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“Making runs consistently in T20 cricket isn’t difficult, but playing impactful innings is difficult,” Shadab says

Danyal Rasool22-Apr-2024New Zealand’s win over Pakistan in the third T20I has raised familiar questions around Pakistan’s approach to T20 cricket, with Babar Azam defending Pakistan’s batting performance and rejecting suggestion that a middle-overs slowdown played a part in his side’s defeat. This, even as Shadab Khan stressed that T20s needed “impactful innings” – something Pakistan lacked on the day.Pakistan posted 178 on what Babar acknowledged at the toss was an excellent pitch for batting, but New Zealand demonstrated what was possible on such a surface, cantering to a seven-wicket win with ten balls to spare thanks to an unbeaten 87 off 42 balls from Mark Chapman.”We did well with the bat,” Babar said at the post-match presentation. “I don’t think it [the slowdown] made much of a difference because we had caught up in the end. You can say we were ten runs short. Unfortunately, we had a bit of a setback with [Mohammad] Rizwan’s injury because it wasn’t easy for new batters. But Shadab recovered well and had an outstanding partnership with Irfan [Khan]. In Pindi, 180-190 is a par score.”The passage of play in question came immediately after the powerplay, not for the first time.While Saim Ayub got Pakistan off to a fast start with a 22-ball 32, he was dismissed just after the powerplay, which ended with Pakistan scoring 54. That brought Babar and Rizwan together, a pair whose consistency in accumulating runs has never been in question, even if the intent has.Pakistan managed just 51 runs in the next seven overs as New Zealand applied the brakes. Collectively, Babar and Rizwan scored 59 runs in 50 balls. Babar was dismissed in the 11th over. Rizwan retired hurt with a hamstring injury in the 13th.Shadab and Irfan’s fireworks helped Pakistan score 75 in the last seven as they got close to the score Babar said Pakistan were originally targeting.However, when the Rawalpindi pitch has been at its best of late, 180-190 hasn’t truly been a par score. The six completed T20Is at the venue over the years (all since 2020) have all been won by the chasing side, including last year when Pakistan posted 193, only for Chapman, last night’s hero too, to thwart them with an unbeaten 57-ball 104. And in the PSL, of the ten times the side batting first has won in Rawalpindi, only twice did they post a lower score than Pakistan’s 178 last night.Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood appeared to acknowledge this in a more direct way than his captain. “We were 15 to 20 runs short,” he said. “We started very well, our score in the first six overs was 54, which is very good. In the end, Shadab’s innings was excellent. In the middle period, we were slow. Between overs seven to ten, and then 11 to 15, the ball was gripping and we slowed down.Shadab Khan scored a quick 20-ball 41 to lift Pakistan in the last seven overs•Associated Press

“These are the things we have to learn to improve. But you have to pay credit to the way Chapman played. In T20 cricket, if one man stands up, he can take the game away from you.”It was Shadab’s 41 off 20 that took Pakistan to their eventual total after he came in to bat at six. He has made the upper-middle order his own with Islamabad United, but said he was happy to be moved around as and when required. Most significantly, though, the vice-captain looked to draw a distinction between a big innings and a consequential one.”I have played one-down and two-down in the PSL and that’s where I think I am most comfortable. But I’m also fine with being used as a floater,” he said. “If I get a chance, the planning will be the same – I’m the sort of player who will look to make quick runs.”Sometimes, you need impactful innings, especially in T20 cricket nowadays. Making runs consistently in T20 cricket isn’t difficult, but playing impactful innings is difficult.”

The rest of the 2024-25 home schedule, which features visits by Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will be announced later in the year

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2024Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton will host New Zealand’s three-match Test series against England in late 2024, with NZC confirming the dates ahead of the rest of the home schedule due to the local interest and expected demand from visiting supporters.The first Test will begin at Hagley Oval on November 28 followed by the second at the Basin Reserve from December 6 and the third at Seddon Park from December 14. The matches will be part of the World Test Championship. England, who are coached by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, previously toured for two Tests in February 2023 which were not part of the WTC with New Zealand winning the second by one run to level the series.NZC said there had been an “extremely competitive venue allocation process” for the Tests which will likely see a strong influx of England supporters. There were sellout crowds for seven of the eight days of play between New Zealand and Australia last month.”In the past, there’s often been a lot of talk in New Zealand about the popularity of Test cricket – without that translating into ticket sales or viewership numbers,” NZC chief executive Scott Weenink said. “The difference over the past summer, and in terms of the upcoming Tests against England, is that the interest is being converted to bums on seats and is driving record viewership numbers.”We’re looking forward to that continuing over the upcoming summer, and to welcoming the England team and their fans to the Tests, and of course all the Kiwi-based supporters as well.”The three matches against England are New Zealand’s only home Tests next season. They have an extensive run overseas before that with a one-off game scheduled against Afghanistan followed by two matches in Sri Lanka and three in India through September and October.On the FTP New Zealand are set to host just two home Tests in the 2025-26 season with West Indies the one visiting team in the format.The remainder of New Zealand’s 2024-25 international home season will be confirmed later in the year with the Australia and Sri Lanka women’s teams and Sri Lanka and Pakistan men’s sides visiting.The Australia women’s team are due to tour before Christmas for three ODIs. According to the men’s FTP, Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is from late December 2024 followed by a visit of Pakistan for a further three ODIs and three T20Is in late January.

Opener survives missed chance from older brother Joe but late strikes lift Yorkshire

ECB Reporters Network03-May-2024Glamorgan 109 for 4 (B Root 51) vs Yorkshire Glamorgan opener Billy Root scored a half-century against a Yorkshire side including his older brother Joe during a weather-affected opening day of the Vitality County Championship clash at Headingley.Left-hander Billy, aged 31 and almost two years Joe’s junior, posted a measured 51 off 95 balls before lunch, with Glamorgan going on to close at 109 for four from 41 overs having elected to bat first.Rain forced a three-and-a-half-hour delay from 1.45pm, before Yorkshire struck twice quickly in the delayed and mini evening session. Bad light then meant no play beyond 6pm.Yorkshire are playing two frontline spinners in Dan Moriarty and Dom Bess on the pitch used for last weekend’s draw against Derbyshire. Neither bowler played in that fixture, but both claimed a wicket apiece here.It is actually the first time since 2013 that Yorkshire have played two spinners in the same Championship match at Headingley. Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq played in an August draw against Warwickshire that season, striking once between them.Moriarty and Bess matched that haul in the morning session, the former striking with the last ball before lunch when the left-armer had Root caught at short-leg, leaving Glamorgan 92 for two after 32 overs.This is not a venue known for suiting spin, but the hosts are desperate to secure a first win in their fifth match of the season to give their Division Two promotion bid lift off.Earlier Coad trapped Eddie Byrom lbw – 18 for one. Root drove nicely against seam and swept and reverse swept against spin during a 74-run stand with captain Sam Northeast, who went on to make 29 before being run out in the evening.Root versus Root has happened three times previously in county cricket, be it with Billy playing for either Nottinghamshire or Glamorgan. In the build-up to this game, England’s Joe described the experience of meeting his brother as a “horrible situation”.But both have done well against each other previously.In the two Championship matches they played – both draws between these two counties – in early 2021, Billy scored a century at Headingley and Joe a 99 at Cardiff.The first main piece of action in this fixture saw Joe fail to hold a tough first slip catch going to his right off new ball seamer Coad with Billy on six.Coad then had Byrom lbw stuck on the crease before Root got an inside-edge onto pad against Moriarty and looped a catch up to Fin Bean at short-leg.Off-spinner Bess is playing his first match of the season after some encouraging form in Yorkshire’s second team.When play resumed at 5.30pm following afternoon rain, Northeast was run out backing up two balls into the delayed evening, leaving Glamorgan at 96 for three in the 34th over.Matthew Fisher got a hand on a crisp Kiran Carlson drive and deflected it onto the stumps.Bess then had Carlson caught and bowled off an inside-edge with the first ball of his second over, his first of the session – 97 for four.Moriarty finished with one for 29 from 15 overs and Bess one for 14 from four.Both sides are searching for their first win of 2024.While Yorkshire have drawn three and lost one, Glamorgan have drawn all three and came into this fixture bottom of the embryonic Division Two table.The day’s play was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker, whose death at the age of 20 was announced on Thursday.

The Afghanistan captain says they are no longer reliant only on their spinners

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2024Over the years, Afghanistan’s bowlers, especially spinners, have been the driving force behind their success but their captain Rashid Khan believes their batting is now at a stage where they can chase down 200 in a T20I.”In the past, we were struggling a little bit in the batting area,” Rashid said on the eve of Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Uganda. “Earlier our bowlers would do a lot more and help us win the games. Later, we got those young batters, especially from the Under-19 cricket, and the way they came up to the national side, and the way they have worked hard, they got the opportunity to play for Afghanistan at a very young age and then start exploring all around the world, playing leagues where they got better and better.”I think we have that kind of batting line-up where we can say it’s fine if there is a target of 200 as well on a wicket. We have that kind of ability and skills and talent that we can express on the ground and chase that. T20 cricket is all about the mindset. As long as you have the right mindset, and you have the belief that we can do, anything is possible.”The other thing is the actual cricket. I think we have played enough cricket in the past couple of years where our skills have got better and better. And we have been challenging the opposition.”Afghanistan and Uganda are in Group C, alongside West Indies, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Out of those five, the top two will progress to the Super 8s, and many experts believe Afghanistan could be one of them. But can they surprise everyone by making it to the semi-finals?”Yeah, a few people have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis,” Rashid said. “We take that as a very positive sign. Earlier, it used to be hard for us to even qualify. And now to be nominated to be there in the top four, I think it’s a big thing for us.Related

• 'We carry a whole country's hopes on our backs,' says Uganda captain Brian Masaba

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“But we don’t look at those things a lot. It’s all about how we’re going to be there on the ground, delivering. We were very nearly in the last [ODI] World Cup semis as well. We were just one game away from being in the semis and that’s where I feel the belief started that nothing is impossible for us as a team. So yeah, we are really excited about this World Cup but as I said before we take one game at a time and then see how it goes.”Afghanistan arrived early in the Caribbean and held a two-week preparatory camp ahead of the World Cup, though many of their players have the experience of playing on these pitches during the CPL.”Well, I think preparation has been great so far,” Rashid said. “A couple of weeks back, we had a domestic T20 competition, which really helped the guys to get the kind of preparation they need as a player and as a team. And then we were here two weeks earlier as well. So we got the preparation we wanted as a team.”We have those players who played recently here in the CPL, and they got that experience. And we share that experience with the boys. But I think in the ICC events, you always expect something different. You never know what’s going to be the behaviour of the wicket. And you have to react to that. You shouldn’t already have in mind that this is how it’s going to be, this is how it’s going to swing, spin, or things like that.”

Having already sealed the series, India will be hoping to give the likes of Rinku, Samson and Parag more time in the middle

Abhimanyu Bose29-Jul-2024

Big picture: Sri Lanka’s middle-order worries

In the first T20I, Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 30 runs. In the second, they lost seven for 32. This has been the theme for the hosts so far in Charith Asalanka’s first series as Sri Lanka’s full-time T20I captain. Asalanka himself managed just scores of 0 and 14 in the two games.The top three have fired in both matches, with Sri Lanka getting to scores of 140 and 80 at the fall of the second wicket. Pathum Nissanka is the leading run-scorer in the series. Kusal Perera has a half-century, while Kusal Mendis made 45 in the first match. But beyond them, it has been a bleak showing, with Kamindu Mendis’ 26 in the second T20I the highest score from the middle and lower orders.Sri Lanka will need to find a way out of their middle-order muddle and deliver on the platform being set by their top order.India would want some of their batters like Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh and Riyan Parag to get some more time in the middle, and having sealed the series with comprehensive performances, don’t have too much else they need to address.Related

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• India seal series after Sri Lanka suffer slide of 7 for 31

• Misfiring middle order crashlands Sri Lanka's T20I spaceship

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLWLL (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight – Pathum Nissanka and Rishabh Pant

Pathum Nissanka is the only batter to have gone past 100 runs in the series, and is striking at 154.16. He has been in sensational form in 2024, having scored 753 runs at a strike rate of 154.93 – well above his career strike rate of 123.90. He shone in the Lanka Premier League as well, and was the highest-scoring opener in the competition. With their wobbly middle order, the onus is on him now more than ever to keep producing big performances with the bat.After a life-threatening accident, Rishabh Pant made his return to competitive cricket in IPL 2024, and following a successful campaign, he was picked for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He made 42 off 31 in a low-scoring win over Pakistan, but failed to convert his starts after that, even as India went on to lift the title. In the first game of this series, Pant made 49 off 33, but he had a scratchy start and was dropped on 11. With Sanju Samson behind him in the pecking order, there is pressure on Pant to prove his credentials in the shortest format for India.

Team news

Sri Lanka are likely to play a similar XI to the one that turned out in the second game. However, one of Avishka Fernando or Dinesh Chandimal could come in for the misfiring Dasun Shanaka, who has three ducks in his last three T20Is. They brought in Ramesh Mendis for Dilshan Madushanka, with Asalanka claiming spin would get more help on a used surface, but in a rain curtailed game, Ramesh was not used at all. However, even though this match will be played on a fresh pitch, Sri Lanka are likely to continue with Ramesh, as he adds batting depth as well.Sri Lanka (probable XI): 1. Pathum Nissanka, 2. Kusal Mendis (wk), 3. Kusal Perera, 4. Kamindu Mendis, 5. Charith Asalanka (capt), 6. Dinesh Chandimal/Avishka Fernando, 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Ramesh Mendis, 9. Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Matheesha Pathirana, 11. Asitha FernandoHaving played two matches in two days, India may rest one of the fast bowlers, with Khaleel Ahmed waiting in the wings. Washington Sundar could get a game as well, if India continue with the trend of trying to give a match to every squad member on a tour if possible, which was prevalent in Rahul Dravid’s tenure. Shivam Dube also could come in, but with Hardik Pandya not a part of the ODI squad, India may just stick with him so as to not chop and change too much. There is also no news on Shubman Gill, who missed the second game with a neck spasm. With Gill also set to play in the ODIs, India could persist with Samson, who was out first ball in the second T20I.India (probable XI): 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Sanju Samson, 3. Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Riyan Parag/Washington Sundar, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Rinku Singh, 8. Axar Patel, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Arshdeep Singh/Khaleel AhmedRishabh Pant will be looking to make more of his opportunities in the shortest format•Associated Press

Pitch and conditions

After two matches on the same pitch, this game will be played on a fresh surface in Pallekele. In the first two matches, batting conditions were the best earlier on and got tougher as the match progressed, bringing spinners into play and encouraging changes of pace from the quicks. The new pitch is not expected to play too differently.

Stats and trivia

Matheesha Pathirana has dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in all three T20 innings he has bowled to him. Sri Lanka could be encouraged to introduce Pathirana to the attack earlier than usual to try and target India’s skipper.

Unlike in ODIs, where Sri Lanka are Mohammed Siraj’s favourite opposition, the fast bowler has struggled against them in T20Is. He averages 39 against them in the format, as opposed to 7.68 in ODIs, and has just three wickets in four matches. His lone wicket in this series was of Pathirana, and he would look to improve his numbers on Tuesday.

Wanindu Hasaranga’s 15 wickets against India are the most he has taken against any opposition. In this series, he has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal twice, and he would be a bowler the Indians will be wary of.

Quotes

“The obvious thing to say is that we don’t have enough power, but that’s not true. If you look at our stats this year, we’re neck-and-neck with other teams for six-hitting. If you hit it out of the stadium or just clear the boundary, it’s still a six. More than skills, I think handling situations and sticking around in tough situations have been the problems. ”

The ECB has responded by reassuring SLC and the team about the security arrangements in place

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Aug-2024The Sri Lanka men’s team has raised concerns about the security situation in England in light of the anti-immigrant riots that have erupted in various cities. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has responded by reassuring Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the team about the security arrangements in place.Players already in England for the pre-series training have also expressed anxiety about the unrest, particularly as they do not have a security plan covering this portion of their trip. This nine-person contingent – seven players and two support staff – have asked SLC to arrange for better security over the next few days, as they travel to and from a ground near London.”Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned,” one player in England told ESPNcricinfo. “We can’t really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up.”We’ve asked the board to try and ask for some security for us until the main team arrives, but we haven’t heard anything back yet.”Most of the team is set to arrive in England for a three-match Test series on Sunday, at which point the ECB’s security plan kicks in. Sri Lanka’s team manager Mahinda Halangoda, who is still in Sri Lanka, told ESPNcricinfo that he had raised concerns with ECB after seeing news reports from Manchester – where the team play their first Test from August 21 – in particular.”I raised the issue with them, but the ECB responded very quickly and sent us their comprehensive security arrangements,” Halangoda said. “We’ll be having a security liaison on the tour from them as well.”While some far-right protests have been marked by violence, there have, over the last few days, been large counter-protests aimed at protecting immigrant-owned businesses, places of worship, and other places immigrants frequent.The United Kingdom government also assured sporting bodies that the country remained safe for sports, on an emergency call on Wednesday. The UK police has stated unequivocally that it will crack down on and prevent violence.Sri Lanka are set to play three Tests in England which begin on August 21 in Manchester. The teams then head to Lord’s for the second Test from August 29 before finishing off at The Oval on September 6.

The fast bowler’s career has been hit by injury but he remains in the plans of Australia’s selectors

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2024Jhye Richardson is in line to play his first game in Australia since January over the next few weeks after being included as part of Perth Scorchers’ squad for the Top End T20 tournament in Darwin.Richardson is the most notable inclusion in the Scorchers’ group which is largely made up of younger players on the fringes of the BBL and Western Australia sides plus some from the WA academy.Related

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Richardson, who was handed a Cricket Australia contract in March, has not played a game at home since injuring himself during the BBL. He made one appearance for Delhi Capitals in the IPL earlier this year.He has been part of an Australia training camp in Brisbane this week but was not considered for next month’s tour of Scotland and England with the selectors taking a longer-term view in the hope of him overcoming the injury issues which have hampered his international career. He had been in line for an ODI return against West Indies last season before picking up a side strain.”He’s fit and firing now, and again looking for match opportunities,” national selector George Bailey said last month. “I think he’ll get opportunities again across the summer.”Richardson will be joined in the squad by fellow quick Matt Kelly whose season was also ended early by injury. Batter Sam Fanning has been named captain while Baxter Holt, who moved to Western Australia from New South Wales, is also included.”We also see this tournament as an opportunity for Jhye and Kells [Matt Kelly] to find touch in a competitive environment,” stand-in coach Tim MacDonald said. “They didn’t play a lot of cricket last year but they’re a big part of what we do at the Scorchers and WA, so we’re looking forward to seeing both of them back in action.”The Top End competition also features Northern Territory Strike, Pakistan A, ACT, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars and a Bangladesh High Performance side.

Eighth-wicket stand with Kalea Moore spearheads victory over Vipers

ECB Reporters Network14-Sep-2024The South East Stars are through to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, after a thrilling fightback against the Southern Vipers in their semi-final at Beckenham.The Vipers had posted 220 for 9 from their 50 overs, Nancy Harman their top scorer with 38 and Tilly Corteen-Coleman taking 3 for 33 and the Stars looked dead and buried at 131 for 7 until a partnership of 90 from 86 balls between Alice Davidson-Richards and Kalea Moore turned the contest on its head.There were seven balls remaining when Davidson-Richards hit Alice Monagan for a single to send the Stars through to the final. Davidson-Richards, who was dropped on 31, finished on 90, while Moore was unbeaten on 52 and the Stars will now face the Sunrisers in Saturday’s final at Grace Road.The Vipers won the toss and chose to bat but lost Ella McCaughan in the third over for 2, caught behind off Corteen-Coleman.Rhianna Southby made a quickfire 20, but she swatted a bouncer from Alexa Stonehouse to Emma Jones and visibly remonstrated with the umpires before heading back to the pavilion.Phoebe Franklin then produced a superb forward diving catch at midwicket to get Naomi Dattani off Stonehouse for 9.Danni Gregory got Georgia Elwiss for 34 with a rank ball she pulled straight to Jones and Emily Windsor then tried to cut Gregory and was bowled for 30.Abi Norgrove was bowled by Kalea Moore for 25 before Nancy Harman and Alice Monaghan put on a useful 48 for the seventh wicket, although there was confusion at the end of the 36th over when the former hit a four and retained the strike. A single was also missed and as the scorers and analysts tried to work out what happened, Corteen-Coleman had Monaghan caught on the long-on boundary by Davidson-Richards for 26.The same duo removed Harman, this time as Davidson-Richards sprinted round the boundary, before Freya Davies was run out by Franklin off the last ball of the innings for 7, leaving Ava Lee unbeaten on 14.At the halfway point the Stars looked favourites but they lost Stonehouse for 10 when she skied Davies and Dattani took a steepling catch and Franklin then top-edged Davies and was snared by Lee for 7.Elwiss then took two wickets in as many balls when she sent Chloe Hill’s off stump flying then bowled Kira Chathli, leaving Aylish Cranstone to block out the hat-trick ball.The pivotal moment came when Davidson-Richards offered the simplest of caught-and-bowled chances to Lee and she was punching the air in anger when Lee somehow dropped her.When Cranstone was caught and bowled in the next over from the Beckenham End, by Rebecca Tyson for 27, the Stars were in trouble on 94 for 5 and things looked bleaker still for the hosts when Emma Jones drove Dattani to cover and was caught by Elwiss for 7.Priyanaz Chatterji was on 9 when Elwiss couldn’t cling on to a difficult return catch off her own bowling, but she couldn’t cash in as she drove Elwiss to Windsor having only added a single.Moore, however, re-injected some belief into the chase and kept the Stars ticking over at a run a ball until 18 were needed from the last three.Dattani bowled the 48th and it went for 14, effectively ending the contest and leaving Davidson-Richardson to hit the winning single.

Mulder’s unbeaten 152-run stand with Muthusamy took visitors to 575, before hosts ended at 38 for 4

Mohammad Isam30-Oct-2024Wiaan Mulder became the third maiden centurion for South Africa in the Chattogram Test, as the visitors completely dominated proceedings on the second day. They declared on 575 for 6, with Mulder, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs hitting centuries, before their pacers knocked off Bangladesh’s top three inside the first six overs.The hosts sunk to 38 for 4 at stumps, as their recent batting frailties showed up even on the batting-friendly pitch of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Even an award of five penalty runs, due to the umpires finding Senuran Muthusamy damaging the pitch, couldn’t inspire Bangladesh.Kagiso Rabada, recently ranked No. 1 among Test bowlers, had Shadman Islam strangle down the leg side for a duck in the first over. Rabada then removed Zakir Hasan, also caught behind, for 2, in his next over.Dane Paterson got into the act in the sixth over when Mahmudul Hasan Joy chased a wide ball, and edged to Aiden Markram at second slip. Keshav Maharaj bowled a beauty to nightwatcher Hasan Mahmud, who missed it completely to be bowled for 3. It completed an amazing day for South Africa, who dominated from start to finish.If the first day belonged to de Zorzi and Stubbs, the second day was all about Mulder’s century and his partnership with Muthusamy. The pair added 152 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket, breaking South Africa’s record for this wicket against Bangladesh from the previous Test in Dhaka, where Mulder and Kyle Verreynne had added 119.Mulder and Muthusamy had come together when Bangladesh suddenly grabbed a bit of momentum in the day’s first session. Taijul Islam snapped up David Bedingham, de Zorzi and Verreynne in consecutive overs to give the home team some respite. Bedingham missed a slog-sweep to be bowled, while de Zorzi and Verreynne also missed sweeps to be given out lbw.Taijul completed his five-for, before Nahid Rana removed Ryan Rickelton. Bangladesh were hopeful of wrapping South Africa up early at the time, but Mulder and Muthusamy took South Africa towards a massive total. Mulder was generally good down the ground, hitting all his eight fours and four sixes between wide long-off and mid-on. Muthusamy fed Mulder the strike regularly, but also struck the ball sweetly.Muthusamy struck two sixes through long-on, apart from fours through mid-off, fine leg and backward point. His ticked boundary through the slips took him to his maiden Test fifty.Taijul was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with his 14th five-wicket haul, but it was also the team’s most expensive five-for, as he went for 198 runs. Nahid took a wicket, but Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy Hasan Miraz disappointed with their wicketless efforts.

Powell’s stunning 60 off 35 nearly took the hosts over the line after they were 38 for 5

Mohammad Isam16-Dec-2024Bangladesh thwarted Rovman Powell’s stunning effort to power West Indies to an improbable win, after Hasan Mahmud defended nine runs in a heroic last over to seal a seven-run victory in the first T20I at the Arnos Vale Ground. The capacity crowd were presented with a thrilling contest in West Indies’ first international match in St Vincent in 10 years. While defending 147, Mahedi Hasan’s four-wicket haul reduced West Indies to 38 for 5 before Powell struck four sixes and five fours in his 35-ball 60, but he couldn’t quite get them through to the end after falling in the last over.Mahmud removed Powell and Alzarri Joseph in the final over which started with West Indies needing ten runs to win. Mahmud had Powell caught behind giving the Bangladesh captain Litton Das his fifth dismissal of the game. With eight to win off the final two, Mahmud bowled Joseph for Bangladesh’s first T20I win against West Indies in six years; back home in Bangladesh it was a good way to start the country’s Victory Day too.

Powell the nearly man

It was all going pear-shaped for Bangladesh for about four overs, though. West Indies were 61 for 7 in the 12th over when the captain Powell, who had until then struck a four and a six, was joined by Romario Shepherd to resurrect his side.The pair combined to take 15 off Rishad Hossain in the 14th over, before Powell launched Taskin Ahmed for three sixes in a 23-run over to reduce the asking rate from over 11 an over to eight an over in the space of 12 balls. Powell carved the first six against Taskin over extra cover, the next one high over point, before finishing the over with a beautiful straight hit.Tanzim Hasan then went for 12 runs in the 16th over with Powell hitting him for two fours, one of them bringing up his half-century off just 28 balls, to bring the equation to 28 to win from 24 balls. There was no let up from the other end too, as Shepherd slammed Rishad for his first six although he fell in the next over when Taskin had him caught at deep midwicket, for 22 off 17 balls.

Mahedi skittles WI top order

Bangladesh started spectacularly with the ball when Taskin had Brandon King caught at mid-off with his first ball. Six balls later, Mahedi enticed Nicholas Pooran into a charge, and beat him with a straight delivery to have him stumped for 1. Mahedi then had Johnson Charles caught at mid-off after he had struck Tanzim for two sixes in a 25-run over.Mahedi struck twice in the seventh over when he had Andre Fletcher, a last-minute replacement in the squad, caught behind before Roston Chase fell inside-edging a reverse sweep. By the time Mahedi finished his quota of four overs for 4 for 13, Bangladesh were in control of the game until Powell cut loose.

Hosein’s early strikes

West Indies too had a great powerplay with the ball when Akeal Hosein struck on consecutive balls. By cleaning up Tanzid Hasan for an 11-ball 6, Hosein became West Indies’ highest wicket-taker during powerplays in home T20Is. He went past Samuel Badree’s 16 wickets in that phase of the innings and also continues to be the leading wicket-taker among spinners in powerplays since his T20I debut in July 2021.Next ball, Hosein continued Litton Das’ run of poor form from the ODIs, taking his simple return catch. It was Litton’s second duck in a row on this tour after scoring 4 and 2 in the first two ODIs.

Bangladesh get the elevation

Bangladesh’s batting recovery came via sixes. They struck nine in the innings, the most they have struck against West Indies in T20Is. The sixes, however, started coming from the eighth over. Jaker Ali lofted Chase down the ground before Soumya Sarkar smashed Shepherd over covers. He pasted Gudakesh Motie for two more sixes in the 11th over, followed by Jaker mowing Shepherd over square leg. When Obed McCoy removed Soumya for his 50th T20I wicket, Bangladesh were losing their way with five overs remaining.Shamim Hossain, playing his first T20I in 12 months, got into the act next. He top edged Alzarri Joseph for his first six, before going straight against McCoy for the same result. Shamim got one more against Joseph in the 18th over, before Mahedi blasted McCoy for a six over extra cover in the final over to nearly take them to 150.