the IPL without being hit for six – 39 deliveries. He’s conceded only 36 runs to Gayle
• Royal Challengers have played three games at Wankhede, winning two and losing one

Quotes

“I would like to ignore what has happened in first eight.”
.”It was his decision to opt out, and it takes a lot of heart and guts to do that.”

The Champions League T20 governing council has approved the inclusion of the Sialkot Stallions in this year’s tournament to be held in October

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2012The Champions League T20 governing council has approved the inclusion of the Sialkot Stallions in this year’s tournament to be held in October. Sialkot will be the first domestic team from Pakistan to take part in the event. Sundar Raman, a member of the CLT20’s technical committee, announced the decision on Twitter. “CLT to invite Sialkot stallions for this year’s edition,” Raman tweeted.Earlier this month the BCCI, the league’s largest stakeholder, announced that it would inform the tournament’s governing council ahead of today’s meeting that it had no objection to the participation of a team from Pakistan. BCCI president N Srinivasan said the CLT20 governing council had already decided to invite a Pakistani team for the next tournament, to be held in India in October; the BCCI was now concurring with that decision. “The CLT20 is owned by the BCCI, Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa, so we will recommend to the governing council that the BCCI has no objection and is prepared to invite a Pakistan team,” Srinivasan said at the time.Sialkot were also the representatives in the 2008 tournament but that event was cancelled after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pakistani teams had been kept out of subsequent tournaments. The Sialkot Regional Cricket Association had requested the PCB last month to make efforts to enable the participation of Sialkot in the Champions League. The PCB, in turn, had said that Sialkot’s participation was dependent on the restoration of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

A round up of the action from the first day of the fourth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division Two matches

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2011Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) knocked over Hyderabad for 97, at the Niaz Stadium in Sind, courtesy a six-wicket haul from their new-ball bowler Bilawal Bhatti. Bhatti ripped through Hyderabad’s top order; at one stage, they were tottering at 29 for 8, before a 68-run stand between Ghulam Yasin and Nasir Awais took them to 97. While none of the SNGPL batsmen could build on their starts in the reply, cameos from most of the top order helped them to a 77-run lead, with six wickets in hand at stumps.Saeed Bin Nasir struck a century to take Karachi Whites to 242 for 8 against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex in Karachi. KRL inserted Karachi Whites and made early inroads as none of the batsmen, barring Nasir, could get going. They reduced Karachi Whites to 136 for 6, before Nasir found an able partner in Faraz Ahmed. The pair added a hundred runs, but were dismissed before stumps as KRL fought back, removing both batsmen in quick succession. Rahat Ali, a left-arm quick, was the wrecker-in-chief – he took 5 for 59 in his 19 overs.Lahore Ravi put on a steady batting performance against Multan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, scoring 280 for 5 on the first day of the fourth round. Their innings was built around captain Usman Salahuddin, who remained unbeaten on 125 at stumps. While most of the other batsmen wasted starts, wicketkeeper Mohammad Zohaib lent him fine support, with an unbeaten half-century. The pair will look to pile on the runs on day two.Badar Ali made a patient, unbeaten 98 to carry Quetta to 212 for 6 against Lahore Shalimar at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Apart from the opener, Ali, Lahore Shalimar made short work of Quetta’s top order. New-ball bowler Asif Raza, the pick of the Lahore Ravi bowlers on the day, made early inroads as Quetta was reduced to 85 for 5. But Taimur Khan, batting at No. 7, hit a half-century to bolster the score. He was out just prior to stumps, but Ali stayed firm and will look to push on, on Wednesday.United Bank Limited (UBL) had the better of the first day against hosts Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium. United Bank asked Peshawar to bat and then bowled them out for 260, before their openers, Ali Asad and Saeed Mutabbir, took them to 63 for 0 at stumps. That Peshawar managed to get past 250 was in main due to an unbeaten century from their captain Akbar Badshah. Badshah hit 103, a knock studded with 18 fours and a six. Most of the damage with the ball was done by fast bowlers Shabbir Ahmed and Tahir Mughal, who picked up eight wickets between them.

Rajasthan Royals backed up a strong batting performance from Adam Voges and Faiz Fazal with a disciplined bowling effort that choked Kings XI Punjab after their top order had delivered a promising start

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya24-Mar-2010Rajasthan Royals 183 for 5 (Voges 45*, Fazal 45) beat Kings XI Punjab 152 (Bisla 35, Tait 3-22, Trivedi 2-25) by 31 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Adam Voges made another timely contribution at the end of the Rajasthan innings•Indian Premier League

Rajasthan Royals backed up a strong batting performance from Adam Voges and Faiz Fazal with a disciplined bowling effort that choked Kings XI Punjab after their top order had delivered a promising start. The 31-run win meant Rajasthan climbed to a joint-fourth position on the points table, leaving Punjab, who have lost four out of five games, at the bottom. A blistering cameo by Manvinder Bisla had raised Punjab’s hopes of scaling down a large target, but a combination of crafty bowling, agile fielding and some irresponsible batting crushed any possibility of a successful chase.Though the margin of defeat indicates a dominating show by Rajasthan, Punjab had their chances. Their bowlers managed to fight back after a strong start by the Rajasthan openers but faltered at the death in the wake of an assault from Voges and Fazal. Kumar Sangakkara and Bisla blazed away in their reply, racing to 76 in the first six overs, the highest score of the tournament after the Powerplay. But clever variations from seamers Siddharth Trivedi and Munaf Patel, and some uninspiring batting from the rest of the line-up, cut short what was gearing up to be a more exciting fixture.The conditions at the PCA Stadium in Mohali were conducive for fast bowling with the Punjab opening bowlers beating the outside edge on more than one occasion, and Shaun Tait doing the same during the chase. Tait, who had a poor start to the IPL, bowled a couple of excellent outswingers at Ravi Bopara but suffered an onslaught from Sangakkara, whose frequent hits to the boundary were as much a consequence of good fortune as the batsman’s conviction.A smattering of fours through cover was followed by an inside edge to fine leg before Tait, dropping one short, led the Punjab captain to upper-cut a catch straight to third man; but not before 41 had been scored in the first four overs.Bisla’s brazen aggression threatened to set Punjab on course, but also contributed to his downfall, a result of a well-executed strategy from Shane Warne. Bisla, who shot to limelight with a blazing 75 against Bangalore, tore into Munaf off just his second ball. Given the restrictions, he had figured out his scoring areas, and proceeded to take 18 off the fifth over, including two fours and six through the leg side. Warne, too, suffered a similar fate, smashed for 10 in two balls but Bisla’s ploy to strike against the turn cost him. Anticipating a slog, Warne had a deep midwicket in place, flighted the ball, Bisla obliged and holed out.Yuvraj Singh had returned to form in a thrilling chase against Chennai, and looked to continue that when he smacked a straight six off Warne. But his ill-executed shot off Trivedi, having been dropped two balls earlier, marked the beginning of a dismal collapse that squandered a healthy position of 107 for 2 in the 11th over.Both Munaf and Trivedi frequently took the pace off the ball which the Punjab batsmen, including Yuvraj and Bopara, failed to read. When Irfan Pathan was run-out brilliantly by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala in the 13th over, and Mohammad Kaif trapped in front by Yusuf Pathan 11 balls later, Punjab had lost four batsmen for 19 runs in 23 balls. Rajasthan had virtually sealed the game, and were met with little resistance when running through the rest of the batting.Just as in their batting, Punjab had slipped up with the ball when the game had been on even terms. They had the better of the conditions after choosing to field, but Sreesanth, Shalabh Srivastava and Irfan struggled for control with the ball moving around. Short balls were dispatched through point by the openers Michael Lumb and Naman Ojha, while full deliveries were picked up with ease over the leg-side field.Lumb had a woeful start to the tournament, but played with confidence, matching his aggressive partner Ojha stroke for stroke. However, Punjab struck to remove the openers within the first eight overs and earned the big scalp of Yusuf Pathan, caught off a slower one with seven overs still to go.But the stage was set for yet another turn in the game, as the Punjab bowlers failed to measure up to improvisations from Voges. He found the boundary with ease, piercing the gaps, following a well laid-out plan. Joining Fazal, Voges had marked his scoring areas. The spaces on either side, between long-on and deep midwicket and long-off and deep extra cover, were exploited, as Yuvraj, Piyush Chawla and Irfan were taken for two fours and a six in consecutive overs.Fazal, too, began fluently but ceded the floor to Yusuf and then Voges before opening up. He seized on length deliveries to dispatch four boundaries in successive overs off Irfan and Rusty Theron in the death overs; his 60-run stand with Voges, off 37 balls, gave Rajasthan a formidable total, one that thwarted Sangakkara’s plans at the toss to limit them to under 150 and handed their team another morale-boosting win.

Spinners Crane and Imad complete 40-run victory in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Jun-2025Half-centuries from 21-year-olds Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe propelled Glamorgan to a 40-run Vitality Blast South Group win over Gloucestershire at Bristol, leaving the trophy holders without a victory in five matches.The visitors posted 189 for six after winning the toss, Kellaway hitting a career-best 53 and Tribe a scintillating 63 not out off 28 balls, with five sixes and five fours. Ajeet Singh Dale claimed three for 17 from four overs.In reply, Gloucestershire stumbled to 149 for nine, Cameron Bancroft making 52 and D’Arcy Short 34. Leg-spinner Mason Crane finished with a career-best four for 20 as the Welsh county secured a fourth group success.Batting at number three, Kellaway found himself facing only the third ball of the game after Will Smale had been bowled by David Payne. It was 27 for two in the fourth over when Kiran Carlson miscued a pull shot off Singh Dale to be pouched at mid-wicket.Kellaway had still moved to 34 by the time the six-over powerplay ended with his side 48 for two. Colin Ingram increased the scoring rate with a straight six off Short’s first delivery and claimed another maximum by smacking Tom Smith over long-off.A pulled six took Kellaway to his maiden T20 fifty off 30 balls, with nine fours, but he fell in the next over advancing down the pitch to off-spinner Ollie Price to present wicketkeeper Bancroft with a simple stumping and Ingram went for 38, taken at fine-leg off Singh Dale.Chris Cooke and Dan Douthwaite fell cheaply, the former superbly caught one-handed by Price at long-on. But Tribe ensured Glamorgan of a competitive total with a late blitz that saw 22 come off the 19th over, bowled by Smith and a further 19 off the last, sent down by Payne.Glamorgan opted to take pace off the ball as early as the second over of Gloucestershire’s reply, delivered by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim. Bancroft got the scoreboard ticking with a four and a six off the first two balls of the third over, bowled by Timm van der Gugten.Miles Hammond fell for a ten-ball duck, sweeping a catch to deep mid-wicket off Imad, and by the end of the powerplay Gloucestershire were anchored on 30 for one. Bancroft and Short put together a stand of 63 without ever cutting loose and when Short top-edged a sweep off Crane to be caught at short fine leg the hosts were 76 for two in the 12th over.Price fell lbw to a full delivery from Crane and Jack Taylor was caught at fine leg by Ingram off Ned Leonard before Ben Charlesworth suffered a second successive first ball duck when driving a catch to long-off to give Crane his third wicket.Bancroft had taken 43 balls over his half-century and when he top- edged a reverse sweep of Crane to be caught at short fine-leg the outcome was beyond doubt, despite a late assault by Graeme van Burren, which brought him 32 runs off 14 balls.