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Yorkshire slump to 101 for 5 in second innings to open door for Division One rivals

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2022Yorkshire 428 and 101 for 5 (Duke 17*, Barker 3-22) leadHampshire 225 for 4 (Dawson 61*, Gubbins 58, Brown 52*) by 119 runs Keith Barker gave Hampshire hope of beating Yorkshire at home in the LV= Insurance County Championship for the first time since 2008 with a wicked evening spell of fast bowling.Lancashire-born Barker picked up three for 22 – with Kyle Abbott and Brad Wheal also picking up a wicket a piece – to ignite a match seemingly heading for a draw. Yorkshire slumped to 101 for five, a lead of 119 at the close.Earlier, Hampshire’s last four wickets put on 142 runs, which included a useful 38 from Barker, to frustrate the visitors before they were bowled out for 410. That meant Yorkshire took a slender 18-run first-innings lead, with the teams who started the round in second and third in Division One both picking up six bonus points each.In a juxtaposition of county team-mate Jonny Bairstow’s heroics in the Test match, things appeared to be meandering as Adam Lyth and first-innings centurion George Hill scored 36 in 18 overs. But wickets began to tumble, and trouble followed.Barker picked up Hill pushing to James Vince at a wide first slip and Lyth nicking a classic delivery on a fourth stump line behind. The left-armer then bowled Harry Brook, via a deflection, for 10. It was the first time Brook had been dismissed for a score lower than 41 this season.Will Fraine continued the collapse when Abbott found a patch of exaggerated bounce just back of a length to clip the shoulder of the bat through to keeper Brown.Wheal joined in the carnage when Matthew Waite clipped uppishly to James Fuller at square leg to leave Yorkshire 81 for five before a short rearguard before stumps.At the start of the day, Yorkshire needed to pick up the final six wickets before Hampshire passed the follow-on target, giving hope of repeating 2019’s innings victory here. A new ball 11 overs into the day gave hope of that possibility.Ben Brown and Liam Dawson, who both recorded half-centuries the previous evening, had their 118-run stand ended before the new ball appeared. Dawson was caught at first slip when attempting to drive spinner Dom Bess.Yorkshire’s fielding let them down at various points during the Hampshire first innings. Nick Gubbins had survived a drop and Brown a missed stumping on day two, and that trend continued into day three.Harry Duke fumbled another stumping chance when Brown was on 53 before failing to break the stumps when Brown looked short of his ground. Aneurin Donald was also given two lives by Dominic Drakes and Lyth, which Yorkshire would later rue as they fell a wicket short of a seventh bonus point.Brown departed seven overs into the second new ball when he pushed to first slip. Donald and Barker put on 57 before both fell within three overs; the former lbw to Matthew Revis and the latter bowled while missing a reverse sweep.Fuller and Abbott put on the afterburners to race past 350, the South African flicking the most nonchalant of sixes over mid-wicket before his partner thrice stuck Bess over the ropes. Their 50 partnership came up in just 45 deliveries and eventually reached 74.Jordan Thompson picked up the final two wickets in consecutive overs – Fuller and Abbott both holing out to the short legside boundary – to end up with four for 68.

Hollywood star Vin Diesel, Michael Douglas and Spike Lee were present to watch Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr play against Al-Ittihad.

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• Hollywood stars visit Al-Ittihad's Al-Nassr clash
• Diesel, Douglas and Lee at the major clash
• Al-Ittihad beat Ronaldo's Al-Nassr

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr made the trip to King Abdullah Sport City for their top-of-the-table clash against Al-Ittihad as Ronaldo's side looked to cut down the hosts' lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings. Present at the all-star clash to watch the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in action were Hollywood stars Diesel, Douglas and Lee.

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• THE GOSSIP

  The Hollywood trio made their way to Saudi Arabia earlier this week for the fourth edition of the famed Red Sea International Film Festival which boasted a mix of world premieres and acclaimed international films. The Features Competition will present 16 movies highlighting works from filmmakers across the Arab region, Asia, and Africa. Winners will be selected by a jury, led by Lee, awarding the Yusr Awards.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Similar to Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, the Red Sea International Film Festival is funded by the Public Investment Fund as it aims to play a vital role in promoting regional filmmakers and fostering global connections.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad sealed all three points as they beat Ronaldo's side 2-1, moving them 11 points clear of Al-Nassr. Ex-Real Madrid stars Benzema and Ronaldo will enjoy a winter break before the league resumes in January.

Chelsea are starting to take shape under Enzo Maresca's tactical guidance, with the ongoing saga surrounding Conor Gallagher's future at Stamford Bridge an indication of where the club is headed.

Of course, Maresca's ball-playing identity was known from the start, with Harry Winks praising the Italian's "incredible" philosophy last season at Leicester City, saying "it’s all about building through the lines and controlling the game.”

Effectively, Gallagher is being pushed toward signing for Atletico Madrid after being told that he won't be a regular starter given stylistic differences.

The Blues are going to aim to sign several more players before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month, and they are going to be tailored to the exciting new set-up.

Chelsea transfer news

According to Calcio Mercato over in Italy, Juventus are continuing to push versatile forward Federico Chiesa to the exit, with the Italian entering the final year of his contract and not expected to renew terms.

It's understood that Chiesa's agent has been drumming up interest in England in recent days, with Chelsea joined by Tottenham Hotspur in being among the frontrunners to complete a deal.

The Old Lady are hoping to field €30m (£25m) offers, which is an affordable fee for one of Serie A's most talented forwards, and given that he would slot right into Maresca's Stamford Bridge system.

Why Federico Chiesa would be perfect for Chelsea

Former Italy international Alessandro Pierini has described Chiesa as "world-class" in the past, with the talent playing an instrumental role in Italy's Euro 2020 triumph and enjoying distinctive success in his homeland.

The 25-year-old has, however, been stifled by some rotten luck on the injury front, starting only 17 times across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 league campaigns due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

He'd risen to the fore beforehand but has only recently started to show the kind of style that left fans in awe way back when, with the £153k-per-week sensation completing a full campaign for the first time in several years with Juventus and scoring ten goals across 37 appearances in all competitions before starring for Italy at Euro 2024, proving to be one of the standout performers in a disappointing tournament.

With such impressive technical quality enhancing the cohesion and flow of his team, Chiesa would be a wonderful addition to Chelsea's first team, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for passes attempted, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Should he sign, it would be interesting to see how Maresca opts to deploy the silky-smooth star, but his powers on the pitch would likely be perfect for another top target in Victor Osimhen, who may yet move to west London this month.

Imagine Chiesa & Victor Osimhen

Osimhen has been one of the best centre-forwards in Europe over recent seasons, with last year being marred by fitness troubles and Napoli's staggering decline but his exploits previously have emphasised his brilliance in the final third.

Osimhen strikes home. He's invariably effective in front of goal and has even been dubbed "one of the best strikers in the world" by Joao Cancelo.

While he endured a tough season last year, the Nigeria international still managed to bag 17 goals from only 27 starts across all competitions, but his efforts the previous year en route to the Scudetto have earned him the mark of one of Europe's elite.

As the clip above highlights, the 25-year-old is endowed with slick, fleet-footed skills with the ball at his feet, capable of utilising his sinew-corded frame to resounding effect, holding off defenders and deftly placing the ball into his teammates' path to strike on goal.

After all, during the 2022/23 Serie A season, he might have posted 26 goals from 30 starts but he also averaged 1.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, notching four assists besides.

He'd simply be a monster alongside Chiesa, with the Juventus star's ability as a "wizard" with the ball – as noted by football media personality Roger Bennett – setting him up to be a dreamy signing for the Blues, who need to build on the togetherness that had hatched toward the end of last year and ensure that the coherent, ball-focused brand is instilled effectively.

Chiesa's ceaseless creativity, stemming from his driven surges up the flanks. and his sharp decision-making when placed in think-fast situations could lead to an air of structure and understanding at Stamford Bridge that has been missing for several years now.

The Italian whiz's faculty for playmaking is top-notch, providing strikers such as Osimhen with the kind of service to unlock and sustain their goalscoring prowess.

Osimhen is a deadly marksman but he also offers an impressive technique himself, capable of contributing effectively to the build-up play and team advances on the opponent's goal.

It might just be a match made in heaven, and Chelsea must now act swiftly to get the deals done.

Chelsea have already struck gold on star who's worth way more than Chiesa

He could make the club a hefty profit in the coming weeks…

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 3, 2024

India’s marks out of ten, for the Test series against Australia

Sharda Ugra25-Mar-20138
M S Dhoni (326 runs at 81.50)
Produced the innings that snatched the first Test and with it, maybe Australia’s belief away from the series. His captaincy re-energised, Dhoni led a flock of rookies with a firm, confident hand and chose a new animated, responsive tack in his captaincy style. His hold on the captaincy is restored and by responding to the 1-2 series defeat against England with an emphatic 4-0, makes him a hard man to beat.M Vijay (430 runs at 61.42)
The opener who came in from the cold, turning his two successive failures in Chennai into a platform from where he launched the rescue of his India career. The only man to hit two centuries in the series, and the top scorer on either side with 430 runs, Vijay discovered another gear in his game that was between neutral and turbo. A central figure in two massive partnerships – 370 with Cheteshwar Pujara in Hyderabad and 289 with Dhawan in Mohali – gave India footholds in both matches.Cheteshwar Pujara (419 runs at 83.80)
An assured No.3 who opened on the worst wicket in the series and produced two half-centuries. He was second-highest run-getter, a mere 11 runs behind Murali Vijay with a century and two fifties, and was involved in three of India’s six century partnerships. Pujara’s consistency across the series and runs scored at a brisk strike-rate morphed into a stunningly effortless 82 not on the Kotla beastie in the chase.Shikhar Dhawan (187 runs)
Destiny gave Dhawan one chance in the series and he made it memorable. He stepped in as the replacement opener for Virender Sehwag in Mohali and produced the fastest century on a Test debut across history. It was an innings that was weightless in its composure and clear-sighted in its execution and it destroyed all Australian hopes of recovery. An injury put Dhawan out of a home Test but when he did turn up, he played his part and got the world to its feet.Ravindra Jadeja (25 wickets at 17.45, 85 runs at 21.25)
India’s trump card in the series, who had been fitted in as the fifth bowler and the third spinner but soon became an incisive threat. Jadeja’s bowling – disciplined, tight stump-to-stump, consistently on line – suited the conditions and the wickets. He took five wickets in an innings only once but was India’s second highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets, with a better average, economy rate and strike rate than the rest. His baffling hold on Australia’s best batsman Michael Clarke was the stuff of mass amusement and his batting came into its own in his last two innings.7.5
R Ashwin (29 wickets at 20.10)
Man of the series, with 29 wickets, now firmly established as India’s premier spinner. Ashwin shook off the blues of England and returned to bowl with the new ball, the old ball, the deteriorating ball. His ability to put his much-celebrated tricks on the back seat to the fundamentals of the trade helped him become the frontline bowler India needed in the series. His scores with the bat – 3, 1, 4, 12, at crucial points in a truncated batting line-up though – nip half a point off his score.6.5
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6 wickets at 39.83)

Like Dhawan, a debutant in the series, Bhuvneshwar did what was asked of him – to bowl incisively with the new ball. He bowled 64 overs across eight innings, largely with the new ball and his three-wicket burst in Mohali cracked open the Australian second innings, yet again and set up the win. He was a more than capable No. 9, scoring 38, 10, 18, 14* and was involved in a ninth-wicket century partnership with MS Dhoni during the Chennai whirlwind. A cricketer of greater capabilities whose true quality must be extended overseas.6
Virat Kohli (284 runs at 56.80)
The series should have been Kohli’s breakout given the conditions in which he was playing and the opposition he had to tackle. Kohli began with a century in Chennai but couldn’t cash in the rest of the games. What he did do was he became a support act in several key partnerships along the way, in two century stands and three fifty-plus partnerships.5
Pragyan Ojha (7 wickets at 34.00)
The most successful bowler in the series against England, sat out two Tests but returned in Mohali, came in as the third spinner after the success of his rival Jadeja. Ashwin and Jadeja picked up 53 of the 80 Australian wickets in the series and Ojha was relegated to being a bit-part player. He bowled far fewer overs and lacked the confidence in home conditions that have given him 100 Test wickets.4
Sachin Tendulkar (192 runs at 32.00)
In his first innings of the series, Tendulkar came with India at 12 for 2. His 81 in Chennai settled India’s nerves opening the door for Dhoni’s assault. After that though, Tendulkar didn’t cross 40, with scores of 13 not out, 7, 37, 21, 32 and 1. His role with the bat in India’s march to 4-0 was very limited: in Chennai and a first innings 32 on a devilish Kotla track. Of all the batsmen who played in all four Tests, Tendulkar’s was the lowest aggregate total in the top six.Ishant Sharma (7 wickets at 37.85)
Given more overs with the ball than his seam partner Bhuvneshwar, Ishant took one more wicket and played a bit parts. He had a burst in Mohali with the reversing old ball in Australia’s first innings, but was not partnership-breaker as planned. Australia’s lower-order got away with far too much. Rather than be a wicket-taker and tail-end destroyer like Zaheer Khan, when called, Ishant merely held one end up.3
Ajinkya Rahane (8 runs at 4.00)
Finally got out of the Indian dressing-room and onto the batting crease after 12 months of substitute duty. To make a debut on the worst batting wicket of the series, is to be handed the rough end of the stick. Two poor dismissals in Delhi gave Rahane a debut that belongs to nightmares, not memories.Harbhajan Singh (5 wickets at 40.80)
Brought into the side to be the nuisance factor, Harbhajan played the first two games, but was clearly Dhoni’s second choice offspinner. In his 100th Test, Harbhajan was tight, tense and once Ashwin tore away from him in the wickets column, there were to be few comebacks. Far too many short spells and a lack of consistency in line became the hurdles Harbhajan couldn’t vault over and he was dropped after two Tests.2
Virender Sehwag (27 runs at 9.00)
Switched to wearing glasses for the series and had an awkward first innings, playing on to a charged-up Pattinson bowling at top pace in his opening spell. Rather than go on the attack, Sehwag did try to settle in, but in his next two innings, had scores of 2 and 6, and was out defending to Nathan Lyon and nicking to the keeper off Peter Siddle. It gave the selectors no options. Despite India going up 2-0, Sehwag was left out for Mohali and the team trimmed from 15 to 14.

It's been a busy but exciting summer for Manchester United this year.

Erik ten Hag's side weren't overly impressive during the preseason, but the work off of the pitch has been tremendous, with players like Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and soon Manuel Ugarte joining up to help bring Sir Jim Ratcliffe's vision of a rejuvenated United to life.

However, while most teams would now sit back and take pride in the business they have conducted, the Red Devils look intent on adding at least one more star to their squad.

The latest player touted for a move to Old Trafford could bring a mountain of goals with him and even has shades of a certain Dimitar Berbatov to boot.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from The Standard, United are once again interested in signing Brentford ace Ivan Toney.

In fact, the report claims that the Red Devils have already held initial discussions with the Bees over a potential move, and while the West Londoners want a fee of around £50m, the looming deadline could see the Englishman sold for just £40m.

However, the most significant barrier to this deal going through is that, as things stand, the player would prefer a move to Chelsea, who are also keen to secure his services before the clock strikes 11pm tomorrow.

That said, given Toney's incredible goal record and potential bargain price, this is a transfer well worth fighting for, especially as there are some apparent similarities to former United star Berbatov.

Toney's similarities to Berbatov

Now, the first thing to say is that while there are certainly some similarities between Toney and Berbatov, especially if this deal goes through, it would be unfair to expect the Brentford ace to match up with the Bulgarian at Old Trafford, as while he was an unorthodox player, the Bulgarian international left the Theatre of Dreams with two league titles, two League Cups, a Club World Cup and two Community Shields under his arm.

Moreover, he also racked up 56 goals and 26 assists in 149 appearances for the club, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.82 games, and while the Englishman might be able to reach those levels, it's still a lot of pressure.

That said, what are these similarities, then? Well, the first is that if this transfer is completed, then both poachers would have joined the Red Devils slightly later in their careers, as the Blagoevgrad-born ace was 27 in 2008, and the former Newcastle United ace is now 28.

Second, the pair of them would have made their big move to the three-time European Champions from a team in the capital, Tottenham Hotspur, in the case of the 79-capped international, and obviously Brentford for the man of the moment.

The final similarity based on the deal itself is that, like Berbatov, the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, would likely complete his transfer on deadline day.

Now, there are also a couple of stylistic similarities between the two stars as well, with the first being the fact that neither one was or is blessed with pace and that their biggest strength on the pitch is their ability to finish, placing the ball exactly where they want it to go.

The final point of comparison between the pair is that they share a level of self-belief that some may see as arrogance or even cockiness. Berbatov's former teammate at Spurs, Jamie O'Hara, described the striker as a "fantastic player" but "so arrogant."

Likewise, Toney has made no secret of how highly he rates himself in recent seasons, making disparaging comments about Brentford on holiday and openly telling interviewers which teams he'd like to play for more recently.

Ultimately, while the Englishman – who has scored 72 goals in 141 games for the Bees – isn't going to be the next coming of the Bulgarian legend at United, he'd undoubtedly bring plenty of goals with him, and therefore, at the reported price, signing him before the window slams shut feels like a no-brainer.

Man Utd close in on late move to sign their next Roy Keane

The incredible ace could be a game-changer for Ten Hag.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 26, 2024

Stats highlights from Mominul Haque’s 181, and Bangladesh’s strong batting performance on the third day in Chittagong

S Rajesh11-Oct-2013

• Mominul Haque’s 181 is the third-highest score by a Bangladesh batsman, next to Mushfiqur Rahim’s 200 and Mohammad Ashraful’s 190, both of which came in the same Test – against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier this year. That Test was also Mominul’s debut game, in which he scored 55. Before the start of 2013, the highest by a Bangladesh batsman was Mohammad Ashraful’s unbeaten 158 against India in 2004.
• The 27 fours he struck in his innings is the highest by a Bangladesh batsman; the previous record was 24 by Ashraful when he scored that unbeaten 158.
• Unlike most innings, this one started in fifth gear and then went down a few notches as the innings progressed. His first 50 came off just 36 balls, the next 50 off 62, and his last 81 took all of 176 balls. From the team’s point of view, though, this worked perfectly. The innings also showed Mominul can put together long innings: before this knock, he had gone past 20 in each of his five Test innings, but never beyond 64.
• Mominul’s innings, plus the contributions from Rahim and the others in the lower order, has ensured that Bangladesh have already played 116 overs, the fourth time they’ve gone past 100 overs in a Test innings this year. It equals their record for the most times they’ve gone beyond 100 overs in a calendar year – they’d also achieved this in 2010 and 2001. (Click here for the full list of 29 instances when Bangladesh have played 100 or more overs in a Test innings.)
• Mominul also got fine support from his captain, Mushfiqur, who scored 67, and during the course of the innings became only the fifth Bangladesh batsman to go past 2000 Test runs. Among those five, Mushfiqur’s average of 32.69 is the third-highest, after those of Tamim Iqbal (36.54) and Shakib Al Hasan (35.76). This was also Mushfiqur’s 14th score of 50 or more in Tests, which puts him level with Ashraful; while Ashraful has played 119 innings, Mushfiqur’s played only 67. Only three Bangladesh batsmen have more 50-plus scores in Tests – Habibul Bashar (27), Tamim (16) and Shakib (15).
• The 121-run stand between Mominul and Mushfiqur is Bangladesh’s sixth-best for the fifth wicket, and their second-highest against New Zealand.

Series of two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is will be played from June 8 to July 12

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2022Australia will visit Sri Lanka for an all-format series in June-July this year. The tour, Australia’s first to Sri Lanka since mid-2016, will feature two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is, to be played from June 8 to July 12, with the match slotted in Colombo, Kandy and Galle. The series will start with the T20Is and end with the Tests.

Australia tour of Sri Lanka

June 7: 1st T20I, Colombo
June 8: 2nd T20I, Colombo
June 11: 3rd T20I, Colombo
June 14: 1st ODI, Kandy
June 16: 2nd ODI, Kandy
June 19: 3rd ODI, Colombo
June 21: 4th ODI, Colombo
June 24: 5th ODI, Colombo
June 29 to July 3: 1st Test, Galle
July 8 to 12: 2nd Test, Galle

“We played some very competitive T20 internationals against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year and we are excited to tour there for the first time since 2016 in what is sure to be another terrific Test and white ball series,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said in a statement. “There is no more challenging place to play cricket than on the subcontinent and this tour offers our players invaluable experience and another great opportunity to excel on the world stage.”Back in July-August 2016, Australia were blanked 3-0 in the Test series, but won the ODIs 4-1 and the T20Is 2-0. It will be a moderately quick turnaround for the players from the two countries who will be engaged in the IPL, which is expected to end on May 29.”We are in for some exciting cricket, especially considering that an Australian tour to Sri Lanka is taking place after five [six] years,” SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said. “The T20 Series will help our preparations for the T20 World Cup, whilst the Test and ODI segments are also competitions of immense value for us, as we aim to move through the ICC World Test Championship rankings and also gearing up for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2023.”

Unai Emery's Aston Villa trumped Pep Guardiola's struggling Manchester City, and the Basque manager has opened up on the crucial Premier League win.

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• Villa beat City 2-1
• Champions' poor form continues
• Emery acknowledged difference in confidence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City headed to Villa Park on Saturday in search of just their second victory in 14 games. However, it wasn’t to be as Aston Villa won 2-1against Guardiola’s side with goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers. Emery has now opened up on how his side worked on exploiting the defending Premier League champions’ vulnerability.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT EMERY SAID

  Speaking to the media, Emery said: "In the second half their confidence was going down and ours was increasing. It was fantastic how the players responded to everything we had worked on before.

  "We were defending too low in the first half and we had to get into a good position to try to stop them dominating the ball. We defended well all game but we played with more personality in the second half than we did in the first.

  "In the first 30 minutes, Manchester City played fantastic. If they had scored in that period then maybe they would have recovered their confidence but the second half was completely different.

  "We dominated, we scored and through those circumstances they (City) were feeling worse than in the first half, and then there was the result as well."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City’s troubles seem to have no end at the moment as Guardiola’s men struggle to find their feet in both the Premier League and the Champions League. In the league, City sit one point behind fifth-placed Villa and are now surely out of the title race for the season, and may even be battling for Champions League qualification.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  Guardiola’s men have an easier outing on paper next time out as they will face Everton on Boxing Day at the Etihad Stadium.

On Thursday, the opener will face Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first time since leaving the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2022David Warner has emphasised the need for the top three to contribute big runs as Delhi Capitals look to escape the lower half of the table and secure a playoffs spot in IPL 2022. Capitals are currently seventh among the ten teams with eight points from nine matches, but could move up as far as fourth, potentially, if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.Given the sheer number of teams still in contention to finish among the top four, Warner believes Capitals may have to win all their remaining games to qualify.”Moving forward from where we are, we’ve obviously got to win every game to make it to the finals,” Warner said in an official Delhi Capitals release. “There’s strong competition, two teams we have got to come up against – Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are pretty much similar points to us.”We could get that upper hand if we beat Sunrisers. We then go into the top four, but obviously, we need RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore, who face Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday night] to start losing as well. It’s quite a congested table, but exciting for the rest of the tournament.”Warner is Capitals’ highest run-getter this season, with 264 runs at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 156.21. His opening partner Prithvi Shaw is just behind him, with 259 runs at 28.77 and 159.87. Both fell for single-digit scores in Capitals’ last match, a narrow defeat to Lucknow Super Giants.”We’ve got off to a good start,” Warner said of his partnership with Shaw. “In the last match, we’ve fallen cheaply, both of us, and that can happen in this game because we have to play that high-level brand of cricket in the power play.”He emphasised, however, that he, Shaw and No. 3 Mitchell Marsh would need to make big scores and win games for Capitals.”I think the most important thing is myself or him [Shaw] or Mitch scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can, to post good totals or chase down big totals, and that’s the key,” Warner said. “I think that’s the focus for every other team. The teams who are doing well are scoring big runs at the top of the order. And, two players are actually scoring big in the games, they are the ones that you really need to shine to win these games.”Thursday’s match will be Warner’s first against Sunrisers since leaving the franchise at the end of a difficult 2021 season. Warner remains Sunrisers’ highest run-getter in the IPL, with 4014 runs in 95 matches at 49.55 and 142.59, with two hundreds and a whopping 40 fifties.”My thoughts are like every other game,” Warner said, “just keep going through your processes till you have to do it, training and just get ready for the game.”

West Indies go down after a 100-run stand for the first wicket to lose their first game of the World Cup so far

Annesha Ghosh12-Mar-2022India weathered a blistering opening stand between Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews to script a vital 155-run win over West Indies that propelled them to the top of the World Cup table. In the early stages of India’s defence of 317, their highest World Cup total, the result seemed far from obvious, and the centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur somewhat inadequate. Sneh Rana and Meghna Singh, however, decisively turned the tide India’s way at Seddon Park as Dottin’s wicket triggered West Indies’ slump from 100 for no loss to 162 all out.West Indies gave them a good chance of extending their winning streak after galloping to 50 in five overs, 81 in the wicketless powerplay, and 100 in just 12. The dominant hand in their blazing start, and West Indies’ maiden century stand, was Dottin’s, despite her back and legs requiring regular repairwork during her 62-run knock. Dottin carted 11 boundaries in her breathtaking 46-ball innings.India sought respite from the Dottin-Matthews onslaught but received little despite using two quicks and spinners each in the powerplay. It was third-change Rana’s frugal, game-changing opening spell that led to West Indies’ collapse.Dottin top-edged an attempted sweep to Rana’s second ball to Meghna at short fine-leg, and it was Meghna who then took over and dealt West Indies the second blow, Kycia Knight’s pull going to Mandhana at deep square-leg. Meghna followed it up with Stafanie Taylor’s wicket before Rana removed Matthews for 48. In both dismissals, wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh pouched the edges with ease.Sneh Rana dismissed both the West Indies openers after a strong start•ICC via Getty

Earlier, India’s batters, led by Mandhana and Harmanpreet, pulled no punches in a game they needed to win to stay safe in the race to the knockouts following the loss to New Zealand at the same venue. They put on their highest total in ODI World Cups – and the overall highest in this edition – after choosing to bat first.Mandhana hit 123 in 119, and Harmanpreet 109 in 107, and they put on 184 for the fourth wicket, India’s best in ODI World Cups, to lift them from 78 for 3.On a used surface, India almost instantly shook off the hesitancy that stifled them in the powerplay against Pakistan and New Zealand, Yastika Bhatia’s fearless stroke play underpinning their approach early on. Bhatia got off the mark with a four off a mistimed cut that flew over the slips, and next over, she cracked three fours off pulls as Chinelle Henry gave away 15 runs to begin her day.India’s rapid start led West Indies to introduce spin in the sixth over. But it was the change at the other end, in the form of medium-pacer Shakera Selman, that brought the breakthrough when, on 31, Bhatia lobbed a dolly back to Selman off a slower delivery. Another soft dismissal followed, this time Mithali Raj, who became the captain with most appearances on the day, falling to Matthews.Mandhana, meanwhile, steadied the ship at one end, though the two early wickets made her cautious. India got to 62 for 2 in the powerplay, the best in that phase before West Indies bettered it in the chase, and No. 4 Deepti Sharma’s back-to-back fours off Selman promised a lot. That, however, was not to be. Coming on in the 13th over, Anisa Mohammed drew an edge off Deepti’s slog-sweep, which Matthews intercepted with a stunning one-handed grab behind the keeper.Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin gave West Indies a brilliant start with a quick 100-run stand•ICC via Getty Images

With India 100 for 3, 20 overs in, it was down to Mandhana and Harmanpreet to lift them to the 250-run mark, which they hadn’t reached in this World Cup before this game. On 34 off 51 balls, Mandhana struck her first four – a languid flick through the midwicket area – and upped the tempo thereafter. She got to her second fifty in the tournament with another flick, on the 60th ball of her innings, and her next 50 runs came off just 43 balls.With 200 up in the 36th over, Mandhana cracked a 78-metre six off Aaliyah Alleyne as fielding errors came thick and fast. After reaching the 90s with a four, Mandhana got a big slice of luck when, on 94, Alleyne dropped her at deep midwicket. Shamilia Connell tested her with a short ball and even pinged her pad, but Mandhana survived, and a four, courtesy a short-arm pull off Matthews, took her to her second ODI World Cup century, and second against West Indies. Three of her 13 fours on the day came off back-to-back deliveries as Matthews found herself at the receiving end in the 42nd over. India had crossed 250 by then and as Harmanpreet looked to up the ante at her end, Mandhana pulled one straight to deep midwicket to be dismissed.Harmanpreet, too, paced her innings well. A drop by Anisa at short third handed her a reprieve when on 20. She remained boundary-less in her first 20 balls but struck 12, two of them sixes, off her next 87. It was her strike rotation, though, that accounted for the bulk – 57 – of her 109 runs. Harmanpreet, unsurprisingly, relied heavily on the sweep but it was a full-blooded lofted shot that brought up her second straight fifty.She batted close to three hours and faced issues with her wrist as she neared the three-digit milestone. But neither pain nor West Indies could keep her from bringing up her first century in the format since her epochal 171 not out in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup. A single down the bowler’s right steered her to the mark, and a 15-run over from Anisa soon after lifted India past 300.India’s 317 for 8 eventually proved too much for West Indies as they were rolled over inside 41 overs. On a day of record-breaking feats, Jhulan Goswami added the finishing touch with the wicket of Anisa, and she rose to the top of the wicket-takers’ tally in women’s ODI World Cups. Fittingly, it was Rana who closed out the game, catching Connell off her own bowling.