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Queensland weren’t able to cement their advantage and were bundled out for 97 as 20 wickets fell on day two

Tristan Lavalette01-Nov-2022Queensland seamer Mark Steketee was almost unplayable on a green WACA pitch as he continued his strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, before Western Australia’s quicks engineered a stunning fightback as 20 wickets fell on day two of an enthralling low-scoring contest.Steketee, a late addition to Australia’s Test squad to Pakistan earlier in the year, issued another reminder to national selectors with a six-wicket haul as Queensland dismissed WA for just 115 to gain a first-innings lead of 96. He has taken 16 wickets at 13.37 in three Shield matches this season.But Queensland weren’t able to cement their advantage and were bundled out for just 97 in a dramatic last session with quicks Lance Morris and Joel Paris combining for seven wickets.Having been dismissed just three hours earlier, WA’s chase of 194 started disastrously when opener Cameron Bancroft fell to seamer Michael Neser in the first over.Though they claimed Bancroft just before stumps, Queensland were left frustrated after being in control following Steketee’s earlier heroics.Even more bowler-friendly than nearby Optus Stadium, which hogged the local limelight the past week, the WACA’s seaming pitch was tailor-made for Steketee who tore through WA’s strong batting order during a destructive morning session.He claimed Bancroft and 18-year-old sensation Teague Wyllie within three balls to leave WA reeling at 3 for 3. Steketee at one point had the remarkable figures of 5-9 from seven overs.He combined brilliantly with Neser, who also relished the conditions, as WA slumped to 6 for 29 and were in real danger of posting their lowest-ever score on their home ground and overtaking the long-time record of 50 against New South Wales in 1950.But allrounder Aaron Hardie and Paris combined for a 45-run partnership to ensure WA avoided the history books before Steketee and Neser finished off the innings to give Queensland a stranglehold of the contest.WA’s quicks needed to respond and they did so after tea with Morris, arguably the quickest bowler in Australia, grabbing the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja in four balls.He beat Labuschagne with sheer pace to trap him lbw before Khawaja nicked a fiery length delivery to second slip. While Morris produced the fireworks, left-arm quick Paris nagged away on a good length to finish with superb figures of 3 for 15 from 11 overs.There was some concern over the fitness of quick Jhye Richardson, who starred on day one with four wickets, when he hobbled off the ground in the final session but he returned with two wickets, including ending Matthew Renshaw’s stubborn 72-ball resistance.Western Australia’s fightback has thrown the match wide open with the only certainty being that it will finish on day three.

Sudeep Sharma, Nepal’s manager, said that the side’s 32-run win over New Zealand was just reward for the hard work the side had put in over the last six months

Mohammad Isam28-Jan-2016Dipendra Singh Airee’s throw from the deep-extra cover boundary struck the stumps on the full, running Dale Phillips out and ending New Zealand’s chase against Nepal. In the previous over, Airee had swung the match for Nepal, dismissing Nigel Smith and Talor Scott. Near the boundary line, where the reserves were standing, Nepal manager Sudeep Sharma was ecstatic.Sudeep was elated that Airee, Nepal’s finisher with the bat and ball, had closed the match out with his fielding. “Airee is a naturally talented, fit and athletic player. He is an attacking batsman who gives us cameos at No 5 or 6 and bowls good yorkers in the death overs,” he said. “Today he threw down the stumps with a direct hit from the sweeper cover boundary, to finish the game.”When asked about Man-of-the-Match Raju Rijal, who had made an important 48, Sudeep said: “Oh you mean captain cool? He is a really cool captain. He bats well and missed out on a fifty today. He has been batting well for a while.”The 32-run win over a Test nation’s Under-19 side was just reward for the hard work that the team had put in over the last six months, according to their manager. Part of their motivation also came from the one-wicket win over New Zealand in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup plate final.”We were definitely aware of our last win over New Zealand,” Sudeep said. “The boys were really motivated by that win in 2006. We want to keep our record intact and give respect to the boys who beat New Zealand that time. This win is just fantastic. We are really excited. We have been working very hard for the last 5-6 months. The boys did a tremendous job under coach ‎Jagat Bahadur Tamata.”Sudeep said the team had confidence in their spinners and had felt any score above 230 could be defended. The offspinners Prem Tamang and Sunil Dhamala, left-arm spinner Sushil Kandel and legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane bowled 35 of the innings’ 47.1 overs, taking four wickets for 141 runs.The three run-outs also made a difference. Apparently coach Tamata had been less than satisfied with the side’s fielding effort in the warm-up games so he had cranked up the drills in the training sessions leading up to this game.”The coach really motivated the side for their fielding,” Sudeep said. “They practised fielding a lot in the last few days. They were stopping singles and making those three run-outs.”We knew that anything above 230 was defendable. We have a good spin attack, and we kept confidence in them. Tamang has been playing in this level for the last two years. He is an offspinner who likes to flight the ball. He also has a good quicker ball.”Nepal’s next game is on January 30 against Ireland, who were trounced by India, and they are fully focused on qualifying for the second round.”We are now focused on the next game against Ireland. We want to go match by match but if we can beat Ireland, we have a good chance to go ahead in this tournament,” Sudeep said.

Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Plimmer named in T20I squad only; Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold picked just for ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022New Zealand are set to hand a debut to Wellington wicketkeeper-batter Jess McFadyen in the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, after she was named in the 15-member squad for the three T20Is and ODIs. McFadyen’s selection in place of fellow wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze, who is India with the Under-19 team, was the only change to the squad that had recently toured the West Indies.Coach Ben Sawyer said playing Bangladesh would be a great opportunity for McFadyen, especially with the T20 World Cup to be held next year.”Debuting for your country is always a special moment, so we’re delighted to be welcoming Jess into the side for what will be an exciting series,” Sawyer said. “Jess brings great energy – when we worked together at the Commonwealth Games, I was really impressed with what she brought to the team environment – and she has good experience with the bat, especially in that middle order.”McFadyen, 31, had been picked in the New Zealand squads earlier for last year’s tour of England and the Commonwealth Games this year but didn’t get to play.”We used the recent series in the West Indies to try different combinations with bat and ball and we also want to do that with the wicketkeepers; we want to see what Jess can bring to the team,” Sawyer said. “We’re also in a fortunate position that we have a New Zealand Development team touring India, which Izzy (Gaze) is involved in, so we’re able to give both players experience in different conditions and against different opposition.”McFadyen herself was eyeing a spot for the T20 World Cup, looking to “put her name forward” for the big tournament after missing out on a debut in the Commonwealth Games in England.”Ben was there as well… to be in that environment, see how he wanted to run things and to spend time with the established players – they are world class,” McFadyen said. “I am lucky to be playing for [Wellington] Blaze, and have a dozen of them around me for training. [I am] super lucky to have those experiences.”Both the T20I and ODI sides will be led by Sophie Devine, with pace bowler Lea Tahuhu and batter Georgia Plimmer named in the T20I squad only, while seamers Hannah Rowe and Molly Penfold picked just for the ODIs.It will be New Zealand’s last official series before the T20 World Cup next year in South Africa.”Over the last couple of months we’ve put together a blueprint of how we want to play, particularly in the T20 format, with an eye on the World Cup next year,” Sawyer said. “This tour will be a great opportunity to continue working and refining those plans and making any necessary adjustments.The series against Bangladesh begins with the first T20I on December 2 in Christchurch, with Dunedin and Queenstown to host the other T20Is. The ODIs begin on December 11 in Wellington, before Napier and Hamilton stage the last two matches of the tour. The series will be the first time Bangladesh play a bilateral series in New Zealand but will be their second visit this year, following the World Cup in March.Squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Jess Kerr, Jess McFadyen, Molly Penfold (ODIs only), Hannah Rowe (ODIs only), Georgia Plimmer (T20Is only), Lea Tahuhu (T20Is only)

Knight Riders have Russell’s fitness to worry about, while Kings get a boost with Rabada’s availability

Deivarayan Muthu31-Mar-2022

Big picture

A new-look Punjab Kings side, dripping with power and depth, hunted down 206 against Royal Challengers Bangalore to kick off their season in grand style. They now run into Kolkata Knight Riders, who play with similar attacking intent and freedom.The result didn’t go in Knight Riders’ way on Wednesday, but they stayed true to their playbook, hitting more boundaries than Royal Challengers.

Live in the USA

If you’re in the USA, you can watch the match live in English and in Hindi on ESPN+

An intriguing subplot to look forward to on Friday is Andre Russell, if he’s fit enough, vs Odean Smith. Russell is still the gold standard of T20 cricket while Smith is the latest big-hitting allrounder from the Caribbean. Smith has modelled his game on Russell and he recently won the T10 league with his idol at Deccan Gladiators in Abu Dhabi. In the last IPL, Smith even worked with Russell as a net bowler at Knight Riders. IPL 2022, however, has pitted them against each other.

In the news

After Wednesday’s game, where Russell bowled only three overs, Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum said that the allrounder’s shoulder was sore after he dived near the boundary. If Russell doesn’t recover in time, Knight Riders could instead call up Mohammad Nabi or Chamika Karunaratne.South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada is out of quarantine and trained with the Kings after having participated in the ODI series at home against Bangladesh. Jonny Bairstow, however, is unavailable for Kings’ second game as he is yet to complete quarantine upon arrival from the Caribbean.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Sam Billings, 6 Sheldon Jackson (wk), 7 Andre Russell/Chamika Karunaratne/Mohammad Nabi, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun ChakravarthyPunjab Kings: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wk), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Raj Bawa, 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Odean Smith, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Rahul Chahar

Strategy punt

Smith missed his lengths at the death on IPL debut, but there is a case for Kings to give him another go during this phase and hold him back for Russell. Smith has bowled 13 balls to Russell in T20 cricket, keeping him to a mere eight runs while getting him out twice in three innings.

Stats that matter

• Russell has the wood over Rabada in T20s, taking him for 79 runs off 39 balls at a strike rate of over 200 while being dismissed just once.
• Umesh Yadav has 49 wickets in the powerplay in the IPL at an economy rate of 7.60. Only Bhuvneshwar Kumar (51), Sandeep Sharma (52) and Zaheer Khan (52) have picked up more wickets than Umesh in the first six overs.
• Sunil Narine has a particularly strong record against Kings, having picked up 31 wickets in 21 games at an average of 18.22 and economy rate of seven.
• Harpreet Brar was expensive in Kings’ opening game, but he could still be a decent option against Knight Riders’ right-hander heavy batting line-up. The left-arm fingerspinner’s economy rate of 6.04 in IPL 2021 was the best among bowlers who had bowled more than ten overs last season.

Promotion prospects still alive after openers back up strong bowling display

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2022Worcestershire 87 for 0 (Libby 42*, Pollock 36*) trail Sussex 220 (Carson 58, Coles 54, Hudson-Prentice 51, Leach 4-37) by 133 runsJoe Leach took his 400th first-class wicket as Worcestershire dominated Sussex on day one at Hove to keep their slim promotion hopes alive in the LV= Insurance County Championship.The Pears realistically need to win all three remaining Division Two games and put themselves in a strong position after dismissing Sussex for 220, with Leach claiming four for 37.That modest total represented a recovery by Sussex who had been 23 for five before half-centuries by Fynn Hudson-Prentice, James Coles and Jack Carson revived them.But the pitch held few terrors for Worcestershire’s openers Ed Pollock and Jake Libby who posted 87 without loss before bad light ended play six overs early.After the teams observed a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, Leach settled into a probing line to the four left-handers at the top of the Sussex innings, taking three for 16 in his seven-over new-ball spell to leave Sussex in tatters after they had won the toss.Ali Orr played on to his Leach’s fifth ball and he pinned Tom Alsop lbw with the second delivery of his second over, a fullish delivery that swung back just enough. A similar length accounted for Tom Clark in Leach’s fourth over as the batsman played across the line.Dillon Pennington struck with his first ball when he extracted some extra bounce and Oli Carter touched it tamely to the wicketkeeper. Tom Haines, returning from a broken hand, faced 36 balls and batted for 63 minutes for his two runs but the Sussex captain played on to Ben Gibbon’s second ball.But as is so often the case at Hove, batting gets easier once the new ball loses its hardness and Hudson-Prentice, Coles and Carson led the recovery.Hudson-Prentice was dropped at second slip by Jack Haynes on 36 but added 76 with Coles, counterattacking effectively until Pennington found just enough seam movement to have him caught behind for 51 (64 balls, 7 fours) just after lunch.Leach returned and reached his milestone courtesy of a smart low catch by Hayes off Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who has joined Sussex for their last three Championship matches of the season. His side were back in trouble at 106 for seven.But Sussex’s last three wickets more than doubled the score, the fightback led by Coles and Carson, who was playing his first match of the season after recovering from knee surgery.Coles progressed to his second half-century of the season, made in a shade under three hours. At the other end Carson was more aggressive as they added 87 in 18 overs. Coles had just reached his second half-century of the season when Pennington dropped short, and he picked out Azhar Ali on the deep backward square boundary for 54 (132 balls, 9 fours).After Henry Crocombe holed out to mid-off, Carson was last out for 58 (74 balls, 9 fours) when he was run out by Libby’s direct hit coming back for a second run.Ashraf has been brought in to bolster a seam attack without Ari Karvelas and Steve Finn, who are out for the rest of the season but both he and the rest of the Sussex seamers struggled to break through.Pollock gave one chance on 34 but was dropped at slip by Tom Alsop off Haines to confirm it was Worcestershire’s day.