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Australia are able to get the best of both worlds when it comes to Bazball – they can praise it, and they know the scoreline is in their favour

Andrew McGlashan26-Jun-2023After one match of the men’s Ashes 2023, Australia are able to get the best of both worlds when it comes to Bazball. They can praise its ambitions, while England do much of the combative talking, knowing the scoreline reads 1-0 in Australia’s favour heading to Lord’s and promising there is much better to come from them than was shown at Edgbaston.Such were the fine margins in the opening Test that any number of little moments could be looked back on as proving the difference, the last of them Ben Stokes’ very tough missed chance with 37 runs still needed. In the end, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon carried them to a famous victory, but the batting in particular has room for improvement with the outstanding exception of Usman Khawaja and an honourable mention to Alex Carey – the only two Australians to pass fifty in the Test.Related

• Cummins and Australia will stay true to their approach

• Ponting: If Robinson hasn't learned already … then he's a slow learner

• Joe Root warns England fans: 'Strap in' for Ashes round two at Lord's

• Smith felt like he'd had 'a dozen beers' after being hit by Archer's bouncer

• The permanence of Nathan Lyon: a special century beckons at Lord's

Heading the list of where there is an expectation of much greater returns is from Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith who made just 35 runs between them at Edgbaston. There is also a strong possibility that Mitchell Starc will replace Scott Boland, who went at nearly six-an-over.”I really enjoy the way they [England] play, I’m not going to lie,” Labuschagne said. “As a cricket watcher watching the series prior, I’ve loved it. I think it’s exciting, it’s entertaining, it’s good to watch, but at the end of the day, we played pretty under par to what I think the standard of our team is at.”The thought was how are they going to do it against our bowlers and they showed they can do it, but with a wicket that might have a little bit more in it [at Lord’s], what’s it going to look like? We walked away from the first Test 1-0 up and that’s a positive sign for us because I don’t think we played at our best.”Marnus Labuschagne praised Joe Root, but also said he kept Australia in the game•Getty Images

England, unsurprisingly, have promised to attack even more, with Stuart Broad the latest to proclaim the “go harder” approach to follow Ollie Robinson’s claims that Australia were “unwilling to go toe-to-toe” and Zak Crawley’s view that England will win at Lord’s by 150 runs.The home side certainly set the tone at Edgbaston, scoring at more than five-an-over on the opening day before Stokes’ surprise declaration, but it was the extraordinary start to the fourth day, with Joe Root failing to connect to a first-ball reverse scoop and then sending Boland for a six a short while later, that was the most outlandish period of play.However, Labuschagne viewed Root’s approach as keeping Australia in the game and he duly ran past one from Lyon for 46, to follow an unbeaten 118 on the opening day, as none of England’s batters reach fifty in the second innings.”The way he’s batting I think is exquisite…I’m just talking about when he’s batting normally, I think he’s playing really well,” Labuschagne said. “I think from my perspective, him playing that method and those [reverse] shots are keeping us in the game.”I use that second innings as an example. He probably had an opportunity to shut us out and take the game away from us completely. But the method and the way he was playing kept us in the game. He played an unbelievable innings, but he ended up getting 40 [46] and if turns that into 80-plus we’re chasing 300 and that’s going to be a pretty big effort.”So I think that’s the benefit for us the way they’re playing. They’re playing aggressive cricket and he’s doing it with a different method, which is great, but it brings in other opportunities for us. Hopefully, at some point in the series, that will keep paying off.”

The three players will link up with the senior squad in Zimbabwe on June 23

Madushka Balasuriya20-Jun-2023Dilshan Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige are set to link up with the senior squad on June 23, after Sri Lanka Cricket announced that the trio would be flown in to Zimbabwe for the World Cup Qualifiers as “standby options”.The inclusion of Madushanka, a left-armer able to swing the ball at pace, follows impressive recent outings against South Africa A, where he picked up nine wickets across three 50-over games and then another four in a four-day encounter, and comes on the back of him becoming the most expensive signing at $92,000 at the inaugural LPL auction. It also makes sense considering the fragility of Sri Lanka’s seamers. Lahiru Kumara has a recent history of breaking down mid-game, while Dushmantha Chameera’s work load is being carefully managed. This leaves just Kasun Rajitha and the raw Matheesha Pathirana as reliable seam-bowling options.In Wellalage, meanwhile, Sri Lanka cover several bases, with the Under-19 captain a capable left-arm spinner – an option currently missing in the squad – while also offering an extra batting option lower down the order. He is also one of the better fielders in the Lankan setup.As for Arachchige, he was another that sparked a bidding war at the LPL auction, eventually being sold for $28,000. It was an impressive fee for a player that has yet to make his debut for the national side, but the aggressive 27-year-old is highly rated, has recent performances in the bank – three fifties in his last five one-dayers, including two against South Africa A – and looks on the cusp of making the step-up to the international stage.Sri Lanka won their opening game in the World Cup Qualifier against UAE by 175 runs. They next play Oman on June 23 in Bulawayo.

Australia captain Healy says victory feels a ‘bit dirty’ after slumping to T20I and ODI series defeats

Andrew Miller18-Jul-2023Heather Knight, England’s captain, hailed her team’s success in taking two white-ball trophies off the double World Champions, Australia, even though the overall Women’s Ashes trophy slipped through their grasp on account of their loss in the one-off Test match at the start of the series – an upshot that her team-mate Kate Cross admitted “didn’t quite feel like it’s fair”.England’s 89-run defeat in the Trent Bridge Test cost them four points right at the start of the multi-format competition, and meant that they came into the white-ball leg of the Ashes needing to win five out of the six matches to recapture the Ashes for the first time since 2015.That prospect looked pretty forlorn when they were pipped by four wickets off the penultimate ball of the opening T20I at Edgbaston, and yet England battled back to claim each of the next two T20Is to inflict Australia’s first bilateral series defeat since 2016-17. When England then squared the points at six-apiece in the opening ODI at Bristol, thanks to a record-breaking run-chase marshalled by Knight’s unbeaten 75, hope sprung eternal, but Australia found just enough resolve to put the Ashes out of reach at the Ageas Bowl with a three-run win, despite a heroic unbeaten century from Nat Sciver-Brunt.Related

• Onus on Australia to take Women's Ashes to the next level

• Alyssa Healy: Drawn Ashes a 'reset moment' for Australia

• Death, taxes and Kate Cross nailing the scoop

• The nerveless, box-office cricketer that is Nat Sciver-Brunt

• Nat Sciver-Brunt: 'England have exceeded the public's expectations'

Nevertheless, after a bus journey to Taunton and a night to reflect on their missed opportunity, England emerged with renewed resolve to close out the campaign on a high, and did just that by inflicting a 69-run loss in the final ODI – Australia’s heaviest defeat by runs since their tour of New Zealand in 2008.”I am hugely pleased, it was a draw [in the points competition] and we’ve got two trophies against the world champions and that is hugely special,” Knight said at the post-match presentations.”The way the group has turned it round after the Ageas Bowl, it was a pretty quiet bus journey on the way here because there was a lot of emotion and disappointment that the Ashes had slipped away, but credit to the group and staff. We really turned up today. We wanted to entertain and inspire the crowd, we owed that to everyone. I’m very impressed with how the girls did that.”The fact we’d gone so close in the Test and first T20I built more belief. It was just about staying level but accepting that we couldn’t do a lot about it because we were very close. We knew we had the players to compete with this very good side. The staff deserve a huge amount of credit for keeping us believing. The turnaround has been hugely impressive and I think there are a lot of leaders in the group and credit to them.”Kate Cross bowled Alyssa Healy with a nip-backer•PA Photos/Getty Images

Asked whether the points system would require a change of weighting, given that England won two series to Australia’s one, Knight acknowledged that England themselves had been beneficiaries of that anomaly in the past, when their victory in the Perth Test in 2013-14 (then worth six points) proved sufficient to retain the trophy that they had won the previous summer, despite Australia on that occasion being the side to pull off a sweep of the white-ball legs.”I’m sure the boffins will have a little fiddle around with it,” she said. “But obviously it is a little bit harder to win when you’re going in having not retained it before. Whether there could be an odd number of points for something to make it not end in a draw, I’m not too sure.”England’s hero on that tour was none other than Cross, whose match haul of 6 for 70 was instrumental in closing out England’s victory in the Perth Test. And a decade later, she was once again in the thick of the action in this campaign, with a crucial match-winning cameo in the first ODI, followed by match-winning figures of 3 for 48 at Taunton.”I think the T20 series win was the start of it,” Cross said. “We couldn’t regain the Ashes after the last game, but we knew there was still a series on the line. It was our goal to come here today and win, take the series 2-1 so I’m really proud of the girls.”England had to hold their nerve during an untimely rain break during Australia’s chase, which resulted in a revised target of 269 in 44 overs. “There was a moment where it could have gone either way and we stuck at it so I think we won it in that little moment just after the rain break,” she added.”I think the fact that we’re at eight-all at the end of it, it doesn’t really quite feel like it’s fair that it’s going back to Australia. We’ve played some really good cricket, we’ve gone toe-to-toe with the best team in the world for five weeks now. So yeah, there’s a lot of really happy faces over there and I think it’s really deserved.”Sciver-Brunt, who was named Player of the Series after her twin hundreds at the Ageas Bowl and Taunton, added: “It feels like a moral victory. From the position we were in, we felt we were going to do it. The last game was as close as it’s been. We’re happy we got the draw.”Alyssa Healy, Australia’s captain, acknowledged that their retention of the Ashes would be accompanied by mixed emotions.”Yeah, we can tuck that little one away in the changing-room and know that we got that done, but it’s a little bit bittersweet,” she said. “It feels a bit dirty in a way, but we got the result we were after. I think the gap’s not necessarily been there as much as everyone has spoke about.”

93 not out seals win over Hampshire to keep Leicestershire top of group

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2023Colin Ackermann ended a frantic weekend on the UK’s motorways by guiding Leicestershire Foxes to a four-wicket victory over Hampshire, extending their lead at the top of Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A.Allrounder Ackermann was called up by Hundred side Southern Brave while travelling to the Ageas Bowl from Leicester on Saturday morning, which meant a detour to Cardiff – where he wasn’t selected to play.He took an Uber to Southampton on Saturday night before driving the Foxes over the finish line with a mature unbeaten 93, which combined with half-centuries from Sol Budinger and Lewis Hill to chase down 296.The talented Josh Hull starred with the ball to claim 4 for 57, after Fletcha Middleton’s 78 and Tom Prest’s 65 had set Hampshire up only to collapse.Leicestershire move clear of Hampshire in second and Kent in third with their fourth victory in five fixtures, while condemning Hampshire to their first defeat of the tournament.Hampshire were stuck in and openers Middleton and Nick Gubbins eased through the gears against tight bowling to put on 89 for the first wicket.After Gubbins had played Hull on, Middleton continued to plug away and added a couple of lofted on drives into his repertoire as he reached his second fifty of the competition in 51 balls.He and Prest added 69 together before wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb ended his stay with a fine diving catch, with the Australian gloveman stumping Ben Brown in the following over.Aneurin Donald naturally lifted the scoring rate with 25 off 17 balls and accompanied Prest to a 56-ball half-century as Hampshire looked on course for a total well in excess of 300.But the mixture of the Foxes’ discipline and rash shot-making saw the hosts lose seven wickets for 89 runs and fail to see the full 50 overs.Donald and Prest were both bowled swinging hard – to Wiaan Mulder and legspinner Uttam Ramji – while Toby Albert hooked Chris Wright to deep fine and Keith Barker looped a paddle to Handscomb.Everything else was the domain of Hull and his size 15 boots. His height and pace found Ian Holland off balance and pulling onto his stumps, Mason Crane slicing to mid-on and Eddie Jack swinging behind. The exciting Hull ended up his second four-wicket haul in three matches as Hampshire were bowled out for 296.Rishi Patel scored a high-quality 161 to facilitate victory over Lancashire last time out but only lasted five balls before edging a drive to second slip.Josh Hull celebrates a wicket•Kyle Andrews

Sol Budinger showed off his range hitting with four sixes as he reached fifty in 39 balls and celebrated by carting Prest over long-on two balls later.Hampshire roared back into the contest with two wickets in two overs. Firstly, Budinger was caught at deep square leg off 17-year-old Jack before Handscomb was castled by Holland.Lewis Hill rebuilt with Colin Ackermann with the pair putting on 54 and Hill reaching the fifty for the ninth time in List A cricket.Hill was given out lbw to Barker and Mulder edged Mason Crane behind but Ackermann chipped away at the runs first a 55-ball fifty – his 22nd in List As.The game swung one way when Louis Kimber took Scott Currie for 20 in an over, and then seemingly the other when Kimber was caught at long-off.But Ackermann showed little respect for the pressure as he and former Hampshire man Tom Scriven knocked off the remaining 74 runs in style – with 2.4 overs to spare.

Sri Lanka fought back hard but South Africa’s 428 proved to be too much on a day to forget for the bowlers

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-20231:13

Steyn: Loved seeing ‘a little bit extra’ from Rabada

A trio of centuries, including the fastest ever in a World Cup, saw South Africa lay down a commanding marker as they kicked off their World Cup campaign with an authoritative 102-run win over Sri Lanka in Delhi.

Sri Lanka pick up over-rate fine

Sri Lanka were fined 10% of their match fee for being two overs short of their required rate – after taking into account allowances – against South Africa. As per the regulations, players lose 5% for every over their team is short. Dasun Shanaka accepted the sanction – imposed by match referee Javagal Srinath – so there was no need for a formal hearing.
Sri Lanka had also suffered the in-game penalty for the final two overs as per the new regulations – that is, only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for every over not started within the stipulated time after taking into account allowances.

Progressively more emphatic centuries from Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram would in the end prove to be the decisive contributions as a valiant Sri Lankan outfit fell foul of a scary good South African outfit flexing their batting might.In the process they also etched in several records. Here’s a list of some of the key ones:

• South Africa’s total of 428 for 5 is the highest ever total in a World Cup game, as well as the highest at the Kotla
• This was just the fourth time an ODI has seen three centurions from the same side
• Markram’s 49-ball century was the fastest in World Cups, and by a South African, surpassing Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien
• The 107 boundaries across both innings is the most ever in a World Cup game
• This was the highest aggregate for a men’s ODI World Cup match, going past the 714 runs in the 2019 game between Australia and Bangladesh in Nottingham

It was a day for the bowlers to forget, with the game largely decided as a straight shootout between the batters. And in that sense, while the end result may show a pretty decisive loss for Sri Lanka, this is a game that they will feel they could garner more positives than what might have seemed possible at the halfway mark.Related

• Markram and South Africa smash World Cup records

• South Africa's rise between the World Cups of 2019 and 2023

Sure, five of their bowlers went at over eight an over – three at nine or more – but a side that had major question marks over their ability to score quick runs gave a good account of themselves in what was always going to be an unlikely chase.Kusal Mendis set the tone in the chase blitzing his way to a 42-ball 76. His fifty came off just 25 deliveries, and before any of his team-mates had scored a single run – Pathum Nissanka was out castled for a duck, while Kusal Perera remained scoreless as Mendis cut loose.Mendis would reach his fifty at the team total of 54 – the lowest at which any batter has completed his fifty in men’s ODIs (where known). He would also plunder eight sixes – Sri Lanka struck nine in total – inside the first 10 overs – the second-most in a men’s ODI innings (where we have ball-by-ball data), one behind the West Indies who hit ten sixes in their first ten overs vs England in 2019.But once he fell, Sri Lanka’s slim chances became even more faint. Fifties from Charith Asalanka (79 off 65) and Dasun Shanaka (68 off 62) kept the flame of hope briefly alive, but the task by that point was always well out of reach. Some late unexpected hitting from Kasun Rajitha then brought the margin of defeat down, which could be key if net run rate comes into play during the latter stages of the tournament.Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen were two of South Africa’s three centurions•ICC via Getty Images

This though was a day that belonged to the South African batters, namely Markram, whose 54-ball 106 was as an innings of equal parts belligerence and control. How else would you describe a century that quite preposterously paired a control percentage of 90% at a strike rate of 196.29?Such was his dominance, that it quite honestly overshadowed the two other tons in the innings. Which is quite the statement considering de Kock’s came off 83 deliveries, and van der Dussen’s off just 103. Not to mention the pair put on 204 for the second wicket, a stand that set the platform for the destruction that followed.It’s arguable that Sri Lanka’s only moment of relief in the innings came as early as the second over, when Dilshan Madushanka trapped Temba Bavuma in front of middle and leg with one that ducked in off a good length.In that sense the opening 10 overs would have pleased the Lankans, who kept a lid on proceedings in that period giving away just 48 runs. But even as Sri Lanka sought to keep their lines and lengths tight, the pair of de Kock and van der Dussen accumulated.During their 174-ball stand, boundaries were never too difficult to find with loose deliveries dealt with efficiently and even the good balls more often than not turned away for singles. It was a partnership that burgeoned with minimal risk taking.In terms of breakthrough opportunities, all that came Sri Lanka’s way were half chances at best – a missed sharp chance at backward point, a hair’s breadth margin on direct hit, and a mistimed chip falling just short of the fielder, were pretty much the extent of it.As for South Africa, to say they progressed smoothly through the gears would only suffice if the gears available were four, five and Super Saiyan.After that relatively subdued opening 10 overs, 11-20 would see them tick away at seven an over; overs 21-30 would see a further 88 runs scored; 85 would follow in the next tranche of 10; and then would come the final blow, as a further 137 runs were pillaged in the final 10, to put the most emphatic of exclamation points on an exquisitely paced innings.Aiden Markram’s century was controlled and devastating in equal measure•Getty Images

Any wickets to fall were off miscues, but even then the respite that usually follows the fall of a wicket soon gave way to trepidation, with each progressive batter just carrying on in an even more devastating manner than the last.None highlighted this trend more than Markram, who arrived at the crease with a little under 20 overs left and proceeded to take apart the Lankan attack.A trio of boundaries – including a pair of textbook straight drives – off Madushanka signified his intent early, but he would save his devastating best for Matheesha Pathirana, against whom he would crack three boundaries and a six in a brutal 26-run over near the death. Having brought up his 50 in a relatively modest 34 deliveries, he would then take just a further 15 to reach his century.The centurions aside, there were cameos that on any other day would have been worthy of more than being a footnote. Heinrich Klaasen, who’s been having a year most batters wouldn’t dare even fantasise about, ransacked a 20-ball 36, while David Miller berserked his way to a 21-ball 39. Even Marco Jansen helped himself to a maximum during his 12 off 7.It was as beastly a batting display as you’re likely to see, but even more impressive might be the sense that rather than it being a one-off demolition, this South African side exudes the aura that such performances are eminently repeatable.

New chief selector accuses player of going back on his word, but it is understood that Rauf views the exchange differently

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2023Chief selector Wahab Riaz has launched a withering critique of Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, claiming he had backed out of being a part of the Test squad for the tour of Australia and that it would “hurt Pakistan cricket”.At his first press conference since being appointed to the role, Wahab announced Pakistan’s 18-member squad, but almost instantly, shifted focus towards Rauf’s non-selection, accusing the player of going back on his word. It is a claim that, a source close to Rauf told ESPNcricinfo, the player vehemently denies.”We spoke to Haris Rauf for this tour,” Wahab said. “When we spoke to him two days ago, he gave his consent to play Test cricket for Pakistan. But last night he changed his mind, and now he doesn’t want to be part of this Test series. I’m revealing this because we should be honest with officials, team-mates, and the public. We spoke to Haris and he was worried about his body and fitness, as well as his workload. Mohammad Hafeez and I sat with him and tried to facilitate him in every way. We told him even if he didn’t perform well there, we would accept it.Related

• PCB terminates Haris Rauf's central contract for not committing to Australia tour

• Shahid Afridi: Rauf should be part of Test side instead of BBL

• Melbourne Stars sign Dan Lawrence as a replacement player

• 'The priority is Pakistan' – Hafeez stresses international-first policy for contracted players

• Explainer – Making sense of Babar Azam's unexpected resignation as Pakistan captain

“Our physio spoke to him and said he wouldn’t expect any issue or injury. Of course there’s fatigue, but we were sure we could have managed that very well. But he pulled out at the last moment and he made himself unavailable. I think this will hurt Pakistan cricket.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Rauf views his exchange with Wahab very differently. A source close to the player revealed that Rauf had never committed to playing the Test matches in Australia, and confirmed his non-availability the previous night. He told Wahab he hadn’t played much red-ball cricket in the build-up, and wanted to work on his white-ball game as well as his fitness.Wahab also mentioned about the other talking points around the selection of the first Pakistan squad since Babar Azam quit captaincy, but repeatedly found himself drawing back towards Rauf.”I just told you a short version of what Haris and I spoke about,” he said. “We spoke to the captain and coach, and we said we view Haris Rauf as an impact bowler. We weren’t demanding more than 10-12 overs a day. The only issue is when you say you’re available for Pakistan, especially at a time when our three main high-pace bowlers, who can bowl over 140 [kph] other than Haris are unavailable. At some point, you need to sacrifice to play for your country. Haris was committed to us, and pulled out after two days.”In his first press conference as Pakistan chief selector Wahab Riaz faced a barrage of questions•Associated Press

That Rauf’s absence provoked such a strong reaction is something of a surprise for cricketing reasons, too. Rauf has only ever played one Test match, the first against England in Rawalpindi last year. He got injured after bowling 13 overs in the first innings, and did not bowl thereafter. He was not a part of Pakistan’s squad for the away series in Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 2-0. But the conditions in Australia, coupled with the unavailability of Naseem Shah and Ihsanullah, means Wahab appears to have felt strongly about having Rauf on tour.”I’ve played with most of these boys and I have a great relationship with them,” Wahab said. “But when it comes to professionalism, we have to look at what’s best for Pakistan. Haris was unavailable after the England series and not a part of any other Test series. When you are a centrally contracted player, it is your duty to serve Pakistan. I’m not disappointed, but the same players will later complain they weren’t given the opportunity, and people will ask why such and such player wasn’t selected.”Wahab did say it wouldn’t affect his inclusion in Pakistan’s T20I and ODI sides, though, but that he would “respect and value the players who want to be a part of red-ball cricket. Playing red-ball cricket makes you a better player.”The conflict between player and selector sets up a fascinating showdown ahead of the Big Bash League in Australia. Rauf is considered a marquee player for the Melbourne Stars. The league starts on December 13 and runs until February 4, overlapping with all three Tests in Australia, and would have hindered his availability had he been a part of the Pakistan squad.However, ESPNcricinfo also understands there is no guarantee of the PCB issuing a No-Objection Certificate for Rauf to play the BBL while relations between the chief selector and Rauf remain strained. Pakistan’s centrally contracted players did sign recent contracts that saw the PCB agree to permitting players to take part in two foreign T20 leagues, but how that plays out in practice remains to be seen.

The visitors won with 14 overs to spare which was enough to claim a bonus point

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2023Victoria jumped to top of the domestic one-day table after securing a convincing six-wicket win over Tasmania in a low-scoring contest in Launceston.After captain Peter Handscomb won the toss and elected to bowl first, Victoria knocked over the home side for 156 with quick Sam Elliott taking 4 for 26.In just his eighth 50-over game for his state, Elliott, the son of former Test opener Matthew, skittled the lower-order to finish with career-best figures.Elliott also claimed the crucial wicket of Beau Webster, with the dangerman dismissed for an innings-best of 47.In-form opening bowler Fergus O’Neill did the damage early, cleaning up the Tasmania top-order of Matthew Wade, Caleb Jewell and Charlie Wakim.They were left reeling at 42 for 4 following those breakthroughs and the hosts were never able to recover to post a defendable total.Victoria, led by star opener Matthew Short, took their time in the chase but were able to bring up their fourth win of the season with 14 overs to spare.They had briefly wobbled on 105 for 4 when Peter Handscomb and Sam Harper fell in quick succession, the latter bowled by a beauty from left-arm spinner Paddy Dooley who had taken a good catch at fine leg to remove Handscomb.But Short made batting look easy as he brought up the victory with a four down the ground, finishing unbeaten on 81 off 88 balls. In the 28-year-old’s last one-day match, he pounded 134 against Queensland in Mackay.Short will soon join the Australian squad for the five-match T20 series against India after the completion of the ODI World Cup.Victoria leapfrogged defending champions Western Australia into top spot, while Tasmania remain fourth with a 2-3 record.Victoria will be back in action on Thursday when they host Queensland in an important Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.Tasmania will stay put at home to host the resurgent NSW next Saturday in a four-day game.

Pooja Vastrakar was the other Indian star on the third morning, as she ripped through the England top order with three big wickets

Valkerie Baynes16-Dec-20234:54

Review: Positives, shortcomings, and everything else

Dominated with the bat and destroyed with the ball by the third morning, England didn’t make it past lunch as India, led by Deepti Sharma – again – and Pooja Vastrakar, completed a record 347-run victory at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.While Deepti’s remarkable 5 for 7 had sent England into a tailspin on the second day, it was Vastrakar who sparked their downfall on Saturday after India declared overnight on 186 for 6. Deepti finished them off, taking nine wickets in all to add to her first-innings half-century for Player-of-the-Match honours.Related

• How Vastrakar killed the game on a turning track

• Finger fracture puts Shubha Satheesh out of action

• Muzumdar: Deepti is the 'Ben Stokes of the team'

Given that the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in women’s Tests is Australia’s 198 for 3 to beat England in Sydney in 2011, to call it a 479-run “target” seemed trite and Vastrakar’s early inroads ensured that.It was India Women’s first Test win at home against England in six attempts, the margin of victory the largest by runs in women’s Tests, and was all wrapped up in an extended morning session on the third day.After Renuka Thakur plucked out Tammy Beaumont with a ball that held its line to beat the outside edge and peg back off stump with just 27 runs on the board, Vastrakar had an out-of-sorts Sophia Dunkley slicing straight to gully and easily taken by substitute fielder Harleen Deol, on for Shubha Satheesh, who scored 69 on international debut in India’s first innings but didn’t bat in the second because of a broken finger.That put England in familiar territory in this match (they were 28 for 2 when bowled out for 136 in their first innings to concede a lead of 292) at 37 for 2. And, on the very next ball, Vastrakar removed Nat Sciver-Brunt – the only England batter to offer any resistance in the first innings – with a beauty that nipped back in from a perfect length outside off, went through the gate and crashed into the stumps.It was the Deepti Sharma show all the way•BCCI

When Vastrakar got one to hold its line from outside off and draw an outside edge from Heather Knight, England slumped to 68 for 4.Deepti then orchestrated the procession, flummoxing Danni Wyatt with a fantastic offbreak taken at slip and removing Amy Jones via a loose pull to midwicket to get at the England tail. She removed Kate Cross with one that turned ferociously from outside off to peg back leg stump and lured Lauren Filer down the pitch with the flight on one that kept low after turning in and pinged middle stump.In between whiles, Rajeshwari Gayakwad bowled Sophie Ecclestone, then had Lauren Bell caught simply by Jemimah Rodrigues at silly point, the last wicket to fall. The latter sparked wild celebrations for the home side, who will be looking to bottle this feeling – and form – for use in their next Test, starting against Australia at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Inglis and Smith also made fifties as Australia chased down West Indies’ 231 with ease

Alex Malcolm02-Feb-2024A stunning debut spell from Xavier Bartlett and a classy all-round display from Cameron Green guided Australia to a comfortable eight-wicket win in the opening ODI at the MCG.Bartlett tore through West Indies’ top order on his ODI debut to finish with 4 for 17, the second-best figures on ODI debut for Australia behind current selector Tony Dodemaide, while Green claimed 2 for 40 and then made 77 not out in his first innings at No. 3 in ODI cricket to showcase his immense all-round talent.Related

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Josh Inglis also made a blistering 43-ball 65 while Steven Smith made an unassuming unbeaten run-a-ball 79 as Australia mowed down West Indies’ under-par total of 231, which was underpinned by a career-best 88 from Keacy Carty and 59 from Roston Chase.It was Bartlett’s spell that set up the win. The 25-year-old Queenslander and Lance Morris became the first debutants for Australia to open the bowling together in an ODI since 2016, and just the third pair since 1975. Bartlett claimed a wicket with his third ball in ODI cricket, clipping the top of Justin Greaves’ off stump with a magical outswinger. He should have had a second three balls later as he hooped an inswinger into Alick Athanaze’s front pad but the umpire thought it was shaping down and Smith opted not to review it. The ball-tracking projection suggested the ball was smashing the top of leg stump.Keacy Carty was steady despite wickets falling at the other end•Associated Press

It did not cost Bartlett though, as he showcased the new-ball skills he displayed in the BBL, swerving one the other way across Athanaze to scratch his outside edge. Later, in his six-over spell with the new ball, he shaped another outswinger away from the right-handed Shai Hope to catch a thick edge, which was well-pouched by Matt Short at slip.He had figures of 3 for 10 with a maiden after his opening spell. He later returned to pick up his fourth wicket with the first ball of the 48th over but could not grab a fifth as Sean Abbott finished the innings in the 49th over.After Bartlett’s burst, West Indies slumped to 59 for 4 when Green picked up the first of his two wickets. But Carty and Chase steadied the ship with an impressive century stand.Carty deserved a century of his own. Having passed his highest ODI score after losing Chase, he was 12 runs shy when Hayden Walsh Jr called him through for a kamikaze single to cover and Abbott produced a direct hit with Carty miles short of his ground.It was a cruel end for Carty after playing so well. Walsh squatted low at the other end hoping for the ground to swallow him up, knowing fully well he had barbequed Carty trying to get off strike.Carty took a particular shining to the extra pace of Morris, producing two jaw-dropping flicks for six over backward square. He was also savage when Australia’s new firebrand overpitched, thumping several of his 140kph-plus offerings back down the ground.Morris’ debut was far less eye-catching than Bartlett’s as he conceded 59 from his 10 overs without claiming a wicket.Josh Inglis gave Australia a blazing start•Getty Images

While Carty took on the pace, Chase attacked the spin striking four of his seven boundaries off Adam Zampa. He bravely swept and pulled off the stumps, and profited as a result. But it would later bring about his downfall at a critical moment. He was bowled around his legs trying to sweep Zampa off middle stump, having gone across too far and completely misjudged the length.Australia could have wrapped the innings up a little sooner but some sloppy errors allowed West Indies to drag on. Travis Head dropped a sitter in the deep to deny Green a third wicket before Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne both fluffed easy run outs.Australia’s chase got off to a horror start with Head falling in Matthew Forde’s opening over for just 4, after bagging a pair in the second Test in Brisbane.But any hope West Indies might have had of reproducing their Gabba heroics evaporated in less than ten overs as Inglis smashed a 28-ball half-century to whisk the game away. Opening for just the second time in ODIs, having also tested positive for Covid on Thursday, Inglis smoked ten fours and a six in a statement innings. Anything fractionally short from Forde and Oshane Thomas was hammered, including a huge six over square leg. He also produced some stunning drives down the ground. He fell trying to reverse-sweep Gudakesh Motie.But his whirlwind knock allowed Green all the time in the world to settle, and after a sluggish start, he got flowing with two massive sixes off Motie and Romario Shepherd.Green benefitted from Smith’s calm influence at the other end. On another day, he might have felt more pressure to up the ante with higher-risk strokeplay, but the stand-in skipper was happy to cruise to the total without any unnecessary acceleration. They picked off the spinners in a calm century stand to guide Australia home with 11.3 overs to spare.

Warner available in £100,000 bracket, Mandhana among 15 India players listed for women’s competition

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2024David Warner, Kane Williamson, Meg Lanning and Smriti Mandhana are among the overseas players available in this month’s Hundred draft.Warner, who has twice previously withdrawn from playing in the competition, is listed in the £100,000 (US$127,000) bracket, while Williamson – signed by Birmingham Phoenix for the first season but unable to play through injury – can be picked up for £75,000 (US$95,000).In the women’s draft, Mandhana is one of four players with the top reserve price of £50,000 (US$63,500), alongside Ashleigh Gardner, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma. Lanning, another who has pulled out in the past, will be available for £40,000 (US$50,500), as will Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland.Related

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Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh and Shikha Pandey are also among the 15 India players included for the women’s Hundred.In the men’s, seven players are listed in the top £125,000 (US$158,500) price band, including Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Josh Inglis and Daryl Mitchell. Kieron Pollard, Shamar Joseph, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Naseem Shah are all in the £100,000 bracket.A number of England players are also confirmed among the 890 names in the draft, including Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Amy Jones and Lauren Filer.Malan was a winner of the men’s competition with Trent Rockets in 2022 and could be retained by them using their Right-to-Match card.”I’ve really enjoyed playing in the competition across the last three years and I’m excited about getting the chance again this year,” he said. “You look at the names involved, both those retained and those in list for the draft, and there’s world class talent in The Hundred across both competitions.”Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, who was Player of the Tournament at the 2023-24 WBBL, is among those looking to be picked up in the Hundred for the first time.”I am really excited about being in the Hundred draft,” she said. “There are so many good players in this competition and I would really love to be a part of it. It has looked very fun over the last three years, with big crowds at big stadiums, and it would be very exciting to play in the Hundred this season.”The draft will be held on March 20 at the Shard in London, and broadcast over YouTube, TikTok and the Hundred website. Birmingham Phoenix will have the first pick in the women’s draft, with Northern Superchargers kicking things off for the men.