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All-round Nitish Kumar Reddy backed up by the SRH quicks took the side over the line defending 182

Himanshu Agrawal09-Apr-2024Sunrisers Hyderabad dropped three catches of Ashutosh Sharma in the final over off which Punjab Kings needed 29 runs. Two of them went over the ropes for sixes and nearly turned the match. But when the third went down, only one delivery remained and Kings needed nine. Shashank Singh sent the last ball miles over the long-off boundary, but Kings fell short by just two runs in their chase of 183 to give Sunrisers their third win of the season.It was Jaydev Unadkat who bowled that last over which went for 26. As fate would have it, it was Unadkat who Harshal Patel had dropped on the final ball of Sunrisers’ innings and the ball had popped up over the rope for six. Fine margins.What a dream it would have been had Shashank and Ashutosh pulled off another heist like they did five days back against Gujarat Titans. But eventually, they were left with too many to get in the final over of the chase.

Shashank, Ashutosh at it again

They joined forces when Kings were 114 for 6 halfway into the 16th over. The required rate at the time was 15.33 which soon shot up to 16.75 with 24 balls remaining. Different bowlers bowled each of those four overs, and each one of them was taken to the cleaners.In the 17th, Shashank took on Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He got a streaky outside edge over short third first ball of the over for four. The next ball was drilled to wide long-off, and the fifth one slashed to deep extra cover.Ashutosh then kept Kings in the hunt, swatting and ramping Pat Cummins for back-to-back fours in the 18th over. The odds still remained with SRH, with Kings requiring 39 in the last two overs. T Natajaran was taken for ten, an excellent over in the context of things, which left Unadkat with 28 to defend in the 20th.Unadkat’s final over started with a six, two wides and another six. Fourteen runs gone in two balls. But he came back well conceding just six runs in his next three balls. Shashank deposited the last ball for six, but Kings narrowly missed out on getting over the line.Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 37-ball 64 took Sunrisers Hyderabad to an above par total•BCCI

Reddy rescues SRH

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s heart would have been in his mouth during the carnage in the final over. After all, he had spilled Ashutosh’s catch the first ball of the final over. But it was Reddy’s knock of 64 from 37 balls that rescued SRH from a precarious 64 for 4 in the tenth over and took them to 182.After Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram fell cheaply, it was down to Reddy to do the repair work. On 14 from 18 balls at one stage, he slammed Harpreet Brar for four and a six in the 11th over. Kagiso Rabada was hooked over long leg for six, and Sam Curran was smashed over deep square. But Reddy really turned the screws in the 15th over, when he deposited Brar for 4, 6, 4, 6 off successive balls.

Arshdeep sets things right

Coming into the game Arshdeep Singh had four wickets in as many games in IPL 2024. Against SRH, he doubled his season tally on his way to figures of 4 for 29. The first of those came when on the second ball of the third over, Dhawan turned around 180 degrees and back-pedalled from mid-off to catch Head. Two deliveries later, Arshdeep angled one across Markram, and had him edging behind to the wicketkeeper. Arshdeep’s first spell figures were 2-0-8-2, and as a result, SRH had their worst powerplay of the season, being restricted to 40 for 3.Before Tuesday night, Arshdeep had only one wicket in 20 balls in the death overs this season. His economy rate was 11.70. But against SRH, he was brought back for the death overs, where he bowled two out of the four.Reddy and Abdul Samad had added 50 in just 19 balls when Arshdeep went full and wide to Samad on the third ball of the 17th over, who found deep point. The fast bowler then removed Reddy, who only managed to loft a low full toss to long-on. Shahbaz Ahmed took 15 from the 19th over of the innings to somewhat spoil Arshdeep’s figures, but it was still an excellent day out for the quick despite ending on the losing side.

With 50 games done in IPL 2024, no team has qualified for the playoffs – and no team is out of the race yet

S Rajesh02-May-2024Mumbai Indians can still make the playoffs. Even though Sunrisers Hyderabad’s victory over Rajasthan Royals has made their task tougher, Mumbai can still make the top four with 14 points.As things stand, it’s still possible for MI to be tied for third spot on 14 points, if RR and Kolkata Knight Riders win most of their matches and take the top two positions. For example, if Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers lose all their remaining games except the ones they play against each other on May 8, then the winner of that match will finish on 14, tied for third place with MI if they win their last four. It’s even possible for the six remaining teams to be tied on 12 each.

What if Mumbai lose to KKR?

If MI lose to KKR and the other matches follow the result pattern mentioned above, then MI will be one of seven teams tied on 12, fighting for one spot. That means mathematically they’ll still be in the mix even if they lose on Friday.

What about RCB’s chances? Are they still in the mix?

With six points from 10 games, RCB are in the same position as MI, except that they are on a two-match winning streak, compared to three losses in a row for MI. Fourteen points could keep them in the mix but at this stage, even 12 gives them a mathematical chance.

Rajasthan Royals have all but qualified, right?

Well, not quite. They are, of course, in the best position among all teams with 16 points from 10 games, but if they lose their four remaining matches, then it’s possible for four teams – KKR, SRH, LSG and Chennai Super Kings – to finish on 18 or more points. Even if they win one, RR could still be one of five teams with 18 or more.So, with 50 games done in IPL 2024, no team has qualified for the playoffs, and no team is out of the race yet.

It adds to CSK’s woes who are already running thin on seam-bowling resources

Deivarayan Muthu02-May-20243:14

How should CSK balance their overseas bowling combination?

Chennai Super Kings’ depleting bowling stocks have disrupted their balance as they enter the business end of IPL 2024, their head coach Stephen Fleming has said.Deepak Chahar, who had missed two games with a niggle earlier in this season, bowled just two balls on Wednesday evening against Punjab Kings before pulling up and leaving the field. While Shardul Thakur filled in for him and completed the over, Chahar didn’t return. CSK were already without Matheesha Pathirana, who was out with a niggle and Tushar Deshpande, who didn’t even travel to the ground because of flu.While Fleming didn’t specify the nature – and extent – of Chahar’s injury, he suggested that early signs weren’t promising.Related

• Pathirana ruled out of IPL 2024 with hamstring injury

• Pathirana: Dhoni 'playing my father's role' in cricket

• How Rahul Chahar kept MS Dhoni quiet in a match-turning 19th over

• Gaikwad admits CSK fell '50-60 runs short'

“Yeah, the travel log is pretty busy,” Fleming said after CSK lost to Punjab by seven wickets. “There’s a lot of ins and outs. So, Deepak Chahar doesn’t look good. The initial feeling wasn’t great. So, I’m hoping for a more positive report when the physio and the doctor have a look.”The Sri Lankan pair of Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana is also set to fly out to Colombo for visa work ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. CSK, though, are hopeful of having them back for their reverse fixture against PBKS in Dharamsala on May 5. Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL stint, meanwhile, ended with Wednesday’s match. He will now link up with the Bangladesh side for their home T20I series against Zimbabwe, which begins on May 3.Richard Gleeson impressed on his IPL debut•AFP/Getty Images

“The Sri Lankan boys are off to get their visas,” Fleming said. “We’re hoping that their process is smooth and we get them back for the next game up north. Richard Gleeson was good and it was a positive. Losing Fizz [Mustafizur] is disappointing, there’s a lot happening isn’t it?”Tushar has a bit of flu going around as well. So we’ve had to make a few changes, which is unusual. Again, that’s part of it and again we have got the resources. Just they haven’t had the game time to be really comfortable with their roles and us to be comfortable with a game plan, which we’re struggling with a little.”On his IPL debut, Gleeson, 36, swung the new ball both ways, and provided CSK with one of the three wickets they took on Wednesday. Gleeson also has yorkers and bouncers in his repertoire but beyond him and Pathirana, CSK don’t have a specialist overseas seamer in their squad.Former New Zealand fast bowler and ESPNcricinfo expert Mitchell McClenaghan suggested that left-arm fingerspinner Mitchell Santner could be an option for CSK when they come up against PBKS in round two on Sunday.”Gleeson is a good new-ball bowler and can swing the ball both ways and had a little bit of zip and one hit Dhoni’s gloves hard,” McClenaghan said on Timeout, ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show. “He was impressive in his first outing in the IPL in difficult conditions. So he is going to be good from there and it’s what you do with the other spot. Mustafizur is gone. If Pathirana is out for more than one game, I would probably look at playing Mitchell Santner against Punjab. Because you can bowl him in the powerplay to Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran [Singh] and if you get Rilee Rossouw out, he will be a good operator in the middle.”3:15

Did CSK err by using Rizvi as the Impact Player?

Mukesh Choudhary, who has played just one competitive game since the start of 2023, and Simarjeet Singh, who hasn’t played any competitive matches in that period, are among the Indian bowling options along with Maharashtra legspinner Prashant Solanki, who was on the subs bench for Wednesday’s fixture.Reshuffling of personnel aside, CSK rejigged their batting line-up against PBKS, with Daryl Mitchell, who had scored a half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad from No. 3, sliding down to No. 8. CSK aimed to stem a collapse on a slow surface by slotting in Sameer Rizvi as Impact Player, replacing Ajinkya Rahane, but he laboured to 21 off 23 balls. At one point, CSK went 55 balls without a single boundary off the bat – the longest stretch this season, beating Gujarat Titans’ 38 against Delhi Capitals. Fleming tried to make sense of those moves.”The Dube factor is the one [reason],” Fleming said. “So if you get to six overs, that’s the perfect time for him to come in. The next thing is with left-right [combination], we want [Ravindra] Jadeja, who has got a positive role as well, to come in and take them [the spinners] on as well. But they bowled well. The Rizvi one, we will discuss a little bit more, may go the other way around with that one but again he’s positive and his ability to hit sixes in training has certainly been good. But there’s a temperament part of that as well that young players need to learn. So we have got a bit of information from that.”The casualty was Mitchell going down the order. What we learnt from the first part of the tournament was if it goes too low, there are other players – Moeen Ali and MS [Dhoni] – who can push the game along. So the window closes there but it was very much getting the tactics right for what we wanted to do in the middle. And that was to break their spinners up but they won that competition.”

Tom Bailey, Will Williams take two wickets apiece with Kent still well adrift in second innings

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2024Lancashire were closing in on a huge victory in their Vitality County Championship with Kent at Canterbury, having reduced the hosts to 143 for 6 at stumps on day three. Kent still trail by 162 with just four second innings wickets remaining, Charlie Stobo and Beyers Swanepoel the not out batters on 25 and 18 respectively.Lancashire declared on 549 for 9, a lead of 305, with Josh Bohannon making 205 and Matty Hurst 50, while George Garrett took 3 for 89.Will Williams and Tom Bailey then both took two wickets apiece to leave Kent six down at stumps. Ben Compton was their highest scorer with just 37 and the chances of them escaping with anything other than a heavy defeat to their relegation rivals are bleak.The only question at the start of day three was how long Lancashire were going to bat for, with a lead of 158 already in the bank, although for a side who’d been pummelled for four straight sessions Kent at least managed to stop Lancashire from scoring too freely.Bohannon reached his double-hundred with a pushed single off Matt Parkinson, before his former team-mate finally got him out lbw with a ball that might have been going down the leg side.Hurst eased to fifty with a single off Joey Evison but he was then stumped by Harry Finch when he tried to charge at Parkinson. It was 499 for 6 at lunch, during which a band called the “Useless Pluckers” performed, prompting one Lancastrian observer to remark: “They’re not Goons’N’Roses.”Garrett took all three of his wickets after the interval, which at least prevented an onslaught. Jack Blatherwick tried to hit him out of the ground and went for 18, caught by sub fielder Jaydn Denly. Garrett then had George Balderson caught behind for 42 and when Bailey skied him to Parkinson, Lancashire declared.They didn’t have to wait long for a wicket: Williams had Marcus O’Riordan caught at first slip by George Bell for 4 in the fourth over.Nathan Lyon came on after 12 overs but it was George Balderson who struck next, pinning Daniel Bell-Drummond lbw for 9 to leave Kent on 59 for 2 at tea.Compton always looked like being the key wicket but he inexplicably tried to slog Bailey and the ball flew in the air off his bottom edge. He spread his arms wide in despair well before Bell took the catch when the ball finally fell to earth.Williams sent Evison’s off stump flying for 10, Bailey had Tawanda Muyeye caught behind for a six-ball duck and Finch lasted for 56 balls for 23 until Lyon had him caught by Bohannon at mid-on.Swanepoel, who’d been unable to bowl, came out with O’Riordan as a runner and caused confusion by running anyway, but he and Stobo at least managed to drop anchor for the final 11.4 overs to take the game to a final day.

Late wickets keep visitors in ascendency after Northants set 284 to win low-scoring game

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2024Sussex’s bowlers dealt Northamptonshire a double blow late in the day at Wantage Road to close in on victory and the chance to stretch their advantage at the top of Vitality County Championship Division Two.Set a target of 284, Emilio Gay’s 67 appeared to have given Northamptonshire a fighting chance – but he and skipper Luke Procter both fell in the space of four balls to leave the visitors as clear favourites in a low-scoring contest.Seamer Nathan McAndrew, who dismissed Gay leg before, ended with 2 for 37 as the home side closed on 137 for 4 – still needing another 147 to pull off a first win of the season.Procter played a key role with the ball earlier in the day, recording season’s best figures of 4 for 45 as Sussex were bowled out for 237 in their second innings, while Ben Sanderson took 3 for 44.The opening day’s play had encompassed 22 wickets – and more of the same looked on the cards when Tom Alsop departed in the first over, edging Sanderson behind with no increase to Sussex’s overnight lead of 129. In a tight opening spell Sanderson soon dismissed nightwatcher Sean Hunt as well, taken at first slip, while Raphy Weatherall and Justin Broad also extracted movement and bounce off the surface.James Coles settled down to dispatch a series of classic cover drives to the boundary, while Oli Carter shook off a slow start by whipping Procter for six over square leg, but the Northamptonshire captain responded by bringing one back to pin Coles in front.Broad then struck twice just after lunch with a ball that seamed and bounced to clip Carter’s off bail before Fynn Hudson-Prentice miscalculated a cut shot and speared it into the hands of mid-off instead.Having spilled a number of catches in Sussex’s first innings, the home side squandered an opportunity to remove John Simpson as Gay, springing across from second slip, fumbled a sharp chance off Sanderson. In the same over, Broad’s throw from cover should have left McAndrew short of his ground and the Australian capitalised on that let-off, thrashing five boundaries to reach a valuable 22 before he was out in peculiar fashion.McAndrew’s leading edge off Procter looped up towards mid-off, with the bowler racing to gather it, colliding with the substitute fielder and dumping the ball on the turf in his follow-through – yet the catch stood.Procter swiftly polished off the last two wickets, including that of Simpson for 40, to leave Northamptonshire almost a session and a half’s batting and they lost Ricardo Vasconcelos prior to tea, trapped in his crease by McAndrew’s second delivery.However, Prithvi Shaw got off the mark by crunching McAndrew to the cover fence and continued to exhibit classy strokeplay on either side of the wicket as he and Gay built a partnership of 69, the highest of the match.Left-armer Hunt produced a beauty to separate the pair, knocking back Shaw’s off stump for 37 – and he might also have dislodged Gay in his next over but Simpson, leaping low to his left, was unable to pouch the chance.The opener took advantage to pass 50 for the sixth time this season from the next ball and he and Procter dug in to reach 118 for 2 before Sussex prised them both out in successive overs. Offspinner Jack Carson persuaded Procter to nudge one to Simpson and the swift loss of Gay left Matthew Breetzke and Rob Keogh with the task of ensuring Northamptonshire at least live to fight another day.

At 35, the current BCCI secretary will be the youngest ICC chair

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-20249:39

Newsroom: What lies ahead for Jay Shah in his new role as ICC chairman?

Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the new ICC chair, replacing Greg Barclay. He will begin his new role on December 1.At 35, Shah, currently the BCCI secretary, is the youngest to hold the post. Once Barclay, who had been the ICC chair for two terms since 2020, had confirmed to the board that he would not be continuing for a third term, the board of directors had until August 27 to file nominations for the next chair. Only if more than one candidate was nominated was there to be an election, but Shah was the only nominee.”I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalise cricket,” Shah said in an ICC statement. “We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.”While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”Jay Shah has been the BCCI secretary since 2019•Associated Press

In a statement released by the BCCI, Shah prioritised Test cricket and spoke about “allocating more resources to women’s cricket and differently-abled cricket.””I would also like to work towards setting up a separate program for talent search during my tenure, and I look forward to your support in this program,” Shah said. “While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game. We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelised towards this goal.”I eagerly anticipate a tenure rich with collaborative efforts, striving to dismantle the barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress. Every challenge we face is an opportunity in disguise, and together, we will transform adversity into triumph. Let’s embark on this incredible journey, hand in hand, united by our passion for cricket and our belief in its extraordinary potential.”Shah is the fifth Indian to head the ICC after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar.After beginning his cricket administration career in the state of Gujarat in 2009, Shah has been the BCCI secretary since October 2019. It was in 2022 that he became a part of the ICC’s influential Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee and took over as its chair in 2023. Shah was also re-elected as BCCI secretary in 2022 and his tenure was to run until 2025. Once he takes over as the ICC chair, he will have to relinquish his position at the BCCI and at the ICC’s F&CA committee. Shah was also the Asian Cricket Council president from 2021 to 2024.

Stallions’ 174-run win meant that the teams batting first have won all seven games so far in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2024Babar Azam’s unbeaten 104 off 100 balls and Jahandad Khan’s three wickets with the new ball handed Dolphins their third defeat in three games as Stallions registered a mammoth 174-run win in Faisalabad. The result also meant that the teams batting first have won all seven matches so far in the tournament.After Stallions opted to bat, Shan Masood and Yasir Khan gave them a start of 76 in 13 overs. Faheem Ashraf broke the stand with Masood’s wicket and put the brakes on the scoring rate. Yasir, too, fell soon after but Babar played the anchor’s role to perfection. Along with Tayyab Tahir, he added 57 for the third wicket and took the side to 150 in the 30th over.Dolphins used six bowlers in the match and each of them picked up a wicket, but Babar stood firm. At the end of 40 overs, he was on 50 off 65 balls. In the last ten, he smashed 54 off 35, with the help of three fours and three sixes, and lifted Stallions to 271 for 7.If Dolphins thought they would break their duck, Jahandad shattered their hopes quite early into the chase. With the second ball of the innings, he had Muhammad Hurraira caught behind for a duck. In his third over, he trapped Umar Amin lbw to make it 15 for 2.Sahibzada Farhan and Saud Shakeel struck five fours in the next 20 balls but Jahandad struck immediately after that, this time cleaning up Shakeel.Soon after, Haris Rauf dismissed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Qasim Akram in the space of three balls to leave Dolphins gasping for air. From 60 for 5, there was no comeback. The lower middle order surrendered without any resistance against the spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Mehran Mumtaz. The two shared five wickets as Dolphins folded for 97.

Teenager adds 130 to earlier scores of 51 and 154 in what is still only seven innings since his debut

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2024Minutes after play in the other key relegation match was abandoned for the day without a ball bowled in Worcester, Nottinghamshire at last resumed their own crucial Vitality County Championship match against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge. A 1pm start meant 110 overs have been lost so far.But, easing home anxiety, the locally-raised, left-handed teenager Freddie McCann compensated with a massively impressive 130 to add to earlier scores of 51 and 154 in what is still only seven innings since his debut.From 55 for 3, Notts recovered to 324 for 6 at the close, Jack Haynes offering a more measured 47 and Kyle Verreynne an increasingly rapid unbeaten 76 in support. On what has settled down into a very benign pitch, Nottinghamshire have already secured two batting points and a draw will now be enough now for both sides to escape the drop.Batting in sunshine with blue sky overhead proved entirely less fraught than the ordeal on a seaming pitch that had seen Notts reach 33 for 2 from the 15.2 overs possible on Thursday. But in a strong crosswind Michael Booth, first change, produced a perfect outswinger for his fifth ball of the day to knock back Joe Clarke’s off stump for 12.The 23-year old Zimbabwean, in just his fourth first-class appearance, proved hit and miss, however, and even Olly Hannon-Dalby lost accuracy as McCann raced to a fifty from 87 balls in a period that brought 99 plundered runs in a dozen overs. The true nature of this pitch had become very clear.Reduced to posting a solitary slip for Craig Miles, Warwickshire still struggled to stem an advance that carried the home side to within 20 minutes of tea before another batter fell. Haynes became an early victim for Danny Briggs’s left-arm spin when beautifully held at slip by Will Rhodes.It ended a 127-run stand at better than a-run-a-ball and the interval, coming after 36.4 of the day’s re-jigged quota of 75.4 overs (the last eight were lost later to bad light), arrived with 211 for 4 on the board and McCann just past his century from 147 balls.Warwickshire tightened up markedly through 55 minutes in the evening but found another partnership beginning to accelerate. Verreyyne, the South Africa wicket-keeper with a Test hundred to his credit, settled into his fourth innings since joining Notts and the first batting point came up what proved an hour from the close.With the fifth wicket having added 98, it was a surprise when, from nowhere it seemed, two men then fell in eight balls, McCann yorked by Miles’s second ball back. Next over, Lyndon James had come and gone for 2, edging to the lone slip as Rhodes, the seventh bowler, reprised his knack of invariably grabbing an early success.But the 300 came up, and a second batting point with it, and if Warwickshire can claim their final bowling point on Saturday and also pass 300 themselves, they would not go down whatever happens in either relegation game.Away from play, eyes remain on a threatening forecast – the weather may yet have the last say. With only two days left for Lancashire at Worcester, where just 26 overs have proved possible, they have many miles to make up and rain is feared both there and in Nottingham on Sunday afternoon. Notts and Warwickshire supporters may be breathing more easily at the half-way point of this final round.

West Indies eyeing vital ranking points as series moves on to Barbados

Andrew Miller05-Nov-2024

Big picture: The battle of experience vs potential

It’s been an unlikely clash of ideologies in the Caribbean so far. In Thursday’s one-sided rout, the value of experience was writ large across Evin Lewis’ matchwinning onslaught: despite missing out on ODI cricket for three years, his muscle memory was keenly attuned to the challenge, as he rode out England’s new-ball threat to demolish his opponents in barely 25 overs. In the process he rushed past his 2000th run in the format, which is more than twice the tally of England’s most experienced batter in the format [checks notes] … Adil Rashid.That battle-hardened narrative had seized an iron grip on the series by the halfway mark of Saturday’s second match. Shai Hope is clearly a fine cricketer, but who could have imagined that his ODI record would one day rival those of Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes? And yet, his 17th hundred in the format was exquisitely paced as ever, dripping with the sort of belief in better times that England’s T20-trained top four can only guess at attaining, given how rarely they’ve been asked to tough it out through the fallow middle overs of a 50-over game.Hope encountered nine different bowlers in the course of his innings, which is surely a record of some description. On the one hand, this was a tribute to England’s wealth of options, as a new generation of cricketer arrives on the scene with two professionally serviceable strings to each bow. On the other, it was proof that more is less, as Liam Livingstone’s management became ever more muddled with each new switch in the field.But then, all of a sudden, those old certainties crumbled and a brand-new narrative took hold. One in which the power of responsibility surged into England’s experience void, to set up an improbable series finale.Sam Curran had batted higher than No. 7 just once in 32 ODIs prior to this campaign, and Livingstone higher than No. 6 just twice in 30. But both men answered the hour of need with precisely the sort of gumption that the management had hoped to coax out of this experimental squad.Curran’s run-a-ball 52 was significantly more valuable than it appears on paper, providing the ballast through the middle overs that enabled England to take the chase deep, before Livingstone, the unlikeliest of England’s six captains across formats this summer, dropped bomb after bomb after bomb. He hit nine sixes in total, a tally exceeded by just three England players in a 50-over contest. And if you squinted at the final scorecard, once a daunting target of 329 had been hunted down with overs and wickets to spare, you could almost believe we were back in the team’s pre-2019 heyday, when such feats of self-assurance were a daily occurrence.So, which philosophy will seize the day – and the series – in Barbados? The stakes are significantly higher than they might have seemed three days ago, with West Indies eager for a first series win since England’s last visit 11 months ago, not to mention vital rankings points as they plot their route back to the top table after missing out at the 2023 World Cup.As for England, Marcus Trescothick’s gleeful embrace of his captain spoke volumes as the players left the field in Antigua. England’s interim coach admitted last week how tough it has been to strike the right balance between nurturing the squad’s newcomers and cultivating the winning culture that this white-ball set-up once took for granted. An unlikely opportunity now presents itself for both aims to be achieved in one hit.

Form guide

West Indies LWWLL
England WLLWW

In the spotlight: Shimron Hetmyer and Jordan Cox

Shimron Hetmyer had licence for violence on Saturday afternoon, and he took it … albeit briefly. There were 10.1 overs of the innings remaining when West Indies’ No. 6 strolled out to the middle – the sort of scenario that he habitually relishes in the T20 format. This time, however, his team had 234 for 4 on the board already, and he did his bit to propel them past 300 with three sixes in his first ten deliveries. But then he holed out in search of a fourth, and trooped off for 24 from 11 balls. It was nevertheless the second-highest of his seven innings since his return to the ODI set-up in July 2023, after his 32 from 30 balls, also against England, in December. Much like his England counterparts, his unfamiliarity with the format would appear to be holding him back, but the talent and potential is undeniable.It’s a big few months for Jordan Cox, one of the most fascinating characters on the fringes of England’s international set-up. His restless ambition is palpable – by his own admission, almost to the point of arrogance – but the England management like what they see on the whole. This opportunity to bat at No. 3 in the rebooted ODI line-up, ahead of three guaranteed Tests as Jamie Smith’s wicketkeeping understudy, means he’s got until Christmas to make a real case for his long-term inclusion in their plans. Four matches into his England career, however, he’s struggling to make much headway. Despite a confident projection of belonging out in the middle, he’s managed 21 ODI runs from 50 balls on this tour, and was bounced out in rather gullible fashion by Shamar Joseph on Saturday. His fabled fielding was off the boil too, which is perhaps a suggestion of pre-occupation. He’s not blown his chance yet, but with so many key batters missing on this tour, he could find himself thrust back down the pecking order unless he shows his true colours soon.

Team news: Few surprises in prospect with series on the line

West Indies could think about bringing back Alzarri Joseph after his namesake Shamar was expensive on debut in the second ODI.West Indies: 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Alzarri Joseph/Shamar Joseph, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Matthew Forde, 11 Jayden SealesEngland’s temptation to tinker will be tempered with a series on the line.England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Liam Livingstone (capt), 6 Dan Mousley, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton/Saqib Mahmood, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 John Turner

Pitch and conditions: Weather a factor again

Five years ago, England and West Indies tallied 724 runs in an ODI at Kensington Oval, but there have only been two scores above 300 in 11 games since then. Hope said beforehand that the surface “looks like it has a bit of moisture currently”. A forecast for thundery showers could once again lead to interruptions.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have won 19 of their previous 42 ODIs at Kensington Oval, including each of their last two appearances against India and England in 2023.
• England boast a winning head-to-head with the hosts in Barbados, with seven victories and six defeats in 13 previous encounters since 1986.
• England pulled off their highest successful ODI chase at the ground in 2019, reeling in a target of 361.
• England are seeking their first bilateral ODI series win since beating Ireland in September 2023.

Quotes

“I’m always preaching consistency. In order to consider us an elite team we’ve got to be consistent, we’ve got to string performances together. It can’t always be one game or two games in a series, we’ve got to make sure we seal it, play good cricket all the way through.”
“After the first game, we spoke about how much time we had and even with the ball, being a bit more patient. It’s not learning on the job but it’s learning from your mistakes and I thought we did that pretty well from the first game. If we can win 2-1 it would be a big achievement for a young group.”

Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2024Former captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been omitted from the PCB’s new batch of central contracts announced on Saturday. Sixteen players were announced in the new contracts, with Fatima Sana, who took over from Dar as captain, moving up to Category A.Dar was in Category A in last year’s contracts, while Riaz had been demoted to Category B, though their omissions are not entirely unexpected. As well as dwindling form, there are believed to have been concerns about their attitude within the team set-up that were discussed with PCB hierarchy.Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season, while Bismah Maroof’s retirement earlier this year means she no longer features. The board said, “these players will remain available for selection, as the PCB shifts its focus towards developing the next generation of cricketers in alignment with the ICC’s Women’s FTP (Future Tours Programme) for 2025-29.”Getty Images

Twenty players were awarded two-year contracts last year, with a significant pay bump, but with the proviso that performances would be reassessed after a year.Sana’s promotion is a reward for a series of outstanding all-round performances in the run-up to, and at the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka at the tournament but lost their three other group games to India, Australia and eventual champions New Zealand.Muneeba Ali, the wicketkeeper-batter, has also been promoted to Category A, joining Sidra Amin who retains her position. Gull Feroza and Rameen Shamim return to the central-contracts list for the first time since 2018 and 2022-23 respectively, while Tasmia Rubab is included for the first time.The contracts have been pending approval for some time now, having run out at the end of July. Players, however, will be paid backdated amounts from then. The delay in the contracts is part of a general trend of upheaval and uncertainty in Pakistan women’s cricket where the PCB has struggled to get projects off the ground. Most notable among them is the long-promised women’s PSL, which Ramiz Raja first promised as chairman nearly three years ago but is yet to materialise. Tania Mallick, Head of Women’s Cricket since October 2021, told ESPNcricinfo earlier this year she expected a women’s PSL to happen within the next 12 months. Last month, however, she quit the role, with no signs of that tournament being introduced in the near future.”The 2024-25 central contracts reflect our forward-looking strategy as we prepare for the new ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme,” the PCB’s new Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed said. “By further investing in established players through significantly enhanced retainers and offering clear pathways to the emerging cricketer, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and sustaining competitiveness at the highest level.”Pakistan contracts list:
Category A: Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin
Category B: Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal
Category C: Diana Baig, Omaima Sohail
Category D: Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani