All posts by csb10.top

Thilak Naidu, the former Karnataka wicketkeeper and Ranji Trophy winner, has been named the chairperson of BCCI’s junior selection committee (men). He fills the position left vacant by S Sharath, who was elevated to the senior men’s selection panel in January this year.The rest of the panel, comprising Ranadeb Bose (East Zone), Harvinder Singh Sodhi (North), Pathik Patel (West) and Krishen Mohan (Central) remains the same. The first task for Naidu’s panel will be to identify a pool of players and prepare them in the run-up to the Under-19 World Cup to be held in Sri Lanka early next year.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sulakhana Naik, Ashok Malhotra and Jatin Paranjape, formerly a national selector himself, lent weightage to Naidu’s candidature owing to his experience and body of work since his retirement in 2012.Naidu’s first-class career saw 93 matches in which he took 220 catches and effected 18 stumpings. He was also an aggressive lower-order batter, making 4386 run at 34.80, including eight centuries. Naidu chaired Karnataka’s junior selection panel from 2013-16 and was also part of the senior selection committee in 2015-16.The CAC also named Shyama Shaw as part of the women’s senior selection committee. The former allrounder represented India in three Tests and five ODIs in the mid-1990s and has since served in various administrative capacities, most notably as a Bengal selector for two terms. She replaces Mithu Mukherjee in the panel.Shaw joins the panel chaired by former India left-arm spinner Neetu David. Also in the committee are Arati Vaidya, Kalpana Venkatachar and Renu Margarate. Their immediate task will be to pick the India ODI and T20I squads for the limited-overs tour of Bangladesh in July, the team’s first international assignment since the T20 World Cup in South Africa in February.The announcement of the selection panel is likely to be followed by the appointment of a full-time head coach, for which the BCCI had invited applications in May.ESPNcricinfo has learnt the board was keen on appointing Gary Kirsten for the top job. However, Kirsten* confirmed he hadn’t been approached. Among those in contention are Amol Muzumdar, the former Mumbai captain, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the former India allrounder and current interim head coach. The search for a “big international name” is believed to be one of the reasons for the delay in appointment.It’s understood Charlotte Edwards hadn’t thrown her hat into the ring until recently; it couldn’t be confirmed if that stand has changed. The World Cup-winning former England captain is currently head coach of Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League.The new coach is likely to be given a two-year term to begin with, especially because there are two ICC events – the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2024 and the 50-over World Cup in India in 2025 – within this period.0900GMT The story has been updated with Gary Kirsten’s response.

Glamorgan 403 for 9 dec (Neser 176*, Swepson 69) drew with Leicestershire 451 for 6 (Patel 179, Hill 78) Rishi Patel struck a career-best 179 to continue an increasingly lucrative summer on the runs front for Leicestershire on the final day of the LV= County Championship second division clash against Glamorgan.There were 16 fours and five sixes in the 24-year-old opener’s impeccable knock as he led the Foxes to five priceless batting points as their heavily curtailed game at Sophia Gardens ended in a draw. Durham’s big home win over Gloucestershire saw them move further ahead at the top of the Second Division table, but Leicestershire’s 11 points from a game reduced to only two innings because of the rain saw them hold on to the second promotion place.Leicestershire saw their hosts score 403-9 in their first innings and entered the fourth and final day at 28-0. Patel began on 24* and picked up where he had left off against the Welsh county in the second innings of their previous meeting at Grace Road at the end of April, when he hit an unbeaten 134 to help his side pick up the draw. His highest first-class score before this season was 99, and his one-chance 179 on a placid wicket in the Welsh capital was his fourth century of the campaign in nine matches.Leicestershire saw opener Sol Budinger depart in the second over of the morning. The Glamorgan hero from their first innings, Aussie all-round Michael Nesser, got the immediate breakthrough with a ball that rose and flicked a glove to give Chris Cooke a catch at the wicket.Budinger left for five runs, having only added one to his overnight total, bringing visiting skipper Lewis Hill to the wicket to join Patel. They played steadily throughout the remainder of the opening hour, which saw 45 runs added, before accelerating to build a decent partnership.Patel, who had started on 24* brought up his 50 in the 24th over and in the next over Hill hit a six and a four in successive balls from spin bowler Mitchell Swepson to bring up the 100.There was a 14-minute break for rain just before lunch when everyone, including the ground staff, were caught out by a two-minute deluge that forced players and umpires to race for the pavilion. Lunch saw the Foxes 124-1 and Hill’s 97 ball 50 was brought up with a square cut for four off Zain-ul-Hassan in the 40th over.Patel reached three figures with a cut to the third man boundary off Swepson to notch his fourth century of the summer in the 48th over. Patel and Hill put on 168 for the second wicket before Hill fell on the square leg boundary as he tried to loft a bouncer from James Harris out of the ground. Instead, he found the safe hands of Kiran Carlson and departed for 78.Patel then enjoyed stands of 56 with Colin Ackerman for the third wicket and 65 with Peter Handcomb for the fourth before Zain-ul Hassan bowled him in the 78th over of the innings. He had batted for just over six hours and faced 237 balls.Louis Kimber enjoyed himself at the end of the day, striking two sixes and a four off Carlson in the 87th over to not only bring up the 400, and the fourth batting point, but also steering his side past the Glamorgan total. He was then bowled in the next over by Swepson for an enterprising 61.Once they had gained the fifth and final batting point, Leicestershire declared and the game ended with six overs remaining at just past 6.00pm.

Middlesex 238 (Simpson 60, Holden 55, Abbott 3-37, Overton 3-45, Lawes 3-57) and 272 for 9 (Stoneman 72, Bamber 46*, Abbott 3-60) f/o lead Surrey 433 (Smith 138, Burns 79, Clark 78, Helm 6-110) by 77 runs Middlesex’s batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by London rivals Surrey as the reigning champions closed in on a big win on day three of their LV= Insurance Division One clash at Lord’s.Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179 for 5 to 238 all out in their first innings, John Simpson making 60 and Josh De Caires 30 not out. The latest collapse means they still have only two batting bonus points out of 45 so far this season.Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72, but others came and went, before a career-best 46 not out for Ethan Bamber ensured there would be a fourth day.Nevertheless, Abbott, with 3 for 60, bowled De Caires with what proved the last ball of the day to leave Middlesex 272 for 9, a lead of only 77, meaning Surrey will surely wrap up a sixth win of the season early tomorrow.If the home side were to save the follow-on much depended on Simpson continuing his resistance from day two, but the half-centurion added only five before gloving one from Lawes (3 for 57) down the leg-side to a diving Ben Foakes.Nightwatchman Bamber was undone by extra bounce from Overton (3 for 45) and looped a catch off the leading edge back to the bowler, who then castled the in-form Ryan Higgins for three.The piece of theatre of the morning was provided by Tom Latham, the New Zealander pulling off a reflex grab at slip after Will Jacks in the gully had twice parried an edge from the bat of Tom Helm.The fact Middlesex clawed their way to 238 was down to De Caires, who as an opener by trade can rarely have batted with a number 11. He struck a six into the Tavern Stand and protected Tim Murtagh so that the pair added 38 for the 10th wicket. However, with a precious batting point tantalisingly within reach Abbott (3 for 37) returned to uproot Murtagh’s middle stump.As expected, the Championship leaders enforced the follow-on and struck second ball when Dan Worrall’s delivery beat Pieter Malan’s tentative prod and crashed into the stumps. It was the South African’s fifth duck of a miserable campaign.Fellow opener Stoneman adopted a more positive approach, hitting four successive boundaries off Jordan Clark’s first over as the hosts got through to lunch without further bleeding.For a while on the resumption all was well with Stoneman continuing to attack and Sam Robson looking organised in defence, but shortly after driving Abbott for his only boundary the latter prodded the same bowler into the glue-like hands of Latham to end the stand at 65.Stoneman’s eighth four raised his fifty from 57 balls, only for him to play a shot too many and lift a Lawes delivery into the hands of Overton on the mid-wicket fence.By that stage Jack Davies had come and gone and when Simpson gave Foakes more catching practice at 127 for 5 the prospect of an innings defeat loomed large, though this ignominy was ultimately avoided.Cameos by Max Holden and Higgins came close to achieving parity, the former making his runs despite being struck on the jaw by a return from the outfield when he was on seven.De Caires and Bamber, then further frustrated the Surrey bowlers with a stand of 64, two sixes, the second assisted by four overthrows helping the latter to his career-best.

Two matches after his comeback following a back surgery, Shreyas Iyer has picked up a back spasm during warm-up before the India-Pakistan Super Four match at the Asia Cup, which ruled him out of the contest. KL Rahul, also coming back from an injury, was drafted in at the last minute.At the toss, Rohit Sharma called it a “forced change” for the team, and that was reflected in the team sheet, which had Iyer marked at No. 4, with Rahul as the 13th man. The numbers were crossed out before the sheet was released, with the two swapping places.Rahul’s usual batting position in ODIs, however, has been No. 5. It was also not clear if he would be fit enough to keep wicket, but India have Ishan Kishan in the XI as well.Related

• How Shubman Gill took down Shaheen Shah Afridi to hand round one to India

• Rahul vs Kishan: Who will India's first-choice keeper be?

• Rahul in sharp touch during indoor training session

• Iyer opens up about back injury: I was in excruciating pain

Both Iyer and Rahul are returning from injuries.Iyer hadn’t played since the home ODI series against Australia in early March, and missed the IPL altogether, as he recovered from a back condition that required surgery. He was picked in the Asia Cup squad – as well as in the squad for the ODI World Cup starting next month – after being declared fit by the medical personnel at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, and was in the India XI for both their group-stage games at the Asia Cup, scoring 14 against Pakistan. He didn’t need to bat against Nepal as India won by ten wickets.While the extent or seriousness of his latest injury are not known, it could be a cause for concern for the India team management with the World Cup not far away.Rahul hadn’t played for India since March, and was out of action altogether after tearing a tendon in his right thigh during the IPL. He was selected in the Asia Cup squad following extensive rehab at the NCA. He was, however, ruled out of the first two matches after picking up a fresh niggle.In Rahul’s absence, Kishan, playing for the first time at No. 5 in ODIs, rescued India’s innings in the washed-out match against Pakistan.

Fortune Barishal have acquired Mushfiqur Rahim as the most high-profile pick in the BPL draft held in Dhaka on Sunday. Led by Tamim Iqbal, the side that lost in the eliminator last season, also picked Yannic Cariah, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Saifuddin during the draft.But it was defending champions Comilla Victorians who made some big-name signings. They were conservative in the draft because they already had Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine and Iftikhar Ahmed among their 11 overseas signings before the draft took place. During the draft, they picked the West Indian duo Rahkeem Cornwall and Matthew Forde, apart from bringing back their championship winning captain Imrul Kayes.Sylhet Strikers, who were runners-up last season, retained the talismanic Mashrafe Mortaza, while Najmul Hossain Shanto was their direct signing from among the local players. Mohammad Mithun and Rezaur Rahman Raja were their draft picks.Khulna Tigers went for the Sri Lankan duo of Dasun Shanaka and Kasun Rajitha among their overseas picks, having already named Nasum Ahmed and Nahidul Islam as their retentions.Big-spenders Rangpur Riders have Shakib Al Hasan as their main man, and they got Rony Talukdar and Shamim Hossain among their local picks in the draft. They also picked Michael Rippon, who moved from Netherlands to New Zealand recently, and USA allrounder Yasir Mohammad among their overseas names.BPL 2024 is scheduled to begin in mid-January, once again clashing with the BBL, ILT20 and SA20 which will run around the same time. Here are the draft picks, direct signings and retentions for each team:

Comilla Victorians

Retained & direct signings: Litton Das, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanvir Islam, Towhid Hridoy, Mohammad Rizwan, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Khushdil Shah, Johnson Charles, Noor Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Rashid KhanDraft picks: Imrul Kayes, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Zaker Ali Anik, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Mushfik Hasan, Rahkeem Cornwall, Matthew Forde

Sylhet Strikers

Retained & direct signings: Mashrafe Mortaza, Zakir Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ryan Burl, Ben Cutting, Harry TectorDraft picks: Mohammad Mithun, Rezaur Rahman Raja, Ariful Haque, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Nazmul Islam, Shafiqul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Jawad Rowen, George Scrimshaw, Richard Ngarava, Dushan Hemantha, Sameet Patel

Khulna Tigers

Retained & direct signings: Nasum Ahmed, Nahidul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Anamul Haque, Evin Lewis, Faheem Ashraf, Dhananjaya de Silva, Shai Hope, Dasun Shanaka, Mohammad Waseem JrDraft picks: Afif Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Mukidul Islam Mughdho, Akbar Ali, Kasun Rajitha

Durdanto Dhaka

Retained & direct signings: Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Arafat Sunny, Mosaddek Hossain, Chaturanga de Silva, Sam Aiyub, Usman QadirDraft picks: Mohammad Naim, Saif Hasan, Irfan Sukkur, Sabbir Hossain, Alauddin Babu, SM Mehrob Hossain, Lahiru Samarakoon, Sadeera Samarawickrama

Chattogram Challengers

Retained & direct signings: Shuvagata Hom, Ziaur Rahman, Nihaduzzaman, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Haris, Nazibullah Zadran, Mohammad Hasnain, Stephen EskinaziDraft picks: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Al-Amin Hossain, Shykat Ali, Imran Uzzaman, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Salahuddin Sakil, Curtis Campher, Bilal Khan

Fortune Barishal

Retained & direct signings: Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ibrahim Zadran, Shoaib Malik, Paul Stirling, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Dunith WellalageDraft picks: Mushfiqur Rahim, Rakibul Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Pritom Kumer, Yanik Cariah

Rangpur Riders

Retained & direct signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Babar Azam, Matheesha Pathirana, Brandon King, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ihsanullah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nicholas PooranDraft picks: Rony Talukdar, Shamim Hossain, Ripon Mondal, Hasan Murad, Michael Rippon, Fazle Mahmud, Yasir Mohammad, Abu Hider Rony, Ashikuzzaman

Cameron Green says he has no issues with being in and out of Australia’s World Cup side on form, but will not seek rest after the tournament as he confirmed he will play Sheffield Shield cricket for Western Australia and in the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan as he aims to find some red-ball form ahead of the home Test summer.Green made a vital 47 in Australia’s win over England in Ahmedabad on Saturday having been called into the team after Mitchell Marsh travelled home due to the death of his grandfather while Glenn Maxwell was ruled out with concussion.It was just the third game Green has played in the World Cup so far. He was expected to be an integral part of Australia’s best XI but a dip in form leading up to the tournament saw him dropped after the opening match against India. He was recalled against Netherlands to replace the injured Marcus Stoinis but lost his place again with the return of Travis Head.Related

• Green, Harris, Renshaw, Bancroft named in PM's XI to face Pakistan

• 'I enjoy watching it' – Gilchrist feels sense of deja vu watching Head cause carnage

• Mitchell Marsh to link up with Australia squad in Mumbai on Sunday

• Maxwell to miss England match after suffering concussion in golf accident

• Wade to captain Australia in T20I series against India

With Marsh returning to India on Sunday and Maxwell set to be clear of his eight-day concussion protocol on Tuesday, Green fully expects to be running the drinks again when Australia face Afghanistan in Mumbai.”I’ve had no issues,” Green said after the win over England. “I think it’s always been through the right selection calls. I absolutely love every single time I play for Australia but we want to put the best team out there on the field and unfortunately, I’m missing out but we’re obviously playing some great cricket.”Green’s omission from the ODI side followed his omission from the Test XI during the Ashes when Marsh pinched his spot after a stunning performance at Headingley when Green was absent due to a hamstring issue.Green’s decline in form across the year has been startling but it has been understandable given the extraordinary travel demands he has experienced. By the end of the World Cup, he will have spent nearly six full months in India, more than any other Australian player, on top of two months in England.Cameron Green aims to push for a Test recall after the World Cup•Getty Images

He was in India non-stop from February 1 until May 27 due to Australia’s Test and ODI tours and the IPL. He then only had two nights at home in Perth before heading to England for the World Test Championship final and the Ashes. He then travelled to South Africa at the start of September and was back in India again on September 18 and will not leave until Australia’s tournament ends in mid-November.He has been rested from Australia’s five-match T20I series against India that begins just four days after the World Cup final on November 19. But he confirmed he would not be resting at home in Perth.He is instead intending to play in WA’s Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba, beginning on November 28. Green also intends to travel to Canberra shortly after that match to play in the four-day game against the touring Pakistan side for the Prime Minister’s XI from December 6 to 9, in a bid to put himself in the selection frame for the first Test in Perth starting on December 14.Green said there has been no discussion with the selectors about his Test place as yet but he was adamant he did not want to rest.”I’m planning on playing the Shield game up in Brisbane and then we’ve got a PM’s XI game … so not too much rest to be fair,” Green said. “Just keep grinding and keep playing cricket.”Despite the obvious concerns over his workload and having spent nearly nine months overseas this year alone, Green was adamant he wanted to continue playing as much as he could to continue to improve.”I think it’s very tough. You want to play as much as you can for Australia and unfortunately, the schedule this year is pretty jam-packed,” Green said. “But I’m absolutely loving playing for my country and I think there’s a bit of a gap maybe next year. It’s been a long 18 months.”Maybe you get a bit complacent when you’re in the team all the time. You’ve got to keep reminding yourself you’re playing for Australia, and you’ve got to perform all the time. Whenever you miss out, you always want to improve and that’s what we love doing. So hopefully there’s a few improvements on the way.”Even if he is not in the first-choice XI, Green is likely to remain with the Australian team throughout the summer for the five home Tests against Pakistan and West Indies as well as three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies in February. At the end of February Australia head to New Zealand for three T20Is and two Tests just prior to the start of the IPL where he will return for his second season with Mumbai Indians.The IPL runs straight into the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and United States in June before a break may finally come in July of 2024. But Green has no regrets about adding the IPL to his gruelling schedule.”One of the greatest things that happened to me was being part of the IPL and the confidence I gained from that was pretty huge,” Green said. “I definitely felt it going into the Ashes series, how I felt around the group and about my cricket as well.”It’s been a great year so far. It’s been long, challenging. But when I look at where I was at the start of the year to now, I’ve definitely grown as a cricketer and as a person.”

The PCB has reiterated that the priority for all Pakistan players must be Pakistan and not T20 franchise leagues. That message came loud and clear from team director Mohammad Hafeez on the eve of the side’s departure for Australia, but more pertinently in the context of Haris Rauf’s potentially delayed departure to the same country, albeit to play in the Big Bash League (BBL).Rauf has found himself in the crossfire of a transition in team management with a new set of priorities. Having first been called out by new chief selector Wahab Riaz for turning down selection to the Test squad for Australia, Rauf is now facing a delay to the start of his stint with Melbourne Stars as he awaits an NOC.Officially the PCB says it is because domestic commitments must take priority and Rauf is playing for Islamabad in the National T20 Cup that runs until December 10.Hafeez doubled down on the Pakistan-first line in a press conference in Lahore, in which he also laid out a new policy designed to discourage young cricketers from playing T20 cricket early in their careers.Rauf has mostly been viewed as a white-ball specialist for Pakistan, having played only one Test and nine first-class matches in his career. The Test he did play he failed to complete, bowling 13 overs in the first innings in Rawalpindi last year against England and not at all in the second. He wasn’t part of the squad for their last Test assignment, in Sri Lanka in July.But he was told by Wahab that he was going to be picked for Australia, an opportunity he turned down. Though the precise version of events is disputed, Hafeez said Rauf committed to Wahab before reneging.”Haris Rauf went to the chief selector [Wahab Riaz] one evening and I think committed to Test cricket,” Hafeez said. “Then for some reason he didn’t want to play. When we saw reports from the physio, Haris has no issues stopping him from playing Test cricket. So the thinking that someone doesn’t want to play Tests, or is being forced to, that is wrong.Haris Rauf has only played one Test and nine first-class matches•Getty Images

“If an individual thinks he doesn’t want to play red-ball cricket, that is an individual act. The central contract was given on the basis that all players will be available for all formats if we need them. In the Haris Rauf case, he has shown unavailability for red-ball ricket, so with central contracts any decision will be taken keeping Pakistan’s FTP commitments in mind and that is how it will be decided who we give what contracts to in what category.”Hafeez initially seemed to suggest that a new NOC policy might be incoming but later confirmed that it would be in line with current central contracts. And his messaging is not necessarily in conflict with NOC regulations as they are in the current central contracts. Those allow players to take part in a maximum of two leagues per year other than the PSL. It was a key point of negotiation between players and the board earlier this year. But the contract spells out clearly that an NOC will depend on the approval of several stakeholders, from domestic coaches to PCB departments as well as the national-team coach and selectors. In effect, Hafeez’s words are a hardening of the permissions each and every NOC will need.And he stressed that once a cricketer had been offered – and signed up to – a central contract the assumption was that they were available for Pakistan in all formats at all times of the year.”First of all, the priority is Pakistan representation. After that comes everything else. All centrally contracted and domestic contracted players, for all of them the priority is Pakistan.”What I understand is that when you are offered a central contract for Pakistan, there is a strong reason you’ve been offered it. The point of offering it to the 20-25 players, with Pakistan’s FTP commitments in three formats in mind, is to play them, is that they are available for it.”Now there is a parallel option in the shape of leagues. Unfortunately, we experienced this in the Asia Cup and World Cup, there was talk of fatigue, or players were getting injured because their workloads were too much, or not performing as they should [because of leagues].”Hafeez has indicated that Pakistan will prioritise workload management in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup, when it comes to issuing NOCs for T20 leagues•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

In a sign that it might not be straightforward for the likes of Rauf and others to secure NOCs for the raft of leagues this winter, Hafeez said workload management, with next year’s T20 World Cup in mind, would be paramount. As well as the Tests in Australia, Pakistan are scheduled to play T20Is in New Zealand in January before the PSL.”Moving towards the T20 World Cup, the NOC policy will be based on what Pakistan needs. If Pakistan need fit players, we need to make sure of their workloads. The maximum energy and availability has to be to Pakistan. If there is an opportunity around that, that they can play [in leagues], that will be definitely considered.”This season the central contracts have been given and it will run according to that. That is not going to change. But the reason for giving that central contract is that they are available for the FTP. Anything that will be done on NOCs will be according to Pakistan’s priorities. It won’t be that anyone will be stopped from playing in leagues but if Pakistan is the priority, then with NOCs it can’t be that Pakistan is the second priority and leagues first.”Hafeez also said that he had prohibited Under-19 players from playing in the National T20 Cup and will do likewise in the PSL because he wanted them to concentrate on the “basics” of their game.”We will create opportunities to play two- or three-day games for them so that the basics of their game become more solid. That is why they were stopped from playing the National T20. And we will do that in the PSL as well.”The U-19 player will have to learn the basics and when he becomes mature mentally and physically and by tactics, then he should play T20 cricket. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, a 16-year-old plays and practices for four overs. He doesn’t think he needs to play 20-25 overs. We brought this change. We need to push U-19 cricket towards red-ball cricket. One clause we added was that if any U-19 player wants to play T20 cricket, he should have played 10 first-class matches or non first-class matches so that he has the basics of the game.”

New Zealand lost 7 for 53 in a stunning middle- and lower-order collapse, but eventually scraped home by one wicket in their chase of 221 in the second ODI against Pakistan. The victory gave New Zealand an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, after they had won the first in Queenstown by a comprehensive margin of 131 runs.Today, placed rather comfortably at 155 for 2 in the 32nd over, they required just 66 more off the remaining 110 deliveries; but Ghulam Fatima removed Suzie Bates for 74 from 91 balls to kickstart a dramatic twist.That broke a stand of 142 between Bates and Maddy Green, who hit 83 off 96 deliveries. Green also fell to Fatima four overs later. Both set batters were gone, but New Zealand still had six wickets in hand to get the required 49 runs from almost 15 overs. But Fatima struck in each of her next two overs as well, thus opening up New Zealand’s tail.Fatima got support from the other end, with each of Sadia Iqbal, Umm-e-Hani and Nashra Sandhu landing a late blow. Regular wickets piled on the pressure, but New Zealand’s last-wicket pair soaked it all up and added 13 to take them home, with No. 9 Lea Tahuhu contributing an unbeaten 21.Earlier, captain Fatima Sana led Pakistan from the front by hitting an undefeated 90 in their total of 220. They were 35 for 4 at one stage, before Sana resurrected their innings with back-to-back partnerships of 90 with Natalia Pervaiz, and 65 with Najiha Alvi. But almost all of New Zealand’s bowlers chipped in with regular wickets, with Sophie Devine leading the way with 3 for 25.Starting with Alvi’s departure in the 47th over, Pakistan themselves lost 5 for 30, with Fran Jonas getting two of those wickets. Eventually, Pakistan’s total of 220 would prove to be nearly enough but not quite.

Aaron Finch enjoyed a winning farewell despite a third-ball duck, as his Melbourne Renegades side dealt a massive blow to local rivals Melbourne Stars’ BBL finals hopes.A total of 41,205 people at Marvel Stadium witnessed an anti-climactic finale with the bat from former Australia captain Finch, who came charging down the pitch and skied an easy catch to his old mate Glenn Maxwell at mid-off. Maxwell didn’t celebrate as Finch walked off to great acclaim, raising his bat to acknowledge the ovation from the crowd.Finch, Renegades’ all-time leading scorer, had his team jersey number retired before the game. And Renegades at least gave him the proper send-off. Chasing Stars’ 137 for 8 on a tricky pitch offering assistance to spinners and quicks, they achieved their target with six wickets and 16 balls to spare.