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Needing 22 off final over, Harmer hits three sixes, scrambled two levels scores on last ball

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2021A century from former England Test captain Alastair Cook helped secure Essex Eagles’ progress into the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup following an extraordinary tie with Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.Essex, who were eight wickets down, had required 22 off the last over to win before Simon Harmer stepped up and hit three successive straight sixes off Steven Croft with a scrambled two off the last ball leaving the scores level.The result meant the visitors finish second in Group 2 behind leaders Durham and will play a home eliminator against the third-placed team in Group 1. It was heartbreak for Lancashire, who had to win to qualify. They dropped to fourth, with their total of 250 for 6 always looking a shade under par.The hosts endured a stodgy start with Jack Plom and Ben Allison’s accuracy justifying Essex’s decision to field first. The opening pair had battled their way to 49 when Harmer struck in the 16th over to remove Luke Wells with a beautifully flighted turner for 26 which brought Croft to the middle.Together with Josh Bohannon, the veteran batsman took the game to the visitor’s bowlers before the opener scooped a full toss from Ryan ten Doeschate straight to Harmer at mid off for 34.When a frenetic Rob Jones was caught soon after for three thanks to a one-handed effort by Josh Rymell off ten Doeschate it looked like the innings could go either way until the incoming George Lavelle had other ideas.The 21-year-old quickly took a liking to Aron Niijar and at one stage deposited the unfortunate spinner into the balcony of the famous Emirates Old Trafford pavilion for a massive six as he and Croft built an entertaining century partnership for the fourth wicket.By the time Lavelle holed out to Paul Walter on the leg side boundary for 52, Lancashire had progressed to 203 and with Danny Lamb keen to keep up the momentum with a flurry of innovative shots the host’s were creeping towards respectability.Croft eventually fell seven short of his century hitting out in the penultimate over with Lamb dismissed three balls later as Lancashire closed on 250 for six.In reply Cook and Josh Rymell had eased their way to 44 off 8.3 overs when the 20-year-old edged Baily to Wells at slip, before Essex suffered a severe wobble with Morley trapped in front by Jack Morley for 19 and Feroze Khushi run out by Bohannon for 10 following a mix up with Cook.When Paul Walter was dismissed by a stunning one-handed catch at point from Taylor Cornall, Essex looked in trouble, but with Cook joined by ten Doeschate, the experienced pair were able to add 89 runs for the fifth wicket and take the Eagles to what looked a secure position at 212 for 5 with 33 balls left when the Dutch international was out for 45.But as scoreboard pressure increased, the Eagles plummeted as Cook (110) and Adam Wheater fell in successive deliveries to Croft’s off spin and Nijjar skied Wells to Liam Hurt off his first ball before Harmer’s heroics ensured a thrilling finish.

The Australia opener was full of praise for the displays of Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh and Pooja Vastrakar

Annesha Ghosh02-Oct-2021When Meghna Singh beat Alyssa Healy’s outside edge with her first ball in international cricket, during the first ODI in Mackay, India seemed to have discovered in her outswinger a key piece in their long-unresolved pace puzzle. With the newcomer’s skills complemented by Jhulan Goswami’s ever-evolving mastery of movement and Pooja Vastrakar’s new-found penetration, India’s pace resources had assumed an uncharacteristic measure of threat by the end of the ODI series.The series has moved to Carrara, and the white ball has given way to pink, but India’s new-look pace attack has continued to test Australia’s highly rated batting line-up in their own conditions. They haven’t had too much by the way of Test-match-specific or pink-ball-specific preparation going into this game, but it doesn’t seem to have deterred them in the least.Related

• Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey left out of India's World Cup squad

• Matthew Mott: India 'held all the aces' for the best part in the pink-ball Test

• India stand tall to take the honours in day-night draw

• Ramesh Powar wants to widen India Women's fast-bowling pool ahead of 2022 World Cup

• Jhulan Goswami and Pooja Vastrakar chip away but Ellyse Perry holds firm

“India, tonight with the seam, showed us what we couldn’t quite do with the new ball early in our innings,” Australia’s wicketkeeper-opener Alyssa Healy said after her team had ended day three four down and 85 runs away from saving the follow-on. “We won the toss and wanted to bowl, we wanted to make a real impact and couldn’t quite do that, I think with a little bit of inexperience around. But you’re right we did never really got a real crack at bowling under lights in that danger period that everybody talks about.”The highlight of the twilight phase, when India had the ball, was a two-spell new-ball burst by Goswami. In the seventh over of the hosts’ innings, the pace spearhead dislodged left-hand opener Beth Mooney’s leg stump with a searing inswinger. Then, returning to the attack in the 23rd over, Goswami resumed her battle against Healy, who was now on 29.The battle would last four more balls, and in those four balls Goswami would stamp her authority on the night.Her second ball jagged inwards, sneaking perilously between Healy’s bat and pad. Then came a bouncer that smacked Healy’s right shoulder as she snatched too early at a pull. Before she could muster a riposte, Goswami landed the perfect outswinger, and found a fatal outside edge.”Yeah, I did enjoy it. It was fun, but walking off isn’t that fun,” Healy said. “But I did enjoy the challenge of it. She’s got the better of me a few times in the series already.” Healy had lost her middle stump to Goswami in the second ODI. “It’s just a great sight for Test cricket. She’s obviously a world-class bowler; has been throughout her whole career and just that extra little bit of bounce that she gets being as tall as she is and unbelievably skillful with the seam, so it was a real challenge especially after spending 140 (145) overs in the field.”Beth Mooney was bowled by Jhulan Goswami•Getty Images

Goswami’s yin found its yang in Singh and Vatsrakar who bowled 27 overs between them in a partnership that made compelling viewing. The trio’s relentless, probing lines and occasional but highly effective use of the short ball frustrated Australia’s top order in what would be the first full post-dinner session in three days as rain stayed off the radar. While Singh remained wicketless, Vastrakar picked up two, including that of captain Meg Lanning, albeit via an erroneous lbw call.”I think they bowled beautifully under lights today,” Healy said. “They’ve got a really great seam attack and they presented that seam and let the ball do the work for them. So, yeah, it would have been nice to see our attack do the same thing. But let’s hope we see more and more women’s pink-ball Test matches. Realistically, they should be really exciting.”While Healy and her team-mates have faced Goswami on a number of occasions over the years, they haven’t seen as much of the disciplined Singh or Vastrakar in her new role as a pace-bowling lower-order hitter.”Their consistency has probably surprised me more than it has in the past,” Healy said. “Just the way that they’ve been able to consistently come out and bowl a really good line and length and present the seam accordingly has been really impressive and they’ve showed our relatively young and inexperienced attack just how to do it. That’s probably been the one surprise.”That India could afford to bench the second-most-experienced quick in their ranks, Healy said, was an indication of the seam-bowling depth in Indian women’s cricket.”It’s great to see so many young Indian players out here getting opportunities,” Healy said. “I mean, coming into game one we thought for sure Shikha Pandey was going to play and she’s someone that we’ve played against a lot and we’ve prepared accordingly for her and she hasn’t even got a look-in, which is a great sign for Indian cricket that they’ve got some depth there.”

Team also fined 20% of match fee for the offence

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2022India have been docked a point on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table for falling short of their required over rate during the Centurion Test against South Africa. They were deemed to be one over short of their target, after allowing for unavoidable delays. As per ICC rules, teams lose one point for each over they are short.The players were also fined 20% of their match fee. The sanctions were imposed by match referee Andy Pycroft. The umpires for the Test, Marais Erasmus, Adrian Holdstock, Allahudien Paleker and Bongani Jele, had levelled the charge and India captain Virat Kohli accepted the offence and sanction, so there was no formal hearing.India had also lost two WTC points in August 2021 for maintaining a slow over rate in the Nottingham Test. Losing points over over-rate offences could prove costly in the run to the WTC final, which will be in 2023.Australia had a taste of this in the inaugural WTC cycle, which ran from 2019-21 – they were docked four points for a slow over rate during the 2020 Melbourne Test against India, and eventually just missed out on making the final, with India and eventual champions New Zealand going through.The WTC finalists are decided by percentage of points won, and based on that criteria Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan currently sit above India on the 2021-23 table.The change in the points system from actual points won to the percentage of points won was forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused various series to be postponed or cancelled, meaning participating teams would not all play an equal number of matches during the WTC cycle.

Former Zimbabwe captain says cocaine involved in trap laid by alleged corruptors

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2022Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has revealed that the ICC is about to “impose a multi-year ban” on his international career after he allegedly delayed reporting a corrupt approach “by an Indian businessman”. Taylor had met with the businessman in October 2019 after being asked “to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe”.Taylor delayed reporting that meeting in India because, he said, he wanted to protect his family. He describes substance abuse having taken place during that meeting in a statement on Twitter, which he says led to him being allegedly blackmailed. “We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait.” The men he had met, Taylor said, stormed into his hotel room the next day, and threatened to release video of the substance abuse unless he carried out spot-fixing for them. He was given USD 15,000 – which he said he took to flee India – and told it was a deposit for a future payment once the fix was carried out.Related

• How Brendan Taylor got into a fix

• Brendan Taylor banned for three and a half years for failing to report approach without delay

• Brendon Taylor says he failed drug test after his final international game in September 2021

• Taylor's statement: 'Walked into a situation that changed my life'

• Heath Streak handed eight-year ban for corruption

“It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC,” Taylor said. “I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.”Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of the essence when making reports.”Taylor also said he had “never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat. My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way.”The ICC has yet to comment on Taylor’s statement, and if he does – as he said – face a ban on his international cricket career, it’s worth noting he does not have much of one at the moment: in September last year he retired from international cricket, after a 17-year career.Taylor’s statement does reveal, however, some of the difficulties in playing for Zimbabwe, which led to him eventually being prescribed a strong anti-psychotic medication. He said that at the time of the incident he hadn’t been paid by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) for six months “and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena”.Another former Zimbabwe captain, Heath Streak, was banned by the ICC for breaches of the anti-corruption code in April 2021. Streak was coach of the side during the World Cup qualifiers in Harare in 2018 and revealed in a recent interview with that the coaching team had agreed to forfeit pay during that period, hoping that if Zimbabwe qualified, the ICC prize money for doing so would enable payments to be made eventually. Zimbabwe did not qualify for the 2019 World Cup.Taylor revealed that he will be “checking into a rehabilitation centre” from January 25th in order to deal with the substance abuse.”I will admit that the past two years have been incredibly challenging, both personally and professionally and it is from absolute rock bottom that I am trying to climb out of this mess I made. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive of me and it is clear to me now that I have a much bigger problem which for some time has needed addressing.”And so, I would also like to let you know that on Tuesday the 25th of January I am checking into a rehabilitation centre to get clean and to get my life back on track. I have to tell my story now because I know people will want to hear from me. To try and understand what led to this point. But for many weeks I will be away and trying to get better.”l owe it to myself and to my family to get clean and to put them first. I have let a substance take control of me and impair my vision, my morals and my values and it is time that I prioritise what really matters.”Taylor captained Zimbabwe in 71 games between 2011 and 2021 across the three formats. He was full-time captain between mid-2011 and mid 2014, before Zimbabwe went the split captaincy route and Taylor remained in charge only in Test cricket. Then, at the end of the 2015 World Cup, he retired from internationals and went to the UK on a Kolpak deal aged 29. In late 2017, he ended his Kolpak deal and returned to Zimbabwean cricket.

Irshad’s 3 for 29 crucial in Zalmi’s defense of 206

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2022Peshawar Zalmi 206 for 8 (Haris 70, Malik 38, Ashraf 3-33) beat Islamabad United 196 for 7 (Azam 85, Gurbaz 46, Irshad 3-29) by 11 runsAzam Khan and Islamabad United put on a mighty fight in trying to chase down 207, but Peshawar Zalmi’s bowlers held on to seal their third win in a row. Mohammad Haris’ blazing 32-ball 70 had led Zalmi to a total of 206, but while Azam batted, it was game on. Azam hammered 85 runs in 45 balls, but his wicket in the penultimate over of the chase ended Islamabad’s hopes. Salman Irshad impressed with 3 for 29, and together with Wahab Riaz, he closed the game out for an 11-run win.Haris started the game quick off the blocks, leading the way in Zalmi racing away to 73 runs inside six overs. His innings of five sixes and seven fours at a strike-rate of 218.75, however, was over before the tenth over when he failed to successfully play the reverse sweep to Waqas Maqsood. Yasir Khan (35 in 24 balls) and Shoaib Malik (38 in 23 balls) kept the innings moving through the middle overs, but three Faheem Ashraf wickets in the slog overs pegged Zalmi back. Zalmi could add only 41 in the last five overs, finishing with 206 for 8, the ninth 200+ total in PSL 2022.Islamabad’s chase was kickstarted by Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 19-ball 46. He hit five sixes and three fours, but a slower ball from Irshad had him caught in the fourth over. Four balls later, Riaz dismissed Danish Aziz for a duck, and in the ninth over, Mubasir Khan was also out for a 19-ball 21.However, Azam, the No. 4 kept muscling from the other end, keeping Islamabad in the hunt. He smacked three sixes in an Usman Qadir over and then cleared the ropes off Ben Cutting and Wahab too to keep the required run-rate at around 11. What he needed were contributions from the other end but Liam Dawson and stand-in captain Asif Ali could not deliver much.With 30 needed off the last three overs, Irshad was bought back for a final over, and he kept Azam off strike with Faheem Ashraf at the batter’s end with his slower balls. That five-run over, including Ashraf’s wicket off the last ball, gave the advantage back to Zalmi, and Azam’s toe-ended heave off the 19th bowled by Riaz for 85 ended Islamabad’s hopes. The tailenders swung but mostly missed, and Zalmi moved to third on the points table after Cutting finished proceedings.

“After that I got clear ideas, those things really helped me in the last two-three games,” says India’s vice-captain, who struck a century in the warm-ups

Sruthi Ravindranath02-Mar-20221:38

Harmanpreet: ‘More comfortable batting at No. 4 than No. 5’

India vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur has admitted she was “going into my shell” when she was struggling with form, and that speaking to Dr Mugdha Bavare, the mental-health conditioning coach who is traveling with the team, helped her get “clear ideas” ahead of the World Cup. Harmanpreet echoed her captain Mithali Raj’s words, stressing on the importance of having a mental-health professional around, especially before big tournaments.The senior batter had been enduring a rough patch in ODIs in the last few years, making 444 runs in 21 matches since 2019, averaging 31.71 with just two fifties. During the recent series against hosts New Zealand leading up to the World Cup, she made scores of 10, 10 and 13 before scoring a 66-ball 63 in India’s only win in the series in the fifth ODI. She followed it up with a 104 off 114 in the warm-up match against South Africa and did not take part in the next warm-up against West Indies with sore wrists.Related

• Harmanpreet Kaur wants regular sports psychologist to address 'mental fatigue'

• Rana and Vastrakar provide timely answer for India's search for allrounders

• Harmanpreet provides timely reminder of her ability

• Edulji: Harmanpreet 'can't survive' on the basis of her 171*'

• Mithali Raj welcomes having sports psychologist on board

“Mugdha ma’am is traveling with us, she has been helping us a lot,” Harmanpreet said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Especially during the last four games which we played against New Zealand when even my performance wasn’t going too well and I was going into my shell. The World Cup was coming up and it is very important, as we all know. After that, she spoke to me and as the talks were happening I realised that I was also looking forward to talking to her. I got the solutions from the talks we had.”There wasn’t a lot of awareness about it before and there was a lot of pressure to put up performances, things were happening around. After that I got clear ideas, those things really helped me in the last two-three games. I think the rest of the players are also getting help because I can see she’s continuously talking to all the players, which is important and that will really help us.”

Harmanpreet to bat at No. 5 in the World Cup

Harmanpreet Kaur will bat at No. 5 in the upcoming World Cup despite expressing she preferred the No. 4 spot, a position which captain Mithali Raj now occupies. Harmanpreet has better ODI numbers at No. 4, where she batted until recently; she averages 40.45 there for her 1618 runs in 48 innings with a strike rate of 70.22, whereas at No. 5 she averages 26.84 in 38 innings while striking at 66.12. Even her recent half-century against New Zealand came in at No. 4.

“I’m more comfortable at No. 4 than No. 5, but we need to play according to the team’s demands,” she said. “We did discuss on that but as of now I’m going to play at No. 5 only, maybe in the future we can [make changes] according to the match situation but right now I don’t think I’ll be playing at No. 4, No. 5 will be my number.”

Harmanpreet has been copping criticism for not making a mark with big scores since her scintillating 171* against Australia in the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup, most recently from former India captain Diana Edulji who had said that Harmanpreet can’t survive in the Indian team just on that knock. Since that iconic innings, she has averaged just 28.75 with the bat. While she is well aware of the criticism coming her way, Harmanpreet feels it’s because she has set the standard of being a big-knock player and that her smaller match-winning efforts aren’t being highlighted as a result.”I know people talk more about my 171 knock,” she said. “I think I set myself a standard with that knock, I know I can play that kind of cricket. Maybe that’s why my smaller crucial knocks of 30, 40, 50 – for whichever team [I play] are not getting enough importance. I don’t think I judge myself with numbers. For me, what is important is, irrespective of how much ever I score it should be enough for my team, irrespective of whether it is 100 runs or 10 runs. Numbers don’t matter to me, what matters is whenever the team needs me I should be there.”She also expressed her disappointment in not being able to find form in the last few years, calling it “painful” to not being able to make runs despite trying her best.”What’s painful is when I don’t make runs. As a cricketer, you are always looking for runs. Nothing is more painful than getting on the field and you’re trying to give your 200% and unfortunately you’re not able to deliver at that level, as you are expecting from yourself, forget about people who have hopes on me. I think more painful is not getting runs more than other things.”It’s not about a big player or small player feeling – it’s the same for every player. I think when these things happened, Mugdha played a very big role when I was not getting runs. She came to me, she spoke to me about what’s happening and how I can find a way out and my family was supporting me, they were continuously talking to me. Those things helped me a lot.”

Leicestershire duo share unbroken century stand for third wicket after Bedingham’s 191 helps hosts to 428

ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2022Leicestershire dug in on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash against Durham at the Riverside after the home team posted 428 in their first innings.David Bedingham’s brilliant knock of 191 was the foundation of a strong first-innings total from the North-East outfit, while Ben Raine added a useful 51 not out. The visitors had work to do in response, and although it was slow going, half-centuries from Hassan Azad and Colin Ackermann defied the Durham bowlers with a stout defence in an unbroken partnership of 107 for the third wicket.However, Leicestershire still trail the home side by 269 runs with eight wickets remaining in their first innings heading into day three.Resuming on 356 for 6, there was an air of ante-climax as Bedingham was only able to add seven runs to his overnight total, falling frustratingly short of a double-century. A delivery from Beuran Hendricks stuck in the wicket, prompting a loose straight drive that the left-arm bowler claimed with ease. Raine and Matthew Potts attempted to guide Durham towards maximum batting points, but Ackermann delivered four straight dot balls in the 110th over to deny Raine the two runs the hosts required.Durham continued their innings towards the lunch break with Raine and Potts combining for a stand of 61 for the eighth wicket, which was only undone by a sharp Will Davis delivery that kept low to remove Potts for 23. Raine ground his way to his 13th first-class fifty to further frustrate his former club, but was left stranded as Oliver Gibson and Chris Rushworth were the final two wickets to fall in the Durham innings albeit with a competitive total of 428.Leicestershire openers Azad and Sam Evans blunted the home side’s new-ball attack as Rushworth, Potts and Raine were held in check. Azad, following his century against Worcestershire in the first week of the campaign, was measured in his approach and nullified the opening burst without issue.The home side were forced to be patient for the breakthrough, which eventually came through Raine as he got seam movement off the pitch to find Evans’ outside edge, allowing Scott Borthwick to claim a routine catch at second slip. Rushworth prised out George Rhodes as Borthwick collected his second catch of the day, but Ackermann would prove a huge obstacle for Durham’s bowlers in the evening session as the Riverside pitch flattened out.The Leicestershire captain combined with Azad to thwart the hosts with a fifty partnership, displaying great control and poise at the crease. A rare mistake by Ackermann on 34 was not punished behind the stumps by Ned Eckersley, who put down a catch on the leg-side off Potts.Azad was rewarded for his resilience with a half-century, nurdling a Liam Trevaskis delivery into the leg-side to reach the milestone from 161 balls. Ackermann followed his team-mate past fifty to bounce back from a disappointing return against Worcestershire and leave his side well in the contest at the close after reaching the century stand for the third wicket.

If Yash Dayal is fit, Titans may have a difficult choice to make between him and Pradeep Sangwan

Hemant Brar02-May-20222:50

Should Punjab Kings open with Bairstow for a change?

Big picture

The last time Gujarat Titans faced Punjab Kings, Rahul Tewatia hit back-to-back sixes with 12 needed off two balls to pull off a miraculous victory. Since then, such wins have become Titans’ signature.If Tewatia won’t, David Miller will. If Miller won’t, Rashid Khan will. If Rashid won’t, someone else surely will. “The way they are batting, it gives me the confidence that even our No. 8, 9 and 10 can win us the game,” their captain Hardik Pandya said after their latest heist against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

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You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

While these come-from-behind wins say a lot about the team’s self-belief and never-say-die attitude, they also whisper that all may not be rosy if matches so often come down to the last over.A look beyond the points table tells us that Shubman Gill has managed only 80 runs in Titans’ last six games, at a strike rate of 98.76. That they are yet to figure out who their best No. 3 batter is. That with uncertainty around Pandya’s bowling fitness, they have been forced to play an extra bowler and compromise their batting.The upside of being at the top of the table with eight wins from nine games is that they’ll have a foot in the playoffs if they pick up two more points. That they have enough games in hand to fine-tune their XI. That the mood in the camp is positive and the players are all optimistic.Related

• Fantasy Pick: Lead with Hardik Pandya and Kagiso Rabada

Kings, on the other hand, are languishing at seventh on the points table. They could very well be eighth by the time they take the field on Tuesday. With only four wins from nine games, their high-risk approach hasn’t fetched them high rewards. Perhaps that’s the reason they seem to be moving towards a more balanced mode of operation.But have they figured out their best XI? If so, is it strong enough to take them into the playoffs, which at the moment looks like an uphill task? Unlike Titans, they don’t have much time left to find out the answers.

In the news

After hurting his hamstring against Rajasthan Royals, Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl in the next three games. When asked about the reason at a press conference, he gave a cryptic reply: “I haven’t been bowling because I don’t have to. Whenever it comes, it comes.”Yash Dayal missed Titans’ last game with a niggle. In his absence, Pradeep Sangwan, playing his first IPL match in four years, picked up 2 for 19, but if Dayal is fit, Sangwan may have to sit out again.Kagiso Rabada’s record against Shubman Gill and David Miller could make him a key operator for Kings•BCCI

Likely XIs

Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Yash Dayal/Pradeep Sangwan.Punjab Kings: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Mayank Agarwal (capt), 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Sandeep Sharma.

Strategy punt

• Rashid doesn’t usually bowl in the powerplay but Titans could use him against Shikhar Dhawan. Rashid has dismissed the opener four times in 44 balls while conceding only 41 runs. Mayank Agarwal, Kings’ other opener, has scored only 23 runs off as many balls against Rashid with one dismissal.
• Miller has played a key role for Titans in the middle order, scoring 276 runs at an average of 69 and a strike rate of 150.81. But Kagiso Rabada can keep him quiet. In 30 balls he has bowled to Miller, Rabada has conceded only 32 runs while dismissing him once.
• A slightly left-field choice, but with Jonny Bairstow struggling – he has scored only 79 runs off 70 balls in six innings – Kings could replace him with Odean Smith. Apart from offering Agarwal an extra bowling option, Smith could play the role Rashid is playing with the bat for Titans.

Stats that matter

• Rabada has dismissed Gill twice in 32 balls while giving away only 20 runs.
• Dhawan has taken Mohammed Shami for 108 runs off 69 balls without getting out.
• Liam Livingstone has scored 86 runs off 52 balls against Rashid but has also been out four times.
• Miller and Tewatia have added 236 runs in six innings this season at an average of 59 and a run rate of 10.48. Where both partners are non-openers, their tally is second only to Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s 276 in seven innings.

The 38-year-old’s successor will be appointed before the team’s next series in July against Namibia and Nepal

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2022Kyle Coetzer’s storied time as Scotland captain came to an end on Friday, when the 38-year-old announced that he would be stepping down after his team’s World Cup Super League Division Two game against UAE.Coetzer was in charge of Scotland in 110 of his 214 appearances. He made their first ever-century in the ODI World Cup – 156 against Bangladesh in 2015 – and in 2021, he led them past qualifying and into the main round of the T20 World Cup. The ICC recognised the extensive work he had done on and off the field for Scotland, when they named him the men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade in 2020. Coetzer also received an MBE for services to cricket in the same year.”It’s been an absolute pleasure to lead this group through various stages in our growth and development and captain my country and I will look back on the time with such fondness,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of where we have got to and I’m even more excited with where this team can go to under its next leader.”It’s been fantastic to see how the players are managing themselves on the field recently and to effectively have more than one leader out there has been a really positive and encouraging sign for me. It was this that made me feel it was the right time to share my decision and step down.”A Cricket Scotland press release said Coetzer’s successor will be appointed before the team’s next series in July, against Namibia and Nepal. The coaches, led by Shane Burger, will decide on who takes up the role in consultation with senior players and the board’s interim Head of Performance, Toby Bailey.”I’m so grateful to have been able to impact this group of players and help Scotland through this phase of cricket that I’ve been involved in,” Coetzer added. “I’ve certainly given it my all and I hope the players and fans also feel it’s been a positive experience. Although part of me is sad to be stepping down, I’m happy with where the team currently sits and I’m full of anticipation about what’s to come next for us all.”My biggest driving force over years has been to help the team have everything they need and lead them in every way I can. Moving forward I have no desire to stop playing and will be giving everything I have to my fellow players and the next captain – going out and scoring as many runs as I possibly can for Scotland remains the focus.”

Bryony Smith claims four wickets in fightback but defending champions pay for collapse

ECB Reporters Network11-Jun-2022Central Sparks 105 for 8 (Moore 34, Potts 3-20) beat South East Stars 104 for 8 (Smith 4-14, Wong 2-8) by two wicketsA devastating opening bowling spell from Issy Wong and Grace Potts blew away the South East Stars top-order in the powerplay to put Central Sparks in command in a thrilling Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final at Northampton.But when Stars skipper Bryony Smith claimed four Sparks wickets in the run chase, precipitating a middle-order collapse, an upset was firmly on the cards. Chasing just 105 to win, Sparks lost three wickets in nine balls and stumbled further to 98 for eight before Emily Arlott smashed a single down the ground to take them over the line in the final over. The victory books Sparks a place in this afternoon’s final against Southern Vipers.Potts, who claimed four wickets in her side’s win over Stars earlier this season, again proved her opponents’ nemesis with three wickets for 20 while Wong, bowling a probing line and length, had figures of 2 for 2 in her first three overs. It left Stars reeling at 25 for five at the end of the powerplay.Wong struck first with the third ball of the match, knocking back Smith’s stumps as she attempted a big shot. It brought England batter Sophia Dunkley to the crease who offered Sarah Glenn an easy catch at mid-on.Aylish Cranstone has been Stars’ leading run-scorer this season, striking a half-century in the last encounter between these two sides, but there was no repeat performance as she skied a ball from Wong and was well caught by Potts behind square.Alice Capsey showed few nerves caressing her first ball through the covers but fell soon afterwards when she was bowled by Potts, the fourth Stars wicket in as many overs. Potts then had Phoebe Franklin caught behind by Amy Jones off an attempted cut in the final over of the powerplay.Kalea Moore and Alice Davidson-Richards led a fightback for the Stars putting on 60 in 57 balls. Davidson-Richards clubbed Glenn straight back down the pitch for four and swept Hannah Baker for four before cutting her for four more to bring up the Stars’ 50 in the eleventh over. Dropped in the deep on 14, Moore soon got into her stride though, sweeping the spinners through the gaps and hitting Emily Arlott straight down the ground for six.Sarah Glenn though started to find her groove, ending Davidson-Richards’s resistance when she bowled her for 29. Moore’s innings ended in the penultimate over when she hit an Arlott delivery straight to cover for 34 (42 balls). Kira Chathli was run out before Stars staggered into three figures.Sparks were determined to make short work of the chase. Wong cut a wide ball from Freya Davies in front of square for four and hit the England seamer for six. Skipper Eve Jones tucked into Emma Jones and dispatched her for four boundaries to take Stars to 23 without loss after two overs.Stars made a shrewd tactical move, turning to Moore to stem the flow of boundaries with the bowler’s off-spin accounting for Wong, bowled for 11.England keeper Amy Jones found the sweep shot profitable and brought up the Sparks 50 at the end of the powerplay. She fell in the next over for 17 though, hitting Smith straight to Franklin at midwicket who took a good low catch.Eve Jones (29) also fell to a catch at midwicket in the next over off the bowling of Dani Gregory. When Ami Campbell (1) came down the pitch and was bowled by Smith, Sparks were stuttering at 60 for four. Smith then trapped Gwen Davies lbw and bowled Davina Perrin. With pressure mounting, Moore bowled Abi Freeborn to leave Sparks on 83 for seven in the fourteenth over, still needing 25 to win.Arlott and Glenn inched Sparks towards their target before Davidson-Richards picked up the latter’s wicket to leave them on 98 for eight.Needing seven off the last two overs Arlott struck a boundary off Moore down the ground before taking a single off the last over to seal the win.