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Sydney Sixers made rather heavy weather of closing things out, but Shafali Verma’s battling half-century ensured they were able to make it two wins from two at the start of their WBBL campaign.Shafali’s innings was rarely convincing – she survived a marginal lbw shout early on, regularly just managed to evade the fielders and was striking under 100 at 16 overs – but she took on Tayla Vlaeminck in the 18th over which began with Sixers needing 24 off 18 deliveries.She scooped Vlaeminck for a boundary to reach fifty off 45 deliveries then clubbed her through the leg side with one of the most authoritative shots of the innings. With Nicole Bolton also finding the rope, the over cost 15 and all-but decided the contest.However, Shafali couldn’t quite see Sixers home when she was caught at long-on to give Molly Strano her third wicket and it was briefly nervy when Angela Reakes fell to the first ball of the last over, but Maitlan Brown kept her cool.Sixers had restricted Hobart Hurricanes to 125 but stumbled at the start of the chase. Alyssa Healy was beaten for pace by Vlaeminck as she played across the line and Ashleigh Gardner charged at Strano to leave them 2 for 14.Shafali and Ellyse Perry steadied the innings with a stand of 63 in 10 overs then, after Perry was stumped, Shafali continued to ride her luck.Hurricanes’ batting again struggled – they have a bowling attack to make an impact this season but desperately need top-order runs – and were 3 for 26 after the Powerplay. Perry claimed two wickets and Brown one, the latter courtesy of a terrific catch at point by Radha Yadav to remove Mignon du Preez.Gardner’s four overs, which included 12 dot balls, continued to keep a lid on the scoring and it was largely in the hands of Richa Ghosh to hold things together. Ghosh hit three sixes before falling to her India team-mate Yadav as Hurricanes limped to the 20-over mark.

The decline of South Africa’s men’s team is not quite as bad as many may think, according to first-choice white-ball spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. Speaking after South Africa reeled off a third successive T20I series win, Shamsi pleaded for patience and understanding as the national side seeks to win the country’s hearts and minds following a two-year period of inconsistent form and off-field drama.While South Africa have not played any Tests in the next World Test Championship cycle, are in a precarious position on the World Cup Super League and are not considered among the favourites for the T20 World Cup, they are rebuilding as a unit and Shamsi believes they will only get better with time.”We’re on a run of consecutive series so I don’t think this team is rubbish. I think we are quite good,” Shamsi said. “People speak about the great teams of the past. This team is on par with them.We might not have as many household names because we haven’t played that much international cricket. It doesn’t mean the players are not that good, just because they are not well known.”In this series, Bjorn Fortuin is one of the players who has had, and taken, an opportunity to come to the fore but the spotlight has been on fairly popular names, albeit maybe not in the shortest format. Keshav Maharaj, who was seen to be more of a red-ball specialist, has stepped up in shorter formats and has even led the team in Temba Bavuma’s injury-enforced absence. And Aiden Markram, whose name is attached to the Test side and struggles against spin in equal parts, has debunked both those myths and showed off personal improvement and a versatility of skill that could see him regarded as a genuine allrounder in white-ball cricket.Markram bowled a full quota of four overs for the first time in Sunday’s win – and bagged a career-best 3 for 21 – to add to South Africa’s spin options, which look more plentiful than ever before. “We are bowling so many overs of spin because we have that many quality spinners. That’s been very nice,” Shamsi said. “Maybe in the past, when we got to spinning wickets, we had a reluctance in picking spinners so that’s been a refreshing change. We are picking teams according to the conditions and we have the players to back it up. We have three quality spinners in the side, plus Aiden, and it means the captain can utilise me in different ways.”Rather than operate solely as an attacking spinner, Shamsi now sees himself as someone who can also hold an end. “I’ve realised my role is quite floaty. In the past I would be disappointed if I didn’t pick up wickets. I’ve realised I don’t always have to take wickets to influence the team. If people are playing me cautiously, I have the ability to bowl a cheaper spell,” he said.But there are few things that get him going quite as much as the feeling of adding to his wicket-tally, especially as he remains the leading T20I wicket-taker in 2021. He also took three in the match that clinched that series and enjoyed Dasun Shanaka’s the most, largely because the Sri Lankan attack had smoked him for six the ball before the dismissal.”The emotions that go through your mind when someone smokes you like that… I don’t think I can use the words going on in my head. But to be able to get the person out after that, that gives you a lot of satisfaction,” Shamsi said. “The biggest change that came in my game is when I realised getting hit for six is part and parcel of my job. There’s no embarrassment. If a guy hits me for a six, he hits me for a six, but I am coming back for him.”South Africa play one more match in Sri Lanka before a break as some players head to the IPL and others back home for a new domestic T20 knockout competition. They will regroup in October ahead of the T20 World Cup and even though few expect them to break their trophy drought, Shamsi said they are doing everything to represent the country as best as they can. “It’s South Africa’s team, it’s the people’s team. We are not playing for ourselves. I don’t have my picture here on (the protea) badge,” he said. “It’s our country and all of us are trying to make people proud. We are going to make mistakes but we are freaking sweating here in the sun to try and get results.”

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam has said that he was always confident of taking “bold decisions” as he trusted his bowlers to take all 10 West Indies wickets in the second innings.Pakistan set the hosts 329 in the second Test at Sabina Park, giving themselves a possible 130 overs to bowl West Indies out. Azam said that with Pakistan already trailing in the series, they had few options but to go for an early declaration after taking a lead of 152 in the first innings.”The plan was always to ask them to bat for 20-25 overs on the fourth day, and it eventually worked out well for us,” he said. “Take the lead up to 330-340, and then to make them play in whatever time remains on the fourth day. We had to level the series and so had to take some bold decisions for that – which we did take – and things worked out well for us.”Related

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Azam also credited his bowlers for setting up the win, and singled out left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi, who picked up a career-best match haul of 10 for 94, including his best figures of 6 for 51 in the first innings.”He is really young, and the way he is grooming himself and performing for Pakistan shows he is such a good talent,” Azam said. “He is only improving day-by-day, and learning as well. He is leading the bowling too, and it was fun watching him bowl. He believes in himself, and each time he is given the ball, he bowls with the same pace and aggression. And so this is really helpful for me as captain.”Pakistan also picked left-arm spinner Nauman Ali in the XI, who was the only frontline spinner from either side unlike in the first Test, when Jomel Warrican was in the West Indies XI. Although Ali bowled only one over in the first innings, he was eventually used for 22 overs in the second, on the way getting the big wickets of Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder.”Our bowlers were outstanding today, and I should only give them all the credit,” Azam said. “Even Nauman Ali bowled well. It was a fifth-day pitch, and the way he bowled and got some turn, as well as those three of his wickets, proved really crucial for us in the end.”We thought bowlers might some help from the pitch on the final day. We had seen the wicket in the morning, and also observed it after lunch today. Hence, we thought it would turn, and help the spinners. There were patches there as well, so we planned to bowl Nauman, which turned out to be helpful for us.”Azam also highlighted senior batter Fawad Alam for his contributions, with Alam getting to his fifth Test century – and his fourth since his comeback last year – rescuing Pakistan from 2 for 3 in the first innings, and ending unbeaten on 124 in a total of 302.”Like I have always said, he is an experienced player. He has so many runs in first-class [cricket] and has such a brilliant record there,” Azam said. “And so the way he handled the pressure, built his innings and contributed for the team as per the conditions was outstanding. All our batsmen must also learn from him.”Azam’s counterpart Brathwaite, however, was left asking for more from his batters, with West Indies folding for 150 and 219 in the match.”We were behind the eight-ball from the start,” Brathwaite said. “Consistently is obviously what we need. Test cricket is never easy. All the guys technically can bat, it’s just the mindset. The quicker we get to that strong mentality [the better]. First 30 balls is always the toughest period and finding out ways through those periods is key for us.”Brathwaite did draw out some positives from the series, most notable of which was the performance of fast bowler Jayden Seales, who picked up a five-for in the first Test, thus becoming the youngest from his country to that feat in Test cricket.”He is a star in the making, you see him getting over 250 wickets,” Brathwaite said of the 19-year-old. “I know he has a big future ahead. With the experience in our bowling group guiding – Kemar, [and] Jason – he for sure is a future star.”Brathwaite also credited the Pakistan bowlers and Alam for their show, and felt that falling behind by a big margin in the first innings ultimately made the difference.”As a bowling unit they were very consistent,” he said. “Batting wise, their guys who got in in the first innings went big. Obviously, Fawad getting a hundred is something for me and the batters to take – when we do get that start, we make it count.”I still think it’s a positive since we didn’t lose the series. I thought the team did a superb job in the first Test. We let ourselves down in the first innings of this match. Kudos to the bowlers again for leading the way. We made some strides in the series, but in this Test, the first innings really let us down.”

ScorecardSussex, weakened by injuries, short on experience with bat as well as ball, were likely always to find the going tough here but just how tough may have taken even them by surprise. The only consolation in losing to Nottinghamshire inside two days is that they will not face as formidable an attack again this summer.Indeed, it is quite possible that no one will, which is something Nottinghamshire may have suspected would be the consequence of James Pattinson’s contribution to their three wins from three.The combination of Pattinson, Stuart Broad and Jake Ball had older Trent Bridge members recalling the days of Hadlee and Rice, even Larwood and Voce, in trying to assess where it might be placed, given their pedigree, in a pecking order of Nottinghamshire attacks, yet the recall of the 26-year-old from Melbourne to Australia’s one-day squad may limit their appearance together in the county’s scorecard archive to this match only.Pattinson’s selection for Australia’s Champions Trophy squad means that, instead of playing nine four-day matches, his stint at Trent Bridge will probably be limited to the three he has completed. Nonetheless, he will sit impressively among Nottinghamshire’s overseas players even if he never plays another first-class match, his contribution amounting to 20 wickets at an average of 11.12.There is a possibility that he might be allowed to return to face Leicestershire and Kent in late June but it is difficult to imagine, somehow, that England’s management of player workload would also allow both Broad and Ball to be available too.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores was philosophical about losing Pattinson so soon.”It is disappointing, of course, because with bat and ball he has been outstanding,” he said. “He gives everything he has got and that’s appreciated by the members and certainly by his team-mates.”But you accept these days that players are pushing to play at the highest level. Playing for your country is what everybody strives for and we knew when we signed him there was always a chance Australia would want him back because he is a high quality, exciting player.”You just have to enjoy having players like him when they are able to play for you. And having seen the form he is in I think Australia made the right decision. He would have been unlucky not to have got in.”Nottinghamshire have up to 12 names on their list of potential replacements for Pattinson, the majority offered by agents rather than identified by the county. They may decide to pursue none of them, although Moores is keen not to lose the momentum Pattinson has given their early-season form.”It will have to be the right kind of player but it is a busy period during the Champions Trophy with a lot of Championship cricket and hopefully the later stages of the Royal London Cup so we will be looking to get somebody in,” he said.Sussex, still shaken by Nottinghamshire’s extraordinary Riki Wessels-inspired recovery from 88 for 5 on the opening day, were in bad shape when they resumed, having been reduced to 11 for 3 on the first evening. Spectators had barely settled when Delray Rawlins, one of five players in the Sussex line-up with 13 first-class appearances or fewer, gave Pattinson his third wicket of the first innings, feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Chris Read, his 500th dismissal at Trent Bridge.Laurie Evans quickly provided Pattinson’s fourth, edging to second slip, where Samit Patel held a sharp catch. Stiann van Zyl and Luke Wright tried to fight back but with none of the four Nottinghamshire seamers, Luke Fletcher included, content merely to play a supporting role, there was no break in the pressure. Ball ended the resistance of both, and Fletcher quickly dealt with Ben Brown.Still 288 runs behind when the last wicket fell, conveniently giving the bowlers the lunch interval in which to recharge, Sussex were inevitably asked to follow on. They did a little better, Chris Nash grafting to a half-century and Wright as ever on the front foot, but wickets fell at a similar frequency.Jofra Archer, a bowler who can clearly bat, was wonderfully disrespectful in the way he went for his shots in both innings, scoring 40 off 29 balls the first time, when he struck Ball for a six and two fours off consecutive deliveries, and 47 off 32 in the second. He looks a prospect, but otherwise it was an experience Sussex on which Sussex would be wise not to dwell.

ScorecardDawid Malan’s century guided South to a thumping victory in Dubai•Getty Images

Dawid Malan made a high-class century and shared an unbroken opening partnership of 205 with Daniel Bell-Drummond as the South crushed the North by ten wickets in the first game of the new North-South Series in Dubai.The North were dismissed for 202 after winning the toss and choosing to bat, with three wickets for Tom Curran and two each for Toby Roland-Jones, Mason Crane and the especially impressive Liam Dawson in a fine all-round bowling performance by the South team.Malan and Bell-Drummond made short work of the modest target, with more than 16 overs remaining when the Middlesex left-hander sealed victory with his 16th four.Malan, who was included in an England T20 squad last summer after impressing with the Lions against Pakistan A in the winter of 2015-16, also hit a six as he ended unbeaten on 109 from 103 balls, while Bell-Drummond hit two sixes and 11 fours to reach 92 from 98.The match was watched by England coach Trevor Bayliss as well as selectors James Whitaker and Mick Newell, with assistant coach Paul Farbrace enjoying an initial triumph over fast-bowling coach Ottis Gibson – whose North team now need to win the second match, also at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, to stay alive in the three-match series.Malan and Bell-Drummond survived a searching new ball examination from Mark Wood and Tim Bresnan, Wood bowling a total of seven overs in two spells in his first competitive action since an ankle operation last autumn, and Bresnan having Malan dropped in his third over.But after that they were rarely troubled, although Northamptonshire left-arm spinner Graeme White claimed the small consolation of bowling the only maiden of the match in the penultimate over.The North suffered an early blow after their captain Keaton Jennings chose to bat first, when Curran claimed the scalp of Ben Duckett, edging a drive to Ben Foakes.Curran took one for 16 in his opening burst and Roland-Jones kept up the pressure in an excellent seven-over spell in which he earned the key wickets of Jennings and Liam Livingstone.Jennings steered to Malan at slip, and Livingstone, after launching Lewis Gregory into the stands for the first six of the series, was brilliantly caught by Curran running back from mid-off as he aimed for another big hit.Sam Hain survived a couple of dropped chances to make 33 from 55 balls until he was undone by the introduction of Crane, lbw sweeping against the spin.Then Jack Leaning ran himself out trying to take a second to Crane at deep cover, leaving the North in deep trouble at 91 for 5.Bresnan joined Joe Clarke in a counterattacking sixth-wicket stand of 63 in 10 overs, striking three sixes in making 40 off 41 balls. But the Yorkshireman was bowled behind his legs trying to reverse-sweep Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder who bowled his 10 overs straight through to earn the excellent figures of 2 for 29.Clarke, who struggled for runs in the England Lions’ recent one-day series in Sri Lanka, made a welcome return to form with a 49-ball half century including five fours and two sixes off Crane.But he was bowled for 57 aiming an ambitious ramp shot at the first ball of Curran’s second spell, triggering a lower-order collapse as the North’s last four wickets tumbled for nine runs inside three overs.Durham allrounder Paul Coughlin was Dawson’s second victim, lbw for 19 which included two cleanly-struck leg-side sixes.Then Curran deceived White with a change of pace to take a return catch, and finally Crane returned to have Harry Gurney snapped up at slip by Malan.”It’s nice to do it in front of the England selectors,” said Malan afterwards. “That’s what these games are designed for: it’s a sort of second chance for guys to push their case and show the selectors what they have been missing out on. I’m pleased with this knock and hopefully I can continue in the next two games and follow up on it. It’s nice to have the runs on the board and get the win too.”