Tag Futebol

The former New Zealand has asthma and needed more than the usual dose of his medicine while playing in Delhi during IPL 2016, which had triggered scrutiny

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2018Brendon McCullum has cleared the air about a positive drug test during his time with Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016.The former New Zealand captain has asthma and, in light of heavy pollution in Delhi at the time, he needed more than the usual dose of his medicine. As a result, McCullum’s urine sample was found to have exceeded the allowable limit for salbutamol, a drug that is part of inhalers used to treat asthma. The BCCI approached McCullum with these findings following which he secured a retroactive therapeutic use exemption from a panel of independent medical experts in Sweden to close the matter and clear his name.”There was a bit of a process to go through to make sure they had all the information and ticked off the areas they wanted to see, but we went through it all and [the BCCI] were actually pretty good to work with in the end,” McCullum told .”I certainly don’t see it as a failed drug test. It was just a case of we just need to seek clarification and apply for this. I have no ill-feeling about [the process] and I also have no guilt or remorse about it because I needed a puff of my inhaler at that time.”McCullum hit 60 off 36 at the top of the order in a one-run win for the Lions against Delhi Daredevils in the game that day. But a test after the game resulted in an “adverse analytical finding” because the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules state any dosage that is not consistent with therapeutic use will be considered a violation.McCullum’s doctors and legal team then prepared his defence, which had proven successful last January itself, but he chose to go public with the information now because he wanted to quash the rumours.”I’ve heard this sort of rumbling around in the background for a while and I actually said to my wife, ‘I don’t know why we don’t just deal with this now, I’ve got nothing to hide and it is better off just talking about stuff rather than having other people talking about it’. Otherwise it just grows and festers.”As far as I am concerned it was just a matter of making sure we got everything signed off properly, rather than it being a failed drug test.”McCullum, who has had asthma since childhood, found the going particularly tough in Delhi whose pollution levels have touched dangerous levels in recent years. In November 2016, a first-class match between Gujarat and Bengal had to be abandoned due to smog, and in December 2017, a Test between India and Sri Lanka was severely affected by pollution, with several Sri Lankan players taking ill.

England put together a complete performance on a difficult day for cricket in Cardiff to seal passage to the Champions Trophy semi-finals

The Report by David Hopps06-Jun-2017England 310 (Root 64, Buttler 61*, Hales 56) beat New Zealand 223 (Williamson 87, Plunkett 4-59) by 87 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:32

Fleming: NZ batting undone by extra bounce

This was not quite the contest which brought the Champions Trophy alive, alas, but England will not lose sleep over that. They became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals with a comfortable 87-win against New Zealand. A grimy Cardiff day during which persistent showers gradually gave way to howling winds demanded application and resolution and they were not found wanting.New Zealand were in the game as long as their captain Kane Williamson was at the crease, gathering runs with his usual precision. At 158 for 2, they were more than halfway to their target of 311 with two wickets lost and nearly 20 overs remaining. But from the moment Williamson fell for 87 from 98 balls, unhinged by a ball from Mark Wood which reared at him from just short of a length, they looked ill equipped to compete, losing their last eight wickets for 67 in 14 overs.

New Zealand fined for slow over rate

Match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that New Zealand were two overs short of the target with all time allowances considered.
In accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, players are fined 10% for every over failed to be bowled, and the captain is fined double that amount. As such, Williamson has been fined 40% of his match fee, while his players have received 20% fines.
If there is a second over-rate offence committed by New Zealand during the Champions Trophy with Williamson as captain, he will be suspended for one match.

There was little sign of the memorable cricket that characterised the series between these sides in England in 2015, one that signified the start of England’s more courageous approach to one-day cricket as they admired how Brendon McCullum would bet the lot and raised him. What there was, was a confident team performance.England’s innings felt like a strain yet with cool heads, at the end of it, they again surpassed 300. They have done it 23 times since the last World Cup, comfortably more than any other side. As New Zealand’s bowlers increasingly resorted to short balls, and the umpires stoutly ignoring the showers strafing the ground, it felt like hard work. That hard work persuaded them the score was a decent one.That proved to be the case on a Cardiff surface that played unevenly at times. After an over in which Liam Plunkett struck both Williamson and Ross Taylor on the helmet, the target looked onerous. He was unfortunate to go wicketless in his first spell, but his menace would not have been missed by New Zealand’s tail as they looked on from the dressing room and the last three wickets gained him 4 for 55.England’s seam attack have consistently held that cross-seam deliveries are the way to go in Cardiff and their example is bound to be followed by others.New Zealand survived an edgy period against the new ball – 22 for 1 in seven overs as Jake Ball (halting his run-up several times because of the strength of the wind) took on the new ball with relish. His first ball bowled Luke Ronchi, foot-fast and amplifying his reputation as a poor starter.An even more unnerving period came after the loss of Martin Guptill, who drove at a full ball from Ben Stokes and was held by Joe Root in the gully. Williamson was hit on the side of the helmet as he ducked into a short ball from Plunkett, who then struck Taylor on the grille before he had scored with one that spat off a length.For all that, Taylor and Williamson added 95 in 17 overs and England’s disquiet was growing before Williamson fell. Taylor, who has the capability to go from first gear to fifth, never made the transition and three overs later, with 39 from 59 balls, dragged Ball to short midwicket. Jimmy Neesham whacked Plunkett over the long-on boundary, but plopped the next into the hands of deep square leg.England had omitted Adil Rashid’s legspin for their first game, a victory against Bangladesh, but Stokes was held to be fit enough to bowl a full spell again as England’s fourth seamer, so with seam stocks replenished Rashid replaced the injured Chris Woakes. He survived the challenge of Cardiff’s short straight boundaries, having Neil Broom lbw sweeping and then Mitchell Santner stumped off a leg-side wide, smart work this by Jos Buttler.In England’s innings, the adaptability of Joe Root – England’s Williamson and one of three batsmen to pass 50 – was apparent from the outset, his game management in place as he worked the ball around. New Zealand also responded to the unresponsiveness of the Kookaburra – a cricket ball that does not like to party and that makes cricket duller because of it – with a pragmatic acceptance that rewards would be hard won and a shift to a shorter length.Jason Roy’s lack of form remains a problem that England will be desperate he resolves against Australia in the final group match. It is not just the runs; it is his effrontery that so often sets the tone. A record of 47 runs at 6.71 in England one-day matches since his bench-warming exercise at the IPL reveals that impudence is currently in short supply. He survived an lbw appeal first ball from Southee, tried to play himself in, then walked across his stumps twice in one over against Adam Milne and lost his leg stump.Alex Hales is in better touch. Trent Boult gave him an early opportunity to get his long levers loosened and he hauled the same bowler downwind for six. When he carved Milne over long-off for six more, England were 118 for 1 in the 21st over and beginning to take command only for Milne’s slower ball to deceive him as he anticipated a short one.When Morgan succumbed to an wide ball from Corey Anderson, feathering a catch to the wicketkeeper as he advanced down the pitch, Root, on the verge of fifty, would have recognised the need for a substantial innings. But he was starved of strike during his stand with Stokes – facing only 15 balls in the next ten overs – and he met an ungainly end when he dragged Anderson on to his stumps, envisaging a big shot that never materialised.Stokes possessed most menace. One straight drive left Root dancing in self-preservation. Twice, Anderson disappeared straightish for sixes and, with Santner’s left-arm spin vulnerable – his first five over-spell conceding 36 – there seemed opportunity to feast on the back-up seamers. But Stokes was tormented with a few wide ones outside off stump and, on 48, he had a brainstorm as he ran an uppercut against Boult into third man’s hands.It didn’t feel like a day for Moeen Ali, and he soon perished like a butterfly in winter, pulling Anderson to short fine leg where Boult again proved himself one of the more athletic fielders in the fast-bowling fraternity. Rashid fell lbw to Santner as one skidded on a little on a dampening surface.England needed Buttler’s intervention, an unbeaten 61 from 48 balls. His first boundary took 24 balls – and even that, fortunately for him, came via his helmet as Southee fired in another short one in thickening drizzle.Buttler then ramped a bouncer from Boult into the cameraman’s gantry and flat-batted another short ball from Milne back over his head for another six. Rare moments of ambition on a workmanlike day, but by the time Southee ended England’s innings three deliveries early with wickets in successive balls enough to swing the match in England’s favour. Decisively so, it was to prove.

Two teams on the upswing – Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions – look for a win to continue their momentum in the second half of the season

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro26-Apr-2016

Match facts

Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Many feared another gruelling season was in store for Delhi Daredevils after they suffered a demoralising loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener. Daredevils have bounced back with three consecutive wins, though, to intensify the race for the playoffs. Led by Zaheer Khan’s wiles, Daredevils defended 164 in their last game against Mumbai Indians.Quinton de Kock has carried in his confidence from the World T20, and Sanju Samson hit form with a steady 60 against Mumbai. With the ball, Amit Mishra and Zaheer have used their experience to limit the damage towards the end. Can Daredevils continue their form through the middle part of the tournament?Gujarat Lions have had one bad day, but four wins have left them comfortably placed in the points table. An in-form top order has resulted in relaxed chases, but the batting hasn’t been tested while setting a target. In the previous match, Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum made up for the injured Aaron Finch’s absence with a quickfire start in the chase of 181.Lions’ bowling, though, has failed to live up to expectations since the exclusion of James Faulkner. Dwayne Bravo picked up figures of 4 for 22 in the first game against Kings XI Punjab, but has since taken two wickets at an economy rate of 10.06. Considering the trend this season, and Delhi’s short boundaries, both sides may prefer bowling first. But do Lions have enough depth if they are asked to bat?

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils: WWWL (most recent matches first)
Gujarat Lions: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Amit Mishra‘s returns this season: seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.00 and an average of 10.28. He has primarily been used in the second half of the innings, and his control over his variations has helped Daredevils during the end overs.With 3873 runs, Suresh Raina is the highest run-getter in the IPL, and 174 of those have come for his new franchise. His consistent starts have set a platform for Lions’ successful chases.

Team news

Daredevils played four South Africans in their previous game. Legspinner Imran Tahir, who replaced allrounder Carlos Brathwaite, produced figures of 0 for 29. Daredevils may not tinker with their winning combination.Delhi Daredevils (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Shreyas Iyer, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Karun Nair, 6 Pawan Negi, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Imran Tahir, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Amit MishraFinch left the field with a hamstring injury in Lions’ last win and did not bat. If he is unavailable for this game, Lions may bolster their bowling attack by including Dale Steyn or Faulkner. If they decide to include an overseas bowler, Shadab Jakati may be left out.Gujarat Lions (probable): 1 Dwayne Smith/Aaron Finch, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Suresh Raina (capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Akshdeep Nath, 8 James Faulkner/Dale Steyn/Shadab Jakati, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Pravin Tambe

Pitch and conditions

Daredevils defended 164 against Mumbai in their previous game in Delhi. Despite the Feroz Shah Kotla’s short boundaries, scores generally do not cross 180 here. The weather is expected to remain dry, with temperatures lingering around 35C.

Stats and trivia

• In his previous eight IPL games, Raina has six scores between 20 and 29
• Dwayne Bravo has bowled his four-over quota in 15 of his last 16 T20 games. His record in this IPL so far, however, is not that great – five matches, 19 overs, at an economy rate of 9.10 and an average of 28.83

Gareth Cross has been released by Lancashire, increasing the possibility that they will sign Jos Buttler from Somerset

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2013Gareth Cross has been released by Lancashire, increasing the possibility that they will sign Jos Buttler from Somerset.Cross, 29, has been dropped in the latter part of this season in favour of Alex Davies, the England Under-19 wicketkeeper, who has played the last two Championship matches against Leicestershire and Gloucestershire. In 13 Championship games Cross made 409 runs at 24.05 with one hundred and two fifties.He tweeted: “Unfortunately my time at lancs has come to end. Thanks to everyone who ever supported me and everyone I played with. Have made some amazing friends. Its now time to move on and start a fresh somewhere else. Some big points to prove. Thanks again to everyone. Enjoyed every bit of it.”Buttler’s future with Somerset has been up in the air for much of the season after he was elevated to England’s one-day and Twenty20 keeper, but did not keep in all formats at county level due to the presence of Craig Kieswetter at Taunton. When asked during the one-day series against Australia, Buttler admitted it had been a bit of a distraction for him but hoped progress would be made soon.Cross had to bide his time for a regular first-team slot after beginning his career while Warren Hegg was the No. 1 at Old Trafford. Luke Sutton’s arrival meant he had to wait even longer before he became the main keeper for Lancashire’s Championship-winning season in 2011 although had been in the one-day role for some time.Cross is the second senior player Lancashire have released in recent days following the departure of Stephen Moore.

Four wickets in five overs at the end of a keenly contested day almost put hopes of a surprise Somerset victory to bed

David Hopps at Hove06-Sep-2012
ScorecardMurray Goodwin received warm applause for what is likely to be his last innings at Hove•Getty Images

Somerset have finished second so often that Brian Rose resigned as director of cricket this week by mutual consent, in the belief that a fresh approach is needed at first-team level, but for a few fleeting moments they must have fondly imagined they could yet pull off an improbable runners-up finish in the Championship as a powerful testimony to the quality he has assembled during his eight years in charge.Four wickets in five overs at the end of a keenly contested day almost put those hopes to bed. Ah well. “This is for you, Brian, another runners-up gong,” might not have been the most subtle parting speech. But Somerset have made substantial progress under Rose’s leadership, developing young players, playing attractive cricket and furthering the sense of pride that is never far beneath the surface in Somerset cricket.To steal that second place from Sussex, Somerset would first have to chase down a target of 396 to win here. When Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah assembled 147 in 43 overs without too many alarms, there was definitely a game on. The excellent Steve Magoffin had been repelled and Chris Nash, the potential partnership breaker, had come close but ultimately broken nothing other than the faith of the Sussex members. “Silly season,” muttered one as the ball disappeared to the boundary.If Somerset could have survived unscathed until the close, the final day would have been evenly balanced. They were half-an-hour away from doing just that. Warwickshire had been confirmed as champions and perhaps a collective gloom would have descended as a result over the south coast. But then Sussex’s players would share more than £150,000 for finishing second so perhaps not.Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah fell on the same score, Trescothick dragging on as he envisaged clumping Monty Panesar over long-on and Suppiah caught by Matt Prior, a rebound off his chest at first slip off Magoffin, seven balls later.Magoffin, a rangy Queenslander of immense reliability, began with five successive maidens up the slope before having a rare outing downhill in an attempt to change his luck. It came off, first Suppiah then Chris Jones, bowled for a single, and the nightwatchman, Steve Kirby, softened up with a blow on the helmet and then caught at short leg. By the close he had 3 for 15 in 14 overs. He concedes runs in Division One at 2.30 per over; few can match such economy.Somerset fought with commendable spirit before lunch to keep their target of 396 down to such proportions. Assumptions had been that Sussex would grind towards a tea declaration but the Great Alfonso came to the fore, Thomas taking 4 for 7 in 28 balls (two with the old ball, two with the new) and Sussex’s last eight wickets were spirited away for 78 in 29 overs.There was no farewell hundred for Murray Goodwin, although he did fashion his best Championship score of a meagre season, 78 from 187 balls, before Thomas had him caught at the wicket. His Sussex career finishes with 14,573 first-class runs at 49.23 with 48 centuries.Sussex have retired Goodwin’s No. 3 shirt as a mark of respect to “a great cricketer and a fantastic team man”. But whether they have retired Goodwin is another thing. Another county might yet come looking. He certainly wants them to. He is even clinging to the “slim chance” that Sussex might change their mind. He said only found out on Sunday that his contract would not be renewed after indications six weeks earlier that he would be retained. As for the collapse in form that has caused his release, he blamed the abysmal English weather.”Not many batsmen have made runs this year,” he said. “I started with a broken wrist and then there were light issues and wet wickets. When you are on and off the field all the time, it plays with your preparation, your mindset and your rhythm. I have struggled with the weather, maybe more than most. But I still think I have more to offer the county game.”If he had to leave Sussex, and he has no wish to, this was not far short of how he might have imagined it: another glorious late summer’s day, a standing ovation from a decent, appreciative crowd and his young sons, Jaydon and Ashton, dashing to greet him as he crossed the boundary rope. Sussex even flew his parents over from Australia for the occasion.”I had been doing some fielding and I came off the field and saw them there,” he said. “It was a nice touch although I was hoping it would happen next year when they could also come over for the Ashes,” he said. Jaydon, 10, is already playing Sussex age group cricket and his father remarked with a grimace: “Jaydon has been giving me stick that he has more hundreds this season than I have.”Goodwin was treated to a gracious lunchtime speech in his honour and, even more impressively, it didn’t go on as long as the rival speeches blaring out of a marquee adjacent to the media centre. Corporate support is necessary for the survival of the county game, and it was all for an excellent good cause apparently, but by the time the auctioneer began to boom “Going… going… gone,” there could barely have been a soul within earshot who did not mutter, “Oh I do wish you were.”Not many at Hove have ever said that about Murray Goodwin.

ESPNcricinfo’s Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the fourth Test between England and India at The Oval

Andrew Miller and Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval21-Aug-2011Shot of the day

Amit Mishra walked in with a bat signed by Virender Sehwag during India’s first innings. Now, Sehwag himself had made only eight runs, faced eight deliveries and bagged a king pair in his first three innings of the series. Either way it wouldn’t have mattered to the England bowlers considering the way they have dominated the Indian batting through the series. But Mishra not only batted with gay abandon, usually a Sehwag trait, but also combined confidence with fluency to surprise the opposition. In his primary role as a legspinner he’d had a shocking time – 38-3-170-0 – but he left the Englishmen gaping when he charged Graeme Swann on the last ball before lunch, to hit the only six of the Indian innings high over long on.Catch of the day

At the MCG in December 1998, Mark Ramprakash at square leg flung himself full-stretch to his right to intercept a pull from Justin Langer, and set England on their way to a highly improbable victory. The circumstances were somewhat different this time around, but Ian Bell’s reactions were every bit as honed, as a valiant 43 from Mishra was brought to a spectacular ending. A short ball from Tim Bresnan got big on the pull, but Bell at short square leg had to watch the shot all the way off the bat, judge the miscued pace, and time his dive to perfection as the ball slapped his left palm, and nestled into his fingers as he fell to earth. A determined 87-run stand had been broken, and England’s victory bid had taken a major leap forward.Ball of the day

The shadows were lengthening and a small sense of satisfaction was spreading through the Indian camp. Despite another tough examination, they were inching towards the close with eight wickets still in hand and two of their big three in harness at the crease. But then, as so often this series, up popped James Anderson. At Trent Bridge he had produced a screamer to uproot VVS Laxman’s off stump, and though this replica delivery wasn’t quite in the same category, it proved far too good once again as it zipped off the deck and crashed into the top of off as a dazed Laxman stared forlornly down the track.Onslaught of the day

Rahul Dravid is not by nature the most demonstrative of batsmen, but whenever Swann has been in his sights in this series, he has come out with a touch of the KPs. Dravid’s handling of England’s spinner has been nothing short of masterful, and today, with 14 runs needed for his hundred, he knew what he wanted to do. From the second ball of Swann’s 20th over, he cleared his front leg and took on a brace of midwickets with a contemptuous slog-sweep. Two balls later, he rocked back on his heels and dabbed a delicious late cut through third man. Swann’s fifth ball was flicked through the gap at midwicket for another four, and he completed his surge with a dab-and-dive single to move to 99. Tim Bresnan made him wait a further four balls for the moment, but when it came, he was celebrating almost before his followthrough was complete.Milestone of the day

At half past three on Sunday, sections of the crowd rose for a standing ovation. Rahul Dravid had not reached the 150 mark. No England bowler had taken a wicket. Not even Sachin Tendulkar had made an appearance. Instead, when Dravid powerfully cut Tim Bresnan for a single, it was the first time India had managed to reach 300 runs in seven attempts this series. However, that was as good as their performance would get. The final two Indian wickets – RP Singh and Sreesanth – fell in the same over in quick succession in a span of three balls.Tempo-setter of the day

First ball of the innings, following on. Sehwag facing James Anderson. You know something is going to happen – something untoward, something exciting. And lo and behold, Sehwag goes for a powerful backfoot punch, only for a thin bottom edge to slither past the off stump and away to the rope for four. A boundary first-up is usually a sign of good times to come for Sehwag, but rarely do such strokes draws monstrous gasps from the crowd.Placard of the day

“England v Dravid, The Wall”. Self-explanatory, isn’t it?

Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer

Peter English21-Sep-2010Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer. The Blues’ first game is still almost three weeks away and already half the contingent is either on Australian duty or injured.Josh Hazlewood’s back stress fracture forced his exit from the India tour on Saturday and allowed a standby call up for his team-mate Mitchell Starc. Doug Bollinger and Shane Watson are also on that trip while Nathan Bracken is recovering from knee surgery and hoping for a December return.The wise Stuart Clark, the part-time captain and attack mentor at 34, has seen this sort of situation before. “It’s always the issue, you start off with 10, and by about November 10 you’re struggling to find three, due to injury, attrition and playing for Australia,” he said. “There could be a situation where we have too many, but there’s every chance, as per usual, that bowlers are hard to come by.”When the season starts with a one-day game against South Australia on October 9, Clark will probably line up beside a couple of Brett Lee, Trent Copeland, Burt Cockley and Moises Henriques. Life will become more complicated in November when the Test players should be available for two Sheffield Shield fixtures before the Ashes.Copeland, a 24-year-old right-armer, raced to 35 wickets in his first five Shield games for New South Wales last year during an amazing streak that began with 8 for 92 on debut against Queensland. He is in his first full season as a contracted player and said state training had been a who’s who of Australian cricket over the past couple of weeks.He thinks the overall depth in bowling spurs on the players. “It’s good for the competition and competitiveness at training,” he said at the pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast. “It’s no surprise New South Wales cricket is so strong, because there is competition for places, and it pushes guys to improve their skills.”However, there will still be times during the summer when the fast men are pigeon-holed as first-class or limited-overs players. Brett Lee has made that decision already following his retirement from white clothes last season, while Bracken could also head that way depending on how well his knee recovers from its latest operation.”There are some guys who are probably more suited to certain forms,” Clark said. “But I guarantee it will be all hands on deck for first of the game of the year, due to guys being with Australia and guys with injury. We’ll make these great predictions and they’ll be all useless by the start of the season.”Clark remains enthusiastic about being back on the domestic scene full-time following a disrupted summer last year, which followed the Ashes tour. He gained 12 wickets in five Sheffield Shield matches but missed a chunk of the season with a back injury.”I’m excited about playing cricket,” he said. “I still really want to play, still like going out to bat, bowl, field, run around, and play with the younger guys. There are no dramas there.”For the first time since he was elevated to the Australian squad in 2005 he has completed a proper pre-season. Most importantly for New South Wales, Clark is fit and available, unlike half of his fast bowling team-mates.

Chasing 117, Sri Lanka were tied down by spin and could manage only 85 for 9

Firdose Moonda03-Oct-2024Pakistan secured their first win in four meetings against Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka and opened their campaign with a win at T20 World Cup 2024. Sri Lanka had been riding a wave of success since the last T20 World Cup, winning three out of six bilateral T20I series and 22 out of 32 games, but Pakistan, who had lost four out of their last six series and 16 out of 27 games, had the measure of them on a slow, low Sharjah pitch.Run-scoring was laboured on the opening day of the tournament and scoring rates did not get above six an over but Pakistan’s 116 still looked well below par. None of their top six scored more than 23, there were no partnerships in the top eight of over 25, and captain Fatima Sana, batting at No. 7, was the top scorer with 30. For Sri Lanka, left-armer Udeshika Prabodhani, left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari and captain Chamari Athapaththu, with her offspin, picked up three wickets each.Buoyed by their efforts in the field, Sri Lanka would have fancied their chances of pulling off victory but fared the worst of the four teams in action today with the bat. They were tied down by spin, particularly Omaima Sohail’s offspin and lack of pace. With the ball moving slowly through the air and keeping low, the Sri Lanka batters were often far too early into their shots. They were reduced to 52 for 5 in the 13th over and there was no coming back from that.

The tournament’s first six

It took until the third over of the second match before the World Cup saw its first six and it came from Pakistan’s only centurion in the format: Muneeba Ali. She advanced down the track against Sri Lanka’s only seamer, Prabodhani, and sent her 63 metres over midwicket boundary. On a day when boundaries were particularly scarce, there were two more sixes in the Pakistan innings to go with five fours. Sri Lanka’s innings featured only three fours. There were no sixes in the earlier game between Bangladesh and Scotland and just 15 fours across both innings.Chamari Athapaththu belts out a successful appeal for the lbw of Aliya Riaz•ICC/Getty Images

(Almost) three cheers for ChamariAfter doing an excellent job in keeping pressure on Pakistan by taking the wicket of Sidra Amin and with her bowling changes, Athapaththu brought herself on for a second over in the 14th. Her second ball was full outside off stump and took Tuba Hassan’s outside edge as she camped on the back foot and was caught behind. That brought Pakistan’s last recognised batter, finisher Aliya Riaz, to the crease with plenty of time to cash in but she missed the line of the next ball and was hit on the front pad. Riaz was walking off as she reviewed and the ball-tracking revealed it was hitting middle and leg stump. Athapaththu was on a hat-trick and came oh-so-close to getting it when Diana Baig edged the next ball but wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani could not hold on. Athapaththu finished with 3 or 18 from her four overs.

Sana saves the day

It could be argued that Sana made a tactical blunder by batting herself at No. 7 but she scored 30 off 20 balls, which ended up changing the game, and then took great responsibility with the ball. Baig only bowled one ball before she pulled up with what looked like a calf injury and Sana decided to take over immediately. She finished Baig’s over and kept herself on for more, when she took out her opposite number. Athapaththu was leaden-footed when she drove Sana to extra cover where Sohail took a good catch to her left. Athapaththu understood the magnitude of the moment and punched her bat as she walked off the field. Her dismissal sent Sri Lanka into a shell, and they finished the powerplay on 26 for 2, with the required rate already up at 6.50.

Gunaratne and gone

It was game over, in theory, when Vishmi Gunaratne hit Nashra Sandhu straight down the ground and into the hands of Amin to leave Sri Lanka 52 for 5. But this is not to put the blame on the 19-year-old. Instead, it’s an illustration of the kinds of shots that were being played in frustration as the Pakistan spinners became more and more difficult to get away. On a big outfield, Sri Lanka scored 47 singles but only nine twos and while Pakistan were only marginally better with 51 singles and 11 twos, it’s those tiny margins that make a difference.

Yorkshire claim 13 points, Gloucestershire take 12 as rain intervenes

ECB Reporters Network28-Jun-2023Gloucestershire all-rounder Ollie Price completed an excellent maiden first-team century during an otherwise low-key final day at Headingley as their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Yorkshire finished in a draw.Price moved from 97 not out overnight to reach three figures in the day’s first over as the visitors were bowled out for 464 in reply to a first-innings 550 for 9 declared during the first half of the morning.Price was last man out for 113 off 162 balls to on-loan left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty, who finished with 5 for 139 on Yorkshire debut.Yorkshire started their second innings with a lead of 86 and reached 200 for 6 in the 48th over when rain stopped play at 4.30pm, a lead of 286. No more play was possible.During a weather-affected third day, 22-year-old all-rounder Ollie Price shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 162 with his older brother Tom. This season, the brothers have both posted their maiden first-team centuries in this competition after new-ball seamer Tom did it in a draw at New Road in April.There was always the chance of a potential final day contrived finish, but that didn’t eventuate and both sides – relegated from Division One last year – remain closer to the bottom of the Division Two table than they are to the top.Yorkshire claimed 13 points and have won once from seven outings, while Gloucestershire took 12 and remain winless after eight.Price reached his milestone century with a leg-glanced boundary off the fifth ball of the day from George Hill’s seam. Two balls later, Matt Taylor edged seamer Dom Leech to first slip as Gloucestershire slipped to 425 for 9.Unfortunately for the smattering of spectators present on an overcast day at Headingley, this wasn’t a day’s play jam-packed with edge-of-your-seat action.But even though the game was drifting, Gloucestershire bowled well after lunch and took some scalps with them back to the South West. Adam Lyth also posted a pleasing 55 either side of lunch for Yorkshire.Given the position of both sides in the Division Two table and no threat of relegation, it was somewhat of a surprise that no adventure was shown.Wrapping up Gloucestershire’s innings, debutant Moriarty bowled a sweeping Price to secure his fifth wicket having joined Yorkshire from Surrey for the next month of Championship action.Lyth and Fin Bean shared a 73-run opening partnership at the start of Yorkshire’s second innings, with Bean caught behind pushing forwards at Zafar Gohar’s left-arm spin three balls into the afternoon for 38 including a pulled six off Ollie Price’s off-spin.Lyth pulled, reverse swept and drove before edging Zaman Akhter’s seam to first slip, ending a 56-run second-wicket stand with captain Shan Masood, who was bowled reverse sweeping at Gohar shortly afterwards, leaving Yorkshire at 135 for 3 in the 31st over.By this stage, the floodlights had been turned on at Headingley. For the game, it was very much lights out.A break for bad light and rain from just before 3pm accounted for the loss of seven overs before played resumed, allowing impressive Gohar to claim his third wicket when Dawid Malan was caught behind cutting for 20. That was the first of two wickets in five balls as Ben Charlesworth’s first ball accounted for Jonny Tattersall, caught at slip as Yorkshire fell to 161 for 5 in the 40th over.Gohar was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 63 from 18 overs, while Chris Dent struck with his third ball, getting Hill caught at slip with his left-arm medium pace. Dent celebrated in disbelief and patted Hill on the back as he departed, maybe owing to the fact he usually bowls part-time left-arm spin. It proved to be the fixture’s final ball.

Despite Ben Duckett coming close to twin tons, Nottinghamshire were below par, particularly with the ball

ECB Reporters Network17-Apr-2022An unbeaten half-century by world No. 1 Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne guided Glamorgan to a seven-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship, ending their first visit to Trent Bridge for a red-ball match since 2007 with a first win on the ground since 1998.Chasing 166 to win in the fourth innings after taking Nottinghamshire’s final two second-innings wickets inside the first hour of play, Glamorgan wrapped up a 23-points win before tea on the final afternoon.Australia’s Labuschagne, in his first game back with the Welsh county after successful summers in 2019 and 2021, was dropped on 25, although it is doubtful that the miss had any bearing on the outcome of the match.It is a sobering result for Nottinghamshire, a popular tip to be Division Two champions this season. Ben Duckett came close to scoring a century in each innings but it was generally a below-par performance by the home side, particularly with the ball.James Pattinson, in his first match back at Trent Bridge, was outbowled by fellow Aussies Michael Neser and Michael Hogan, while the Australia-born Netherlands seamer Timm van der Gugten made an outstanding contribution both with bat and ball.Nottinghamshire added 18 runs to their overnight lead of 147 before Glamorgan removed their last two wickets. Brett Hutton shouldered arms to the ball that bowled him, one of three dismissals in the match where the batter offered no shot. Joey Evison made a creditable 37 before gloving a legside catch to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke as he went to pull James Weighell.Evison batted with a runner and was unable to bowl as Glamorgan set about their chase, one in which Nottinghamshire needed a salvo of early wickets if they were to create any real pressure for the batters on a wicket that had lasted well.None was forthcoming, openers David Lloyd and Andrew Salter rattling along at four runs an over before the latter departed in the 14th, the home side’s ambitions not helped by Pattinson conceding 22 in three overs.Salter was lbw as left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White managed to squeeze the ball past his inside edge. There was a second setback for Glamorgan in the last over before lunch when Lloyd was also out to a ball he chose to leave, Dane Paterson bringing one back to clip off stump.Paterson and Patterson-White applied a squeeze after lunch. That changed when Labuschagne lofted the left-arm spinner for six over long-off and Sam Northeast crashed four through the covers but when Northeast took on a short ball from Pattinson in the next over, he was caught at long-leg by Paterson, who struggled to track the flight of the ball against the glare of the sky before landing on his back with ball in hand.Northeast’s dismissal took one of Glamorgan’s potential match-winners out of the equation but others remained, not least Labuschagne, who had a let-off behind the stumps on 25 when Tom Moores dived across first slip but could not cling on to an edge off Paterson’s bowling.Labuschagne completed his half-century, a relatively workmanlike affair, when he cut Pattinson for just his third four, before Kiran Carlson, who made 47 in a stand worth 74, completed the victory with a flourish, handing Pattinson the indignity of being hooked for six to win the contest with 39 overs to spare.