BBL finals could be played in Canberra and the Gold Coast due to venue clashes, while the players’ union are open to regular-season matches on Christmas Day

AAP28-Dec-2023Adelaide Strikers are set to be forced to take a Big Bash League finals match to Canberra if they earn the right to a home final, due to venue availability during the Test summer.A potential clash with Australia’s home Tests against West Indies hovers over the BBL finals week, with Test matches scheduled for both Adelaide Oval and the Gabba in Brisbane.It means the Strikers would be unable to host a finals match in Adelaide if they were to finish first or third, and would instead play their qualifier or knockout at Manuka Oval.Strikers currently sit fourth on the BBL ladder, and are every chance of contending for third spot. Adelaide Oval would become available for the challenger on January 22 and final on January 24, if the Strikers qualify.The first-placed Heat are the other club to be impacted. Heat would still be able to play their home finals matches in southeast Queensland, with the 27,000-seat Heritage Bank Stadium (Carrara Oval) available on the Gold Coast.Carrara would be used for any post-season matches Heat earn the right to host, including the competition’s final on January 24 with the Gabba Test starting the next day.Colin Munro pulls behind square at Carrara•Getty Images

The BBL reverted to a top-four finals series this summer, with first and second place playing off for a right to host the final and third and fourth featuring in a sudden-death match.Meanwhile, Australian Cricketers Association boss Todd Greenberg has said he would be open to BBL matches being playing on Christmas Day.The National Basketball League has found rating and attendance success by playing on December 25 in the past two seasons in Australia, while American sports have also thrived on the day.The BBL moved further away from a Christmas Day fixture this summer, removing their Christmas Eve match in Hobart. There is a feeling that a Christmas Night match would be a bigger ratings success, particularly in the form of local derbies to eliminate travel.Sydney Sixers veteran Moises Henriques backed the call this week, but said the concern would largely be for support staff and other stadium officials and employees.Melbourne Stars opener Tom Rogers has, however, summed up a greater reluctance, claiming his mother would not allow him out of the house to play.The Australian Cricketers’ Association has not surveyed players on the matter, but Greenberg said he would be open to the discussion.”There will be people who don’t want to play on Christmas Day, like there people who won’t want to work on it,” he told SEN. “But I get a sense people are open to the conversation, and if you can explain the benefits … then the conversation gets easier.”The world evolves. If you had said 15 or 20 years ago, it would have been sacrilege to play on this day.”But other sports and other models are making it work, so why wouldn’t we open our eyes to it?”

Fletcher, Pooran, Kohler-Cadmore and Thushara play starring roles in Gladiators’ win

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2023Sikandar Raza’s 27 off 10 balls helped Chennai Braves chase 106 down as Northern Warriors went down by five wickets.Having been put in, Warriors were off to a steady start, with opener Hazratullah Zazai scoring 54 off 32 balls. His partner Kennar Lewis, meanwhile, could not get going, as he made a 15-ball 13. Mohammad Nabi got the breakthrough for Braves, with a double strike in the eighth over, where he first dismissed Zazai and then sent James Neesham back. It was then Junaid Siddique’s turn to strike as he removed Lewis. Adam Hose then scored a 10-ball 24 which gave Braves a target of 107.In reply, Braves lost their openers Kobe Herft and Jason Roy for single-digit scores. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, too, was sent back for 7. Stephen Eskinazi scored a couple of boundaries and a six to lift Braves before he was pinned in front by Tabraiz Shamsi. With the required run rate going up, Raza and Charith Asalanka then combined for a 45-run stand to take Braves closer to the line. Raza took Angelo Mathews for 6, 4, 6, 6 to turn the game Braves’ way. He was dismissed in the ninth over, but Asalanka made sure there were no further blemishes as Braves put up their second win of the season.Richard Gleeson picked up three wickets in an over•Abu Dhabi T10

Richard Gleeson picked up three big wickets in one over, and later the Player-of-the-Match award, to set up a huge win for Delhi Bulls over Bangla Tigers on Saturday evening. The win was Bulls’ third in a row, and placed them comfortably at the top of the table, at least for the time being.Tigers were going fine at 28 for 2 after three overs, and with Jordan Cox, David Miller and Dasun Shanaka, among others, to follow, looked set to put up another big total after scoring 143 for 4 in their win over Dubai Gladiators on Thursday. But Gleeson changed the script in the space of five balls in the fourth over, getting rid of Miller, Shanaka and Cox, in that order, to leave Tigers completely off-kilter at 29 for 5.Between Daniel Sams (20 not out in 15 balls) and Carlos Brathwaite (21 in 17), Tigers did fight back to get to 81 for 7, but it was never going to be enough against Bulls’ powerful batting line-up.Quinton de Kock and Johnson Charles fell inside two overs, but James Vince (17 in nine), Rilee Rossouw (21* in 11) and captain Rovman Powell (37* in 11) made sure Bulls got to the target quickly – in just six overs.For Tigers, it was a second loss in three games, and at the end of it, they were placed seventh on the eight-team table.Nicholas Pooran gave Deccan Gladiators a powerful start•Abu Dhabi T10

Explosive 30s from captain Nicholas Pooran and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, followed by Andre Fletcher’s 12-ball 41, set up a crushing win for Deccan Gladiators over Team Abu Dhabi.Pooran dashed out of the blocks taking left-arm fingerspinner Roelof van der Merwe for two fours and two sixes in the first over. Rumman Raees then dealt a double-blow, removing both Pooran and Andre Russell off successive balls in the fourth over, but Kohler-Cadmore and Fletcher proceeded to re-establish Gladiators’ dominance.Six of the 12 balls that Fletcher faced were sent to the boundary, including five sixes. Fletcher, Fabian Allen and Kohler-Cadmore all fell in quick succession, but David Wiese provided the final flourish with 15 off six balls.Abu Dhabi started their chase shakily, losing their top three inside five overs. Leus du Plooy (25), Colin Ingram (19) and captain Dwaine Pretorius (9), fought back to lend some respectability to the scorecard. Sri Lankan slinger Nuwan Thushara, who plays for Jaffna Kings in the LPL, was the pick of the bowlers for Gladiators, coming away with 2 for 5 in his two overs.

Meanwhile, CWI has upgraded Joseph’s franchise contract to an international retainer contract

Alex Malcolm01-Feb-2024West Indies Test hero Shamar Joseph could force his way into the T20 World Cup calculations this year despite not playing in the two limited-overs series against Australia, with coach Daren Sammy admitting he has created a selection headache.Joseph sent shockwaves around the cricket world last Sunday when he took 7 for 68 to inspire West Indies to a historic Test victory over Australia at the Gabba. That came on the back of a five-wicket haul in his debut Test in Adelaide, which included dismissing Steven Smith with his first ball in Test cricket.Joseph has only played two T20 matches in his short career, for Guyana Amazon Warriors in last year’s CPL, and is yet to take a wicket in the format. He has also played just two List A games for Guyana in the Super50 Cup.Related

• A fairy-tale day in the life of Shamar Joseph

• Shamar Joseph: 'I wasn't even coming out to the ground today'

• Shamar Joseph takes seven to bowl WI to magical win

• Shamar Joseph ruled out of ILT20 with toe injury

• Shamar Joseph lands PSL deal with Peshawar Zalmi

But Sammy, West Indies’ white-ball coach, was adamant Joseph would be an all-format star for his country and could well be vaulted into T20 World Cup calculations.”He will definitely be an all-format player,” Sammy said. “I can’t wait to get my hands on him in this squad. But look, everything has a process to it. That’s the way myself and the chairman of selectors operate. What he’s done is he’s created a really good headache for me with the World Cup coming up, building forward in the ODI team.”We got other guys like Jayden Seales, who’s injured at the moment. So we’re developing a core in all formats that enables us to pick from good positions, guys that are performing and that’s what you want as a cricketing nation.”Joseph was not initially selected in the white-ball squads for the three-match ODI series that starts at the MCG on Friday and the three-match T20I series that starts next Friday in Hobart.Shamar Joseph led West Indies to victory in the second Test•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

He was instead set to play in the ILT20 before having to withdraw due to the toe injury he suffered during the Gabba Test. Sammy revealed that there had been conversations about keeping him in Australia and adding him to the limited-overs squads but he was keen to allow him to go home to recover and celebrate with his family.”We ride the wave that’s happening there, but we won’t go crazy,” Sammy said. “If the guy’s injured, let him go home and rest. That’s probably the first time he’s been away from home for so long. He’s got a young family. So we understand. Whatever we do is well-planned and well-thought-out.”I think going home to his family, enjoying this moment is important. Because victories like that don’t come around all the time. It’s important that you enjoy these moments. Savour it so that it keeps you motivated to have more moments like that.”Joseph will instead head to the PSL in just over a fortnight after he was signed as a replacement player by Peshawar Zalmi, where Sammy is also head coach.Sammy was hopeful that Joseph’s performance would inspire his inexperienced ODI squad in the three-match series against Australia. “When somebody performs like that the team rises, and it was so good to watch. You see the smile on my face every time you go back to that and I just hope my men – whenever challenges come you can just remember that if you push through, there’s always gold at the end of the rainbow.”

CWI gives Joseph international retainer contract

Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies has upgraded Joseph’s franchise contract to an international retainer contract. After the Gabba Test, Joseph had said: “There will be times when T20 might come around and Test cricket will be there. But I will always be available to play for West Indies no matter how much money comes towards me.”Chemar Holder, another fast bowler, has been offered a franchise contract as West Indies “double-down on securing the best fast-bowling talent available”. Holder, who has played one Test and one ODI for West Indies, is making a comeback from shoulder surgery. In the recent Super50 Cup, he picked up four wickets in four games.

Australia batter also defends Alex Carey following a string of innings that began with potential but ended poorly

Alex Malcolm09-Mar-2024Marnus Labuschagne says he never felt in any danger of losing his place and believes Australia’s revamped batting line-up is going to succeed despite another innings that was propped up by one individual performance among failures elsewhere. He also defended the shot option of wicketkeeper Alex Carey who popped up another catch in the ring to fall cheaply for the third Test innings in a row.Labuschagne proved the adage that form is temporary, and class is permanent with a brilliant 90 to help Australia post a 94-run first innings lead on a tricky Hagley Oval pitch, although it did get better to bat on throughout the day.It was Labuschagne’s first score of more than 10 since in his last four Test matches but insisted he had been under no pressure during the lean run. “Did I feel like I was going lose my spot? I’d say no,” he said. “That’s what the confidence of this team has done. The coaches, the selectors, the captain, they’re very clear with trusting in the players and trusting that we do have the best six, seven batters in the country here.”If you’re going through a rough patch, what we’ve been able to do over a period of time is, everyone’s picking up each other’s slack. When someone’s not doing well, someone else picks it up.Related

• Matt Henry, New Zealand's man of steel, drags his team back into the contest

• Latham and Henry lead New Zealand's fightback in tense battle

“I felt like I probably haven’t been at my best for a while. Since the SCG, the two 60s in each innings, I’ve been a bit short on runs and just short of that big score where I’m really making it count. But it’s nice to be once again back in the runs.”The spotlight that was on Labuschagne’s form has transferred to Carey after he endured a very difficult day with both bat and gloves. He had picked up the slack when Australia needed it against West Indies just two Tests ago. But the manner of his dismissals in that innings and since have been a huge cause for concern.Coach Andrew McDonald noted after the Wellington win last week that they “would not hang [Carey]” on his dismissal to Glenn Phillips after he holed out to cover for the second time in the match when the trap was clearly set but instead would judge him over a period of time.But he fell to Phillips again in this match, the only dismissal to spin of the 22 wickets to fall so far in Christchurch, after trying to paddle sweep a ball from way wide of off. He only succeeded in toeing a soft catch to midwicket.Alex Carey dropped an edge from Tom Latham late in the day•Getty Images

McDonald had spoken about holding his batters accountable to their plans. Labuschagne felt like the option Carey took was on and that he was unfortunate that some spin and bounce found the toe-end of the bat.”I’m happy with Alex’s option there to get that 45 guy [square leg] in and make it very tough for the bowlers to bowl,” Labuschagne said. “I think spin certainly looked like at that stage of the game where we needed to score runs. But that’s how the game goes.”Carey had tried an inventive lap sweep off a fast bowler in his last Sheffield Shield game before the tour to New Zealand when he was 90 not out and popped up a catch to the keeper. Even in his excellent 65 in Brisbane against West Indies he picked out deep square when there were two catchers back on the pull shot. It is a bizarre array of dismissals for a man who is experiencing diminishing returns at Test level despite batting well in some of those innings.To make matters worse he dropped a key catch late in the day. Tom Latham was 59 at the time, having helped New Zealand erase the deficit. Josh Hazlewood found his outside edge again and the thick deflection flew low to Carey’s left. It may have carried to first slip but Carey went on instinct and got both hands to it but spilled it. His keeping has been exemplary for Australia over the last 12 months and such a miss might have otherwise gone unnoticed if his batting had not been so erratic.Labuschagne also defended the revamped batting group, although he did acknowledge they had yet to fire as a collective since Steven Smith moved up to open and Cameron Green slotted in at No.4.”We’ve got the six best batters in the country out on the field and that’s what’s important,” Labuschagne said.”Yeah, it’s not gelling perfectly yet. The sample size is getting bigger and we’re getting more information. But from what we’re seeing, we’re liking where Greeny is at No. 4. He’s batting really well. Even last innings he played beautifully, again.”And Steve averages 58. So he’ll find a way. I am 100% sure that he’s going to find a way. It’s just part of the game. It is tricky up there. We haven’t been playing on wickets that are very easy to start your innings on for a fair few Tests now, so once he gets in, I’m sure he’s going to make it count.”

In two games at Chepauk in IPL 2024 so far, fast bowlers have picked up 18 wickets, while spinners have four (and none of those have gone to CSK)

Alagappan Muthu07-Apr-2024

Match details

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Chennai, 7.30pm IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – A changing Chepauk

The focus at CSK seems to have shifted this year. A team that had relied on their spinners and the way their former captain used them to suffocate oppositions has, so far, played its home games in conditions where the ball isn’t even stopping on the pitch, let alone turn off it. In the two matches it has hosted in IPL 2024, Chepauk has offered 18 wickets at an average of 28 to the fast bowlers, but only four at an average of 47 to the slow bowlers. CSK’s share in those wickets: 13 for the quicks and zip, nada, nothing for the spinners.Related

• Angkrish Raghuvanshi has limitations, but he won't let them come in his way

• Ruturaj Gaikwad, the anchor at the top weighing CSK down

• Which IPL team has made the best use of the Impact Player rule?

KKR won’t mind that things are shaping up that way because if there is opportunity to hit through the line of the ball, they have the best line-up to exploit it, starting with Sunil Narine, who has responded with a big shot to 44 of the 65 balls he’s faced. That isn’t just aggression. That’s addiction. Having previously been forced to push him down the order to accommodate Venkatesh Iyer, KKR have gone back to their pinch-hitter to give them those high-impact starts and he hasn’t disappointed.CSK, after two losses on the road, will be wary of the threat they face. Their batters will once again bear the responsibility of getting a par-plus total, like they did against Gujarat Titans, which brings their wildcards into the picture. Shivam Dube is excelling in his role as spin-hitter again with a sky-high strike rate of 214 – only Abhishek Sharma (231) has gone better (minimum 18 balls faced). But the rest of them – Rachin Ravindra, who has the potential to do the Narine job for CSK, Ajinkya Rahane, whose transformation continues to surprise, and Daryl Mitchell, who is having a slowish start to the season – have work to do.

Form guide

CSK LLWW
KKR WWW

Team news and Impact Player strategy

Chennai Super Kings

Matheesha Pathirana was doing a little bit of bowling on Sunday, with CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons saying he was left out of the last game as a precaution. It is still unclear, though, if he is ready to play on Monday. Ditto for Mustafizur Rahman, who had to leave for home to work on getting a US visa, but is understood to be on his way to India and should link up with the team soon. Moeen Ali could keep his place given he hits Narine at a strike rate of 181 in the IPL (20 off 11 balls, two dismissals) and offers an offspin option against the left-hand batters of KKR.Likely XII: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Mukesh Chaudhary/Shardul Thakur, 12 Maheesh Theekshana/Mustafizur Rahman1:07

Raghuvanshi after cracking 54 off 27 balls: ‘I just backed my instincts’

Kolkata Knight RIders

Nitish Rana, who hasn’t played since KKR’s opening game, tweeted that he “can’t wait to get on the field”, so he might be in line for a return. Harshit Rana, though, who didn’t bowl in their last match despite being in the XI, arrived in Chennai with his arm in a sling. Angkrish Raghuvanshi might continue to be their Impact Player, swapping in or out for a bowler.Likely XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Venkatesh Iyer, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi/Nitish Rana, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Harshit Rana/Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Anukul Roy/Suyash Sharma

In the spotlight – Andre Russell vs CSK

Andre Russell is the second-quickest-scoring batter so far in this IPL with a strike rate of 239. He loves playing against CSK. Four of his 11 IPL fifties have come against them. He is in form. He is feeling fit. And he is on a mission to make that West Indies team for the home World Cup. Taking him down is going to be hard work.CSK’s best option to deal with him is Pathirana, if he’s fit (1 run off 3 balls, one dismissal). But keep an eye on Ravindra Jadeja as well. His head-to-head with Russell in the IPL is 32 runs in 25 balls.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings score at Chepauk in IPL 2024 is 189, which is a serious increase from where it was (164) in 21 matches across the previous three years. So strap in and get ready for some runs.Expect MS Dhoni to be the centre of attention at Chepauk – not for the first time, not for the last time•BCCI

Stats that matter – Power-hitting masterclass on the cards

• KKR have been bossing it in the powerplay this year, going at 12 an over. Only Sunrisers Hyderabad (11.66) are getting anywhere close to the kind of explosive batting ability they have shown in the first six overs. Their opening partnership, which was trundling along at a strike rate of 109 and 131 in the last two years, is flying now. Narine and Phil Salt have a strike rate of 172 together.
• CSK, though, will hope that they can make home advantage count. They have won nine of the 13 games between these two sides at Chepauk.
• Some of the best death-overs (17-20) batters in the IPL will be on show tomorrow. Rinku Singh (26) is two away from beating Shimron Hetmyer (27) as the best six-hitter in this phase of play since IPL 2022. MS Dhoni (20) and Russell (18) are not too far behind either.
• In light of that, CSK would dearly love Pathirana to be back starting for them. He has an economy rate of 8.5 in the back-end – only Jasprit Bumrah (7.53) and Mohsin Khan (7.57) go better (minimum 24 balls bowled). Pathirana looks to be their best option to contain a KKR line-up that has power where it counts most.

Quotes

“We aren’t overly concerned about Ruturaj. He’s a quality cricketer. It hasn’t worked out but that’s the nature of high-octane cricket. You have to go out there and play with a degree of confidence. You have to go out and play with a degree of risk-taking and it’ll come. He’s that kind of a person, he’s been really calm and focused on what he wants to do and there’s not much concern in that respect.”
“I feel a lot of teams and franchises today want power players who can hit boundaries and sixes which is why you see a lot of that. But I feel the game still revolves around players who can accumulate runs like a Virat Kohli. But eventually this game is about playing with a higher strike rate, whether that be singles, doubles or fours, that’s your formula to success and I feel it’s a very individual thing.”

Eve Jones seals 11-over chase with nerveless 26 not out to make it three from three

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2024Central Sparks made it three wins from three in the Charlotte Edwards Cup with a three-wicket victory from the final ball over winless Northern Diamonds in a rain-reduced match at Headingley.Despite losing wickets with regularity, Diamonds posted a competitive target of 81 from 11 overs thanks largely to Erin Burns’ impressive 30.And the hosts looked set to clinch their first win but Sparks captain Eve Jones’ nerveless unbeaten 26 saw her side home, with Georgia Davis striking two from the final delivery to clinch the victory.Heavy rain in the morning followed by frequent short showers delayed the start from the scheduled 2.30pm, with play eventually getting under way at 4.45pm and the match reduced to 11 overs-a-side.After winning the toss, Sparks were straight into their stride with the ball, taking wickets in each of the first four overs.Leah Dobson and Lauren Winfield-Hill were caught for a duck and five respectively looking for early momentum before Em Arlott claimed her second wicket by having Hollie Armitage caught behind for nought.Katie George bowled Bess Heath for three to leave Diamonds 23 for four in the fourth over.Erin Burns injected life into the innings with three early boundaries and Sterre Kalis started well to lift Diamonds to 44 for four after six overs.Davis had Kalis stumped for 17 and bowled Emma Marlow for seven but Burns continued to be aggressive in playing a lone hand for Diamonds.Her dismissal on 30, well held by Arlott running in from the deep off the bowling of Grace Potts, was key for Sparks.Grace Hall and Katie Levick came and went quickly but Katherine Fraser delivered late momentum with a four and a six from the final two balls to post 80 for nine. Davis claimed three for 23.Sparks started their chase strongly, easing to 16 without loss after two overs.Levick’s introduction brought the breakthrough as Chloe Brewer was trapped lbw for 14.Rachel Slater then piled the pressure on Sparks with two wickets in the fourth over, bowling Perrin for five and having Abbey Freeborn stumped for six to leave Sparks 26 for three.Courtney Webb’s dismissal by Burns for two in the next over had Diamonds on top and then Dobson claimed a brilliant boundary catch off Hall to remove George for nine, leaving Sparks 44 for five, needing another 37 from four overs.Sparks captain Eve Jones, who was dropped on four by Grace Hall, set about eating into that target as 13 runs came from the ninth over, leaving 15 required from the final two.Burns caught and bowled Charis Pavely for five and Sparks needed five from the final over, bowled by Levick.Arlott fell and new batter Davis needed two from the final ball, which she achieved with a chip down the ground to make it three wins from three for Sparks.

Royals have given up a 200-plus total just once, while Sunrisers have set and reset IPL records all season

Alagappan Muthu01-May-20243:21

Do Sunrisers need to change their chasing approach?

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (fifth) vs Rajasthan Royals (first)
Hyderabad, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Best bowling team vs best batting team

Rajasthan Royals have given up only one 200-plus total in a season where such totals are being scored every other day. Sunrisers Hyderabad have set and then reset the record for the highest total in IPL history. This contest between the best bowling side of the IPL and the best batting side has been a long time coming.With Trent Boult and his penchant for first over wickets, Royals are one of two teams to average under 30 in the powerplay (the other is Gujarat Titans). They’re also allowing runs at a mere 8 an over. Could they keep that up when they face up to Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen at a ground where six-hitting has been so common there’s been one every two overs? (11.1 per innings in IPL 2024)Related

• How the mighty Mumbai Indians fell apart

• Stoinis and bowling pack lift LSG to third spot

• What could India's starting XI look like at the T20 World Cup?

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad LLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals WWWWL

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers might consider bringing back their legspinner Mayank Markande in place of fingerspinner Shahbaz Ahmed. They might use them both given the many right-hand batters in the Royals line-up, but this year, spinners (8.3 balls per six) have been easier to hit out of the park in Hyderabad than the quicks (11.9). Also, Sanju Samson is the best spin six-hitter (39) since IPL 2022. Jos Buttler (31) is fourth on the list. T Natarajan is likely to continue as Impact Player, subbing in and out for a batter, like Anmolpreet Singh.Probable XII: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Pat Cummins (capt), 8 Mayank Markande/Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Anmolpreet SinghRajasthan Royals
The strength that they have in the bowling does come at the cost of batting depth. It only goes down till No. 7, with R Ashwin as the floater in the line-up, lengthening it when needed. Fortunately, their openers alone are capable of playing the whole 20 overs and with Samson and Riyan Parag also in form, they haven’t really needed lower-order support. Yuzvendra Chahal is their usual Impact Sub.Probable XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shimron Hetmyer

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was in the India squad for the last T20 World Cup. That was when Jasprit Bumrah was unavailable and the team was looking for specialists with the experience of having been there and done that. Now, he’s slipped way down the ladder, and even at his franchise team he’s not having a whole lot of luck. Bhuvneshwar has an economy rate of 10.18 and an average of 67.2. But he might still be crucial for Sunrisers on Thursday because he has a good head-to-head against Buttler: six dismissals in 91 balls for only 104 runs.Shimron Hetmyer has faced only 36 balls all season. That’s actually a sign of things going right for the Royals. Three of his team-mates above him have scored more than 300 runs which means he’s had less of an opportunity to get out there and make an impact. That doesn’t mean he’s been lacking. Hetmyer has 70 runs in those 36 balls with five fours and five sixes. He’s an ace finisher.2:20

SRH vs RR: ‘The most aggressive batting vs best bowling line-up’

Stats that matter

• A measure of the way Samson has matured is how he is pacing his innings. Earlier it seemed like he would get in a rut and then play a big shot to get out of it and it wouldn’t work. For example, in IPL 2022, he was dismissed nine times between overs 7 to 10. In IPL 2024, he is yet to be dismissed in this period while scoring at a strike rate of 139. A part of this might be the improvement in his play against spin. In IPL 2022, 36% of the balls he faced against them became dots. In IPL 2024, that figure is down at 19%.
• Chahal has a great record against SRH with 28 wickets in 19 innings and an average of 18.9, his second lowest for an IPL side behind funnily enough his current team. It is therefore crucial that SRH find a way to unleash Heinrich Klaasen upon him. Their T20 head-to-head reads 93 runs, 41 balls and three dismissals.
• Head and Abhishek have been an excellent combo for Sunrisers, one a pace-hitter, the other a spin-hitter. Their complementing each other might come in handy in this contest as well because Head has good T20 history with Boult (36 runs in 17 balls) and Abhishek doesn’t (11 runs in 18 balls with one dismissal)
• The investment both franchises have made in their youth is paying off. Royals have developed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Parag into IPL stars. Both batters are striking at over 154, with Parag already scoring more runs this year than he had in the previous two combined. SRH invested INR 6.5 crore to acquire Abhishek in the 2022 auction and he’s grown into a high-impact top-order player, hitting more sixes than fours this season.

Pitch and conditions

The average first innings total in Hyderabad in IPL 2024 is 216. Tells you all you need to know.

Quotes

“We’re very proud of the players who’ve made it. They’ve worked really hard. It’s been tough for all the players who were there and thereabouts and until the final announcement was made, I can understand how their minds would have been but I think a lot of credit should also be given to those players. They tried their best to shut out all of that and try and play the IPL and that’s worked for them and also the way they’ve played and the way they’ve adapted has worked for them so I think its a great lesson for all of us that when you settle down into something and you commit to tit, the results are more often than not positive.”

USA will want to take down another Full Member nation in what is likely to be their last game at the World Cup

Alan Gardner22-Jun-20241:23

Do England need Jacks for better balance?

Match details

USA vs England
Barbados, June 23, 10.30am local time

Big picture – Can USA upset calculations?

If this is the end of the road for USA’s memorable T20 World Cup 2024 journey – they could still squeak into the semi-finals, but the odds are very much against them – then what a stage on which to bow out, facing up to the defending champions with one last chance to cause an upset.England and USA have met at both football and rugby World Cups but this will be their first cricketing encounter of the modern age. Jos Buttler’s side have endured a choppy campaign so far, winning three and losing two to go with a no result in their opening match at Kensington Oval. But they return to Barbados knowing that a convincing performance will go a long way to ensuring their title defence continues into the knockouts.Related

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Victory will put them on four points, and a margin of more than ten runs (batting first) will ensure their net run-rate goes above that of South Africa, who then take on West Indies in the final Group 2 game later on Sunday.England’s cushion comes from their convincing win over the other co-hosts West Indies at the start of the Super Eight, and Buttler remained upbeat after his side lost a close game to South Africa in St Lucia. England have rarely been at their best over the last three weeks in the Caribbean but there have been signs that their game is coming together at the right time for a tilt at becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup trophy.Before they get that far, they must avoid a mishap against a USA side that burned brightly at the start of the tournament but has looked to be running low on gas after three defeats in a row against Full Member oppositions. Their success has already put the names of Aaron Jones, Monank Patel and Saurabh Netravalkar in lights. If they can summon one final effort and become the latest former colony to put one over on the mother country, it will add another sprinkle of Hollywood stardust to cricket’s American adventure.

Form guide

USA LLLWW
England LWWWLLiam Livingstone nearly took England home against South Africa•ICC/Getty Images

In the spotlight – Aaron Jones and Liam Livingstone

Aaron Jones‘ six over midwicket to seal a rousing opening-night win over Canada was the shot that was heard around the World Cup. He followed up a career-defining 94 not out by helping secure the tie that eventually led to USA’s Super Over victory over Pakistan, but has found the going tougher since then, with scores of 11, 0 and 11. Taking on the captaincy, in the absence of the injured Monank, has added to his burden. But he has another chance to impress at a ground where he played in four first-class matches for Barbados during his time in West Indies’ domestic system.An innings of 33 off 17 balls in a losing cause might not sound much, but could it turn out to be the spark Liam Livingstone needed? Livingstone’s attempt to get England over the line against South Africa, helping to revive their chase while adding 78 for the fifth wicket alongside Harry Brook, was only the second time he has scored more than 30 in 22 T20 innings this year. His power when taking down Ottneil Baartman at the death was a reminder of what he can do, and suggested that he may be ready to repay England’s faith that he remains the answer in the finisher role.2:19

Stuart Law: ‘If we’re not winning, we’re learning’

Team news – England unlikely to make any changes

USA have been without Monank since their group-stage win over Pakistan, but head coach Stuart Law suggested he was close to returning from a shoulder injury. “He’s getting better, we’re constantly assessing him,” Law said after the defeat to West Indies on Friday. “Unfortunately, he nearly made it for this one. So, we’re constantly assessing it.”USA (probable): 1 Steven Taylor, 2 Andries Gous (wk), 3 Nitish Kumar, 4 Aaron Jones (capt), 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Shayan Jahangir, 7 Harmeet Singh, 8 Nosthush Kenjinge, 9 Shadley van Schalkwyk, 10 Ali Khan, 11 Saurabh NetravalkarEngland may be unchanged for the third match running, having apparently settled on Jonny Bairstow at No. 3 and Sam Curran as the extra bowling/left-hand batter option. Chris Jordan could replace Mark Wood to add further depth to the batting.England (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan/Mark Wood, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

Kensington Oval is one of only two venues at this World Cup to have seen a 200-plus score, but generally, the pitches have been on the tacky side. The forecast for Sunday has improved although there is still a chance of rainfall interrupting proceedings.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the first meeting between England and USA with full international status in any format
• England have played 13 completed T20Is in Bridgetown, winning six (including the 2010 T20 World Cup final) and losing seven
• Sam Curran needs one more wicket to reach 50 in T20Is

Quotes

“We’ve just got to win the game. We haven’t played them before so it’ll be a good challenge and we’re looking forward to it. The games come thick and fast now so we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again. We’ve had a great win against the West Indies, a great game today which was a shame not to win but we’re still in it and looking ahead to the next one.”

“I think every match we play, obviously, representing the country is important. So, we’ll definitely go hard against England and try to finish well. Obviously, we can’t advance to the next round. But as I say, I think every match you play for your country is important. So, we’re definitely going to try to win the game for sure.”

Hosts suffer second group stage defeat despite efforts of Daniel Hughes, Tymal Mills

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2024Glamorgan eased to only their third victory in this season’s Vitality Blast as they beat Sussex Sharks by 24 runs under the DLS method at Hove.The visitors laid the foundations for a huge total of 235 for 6 – the third-highest in their Blast history – when they plundered 81 in the powerplay as Sussex badly missed the control with the new ball normally offered by Ollie Robinson, who was absent with a back niggle.It’s debatable if even Robinson would have been able to tame Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson, who hit a career-best 87 off 47 balls before he was caught at extra cover in the 19th over, one of four wickets for Sussex skipper Tymal Mills who is now the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 19.Daniel Hughes led Sussex’s response with 74 off 38 balls, his fourth half-century in this season’s competition, but having been set an unlikely 79 from 28 deliveries following a 50-minute rain delay they finished on 190 for 8 and slipped to their third defeat of the season, although they remain second in the South Group.Carlson and co. set the tone by thrashing 75 in the first five overs after Glamorgan were put in, including 60 in boundaries. It needed a great slower ball by Mills to stymie their progress which Will Smale pulled to midwicket after hitting eight fours and a six in a stand of 79 from just 33 balls. Carlson then put on 72 off 37 with Tom Bevan and 47 off 24 with Colin Ingram to maintain their momentum.Mills was the only Sussex bowler in the first half of the innings to concede less than ten runs in an over and his mood didn’t improve when Tom Clark dropped the ball over the rope while failing to take a catch on the midwicket boundary offered by Bevan.Glamorgan might have fancied posting a score of 250-plus when they had 194 on the board after 15 overs but, spearheaded by Mills, Sussex dragged it back slightly by taking four wickets and only conceding 39 in the final five.Mills led the way with 4 for 29 as Ingram missed a straight one and Marnus Labuschagne drove to mid-on before he snared Carlson, who struck three sixes and nine fours, only to be foxed by Mills’ speciality slower ball with a century in his sights.Sussex were left needing to score at nearly 12 an over but after losing Harrison Ward in the second over Australian Hughes and another left-hander, Clark, added 55 in 27 balls to keep their challenge alive.But legspinner Mason Crane made an immediate impact when he came on in the seventh over with two wickets in his first three balls. Clark was stumped when he missed a googly and James Coles lost his middle stump heaving across the line.Hughes and John Simpson shared 49 off 31 balls but the required rate had climbed to 14.75 when Simpson failed to clear long-on in the 12th over. Hughes hit two sixes off Chris Sole when play resumed at 10.10pm but then he holed out to deep backward-square to effectively end Sussex’s hopes.