Josh Bohannon 175 piles pressure on bottom club Northamptonshire

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Lancashire push into 160-run lead after Bohannon and Balderson put on century stand

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2023Josh Bohannon indulged his liking for Northamptonshire’s bowlers yet again with an imperious century to put Lancashire in control of their LV= Insurance County Championship contest at Wantage Road.The 26-year-old hit 175, his highest knock of the season and a third successive hundred against Northamptonshire, becoming the second Division One player to pass 1000 runs this summer in the process.Bohannon batted almost the entire day, sharing a partnership of 150 with George Balderson – a Red Rose record against Northamptonshire – to guide the visitors to 392 for 7 in their first innings, a commanding lead of 160. Northamptonshire toiled resolutely in the heat for little reward, with seamer Jack White the pick of their bowlers with 3 for 79, but they face a battle to rescue the game on day three.Having steered his side to 54 for 2 the previous evening, nightwatchman Will Williams took an early boundary off Ben Sanderson before the Northamptonshire seamer removed him with a rising delivery he could only fend to second slip. At the other end, White found both movement and bounce, ensuring a difficult start for Williams’ replacement Phil Salt as a couple of balls zipped past the bat and another flew off his inside edge just past the stumps.Salt had more joy against Tom Taylor, who offered too much width and was punished with three boundaries in a single over – but Taylor eventually got his man when he top-edged a pull and Emilio Gay ran back from his position in the slips to gather the catch.Taylor was unlucky not to add a second wicket when his strong leg before appeal against Vilas, on 10, was turned down and the former Lancashire captain took advantage of that let-off to build a partnership of 92 with Bohannon. The pair also shared a comic moment when a Vilas boundary mistakenly prompted the announcement of his partner’s half-century on the ground’s PA system, with both batters removing their helmets in mock celebration.Bohannon’s actual fifty duly arrived when he glanced White for three in the next over and the Lancashire batter continued to look untroubled after lunch, aside from a rare lapse when he was fortunate to get away with carving Taylor between second and third slip.White raised the prospect of a slender first-innings lead for Northamptonshire, striking twice in three deliveries as Vilas chopped onto his leg stump for 37 before George Bell was pinned in front without scoring. But Bohannon remained unruffled at the other end, drilling Rob Keogh sweetly to the cover boundary to advance to 99 before cutting the next delivery, the 184th of his innings, for a significant single.He raised personal and team landmarks in style soon afterwards, crashing Keogh for six over long-on to move past 1000 runs for the season and lift Lancashire beyond the home side’s first-innings total of 232.Bohannon found a new ally in Balderson, who was quick to pounce on anything wide of off stump as the pair put together a century stand and extended the Red Rose advantage into three figures. A thumping cover drive off Sanderson scuttled over the rope to take Bohannon past 150 as he dominated the post-tea scoring, with Balderson adopting a more watchful approach en route to his half-century.Taylor finally separated the pair by having Bohannon caught behind off a bottom edge, but Balderson, who finished unbeaten on 83, ensured there was no respite for the home side as he and Tom Hartley added a further 53 by stumps.

Edwards praises work with 'childhood hero' Watson amid early-season surge

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The allrounder has claimed career-best figures in both the Shield and Marsh Cup and also shone with the bat

Andrew McGlashan13-Oct-2023New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards has begun this summer as one of the players in eye-catching form and he has praised the impact of pre-season work done with Shane Watson.Edwards has been particularly impactful with the ball, claiming career-best figures in both the Sheffield Shield (6 for 36) and Marsh Cup (4 for 38) against Queensland, while he has made scores of 92 and 87 across the two competitions to pick up where he finished last season which brought a career-best 138 against South Australia.Related

  • Bevan's coaching role with struggling NSW fails to happen

  • Watson and Bevan called in to revive New South Wales

  • Jack Edwards stars with the bat after six-wicket haul as NSW take charge

  • Sandhu, Richardson unlikely heroes as Queensland ambush NSW

  • Khawaja rested from Sheffield Shield under Cricket Australia workload management

Watson was brought into the NSW coaching set-up as a consultant alongside Michael Bevan, part of new structure under Greg Shipperd aimed at reviving the state’s fortunes after a winless Sheffield Shield campaign last season.Edwards has found the time with Watson, who has delved extensively into the mental side of the game, especially valuable and hopes to maintain the connection.”The one-on-one chats with Shane were fantastic for me on the mental side of the game,” he said. “A couple of things that I’d brought into my game at the end of last year and then was able to refine with him and just around bringing the best version of myself out on the field and being competitive. Having that competitive drive to win and getting into the contest.”I took a lot away from those conversations. It was also fantastic to just chat to him, he was a bit of a childhood hero of mine so it was nice to sit down and meet him.”The similarities to the beginning of his career had with where I’m at, juggling the responsibilities of being an allrounder and managing your body and the weight of expectation on yourself and all sorts of things. Hopefully I can stay in touch with him and keep picking his brain.” Edwards made his NSW debut in 2018, hitting a maiden one-day hundred against Queensland, and in the 2020-21 season was player of the match in the Marsh Cup final against Western Australia where he scored 108, but had not found the consistency to command a regular place.In recent months he has also worked closely with Jackson Bird who joined NSW from Tasmania this season having been part of the Sydney Sixers set-up and from the same grade club, Manly, as Edwards.”I do a lot of chatting with him and being able to work a little bit closer with him this pre-season has been nice,” he said. “Just the way he prepares for every training and game, he’s the ultimate professional. Even at the twilight of his career, he still does everything he can to get his body in the best place possible.”Then there’s just a few other things like wrist position and trying to maximise that. He’s someone who’s exploited that beautifully over the years. I just pick his brain on little things and controlling what I can to make the outcome as good as possible.”Edwards was particularly impressive from around the wicket to Queensland’s left-handers during the Shield match at Cricket Central, removing Bryce Street, Matt Renshaw, Jack Clayton and Usman Khawaja with that angle.”I’ve done it for quite a while had a bit of success, that’s probably my best mode of attack to left handers,” he said. “Watching how the game’s changed in recent years with [Stuart] Broad and guys going around the wicket, basically try and copy what they do. Seems to be working for me right now. If I can keep working on my stuff to the right-handers and have that option to the left-handers as well, it’s a nice combo.”However, despite Edwards’ impressive performances in the early rounds, NSW missed out on what should have been a victory in each format against Queensland with the visitors producing a superb rearguard through Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser in the Shield, then a thrilling final-wicket stand of 73 to steal the one-day game at North Sydney Oval.”Everyone’s passion to represent New South Wales is as high as ever and [to] try and make amends for what happened last year,” Edwards said. “I think everyone was a little bit embarrassed, so I think everyone’s hungry. We’re doing a lot of good things so hopefully some wins are coming soon.”

Rassie van der Dussen, Andile Phehlukwayo seal nervy chase for South Africa

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Coetzee and Maharaj restricted Afghanistan to 244 after Omarzai waged a lone fight with 97* earlier in the day

Sreshth Shah10-Nov-20231:57

Harmison: Gerald Coetzee’s character and attitude key for winning semi-final

A 62-ball partnership of 65 between Rassie van der Dussen and Andile Phehlukwayo shepherded South Africa to a win against Afghanistan in their last league-stage game of the 2023 ODI World Cup, ensuring they didn’t stutter in a tricky chase before their semi-final against Australia.Phehlukwayo came in as the No. 7 with South Africa needing 63 but with Afghanistan’s spinners then possessing the game’s momentum. Phehlukwayo finished the game with 6, 4, 6 to finish unbeaten on 39 while van der Dussen controlled the chase with his 95-ball 76*.In the afternoon, Gerald Coetzee (4-44) and Keshav Maharaj (2-25) had ensured Afghanistan could only make 244 in 50 overs. In fact, the target could’ve been much less had it not been for Azmatullah Omarzai’s unbeaten 97 that expertly held the crumbling Afghanistan innings together.Related

  • Mature Afghanistan leave with immense pride after statement World Cup campaign

  • Temba Bavuma hamstring injury gives South Africa cause for concern ahead of semi-final

“We fought right till the last moment”, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said after their defeat, and that summed up their bowling effort too. They came back superbly after South Africa’s openers put on 64 for the first wicket but Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s wicket of Temba Bavuma (23) and Mohammad Nabi’s wicket of Quinton de Kock (41) in quick succession applied pressure on South Africa.Led by Rashid Khan’s penetrative and troubling spell of 2 for 37, Afghanistan also picked off Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller without the trio doing much damage, and when Phehlukwayo – playing his first game of the World Cup – joined van der Dussen, it seemed like Afghanistan were one more wicket away from exposing the lower order. That didn’t happen, and South Africa brushed aside any lingering doubts about their chasing capabilities.For van der Dussen, the Player of the Match, his unbeaten innings of 76 was his fourth fifty-plus score of the World Cup. He walked in at 64 for 1, and clinically rotated the strike early on. In all, he scored 38 runs off singles and four off twos in his 95-ball innings – once every 2.26 deliveries.Rassie van der Dussen attempts a reverse sweep•AFP/Getty Images

That helped him stay on top of the Afghan spinners through the middle overs, and when Noor Ahmad or Mujeeb erred, he punished them to keep South Africa’s score moving. His stability at one end ensured South Africa were never behind in the game even when wickets fell regularly, and he was strong behind square, hitting five of his six fours between deep third and deep backward square leg.Earlier in the day, Afghanistan opted to bat first knowing they needed an improbably 438-run victory to move to fourth on the points table. The opening stand blossomed briefly, but two consecutive wicket-maiden overs bowled by Maharaj and Coetzee sent both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran back before the powerplay ended. Maharaj then prised out Shahidi to reduce Afghanistan to 45 for 3 and went on to produce a miserly spell of 2 for 25 that included 41 dots and no boundaries.Coetzee brought the fire through the middle overs, giving a strong account of himself through the early middle overs when Lungi Ngidi was out with a hamstring issue. He would also get Ibrahim Alikhil and Noor caught behind, and also dismissed Mujeeb with a short ball to finish with 4 for 44. Rabada went wicketless but only conceded 40 in 10 overs while Ngidi’s two wickets kept Afghanistan in check even though he was expensive at the death.Afghanistan’s wrecker-in-chief, especially when it came to Ngidi, was Omarzai, who walked in at 45 for 3, but held fort even as wickets tumbled alongside him. In the company of Rashid and Noor, he dragged Afghanistan from 116 for 6 to 204 for 8 before a late assault took him rapidly towards a century. A tidy Rabada over ensured he would fall three runs short, however his innings of seven fours and three sixes ensured Afghanistan had a score they could possibly defend, even if it wasn’t to be in the end.Afghanistan finish the World Cup with their heads held high, winning four games in nine, and very nearly winning a fifth. This is their best-ever World Cup performance and they have also secured their place in the 2025 Champions Trophy. They are confirmed at least sixth place on the table. South Africa now have a rematch of the 1999 semi-final awaiting them in Kolkata, and if they win there, they’ll be back in Ahmedabad for the final on November 19.

Masood's Pakistan out to buck history against high-flying Australia

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Pakistan pick two debutant quicks for the first Test while the home side will go in with Mitchell Marsh in the XI

Tristan Lavalette13-Dec-20234:32

What do Pakistan need to do to win in Australia?

Big picture: Pakistan usher in new era, Australia switch gears after WC win

For a generation of Australian cricket fans, they’ve only seen Pakistan’s Test team reduced to a punchline on their shores. The statistics are particularly macabre for Pakistan, who have lost 14 straight Tests in Australia dating back over two decades.Apart from the continual plunderings, Pakistan have also suffered several catastrophic defeats – namely Hobart ’99 and Sydney ’10 – that cemented their reputation in Australia as a highly combustible side.Expectations of Pakistan bucking history are low. They arrive for the series-opener in Perth with an unfancied line-up that some Australian cricket fans – those who only follow the sport in December and January – would not know bar a handful of players.Related

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  • Perth curator expects 'fast, hard, bouncy wicket' for first Australia vs Pakistan Test

  • The four big battles that could define Australia vs Pakistan

  • Messaging on shoes: Khawaja accepts ICC decision but will 'fight it'

  • Head named co-vice-captain as Australia look to 'future-proof' leadership stocks

But Pakistan are optimistic as they start a new era under captain Shan Masood, who has replaced Babar Azam. He is hoping to provide a steadying figure for an inexperienced Pakistan once again engulfed in off-field chaos.Masood has led by example with his shift to a more proactive approach at the crease as Pakistan successfully reverted to an aggressive brand during an impressive series win in Sri Lanka in July. Inevitably comparisons have been made to ‘Bazball’ although Pakistan’s commitment to the cause will be tested against an Australia team still basking in last month’s memorable World Cup triumph.A full-strength Australia will field nine players part of the World Cup-winning squad and welcome the return of frontline spinner Nathan Lyon from his calf injury that prematurely ended his Ashes campaign.

While they start hot favourites, Australia could be confronted with sluggishness after a taxing year as they turn their attention to Test cricket for the first time since the Ashes. Preparations for their players have varied; some opted for rest while others played a mixture of the T20I series against India, Sheffield Shield or BBL.There is a widespread sentiment that this Test season, which also sees a return of West Indies, is low-key ahead of blockbuster summers featuring India and England. But Australia will not only be striving to burnish their legacy, but to also claim valuable points and ignite their title defence of the World Test Championship – which Pakistan currently leads.The opener of the three-match series will be played amid a rebranded Perth Test – dubbed the ‘West Test’. The 60,000-capacity Optus Stadium is hosting its fourth Test match, but locals have never quite embraced Test cricket’s move from the famous WACA ground.An entertaining Test match – on a fast pitch resembling the characteristics of the WACA’s iconic surface – might just prove defining for a city where local fans have an uneasy relationship with the national team.

Form guide

Australia LDLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
PakistanWWDDL

In the spotlight: Shaheen Shah Afridi and Nathan Lyon

Pakistan’s unheralded attack has been largely written off over its ability to take 20 wickets. Their main hope of defying the odds rests with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose new ball swing bowling will be tasked with making early inroads. He enjoyed an entertaining battle with opener David Warner during the series in Pakistan early last year, while Shaheen has had considerable success against No. 3 Marnus Labuschagne having dismissed him five times in Test cricket.
Shaheen, who can ramp it up consistently around 145 kmph, has recently lost some zip and as a result the swing has been slightly less threatening. If he can rediscover his top pace, while controlling the swing, then Shaheen should be a handful for Australia’s batters.Can Shaheen Shah Afridi rediscover his top pace?•AFP/Getty Images

While it would be understandable for many of the Australian players to still feeling jaded, Nathan Lyon will be raring to go in his return. He took four wickets at 38 in three Shield matches in a gradual build-up as Lyon turns his attention to improving his record against Pakistan. Lyon has taken 45 wickets from 12 Tests against Pakistan at an average of 46.57 – his highest mark against any opponent. Pakistan’s promise to play aggressively indicates they will take him on, but Lyon has a terrific record on Optus Stadium with 22 wickets from three Tests. He is just four away from becoming the eighth bowler to reach 500 Test wickets and the third Australian after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Team news: Pakistan select debutant quicks in pace-heavy attack, Marsh over Green

Australia has made just one change from the fifth Ashes Test with Lyon replacing understudy Todd Murphy. Selectors stuck with incumbent allrounder Mitchell Marsh in favour of Cameron Green, who played in the Sheffield Shield for Western Australia and the Prime Minister’s XI match against Pakistan in a bid to win back his position.Australia XI: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodPakistan will be without legspinner Abrar Ahmed due to a leg injury, but they’ve overlooked left-armer Noman Ali. They have instead decided to punt with allrounder Salman Ali Afgha, whose offspin will be relied upon with Pakistan opting against selecting a frontline spinner. Veteran paceman Hasan Ali surprisingly won’t play with Pakistan picking debutant quicks Aamer Jamal and Khurram Shahzad. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed retains his position over Mohammad Rizwan, who averages almost 40 from 28 Tests.Pakistan XI: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Salman Ali Agha, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Aamer Jamal, 11 Khurram Shahzad

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was noticeably green on Tuesday with 10 millimetres of grass left on but head curator Isaac McDonald said more would be shaven off. After a sedate surface marked a bland match between Australia and West Indies last summer, every effort has been made for a spicier pitch to help market a fixture that has never quite taken off since Tests moved to Optus Stadium.McDonald has tipped a “hard, fast and bouncy” surface and he was confident it would not have notable cracks in the backend of the match. Warm weather around 30 degrees is forecast throughout the match, but conditions will be considerably milder than many previous Perth Test matches played in oppressive heat.

Stats and trivia

  • Pakistan’s last Test win in Australia was a 74-run victory at the SCG in December 1995. Their last Test in Perth was in December 2004 and they lost all five matches played at the WACA.
  • Babar Azam will play his 50th Test match and needs 228 runs to become the 12th Pakistan batter to reach 4000 runs.
  • Australia have a perfect record at Optus Stadium having beaten India, New Zealand and West Indies in the three Tests played at the ground.
  • Travis Head is 96 away from scoring 3000 Test runs, while Marnus Labuschagne needs 211 for 4000 runs.

Quotes

“The way we like to go about it…especially in Australia…be really positive in our approach and it shapes as a good battle.”
“It’s the same group of players largely that played in Sri Lanka, so the philosophy of the guys is probably going to the same. It’s the perfect opportunity to try and play a decent brand of cricket.”

Sri Lanka sports minister's sacking could bring SLC relief

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Roshan Ranasinghe was removed from his post by Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Nov-2023The Sri Lanka sports minister who sought to sack the SLC board and install an interim committee has himself been sacked by the country’s president, on Monday. Roshan Ranasinghe’s ouster may ease the lifting of Sri Lanka Cricket’s suspension by the ICC, though it is not a certainty.SLC had beseeched the “top level” of Sri Lankan government to provide guarantees that there would be no further political interference in cricket administration in the country. Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe has not provided such a guarantee thus far, but his sacking of Ranasinghe could be an indication that he wishes the government as a whole to back off. In any case, it was Ranasinghe who most energetically sought the sacking of SLC’s office bearers.Related

  • What lies beneath Sri Lanka cricket's convoluted suspension saga?

  • Sri Lanka Cricket suspended by ICC board

  • Court issues stay order to prevent interim committee from taking over

  • ICC shifts Men's Under 19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa

However, Ranasinghe has not only been sacked as sports minister, but has also been removed as minister of youth affairs and minister of irrigation – the other portfolios he held. This was after he had made accusations against the president in parliament, earlier on Monday. There is a chance his sacking was not particularly motivated by SLC’s suspension by the ICC, which had taken place two weeks prior.In any case, the news of Ranasinghe’s ouster will be welcomed by SLC officials, who have feuded with the minister for about 12 months. In the press conferences that SLC held in the past two weeks, board president Shammi Silva delivered personal insults against Ranasinghe, as Ranasinghe had against him elsewhere.Ranasinghe had also repeatedly accused SLC of corruption and mismanagement. The interim committee he had installed – and which was ousted by Sri Lanka’s courts a day later – was headed by Arjuna Ranatunga, and also featured two sons of politicians with no known history of cricket administration.SLC is understood to have asked to be suspended by the ICC in order to put pressure on the sports minister that had temporarily sacked the cricket board. Because of SLC’s suspension, Sri Lanka lost hosting rights of the Under-19 men’s World Cup, which had been scheduled for January and February 2024.

'Get a grip': Hamza Shaikh given out for obstructing the field at Under-19 World Cup

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The England batter picked up a ball that had stopped in the crease by his feet

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2024England batter Hamza Shaikh ensured his time at the Under-19 World Cup would not be forgotten when he was given out obstructed the field against Zimbabwe.In the 17th over, Shaikh defended a ball down by his feet and Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Ryan Kamwemba started to come from behind the stumps to collect it. Then, with the ball stationary in the crease, Shaikh bent down to pick it up to pass it back to the fielders, as is often seen from batters.Kamwemba and the bowler, Ryan Simbi, led the appeal and it was sent upstairs by on-field officials Donovan Koch and Masudur Rahman where third umpire Nigel Duguid gave it out.Previously it would have been handled the ball, but that mode of dismissal was combined with obstructed the field in 2017 with MCC saying they were effectively the same thing. The relevant Law, 37.4, reads: “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, at any time while the ball is in play and, without the consent of a fielder, he/she uses the bat or any part of his/her person to return the ball to any fielder”.Unsurprisingly, there was reaction on social media. “Oh get a grip,” Stuart Broad posted on X. “He’s passing a stationary ball back to the fielder? Doing him a favour! Cant give that out.”Sam Billings retweeted a video of the dismissal, simply adding: “Wow.”Late last year Mushfiqur Rahim was given out obstructed the field in a Test against New Zealand when he punched a delivery away after defending it down into the crease.

Spirited Vidarbha run into mighty Mumbai in a contest of contrasts

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While the expectations from Mumbai are always big, Vidarbha are primed for their time under the limelight

Shashank Kishore09-Mar-2024

Big picture – Vidarbha vs Mumbai is domestic workhorses vs domestic superstars

Is the Ranji Trophy really the finishing school for those aspiring to wear the India cap? This question has been raised several times recently, at least in the aftermath of most big selection meetings for the Test team.Then again, look at those who have earned the Test cap at home against England. Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep and Devdutt Padikkal – you can say with conviction they have taken the tougher route to the India cap, and aren’t overnight IPL sensations.This “tougher route” brings us to Vidarbha, a team comprising unheralded players who toil away in anonymity most times, searching for corporate cricket gigs and club cricket stints in the UK during the off-season to ensure they are “cricket fit” when the domestic season comes around. A chance to play in the Ranji Trophy final for the first time since 2018-19 is as big as it can get. For most, it’s the most important game of their careers.Related

  • Tanush Kotian raises his all-round game for Mumbai

  • Ranji final an opportunity for Akshay Wadkar to forge his legacy

Mumbai, on the other hand, are the golden boys of the domestic scene: 41-time champs, who are now playing in their 48th final. A team that knows how to conquer big moments, one whose DNA has been etched with “unsuccessful season” tag if they don’t win. That’s enough pressure to carry into a game.Most things they do are amplified, whether they like it or not. A glorious Prithvi Shaw straight drive has people comparing him to some of the legends, even if it’s just his first set of games on a comeback trail. Musheer Khan’s impressive initiation has many wondering if he can follow in the footsteps of Sarfaraz, his older brother. Shardul Thakur’s exploits has everyone going “Lord fantastic”.Ajinkya Rahane’s Test career may have hit a dead end, but his legacy has been set in stone – having helmed India to one of their greatest Test series triumphs in Australia. His drive to pull through a wretched run of form – he has made 134 runs in 11 innings this Ranji season – while astutely leading the team and backing a young group to flourish could be legacy defining too, if it culminates in their 42nd title.In short, the expectation is big. The chatter around them, even bigger.Vidarbha have never had to content with this pressure. And the cricket they have played all season reflects that. Take the semi-final against Madhya Pradesh, where they conceded an 82-run lead and then were effectively 79 for 5 in the second innings, before Yash Rathod and Akshay Wadkar, the captain, led a stunning turnaround with a 158-run sixth-wicket stand that set MP a target of 321.Unlike Mumbai, a relatively smaller and concentrated talent pool has served as a boon. It has helped them give a longer rope to certain players purely on potential they bring to the table. Like Atharva Taide, the opener, who has repaid the faith with 529 runs in 13 innings at 44.08 – not blockbuster, but not a minor feat either.That Vidarbha are here without having any batter in the top 10 scorers and only one bowler in the top 10 wicket-takers tells you how they have pulled along as a team. It’s therefore a contest of two contrasts. The domestic workhorses against the domestic superstars. And on the evidence of what we’ve seen so far this season, the workhorses are primed for their time under the limelight, if anyone is willing to throw it on them.

Run to the final

Both sides finished with five wins in seven league games to top their respective groups. Mumbai beat Tamil Nadu inside three days on a green-tinged deck at home, while Vidarbha overturned a first-innings deficit to beat MP and prevent a repeat of the 2021-22 final.Karun Nair holds the record for the highest score in a Ranji final•PTI

Players to Watch – Umesh Yadav and Shreyas Iyer

Umesh Yadav hasn’t been in India’s Test plans for two years now, and a road back up looks increasingly unlikely. But he has continued to put the hard yards in, having featured in seven out of nine games for Vidarbha this season. He has had decent returns too – 27 wickets at 26.77. While he hasn’t picked up a five-for yet, his quick bursts have proved game changing at different stages this season for Vidarbha.The last time Mumbai won a Ranji final (2015-16), Shreyas Iyer turned the game around with a swashbuckling century on a green top in Pune against Saurashtra. Eight years later, Iyer comes into another Ranji final under different circumstances. Having lost his central contract recently, with questions raised over his desire for Test cricket, the final is as good an opportunity as any to prove the fire still burns.

Pitch and conditions

Wankhede Stadium will host the final on what is confirmed to be a fresh surface. Mumbai have rolled out green-tinged decks for each of their two knockout fixtures and have an in-form pace attack to boot. Expect a similar surface with pace and carry. Mumbai’s only loss this season, however, came at Wankhede against Uttar Pradesh.

Stats and trivia

  • Seven of the top 10 wicket-takers this season are left-arm spinners. Among them, Aditya Sarwate will be the only one featuring in the Ranji final. He has currently picked up 40 wickets at an average of 17.37. Two more wickets will take him straight to the second spot.
  • For the first time since 1971 – when Bombay beat Maharashtra – the Ranji final pits two teams from the same state geographically. Vidarbha have won both their previous finals. Mumbai have won 41 of their 47 finals.
  • Karun Nair’s 328 is the highest individual score in a Ranji final. Having won the title twice, back-to-back, with Karnataka between 2013 and 2015, he will be gunning for his third title. With 616 runs in nine innings at 41.06, he is Vidarbha’s highest run-scorer this season.

    • Paine 'very interested' in Adelaide Strikers role if jobs are split

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    Jason Gillespie has stepped down at South Australia and the state needs to decide on their future structure

    ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2024Tim Paine would be “very interested” in putting his name forward to be Adelaide Strikers’ head coach if South Australia decide to split the state and BBL coaching roles following Jason Gillespie’s departure.There is a significant overhaul going on at South Australia this off-season with long-time general manager of high performance Tim Nielsen departing along with Gillespie. Luke Williams, who has become a sought-after coach in T20 leagues, has also stepped down as head coach of the women’s state team although will remain in charge of the WBBL side and has signed as an assistant coach in the BBL.Paine was an assistant coach with Strikers in last season’s BBL as they reached the Challenger final and is keen to progress his career but remained realistic about where he would stand.”Would I like to coach the Adelaide Strikers? Of course, I would,” Paine said on . “But at the moment, they have no GM of cricket and a number of other roles that need to be filled before any of that happens.”They need to decide with South Australia and the Strikers, do you go down the same model they’ve just had of one coach, in which case I cannot do it, [but] if they were to split the roles, I would be very interested certainly in having a crack at getting the job.””But I’ve been coaching for about six months and it’s a big job and I’d imagine it would get a lot of experienced coaches interested in that job as well. But I would love to go through the process because, one, it would be a great learning curve for me as a professional coach, to go through some sort of process would be awesome for my development, but like any coach of course you want to coach in the biggest leagues you can get in.”Paine added that it wasn’t the right time in his career to consider a combined state and BBL role as he would not want to move his family out of Tasmania. “If you are looking at a Big Bash job and state job, that is enormous,” he said.Currently, the four states with a single BBL team – South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia – have opted for a unified head coach across the state and BBL set-up. Brisbane Heat, the defending champions, are also in need of a new coach after Wade Seccombe stood down.

    'GG has not just been a mentor, he's been a leader in every department'

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    Here’s how the KKR players and coaches reacted after their IPL title win

    ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20241:25

    Moody: Gambhir has created stability and clarity for KKR

    Andre Russell: “No words to explain right now. It means so much with all the fans that have been supporting us throughout the season. We are the players who go game after game and make sure that we get the job done. And it’s the first time we’re actually celebrating our victory and I think it’s the right moment. I’m happy that all of us, we are very disciplined and want the same goal. This franchise has done so much for me, with the fitness and everything. This is a big gift from all of us to them, so I’m happy.”Russell to Star Sports: “It’s my first final for KKR and to get three wickets as well, it means a lot to me and all the bowlers did their job. We keep it as simple as possible. In the first couple of overs we realised the wicket was on the slower side and we used the cutters well, we didn’t overuse it as well. We kind of mixed up the pace. I was happy with a 113 chase any day . I just mentioned to him [Mitchell Starc]. I said, ‘hey, big man, you saved the best for last’. And I’m happy with that because he started on the rough side and I kept feeling that he’s still a world-class bowler, he doesn’t take a few bad games to decide the destiny and I’m happy that he bowled that jaffa to that guy [Abhishek Sharma] and then we’re on our way.Related

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    “GG [Gautam Gambhir] has not just been a mentor, he’s been a leader in every department for us, and I think that’s what was key to our success. He made sure that every batter and every bowler was playing their part and GG is just an amazing guy to be in any set-up. The support staff always gave us what we wanted, made sure that we were satisfied leaving the nets and everything played a big part leading up to this championship. GG coming back, winning the IPL, amazing support staff, you don’t need anything more than that.”Varun Chakravarthy: “All I can think of right now is the person who’s built this Indian core. Obviously the international players have been doing very well always, but the main guy behind this is Mr Abhishek Nayar.”Varun to Star Sports: “It’s a result of hard work. Credit goes to two main people, Dinesh Karthik and Abhishek Nayar. They are the guys who set the Indian core about five years back and that’s bearing fruits now. You can bowl at any other ground if you’ve bowled at Eden Gardens. It’s such a small ground, smaller than the TNPL grounds.”It went great bowling with Sunil Narine. We spoke a lot. We lost to Punjab Kings earlier in the season. Gautam then told us: ‘This is the loss that’s going to make us win the final’. And that’s what happened now. That Punjab match was the turning point for us. After we gave away 260-plus runs, Shah Rukh Khan [team owner] told me not to expect any magic ball. He said, ‘Just focus on your basics and that’ll bring you magic; don’t run behind the magic’.”Abhishek Nayar, assistant coach: “It means everything. It has taken a very long time. Personally, I started playing IPL in the first season. It’s taken me 16 years before I got my championship, but I’m really happy for the boys. It’s been five-six years. I can’t express how happy I am. Can’t express it, with the big man [Russell] turning up as usual, but it’s the most surreal feeling that I’ve had in a very long time.”1:20

    How dominant were KKR this season?

    Venkatesh Iyer: “As Varun mentioned, credit has to go to Abhishek Nayar. You know certain things go unnoticed. I’ll make sure that they don’t go because that guy deserves all the credit in the world for the way he’s been working for this franchise. And this one is for the fans who turned up in huge numbers year after year, waiting for ten years. We have some superstars in our team still we did not win, but kudos to the fans who came in regularly to cheer and support us, this is for them.”Nitish Rana: “When Gautam Gambhir was signed as our mentor, I had congratulated him on WhatsApp. I wrote a long message to him and he thanked me, but he also said he’ll be the happiest when we’ll lift the trophy at the podium. Today is that day and I’ll remember that message forever.”Bharat Arun, bowling coach: “I think it’s been pretty tough last two years. It was touch and go, we didn’t qualify and there’s been a lot of introspection and we did find out what are the areas we really need to work on. We did exactly that. I think Mitch [Starc] coming into the team boosted the confidence of the other youngsters in the side. Mitch is probably one of the best bowlers in world cricket and he’s been in similar situations many times. I think it’s just about Mitch discovering what his strengths are and how the Indian conditions would suit him. Once he understood that, it’s magic all over.””They [Narine and Varun] have been outstanding. Not often you come across spinners who are experienced. Spinners mature with age and so Sunny [Narine] with his experience and also Varun has been in the IPL for four to five years – both bowling in tandem has worked exceptionally well for us. He [Narine] has brought a totally different dimension to our batting this year. I thought it was Gautam who insisted that Sunny opens and that was a move that really paid off. What Sunny did was outstanding.”

    Sunrisers qualify for playoffs after washout against Titans

    by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

    SRH have sealed a top-four finish for the first time since IPL 2020

    Karthik Krishnaswamy16-May-20242:36

    Do Gujarat need to buy some power-hitters?

    Sunrisers Hyderabad sealed a place in the playoffs of IPL 2024, with one point from their washed-out game against Gujarat Titans ensuring they will finish the league stage in the top four. They now have 15 points with one game remaining, against Punjab Kings on May 19.It was their first playoff qualification since IPL 2020, after finishing last in the league in 2021 and 2023, and in eighth place in 2022.SRH’s hopes of a top-two finish, however, took a hit. They can still achieve it – they need to beat PBKS and hope that Rajasthan Royals, who currently have 16 points, lose their last league game against table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders – but it is no longer entirely within their hands.GT’s campaign came to a gloomy end, with their last two matches – against KKR at home on May 13 and this one in Hyderabad – washed out without a ball bowled. They finished the season with 12 points, which currently puts them third from bottom, but they could slip down one place if PBKS beat SRH.The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was under covers for most of Thursday evening. A brief dry spell led to the announcement of an 8pm toss and an 8.15pm start, but rain returned almost immediately, and did not let up in any meaningful way thereafter. The match was called off at 10.10pm, two hours and 40 minutes after its scheduled start.

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