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The new committee will identify “exceptional and extremely limited areas of difficulty” in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s order of July 2016 and the passing of key Lodha reforms

Arun Venugopal26-Jun-20171:49

‘Areas of difficulty with Lodha reform will be brought before the CoA’ – Choudhary

Nearly a year after the Supreme Court judgement approving a majority of the Lodha Committee recommendations, the BCCI has set up a committee of its own to identify “exceptional and extremely limited areas of difficulty” in the implementation of the reforms.The committee’s suggestions will be presented to the Committee of Administrators, a court-appointed panel tasked with running the board until fresh elections under the Lodha guidelines. No CoA representative is part of this new BCCI committee, which was announced during the board’s special general meeting in Mumbai on Monday.

‘Wait till selection of the World XI’

BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary was non-committal when asked if India’s players would be available to participate in a proposed T20 series in Lahore.
The ICC Board, on Friday, extended its support to the idea of a World XI side playing Pakistan in Pakistan as part of efforts to bring international cricket back to the country. Choudhary, however, said it was premature to discuss if India will play any role in it.
“We should wait till the selection of the World XI because it is possible that if those matches are scheduled alongside any of our series than obviously none of our players will be eligible, will they?” he said. “So, we will have to wait for that. I think it’s fair.”

This move seems likely to delay the implementation of the reforms, which were approved by the Supreme Court in July 2016, but the BCCI acting secretary, Amitabh Choudhary, has said it was formed with the intention of examining “how best to quickly implement [the recommendations].” Choudhary stated the committee, whose members will be named on Tuesday, will offer their report in a fortnight.It is understood that apart from Choudhary, who will play the role of the convener, acting board president CK Khanna, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary and a member from a north-east association are likely to be among the “five or six” members of the committee. They will have to come up with a decision on this matter before July 14, when the Supreme Court is set to hear the case again.”The house deliberated in detail and with a view to completing the implementation process, constituted a committee which will examine how best quickly to implement [the recommendations],” Choudhary told reporters. “The committee should have its first recommendations in a fortnight’s time. So, that’s as far as the implementation of the principal judgment is concerned.””The committee will go into each and every action point necessitated by the principal judgment and then only those exceptional and extremely limited areas of difficulty would bring it to the notice of the CoA, which will thereafter decide the course of action.”Choudhary added that another SGM would have to be convened to approve the proposals of the committee which “will start its work in two days’ time and the rest will follow.”The BCCI is likely to have another special general meeting to approve the proposals put forward by the panel looking into the difficulties of implementing key Lodha reforms.•PTI

The BCCI is inclined towards incorporating most of the Lodha committee’s recommendations, a board official told ESPNcricinfo, except for policies such as the age cap of 70 years for office bearers, the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods in between, the one-state-one-vote policy and the trimming down of the number of selectors from five to three.These recommendations had drawn opposition from the BCCI even before the court’s order last year and on Monday a senior state association official from the west zone indicated nothing had changed. “How can I let go of my vote?” asked the official. “These are the recommendations that the committee will have to sit down and decide on.”Some of the delay in the BCCI adopting the Lodha reforms has been because the state associations are averse to them, but when asked to list the recommendations that have been met with objections, Chaudhary said the board would convey their thoughts to the Supreme Court directly.For a while now, the CoA has urged the board’s member units to identify a few points of objection, which could be raised with the Supreme Court even as the other recommendations were implemented. A CoA official sounded optimistic of the BCCI toeing the Supreme Court’s line after the meeting on Sunday.”They understand that implementing Lodha is not an option [but is mandatory],” he told ESPNcricinfo. “So what is the point in obstructing and dragging it further? What we have told them is if you adopt the report with the two-three points you want the court to consider then the court will also look at it favourably. Otherwise the CoA will be left with no other option than to ask the court to enforce.”

Joe Root has called for the ICC to consider introducing umpiring reviews in Twenty20 internationals to guard against a potential outcry during the climax of a tournament

Deivarayan Muthu31-Jan-2017Joe Root, who was incorrectly adjudged lbw in the last over of a nerve-wracking chase in Nagpur, has said that the introduction of DRS in Twenty20 cricket could help prevent such umpiring errors. Root echoed his captain Eoin Morgan’s frustration with the umpiring decisions that went against England in their five-run loss, which left the scoreline at 1-1.England needed eight runs off six balls when Root inside-edged an attempted pull onto his back thigh. Umpire C Shamshuddin did not spot the nick and ruled him out. Root walked off fuming and after his dismissal England managed only one run and a bye and also lost Jos Buttler off the last over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.Shamshuddin’s other error of the day – he handed India’s captain Virat Kohli a reprieve on 7 when he was pinned in front by Chris Jordan in the third over of the match – cost England 14 runs.”It was frustrating and there were obviously decisions throughout the game that went against us, which could be crucial,” Root said on the eve of the series-deciding T20I in Bangalore. “It’s time now for some sort of DRS in Twenty20 cricket.”The flip-side is that DRS would slow down the tempo of T20 cricket, but Root proposed a review for each team, in line with the regulations for one-day internationals.”I know you want to keep the speed of the game, but with such small margins it is important to get things right with bat and ball,” Root said. “If you miss a yorker, you disappear out of the park and that can change a game because of how quick and short the format is. It is just as important to get the right decisions from the umpires as well. It will be quite nice to see maybe just one review for each side in my opinion but we are where we are at the moment.”Root hopes the suggestion will be considered at the ICC’s four-day quarterly meeting in Dubai, which begins this Thursday.”I’d like to think it will be raised by a few different members at the ICC meeting. If it isn’t, then I am not an official of the game. I don’t know what is best for the sport. I am only offering my opinion. I can’t speak on the behalf of rest of world cricket and even for the rest of my team, but you know that’s something I believe in. I am sure there are others who can agree with me.”Umpire Shamshuddin, seen here during the Women’s World Cup, is now sheltering from criticism, not rain•ICC

Much like Morgan, Root did not have sympathy for the home umpires who were officiating in front of a packed crowd in Nagpur, but said he would have no protests if Shamshuddin officiates in future games involving England. Shamshuddin, in fact, will be the on-field umpire for the Bangalore T20 international along with Anil Chaudhary.”I have no problem with him umpiring in any of our future games,” Root said. “As a player obviously you are going to make mistakes, you are going to get things wrong. As an umpire you are going to do exactly the same thing… If that [umpiring error] was at a major tournament and we get knocked out of the semi-final or lose a final from a decision that does go against us we feel bitterly disappointed and I don’t think it would fair on him as an umpire standing in that game to have to deal with the aftermath as well. I am just trying to think of the best solution for everyone, every party involved.”Root stressed that he had no wish to make Shamshuddin feel slighted or criticised for his errors.”Umpires are as much under scrutiny as we are. If you make consistent errors, you get found out and you might lose your international status. I don’t think that’s for us to worry about as players and we know that the best umpires available are going to stand in games for us.”So, it would be wrong to make him feel uncomfortable – or unfair. He should be allowed to do his job as we are ours. I think he will be under enough pressure – external pressures from what happened the other night – anyway.”Root, though, chose not to take the gloss off India’s death bowling and was especially warm in his praise for Bumrah, who closed out the game for India with pinpoint yorkers and well-disguised cutters.”I don’t want it to overshadow the way the Indian bowlers bowled at the back end there,” Root said. “I thought they played exceptionally well and Bumrah deserves a lot of credit for the way he held his nerve; he defended seven in the last over.”England have a chance to secure their first limited-overs series win in India since 1984 on Wednesday, and Root said the decider in Bangalore would tune up the side for the Champions Trophy, which is five months away.”It was probably frustrating and disappointing to finish the way it did,” he said. “But we have an opportunity to put that right now in the final game of the series. It will be good pressure for what will be an excitable and entertaining crowd. It will be a great preparation for major tournaments.”

A round-up of the Georgie Pie Super Smash matches on November 26

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2015A four-wicket haul from Andrew Ellis and a 43-ball 76 from Peter Fulton were the headlining performances in Canterbury’s six-wicket victory with 21 balls to spare against Auckland in Christchurch.Auckland had made a steady, if not rapid, start after choosing to bat. Riding on Brad Cachopa’s 49, they had progressed to 115 for 2 in 15.4 overs, with plenty of wickets in hand for the final surge. Then they collapsed to a spate of run-outs and Ellis, who finished with 4 for 17 in four overs. Auckland lost seven wickets for 18 runs and ended with 133 for 9.Fulton ensured that Canterbury did not struggle for momentum in the chase. Coming in at 18 for 2 in 2.1 overs, Fulton hit seven sixes in his innings, making more than half the runs in the chase of 134. He was unbeaten when the winning runs were scored in the 17th over. Auckland fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan took three out of the four wickets that Canterbury lost.Northern Districts chased down a target of 171 with two wickets and four balls to spare, handing Central Districts their fourth loss in their six completed games in the Georgie Pie Super Smash. Northern Districts were steered by 70 off 47 balls from opener Anton Devcich, before No. 7 Nick Kelly exploded with 36 off 16 to power the team home.Devcich had strung together handy partnerships with his top-order partners, putting Northern Districts on course at 126 for 3 in the 14th over. But three quick strikes – including that of Devcich – reduced them to 135 for 6 by the end of the 16th, and it was nervous times in their change room. Kelly hit away those nerves, though, slamming four sixes even as he lost two lower-order partners for ducks to get the side across the line.Central Districts’ innings was built around an anchoring 76 off 52 by their overseas opener, Mahela Jayawardene, after they had lost George Worker off the first ball of the match. Worker was taken out by Scott Kuggeleijn, who, with 3 for 24, ended with the best figures on either side.

Ryan Carters, the wicketkeeper-batsman who has played 11 first-class games for Victoria over the past three seasons, has signed a rookie deal with New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2013Ryan Carters, the wicketkeeper-batsman who has played 11 first-class games for Victoria over the past three seasons, has signed a rookie deal with New South Wales. Carters, who is originally from Canberra, did not have his Cricket Victoria contract renewed and instead has joined the Blues as one of the five rookies in their large squad for the 2013-14 summer.Batsmen Tim Cruickshank and David Dawson and the spinner Luke Doran have been delisted by the Blues, who also confirmed Test spinner Nathan Lyon as their major interstate import. Lyon was keen to return home to New South Wales having established himself as a domestic and international player with South Australia.There were no real surprises in the New South Wales contract list, with the fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu predictably upgraded to a full deal from his rookie contract after winning the Steve Waugh Medal last summer. New rookies include the wicketkeeper-batsman Jay Lenton and the left-arm pace-bowling allrounder Ben Dwarshuis.”Even with seven New South Wales players being contracted to Cricket Australia, Cricket New South Wales has still been able to name a very talented contract list for 2013/14,” John Warn, the Cricket New South Wales chairman said. “The addition of Nathan Lyon to our squad to play alongside a group of younger players that are developing rapidly, plus having someone of the ability of Trevor Bayliss to bring the group together, means that we have the depth and experience to challenge in both forms of the game next season.”New South Wales squad Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Michael Clarke (Cricket Australia contract), Trent Copeland, Pat Cummins (CA), Brad Haddin (CA), Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Scott Henry, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon (CA), Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Josh Lalor, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc (CA), Chris Tremain, David Warner (CA), Shane Watson (CA). Rookies Nic Bills, Ryan Carters, Harry Conway, Ben Dwarshuis, Jay Lenton.

Kevin Pietersen’s exile from the England side has ended with his addition to the squad for the tour of India

David Hopps18-Oct-2012Kevin Pietersen has been added to England’s squad for the forthcoming Test series in India, so bringing to an end one of the most extraordinary stand-offs in the history of the game between a star player and those appointed to rule.It has taken 73 days for England and Pietersen to patch up their differences since he followed up what should have been one of the most triumphant moments of his career – a stirring century in the Headingley Test against South Africa – by talking of deep and perhaps irreparable divisions with the ECB and some members of the England dressing room.Once the parties began to talk, the “reintegration process” of Pietersen into the England side took only a couple of days. It just took them an extremely long time to talk.Pietersen flew back to England from the Champions League in South Africa this week for a series of meetings in Oxford and London with Andy Flower, England’s director of cricket, the captain Alastair Cook and key England players with whom his relationship had become increasingly fractious. Even a delayed flight could not prevent the speedy patching up of their differences.Confirmation that the Cold War was coming to an end came in Colombo a fortnight ago when Giles Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, flanked by a nervous Pietersen, pronounced that it was time for “forgiveness” and a reintegration into “our society.”Hugh Morris, England cricket’s managing director, made what followed all sound eminently straightforward, saying: “We were keen that Kevin should hold a series of face-to-face meetings with team management and senior players before the Test squad departs for the UAE and India next week.”The meetings were constructive and cordial and all outstanding issues have been resolved. All the England players and management are now keen to draw a line under this matter and fully focus on the cricketing challenge that lies ahead in India.”In their desire to impress upon Pietersen that no player, however talented, was greater than the team, England lacked their most destructive batsman and arguably failed to qualify for the World Twenty20 semi-finals in Sri Lanka while he was employed instead as a pundit in a Colombo TV studio.Considering the political machinations that have gone on behind the scenes, the announcement by Geoff Miller, the chief selector, of Pietersen’s return to England’s fold could not have sounded more deadpan.”We are pleased to welcome a player of Kevin’s proven international calibre back into the Test squad for such an important Test series,” his statement read. “As we anticipate that Ian Bell will return home for the birth of his first child around the time of the second Test in Mumbai, the team will benefit from having an extra batsman in the squad and all players who were originally selected for the tour will fly out as planned next week.”The addition of Pietersen will give England more options at the top of the order, bringing the possibility that he cdould bat at No 3, so allowing Jonathan Trott to be considered as an opening batsman in preference to the two other batsmen originally earmarked for the role, Nick Compton or Joe Root.Pietersen has been given licence to fulfil his Champions League commitments with Delhi Daredevils before joining up with the squad. He gave his reaction on Twitter: “BOOOOOOOOM!! The happiest days of my career have been playing cricket for ENG. Long may that continue! Thanks everyone for your kind words.”Pietersen returns then, but he returns on very different terms. It could not have been made more apparent that Flower, as England’s director of cricket, must be entirely respected, whether in judging how hard he trains or what training top he should wear to do it.Flower, who had seen the last England coach, Peter Moores, lose his job after Pietersen, as captain, encouraged and then led a rebellion, will now expect unerring loyalty.The England hierarchy is convinced that their uncompromising stance has brought Pietersen to heel and that their assertion that the team ethic is more important than any glorious individual achievement has been pronounced from the rooftops. Pietersen now has what England see as a final chance to harness his abilities to the demands of the team.Clarke, in his announcement in Colombo, made it sound as if Pietersen had been released from imprisonment. In that case, we can presume that, in England’s mind, he is still tagged, his every move watched for evidence of regression.Pietersen is back, but who knows for how long? Relationships with several England players remain frosty, particularly with the Nottinghamshire pair of Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad, who captained England in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.He has played his most exceptional innings when he has felt the adulation of the crowd and acceptance of his fellows. Exuberance, overstatement and an arrogant belief in his own ability are part of his DNA. He must now perform for England in India in an atmosphere, irrespective of the “success” of the integration process, which will not be healed overnight.It remains to be seen whether he will find inspiration from that or whether England, in taming their most unpredictable talent, may also have damaged him beyond measure.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth ODI between New Zealand and Pakistan in Napier

The Preview by Sriram Veera31-Jan-2011

Match Facts

February 1, Napier

Start time 14:00 (01:00 GMT)
Jesse Ryder returns to the top•Getty Images

Big Picture

Christchurch witnessed a quintessentially Pakistani style of play: start slow, build a base, retain wickets, and explode in the end. It used to be the norm in 1980s before Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail changed that in the 90’s, but once again, without a settled opening pair, Pakistan are returning to the roots. Not many teams can launch into a frenzied and mesmerising attack in the end overs like Pakistan can. Abdul Razzaq swinging like there is no tomorrow, Shahid Afridi swinging like there is no next moment, and the scarred opposition living on the boundary’s edge, waiting for the violence to end. As Luke Woodcock put it: “I’ve seen a bit of it on TV but to actually see it first hand, playing against him [Afridi] for the first time, it was a pretty special knock and he took the momentum away from us.”Mohammad Hafeez hit his maiden hundred in his 61st game, Ahmed Shehzad dazzled briefly in the second ODI, and Umar Akmal showed glimpses of the imperious flair he possesses. But what about Pakistan’s experienced middle order? For long, Younis Khan’s critics have said that he bats in ODIs like he is batting in a Test and vice versa. For long, Misbah-ul-Haq’s critics have said that he bats in all formats like he is batting in a Test. Their supporters will cite Christchurch as evidence of their effectiveness. Let Younis and Misbah play the middle overs, preventing a collapse, and set the base for the marauders to take over. The critics want the same thing but they wonder why the holding job can’t be performed with more purpose? Can’t Younis and Misbah take singles, keep the strike rotating, and score at a decent pace? Their career strike rates are just over 75, which is actually ideal for the job they do, but the criticism, especially against Misbah, is that he only makes up towards the end of his knock. The sedate approach at the start increases pressure on the others and triggers self-destructive ways or so the argument goes. It will be interesting to watch their approach in the next game.Their opposition, New Zealand, are experimenting, searching for the ideal line-up before the World Cup. The biggest puzzle is the position of Brendon McCullum. On the flat-beds of the subcontinent, considering that he is a regular Test opener, would it be better to play him at the top or keep him for later? Martin Guptill has been in great form, and Jesse Ryder is best while opening, so why not plug McCullum lower down to make use of the batting Powerplay? And what about Jamie How, who looks good in most innings but never carries on? He will get one more chance in the next game, this time in the middle order, and he needs to grab it.Tim Southee and Hamish Bennett are the two chosen ones for the fourth ODI. It was slightly strange to see New Zealand make Bennett bowl against the breeze in the last game. Will they give him a chance to go down wind and try and use his pace to unsettle the batsmen? Luke Woodcock, who had a good debut, lost out as Vettori and Nathan McCullum return. The pressure is on Nathan to put in a good performance to keep Woodcock behind in the pecking order.Napier, the venue of the fourth ODI, has been a burial ground for the bowlers and if the pitch remains flat and full of runs, Pakistan hold the edge over New Zealand.

Form guide

New Zealand: LWLLL
Pakistan: WLLWL

Players to watch out for …

Jesse Ryder has a great strike-rate (95.41) in ODIs but he has a better grasp of how to build an innings in Tests. If he can reprise that temperament in ODIs, his transformation into a world-class ODI player would be complete. The back-lift is minimal, the foot work precise, and the shot-selection is maturing rapidly. Ryder can be the backbone of this line-up in the World Cup.Umar Akmal has the shots, but does he have the temperament? There is a thin line between arrogance and confidence and he seems to be forever living on that edge. Pakistan would hope that Umar can fast track the transformation from boy to man and be more consistent.

Team news

Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, said there would only be one change: will the spinner Abdur Rehman get a chance, or will they try to bring in Asad Shafiq or Shoaib Akthar?Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Kamran Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Abdur Rehman/Sohail Tanvir, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Shoaib Akhtar/Wahab Riaz.How and Kane Williamson will both play in the middle order. Bennett and Southee will be the seamers while Vettori and Nathan McCullum are the spinners in the XI.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ross Taylor , 4 Scott Styris, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Jamie How, 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Hamish Bennett.

Stats and trivia

• Seven of the last 10 ODIs in Napier have been won by the side batting first.
• Afridi’s five sixes in the third ODI took his tally to 285, the record for most sixes in one-dayers. Sanath Jayasuriya is second with 270. It was also the 16th time that Afridi hit five or more sixes in an innings. Jayasuriya did it 11 times.
• Younis Khan averages only 29.30 from 18 games against New Zealand. In New Zealand, he averages 18 from three games.

Quotes

“Both teams search for consistency, and both teams struggle to get it, so we know we can turn their confidence around pretty quickly and hopefully put it in our favour. I think we need to look at that”
.”If you look at the way we bowled to him [Afridi], we gave him a number of opportunities to clear the ropes. We missed a chance to catch him, you just can’t afford to do that, so the onus goes on the bowlers to hit their lines and lengths … You can accept if they get hit from those areas, but if you are bowling half-volleys and length balls in the Powerplays you are going to be in trouble.”
.

A century from Jacques Rudolph set Yorkshire on their way to an eight-run
victory over Derbyshire at Chesterfield to keep them top of Group B in the
Clydesdale Bank 40

08-Aug-2010

ScorecardA century from Jacques Rudolph set Yorkshire on their way to an eight-run
victory over Derbyshire at Chesterfield to keep them top of Group B in the
Clydesdale Bank 40.The South African scored 105, sharing a second-wicket stand of 144 in 22 overs
with Adam Lyth, who made 91, as Yorkshire made 276 for 6 from their 40
overs. Chesney Hughes hit 54 and Wayne Madsen 65 from 57 balls but, despite a late
charge from Graham Wagg (27) in his first game since late April, the Falcons
came up short on 268 for 8.Rudolph came into the game with an average of 99.25 in the 40-over competition
and the Falcons may have feared the worst when he was dropped on 16 at slip by
Chesney Hughes off Tim Groenewald. The South African did not give another chance until he had reached his century as he and Lyth plundered runs after Andrew Gale had become Wagg’s first victim in the 12th over.The Falcons had to wait another 22 overs for their next success and by then
Yorkshire were on course for their best 40-over total against Derbyshire. Rudolph reached his fourth 50 in Group B from 52 balls and lifted Garry Park for six over midwicket as he cruised to his second ton in this summer’s CB 40 league.Lyth drove Groenewald into the timber-framed pavilion to bring up the 200 in
the 32nd over, and although Rudolph went for 105 off 107 balls when he failed to
clear mid off and Jonathan Bairstow was bowled first ball by Groenewald, Anthony
McGrath accelerated the scoring in the closing overs.He drove the left-arm spin of Robin Peterson into the sightscreen at the Lake
End and sent a Wagg delivery into the spectators behind the ropes at extra cover
as Yorkshire passed the 248 for 5 they made at Chesterfield in 1979. Lyth was finally caught at deep midwicket going for his third six, but McGrath’s unbeaten 31 from 17 balls left Derbyshire with a tough chase and they made a dreadful start when Chris Rogers was run out by a direct hit from Lyth in the second over.But Hughes reeled off some silky strokes to keep his side in the hunt and also
pulled Ajmal Shahzad for six as he and Peterson took the Falcons past 50 before
Peterson was caught at slip driving at Tim Bresnan. Hughes was looking dangerous, but after completing a 43-ball fifty he drove Steve Patterson to cover.Madsen and Wes Durston added 74 in 11 overs to keep the game alive before
McGrath broke the stand with his second ball when Durston cut him low to point. The Falcons went into the last 10 overs needing 93 but accurate bowling backed up by sharp fielding built up pressure which forced Madsen into a switch hit into the hands of point.Derbyshire needed 56 off the last five overs and although Wagg smashed an
unbeaten 27 off 18 balls, Yorkshire held their nerve to clinch their seventh
victory and stay on course for a semi-final place.

Welsh Fire humbled for 87 in front of home crowd on Jonny Bairstow’s return

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2023Southern Brave romped to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Welsh Fire, the bowlers setting the tone with Tymal Mills taking only the second hat-trick in the Men’s Hundred.That came off the final three balls of the Welsh Fire innings as they fell to 87 all out, the pattern started with returning England star Jonny Bairstow falling early for a four-ball duck.Craig Overton took two early wickets for Brave, including Bairstow, while George Garton took 3 for 8 off 15 balls through the middle of the innings to block any momentum for the home side, Mills finishing with four wickets in all.Stephen Eskinazi’s 38 was the only bright spot in a total easily chased down by Southern Brave. Finn Allen scored a quick 31 before Devon Conway, 35 not out, and Leus du Plooy, 17 not out, saw them through to victory with 41 balls spare.Welsh Fire could not have got off to a much worse start, losing Ashes hero Bairstow cheaply in his first game for them since 2021. He tried to hit Overton over mid-off, but was caught off the mistimed shot without scoring, with Overton getting bounce and movement to also dismiss captain Tom Abell, caught behind by Devon Conway.Joe Clarke also went for a duck, caught Conway off the bowling of Garton, and when Mills dismissed Glenn Phillips with his first ball, giving Conway a third catch, Welsh Fire were in deep trouble at 34 for 4 after 41 balls.David Willey’s cameo of 16 was also ended by Overton, this time with a sliding catch in the deep off the bowling of Garton.While everyone else was losing their wicket, the player keeping his at the other end was opener Stephen Eskinazi who plotted his way to 38 off 34 balls. However, when he was also out skying the ball off Garton, Welsh Fire were running out of options.In the first game between these two sides, Brave had been in even deeper trouble before Chris Jordan played a match-winning innings, but Fire had no equivalent as the lower order slipped away. It fell to Mills to take a hat-trick with the last three balls of the innings as Fire were dismissed for 87 – the lowest total in a completed 100-ball innings – and left needing their bowlers to produce something remarkable to save the game.The player with the best chance of doing that was Pakistan opening bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and he delivered an effective first set that did everything other than pick up a wicket for Fire. Willey’s first two balls then went for 10 as Brave opener Finn Allen started to find his range before he was caught on the long-on boundary by Willey off the bowling of David Payne for 31.Welsh Fire tried seven bowlers, but there was little pressure on Conway and du Plooy as they knocked off the winning runs with great ease.

Zimbabwe rope in pacer Victor Nyauchi with the bulk of the squad remaining similar to the one that won the 2022 T20 World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2022Zimbabwe will miss the services of fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chatara for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at home. The rest of the squad, though, is similar to the one that won the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier earlier this month, in Bulawayo.Muzarabani sustained a tear in his thigh while Chatara suffered a collarbone fracture during the tournament that saw Zimbabwe book one of the last two spots for the T20 World Cup that will be held in Australia in October.Related

• Raza, Madhevere, bowlers give Zimbabwe 1-0 lead

• Raza takes 4 for 8 as Zimbabwe win T20 World Cup Qualifier

• ICC FTP: Bangladesh land Test and ODI jackpot in 2023-2027 cycle

• Sikandar Raza: 'Nightmare of not qualifying for 2019 World Cup never went away'

• Zimbabwe to host India, Bangladesh before a tour to Australia after 18 years

With their two spearheads ruled out, Zimbabwe have roped in pacer Victor Nyauchi in the 15-member squad. While Nyauchi has played only six Tests and a solitary T20I, he has a decent T20 record with 25 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 18.92. Allrounder Tony Munyonga and fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga, who had replaced Chatara and Muzarabani respectively in the squad during the qualifiers, have also been retained.Zimbabwe had an excellent time at the qualifying tournament, where they remained unbeaten through the group stages before knocking off PNG in the semi final to book their place in the marquee tournament. They then brushed aside Netherlands in the final by 37 runs to lift the trophy, with Sikandar Raza starring with the ball.Raza, the leading run-scorer and joint leading wicket-taker for Zimbabwe in the qualifiers will once again form the fulcrum of the unit alongside captain Craig Ervine and Sean Williams.The series against Bangladesh, which consists of three T20Is and three ODIs, sets off a busy couple of months for Zimbabwe, who will be hosting India in mid-August before travelling to Australia for three ODIs – their first visit to the country in 18 years.The three T20Is against Bangladesh will take place on July 30, 31 and August 2. All matches will be staged in Harare.Squad: Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (wk), Tanaka Chivanga, Craig Ervine (capt), Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams

Lewis Gregory and Jack Wildermuth ensure Heat get home with more than an over to spare

Sreshth Shah02-Jan-2021A four-wicket haul from right-arm quick Mark Steketee and a 23-ball 40 from their opener Max Bryant helped the Brisbane Heat – who are missing Chris Lynn due to injury – beat the Sydney Sixers by four wickets in front of their home crowd. Although the Sixers earned a Bash Boost point for scoring more runs than the Heat at the respective halfway points of both teams’ innings, they could not extend their streak of consecutive wins to five, bring an end to a series of wins that started on December 13.The Heat’s chase briefly got tricky when they lost their sixth wicket still needing 45 runs in 28 balls, but an unbeaten partnership of 50 in 21 balls between Lewis Gregory (16-ball 31) and Jack Wildermuth (10-ball 22) saw them cruise to victory with more than an over to spare. Their second win of the season takes them to sixth on the points table with eight points, while the Sixers remain third on 17 points, only two behind league leaders, and the other Sydney team, the Thunder.Philippe, Vince take on the spinnersHaving chosen to bat, the Sixers openers Jack Edwards and Josh Philippe began aggressively, adding 30 after the four mandatory Powerplay overs. The fifth over began Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s spell, and he struck off the first ball, when Edwards was caught at backward point. Joe Burns, released from the Australia Test squad, pounced onto the catch as Edwards sliced an attempted drive.While Mujeeb’s first over went for only three, his second went for 17 as Philippe and the No. 3 James Vince struck two sixes off the first and last ball of the seventh over. The two batsmen pounced further in the eighth over when left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann conceded 16 on the back of a hat-trick of fours, of which one was down the leg side. Kuhnemann would later be subbed out at end of 10 overs, with batsman Sam Heazlett replacing him.Sixers slide after solid startVince was dismissed for 20 in the ninth over when he edged a shot to the keeper. He was trying to run it past Jimmy Pierson but ended up playing it too fine. The keeper Pierson was in the action in the 10th over, too, when Daniel Hughes was caught behind for two trying to drive a Steketee delivery that wasn’t full enough.Philippe and Jordan Silk looked to help the Sixers recover after the two quick wickets, and it looked like the duo were going to bring out the big shots with eight overs to go. But Philippe was out lbw for 48 off Xavier Bartlett, trying to slog-sweep after which the No. 6 Daniel Christian was trapped lbw in front of his stumps by Mujeeb. Carlos Brathwaite was then out for a duck, when he couldn’t get a square drive off Steketee over point. Silk, however, kept finding the occasional boundary as the death overs approached, and was finally dismissed by Steketee in the 19th over for a 27-ball 43. Steketee would take another wicket next ball, his fourth of the match. Eventually, the Sixers set a target of 166 for the Heat after an expensive 14-run final over.Sixers fight back after Bryant’s blastAfter his new opening partner Burns was out for 1, Bryant collected boundaries off Jackson Bird and Ben Dwarshuis in the first five overs of the chase. With No. 3 Joe Denly at the other end, he punished Christian’s first over – the chase’s seventh – with a six and a four to welcome the new bowler. But Bryant fell off the third ball when he looked to cutely nudge a short ball leg side, only for the leading edge to find Philippe. At the point of his dismissal, Bryant had scored 40 of the 57 runs made by the Heat.While Denly looked to get his eye in with singles and doubles together with the X-Factor Heazlett, the Bash Boost point was going out of the Heat’s grasps. Denly was out in the ninth over for a 17-ball 19, leaving the Heat needing 14 off the tenth over to collect the point. They could get only six as the Sixers earned it instead. Benjamin Manenti and Brathwaite kept things tidy, with the latter dismissing Heazlett for 17. The Heat struck only one boundary in the six overs between 8 and 14, and the required rate was now touching 11.Gregory, Wildermuth turn it aroundWith 63 needed off 36, the 15th over began with Pierson flicking Dwarshuis for six, only to be dismissed two balls later by a slower delivery that he dragged onto the stumps. Although Gregory struck another six off Dwarshuis to bookend a 15-run over to bring the required run-rate down to 9.60, he lost James Bazley at the other end in the 16th over.Gregory, though, had Wildermuth for company. Thanks to some wayward bowling from Brathwaite and a series of smart running between the wicket, they brought the equation down to 14 off 12. Gregory then hit Dwarshuis for a six and a four to make the game a mere formality. Wildermuth hit another maximum to bring the fifty stand and seal a Heat win with seven balls to spare.