Category Uncategorized

A packed crowd at the Gabba was treated to some sensational hitting as McCullum, Burns, Ross, Cutting and Stoinis took centerstage

The Report by Alex Malcolm at the Gabba20-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNo Chris Lynn, no worries for Brisbane Heat.Last season’s semi-finalists threw down a marker in their opening match against Melbourne Stars with a win that was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggested. They destroyed the Stars’ well-balanced attack and dismembered the Star-studded top order to show that Lynn is a value add to the Heat rather than an irreplaceable member of the Bash Brothers two-man band.But the Stars have so much talent that they never gave in thanks to a remarkable innings from Marcus Stoinis, who made 99 off 51 balls to take the game to the last over.Stars’ captain John Hastings gave the Heat a leg up early, making the curious decision to bowl first on a superb pitch for batting. He would have felt good after two overs when the Heat were 1 for 10 with Jimmy Pierson back in the shed and Lynn absent as he continues to recover from his shoulder injury.But Hastings’ mood soon soured when Brendon McCullum lit up the Gabba. Scott Boland’s first over, the third of the innings, went for 24. McCullum found the rope three times and cleared it once. He raced to 40 off 22 balls before he was deceived by a Stoinis slower ball.Getty Images

But the Heat never lost momentum despite McCullum’s exit. Joe Burns (50 off 28 balls), Alex Ross (51 off 36 balls) and Ben Cutting (35 off 18 balls) climbed into the Stars’ seamers to keep the run-rate above 10 an over through to the end of the innings. Hastings and Boland gave up 96 runs from six combined overs, including 10 fours and six sixes.Strangely, James Faulkner opened the bowling and conceded just seven runs in the opening over but did not bowl again. By contrast, the spin of Michael Beer and Adam Zampa took 2 for 45 from seven overs. Beer did not concede a boundary and McCullum scored just nine runs off 10 balls against Beer in the Powerplay.The Heat’s plans for the Stars’ world-class top order worked a treat. Josh Lalor lured last year’s leading scorer Ben Dunk into a thick outside edge that was caught on the second bite by a perfectly placed Mitch Swepson at deep gully. The plans to remove Kevin Pietersen and Glenn Maxwell cheaply were cold, calculated and perfectly executed.Pietersen played the world’s most feared quicks extremely well in his prime but his lack of match practice against them recently may leave him exposed. He scored just four runs from 11 balls against the genuine pace of Mohammad Amir and Steven Finn in his only two T20 matches during the English summer, with Finn taking his wicket.McCullum instructed Lalor, Mark Steketee and Ben Doggett to bowl as quick and aggressively as possible at Pietersen. He hopped, ducked and weaved through his first seven balls to score just four runs before launching a length ball into the stands. But he holed out to mid-off next ball.The Heat had also scouted Maxwell. In four straight innings during Australia’s limited overs tour of India in October, Maxwell fell to the legspin of Yuzvendra Chahal. He also fell to Hobart Hurricanes legspinner Cameron Boyce in a BBL warm-up game after Boyce was introduced immediately upon Maxwell’s arrival.McCullum called on Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan in the fifth over when pace had already removed Dunk and Pietersen. Maxwell hit the first long-hop for six but holed out to long-on two balls later. Shadab bowled Wright shortly after to seemingly kill off the game.But Stoinis produced an innings of the highest quality to once again confirm his credentials for further international honours. He struck six sixes and six fours, mixing power with touch and supreme fitness in warm conditions during a 137-run stand with Faulkner to take the Stars to the brink.Stoinis was run out trying to complete his hundred but he was a thoroughly deserving Man of the Match in a losing cause.

A sensational display of power-hitting from Delray Rawlins helped England recover from 126 for 6 to post 256, a total they defended by 23 runs at the Wankhede Stadium

The Report by Nikhil Kalro in Mumbai30-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – England Under-19s captain Matthew Fisher claimed 4 for 41•Getty Images

A sensational display of power-hitting from Delray Rawlins helped England recover from 126 for 6 to post 256, a total they defended by 23 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Rawlins, a languid left-handed batsman who has previously represented Bermuda, hammered eight fours and five sixes in his 88-ball 107 to lead England’s stunning fightback. He followed that up with 2 for 46 from his 10 overs as England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.England were precariously placed at 98 for 4 in the 26th over when the debutant Rawlins walked in and he was forced into strike rotation early against India’s nagging spinners. But even after two more quick wickets sucked out the momentum and fluency from England’s innings, Rawlins was keen to attack spin.He got to his fifty with a slog-swept six that just cleared deep square leg, sparking an acceleration that helped England pass 150. Rawlins’ batting became increasingly exuberant as his innings wore on, as he stepped out against spin to hit three sixes over long-on. He added 116 with Matthew Fisher for the seventh wicket, of which the England captain contributed 26. Rawlins offered just one chance, on 80, when he top-edged a hoick off a low full toss, but the short third man fielder dropped the catch.India’s discipline soon gave way to errant bowling towards the end. Fast bowler Yash Thakur hardly missed his yorker in his final spell, but wayward lines in his attempts at variation helped England pick off plenty. Rawlins plundered 53 off his last 33 balls.
Unlike the end, India were accurate at the start. Their seamers used a patchy green surface and nippy morning conditions to reduce England to 13 for 3 in the seventh over, all batsmen caught behind the wicket.Opener Harry Brook and Ollie Pope played some impressive strokes to lead England’s recovery, putting on 85 for the fourth wicket. On an atypically grassy surface, India’s spinners didn’t extract much turn but, with England’s inability to find the gaps regularly, a tight line was effective. Brook was involved in a nasty incident in the 12th over. He stepped out to fast bowler Thakur, only for a bouncer to break his helmet, raising concern among India’s fielders who rushed to his aid.Chasing 257, opener Himanshu Rana continued his stellar form with his third 50-plus score at the Under-19 level, striking an 87-ball 101 to push India close. Rana faced no trouble in finding the boundary early in his innings even as the rest of India’s batsmen struggled with the bounce in the pitch.Prithvi Shaw, a Ranji Trophy runner-up with Mumbai, was consistently hurried by Fisher. He finally wafted at a length delivery outside off and the England players celebrated. The umpire raised his finger almost instantaneously, to the dismay of Shaw.Shubman Gill shovelled a drive to short midwicket to fall for 29 off 27, a result of hard hands through the line of the ball. Captain Abhishek Sharma cut a wide delivery to Rawlins at point, giving Fisher his third wicket. India’s struggles got worse when Rawlins trapped Salman Khan and Mayank Rawat in front off consecutive balls, both non-turning deliveries.Rana was proficient with cross-batted strokes, as well as jabs at straight deliveries to accrue singles. At no stage did he look out of place. Soon after a fatigued celebration for his second hundred in three games, he gloved a pull to the keeper, a blow that all but sealed England’s win.Led by Fisher, England’s attack kept to their plans, employing a consistent back of a length, and the short ball sparingly. Their fielding was discernibly better than India’s, saving several boundaries with athletic stops, a characteristic that – along with Rawlins – helped prove the difference in a close contest.

Chris Gayle’s red hot T20 form carried over to Warner Park in St Kitts on Tuesday night where his unbeaten 72 led Jamaica Tallawahs to a seven-wicket win against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle struck six fours and two sixes•Caribbean Premier League

Chris Gayle’s red hot T20 form carried over to Warner Park in St Kitts where his unbeaten 72 led Jamaica Tallawahs to a seven-wicket win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Australian import Chris Lynn pitched in with 52 as part of an 85-run partnership for the second wicket, which put Tallawahs on course to overhaul 160. Gayle finished the chase with a pulled four, taking his team to their second win of the season.Gayle’s aggressive knock, which included six fours two sixes, was not without shaky moments though. After drinks were taken with the score at 71 for 1 in 10, play resumed with Gayle, on 28, hitting the third ball of the 11th over from Marlon Samuels to long-on where Martin Guptill’s one-handed effort nearly produced a sensational catch.Gayle offered another chance on 49 to start off the 17th over bowled by Shahid Afridi and Tallawahs still needing 10 an over but Orlando Peters had trouble spotting a skier, running in from deep midwicket and nearly overrunning before eventually grassing the chance. Gayle then brought up his second successive half-century off 46 balls and carried on to add an unbroken 50-run stand inside five overs with Andre Russell.Having opted to bat, Patriots had posted a competitive score, with Guptill assembling half-century stands with Tonito Willett and Samuels for the second and third wickets. Guptill got off to a quick start, boosting the Patriots to 49 for 1 in six overs, but he went more than 11 overs without hitting a boundary – a streak that started in the sixth over – before a second six brought up his 50 off 47 balls.Krishmar Santokie accounted for Guptill two balls into the 18th over. Samuels and Afridi then took Patriots past 150 and Samuels brought up his own half-century with a six before Santokie wrapped up the innings, dismissing Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite off consecutive balls. Santokie ended with impressive figures of 4 for 37.

South Africa have been forced to experiment this series, with Jacques Kallis’s calm head missing from the top of the order, and captain Graeme Smith unable to rely on the menace of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel with the ball due to a slew of injuries

Liam Brickhill at Bloemfontein15-Oct-2010South Africa have been forced to experiment this series, with Jacques Kallis’s calm head missing from the top of the order, and captain Graeme Smith unable to rely on the menace of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel with the ball due to a slew of injuries.But an authoritative 64-run win in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein has eased worries about South Africa’s second string, and Smith urged the newer members of the squad to make the most of their opportunities and “make those positions their own”.”You’ve got two guys [Morkel and Steyn]”, explained Smith. “One has bounce and he can hit 145 km/h, the other has swing and can hit 140 to 150km/h. They are wonderful assets to have. At the moment we don’t have that, but it’s an opportunity for guys to still get their skills right.””Some of these guys are going to be performing in the next games, and when those guys are back and fit these guys will be looking to stake claims, so it’s important that they show their worth.”While Smith made sure to mention David Miller’s expressive half-century – which came from just 30 balls and included five fours and two enormous sixes – he held special praise for the stellar knock from Colin Ingram. He became the first South African – and the sixth batsman overall – to strike a century on ODI debut and his aggressive 124 boosted South Africa’s total well out of reach.”I think he [Ingram] was pretty nervous walking in today, but he remained calm and stuck to his game plan. He’s done a lot of work at domestic level, and he was able to bring that here. He trusted himself out there today and that’s an important mindset to have. If you put the work in, it’s about going in there and allowing yourself to trust yourself, and I think that was quite evident today.”Smith confirmed that South Africa will be without Morkel’s services at least until the final game of the series in Benoni on Friday and suggested there were times at which South Africa’s replacement bowlers let Zimbabwe’s batsmen dictate terms. Nevertheless he insisted that the bowlers had, on the whole, progressed from their unconvincing performances in the Twenty20s.”It’s always difficult to rate a performance like that,” said Smith. “We put 350 on the board, but it was a very quick outfield and a beautiful batting wicket. I think in patches with the ball we were very good. There were times we drifted a little bit. Maybe the first ten overs was an area we were a little bit loose.”We let them get away a bit but from then until about the 35th or 36th over I thought we were very good. From there, once you realise a team is not being competitive anymore it makes it a little bit tough in the cold like that. There are always things to improve on, but compared to Sunday’s bowling performance, it was a lot better.”

Waqar Younis has said the damage caused to the team by the turbulence of the last few months was the worst Pakistan had suffered in the last few decades

Cricinfo staff09-Jun-2010Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, has said the damage caused to the team by the turbulence of the last few months was the worst Pakistan had suffered in the last few decades. Waqar, however, hoped the influx of young talent into the team for the Asia Cup would help the side move on and be ready for future competitions.”I think what has happened in the last three months, it has damaged the team more than it did in the last 25-30 years,” Waqar told reporters in Lahore. “Now is the time to look forward and see how we could perform well and win international matches.”The recent problems in the Pakistan team surfaced after their winless tour to Australia, following which the PCB conducted an inquiry and punished several players. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were banned indefinitely, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for a year, while Shahid Afridi, Kamaran and Umar Akmal were fined. No reasons for the penalties were forthcoming from the PCB at the time, but a leaked video later revealed the extent of discord within the team. However, all the players apart from Yousuf, who retired from international cricket, appealed against their punishments. The bans on Malik and Younis were overturned by an arbitrator; Afridi’s fine was removed while those of the Akmals were reduced.The selectors then included Malik, who had been slated for his attitude during the inquiry, in the squad for the Asia Cup, and recalled injury-prone fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The 15-man list, though, also includes three uncapped batsmen in Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq, and Waqar predicted a bright future for them.”They [experienced players] are great players,” Waqar said. “But I think it’s the right time to indulge new players, and I believe Umar and Asad are no doubt very talented and have a bright future. We have not won anything significant over the last two-three years, but with youngsters in the side we have a hope to get back on a winning track.”Waqar also said he wouldn’t be rushing Shoaib, who last played for Pakistan in May 2009, back into action. “He is fit, but I know it’s not easy to make a comeback because I have gone through this when I used to play international cricket,” Waqar said.Pakistan depart for Sri Lanka on Saturday and open their campaign against the hosts on June 15.

After new coach Walter handed him a lifeline, Sodhi became the third men’s player to 150 T20I wickets and committed to keep playing for NZ

Deivarayan Muthu25-Jul-2025A fairly low-profile tri-series in Zimbabwe continues to bring a number of high moments for Ish Sodhi. In New Zealand’s opening game, he made his 200th international appearance and then he marked his 201st appearance by becoming the third player to 150 wickets in men’s T20Is after Tim Southee and Rashid Khan. Along the way, Sodhi, 32, bagged his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 12 against Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the final against South Africa.Sodhi is uncontracted – young legspinner Adithya Ashok pipped him and earned his maiden deal – but he certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by new coach Rob Walter. In the final, Sodhi is set to tick off another landmark: New Zealand’s most capped T20I player. He’s currently level with Southee on 126 T20Is.Related

• Bracewell replaces Phillips for NZ's first Test against Zimbabwe

A numbers man, Sodhi is savouring every high. “It’s really nice. I’m really proud of the achievement. To get 150 wickets in a format for your country, obviously you have to play for a long period of time to be able to do that. It’s something I’m really proud of and hopefully there’s a lot more on the bank.”On Thursday, Sodhi also took a moment to reflect on his early years. Born in India, Sodhi moved to Auckland with his parents when he was a child. After impressing Daniel Vettori during an Auckland playing trial he broke into the New Zealand squad when he was 20. He has since become a key player for New Zealand, especially in white-ball cricket.”It has been an incredible journey,” Sodhi said. “I think something came out of the other, I think I debuted in 2013. I think my first ODI was here in Harare. It’s nice to be here and still being able to perform for New Zealand. Hopefully it’s something I can still do for a time to come.”Contracted or not, Sodhi is eager to play for New Zealand and win games for them. Having been thrown a lifeline by Walter, Sodhi could form a potent partnership with captain Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell as New Zealand tune up for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.”There’s always incentive to win games for your country, I like playing international cricket,” Sodhi said. “Growing up, it’s the only thing I ever wanted to do and I think it’s probably the same for all the guys that are in there now. International cricket is really special. You pop the fern on, certainly things you dreamed of in the backyard growing up playing. Any game for New Zealand, there’s always motivation out there to be playing your best.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean was a forgettable one for Sodhi and New Zealand. In spin-friendly conditions, Sodhi sat out three of New Zealand’s four games, but in the lead-up to the next World Cup, he’s trying to reinvent himself. On Thursday, he fronted up to bowl in the powerplay – after Zimbabwe had run away to 21 for 0 – and claimed figures of 2-0-5-3 during this phase. Sodhi had also operated in the powerplay against South Africa in New Zealand’s series opener. This tri-series is the first time since 2021 that Sodhi has bowled in the powerplay in T20Is and it’s a role he relishes playing for the Black Caps.”It’s quite a new role for me and I haven’t bowled a lot in the powerplay in my career,” Sodhi said. “So, this is a really strong New Zealand side nowadays, so trying to get into the side and almost have to learn to be able to bowl in the powerplay. So, it’s really nice it could come off as it is relatively a new role. I’m trying to play for New Zealand and yeah to get some wickets was quite pleasing and it shows me I can do it at this level and yeah something I want to keep building.”Sodhi also delivered a glowing appraisal of Tim Seifert, who is currently the leading run-getter in the tri-series, with 166 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 145.61. Sodhi believes that Seifert has become a more versatile and dangerous batter after playing franchise T20 cricket around the world. In the lead-up to the tri-series, Seifert was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL and San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, and his next franchise assignment is with CPL champions St Lucia Kings.”Yeah, look Seife is incredible,” Sodhi said. “I’ve sort of seen him come through when he was 18 years old playing cricket in all the districts he came through. A lot of talent, hit the ball really nice and cleanly. But I think the product of franchise cricket that’s made him such a good player is that he’s been able to play on surfaces that aren’t actually that great for batting.”If you look at that surface out there, it wasn’t the truest of surfaces but to score at the rate that he did shows great growth in his game. It shows that he’s rallied around a lot of great players all around the world in the franchise tournaments that he’s played and it’s making him a lot better player. It’s a huge asset for New Zealand cricket the way that he’s playing and he’s still so young.”The way he’s batting is showing a lot of leadership. He’s leading from the front and it’s great to see him being in my shoes having seen him come through when he was an 18, 19-year-old. It’s brilliant to see.”

Ollie Pope left out of England’s four-day warm-up fixture in Antigua

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2022Dan Lawrence has been given the opportunity to secure a spot in England’s middle order for the first Test against West Indies after being listed at No. 4 for their four-day warm-up match against a CWI President’s XI in Antigua.Lawrence, 24, made his Test debut in Sri Lanka last year and averages 27.23 after eight matches. He was part of the Ashes squad in Australia but did not make an appearance, and has not played any competitive cricket since the end of the County Championship season.Ollie Pope, who was retained in the squad for the West Indies tour despite a torrid series in Australia in which he made 67 runs across six innings, is the only batter not included for Tuesday’s warm-up fixture.Related

• Foakes enters unfamiliar territory as England's first-choice keeper

• Root embraces No. 3 berth in bid to revive England's fortunes

• Root: 'No-one says this is the end for Anderson and Broad'

• Campbell, Phillip in West Indies squad for first England Test

• Broad on being dropped by England: 'It has hit me pretty hard'

Zak Crawley and Alex Lees will open the batting with Joe Root carded in his new role at No. 3 ahead of Lawrence at No. 4. Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow are due to come in at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively with Ben Foakes keeping wicket at No. 7.England have picked a 12-man side featuring four seamers (Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson) and one spinner (Jack Leach) with one of those five likely to be squeezed out for the first Test on March 8. The uncapped Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Fisher and Matt Parkinson join Pope on the bench.”We’ve done a lot of talking,” Paul Collingwood, England’s interim head coach, told the ECB’s in-house channels. “We’ve had some real open and honest meetings, and a lot of players and a lot of staff have spoken up in those meetings so they’re accountable now. They’ve got to go and live it. They’ve got to put what they’ve said in those meetings out onto the field.”I feel as though the guys have really bought into it. There’s a sense of excitement and genuine enthusiasm about moving the team forward and to build self-sufficiency in the team. I know I’ve only got the job as an interim coach but I guess the challenge is to pass the team onto whoever comes in after the four weeks and the team to be in a better, stronger place than it has been. When you get a role like this, you want to make a difference.”The President’s XI will be captained by Shane Dowrich, who recently returned to the professional game after a 14-month hiatus and scored 116 not out against England in Barbados three years ago.The fixture also marks England’s return to the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua for the first time since the Stanford 20/20 for $20 million in 2008. The ground is the site of CWI’s new headquarters following its redevelopment and hosted men’s international cricket for the first time last year.”The pitch and the outfield are looking in immaculate condition and we are really pleased with what we are seeing,” Rayon Griffith, who will coach the President’s XI, said. “We’ve had some good training sessions and we expect to give a really good account during the four-day match.”England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Joe Root (captain), 4 Dan Lawrence, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Craig Overton, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Ollie Robinson, 12 Jack LeachCWI President’s XI: (possible) 1 Jeremy Solozano, 2 Shayne Moseley, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Devon Thomas, 5 Alick Athanaze, 6 Raymon Reifer, 7 Shane Dowrich (captain/wk), 8 Shamar Springer, 9 Colin Archibald, 10 Preston McSween, 11 Bryan Charles, 12 Shermon Lewis

Sunrisers unable to get on the board despite fifties for Noami Dattani, Kelly Castle

ECB Reporters' Network12-Jun-2021A half-century by Michaela Kirk and four wickets for Teresa Graves helped Lightning to a second victory in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy as bottom-of-the-table Sunrisers slumped to a fourth defeat from four matches.Naomi Dattani hit 65 and Kelly Castle 52 as Sunrisers posted 206 for 9 after opting to bat first at Loughborough University’s Haslegrave Ground, seamer Graves taking 4 for 39. But Lightning chased down their target with almost 10 overs to spare with South African-born batter Kirk hitting nine boundaries, sharing partnerships of 57 with Sarah Bryce and 47 with Kathryn Bryce.Abbey Freeborn then struck seven fours in a 48-ball 44, her partnership of 51 with Sonia Odedra effectively sealing the win. Freeborn was caught at midwicket with just two still needed before Graves hit the winning boundary.Always ahead of the required rate, Lightning were 47 without loss in the Powerplay. Sarah Bryce was caught at backward point off Castle’s medium pace but she was Lightning’s only casualty in scoring 100 from the first 20 overs.They suffered a double setback when Kirk and Kathryn Bryce fell in consecutive overs to offspinners Katie Midwood and Alice Macleod, Kirk trapped leg before sweeping before Bryce was bowled. But Freeborn and Lucy Higham added 48 for the fourth wicket, bringing the requirement down to 52 from 20 overs, before Higham was lbw to Castle sweeping.Sunrisers were 31 for 3 after their Powerplay overs. Seamer Sophie Munro bowled Grace Scrivens off an inside edge and had Amara Carr well caught by Freeborn at slip, before left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon took her ninth wicket of the competition so far, trapping Alice Macleod leg before.Lightning captain Kathryn Bryce conceded only seven runs in her first six overs. Once she took a rest, however, runs came more easily as Dattani and Cordelia Griffith added 60 for the fourth wicket before the latter hit straight to mid-on as Graves made the breakthrough.Dattani and Castle put on 87 in 17 overs for the fifth wicket, Dattani completing her half-century off 82 balls with five fours before clearing the rope off Lucy Higham’s offspin for the only six of the innings. But Dattani was bowled attempting to sweep Yvonne Graves’s offspin, sparking a late collapse as Sunrisers lost five wickets for 18 runs in six overs, three of them to Graves.She dismissed Jo Gardner and had Gayatri Gole in the space of three balls before Castle played round one to be leg before, and Bryce picked up a deserved wicket when Freeborn held a good low catch at mid-on to remove Katherine Speed.

Jadeja and Shami likely to be in India squad for ODI series against South Africa

Hemant Brar04-Mar-2020Cheteshwar Pujara will be back for Saurashtra for the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 final against Bengal, to be held in Rajkot next week, but it’s not clear if Ravindra Jadeja will be available for the hosts as they take part in their fourth final in last eight seasons.”Cheteshwar will be back for sure, Ravindra I am not sure,” Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat said after his side’s semi-final win over Gujarat. “We [Pujara and I] have been constantly in touch, he cares for the team as much as I do. Right now, he is in the flight back from New Zealand and I am sure he will be quite happy once he lands in Mumbai.”Having Cheteshwar back will play on their [Bengal’s] mind as well. Whenever he is around, our batting unit plays differently, they have this confidence that there is someone of his calibre in our team. Plus, he does take some sort of pressure off me when there are situations like this.”Like Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha will be in the mix for Bengal, who have now reached the Ranji final 14 times – winning the tournament twice – but never since the 2006-07 season. Both Pujara and Saha are the Test specialists and won’t be required for India duty for the ODI series against South Africa starting March 12, where Jadeja is expected to play a part.Similarly Mohammed Shami, who took a blow to the shoulder while batting in the last Test in New Zealand, will not be in the fray for the final. “Saha will play but not Shami as the South Africa series is there,” a Bengal support staffer told ESPNcricinfo.

Sri Lanka were meant to start their pre-World Cup fine-tuning in Edinburgh, but the weather wasn’t kind enough

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh18-May-2019
For the second time in eight days, a rare Scotland home ODI against a Full Member was affected by rain as the series opener against Sri Lanka was abandoned without a ball bowled. After waiting through close to five hours of on and off drizzle, umpire Gregory Brathwaite called both captains together to deliver the news, turning Tuesday’s second ODI into a series decider.It was a major blow to Cricket Scotland, who had hired temporary bleachers to accommodate a sellout crowd of 1500 and will now have to issue refunds as a result of no play taking place. It was also a dent in Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparation, leaving the second ODI as their only official action before their World Cup opener against New Zealand on June 1.While clear skies are forecast for the next two days, rain is scheduled to return on Tuesday, putting the entire series at risk of being washed out.