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Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine believe they still have a big role to play in overseeing a period of “massive change” for New Zealand as they build for the future, insisting there’s still plenty of “fire in the belly” and that the Commonwealth Games isn’t pencilled in as their swansong.It’s not often a major tournament represents a new beginning, rather than the end of a cycle, but with Birmingham 2022 coming less than five months after the ODI World Cup, teams have had a fresh look as focus shifts towards next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.New Zealand perhaps have epitomised that even more than most. A shock contract snub for Amy Satterthwaite led to her international retirement, while her wife, Lea Tahuhu was also omitted. Their XI for their Commonwealth Games opener against South Africa featured three debutants – Izzy Gaze, an 18-year-old wicketkeeper taking on the gloves from the retired Katey Martin, 20-year-old offspinner Eden Carson, and 18-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas.Related

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But it was the experienced heads that saw New Zealand to victory. Bates blitzed an unbeaten 91 at the top of the order, her first T20I half-century since 2019, while Devine put on an all-round show, scoring 48 with the bat before taking 3 for 37 to become the first New Zealand woman to reach 100 T20I wickets. Devine laughed off suggestions the end is nigh for her international career with a deadpan response.”Are you telling me I should retire? I’m just joking,” she said following the match. “I wanted to get to the home World Cup earlier this year, and I was going to reassess [after], but I certainly have got a lot of fire in the belly still.”And especially with some younger girls still around, I feel like I’ve got a role to play in helping bring them through and helping us transition in this next phase for New Zealand women’s cricket.”Devine’s T20I experience goes all the way back to 2006 when she debuted as a 17-year-old in what was the White Ferns’ second match in the format. Now, 32 and captain of the side, she is proud to oversee the integration of a new generation of teenagers into the setup.”They certainly make me feel my age, which they sort of remind me on the daily but it’s just been really nice,” Devine said of the debutants. “I think the way that they’ve come into the group, they fit in so well. I think it’s credit to the environment that we’ve created within the White Ferns that players like that can come in doesn’t matter if they’re young or old and they can feel comfortable and can perform well.”Suzie Bates brought out a number of innovative shots during the course of her 91 not out•Getty Images

Bates echoed her captain’s sentiments, adding that playing with the likes of Amelia Kerr is helping to inspire the senior players to keep at the top of the game.”We love getting together in the nets and in the middle,” Bates said of her relationship with Kerr. “And look, she inspires me to be a better player. She’s world-class, and it’s just so great having someone as good as her around the group. We know each other’s games, and we talked about what shots we were going to play. She’s a big dreamer and talks about at training how we’re going to be on the podium together.”As well as the young players keeping them on their toes, the surprise omissions of Satterthwaite and Tahuhu from the central contract list “sent some shockwaves through the whole team,” according to Bates, who is more pragmatic about how long she’s got left in the team.”For me personally, it just made me appreciate the game even more and also think about what I’m going to do after the game because you never know when it’s your time. I’ve always loved playing sport and until someone probably taps me on the shoulder and tells me it’s my time I’ll keep getting out there because you’re a long time retired. But yeah, it’s definitely made me well aware of my role in this group now as a senior player and also making sure I keep contributing.”For most cricketers at the Games, it’s their first experience of being part of a multi-sport event. Devine likened it to “being an only child for so long, and then you realise that you’ve got an adopted brother and sister or half-sister or whatever, and you have to share the limelight a little bit more.”But for Bates, this isn’t her first rodeo – she was part of New Zealand’s ‘Tall Ferns’ basketball team that competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She reflected on how she’s matured since, approaching the Games with a much cooler head than she did as a teen.”I just remember seeing all the athletes from all over the world and just being starstruck really, wanting to get my eye on the USA basketball team and trying to get some photos of people like Roger Federer as well. Now I’m a bit older, played a bit cooler, and it’s just about making sure this team enjoys those parts of it but then making sure we perform on the field which is what we’re here to do.”Basketball 3×3 is making its debut at the Games alongside Women’s T20, and Bates is hoping to use her status as a past player to make sure she gets a ticket to check it out in her downtime.”I think we have three tickets tonight, the team plays just down the road from us in town. So I feel like it would only be fair if I got one of those tickets.”And as a former Olympian, Bates of course has high hopes for cricket’s future inclusion in the Olympic Games and the impact it could have in growing the game globally.”It’d be huge, not only for women’s cricket but for men’s cricket as well. If we can reach that global audience, the game is only going to grow further and further.”You see leagues popping up all over the world and places you perhaps never thought it would and especially for the women’s game, the more rich we can get and the more bums we get on seats, the more people watching appreciate in the sport, it’s only going to grow better. So this is another vehicle for us, and we’re inspired to make sure that we do it right.”With the 2028 Games targeted for a possible return of cricket to the Olympics, it may be a step too far for Bates and Devine. But as a mentor, Bates feels energised by their youth and is excited for the future opportunities ahead for them to play in front of an ever-growing audience for the women’s game.”I actually feel young again when you’ve got those baby-faced kids running around,” Bates said. “The debuts today, just the smiles on their faces, and for that to be their debut, that atmosphere, it probably took ten years for us to get a crowd like that when I was playing. So it’s just brilliant. And yeah, I just can’t wait to be around the group and help those players and set them up for future success.”

West Indies have recalled Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles to their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, and have made a surprise pick by including the uncapped legspin-bowling allrounder Yannic Cariah, who last played a T20 in 2016. The selectors left out the experienced duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.Lewis last played international cricket at last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, and had since missed out on West Indies’ squads for fitness reasons. Over recent months, CWI lead selector Desmond Haynes and director of cricket Jimmy Adams had been critical of West Indies’ players – Lewis in particular – for failing to meet fitness standards, but Haynes has now welcomed Lewis back to the team.”Someone like Evin Lewis, we all agree that he’s our best one-day cricketer, he’s done so well for us over the years,” Haynes told Ian Bishop in an interview on the sidelines of Wednesday’s CPL game between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. “We had a meeting with him, and he’s committed to West Indies cricket, and I believe he should be given the opportunity.”Sometimes we have to move on and appreciate when people come to us and explain their position to us, and if we agree, we give them a chance,” Haynes later said in a press conference.The 15-man squad that will represent West Indies at the 2022 T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Russell also last featured for West Indies during last year’s T20 World Cup. He has had a quiet time in CPL 2022 so far with Trinbago Knight Riders, particularly with the bat, managing a top score of just 17.Cariah, 30, made his West Indies debut during last month’s ODI series against New Zealand and his experience in the T20 format is limited to four games, the last of which came during the 2016 CPL. Cariah is not contracted to a CPL team this season.The selectors picked Cariah ahead of Hayden Walsh, who had been the preferred wristspin option over recent months.”When we look at consistency, we don’t feel that Hayden is consistent enough,” Haynes said. “We don’t write off anybody, because Hayden is somebody we have invested in, and we believe that he still stands a chance of playing for the West Indies, and we hope again that he is another one that will continue to do well in the CPL and give himself a chance to be selected.”Haynes was confident Cariah could do a job in T20 cricket despite his limited experience of the format.”I think Yannic has impressed us from the time we picked him for the A team,” Haynes said. “And then we gave him the opportunity to play against New Zealand in the 50-overs competition, and I think going to Australia, I know we’ve got a lot of confidence in him, we think that he’s bowling well enough that [he] can play in the T20 format. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s not in the CPL, we have no control over that, but we think that he is a guy who we feel can do a job for us. I don’t think you can underrate his batting either.”Fabian Allen, who recently announced his availability for selection after taking a break for family reasons, was absent from the squad. Haynes said Allen was unfortunate to miss out with the squad having room for only one left-arm spinner in Akeal Hosein.Apart from Cariah, the squad includes one other uncapped T20I player in Raymon Reifer, the left-arm seam-bowling allrounder who has played three Tests and five ODIs. Reifer has been in excellent form for Jamaica Tallawahs in the ongoing CPL, scoring 171 runs in four innings at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 143.69.Among other seam-bowling allrounders, there was no room for Romario Shepherd – Haynes termed his exclusion “another close call” – while Dominic Drakes was unavailable due to a knee injury.”His bowling has gone off a little bit and he is very good in the backend with six-hitting. It was a close thing, but because of the composition of the side, he missed out on this occasion,” Haynes said of Shepherd’s exclusion.CPL form has also led to a recall for Charles, who last played a T20I in December 2016. Charles is presently the second-highest run-getter in CPL 2022, with 227 runs in six innings at an average of 45.40 and a strike rate of 136.74.Charles, Haynes said, would fill the role of reserve wicketkeeper in West Indies’ squad behind Pooran.”Judging from his performances in the CPL, he [Charles] is experienced as well, he had a tour of Australia, he’s done well down there, and also we are looking at someone who can be the second keeper,” Haynes said.

A spirited bowling show helped West Indies edge New Zealand out by a run in the first of five T20Is in North Sound. In a low-scoring match, it was Chinelle Henry’s new-ball spell that proved decisive as the hosts staved off the Hannah Rowe threat in the final over.Chasing a mere 116, New Zealand needed an unlikely 20 from the last over with just one wicket left. Rowe attacked Aaliyah Alleyne with a four off the first ball but with 12 needed from the final two deliveries, she could manage only a four and six.Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates had started New Zealand’s chase with a four each in the opening over, bowled by Alleyne. But in the third over, Henry trapped Bates lbw for 5. Devine then lofted the seamer over wide long-on for a six but Henry had her caught at mid-on in her next over. In between, Hayley Matthews had Georgia Plimmer holing out to long-on.Aaliyah Alleyne scored 49 off 37 balls after coming in at No. 3•Cricket West Indies

Henry was in the thick of it again when she brilliantly caught Amelia Kerr off her own bowling and then saw Maddy Green run out two balls later. After being reduced to 46 for 5 in seven overs, New Zealand could not recover as spinners Matthews, Karishma Ramharack and Afy Fletcher further applied the squeeze.Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and put West Indies in, in their first T20I since Deandra Dottin’s shock retirement last month. Matthews walked out to open with wicketkeeper-batter Natasha McLean, who was playing a T20I after two years. However, it was a short stay for McLean, with left-arm spinner Fran Jonas dismissing her for a first-ball duck. Batting at No. 3, Alleyne then stitched a 66-run stand in 55 balls with Matthews in. The pair was happy to see off Jonas with minimum fuss and attack the seamers, Rowe and Lea Tahuhu.Kerr’s, though, hampered West Indies’ progress by sending back Matthews and Alleyne in back-to-back overs. West Indies lost their last six wickets in 31 runs – three of those wickets came in the form of run-outs – as they were bowled out for 115.Their bowlers, though, ensured it was just enough to register a win.”The coaches told us to go out there and be fearless,” Henry said after the game. “We wanted more than 115 but that didn’t happen, so we went out there as a bowling unit to get the job done. Going into the second game, we’re obviously looking to improve in both batting and bowling. To see Aaliyah going out at No. 3 and almost getting her maiden T20I half-century showed that we have a lot of depth in the squad, so it’s just for us to keep up that team performance.”

Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has returned to India’s Test and ODI squads for the tour of Bangladesh in December. He has been undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru following a knee surgery and is believed to be in his final stages of recovery.India’s selectors have been more cautious with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is also under the care of the NCA medical staff as he continues to recover from a stress reaction in his back.Chief selector Chetan Sharma was confident that Bumrah would be ready for the home Tests against Australia in February, but didn’t want to rush him back into action for Bangladesh, which is India’s penultimate assignment in the World Test Championship.”The selection committtee has to deal with workloada management which we follow very closely,” he started. “Now, we tried to hurry up Jasprit Bumrah, we tried to get him with the World Cup coming. And see what has happened? We are without Jasprit Bumrah in the World Cup.”The NCA team and the medical team is looking after him very well. And he will definitely be part and parcel of the team very soon, in. the sense definitely against Australia (series in 2023). But for Bangladesh we are little cautious with Jasprit Bumrah as opposed to like we tried to bring him back early (post Asia. Cup). So we don’t want ot do that this time.Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, all of whom were rested for the New Zealand tour in November following the T20 World Cup, will return for the entire tour of Bangladesh that comprises three ODIs and two Tests. These three, along with Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer are expected to form the bedrock of the batting. Hardik Pandya, who is part of the full tour of New Zealand, has been given a break from the trip to Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jadeja aside, the spin department is formidable with the inclusion of R Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who last played a Test in February 2021.Mayank Agarwal, who was named as a late replacement for Rahul in the fifth Test against England in June, has been left out of the squad, with the selectors preferring Shubman Gill on current form. There was also no place for Hanuma Vihari and Ajinkya Rahane.”Our middle order is packed and as per team combination, wickets and conditions, we looked at players who will potentially play in the XI,” Sharma said, when asked about Vihari’s absence. On Rahane, Sharma was clear: “He needs to score some more runs in domestic cricket.””The door is not closed on anyone,” Sharma said. “Pujara scored runs, he’s been picked. Rahane made some runs [in the Duleep Trophy opener], he’s been playing domestic cricket and the selectors have been in constant touch with him. If he scores runs, he will definitely be considered.”Among those who narrowly missed out, according to Sharma, was Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan, who topped the charts in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, making 982 runs in nine innings at an average of 122.75. He struck four centuries, including one in the final against Madhya Pradesh. Sarfaraz has also been a regular member in India A’s squads for a year now.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The selectors are giving him [Sarfaraz] a chance wherever there are opportunities,” Sharma said. “He was part of the India A squad recently. He is a brilliant player, he also knows that. He’s not too far away. Sometimes you may have to work extra harder to come into the team, but otherwise he’s done his job. He’s a serious contender, there was a lot of discussion and he will definitely get a chance very soon.”In the ODI squad, the selectors continued to persist with Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar and Maharashtra’s Rahul Tripathi for possible middle-order slots. Both players have had prolific IPLs for their respective teams and were part of the mix for the home ODIs against South Africa last month.Among the bowlers, Uttar Pradesh left-arm seamer Yash Dayal was among the surprise inclusions for the ODIs. Dayal has previously been part of India’s net bowling contingent and is coming off an impressive maiden IPL season with champions Gujarat Titans, for whom he picked up 11 wickets in nine games at an economy of 9.25.India begin the tour of Bangladesh with three ODIs in Mirpur on December 4, 7 and 10, after which they play two Tests in Chattogram (December 14-18) and Mirpur (December 22-26).India are currently in fourth place in the WTC standings, and have a good chance of making the final should they win their remaining six Tests in the cycle. The Bangladesh Tests will be followed by four against Australia early next year.

Dean Elgar has called on his batters to make a name for themselves, but is also willing to carry the burden of scoring runs on his shoulders as South Africa look to defy the callow statistics of their top order to continue a remarkable run in Australia – they have claimed the last three series there.Elgar and Temba Bavuma are the only specialist batters with previous experience in the country. A huge amount rests on them if South Africa’s strong bowling attack is to have enough runs to work with. But it’s Elgar’s fortunes that are likely to be critical to their chances. He has 13 Test centuries; among the rest of the touring squad there are four. His average of 38.83 is South Africa’s best whereas Australia have two batters – Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith – who stand at over 60.Related

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“All the batters have to stand up,” Elgar said. “It’s been a bit of a talking point that’s been surrounding our batting unit of late. Again, I’ve never shied away from that. It’s time for the guys to rise up, time for myself personally to put my hand up and make a massive play for us. We’ve got a really talented group, they are just a little inexperienced when it comes to Test cricket. They don’t have a lot of baggage coming into the series. They just need to take the opportunities when they come their way.”There has been some controversy around the absence of Ryan Rickelton. He was deemed unfit for the tour, with an ankle surgery at the end of the season provided as the reason, but has been churning out runs in domestic cricket back in South Africa. Elgar, however, remained diplomatic and backed those who had made it to Australia.Elgar was part of South Africa’s 2012 and 2016 series wins in Australia, though his personal contribution to the former was somewhat limited: he bagged a pair on debut at the WACA, albeit in a game South Africa won by 309 runs to decide the series. You only have to look at the names around Elgar in that game to recall the batting riches they did once have: Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.Since then, Elgar has made two centuries against Australia, but there have been plenty of low scores as well, and his average of 33.55 is below his career level.However, some of his standout performances have secured victories: 83 in Port Elizabeth, 127 in Perth and carrying his bat for 141 in Newlands, an innings that could arguably rank as his best, although that became overshadowed by subsequent events. Five of his Test hundreds came during a stellar 2017 when his batting form peaked and the team need more than the 34.12 he has returned this year, though on some challenging surfaces.”I always carry the weight of scoring runs, I’m the senior batter,” he said. “With my external pressures of being the captain I’ve got to score runs. Very much aware of that. It’s always something I thrive on, think it brings the best out of me.”For the opening Test, the teams were greeted by a pitch that remained very green. Australia were taking it in their stride with the help of local knowledge, while Elgar took the glass-half-full view given where his team’s strengths lie, rather than the weakness.”The wicket does look a little friendly for our bowling unit which is nice, but in saying that the green colour doesn’t really scare us,” he said. “We come from South Africa where the wickets are pretty green and juicy. From a personal point of I don’t really shy away from that and I know our batters don’t either.”Since readmission, South Africa have only played at the Gabba once, on the 2012 tour, which turned into a high-scoring draw. But though Australia’s stranglehold on the venue was ended by India in early 2021, it has remained one of their favourite venues.”We don’t have any dirty laundry in terms of playing at the Gabba,” Elgar said. “The history here is obviously not in our favour and that’s okay. You’ve got to have the mindset of playing to win. Australia’s a really tough place to play cricket but also such a rewarding place if you get things right. You have to go beyond what you are used to and [you] have to savour the moment.”

Four late wickets rewarded England for some hard graft on a pitch where runs have ruled, keeping their prospects of pushing for victory over Pakistan in this first Test alive.Centuries to Pakistan openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique as well as Babar Azam, their captain, on a Rawalpindi track that has now yielded seven centuries, had gone some way to plugging England’s torrent of 657 first-innings runs at better than a run a ball. But debutant Will Jacks claimed three wickets among England’s seven for the day to keep control in their hands, despite a barren middle session highlighted by Babar’s classy 136.Jacks found out only minutes before the match started that he would be playing as a replacement for Ben Foakes, who failed to recover in time from the stomach bug that hit the England camp in the lead-up. By the end of the third day, Jacks had bowled 33 overs, while his fellow debutant and part-time spinner Liam Livingstone sat in the dressing room nursing a knee injury.Pakistan resumed on 181 without loss and Shafique, who started the day on 89, was the first to bring up his hundred, clubbing Joe Root over the deep-midwicket boundary in the fifth over of the day to move to 99 before carving the next ball behind point for a single. Imam followed, bringing up his century with a four through the leg side off Root, after resuming on 90.It was the first time a Test match had featured two double-century opening stands and only the second time the four openers had scored hundreds, though the first time it had occurred in the first two innings.Jacks replaced Root and his first ball of the day was pummelled through the covers by Shafique but, three balls later, Shafique tried to cut a wider one and edged behind to Ollie Pope, standing in for Foakes as wicketkeeper.Will Jacks, a part-time spinner playing his first Test, was the most successful of England’s bowlers•AFP/Getty Images

Imam launched frontline spinner Jack Leach for six over wide long-on the over after Shafique was dismissed, but Leach soon responded with the second wicket of the morning, Imam picking out Ollie Robinson at long-on to fall for 121.While they hadn’t been scoring at England’s blistering rate, Pakistan’s opening stand of 225 didn’t look bad in comparison to the record 233 put on by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett.James Anderson saw a chance go begging when he found an inside edge off Azhar Ali only to see it zip through Crawley’s fingers at leg slip as he reached to his left.Despite faint hints of reverse swing, England took the new ball shortly before lunch and handed it to Leach, who trapped Azhar lbw almost immediately with one that skidded on to the knee roll in line with leg stump, giving England three wickets for the morning.During the afternoon, however, Babar cashed in. He punished anything short, swinging Jacks powerfully through the leg side for four three times either side of his advance down the pitch to launch Leach for six over long-on and bring up his fifty.With Root bowling wide of off stump and five fielders stationed on the off side, Babar wouldn’t bite, simply stepping across and hammering the ball straight past the bowler to the boundary.Abdullah Shafique was the first of three Pakistan batters to score centuries on the day•AFP/Getty Images

Ben Stokes entered the fray but after nailing a bouncer his next delivery, a softer short ball was met with disdain by Babar, who dispatched it down the ground to move to 90. Twice more in the space of four balls he sent Stokes short balls to the boundary, the latter flayed through the covers to bring up his eighth Test century and first against England.In vain attempts to gain something – anything – with the ball, Root roamed round the field seeking sweaty foreheads to rub directly with the shiny side, first seizing on Leach’s bald pate and then thrusting it under the raised peak of Pope’s cap.But the tea break was the tonic for England, with Robinson prising out debutant Saud Shakeel with the fourth ball after the interval, one that angled across and drew a loose edge behind to end a solid 37.Mohammad Rizwan arrived at the crease and, after getting off the mark driving Robinson through the covers for four, helped himself to four boundaries in one Jacks over. The first came off the toe-end of the bat clearing Anderson at mid-on and was followed by three more decisive strokes, a pull and twin slog-sweeps, as he cruised to 20 all in boundaries.It was Jacks who finally removed Babar, chipping to Leach at point, and then Anderson claimed his first when he had Rizwan caught low by Stokes at short midwicket for 29. In the fading light, England turned again to Jacks and capitalised when Naseem Shah holed out to Leach, running in from deep midwicket.

Somerset 284 (Gregory 65, Barnard 3-54, Hannon-Dalby 3-76) and 180 for 6 (Lammonby 66*, Hannon-Dalby 3-21) drew with Warwickshire 392 (Hain 119, Davies 118)Warwickshire’s seamers gave Somerset a final day scare before the LV= County Championship match at Taunton ended in a predictable draw.Having extended their first-innings score from an overnight 305 for to 392 all out in reply to 284, Sam Hain leading the way with a patient 118, the visitors reduced their hosts to 127 for 6, a lead of just 19.Oliver Hannon-Dalby claimed 3 for 21 and Chris Rushworth 2 for 33, but they could not prevent Tom Lammonby (66 not out) and Craig Overton (29 not out) batting Somerset to safety at 180 for 6.Somerset took nine points and Warwickshire 11 from a contest ruined by the first-day washout at the Cooper Associates County Ground.A draw appeared the most likely outcome when play began and interest initially centred on the battle for bonus points, with Warwickshire needing 93 off 21.4 overs to reach 400 and Somerset four wickets in the same period to claim maximum bowling points.Hain and Burgess built steadily on the overnight lead of 23 until with the total on 321, Burgess, who had added ten to his score of 36 at the start of play, advanced down the pitch to Peter Siddle and was bowled.Jacob Bethell arrived at the crease looking to increase the tempo. He lofted Jack Leach back over his head for six and took a single off the next ball to take the score to 350.Warwickshire had just under seven overs to add another 50 for maximum batting points, but their hopes suffered a blow when Bethell was bowled by Josh Davey for 19, swinging to leg.Hain reached a rock-solid hundred when a quick single to mid-on turned out to add five to his score as Overton’s throw at the stumps brought four overthrows. It was reward for more than four hours of concentration by Hain, who had faced 254 balls and hit 10 fours.Hasan Ali launched a six over long-on off Davey and Hain also went on the attack before, with the total on 389 for 7, he was caught behind aiming a back-foot forcing shot off Leach.Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory brought himself on for the 110th over, with his side needing one wicket and Warwickshire nine runs to register another bonus point. It proved a shrewd move as Hasan, on 15, pulled a catch to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at mid-on and Rushworth lifted a catch to Overton at long-on.Warwickshire had the consolation of a 108-run lead, with Somerset’s openers facing a tricky three overs before lunch. They failed to negotiate it, Sean Dickson edging Hannon-Dalby to first slip where Rob Yates took his fifth catch of the match.Somerset were one for one at the interval and dressing room nerves in increased in the first over of the afternoon when Cameron Bancroft registered the second duck of the innings, pinned lbw by Hannon-Dalby.Kohler-Cadmore, fared little better than fellow debutants Dickson and Bancroft, scoring 16 before edging Rushworth to Hain at second slip to make it 25 for 3.When George Bartlett had his middle stump uprooted by Hasan, having made 20 and with the total on 62, Somerset were in serious trouble. There were still 58 overs to be bowled and they trailed by 46 runs.With the deficit reduced to 16, James Rew was bowled for 14 looking to pull a short ball from Rushworth, starting a new spell having switched to the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion end.It was 112 for 5 at tea, Somerset leading by just four. Lammonby had played well for his 46, but there were still a possible 42 overs to navigate.The final session saw Gregory bowled by Hannon-Dalby for 26 with his side only 19 ahead. Lammonby went to a priceless fifty off 83 balls, with six fours, and at 132 for 6 the floodlights were switched on.Mindful that bad light had ended play nine overs early on day three, Warwickshire employed spin at both ends. But Bethell and Yates could not force another breakthrough.Overton was dropped on 13 by Hannon-Dalby at mid-on off Bethell before the players shook hands at 5.15pm. Lammonby had faced 120 balls and hit seven fours and a six.

Captain Hardik Pandya has taken “full ownership” for Gujarat Titans’ last-over loss against Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad as the hosts fell short by just five runs while he remained unbeaten on 59 off 53.Chasing 131, Titans needed 33 off the last 12 balls and then 12 off six, thanks to Rahul Tewatia, who hit three sixes off Anrich Nortje in the penultimate over. But when Hardik got strike in the last over against Ishant Sharma, he managed only a double and a single before Tewatia fell on the fourth ball, and Ishant brought it down to seven needed off the last ball before giving Capitals their third win.”I tried my best but could not capitalise. It boils down to me,” Hardik said. “Obviously, we would have taken 129 [131-run target] on any given day. [We] just lost a couple of wickets and at the end, Rahul got us back in the game.”Hardik struck seven fours in his knock but not a single six, and no boundaries in his last 13 balls when the asking rate kept shooting up.Titans had lost three wickets inside the powerplay and soon lost David Miller too in the seventh over to be 32 for 4. Despite not being explosive, Titans were steady thanks to a 62-run partnership between Hardik and Abhinav Manohar. However, the pair consumed 63 balls in the process with Manohar falling for 26 off 33.Hardik said that Manohar’s inexperience showed and once again asserted that it was his own inability to close the game that cost them.”We were hoping to get a couple of big overs in the middle but at that point of time we could not get rhythm,” he said. “It was new for Abhinav as well. It boils down to how I was not able to finish the game. Full marks to their bowlers as well and full ownership on my side where I could not finish the game I should’ve.”Hardik also said that the pressure on them was due to the early loss of wickets and that made it difficult for them to keep going with intent.”It was more about the pressure of [losing] wickets,” he said. “I don’t think the [track] played much role. It was a tad slower than what we are used to here. But they bowled really well. We lost a couple of early wickets and then we had to take some time. We could not get the rhythm in the middle. Rahul brought us back into the game. Otherwise, they were quite ahead.”Intent had to be there. It’s just that we lost a couple of wickets where if you keep losing wickets, it’s difficult to keep the intent as well. We lost because I could not get my rhythm and we kept losing wickets at the start and that put us under pressure. We like to take it deep and hope to get a couple of big overs which we could not get.”Three of Mohammed Shami’s four wickets in the powerplay were caught behind•Associated Press

Titans had restricted Capitals to a mere 130 for 8, led largely by a four-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami. The fast bowler picked up all four of those inside the powerplay to return with second-best figures in the phase in the IPL. Hardik felt sorry for Shami, who was adjudged Player of the Match, and said the batters couldn’t back the bowlers on the night.”I feel sorry for [Shami],” Hardik said. “If you bowl like that, then you restrict the team to 129 [130], I think [our] batters disappointed. I don’t think the ball did a lot. It’s just that Mohammed Shami’s skillset he has and he made the ball talk. Otherwise, I think for fast bowlers, the wicket did not have much assistance. But the way he bowled four on the trot and got us in the game, full credit [to him].”As I said, batters and particularly myself did not finish and we disappointed him.”