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Wood, who consistently exceeded 90mph during the World Cup, felt pain in his left side during the final against New Zealand but bowl through it to help win the title

George Dobell02-Aug-2019Mark Wood will miss the rest of the season as a result of the side strain sustained during the World Cup final.Wood, who consistently exceeded 90mph during the tournament, felt pain in his left side during the final against New Zealand. But with the game in the balance continued to bowl at a high pace and almost certainly exacerbated the strain. The winners’ medal he has to show for it will, no doubt, ease the pain of missing the Ashes.Wood will also have surgery on his right knee to clear up some excess cartilage. In normal circumstances, however, that issue would only be expected to put him out of action for two or three weeks. It is the side strain that will keep him on the sidelines for longer.While England have intimated they are set to play a second string side in the Test series in New Zealand – the series does not count towards the World Test Championship – they are likely to take the T20Is that proceed that series much more seriously. There is a T20 World Cup in little more than a year and Wood will have a good chance of playing in it. His Test return may have to wait until the South Africa tour.Of England bowlers, only Jofra Archer claimed more than Wood’s 18 wickets in the World Cup. Wood also claimed his Test-best figures of 5 for 41 in the only Test he has played in the last year. Bowling unusually fast, he was player of the match for his performance in that Test in St Lucia and would have been a key part of England’s Ashes plans had he been fit.Wood’s career has been blighted by injury issues. He has had a succession of problems with his ankle and, until the St Lucia Test, had struggled to turn his potential into something more tangible. But since utilising a longer run-up, he has consistently bowled at speeds above 90mph and enjoyed much better results as a consequence.

This was Taunton at its finest – an engrossing finale watched with time-honoured angst by spectators emotionally wedded to the culture and history of the county game

David Hopps at Taunton12-Jun-20181:55

Somerset chase down Notts to top Division One

ScorecardSomerset moved to the top of the County Championship on a thoroughly absorbing day at Taunton as they dislodged the previous leaders, Nottinghamshire, by six wickets with just over an hour to spare. For much of the day, it felt a lot closer. This was Taunton at its finest – an engrossing finale watched with time-honoured angst by spectators emotionally wedded to the culture and history of the county game.Ageism is never more rife than when people discuss the relevance of the Championship, the facile not to say disparaging assertion that many of its spectators are dying out rather overlooking the fact that they are being reliably replaced by those of us growing older by the day. It is a curious analysis that derides a game because of the age of those who watch it rather than the talent of those who play it. Such nonsense is rarely addressed because those who have had actual experience of old age are likely to be too dead, or too weary, or too wise to state the obvious.The man on the mobility scooter seemed to have got it about right as Somerset’s batsmen went about their business. “Their spinners look more dangerous than ours,” he observed before careering off under the stand at a speed that might have been pushing it in M5 roadworks.Hampshire’s James Vince had thwarted Somerset at Taunton a month ago by batting throughout the final day for an unbeaten double century, an innings of great responsibility which nevertheless was followed by the loss of his England place.But this surface had a better balance, showing some signs of wear late in the game, and by enforcing the follow-on, with a first-innings lead of 258, Somerset’s young skipper Tom Abell had risked a fourth innings chase against the turning ball, with both Matt Carter and Samit Patel carrying a growing threat.Suitably, it was Abell, though, who saw Somerset home in a spritely post-tea stand of 87 in only 17 overs with Steven Davies for the fifth wicket. Marcus Trescothick, the Grand Old Man, recovering from injury, had been following the final throes on the Somerset chat forum, and announced to all and sundry with nine still needed that he was going for a cider: nothing like beating the rush. As for Abell, he has matured impressively into a captaincy that last season asked so much of him that it might have broken lesser individuals.Matt Renshaw also bade farewell to Taunton with another accomplished innings, following up his first-innings century with an accomplished 61 before Carter had him caught at slip, pushing forward. Nobody has made more first-class runs than Renshaw in 2018 and Somerset have benefited hugely from the ball-tampering tomfoolery which saw him step in as an emergency replacement for his fellow Australian, Cameron Bancroft: sandpaper boy replaced by the polished kid, a player who might soon replace him in Australia’s Test side.Renshaw does have three away Championship matches left before the departs for an Australia A tour of India and it is here, beginning with matches against fellow title contenders Surrey and Essex, that the season will reach a critical point. Whether Somerset are capable of finally winning that first title will be a lot clearer then.It took an hour for Somerset to dislodge Nottinghamshire’s last two wickets, suggesting the target of 248 was eminently achievable. Matthew Milnes was refused a good lbw shout against Renshaw, and Ed Byrom fell to Steven Mullaney, but it all felt like a precursor to the intervention of spin.Renshaw was fortunate, on 42, to clear deep mid-on as Patel bowled with no luck – he also turned past the outside edge on several occasions – but generally he possessed a certainty that insisted while he remained a Somerset victory was inevitable.He certainly goes about matters in a more relaxed fashion than another Australian much treasured in these parts, Justin Langer, whose four seasons at Somerset terrified them into high standards of organisation and discipline; a man with horror movie eyes. Now Australian coach, he would do well to look at Renshaw, although Renshaw would be well advised not to look straight back.George Bartlett batted with some panache in a second-wicket stand of 96 in 28 overs, but Carter bowled him off his bat and boot as he attempted a forcing shot to leg and then added a third wicket on the stroke of tea when he had James Hildreth caught at short leg – a wicket that Patel might have felt he deserved as he beat the outside edge more than once and would have had him lbw were it not for a faint edge. At 163 for 4, with 85 still needed, the game was far from settled.The manner in which Abell and Davies came out after tea suggests a county high on confidence, planning and spirit, rattling on at a run a ball. Three consummate boundaries in an over from Abell broke the game. The man on the mobility scooter was nowhere to be seen, but it is a fair assumption that he careered home happy.

The win helped consolidate PNG’s second position in the ICC WCL table, while UAE, who slumped to their eighth loss in 10 matches, are placed seventh in the eight-team championship

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2017
Scorecard File photo: PNG displayed their bowling depth in an impressive win•Peter Della Penna

A middle-order collapse triggered by Assad Vala and John Reva strangled United Arab Emirates’ 233 chase as Papua New Guinea squeezed out a 26-run win to level the three-match series at 1-1.The win helped consolidate their second position in the ICC WCL table, while UAE, who slumped to their eighth loss in 10 matches, are placed seventh in the eight-team championship.UAE started in a confidently courtesy wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber, who set up the chase with a 100-ball 70, before a collapse resulted in them slipping from 148 for 2 tto 161 for 7 in less than five overs.The collapse started with the dismissals of Shaiman Anwar and Shabber in the space of three deliveries. Anwar was run out after a 57-run third-wicket stand, while Shabber was dismissed by Vale. The offspinner went on to dismiss two more middle-order batsmen for ducks to take the game away from UAE, who were eventually skittled out in the 48th over.That PNG had a total to defend despite UAE chipping away was courtesy Vani Morea’s 52. Cameos from Dogodo Bau (46), Vala (23) and Lega Siaka (27) lower down the order added some teeth to the total, which eventually too much for the hosts.

A round-up of the Regional 4 Day Tournament 2015-16 matches that finished on February 14 and 15, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2016Rahkeem Cornwall’s career-best match figures of 12 for 205 along with Jahmar Hamilton’s 130* in the second innings took Leeward Islands to a 85-run victory over Jamaica in Antigua.Cornwall picked up 5 for 74 to help bundle Jamaica out for 158 in the first innings, after which he claimed 7 for 131 in Leewards’ final innings defence of 365 to bowl Jamaica out for 280. Hamilton built on Cornwall’s five-wicket haul in the first innings with a steady century that comprised of eight fours and three sixes. He was assisted by opener Montcin Hodge (72) and Orlando Peters (41) to help Leewards set Jamaica a target of 366.In the chase, Kirk Edwards top scored with 93 but it wasn’t enough to drive Jamaica home as none of the other batsmen managed to cross a score of 40.Both teams suffered batting collapses in the first innings. Hodge (41) and Daron Cruickshank (51) did majority of the scoring in Leewards’ 155 after they were inserted, while, in response, Jamaica were bundled out for 158 with No. 11 Sheldon Cottrell top scoring with 37.For Jamaica, Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs starred with the ball, picking eight wickets each in the match.Barbados smashed Windward Islands by an innings and 56 runs in Bridgetown. The win was built around centuries from Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope, and a match haul of eight from pace Miguel Cummins.Windwards chose to bat and were in trouble straightaway as Cummins cut through their top order to reduce them to 46 for 4 – one of the four to fall was Keddy Lesporis, who was sent on his way after handling the ball. Fifties from Andre Fletcher and Kavem Hodge made sure they did not collapse altogether, and they managed to put 250 on the board before being all out, Miguel ending with five scalps.If they had any hope of that being enough to challenge Barbados, it was crushed by opener Brathwaite and No. 3 Hope, with scores of 117 and 162 respectively. Brisk cameos from the middle order followed, giving Barbados a cushion of 200 runs going into the second innings. Windwards could not force them to bat again, with Cummins again making the initial breakthrough before the spin of Sulieman Benn and Roston Chase took over. Windwards were duly bowled out for 144 in 53.3 overs.Guyana registered a big win in Providence, beating Trinidad & Tobago by 105 runs. Batsmen Vishaul Singh and Leon Johnson, and the spin pairing of Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo were the stars of the game for Guyana.Vishaul held Guyana together after they chose to bat, making an unbeaten 104 from No. 5 to get his team to 237. The two spinners then ensured that was enough, Permaul taking a five-for and Bishoo three to bowl T&T out for 179. Captain Johnson made sure that 58-run lead did not go to waste, stringing together 111 in Guyana’s second innings, before declaring to set T&T 303 for the win. They got nowhere close as Guyana’s spin twins delivered once more, Permaul grabbing four this time and Bishoo two.

England’s selectors could delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford when they make an announcement on an expanded squad on Sunday morning

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2013England’s selectors are likely to delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford by naming him in an expanded squad on Sunday morning, which will include batting cover in case his calf strain does not recover.Pietersen has been undergoing extensive treatment since picking up the injury on the second day of the Lord’s Test, and is likely to be given another couple of days to show whether he will be able to get through five days in Manchester. Had these been back-to-back Tests, Pietersen would have been ruled out, but the 10-day break has worked in his favour.England, though, will not take any risks, and are unlikely to be overly concerned should Pietersen’s injury keep him out. He remains a crucial asset to the team, but apart from an important 64 in the second innings at Trent Bridge, has had a stuttering start to the Ashes series, and England will feel they can cover for his absence.James Taylor, currently playing for Sussex against the Australians, remains the leading candidate to provide batting cover (and come into the side if required), and was unbeaten on 64 at the end of the second day.It would be a quirk of fate if it were to be Taylor who replaced Pietersen, given the stories that emerged following his Test debut against South Africa, at Headingley last year, where he had an extended partnership with Pietersen, although may not have overly impressed his senior team-mate.After being abruptly dropped after his two appearances against South Africa, and not even named in the England performance squad at the start of the season, Taylor was told to churn out the runs at domestic level and work on some technical flaws which concerned the selectors, specifically his ability to handle deliveries outside off stump.His performances for Nottinghamshire, where he has made 824 runs at 58.85 in the Championship, mean he has done all he can at county level to make the selectors consider him again.The other batsmen who would perhaps come under consideration all have significant issues against a call-up. Eoin Morgan has yet to play first-class cricket this season (although he did train with England during the Lord’s Test), Ravi Bopara has picked up a side strain which has prevented him from bowling and playing in Essex’s recent Championship match against Leicestershire, while Nick Compton, dropped shortly before the Ashes began, is not a like-for-like middle-order replacement.Given England’s healthy position in the series, and the success of the bowling attack at Lord’s, there is no overwhelming need to tinker with the bowlers, although the conditions at Old Trafford will be taken into consideration. In the past, before the square was turned to face north-south instead of east-west, it was renowned for pace, bounce and, later in the match, spin.The pace element remains a slightly unknown factor on the new pitches – although last year’s Twenty20 against South Africa saw the ball flying through from the quicks – but there has been plenty of evidence that spin remains a key weapon. In Lancashire’s previous Championship game against Glamorgan, Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner, took 12 wickets in the match.Kerrigan’s impressive Championship season where he has taken 44 wickets at 19.72 (making him the leading spinner in the country) continue to mark him out as an England player in waiting, but if a second spinner is required on this occasion it remains likely that the selectors would opt for Monty Panesar especially after his solid showing against the Australians at Hove.At home, however, and even taking into account Australia’s issues against spin, it will take an awful lot for England to select an attack with two spinners, especially while they continue to have an major impact with the reverse swing found by James Anderson and Tim Bresnan. Joe Root, with three important wickets in the series, has also shown he is a more-than-handy option with the ball.Probable squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

Kevin Pietersen has kept the door open for a return to limited-overs cricket for England

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2012Kevin Pietersen has kept the door open for a return to limited-overs cricket for England and is still hoping for a late change of policy by the selectors to allow him to appear in the World Twenty20. Although, he admits that both scenarios still remain unlikely.Pietersen quit international one-day cricket at the end of May citing England’s heavy schedule and the way the ECB central contracts are written meant his decision made him ineligible for Twenty20 selection as players have to be available for both limited-overs formats. Pietersen, who returned to action with Surrey at the beginning of this month ahead of the Test series against South Africa, said the fixture demands would need to change for him to consider reversing his retirement but he still wishes he could play Twenty20.”Never say never. I’m a lot older and more mature than a few years ago, so you never know,” he told the about whether he would return to coloured clothes. “Anything can happen. I’ll never say no, but the schedule would have to be a hell of a lot different for me to come back. Wait and see.”I’ve had my wife, mother, dad, mother-in-law, brothers and my best mates all saying to me ‘don’t you wish you were out there batting against Australia?’ And I’ve said to them I haven’t missed it at all. But maybe all I needed was a break. Who knows? I’ve played a lot of cricket in the last seven years.”As for the World Twenty20, which takes place in Sri Lanka from late September, where England will be defending their title, Pietersen has always been clear that he wanted to play in that tournament.”I still hope there might be a compromise for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka,” he said. “The squad hasn’t been announced. I would love to play in that and defend our title with England. If it happens, great, but I’m not holding my breath.”Pietersen’s comments about the packed international schedule have not always gone down well because he continues to play in the IPL. However, he believes it is unfair that he is criticised for taking up that opportunity when so many of the game’s leading players take part.”Okay, the ECB may say me playing in the IPL makes it hard to rest me but what annoys me is that, with every other board the IPL is a matter of fact. It’s not going away,” he said. “It’s going to be there and players want to play in it. Players want to go and earn their money and unless you let them decisions will have to be made.”Big players want to play in front of big audiences. You want to hear your name chanted by 50,000 people. It’s amazing. It makes you feel so good. The window for that has been created by the other boards but unfortunately not ours.”England have responded outstandingly well to the loss of Pietersen from both limited-overs formats. Ian Bell has slotted into the opening role with 364 runs in five innings while Alex Hales made 99 in the Twenty20 against West Indies and Pietersen has enjoyed watching the results.”I’m a huge England fan and it’s brilliant to be beating Australia at the moment,” he said. “We’ve got an Ashes series next year and you want their guys to say ‘we’ve got to play against these blokes next year. We can’t score more than 250 against them in a one-day game’. It’s the mental edge you want over them. We’ve thrown some big punches against them and that’s fantastic.”

Spin twins Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq bowled Yorkshire to a breathtaking victory by 11 runs with five balls remaining in a tight Roses clash

17-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Spin twins Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq bowled Yorkshire to a breathtaking victory by 11 runs with five balls remaining in a tight Roses clash in the Friends Life t20 North Group at Headingley Carnegie.Chasing a 179 target, Lancashire lost two wickets in Rafiq’s first over before they were further hit by Rashid who claimed three wickets in five balls. Even then they were not quite down and out because Jordan Clark lashed Richard Pyrah for two sixes and a four off successive balls in the penultimate over which cost 24 runs.These blows hurried Lancashire on to 167 for 9 but with 12 wanted off the final over, Gary Keedy attempted to run a bye off Ryan Sidebottom’s first ball and wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow threw into the stumps to run out Clark who had struck 38 from 18 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.Yorkshire joyously celebrated a Roses double which leapfrogged them above their opponents in the table and at the same time boosted their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals. It was Lancashire’s third defeat in 10 days.The heavy rain which had been forecast managed to hold off – much to the delight of the majority in the 13,000 crowd. Rashid finished with 4 for 26 – his third haul of three wickets or more in five matches – and Rafiq had 2 for 29 from his four overs but the Man-of-the-Match award went to Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale who held his side together with a well-judged 60 after they had been put in to bat.He received excellent support from Bairstow in an opening stand of 69 inside eight overs, Yorkshire’s best start of the season. Gale bludgeoned two fours in the opening over from Luke Procter and Bairstow made Tom Smith suffer by smashing him for two fours and a big six over backward square leg.Sajid Mahmood helped to stem the flow of runs but it was Keedy who came on to make the initial breakthrough by having Bairstow lbw for 32 from 19 balls with five fours and a six as the batsman failed to make contact with an intended reverse sweep.Adam Lyth maintained the momentum in a 65 stand in 7.3 overs with Gale who had smacked six fours and a six off 46 deliveries before he hit a full toss from Smith to mid-off. Lyth gave a return catch to Mahmood off a slower ball after making 45 from 33 balls and Gary Ballance’s unbeaten 25 included successive sixes on either side of the wicket at Smith’s expense.Stephen Moore and Smith began brightly in poor light for Lancashire but at 26 in the third over Moore was run out by Joe Root’s direct hit from the boundary edge. Smith was caught and bowled by Rashid in the next over to make it 27 for 2.Then Rafiq entered the attack to bowl Steven Croft middle stump with his first ball and trap Mahmood lbw with his fifth. Karl Brown and Gareth Cross staged something of a recovery with a 51 stand in seven overs before Rashid’s dramatic intervention in the 15th over.He had Cross lbw for 30 aiming to leg, enticed Brown into giving Rafiq a catch above his head at long-off and gained another lbw verdict against Procter. Kyle Hogg and Steven Parry lost their stumps to Ajmal Shahzad and Sidebottom respectively but Clark’s lusty blows kept Lancashire interested right to the end.

Andrew Strauss played the hare and Ian Bell the tortoise, as England returned to winning ways by making light work of a decent but ultimately unchallenging target of 251 in the first ODI against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller at Trent Bridge08-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Strauss got England’s chase off to brisk start with a 37-ball fifty•PA Photos

Andrew Strauss played the hare and Ian Bell the tortoise, as England returned to winning ways by making light work of a decent but ultimately unchallenging target of 251 in the first ODI against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge. Under the floodlights, and in front of a sparse 8,500 crowd, Strauss gave his side a flying start with 50 from 37 balls, before Bell ambled across the finish line with 29 balls to spare, having marked his first 50-over appearance since November 2008 with 84 not out from 101.The final result was in keeping with recent contests between these two teams. Bangladesh did not disgrace themselves – far from it – but neither were England required to reach top gear to maintain their 100% record. In Raqibul Hasan, last seen flouncing into “retirement” ahead of the Chittagong Test in March, Bangladesh showcased another young batsman with the technique and talent to add value to their often brittle middle-order, while Junaid Siddique showed sound judgment in his 70-ball 51. But England’s dominance was epitomised by James Anderson, who was smacked for 74 in ten overs, but was nevertheless able to weigh in with three wickets.With Mashrafe Mortaza returning to the captaincy that he relinquished through injury 12 months ago, Bangladesh won the toss and chose to play to their strengths by batting first. Sure enough, Tamim Iqbal picked up where he had left off in June by smacking consecutive fours from the first balls of both Anderson and Tim Bresnan’s new-ball spells, and at 40 for 0 after six overs, the stage was set for another of his whirlwind fifties.Stuart Broad, however, ended all such notions by pinning Tamim lbw for 28 as he attempted a glide to third man, and when Bangladesh were limited to seven runs from their next four overs, their hopes of racing to an impregnable total were dashed. When Imrul Kayes lobbed Anderson to Eoin Morgan at extra cover for 14, Bangladesh were 70 for 2 in the 14th over, but this time, the departure of the openers did not lead to the sort of surrender that had been witnessed during last month’s Test series.That was largely thanks to the earthy efforts of Siddique, who produced a handful of shots of real authority before being nailed lbw by Michael Yardy, and Raqibul, who would not have been playing had it not been for Jahurul Islam’s withdrawal through illness on the eve of the game. This was his first international since that Chittagong protest, but the headstrong naivety he had shown on that occasion was shelved for this performance.An arrow-straight drive off Paul Collingwood brought Raqibul an excellent fifty from 61 balls, and he might have expected more had it not been for a painful blow to the foot that brought about a somewhat farcical downfall. On 76, he was struck on the boot by an Anderson yorker, went down for lengthy treatment, and called for a runner. Before he had even faced another delivery, a three-man mix-up led to him being run out by the length of the pitch. It brought an unedifying end to his tour, after scans showed he’d sustained a broken toe, putting him out of action for two weeks.A late collapse of four wickets for 15 runs ensured a flaccid finish to Bangladesh’s innings, and that lack of oomph was put in context as soon as Strauss got into his stride in the run-chase. He cracked seven fours in first Powerplay to leave his team perfectly placed on 66 for 0 after 10 overs, but then, having brought up his half-century by dabbing Abdur Razzak through backward point for three, he answered Craig Kieswetter’s call for a sharp single in the same over, and was caught short of his crease by a pinpoint throw from Mahmudullah in the covers.Kieswetter at this stage had been trailing in his skipper’s wake on 19, much as he had done in each of the three innings of his debut series in Bangladesh back in March, when Alastair Cook had been the unlikely man to outscore him. He responded to the setback by flogging Razzak imperiously over long-off for an inside-out six, but before he could really hit his top gear, he sized up a slog-sweep against Shakib, and picked out Faisal Hossain on the midwicket boundary.At 93 for 2 in the 15th over, Collingwood came out to join Bell who was playing in his first ODI since November 2008, and the pair proceeded with utmost caution, picking off a solitary boundary between them in 13 overs. On 20, Bell was beaten by a beauty from Shakib that spat and turned, and flew away past batsman and keeper alike for four byes, but that was the full extent of England’s alarms.Of greater concern, however, was an incident at the end of the 26th over, when Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper, Mushfiqur Rahim, was struck on the cheekbone by a nasty lifting delivery from Faisal. His face swelled up almost immediately, and after a delay of several minutes, he was stretchered off the field and taken to hospital. He will now miss the final two matches against England but could return for Bangladesh’s fixtures against Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands at the end of the tour.His replacement behind the stumps, Junaid Siddique, was soon called upon, as Collingwood brought a dour partnership to an end by top-edging a mow across the line to give Shakib his second wicket, and Eoin Morgan made 23 from 26 balls before hoisting Razzak to deep midwicket. But for all the criticisms that have been levelled at Bell over the years, turning down a chance for easy runs is not one of them. He sealed the contest with a cut into the covers for his 84th run. It hardly amounted to a like-for-like replacement for Kevin Pietersen, but in the circumstances, it fitted England’s requirements precisely.

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.

On a rain-hit day, West extend lead to 384 despite Saurabh and Jain strikes, while South need 194 runs to beat North

Himanshu Agrawal07-Jul-2023Cheteshwar Pujara hit his 60th first-class century to leave West Zone in a dominating position on the third day of their Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone in Alur. Rain stopped play immediately after he was run-out for 133, with West ending on 292 for 9 – thus, 384 ahead of Central – even as no play was possible after that stoppage.Pujara added crucial partnerships with the middle and lower orders after West were 150 for 4 at one stage, when Saurabh Kumar dismissed Sarfaraz Khan for 6. He shared important stands of 47, 32, 21 and 26 for the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth wickets, respectively, as the defending champions took one step towards the final. Pujara picked up pace towards the latter stage of his innings after initially taking his time to build his innings, going for his shots with the tail for company.However, Central’s spinners Saurabh and Saransh Jain kept a lid at the other end, sharing seven of the nine wickets to fall between them. In fact, all six wickets went to the duo on the third day, with Saurabh finishing with 4 for 79, and Jain with 3 for 56. After Saurabh had struck first to remove the overnight batter Sarfaraz, Jain grabbed the next three wickets to keep West in check before Saurabh got Chintan Gaja.That continued a sensational Duleep Trophy for Saurabh, who leads the wicket-taking charts with 16. However, his batting team-mates might have to deliver something special even if West were to declare at this stage and set Central 385 to win. And they will be especially wary during the chase after having folded for 128 in the first innings.R Sai Kishore celebrates a wicket with his South Zone team-mates•PTI

Rain spoiled the party in nearby Bengaluru too, leaving the match between South Zone and North Zone tantalisingly poised ahead of the final day’s play. Inclement weather interrupted play after South were 21 without loss in their chase of 215, first forcing an early tea break and then complete abandonment of the evening session. But before that, Vijaykumar Vyshak’s 5 for 76 helped South restrict North to 211 in the second innings, after they were three runs ahead in the first.Vyshak led the way, picking up four of the last seven wickets to fall, as North slid from a comfortable position of 146 for 3. The collapse began when Prabhsimran Singh, on 63, found the fielder at deep square leg while trying to pull a short ball from Vyshak in the 37th over. Two overs later, Sai Kishore dismissed Ankit Kumar, while Vyshak struck twice in the 46th: he first had Jayant Yadav inside edging on to his stumps, and then Pulkit Narang slashing one to slip.Vyshak’s fifth came when Ricky Bhui held on to a good, low catch down the leg side to send Nishant Sindhu back, even as Sai Kishore helped clean the tail up with the last two wickets to fall.Earlier, Prabhsimran played an enterprising knock which contained 11 fours, although North needed help from No. 9 Harshit Rana to boost their score. Rana smashed 38 at better than a run a ball, setting the game up for a final day which could see more rain breaks.