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The agenda for the BCCI’s annual general meeting could attract the ire of the Lodha Committee

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Sep-2016On September 21 the BCCI will conduct its 87th annual general meeting in Mumbai; a routine affair, according to its various officials. What the board considers routine, however, differs significantly from what the Lodha Committee, which has been tasked with reforming the BCCI by the Supreme Court, considers routine.In August, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke had met with the Lodha Committee and said the AGM would concern only routine business. On August 31, however, in an email to BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri, the Lodha Committee spokesperson said the AGM should be limited to “routine business concerning the past year (2015-16)” and that “any business or matters relating to the next year (2016-17)” be dealt with only after the BCCI implements the Committee’s recommendations.

Issues on the BCCI’s AGM agenda

• Adoption of the annual budget for 2016-17

• Appointment of auditors for FY 2016-17

• Election for the post of board secretary

• Election of working committee, standing committee, special committees for 2016-17

• Appointment of an ombudsman

On the agenda for the BCCI’s AGM, though, is the election for board secretary, the picking of the selection committee, adding new members to the board’s working committee, electing standing committees, choosing a new ombudsman, nominating a representative to attend ICC and Asian Cricket Council meetings, approving the budget for the next calendar year, and appointing auditors for the next financial year.The above might be routine AGM agenda for the BCCI but, according to the Lodha Committee, unless the board adopts the new Memorandum of Association and Rules, any appointments could be considered contempt of court. It is understood that if the BCCI makes any appointments – a person or a committee – for the future, the Lodha Committee will do everything within its power to remove them.The Committee has repeatedly reminded the BCCI of the powers vested in it by the Supreme Court order on July 18, and if the board and state associations fail to comply, the panel can approach the court again.The BCCI appears to be in a defiant mood, though. Having issued an advertisement last week inviting applications for selectors in the men’s, women’s and junior committees, a round of interviews was held in Delhi on Monday, and another is scheduled in Mumbai on Tuesday.At the AGM, the BCCI will select five new members to be part of its next working committee according to the zonal rotation system, and also appoint a new ombudsman because the tenure of Justice AP Shah ends on September 22. Shirke is also likely to be elected unopposed as BCCI secretary, though the board said it was accepting nominations until Tuesday. The election for secretary was necessitated because Shirke had been nominated to the post when Anurag Thakur took over as BCCI president in May, after Shashank Manohar had left to become the ICC chairman.All this is likely to draw the ire of the Lodha Committee. Shortly after the Supreme Court had approved most of its recommendations for the overhaul of the governance structure of the BCCI and its state associations, the Lodha Committee had given deadlines to the BCCI to implement the reforms in two sets.The first deadline is September 30, by when the BCCI and state associations need to amend their constitutions and adopt the new Memorandum of Association and Rules. The second is December 15, by when the board must hold elections to form a nine-member Apex Council to replace the working committee and hold its AGM.The BCCI’s defiance is backed by legal counsel from Justice Markandey Katju, a former Supreme Court judge. Katju was appointed by the board to advise how it should view the Supreme Court judgement that directed the board to adopt the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. His report called the committee “unconstitutional and illegal”. The BCCI then filed a petition seeking a review of the Court’s order of July 18.Katju said there was nothing wrong with the BCCI conducting the AGM. According to him, the BCCI was governed by the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 and only the Registrar could take action against the BCCI, not a court-appointed committee. “It is well settled in law that the court cannot take over or usurp the functions of a statutory authority,” Katju had said in his report, and reiterated the same on Monday.Most state associations are also not too concerned. When asked whether there was anxiety over the approaching deadlines set by the Lodha Committee, a BCCI office-bearer, who also is a high-ranked official at a state association, said: “The BCCI has told all the state associations to follow their directives. No state association is party to the dispute. How come any recommendation is applicable to the state association?”Another state association official said: “The Lodha Committee cannot interfere with every step we take. Asking us is also overstepping their brief. The state associations’ parent body is BCCI. Whatever directions the BCCI gives us we will follow.”When asked whether there had been any directive from the BCCI, he said: “Nothing.”If anything, the Lodha Committee’s directives seem to have brought the BCCI together. Shirke travelled to Chennai last month to meet former BCCI president N Srinivasan, under whom Shirke had served as treasurer before stepping down during the 2013 IPL corruption scandal.The state official said that after Manohar’s departure to the ICC and the death of Jagmohan Dalmiya there were not many experienced hands for the BCCI to call on. “They want his advice, his support,” the official said. “Srinivasan will side with the BCCI, not Lodha.”A BCCI official said the AGM had been called “as per the existing rules and regulations of the board”. When asked about the Lodha Committee’s warning, he said: “We keep reading about that in the newspapers.”

Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey and Alex Ross all made attractive fifties as South Australia progressed to 8 for 325 at stumps on the first day of the Sheffield Shield final against Victoria

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Adelaide26-Mar-2016
ScorecardAlex Ross made an attractive 72 off 108 balls•Getty Images

A banner under the scoreboard at Glenelg Oval proclaimed day one of the Sheffield Shield final to be “Chadd Sayers’ Bucks Show”. If the groom-to-be Sayers was not in the centre of the action all day, he did find himself handcuffed to the crease by Victoria at stumps, as South Australia fought for a defensible total to underpin their bid for a first Shield in 20 years.True to the hope both sides had for playing an entertaining showpiece match to end the competition, SA did anything but drop anchor upon gaining the chance to bat first. Their approach was daring as ever, racing along at better than four an over for long periods, and affording chances to Victoria’s bowlers. It made for a fine day’s watching, well deserved by a bountiful Adelaide crowd of 4,204.The youthful trio of Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey and Alex Ross all played attractive innings to offset the squandered starts made by Travis Head and Jake Lehmann, the state’s two most prolific batsmen this season. A lack of hundreds will grate with the coach Jamie Siddons, but Sayers was able to ensure SA would have some more batting to do on Easter Sunday.

‘Bowlers know how to take wickets here’

Alex Ross believes South Australia’s bowlers will make life difficult for Victoria, after the hosts reached 8 for 325 on day one of the Sheffield Shield final. Several SA batsmen got out playing their shots even though the side need only a draw to claim the title, and Ross said the likes of Chadd Sayers would be difficult to handle on a pitch he expected to go up and down later in the match.
“We know Glenelg generally goes lower towards the end of the game,” he said. “So our meds know how to bowl and how to take wickets here. Our bowlers have been awesome all season, they’ve bowled teams out which is why we’re in the final, and that’s the way we’ve batted all season.”
A crowd of 4,204 made its presence felt, and Ross said some barrackers raised the ire of the visitors. “Awesome, very parochial and the boys could hear it out there,” he said. “I think a few of their boys were getting a bit upset with the hometown support, but they were great and hopefully turn out for the rest of the four days.”

On a generally friendly surface for batsmen, Victoria’s bowlers toiled sensibly, led by the allrounder Dan Christian and the left-arm spinner Jon Holland. Having been a fringe player for much of the season, Holland’s dip and spin were striking, leaving Fawad Ahmed to be used minimally despite evidence of turn. Victoria will be eager to roll up the SA tail on day two before setting in at the crease, with the goal of letting Holland and Fawad dictate terms whenever the hosts bat again.As flagged by the SA high performance chief Tim Nielsen, the pitch had been shaved of much of the grass seen during the previous match against Tasmania, and the Bushrangers went in with the dual spin of Holland and Fawad. In contrast, SA picked four seamers, but that did not stop Head from choosing to bat when he won an important toss.Little lateral movement was evident in the early overs, Chris Tremain and Scott Boland quickly settling on tight lines and hoping either for extra bounce or an lbw verdict. A couple of strangled appeals were all they could manage with the new ball, as Weatherald moved swiftly into stride while Cosgrove dug in.Playing only his fourth first-class match, the left-handed Weatherald unfurled a succession of sweet drives through through the point and cover regions, much to the delight of a partisan contingent that swelled rapidly into what must have been the largest Shield attendance of the summer. Weatherald’s score mounted as lunch neared, and he seemed almost to be carried away with his own momentum when he followed a ball from Christian and edged behind. Even so, SA were content at lunch.Cosgrove’s has been a season of starts, and he began as though determined to be there at stumps. But he seemed to be discomforted by a leg-muscle twinge soon after the interval, and on 42 was pinned, flat-footed in front of his stumps by Tremain. Head announced his arrival by swatting Tremain brazenly into the crowd on the grandstand side of the ground, while Sam Raphael assumed the Cosgrove role.Christian and Holland, however, then turned the afternoon Victoria’s way. Working the ball across Head, Christian coached a dabble that was well held low down by Cameron White at second slip. Holland had tied down Raphael, and was rewarded when the No. 3 played over the top of a well-flighted ball on leg stump to be bowled. Holland found a better delivery for Lehmann, zipping one between bat and pad out of the vestigial day one rough to leave SA precariously placed.Ross and Carey were thus brought together under considerable pressure, but were clearly resolved not to show it. Carey moved off nought by smiting Holland over midwicket for six, and the partnership was soon rattling along at a similar rate to Weatherald’s earlier. The pair raised a hundred stand in 123 balls, with Ross showing a wider stroke range than the myriad sweeps he has been known for.Just as SA began thinking about battling the second new ball, Holland struck again, tempting Carey to swing for the midwicket fence and instead managing to pick out Peter Handscomb in the deep. That opened up the bowlers, and a sparingly-used Fawad spun a legbreak across a crease-bound Joe Mennie for Matthew Wade to take a decent catch up to the stumps.Left with 9, 10 and 11 for company, Ross pared back some of his previous aggression, and let Sayers do much of the scoring in the day’s final hour. Boland took the second new ball with four of the day’s 90 overs remaining and found a way past Ross before stumps were drawn, leaving Sayers and Daniel Worrall to make the best of it in the morning.

Ben Dunk struck his maiden first-class century as Tasmania dominated the opening day of their Sheffield Shield game against Queensland in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Ben Dunk struck 15 fours in his 129•Getty Images

Ben Dunk struck his maiden first-class century as Tasmania dominated the opening day of their Sheffield Shield game against Queensland in Hobart. Dunk hit 15 fours in his innings and remained unbeaten with a solid 129 off 288 balls. Alex Doolan and George Bailey also contributed with fifties to help Tasmamia end the day at 3 for 278.After electing to bat, Tasmania lost Dom Michael for a duck in the second over off the bowling of Peter George before Doolan and Dunk combined with a patient 182-run stand.Mark Steketee then brought Queensland back into the game with wickets in successive overs, first having Doolan caught behind for 90 and then removing Jake Doran as Tasmania lost their ascendancy to slip to 3 for 183.Bailey, however, produced a counter-attacking 53* – that included eight fours and a six – to ensure that Tasmania ended the day with no further losses.

Zimbabwe believe there is enough time in the game to win and are, hence, willing to forego the helpful early morning bowling conditions they might enjoy by declaring overnight

Firdose Moonda in Harare19-Apr-2013Zimbabwe believe there is enough time in the game to win and are, hence, willing to forego the helpful early morning bowling conditions they might enjoy by declaring overnight.They are holding out solely for Brendan Taylor’s second century of the match, which will put him level with Andy and Grant Flower as the only Zimbabweans to score a hundred in each innings of a Test. “There are still two days to go, so hopefully Brendan gets his milestone and then we can put them straight in,” Kyle Jarvis said.Although the first three days have proved batting is most difficult early on, Zimbabwe feel they need not rely on that to trigger a collapse similar to what they achieved in the first innings. Jarvis and Shingi Masakadza, who took four wickets each, are confident the surface will retain its “up-and-down,” tendencies, as Robiul Islam put it, and it will be up to them to exploit it.”Yesterday, we tried to do too much when the wicket could do it for us,” Jarvis said. “There wasn’t a huge change in the wicket, just a change in our lengths today.” Jarvis was guilty of bowling too full and the whole attack offered width to Bangladesh’s line-up, despite the knowledge that the opposition batsmen enjoy playing expansively.When they cut out the run-scoring opportunities and put pressure on Bangladesh, they had success. Masakadza said he “definitely,” felt as though it was just a waiting game and that he knew if Zimbabwe were willing to ride it out for longer than Bangladesh, wickets would fall. “You have to try and be patient, which we didn’t do so well last night,” Masakadza said. “They looked like they wanted to play their shots so when you get that jaffa, or that one with the extra bounce, it can take the edge.”By cramping Bangladesh’s batsmen for room, Zimbabwe’s bowlers forced them into errors, like Ashraful’s mistimed pull and Mahmudullah’s inside-edge. That left the tail for Jarvis, who has developed into a go-to man. “I have a lot more experience now than I had before,” Jarvis said. “I see myself as a bit of a leader of the bowling group, so I guess there’s a little bit more pressure on me as well.”That’s not nearly as much as the pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen, who will need to achieve a world-record chase to win the match and will need to bat for at least five sessions to draw. Robiul, who single-handedly brought them back into the game, found a way to see the positive side in that. “If we can get Zimbabwe out in the first hour and the lead will be something like 480, with one-and-a-half days of batting, it’s still possible,” Robiul said.It’s that length of time that Zimbabwe believe gives them the advantage, because even though it’s long enough for runs to be scored, the tale of the first innings suggests differently. Its evidence suggests that the bowlers, if they continue to frustrate their opposition, are likely to evoke a rash response which will result in wickets.When Zimbabwe did the same thing, they also wobbled in their second innings. The best way to approach batting on this pitch is the way Zimbabwe did in the first innings and the way Taylor, in particular, has gone about his work. He displayed the Test match temperament required to excel at this level. “He has survived, even though we bowled well, which our batsmen didn’t manage to do,” Robiul conceded. “It’s going to be difficult for us but it is still possible.”

Ricky Ponting is not afraid of failing in his attempt to go to England for a final tilt at the Ashes in 2013, and has made it clear that he will go on playing Test cricket for Australia for as long as he possibly can

Daniel Brettig21-Feb-2012Ricky Ponting is not afraid of failing in his attempt to go to England for a final tilt at the Ashes in 2013, and has made it clear that he will go on playing Test cricket for Australia for as long as he possibly can.A summary dismissal from the ODI team has provided Ponting, 37, with the sharp reminder that he will have to perform or perish. But he gave every indication he would go on in Test cricket for as long as possible, even if it meant the end may come in similar circumstances to those Ponting found himself in at the SCG, answering questions the day after the national selector John Inverarity’s phone call.”I’ve always been of the belief that I don’t mind people trying things and failing. That’s the way I’m looking at it as well,” Ponting said. “I tried my best over the last five games to be the best player I could be and to win games of cricket for Australia, unfortunately I couldn’t do that and I failed, and I’ve been dropped from the one-day side.”To tell the honest truth I didn’t really see this coming either, I had no communication from the selectors that it might’ve happened through this series, but it’s my job as an international batsman to score runs and I haven’t done that in the last few games.”Only if it ends badly [can I be too proud], but I’m backing myself to finish the game and finish my career on a high, I don’t want to finish on a low, and I’ll make the right decision at the right time, there’s no doubt about that.”It’d be great to get back to the Ashes. If I’m a good enough player to do that then it’d be great to go back there one more time and hopefully have a few better memories of England than what I’ve had the last couple of tours. Everybody is [after redemption], as far as Ashes cricket is concerned.”Ponting faced his first day as a Test-match-only concern with typical frankness and a level outlook. He said he had not considered retirement from the game upon losing his ODI place, but had pondered how he might manage his time now that he will not have the benefit of limited-overs series to keep him sharp between Test assignments.There is the chance that fewer international matches will keep Ponting fresher and more focused for those he does play, leaving him more time to spend with a young family, while also helping to mentor the next generation in the Sheffield Shield.”It could do that [prolong my Test career], there’s two ways you can look at that,” Ponting said. “Am I better off having momentum behind me with playing more cricket, and scoring runs on a consistent basis, or am I better off getting away for a long period of time, freshening up, training hard, getting my game in good shape and playing.”I won’t know that until the start of next summer if I make it that far. I won’t have a long break now as I have a couple of Shield games to play, there’ll be a week after the Shield final, hopefully Tasmania can make the Shield final then I’ll have a week at home, then the West Indies and we’re straight into a tour game and Test matches there. Post-West Indies when there’s a big break between then and November, that’ll be a test of how I manage my time.”The thing I thought about most yesterday was how I was going to manage my time and to be well prepared to play every Test match that I play for the remainder of my career. Obviously now with no more one day international cricket that becomes a little bit more difficult for me, but there are other players around Australia at the moment that play Test match cricket only. I’ve seen it in the past with Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, David Boon and those guys when they retired from one day cricket, they managed to play Test match cricket only and play it well.”Though he had not been told explicitly by Inverarity that he was close to being dropped ahead of the event, Ponting said he bore no ill will towards the selectors for how they had handled his ODI exit, and praised the panel for its approach this summer.”I think the selectors are doing a great job around the team at the moment,” Ponting said. “They’ve brought in some younger, fresher faces which I think was needed. They’ve had the courage I guess to try some of those guys who might not necessarily have been the best performed players around state cricket as well. As far as selection is concerned, the players are always their only selector. If you’re a batsman and you’re scoring runs you’re going to be in the side, if you’re not scoring runs then you’re a chance to be left out.”As the only man to have played in more than 100 Test match victories, Ponting’s thirst for such moments is unrivalled. He will now spend time in Shield cricket before the West Indies tour, adding to the Tasmanian dressing room what has just been lost to Australia’s.”I’ve done my best to make sure that every young player that comes into the team has a great understanding of what it means to play cricket for Australia and what levels they have to get to physically and mentally to be good international players,” Ponting said. “I think a few of the guys we had come into the set-up in the one day series this year were quite shocked and surprised about how hard we work around the team and how fit you need to be to be a part of the Australian side. Now I’m not there, some of the more experienced guys have got to start passing those traditions down to the younger blokes.”I’ve always been a traditionalist, I’ve loved every opportunity I’ve had to play cricket for Australia, whether it be one day cricket, Twenty20 or Test cricket. All I’ve got left is Test cricket and I want to make every post a winner with that, and make sure that every time I have a chance to play for Australia I’m the best prepared I can be and I enjoy every moment.”

England romp to first Test victory for ten years as wheels come off for SA in second innings

Firdose Moonda17-Dec-2024England 395 for 9 dec and 236 (Knight 90, Mlaba 6-67) beat South Africa 281 (Wolvaardt 65, Kapp 57, Luus 56, Bell 4-49) and 64 (Bell 4-27, Ecclestone 2-7) by 286 runsEngland have won their first Test in 10 years and as many matches by beating South Africa by 286 runs in Bloemfontein. They dismissed South Africa for 64 in their second innings, their lowest Test total after setting them a target of 351.Lauren Bell, who registered a career-best 4 for 49 in the first innings, rewrote her own record and picked up 4 for 27 to finish with a player-of-the-match haul of 8 for 76. Lauren Filer and Sophie Ecclestone were also among the wickets as England bowled South Africa out in 19.4 overs to win inside three days.South Africa’s dismal batting overshadowed the good work they’d done with the ball, particularly the performance of left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba. She became the first South African to take 10 wickets in a women’s Test and is now South Africa’s second-leading wicket-taker in the format. South Africa may have time to reflect on that once the dust has settled on their massive defeat. Theirs was the third-largest by runs in women’s Tests.England’s win was set up by a captain’s knock from Heather Knight, who scored her sixth Test half-century. She fell 10 short of a third hundred as she anchored an England innings in which most of the middle-order got starts but only she converted. Her most profitable partnership was a third-wicket stand of 67 with Nat Sciver-Brunt which was three runs more than South Africa’s second-innings total. They had only one partnership worth 20 and six in single figures, while only ten batters made it to the middle after Ayanda Hlubi was ruled out of the match with a torn hip flexor.By the time she would have been needed, all the damage was done. South Africa lost their openers in the 5.2 overs they faced before tea, both lbw. Laura Wolvaardt was caught on the back foot by a delivery that seamed in from Bell and, after being on the receiving end of a poor first-innings dismissal, she could not complain about this one.Anneke Bosch had slightly more reason to be unhappy. She was given out to Filer, to one that kept low and could have been missing leg. But the biggest talking point took place after the break when Bell appealed for a catch off Annerie Dercksen at short leg. It was not immediately given out and the umpires referred, despite the explicit absence of DRS for this contest, before Dercksen was sent on her way.Bell continued to find movement and bowled Sune Luus through the gate. Nadine de Klerk was run out for a pair, and when Chloe Tryon was lbw to an Ecclestone arm-ball, also for a duck, England were into the tail. South Africa’s starts with Sinalo Jafta at No.8 and she too went without scoring, pinned on the pads by Bell’s inswinger, to leave the innings in tatters at 44 for 7. Three overs later, Marizanne Kapp, their last remaining batter, was wonderfully scooped up by Beaumont at silly point without addition, and the end came quickly.Earlier, South Africa would have been fairly pleased with their work with ball in hand. De Klerk and Tumi Sekhukhune started well and were disciplined upfront. They gave away only 12 runs in the first six overs, with Sekhukhune removing Beaumont for 12, lbw to an inswinger. On this occasion, the absence of DRS proved no problem as she looked out, and was given.Nonkululeko Mlaba claimed the first ten-for by a South African in women’s Tests•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Sekhukhune was replaced by Dercksen, but then South Africa went for double spin with Mlaba at one end and Tryon at the other. Given the turn on offer and amount Mlaba gets, she was expected to be a threat and should have had a wicket in her fourth over when Sciver-Brunt edged as she lunged forward to block but Jafta could not hold on to the chance. Sciver-Brunt, on 19 at the time, went on to hit Mlaba for three fours in the over and the floodgates opened.Mlaba got Sciver-Brunt when she chopped on after a delivery kept low, but that only brought Danni Wyatt-Hodge to the crease, with her penchant for finding runs behind square on the off side. She rattled along to a run-a-ball 23, before slicing Sekhukhune to the fielder at deep third. Amy Jones then partnered Knight, who had reached her fifty off 99 balls, to lunch, to end a successful session. Despite England’s slow start to the morning session, they scored a total of 136 runs in the 27 overs bowled before lunch, at a rate of just over five runs to the over.Mlaba switched ends post lunch and had success from the Willows End. Amy Jones got a leading edge to Wolvaardt in the covers, minutes before it was announced that the South African skipper had earned a demerit point for expressing “excessive disappointment” when she was given out lbw in the first innings.She had reason to keep being pleased in the field though. Mlaba picked up a third when Charlie Dean flicked her to short mid-wicket, and though Knight moved into the 80s with a strong sweep off Sune Luus, that shot would prove her undoing. One over after Sophie Ecclestone had fallen in the same fashion to Mlaba, Knight was beaten by a ball that turned into her and struck her on the pad. Of course, she could not review.Ryana MacDonald-Gay was bowled through the bat-pad gap to become Mlaba’s 10th wicket. England’s innings ended with half an hour to go before the tea break. They only needed 69 minutes after that interval to end the match.

A collective effort by their bowlers limited Lyca Kovai Kings, in their third straight final, to 129 for 7

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2024A 46-ball 52 from R Ashwin at No. 3 following a collective bowling effort helped Dindigul Dragons to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title. It was Ashwin’s third successive fifty in TNPL 2024.Lyca Kovai Kings, in their third straight final, were restricted to 129 for 7 – thanks to two-wicket hauls from Sandeep Warrier, Varun Chakravarthy and P Vignesh each – with Dragons overhauling it with six wickets and ten balls to spare at Chepauk. Ashwin also contributed with four stingy overs for just 13 runs.After being inserted, Kings raced away to 48 for 1 in five overs. But Varun struck twice in two balls in the final over of the powerplay to get rid of S Sujay (22 off 12) and U Mukilesh. B Sai Sudharsan, who scored an unbeaten 123 in the Qualifier 1, soon cut a short and wide one straight to backward point to leave Kings in tatters at 51 for 4.R Ashwin struck his third successive half-century in the TNPL•TNPL

Atheeq Ur Rahman and Ram Arvindh then stitched a 36-run stand in 28 balls. But once that partnership was broken by Suboth Bhati, Kings run-rate took a hit. M Shahrukh Khan, Kings’ captain, also had an off day and that culminated in an abject finish to the innings.The start to Dragons’ 130-run chase was a bit frantic, with both the openers being dismissed in 15 balls. But Ashwin and B Indrajith (32 off 35) brought a sense of calmness. Ashwin hit one four and three sixes in his stay. They added a run-a-ball 65 for the third wicket to all but seal the chase. One that was completed swiftly in the end, thanks to Sarath Kumar’s 15-ball 27 with two fours and as many sixes.While Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his innings, Shahrukh took the series honours for his all-round efforts: 225 runs at a strike rate of 182.92 – easily the best among the top run-scorers in TNPL 2024 – and 13 wickets, second to only M Poiyamozhi’s 16.

Capsey hit seven boundaries in her 48-ball knock

ECB Media28-Jul-2024England star Alice Capsey followed up her opening-day 51 with a well-made 59 as Oval Invincibles defeated Welsh Fire by six wickets at Cardiff.Capsey hit seven boundaries in her 48-ball knock before she was brilliantly caught at long-on by Hayley Matthews off Freya Davies with 27 runs still required.All-rounders Marizanne Kapp (26*) and Mady Villiers (11*) then took the reins to extinguish any Welsh Fire hopes, guiding Invincibles home with 12 balls to spare.The Invincibles’ chase got off to a far from ideal start as they lost Lauren Winfield-Hill on the second ball of the innings, caught at cover by Tammy Beaumont off Shabnim Ismail for a duck.Paige Schofield (11) and Capsey didn’t let this early loss faze them, playing fluently to move the score along to 37 for 1 after 20 balls, the latter crucially being dropped at long-on by Ismail off Jess Jonassen two runs later.Capsey overturned an lbw decision on 43 off the bowling of Jonassen and went on to bring up her fifty from 42 balls.Welsh Fire won the toss and elected to bat, losing Beaumont for four to the eighth ball of the innings, an outswinger from Kapp which drew an edge behind to Winfield-Hill.After 25 balls, Welsh Fire had laboured to 17 for 1 and they soon found themselves 20 for 2 when Amanda-Jade Wellington struck first ball to remove the dangerous Matthews for just 6, caught brilliantly by Kapp running in from the cover boundary.Sophia Dunkley made 35 from 26 balls before skying Wellington to Ryana MacDonald-Gay at long-on and Jonassen, who took over Dunkley’s role as aggressor, played enterprisingly for 32 not out from 22 balls as Welsh Fire closed their innings on a below-par 116 for 5.Meerkat Match Hero Capsey, said: “Pace on was really nice, so capitalising on that up the top in the powerplay. When it got a bit harder, they were bowling really well with change-ups and bowling a bit slower, me and Kappy built a partnership and knew the longer it went on, the easier it would get for the others coming in at the back end.”I’ve been feeling in really good nick but I think the most pleasing thing for me is my calmness. I think last year I was a bit frantic. So, it’s nice to be back in this space where I can contribute to team wins.”

A round-up from the latest WBBL action as the two Sydney teams secure victory

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2020Heather Knight produced another fine display as the Thunder maintained their strong start to the competition. Knight made her second half-century of the tournament, adding 108 with captain Rachael Haynes who top-scored with 61, then claimed two wickets as the Scorchers lost their way against spin. The Thunder were on the back foot early as they slipped to 3 for 22 inside the Powerplay – which was interrupted briefly by a fire alarm at the ground – but the Knight-Haynes axis again showed its experience as they firstly rebuilt and then started to accelerate. Both players were given a life – Knight on 32 and Haynes on 14 – and from 3 for 52 after 10 overs the Thunder added 92 in the second half of the innings, which included 18 off Sophie Devine’s second over and 15 off Taneale Peschel’s last which dented her previously excellent figures. Left-arm spinner Sam Bates again impressed, removing Devine in the fourth over, but comparatively the Scorchers were solidly placed at 2 for 68 in the 11th over. However, Nicole Bolton found deep midwicket then Knight struck twice in three balls which left too much on Beth Mooney’s shoulders and the game was done when she missed a slower-ball yorker from Sammy-Jo Johnson. Bates closed out her four overs with two wickets in two balls to take her tournament tally to seven.Ellyse Perry put in a wonderful all-round performance, including her best WBBL bowling figures, as the Sixers made it a Sydney double at the top of the table. At the outset it appeared the Sixers would set a steep target as Alyssa Healy made a rapid start. When she was caught behind, Ash Gardner continued the hitting but she fell to Jess Jonassen, but scoring became harder work after the Powerplay and the innings was set back when Jonassen report Marizanne Kapp and Erin Burns in consecutive deliveries. Perry did not get out of second gear during her half-century and it was with the ball, as she bowled her four overs straight through, where she decided the game. The Heat paid the price for poor shot selection as the top three all swiped across the line. When Grace Harris glanced down the leg side, they were 4 for 17. Jonassen briefly threatened but she was smartly stumped and the innings fell away to for 9 for 80 before some late defiance from Nadine de Klerk who suggested she may be worth a spot higher up the order.

The fast bowler has moved seven places to No. 3, a position he last occupied in August 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jul-2020Stuart Broad enjoyed a hugely memorable Test match as England sealed a 2-1 series win over West Indies at Old Trafford. He picked up a 10-wicket match haul, the Player-of-the-Match award, and along the way his 500th Test wicket as well.That performance has also catapulted Broad seven places on the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, up to No. 3 – a position he last occupied nearly four years ago, in August 2016.Broad is the lone England bowler in the top ten, behind Australia’s Pat Cummins and sandwiched between the New Zealand pair of Neil Wagner (No. 2) and Tim Southee (No. 4). West Indies captain Jason Holder, who took 10 wickets in the three Tests against England at an average of 30.10, completes the top five.Other big movers in the ICC rankings after the England-West Indies series are Rory Burns, who has moved up 13 spots in the Test batting rankings to No. 17, and Ollie Pope, who has gone up 24 places to No. 46.