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A round-up of the fourth day’s action of the 11th round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2009

Group A

Khalid Latif made an aggressive 75 but Karachi had little chance of winning•Associated Press

Karachi Whites completed the formalities of a seven-wicket victory over Sui Southern Gas Corporation at the Southend Cricket Club. They started the day needing 48 runs to wrap up the win, a task they finished in 15 overs. The one disappointment for them was that opener Mohtashim Ali didn’t go on to complete his century, falling five short.National Bank of Pakistan also needed very little time to seal a nine-wicket win over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Iqbal Stadium. The overnight pair of Rashid Riaz and Umar Amin polished off the 108 they required in 25.3 overs. Riaz was extremely cautious, needing more than four hours for his 67, while Amin was a touch more cavalier, hitting ten fours and a six in a 137-ball 74.In the group’s only match that didn’t end with a decisive outcome, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited played out a dull draw against Pakistan International Airlines at the Diamond Club Ground. PIA opener Kamran Sajid, starting the day on 79, stretched his score to 133 and half-centuries from Shehzar Mohammad and Tahir Khan took their side to 379, an overall lead of 279. PIA then declared, giving ZTBL eight inconsequential overs to bat; ZTBL had a bit of fun during that spell, smashing the first over for 21 runs on their way to a whirlwind 76 for 1.

Group B

Lahore Ravi duly completed a comfortable 10-wicket win against Islamabad at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Kamran Hussain continued his lower-order heroics to go past a fifty before Junaid Zia brought a swift end to the innings, picking two wickets in two balls. Requiring a paltry 24 runs to pick up their third win, Lahore Ravi got home easily without losing a wicket.Faisalabad secured a draw against Abbottabad at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. Zeeshan Asif who had crossed 200 yesterday was the last wicket to fall in Faisalabad’s first dig, with the score on 510. With victory out of the question, Abbottabad adopted a safety-first approach to ensure that they conceded only first-innings honours to the opponents. In the process, openers Waqar Orakzai and Ehteshamuddin helped themselves to half-centuries and Mohammad Kashif was unbeaten on 48.A lower-order collapse from Hyderabad, followed by a pulsating chase from Quetta meant that a thrilling draw was played out in Mirpur Khas. Starting the final day with six wickets in hand, Hyderabad could manage only 44 runs before being bowled out. Chasing a gettable 268 with sufficient time left in the game, Hyderabad’s top order didn’t put up much resistance. No. 3 batsman Lal Kumar, though, boosted his team from 78 for 4 being dismissed three short of a hundred. A rush of wickets in the dying moments of the game raised Quetta’s hopes of a victory, but they couldn’t prise out the final two.A string of 70s from Karachi Blues’ batsmen took them to 378 for 4, but that was well short of the massive 546 they needed to win against Sialkot at the National Stadium. Opener Ali Asad, No. 3 Asad Shafiq and No. 4 Wajihuddin all made measured 70s, while Khalid Latif made a more aggressive unbeaten 75 but Karachi were never in the hunt for a win.Group A

Group B

Or will Capitals continue their stunning turnaround and lift the trophy?

Ashish Pant08-Feb-2025

Big picture: Two familiar rivals chasing a maiden title

Desert Vipers dominated the ILT20 2025 league stage like no other. They won six of their first seven matches, became the first side to confirm a playoffs position, and ended the league phase as table-toppers. But… it’s not all been hunky dory.Vipers have played 12 matches so far this season, of which they have only lost four. Three of those defeats, however, have come against their opponents in the final, Dubai Capitals: twice in the league stage and then in Qualifier 1. Having brushed most teams aside with a minimum of fuss, Vipers have come undone each time they have faced Capitals this season.Can they turn that narrative around and pick up a win in the game that matters the most, or will Capitals make a clean sweep and secure their first ILT20 crown?Related

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Both teams know what it’s like to make it to the final and not win. Vipers did that in 2023, when they lost to Gulf Giants, while Capitals lost to MI Emirates in a one-sided final in 2024.There is little doubt that the two best teams in the competition have made it to the final. Vipers were dominant throughout. Capitals started slowly, losing three of their first four matches, but a confident win over Vipers brought their campaign back on track. They have since been unstoppable, winning six of their last seven matches.How the batters from both sides go might well decide the outcome of the final. Of the top ten run-getters in the tournament so far, five are from either Vipers or Capitals. These two teams played out a high-scoring clash at this venue just three days ago, and runs could once again be the theme in the final.Both teams have a great record in Dubai this season – Vipers have won four of their six games here, and Capitals five out of six. And no matter which team wins the final, we are sure to get a new ILT20 winner.

Form guide

Dubai Capitals WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Desert Vipers WLLWLGulbadin Naib has been an all-round package all season•ILT20

In the spotlight: Gulbadin Naib and Alex Hales

He is picking up wickets, he is scoring runs, he is flexing his biceps – Gulbadin Naib has turned out to be Capitals’ trump card this season. He is the fifth-highest run-scorer so far this tournament, with 376 runs in 11 outings at a strike rate of 158.64. In addition, he has 11 wickets in as many games and kept teams quiet in the middle overs. But most importantly, Naib has been excellent against Vipers. In three games against them this season, he has scores of 78*, 55* and 62, and picked up three wickets. Naib turned out to be the difference between the two sides in the first Qualifier and will be one of the key elements in the final.After bagging the Player-of-the-Match award in Qualifier 2, Alex Hales reckoned he was most pleased with how still his head was while he was playing his shots. It’s something he has maintained all season. Hales is third on the run-charts as things stand with 400 runs in 12 outings at a strike rate of 138.40. He has a good record against Capitals this season and Vipers will once again heavily rely on him to get them off to a flying start.Lockie Ferguson is unlikely to feature in the final•ILT20

Team news: Warner and Ferguson under injury cloud

Vipers are likely to miss two of their key players for the final. Captain Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Wanindu Hasaranga, their joint-leading wicket-taker, has gone back to Sri Lanka and won’t be available. Sam Curran, who led the side in Qualifier 2, is likely to captain in the final as well. Depending on whether Vipers bat or bowl first, David Payne is likely to be substituted for Sherfane Rutherford and vice-versa.Desert Vipers (possible): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 3 Max Holden, 4 Dan Lawrence, 5 Sam Curran (capt), 6 Azam Khan (wk), 7 David Payne/Sherfane Rutherford, 8 Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, 9 Nathan Sowter, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Ali Naseer.David Warner scored an unbeaten 93 in his one game for Capitals so far, but has since been out with a back injury. He didn’t look in great shape in a virtual press conference on the eve of the final, and is unlikely to make the cut against Vipers. Capitals had subbed Obed McCoy for Adam Rossington in Qualifier 1 and that could be the case in the final, too.Dubai Capitals (possible): 1 Adam Rossingston/Obed McCoy, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Gulbadin Naib, 4 Sam Billings (capt), 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Sikandar Raza, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Farhan Khan, 10 Haider Ali, 11 Qais Ahmad.

Pitch and conditions

It’s Dubai, so the weather will be extremely humid and energy sapping. The teams batting second have held the advantage so far at this venue this season, winning ten out of 14 games. That’s largely because of the dew which has made an appearance late in the day. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl. The temperature is expected to hover around the late 20s to the early 30s on the Celcius scale.

Stats and trivia

• Shai Hope needs just ten runs to become the tournament’s leading run-getter. He is currently on 484 runs, only behind Tom Banton.
• The average first-innings score in Dubai so far this season is 155.
• Naib is the only player to feature in the top ten of both the leading wicket-takers and run-getters lists.

Quotes

“When you’ve beaten them a couple of times, that’s the scary part. Sometimes that momentum can break. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen, and we can continue our form.”
“They [Dubai Capitals] have won three games in a row, and I think it is our turn now to beat them in the big stage. I always believe that in the final whoever handles the pressure well has more of a chance to win the game. In the final the margin of error is very less so you have to be on your toes every single time.”

Who supports senior quicks Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali is a key question for Pakistan

Andrew McGlashan07-Dec-2023Pakistan are using their four-day match in Canberra to assess the balance of the side they may take into next week’s first Test with at least one fast bowling spot up for grabs, although the key decisions will still be based on what conditions are served up at Optus Stadium in Perth.The visitors have utilised the contest against the Prime Minister’s XI to give their less experienced bowlers a run out in Australian conditions – albeit on a pitch that will likely bear little resemblance to the Test surface – and also to look at the role of the allrounders with a view to how they balance the line-up.Related

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Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali are all-but-certain starters in Perth, while legspinner Abrar Ahmed seems sure to feature, but the identity of the third frontline quick could be up for debate with Faheem Ashraf appearing likely to take the No. 7 spot.Left-armer Mir Hamza caused the occasional uneasy moment on a docile surface against the PM XI’s top order while the uncapped Khurram Shahzad bowled tidily and claimed the wicket of Cameron Bancroft.”We’ll only be able to decide when we get closer to the game, see the pitch, see the conditions, see where the guys are at with their fitness and their loads,” captain Shan Masood said on how the Test attack could shape up. “You have to look at the opposition as well, match-ups, or type of bowling, is huge in cricket now.”Obviously Shaheen and Hasan are senior bowlers, they are probably penciled in, but you want to look at everyone and give them a fair run before you make that ultimate decision. The permutations on the structure if the side matters as well – do we go with an allrounder, what will the role of the spinner be? So there are a lot of things we are looking at and we are very glad we are playing a fixture like this.”Masood hinted that he sees Abrar, who has taken 38 wickets in his first six Tests, playing a key role. He sent down 19 overs on the second day and will likely be needed in both attacking and defensive roles in support of the quicks. However, the struggles of Yasir Shah in Australia – he averaged 89.50 in five Tests in the country – are a warning of the challenges ahead.”Spinners are crucial and we’ve seen that with the Australian team, how good Nathan Lyon has been for a number of years,” Masood said. “So a spinner plays an important role, he’s very complimentary to the fast bowlers in these conditions. Abrar has done really well for us, he’s taken a lot of wickets against good sides and we’ll be hoping he does the same on this tour.”Marcus Harris, who was Abrar’s wicket on the second day when he lofted to mid-on, was impressed by what he saw and believed his accuracy would stand him in good stead.”He’s good, he’s different,” he said. “We were lucky to see a bit of footage of him. If you hadn’t seen him before it would have been a little bit tough to face early. He’s very accurate as a legspinner which is half the battle then he’s got some good variations. Not sure the wicket at Perth will suit him too much, or even Melbourne the way it’s been, but Sydney probably won’t be too different to this. Thought he bowled really well throughout the day.”

Visitors limp to 6 for 3 before bad light brings early close at Riverside

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2022Durham scored runs with ease at Seat Unique Riverside before taking three quick wickets to leave Sussex staring at an innings defeat by stumps on day two in their County Championship match.In blue-sky conditions, Scott Borthwick wasted no time in pushing Durham forward, as he and Michael Jones reached their half-centuries before lunch as the hosts wiped out the remaining deficit.James Coles struck shortly after lunch, removing Borthwick lbw for a fast-paced 82, before Jones was caught down the legside by debutant keeper Charlie Tear four short of a century.Nic Maddinson added fifty partnerships with David Bedingham and Chris Benjamin before he chopped on for 90 off Faheem Ashraf as Durham pushed towards a declaration.Bad light played its part again as the teams left the field just before 5pm with Durham just short of maximum batting points, but they returned shortly after to gain the final batting point and declare with a lead of 297.Durham then turned the screws as Ali Orr was run out due to a mix-up with Tom Haines, before Ben Raine removed Tom Alsop and Tom Clark for ducks. Bad light ended play early again to leave Sussex 6 for 3, still 291 behind.

James Bazley, the allrounder who had impressed in last year’s BBL, earned a contract with Queensland

Daniel Brettig13-May-2021South Australia have poached the dual Sheffield Shield-winning fast bowler Brendan Doggett from Queensland among a raft of interstate additions to their squad. According to head coach Jason Gillespie, the new-look side will have a “focus on results” after four consecutive seasons at the bottom of the first-class standings and no victories at all in any competitions last season.The recruitment of Doggett, alongside the additions of Nathan McSweeney (also from Queensland), Jake Carder (Western Australia), the Sydney Thunder’s Nathan McAndrew (New South Wales) and contract upgrades for Ryan Gibson (NSW), Samuel Kerber (Victoria) and rookie Jordan Buckingham (Victoria), marks a major departure from recent seasons in which the Redbacks tried unsuccessfully to build a home-grown team.The failing fortunes of South Australia have been a talking point across the national system and were last year the subject of an independent review by Michael Hussey that panned a culture of mediocrity and conflicts of interest within the state’s high-performance wing.Hussey’s review had included the following recommendations: “Identify and try to recruit the best young talent around the country (former Australia U-19 players not contracted) and engage them through Premier Cricket making them earn opportunities at the next level. Identify quality players from interstate with first-class experience to fill holes in the current list or holes that will develop in the near future. Target the best 10th to 15th players from other states.”South Australia had already parted ways with Will Bosisto, Tom Cooper, Brad Davis, Conor McInerney, Luke Robins and Cameron Valente – all delisted – while Callum Ferguson and Chadd Sayers retired during the season after long careers with the Redbacks.”We are extremely delighted with the additions we’ve been able to make to freshen up our squad, and we’re optimistic for an improved 2021-22 season,” Gillespie said.”We have added considerable depth and increased our pace stocks, namely with Brendan who is a two-time Sheffield Shield champion, and we welcome each new player and look forward to the beginning of pre-season. We’ve shaped this new-look team with a focus on results, and we are confident that this rejuvenated list can take this proud state forward.”Doggett and McSweeney moved to South Australia as Queensland faced a contract squeeze on account of having only one Cricket Australia-contracted player in Marnus Labuschagne. James Bazley, the allrounder who delivered some eye-catching displays for the Brisbane Heat in last year’s BBL, is the only addition to the full contract list for the Bulls.South Australia contract list: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jake Carder, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Ryan Gibson, David Grant, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Samuel Kerber, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Tim Oakley, Lloyd Pope, Kane Richardson, Liam Scott, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall
Rookie contracts: Jordan Buckingham, Bailey Capel, Kyle Brazell, Corey Kelly, Thomas KellyQueensland contract list: Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Joe Burns, Max Bryant, Blake Edwards, Sam Heazlett, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Michael Neser, Lachlan Pfeffer, Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Mitch Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood
Rookie contracts:: Jack Clayton, Matthew Willans, Connor Sully, Will Prestwidge

Catch up with the weekend action from the WBBL as the race for the knockouts hots up

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2019Amanda-Jade Wellington bowled a superb Super Over and Sophie Devine’s outstanding tournament continued in a thrilling victory for the Adelaide Strikers over the Sydney Thunder in Hobart. Devine top-scored in the main contest with 88 off 56 balls, taking her top of the run-scoring table, before striking the first ball of the Super Over chase to the boundary to ensure chasing seven to win was not an issue. Wellington, who took 3 for 17, had done superbly to keep the Thunder to six in their over after Sarah Coyte had trapped Nida Dar lbw with the final ball of the initial contest following two last-over boundaries from Rachel Trenaman which left the Thunder needing four off three. The Thunder had been well on track in the chase after an opening stand of 59 in 5.2 overs by Rachel Priest and Naomi Stalenberg but the game changed in the hands of Wellington who remove Priest, Alex Blackwell and Phoebe Litchfield.A masterclass from Australia captain Meg Lanning helped the Perth Scorchers sweep the Sydney Sixers in back-to-back matches at Lilac Hill and all but secure a semi-final berth. Chasing 165, Lanning ripped the game away from the Sixers scoring 81 from 50 balls and shared a 104-run opening stand with Amy Jones in less than 13 overs. She fell with 19 still needed from 15 balls, but Nat Sciver continued her good form making 39 not out from 22 balls to guide the side home with four balls to spare and eight wickets in hand. Earlier, Sciver made the big breakthrough with the ball removing Alyssa Healy with the first ball of the match. Healy top-edged a pull shot back to Sciver who claimed her for the second time in two days. Erin Burns and Ash Gardner both made half-centuries, with Burns batting through the innings to finish on 60 not out. But Dane van Niekerk was the only Sixers batter to strike above 133 in their total of 6 for 164 and there semi-final prospects are in the balance.November 23Sarah Coyte held her nerve in the face of a thrilling onslaught from Chloe Tryon as the Adelaide Strikers clung on for a two-run win against the Hobart Hurricanes to book a place in the semi-finals. The Hurricanes were well behind the rate when Tryon entered in the 14th over but she showed her striking power. She took 20 off the 18th over from Suzie Bates to leave 20 needed off 12 balls, then a six off the last ball of the penultimate over from Amanda-Jade Wellington left 11 needed for the last. That became six off four when Tryon found the boundary again, but Coyte then got the deliveries full and two singles were turned down only for Tryon to run off the penultimate ball leaving Tayla Vlaeminck needing four for a Super Over which proved beyond her. The Strikers’ total looked set to be much higher after an opening stand of 85 between Bates and Sophie Devine, who was dismissed for the first time in 207 deliveries, but they struggled for boundaries in the latter part of the innings. Bates’ 65 off 54 earned her the player of the match.Melbourne Renegades‘ finals hopes took a major blow after the Melbourne Stars claimed just their second win of the season thanks to 62 from Lizelle Lee in a superbly timed run chase in Ballarat. Following the early loss of skipper Elyse Villani, Lee and Mignon du Preez put on 90 to take control of the chase. The pair struck eight fours and four sixes, with du Preez making 41, but their demise in the 14th and 16th over respectively threatened to derail the chase. With 42 still needed from 27 balls, Erin Osborne (34 not out off 15) and Annabel Sutherland (16 off 16) guided the Stars home with four balls to spare. Earlier, former Stars batter Anna Lanning stood tall in her first WBBL game of the season for the Renegades. A late inclusion for the absent Sophie Molineux, Lanning made 73 from 49 balls with eight four and two sixes to help set up the Renegades total of 3 for 165. Jess Duffin made 35 not out from 17 balls in a late flourish after Tammy Beaumont fell for 39 with a couple of overs remaining.The Sydney Sixers fell to back-to-back defeats as the Perth Scorchers jumped ahead of them in the table with a crushing 52-run win to further shake up the battle for semi-final spots. Nat Sciver played a starring role with a half-century to lift the Scorchers to 5 for 152 then claimed the vital wicket of Alyssa Healy in the first over the Sixers’ chase. Without the injured Ellyse Perry at the top of the order the Sixers stumbled to 5 for 35 in the ninth over from where there was no way back. Heather Graham, who had contributed a useful 25 off 14 balls, nipped in with 2 for 17. The teams face each other again in a rematch on Sunday.November 22Amelia Kerr played a key all-round role in the Brisbane Heat’s victory•Getty Images

Defending champions the Brisbane Heat secured their semi-final spot with a seven-run victory over the Hobart Hurricanes. Grace Harris played the key innings with the bat as her 43 off 27 balls put the Heat’s innings back on course after they slipped to 4 for 58 in the 10th over. Amelia Kerr, who contributed an important 21 off 16, then struck vital blows with the ball to halt a promising start to the chase from the Hurricanes who had reached 0 for 52 in the powerplay. Kerr had Erin Fazackerley caught behind, with a juggle, first ball and then added Nicola Carey as Beth Mooney, who had a superb evening with the gloves, pulled off another excellent catch. Chloe Tryon threatened a late heist when she struck three boundaries in the penultimate over but Delissa Kimmince bowled with the third ball of the last as she comfortably defended 16.

After impressing in his first Test series, Prithvi Shaw presented a case to be considered for the shorter formats but not without some luck

Saurabh Somani in Bengaluru17-Oct-2018AFP

After heavy rain ended the contest early, it was Mumbai who marched into the Vijay Hazare Trophy final by recording their ninth consecutive win in the competition, but Hyderabad, who weren’t even sure of their participation until 12 hours prior to their first fixture, can walk away a proud side.Rohit Rayudu, the younger cousin of Ambati Rayudu, displayed admirable composure to make 122 not out. Struggling on 52 off 95 at one stage with the lower order for company, he ensured Hyderabad almost doubled their score in the last 15 overs to post a competitive 246 for 8. It wasn’t enough, though, with Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scoring half-centuries as Mumbai won by the VJD method. A drizzle that turned into a torrential downpour forced the players off the field with Mumbai 155 for 2 in 25 overs. They didn’t return.The spice in the contest was provided by two people who were part of India’s dressing room until four days ago.There are many who think Mohammed Siraj and Shaw ought to be in the mix for India in limited-overs cricket too, and not just Test cricket. Shaw, of course, announced his entry in Tests in grand style, with a Man-of-the-Series performance against West Indies on debut.Siraj was considered unlucky for not making his own debut against West Indies, with the team management ignoring his red-hot form and opting to give the cap to Shardul Thakur, who limped out of the attack with his Test career just 1.4 overs old.On Wednesday, both Shaw and Siraj showed why pitch-forking them to the top level in ODIs might be a good idea. Siraj finished with first-spell figures of 3-0-33-0, while Shaw hit a fifty off just 34 balls, but for anyone watching both were winners.Siraj was introduced in the fifth over, but the stage had been set in the third over itself. Shaw had just slogged Akash Bhandari’s legspin wide of long-on for a boundary when he pulled up clutching his right shoulder. Play was held up while the physio ran out to treat him, and Shaw resumed, but the shoulder was still troubling him.Siraj opted for a short-ball attack. It would perhaps have been his go-to tactic anyway, having seen that Shaw could be uncomfortable when the ball was climbing into his body, particularly against the West Indies quick Shannon Gabriel. With an injured right shoulder, it made sense to force Shaw to use his bottom hand more.Siraj had Shaw in some trouble in the first over, and the action peaked in his next. The first ball went to the long-on boundary, but off a toe-ended pull that just cleared mid-on. Siraj then got his bouncer on target, and Shaw got a top edge on a pull to fine-leg. M Ravi Kiran ran in, got both hands to the ball while tumbling forward, and saw it pop right out. Three balls later, there was a similar chance, but easier. Standing not as far back, Ravi Kiran reached another top-edged pull in time, but the ball popped in and out again.Siraj had handled the first drop reasonably calmly, but he was seething now, standing mid-pitch with hands on his hips and eyes that could bore a hole in the ground. Captain Ambati Rayudu gave vent to his feelings, staying mid-pitch after Siraj had walked off and glaring at the fielder.Ravi Kiran had to bowl the next over, and he had Rayudu and Siraj at mid-off and mid-on. Both put their anger aside to huddle with the bowler and offer words of encouragement, with Siraj patting him on the back. With shoulders almost visibly drooping, Ravi Kiran opted to play safe, bowling slower balls in the channel to get a quiet over in.Siraj came back for his third over. Perhaps expecting a shorter one, Shaw hung back to the second delivery. It thudded in full and it was ball hitting bat rather than the other way round. The bat flew out of Shaw’s hands, and he was clutching his shoulder again. If Siraj thought he had won, there was one final act left, and the over ended with three short balls going for 6, 6, 4. Siraj’s effort and fury should have got him Shaw’s wicket, now it worked against him, with Shaw ready to pounce, and the balls not rising quite as high either.The last shot took Shaw to his half-century, making it the fourth time in four innings in this tournament that he had passed the milestone.The scorecard will show that Shaw took 29 runs off the 14 balls he faced from Siraj. Scorecards don’t always capture the whole story – but perhaps the watching selectors might have.

Loughborough Lightning produced an upset in the Kia Super League when they defeated the previously unbeaten Surrey Stars by 81 runs at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2017Elyse Villani plundered 71 off 39 balls•Getty Images

Loughborough Lightning produced an upset in the Kia Super League when they defeated the previously unbeaten Surrey Stars by 81 runs at The Oval.On the same pitch that Surrey had been knocked out of the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast the previous evening, the Surrey women were roundly outplayed, although they still progress to Finals Day at Hove on Friday.Surrey, needing 172, made a poor start when Tammy Beaumont was lbw to Kirsten Beams in the third over. And they suffered another big blow when their big-hitting South African opener Lizelle Lee, who had hit a 44-ball 72 in the previous game against Western Storm, was caught on the deep square-leg boundary for just one.When Marizanne Kapp lost her off stump to Ellyse Perry, Surrey were really up against it at 24 for 3 in the sixth over.Natalie Sciver showed some fight when she hit Georgia Elwiss for three successive fours. But then she played on to Sarah Glenn for 24 off 18, and when Sophia Dunkley was bowled by Beth Langston and Laura Marsh was caught at deep square-leg – the three wickets falling in three overs – it really was all over for Surrey at 65 for 7 in the 14th.Lightning, who had lost three of their previous four games, had elected to bat first and lost their first wicket to the fourth ball of the innings when Sarah Glenn skied Laura March to Rene Farrell at midwicket.But fine attack innings by first Elyse Villani and then Perry lifted them to a formidable 171 for 3.Villani hit ten fours and three sixes in her 39-ball 71, and then fellow Australian Perry took over with four fours and four sixes in her unbeaten 68 off 53 deliveries.Villani was particularly destructive at the top of the innings, with a strike rate of 182.05. She launched her innings by hitting Laura Marsh for a six and two fours in four deliveries, but her third boundary came after she was dropped just inside the rope.She reached her fifty when she jumped down the wicket to straight drive Alex Hartley for six, and then drove and reverse swept the next two balls for fours.Perry hit Sciver for two fours and two sixes in the penultimate over, which went for 22 runs.

Liam Dawson, an England matchwinner last week, rallied to his county’s cause as Hampshire enjoyed a welcome day of prosperity as they again try to find a way to preserve their Division One place

Jon Culley at Edgbaston10-Jul-2016
ScorecardLiam Dawson ensured Hampshire had the foundations to control the match•Getty Images

Liam Dawson, an England matchwinner last week, rallied to his county’s cause as Hampshire enjoyed a welcome day of prosperity as they again try to find a way to preserve their Division One place. The skills required to influence an international T20 differ hugely from those demanded by four-day Championship cricket but confidence is a transferable factor whatever the discipline.The 26-year-old allrounder made his mark with the ball as England beat Sri Lanka, taking 3 for 27 on his senior international debut on his home Southampton ground. His impact on the first day here was with the bat, where his first century of the season helped Hampshire reach a strong position. Called up for England Lions in between, it has been a good few days for him.Hampshire desperately need a win. They escaped relegation by two points last season and went into this match at the bottom of the Division One table, 23 points from safety. Win here, though, and they might have a chance of beating the drop again. Nottinghamshire, whom they meet at Trent Bridge next month, have played two matches more. Moreover, it was by winning at Trent Bridge on the last day that Hampshire clinched survival.On a flat pitch on which he may have an important role to play with the ball as the match progresses, Dawson encountered few difficult moments until he was out, struck in front by Keith Barker not long after Warwickshire had taken the second new ball, playing across one that shaped back in. Having faced precisely 200 balls, he had hit 13 fours and one six, coming out best in a prolonged battle with Jeetan Patel, Warwickshire’s canny offspinner.”It’s a pretty flat pitch but you still have to get the runs and I’m happy to have helped put us in with a chance of making a big score,” Dawson said.”Playing for England in a T20 is very different from four-day cricket and although you gain confidence from playing well in any format I find red-ball cricket harder, to be honest. It is a test of concentration over long periods so it is very pleasing to come out with a hundred today.”Dawson shared partnerships of 81 with 20-year-old Tom Alsop for the third wicket and 155 with Adam Wheater for the fourth. Wheater closed unbeaten on 89 and after pulling Barker for a meaty six and might have completed a century of his own had the dismissal of Dawson not forced him to switch to conservation mode for the day’s closing overs.The left-hander Alsop, playing in only his ninth first-class match, completed an attractive fifty before failing in his attempt to attack Josh Poysden, Warwickshire’s rookie legspinner, the ball flying off the top edge to Patel at mid-off as he tried to hit over midwicket.The runs added by the three combined made up for a somewhat stodgy start by Hampshire, who had crawled to just 63 from almost 28 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Jimmy Adams, in particular, found it hard to make progress against Patel, who was bowling from as early as the sixth over and opened with four consecutive maidens.Adams had flicked a ball from Barker off his legs for four in the first over of the match but thereafter scored only two more runs from 76 deliveries. He then drew ironic applause from spectators by hitting consecutive boundaries off Patel, only to be out in the next over, driving straight to Ian Bell at midwicket.Like Hampshire, third-placed Warwickshire have gone in with two spinners in an unchanged side from the one that beat Surrey handsomely at Guildford last week, when Patel took five wickets in each innings.It was particularly unfortunate, then, that they should lose fast bowler Boyd Rankin after the Irishman was forced off the field with a back problem after bowling just one over, leaving Barker and Rikki Clarke as their only pace options. Warwickshire are hopeful that Rankin will be fit to bowl in the second innings.Hampshire have not many fast bowlers fit even to be considered for selection. Ryan McLaren has joined James Tomlinson, Reece Topley, Fidel Edwards, Chris Wood and Ryan Stevenson among six currently sidelined, while Tino Best has been left out to be kept fresh for the critical fixture against Surrey at the Ageas Bowl next week.

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford.

ECB/PA31-May-2015
ScorecardBen Raine claimed his career-best figures on a good day for Leicestershire•PA Photos

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford. Taking full advantage of overcast conditions and a greenish pitch, the right-arm paceman posed problems to all the Essex batsmen to fully justify skipper Mark Cosgrave’s decision to insert his rivals.Raine’s main weapon was swing and he could have reaped a bigger harvest so often did he beat the bat, sometimes with deliveries that lifted awkwardly. He embarked upon his destructive course by removing Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh in successive overs after the pair had shared in a second-wicket stand of 43 following the loss of Nick Browne, who was caught in the slip cordon in Clint McKay’s first over of the day.Westley was trapped lbw for 27 while Mickleburgh was bowled for 16 following resistance of just over an hour that spanned 40 deliveries. Raine later had Jesse Ryder well caught on the deep fine leg boundary by Ned Eckersley, the New Zealander making 38, the top-score of the home side’s innings. Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster were his other victims as Essex, who gave a first-class debut to 20 year-old slow left-arm bowler Aron Nijjar, were left still seeking their first batting point of the season at Chelmsford in their third match on the ground.Ravi Bopara’s hopes of making an impact were quickly ended by McKay when a loose shot presented wicketkeeper Lewis Hill with an easy catch with just four runs to his name.Apart from Westley and Ryder, Graham Napier was the only other batsman to top 20. He struck five boundaries in his 29 before he was caught at second slip to give Charlie Shreck his solitary success. That was a wicket that ended a partnership of 54 with Ryder, the pair joining forces with their side deep in trouble at 67 for 6. McKay finished with 2 for 42 while offspinner Jigar Naik claimed the final two wickets at a cost of nine runs in 8.3 overs.On a day when 27 overs were lost to rain and bad light, Leicestershire’s openers Matt Boyce and Angus Robson reached the close on 28 without loss from seven overs to complete a rewarding day in their quest to end a sequence of 37 Championship matches without a victory.”I haven’t had many five-fors in my life, to be honest, coming from a batting background,” Raine said. “So it’s nice to get my first one for Leicestershire and I can only hope that it’s the first of many. I’d roll that pitch up and take it with me everywhere I went if I could. This morning, the constant drizzle kept that bit of life in it although in the afternoon it got a bit better to bat on.”Essex head coach Paul Grayson said: “It was certainly a good toss to win and we would have bowled first had we had the opportunity. Credit to Raine – he used the conditions well.”