All posts by n8rngtd.top

Steyn begins shifting focus from T20 to Test cricket

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The fast bowler will be rested from the Titans’ next Ram Slam competition so that he can hit the nets and get overs under his belt

Firdose Moonda23-Nov-2017Dale Steyn will not play in the Titans’ next Ram Slam game after turning out for three in a row last week, both as part of the franchise’s rotation policy and in order for the paceman to up his bowling workload in the nets. Steyn bowled a total of 10 overs and took four wickets for 61 runs in what has been deemed a satisfactory comeback following a year out of the game due to shoulder injury. The next step in his recovery is focused on bowling longer spells so that he can be ready for Test cricket.All of South Africa’s bowlers need to work on something other than T20 skills because an eight-Test summer follows the ongoing Ram Slam tournament. “It’s not only Dale that needs to bowl more, all the bowlers need to up their volumes ahead of the Test matches,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, who is also a medical doctor, told ESPNcricinfo. “We have set plans for all the bowlers in terms of the numbers of balls and overs they need to bowl,”Moosajee said if Steyn’s return continues according to schedule he sees “no reason” why the fast bowler won’t appear in whites again. Steyn will be back for the Titans later in the competition and could also play some provincial cricket. “If he plays enough in the T20 competition and bowls in the nets and maybe even plays a three-day provincial game, then I don’t see why not,” Moosajee said when asked if he thought fans could look forward to seeing Steyn in action for South Africa this summer.Steyn is hopeful of making an international return over Boxing Day in the inaugural four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth and also has his sights set on playing against India and Australia later in the summer. The 34-year-old needs just five wickets to beat Shaun Pollock’s tally of 421 and become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.Morne Morkel, who is on the mend from a side strain, also looks set to play a part in South Africa’s busiest home season since readmission. He is currently bowling at 80% and should be at full capacity in early December.However, Morne’s brother and Titans’ T20 captain, Albie, told reporters in Pretoria that he only expects Morne to be fit for the playoffs of the Ram Slam in mid-December and at that stage, it is unlikely he will get a game. CSA have a policy that any player returning from injury must play some form of domestic cricket before they can be considered for the national team. That means Morne may also look to the provincial structures or even club cricket to prove his fitness.Chris Morris, who has been sidelined with a lower-back injury since the England tour in August, is expected to be considered for Titans’ selection in the next week.

Morris four-for bowls Titans to third successive title

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Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers led Titans through a breezy chase after a record-breaking performance in the field restricted Dolphins to a paltry 100

The Report by Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2017 by seven wickets
Scorecard BCCI

Titans strolled to a third successive T20 crown and their fifth in the last ten years, thanks to a record-breaking performance in the field to restrict Dolphins to a paltry 100, which Titans chased down inside 12 overs. Chris Morris’ 4 for 13 were the best figures in a franchise T20 final and a career-best for him while Dolphins total was the lowest in a South African franchise T20 final.Morris was aided by strong performances from Lungi Ngidi, whose four overs yielded a return of 2 for 15, and Malusi Siboto, who took 2 for 10 in three overs as Dolphins completely lost their way. They failed to bat out their 20 overs, only Dane Vilas and Andile Phehlukwayo scored more than 20, and they had no partnerships over 30.Perhaps it was the occasion that got to Dolphins – they were up against a star-studded Titans XI in front of an almost full home ground – but it may also have been a symptom of the tournament as a whole. Dolphins progressed to the final despite winning only three of their 10 group stage games. They had five washouts before their semi-final clash against Cobras was also abandoned, and the lack of game time showed.By contrast, Titans reeled off six wins (with two washouts) in the group stage to secure a home semi-final before emptying their bench in the final week and losing twice. That included a defeat to Dolphins last Sunday but not much could be read into the result, because Titans fielded what was effectively a B team.They beat Warriors in their semi-final and then swept Dolphins away, with an attack that was without Dale Steyn or Morne Morkel, who are focusing on long-format preparation. The premier pacemen were not needed, though, because the rest did the job just as well.Both Dolphins openers, Morne van Wyk and Vaughn van Jaarsveld, top-edged Morris as they tried to play aggressively early on and landed their side in early trouble. Then Sarel Erwee, who scored a century on this ground in the opening round, was bowled by Ngidi to leave Dolphins 28 for 3 in the last over of the Powerplay.Captain Khaya Zondo and Vilas tried to rebuild, and got to the halfway stage, but the run-rate stagnated and when Zondo tried to accelerate, he pulled Ngidi to deep backward square. Sibonelo Makhanya was run-out, Vilas inside-edged a Siboto slower ball onto his stumps, and Robbie Frylinck bottom-edged Siboto to de Kock, to leave Dolphins 67 for 7 in the 13th over and in danger of not reaching three figures. Keshav Maharaj and Phehlukwayo pushed them to 100 but Dolphins could get no more and were bowled out with nine balls to spare.Consider that Titans also dropped two catches – Tabraiz Shamsi, who will finish as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament but was unsuccessful tonight, put one down in the deep, while Albie Morkel dropped a catch at slip – and Dolphins’ plight needs no more underlining. But there was one more problem. Imran Tahir was struck on the hand by Junior Dala while batting and could not take the field to help defend the indefensible.The task awaiting Titans’ powerful line-up was simple and they approached it clinically. While newcomer Rivaldo Moonsamy was dismissed early, Quinton de Kock, who has had a tough campaign, found form with a quick 39 off 27 balls before being caught at backward point. AB de Villiers’ 27 off 13 balls took Titans to the brink before Aiden Markram and Farhaan Behardien finished off to bring an early end to a tournament that Titans had dominated from start to finish.

Corruption charges against Zimbabwe domestic cricket official

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The ICC has laid out three charges against Rajan Nayar, including offering a player cash to improperly influence play in an international match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2018Rajan Nayar, a Zimbabwe domestic cricket official, has been charged with breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on three counts, including offering a player cash to improperly influence an international match. Nayar is the treasurer and marketing director of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), the association that runs league cricket in Harare and oversees domestic franchise the Mashonaland Eagles.He has been charged with breaching Article 2.1.1 of the ICC’s code (being party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of an international match or matches) and offering a player US$30,000 for the same. Subsequently, he has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect from his roles at the HMCA.ESPNcricinfo understands that Nayar was the man who had approached Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer in October last year with an offer to engage in corrupt activities. When the Cremer news was reported, an ICC spokesperson had confirmed that an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation was “ongoing in Zimbabwe”.At the time, the Cremer incident was the second time in two months that news had emerged of a corrupt approach made to an international captain. Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, also reported an allegedly corrupt approach in October. Also, days later, senior Indian curator Pandurang Salgaoncar was dismissed by the BCCI for “malpractice” after a sting operation by a TV channel produced footage of him talking to reporters allegedly posing as bookies about the Pune pitch ahead of an ODI between India and New Zealand.Nayar is an official who is well known to players, a number of whom have expressed surprise that he has been implicated in such an investigation. He has 14 days, starting from 16 January, to respond to the charges.

Sarfraz, Watson shepherd Quetta home in final-over win

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An all-round show from Shane Watson, coupled with a patient kock from Sarfraz Ahmed took Quetta Gladiators to another win in the PSL

The Report by Danyal Rasool10-Mar-2018Quetta Gladiators 158 for 4 (Sarfraz 45*, Watson 37) beat Peshawar Zalmi 157 for 5 (Smith 49, Watson 2-26) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellThe previous few games in the PSL almost made T20 cricket lose its shape. There were one-sided duds, exceptionally low-scoring matches and domino collapses, but this was (if indeed we can begin to call it that) good old-fashioned T20 cricket. Quetta Gladiators chased down Peshawar Zalmi’s 157 with a cold-hearted, ruthless performance, powered to the finish by a world-class 74-run partnership between their captain Sarfraz Ahmed and Rilee Rossouw.Quetta tried to stay on top of the asking rate right from the outset, aided by Shane Watson, whose outstanding form has seen him become the top scorer in the tournament. A 25-ball 37 from him sent Quetta on their way, with a cameo from Kevin Pietersen allowing them to keep the required rate in check. However, Peshawar were clawing their way back in with regular wickets, and when Quetta were reduced to 84 for 4, the importance of the Rossouw-Sarfraz partnership appeared impossible to overstate. Both players rose to the occasion with a professional, dispassionate class, managing to keep the runs ticking in the face of magnificent death bowling by Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali. They took it to the final over, but they never looked like blowing it. The result, however, meant that Lahore Qalandars – like the last two seasons – were out of playoff contention.Peshawar were guilty of a slow start, but Dwayne Smith compensated with a lusty, powerful innings up top, thwacking five sixes in a 33-ball 49. But soft dismissals were the scourge of their innings, and the next four batsmen fell to straight-forward deliveries spooned straight into the air in the inner circle, as Peshawar lost momentum regularly. They only managed to get to above 150 thanks to a brilliant rearguard from Captain Fantastic Daren Sammy – still only partially fit, whose 19-ball 36 powered them to 157. It was respectable, but not quite enough.Where the match was wonMohammad Nawaz has made a bit of a habit of taking early wickets, and the beauty that bowled Kamran Akmal for a golden duck put Peshawar on the back foot straightaway. For the first four and a half overs, they scored at under 5, meaning much of the Powerplay was squandered without runs on the board. Though Smith and Sammy did well to catch up, that early stumble meant a potential total of 180 was confined to merely 157. In a tight, last-over run chase, those extra runs were made to count.The men that won itT20 cricket can have a bit of a reputation as a “hit and hope” sort of format, but the chanceless nature of the Rossouw-Sarfraz partnership was spectacular. When they came together, Peshawar had the edge, but the pair seemed to trust each other, and found reassurance and confidence batting together. A classy inside out cover drive off the left-arm spinner from Sarfraz sent them on their way, and from thereon all they did was nail the basics. They got a boundary an over, kept the strike ticking along, and never gave Darren Sammy any reason to be hopeful, snuffing the fire out of Peshawar. We may not see a better partnership under pressure all season.Fast bowlers in unisonUmaid Asif, Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali are all different fast bowlers in their own way, but they all appeared to have the same effect on Quetta. At least, that’s how it appears if all you did was take a cursory look at the scorecard. Each of them took one wicket each; Wahab and Umaid’s figures were indeed identical: 4-0-26-1. Hasan Ali’s numbers read 4-0-25-1. It isn’t often three fast bowlers from one side perform to that level and end up on the losing side, but that only illustrated the fine margins in this game, and the nervy contest it ended up becoming.Where they standQuetta go to the top of the table with 10 points, while Peshawar, with three losses and five wins, are dangerously close to elimination, sitting in fifth place. The result also officially eliminates Lahore Qalandars, who cannot now mathematically finish in the top four.

Gayle's six-laden 123 razes UAE

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Shimron Hetmyer played the perfect partner, allowing UAE no respite once Gayle departed to complete a blistering century of his own

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018After losing to Afghanistan and surviving a scare against UAE in the warm-ups, West Indies launched their World Cup Qualifiers proper in style, amassing 357 for 4 against UAE in Harare. Chris Gayle led the way with a six-laden assault, finishing with 123 off 91 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer struck a maiden ODI hundred in his third match. Gayle’s innings contained 11 sixes and seven fours.The carnage started when he smashed seamer Mohammed Naveed for three successive boundaries in the seventh over and followed it with two fours off offspinner Rohan Mustafa in the next over. In all, Gayle hit 35 runs off 25 balls from Mustafa, including three sixes. Evin Lewis added 31 in an 88-run opening stand before being pinned lbw by left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza in the 17th over.IDI/Getty Images

Gayle then combined with Hetmyer to wreck UAE’s bowling attack. They plundered 103 runs at a run-rate of just over nine to set their side up for a tall score. After bringing up his first fifty off 47 balls, Gayle vaulted to his second off only 32 balls. He then celebrated the milestone with a hat-trick of sixes against Mustafa.Soon after, legspinner Imran Haider had Gayle holing out, but Hetmyer continued to drive the innings. He hit 14 fours and four sixes before being dismissed in the 48th over. He was assisted by useful contributions from Shai Hope (35, before retiring hurt because of a sore knee) and captain Jason Holder (12 not out). West Indies, however, will be worried about Marlon Samuels’ form: he laboured to 15 off 34 balls. In the warm-up match against the same opposition, he had managed only 15 off 32 balls.Five out of six UAE bowlers conceded more than six runs an over. Naveed gave away 53 runs in nine overs but could not find a wicket.UAE did not go down without a fight in their reply. Rameez Shahzad scored a second ODI century, at over a run a ball, batting through after coming in in the 13th over. Shaiman Anwar hit a quick half-century, and another rapid cameo came down the order from Adnan Mufti. Still they hardly threatened the target, eventually falling 61 short of it. Jason Holder, meanwhile, picked up a second ODI five-for, taking five of the six wickets to fall in the chase.

Rahul floors Daredevils with fastest IPL fifty

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The opener’s 14-ball half-century led Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket win in Mohali

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-Apr-20182:27

Agarkar: Rahul has the game to adapt to all formats

KL Rahul blasted the IPL’s fastest half-century to give Kings XI Punjab a rousing start to their 2018 IPL campaign. Rahul razed the Daredevils attack in a brutal performance, getting to the landmark inside three overs and off just 14 balls.Incongruously, though, Kings XI ended up huffing and puffing to their target of 167. After Rahul’s dismissal, Kings XI only managed 103 runs in 84 balls. But such had been the damage inflicted by Rahul that they still ended up winning with seven balls to spare.All that after Gautam Gambhir, the Daredevils captain, celebrated his return to his hometown franchise with a fighting half-century. But Kings XI’s spin duo of R Ashwin and the 17-year old debutant Mujeeb Ur Rahman led a strong bowling performance to restrict Daredevils to a total that was just about par.Mujeeb’s instant rewardAt 17 years and 11 days, Mujeeb became the IPL’s youngest-ever player. Mujeeb has all the qualities that underline an effective limited-overs spinner: his variations keep the batsmen guessing, he can be deceptive with his trajectory, and his unusual action makes it difficult to pick him out of the hand.Colin Munro tends to struggle against spin in the Powerplay: he has fallen to them four times in 17 innings during this phase in T20s. After opening with himself, Ashwin introduced Mujeeb in the third over. Munro took zero time to try and suss out the newcomer, getting down for a switch hit to the first ball he faced from him. Mujeeb’s drift from around the stumps got Munro into a tangle, and trapped him plumb in front. Daredevils were 12 for 1 in the third over.1:47

Coach’s Diary: Kings XI need not worry about Yuvraj

Gambhir’s counter-offensiveUntil Sunday, Gambhir had faced 42 balls from Axar Patel in all T20s. His numbers against him: 36 runs at 5.14 an over. And that included just two fours. On Sunday, he doubled the tally off the first two balls he faced from the left-arm spinner, first with a flowing inside-out drive through cover, and then with a crunching sweep. He followed that up with a superbly timed chip over long-off.A typically fluent Gambhir against spin was on display. He made brilliant use of his feet and especially favoured the inside-out shot to counter the drift. In his first match back with his hometown franchise, Gambhir notched up a half-century – the 36th of his IPL career – and kept Daredevils on course for a strong total.Walking the talkAshwin followed up on his pre-season declaration of trying to be as unpredictable as possible, both with his own bowling and the manner in which he rotated his other bowlers. He began by using five different bowlers inside the Powerplay.Kings XI stacked their attack with three spinners, and each of them contributed to pulling the team back. Axar removed Shreyas Iyer to end a 42-run second-wicket stand – the best of Daredevils’ innings. Rishabh Pant’s cameo briefly swung the momentum back, before Mujeeb had him with a googly, thanks to a brilliant catch by Andrew Tye, running backwards from extra cover. Mujeeb then nailed a direct hit to account for Gambhir, run out for the 16th time – an IPL record.Ashwin tantalised with offbreaks, legbreaks, carrom balls and flippers: all of them delivered with superb control. He had Rahul Tewatia lbw on an attempted switch hit, and it looked as though Daredevils would have to settle for a below-par total.But Daredevils still had Chris Morris, a man with a smart strike rate of 241 at the death. Since the 2015 IPL, he has also been striking at 157 in the first 10 balls he faces. His unbeaten 16-ball 27, after coming in at the start of the 16th over, was just what Daredevils needed at the finish.Rampaging Rahul seals the dealThe skiddy nature of this Mohali surface meant the odd ball could keep low, and lbw was always a looming threat. The key was to stick to a fullish length and a stump-to-stump line, and you were in with a chance to pick up quick wickets.Rahul, however, came out swinging, and a wayward Daredevils attack fed him by bowling all over the place. One bowler after the other was left stunned by the ease with which Rahul played off either foot. Bowl it full, and he’d meet them with a solid stride and drive imperiously; drop it short, and he’d shift back with ease and hack them through the leg side. Each delivery was a gift that came tied with a ribbon.After Rahul fell, hometown hero Yuvraj Singh scratched and struggled, Karun Nair struck a fifty that largely went unnoticed despite coming at a strike rate of 151.51, and David Miller and Marcus Stoinis coasted to the target with an unbroken stand of 29.

Rain halts Surrey's push after Ollie Pope's career best

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The in-form Pope made an unbeaten 158 before Yorkshire lost three early wickets

ECB Reporters Network12-May-20181:59

County round-up: Clarke century rattles champions Essex

ScorecardSurrey batsman Ollie Pope hit a career-best 158 not out before rain ruined the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at the Kia Oval.The 20-year-old’s third Championship century, in only his tenth first-class game, helped Surrey make 414.They then reduced Yorkshire to 40 for 3 before rain arrived at 12.50pm.With steady drizzle falling all afternoon and no prospect of an improvement in the conditions, umpires Martin Saggers and David Millns abandoned the day’s play at 4.30pm.Pope, 20, added a further 27 runs in the morning with Surrey’s tail as their last three wickets fell in six overs.His eighth-wicket stand of 82 in 14 overs with Conor McKerr, who contributed a career-best 28 was ended when McKerr edged Tim Bresnan’s outswinger to second slip. Adam Lyth parried the ball and Chet Pujara took the catch at first slip.Jade Dernbach went for his shots from the start, lofting Steven Patterson over mid-off for four before bringing up Surrey’s 400 by carving the incredulous Bresnan high over backward point for six.On 14 Dernbach drove a slower ball from Patterson to Joe Root at mid-on and last man Amar Virdi was well taken at third slip by Jack Leaning, diving to his right, for a single. Pope’s innings lasted five and a-quarter-hours and he his 27 fours from 224 balls faced while Bresnan and Patterson finished with three wickets apiece.Yorkshire, who last lost this fixture 18 years ago, were in immediate trouble when they replied.Alex Lees, brought into the side after skipper Gary Ballance pulled out through illness, edged his first ball – the second of the innings – from Dernbach and caught at second slip by Dean Elgar.Lyth was squared up by Sam Curran in the fourth over to make Yorkshire 7 for 2 and Curran picked up his second wicket when Pujara was held low down at second slip by Scott Borthwick for 17. The Indian opener waited for confirmation that the ball had carried before departing.When the players came off Yorkshire captain Joe Root was 14 and Harry Brook 1 not out.

Abu Jayed picked for WI Tests; Mustafizur among standbys

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Uncapped seamer Abu Jayed, who made his international debut this year, was picked in the squad while batsman Sabbir Rahman was left out

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2018Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has been named among the standbys for the two Tests in the West Indies next month, after he had been sidelined with a toe injury recently. Mustafizur had missed the T20I series against Afghanistan and was expected to take up to three weeks to recover when he was ruled out in the last week of May.

Bangladesh squad

Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt.), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Litton Das, Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hassan, Taijul Islam, Kamrul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Abu Jayed, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shafiul Islam.
Standbys: Yeasin Arafat, Abu Haider, Naeem Hasan, Mosaddek Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman.
IN: Shakib Al Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Abu Jayed, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Shafiul Islam
OUT: Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Tanbir Hayder, Abdur Razzak, Sabbir Rahman

Allrounder Mosaddek Hossain, who played the first Test against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year, was also among the standbys. Uncapped seamer Abu Jayed, who made his international debut this year, was picked in the squad while batsman Sabbir Rahman was left out.Sabbir and Mosaddek, however, were named in the Bangladesh A squad that will taken on the visiting Sri Lanka A side in the first of the three four-day matches from June 26 in Cox’s Bazar.Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who was recalled to the Test squad after nearly four years for the Sri Lanka series was also dropped for the Caribbean tour, as were seamer Nayeem Hasan and legspinner Tanbir Hayder. Instead, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam, who have not played Tests since the South Africa tour in 2017, were picked. Rubel had also played against Afghanistan recently while Shafiul finished among the top 10 wicket-takers in the Dhaka Premier League with a tally of 24 from 13 innings.Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who made three 50-plus scores in his last three first-class matches and two centuries and a half-century in his last three one-day matches, also returned to the squad. He had made his Test debut in Christchurch in January 2017. Nurul Hasan, who had also made his Test debut in the same game, found a place in the squad too. He is the third wicketkeeper behind Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das. However, it was Liton, who had kept wicket in Bangladesh’s last Test in Mirpur in February.Shakib Al Hasan, who had taken a break from the Test series in South Africa and later missed the home Tests against Sri Lanka with injury, was back to lead the side. Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan and Mahmudullah are the other spin-bowling options in the squad.The Caribbean tour will be Steve Rhodes’ first full series as Bangladesh coach. They will play a warm-up match at the end of June before the first Test starts on July 4 in North Sound and the second on July 12 in Kingston. The Tests will be followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is. The last two T20Is will be played in Lauderhill in the USA.

Steven Smith to join Barbados Tridents for upcoming CPL

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Steven Smith is set to play his second T20 tournament after being axed from Australian cricket for ball-tampering

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2018Steven Smith is set to play his second T20 tournament after being axed from Australian cricket for his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal. Smith has now signed with Barbados Tridents for the upcoming CPL season after he played the Global T20 Canada tournament earlier this month. Smith will replace Shakib Al Hasan in the Tridents squad as the Bangladesh allrounder is no longer available for the tournament.”It is a huge blow to lose Shakib for the tournament but in Steve Smith we have a truly world-class replacement who can help to bring power to our batting lineup,” Tridents coach Robin Singh said. “As a man who has played cricket at the highest level all over the world we are very confident that Smith will be a big success with the Tridents.”David Warner, who was also banned for one year from Australian cricket like Smith, is going to represent St Lucia Stars in the CPL.After Smith was banned by Cricket Australia in March, he returned to competitive cricket in June to represent Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 Canada tournament and scored a half-century in his first match. Even though his team finished last overall, Smith played six innings and scored 167 runs with two fifties at an average of 33.40 and strike rate of 119.28. On his return to the field, Smith had spoken about how he had been making “horrible decisions” in the aftermath of last summer’s Ashes series, culminating in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.Last month, Darren Sammy had asked the media to get off Smith’s back because of the heightened attention he attracted since the ball-tampering fiasco. A day later, Smith’s compatriot Shane Watson stated he wanted Cricket Australia to allow Smith and Warner to play in the Big Bash League if they were participating in other leagues.Tridents had an unimpressive season last year when they finished second-last with four wins from 10 matches. This season, they will be led by Jason Holder, who will take over from Kieron Pollard. The CPL will run from August 8 to September 16 this time, with Tridents’ first match on August 13 against Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Glamorgan strike back through Timm van der Gugten five-for

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Timm van der Gugten claimed four wickets in 12 deliveries with the second new ball as Glamorgan came back strongly in the evening on day one against Northamptonshire

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2018
ScorecardTimm van der Gugten claimed four wickets in 12 deliveries with the second new ball as Glamorgan came back strongly in the evening on day one of their Specsavers Championship match against Northamptonshire. Half-centuries from Ricardo Vasconcelos, Alex Wakely and Richard Levi helped Northants to reach 281 before Glamorgan’s openers advanced to 21 without loss in reply.Glamorgan’s bowlers have had a habit in recent games of demolishing the opposing lower order. They took five wickets for five runs against Derbyshire last week, and here claimed the last five for six runs in 29 balls, van der Gugten finishing with 5 for 45.Northants had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss on another glorious day at Sophia Gardens, although they had a scare from the first ball of the game, when Luke Procter survived a huge shout for a catch behind the wicket off van der Gugten.The opening stand was quickly broken, however, when Ben Duckett edged one in Michael Hogan’s second over, and was well caught by Nick Selman one handed at second slip. Procter was then dropped at mid-off, but he fell shortly afterwards for 15 when he nicked Ruaidhri Smith’s second ball to the wicketkeeper.Vasconcelos, Northants’ South African-born batsman, overcame a nervous start to play some handsome strokes through the offside, but also played and missed frequently against the seamers. He was eventually undone by van der Gugten, who got one to lift from a length and Vasconcelos’ nick was well caught by Cooke diving away to his left. There then followed a productive partnership between Wakely and Levi, who played watchfully against an accurate Glamorgan attack.Wakely was the first to pass 50, and he went on to reach his biggest score of the season, before he attempted to cut a ball from Smith, and was well taken at slip by Usman Khawaja. Eight runs later Northants lost their fifth wicket – Smith claiming his third – when Adam Rossington, driving away from his body, was caught in the gully.Steven Crook then joined Levi in a useful partnership of 44 for the sixth wicket, before van der Hugten, armed with the new ball, made further inroads by bowling a double-wicket maiden. Levi went to the first ball of the over, when he was caught at second slip from a intended cut, then two balls later, Sri Lanka allrounder Seekkuge Prasanna skied an ambitious shot to mid-on.Worse was to follow for Northants as Crook shuffled across his stumps and was out lbw to Hogan, with van der Gugten ending the innings quickly by having Ben Hutton brilliantly caught by Khawaja at slip, and bowling Ben Sanderson with his next ball.