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Match details

West Indies vs New Zealand
Tarouba, 8.30pm local

Big picture – WI eye Super Eight spot

Since 2015, New Zealand have been the most consistent side in World Cups, making it to the semi-final in all six editions – in 2015, 2019 and 2023 in the ODI World Cup, and in 2016, 2021 and 2022 in the T20 versions. They reached the final on three of those occasions even though they never lifted the trophy.But at the 2024 T20 World Cup, they are in danger of elimination after just one match. An 84-run thrashing at the hands of Afghanistan means the game against West Indies is almost a virtual knockout for them.The loss against Afghanistan, during which they looked rusty with bat as well as in the field, also put under scrutiny their refusal to play any warm-up games.West Indies, too, started their campaign in a stuttering manner, taking 19 overs to chase down 137 against Papua New Guinea. But they roared back to bundle out Uganda for 39 to register a 134-run win. If they beat New Zealand, they will become the first team from Group C to qualify for the Super Eight.West Indies know this is their toughest challenge yet but, as their captain Rovman Powell said, “if there is a good time to play New Zealand, it is now”.This is the first men’s T20 World Cup game in Trinidad; they did not get any in 2010. That could be one reason the ICC is expecting a strong crowd, probably a sell-out.

Form guide

West Indies WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWL

In the spotlight – Roston Chase and Kane Williamson

With just 15 T20I caps, Roston Chase is one of the least experienced players in the West Indies squad. But given the low-scoring pitches in the World Cup so far, he has emerged as one of their most important players, thanks to his ability to play the anchor’s role and bowl economical offspin. In five T20Is this year, Chase has scored 178 runs at a strike rate of 154.78 and picked up four wickets at an economy of 5.92.In the Afghanistan game, nothing symbolised New Zealand’s rustiness more than Kane Williamson’s dismissal: steering the ball into the hands of first slip off Rashid Khan. Between the last T20 World Cup and this one, Williamson played just eight T20s. Even though he was with Gujarat Titans for IPL 2024, he featured in only two games. The reason being Williamson is not your modern, power-hitting T20 batter, but he could hold the key to his team’s chances on these pitches.James Neesham is in contention to be back in the XI against West Indies•ICC/Getty Images

Team news – Sodhi in for a seamer?

West Indies are likely to field the same XI for the third successive game.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh MotieNew Zealand could make a couple of changes. James Neesham might come in for Mark Chapman and Ish Sodhi for Matt Henry.New Zealand (probable XI): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Stats and trivia – Pooran set to overtake Gayle

• Among those who have scored at least 500 runs across all T20s since the start of 2024, Andre Russell (205.15) is the only one to have a strike rate in excess of 200.
• Mitchell Santner’s T20 economy rate in the West Indies is 5.55.
• Nicholas Pooran needs three runs to take over Chris Gayle’s tally of 1899 to become the leading run-getter for West Indies in T20Is.
• Pooran has hit the most sixes (82) in T20s this year.

Pitch and conditions – Another low-scoring game?

There was lots of rain on Wednesday due to which West Indies had to cancel their training. New Zealand cut short theirs because of “unacceptable” practice pitches. There is no forecast for rain on the match day, though. Since the start of 2021, the average first-innings total in Tarouba has been 167 and it could once again be a low-scoring game.

Quotes

“Not just playing at RR, cricket is a global sport now with a lot of technology around. So everything you do in every single game is available to everyone around the world. Thankfully for us, we have a very good analyst who has figured out some of the strengths and weaknesses of Trent Boult. So hopefully tomorrow we can mitigate his strengths and try to capitalise.”
“From talking with a few of the West Indies boys and getting some understanding of what it plays like, they said sometimes it could be a sort of scrappy wicket around that 140-150 [mark]. And then there have been some games where it has been high-scoring. I look forward to the challenge tomorrow and try to adapt as quickly as possible.”

A new global tournament, the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, involving eight teams from four continents, will be played from November 20 to 30 in Bangkok. Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Netherlands, UAE, Scotland, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda will take part in the inaugural edition.The trigger for the tournament, an ICC statement said, was the success of the recent ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where “more than 500 million viewers in India” were recorded and there was also “significant growth in viewership across countries”.”Nearly 300,000 fans attended matches across India and Sri Lanka and the event concluded with India becoming the first Asian team to lift the Women’s Cricket World Cup, a watershed moment in the evolution of the sport and the socio-cultural context of gender roles,” an ICC statement said. “Building on the extraordinary impetus provided by the marquee event, the ICC continues to invest in creating a sustainable future for women’s cricket. The Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy is part of a new three-tier development pathway designed to offer high-performance exposure to emerging nations.”Sanjog Gupta, the ICC chief executive, said, “It is the ICC and the Chair’s [Jay Shah] vision to sustainably expand cricket’s footprint across the world and grow the women’s game. Providing elite athletes from emerging nations more opportunities to play at the highest level is aimed at fast-tracking their development and improving the competitiveness of their teams.”It also drives the visibility of the sport in participant nations, serving as a driver of girls’ involvement in the sport and inspires women from other nations to stay committed to the development pathways.”The opening day will feature Thailand vs Netherlands and Papua New Guinea vs UAE.

Babar Azam has returned to the Pakistan T20I squad for the first time in nearly a year. He was named in a 15-member squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, as well as the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe which follows. Mohammad Rizwan, who was removed from the captaincy in ODI cricket, keeps his place in the 50-over squad, while wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan and offspinner Usman Tariq come into the T20 side.Babar has not played any T20 cricket since the end of the PSL, after which he was not part of any squad for the shortest format. At the time, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson said he would need to “improve a few things” to earn his way back into the side, with the Big Bash League in December believed to be the tournament Pakistan would use to assess his improvement. It is not yet clear what led to him being fast-tracked back in, but his inclusion means he is, once more, an all-format player for Pakistan.Related

• Asif Afridi finally gets his moment, 16 years and 90 deliveries in the making

• Deja Vu for Masood as SA's tail wags and Pakistan's plans unravel

• Ball not dead, bails knocked off – Why was Mohammad Rizwan not out hit-wicket?

Fast bowler Naseem Shah keeps his place in the ODI squad, and returns to the T20 side. He recently excelled in the CPL with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where Tariq’s performance with champions Trinbago Knight Riders has also been rewarded. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Hasan Ali, who was part of the T20 Asia Cup squad, is not part of any of the white-ball teams, while Hussain Talat drops out of the T20 side.Shaheen Afridi will captain Pakistan’s ODI side for the first time against South Africa in November during a three-match series. Before that, Pakistan play three T20s against them. It is followed by the tri-series from November 17 to 29.

Pakistan ODI squad

Shahen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha

T20I squad

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is set to feature in the next round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy starting on November 1, when Mumbai play Rajasthan in Jaipur in an Elite Group D fixture.Having just returned from Australia where he was part of India’s ODI squad, Jaiswal expressed his keenness to be match-ready ahead of the home Tests against South Africa starting November 14 in Kolkata. This is in line with the BCCI’s directive to all contracted players to feature in domestic competitions when available.Jaiswal is understood to have communicated his availability to Sanjay Patil, Mumbai’s chairman of selectors, who along with his panel will pick the squad for the Rajasthan game after the completion of the ongoing round on Tuesday.Related

• Stats – Gill level with Kohli, Jaiswal only behind Bradman

• The many moods and tempos of Jaiswal and Gill

• Services defeat Assam in 90 overs for shortest Ranji match

If Jaiswal plays, he will make his first appearance for Mumbai since re-committing to the team in May, after he had initially sought a NOC to play for Goa.He last played for the side during a group fixture against Jammu & Kashmir at the BKC grounds, the same game where Rohit Sharma made a much-publicised Ranji appearance on the back of a disappointing Australia tour. Jaiswal’s most-recent domestic appearance came in August, when he featured for West Zone in the season-opening Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru.After they opened their season with a win over Jammu & Kashmir, Mumbai have seen rain hamper their chances of forcing an outright win at home against Chhattisgarh.

Akeal Hosein took two big wickets to help restrict Guyana Amazon Warriors to 130 and then scored a quick and unbeaten 16 off seven balls in the dying moments of a tense chase to lift Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to their fifth CPL title. Hosein went out to bat when TKR were 116 for 7, needing 15 from 22 balls, and he finished things off in dramatic fashion with a six and four in consecutive balls off Gudakesh Motie to spark off their celebrations.The home fans in Providence were left stunned after their 46-year-old captain Imran Tahir had given them hopes of lifting the trophy with his 3 for 34, which included the wickets of Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell on consecutive deliveries.That it wasn’t a great outing for the batters was evident in Alex Hales scratching his way to 26 off 34 balls in the chase, as he saw six wickets fall while dropping anchor. The highest score by any batter across both innings was Iftikhar Ahmed’s 30 for Amazon Warriors, who required contributions from their middle and lower orders after being 65 for 5 in 12 overs.Once Amazon Warriors opted to bat, Russell struck in the first over by having Quentin Sampson caught for a duck, but Ben McDermott countered soon after. He went for 4, 6, 4 off Hosein to end the fourth over even as Shai Hope took his time at the other end. Saurabh Netravalkar ended the 38-run stand in the last over of the powerplay when McDermott found the fielder at deep midwicket to depart for 28 off 17 balls, which began a collapse of 4 for 24.Hosein bowled Hope for 12 off 19, Usman Tariq cleaned Moeen Ali up for 10, and Hosein got his second by having Shimron Hetmyer find long-on for 4. But Iftikhar, Dwaine Pretorius (25 off 18) and Romario Shepherd (13 off 9) doubled Amazon Warriors’ score in the last eight overs. Netravalkar dismissed both Pretorius and Iftikhar to finish with 3 for 25.Halfway into the third over of TKR’s chase, it looked like the target was too little to challenge Colin Munro, who hammered three fours in a 22-run second over that saw five wides from Shepherd. Pretorius, however, dismissed Munro next over to check TKR’s progress.TKR captain Nicholas Pooran huffed and puffed to 1 off eight balls before finding mid-off, and TKR were 55 for 3 after eight overs, with Darren Bravo being trapped lbw by Tahir. Just 12 runs came off the next three overs without a single boundary as Moeen and Tahir didn’t allow the TKR batters to break free. But Sunil Narine brought TKR back by heaving Motie for two sixes in the 12th over to bring the equation under run a ball.The twists and turns continued when Shamar Joseph had Narine caught at mid-off for 22, and Pollard hit back by launching Tahir for three sixes in the 14th over, to make the equation a lot more comfortable at 22 required off 36.But Tahir gave TKR another scare. He bowled Pollard with a googly and had Russell caught at slip first ball. When Joseph took a return catch off Hales in the 17th over, Amazon Warriors believed a miracle was coming, but Hosein washed away all their hopes with a match-winning cameo.

Somerset romped through to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-finals with a comprehensive six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Gloucestershire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The visitors were bowled out for a disappointing 155 in 40.5 overs after winning the toss, skipper Jack Taylor top-scoring with 43. There were three wickets each for Jake Ball and Tom Lammonby, while Jack Leach sent down ten overs of left-arm spin for miserly figures of 2 for 23.Two rain-interruptions left Somerset facing a revised target of 149 in 45 overs. They reached it with more than 13 overs to spare, skipper James Rew leading the way with 46, and now face a trip to meet Worcestershire in the semi-finals on Sunday.Gloucestershire never recovered from losing James Bracey, so prolific in the competition this season, to the second ball of the match, bowled by Ball pushing forward defensively. The decision to bat first had come as a surprise as play began under heavily overcast skies, with the floodlights on, and a threat of rain later in the day.Cameron Bancroft looked in good touch, striking two big sixes in a half-century stand for the second wicket with Ollie Price. It was 56 for 2 in the 14th over when the Australian, on 34, played a checked drive to Kasey Aldridge and saw the bowler take a juggling return catch.Price had made 25 when judged lbw to a ball from Lammonby angled into his pads and 97 for 4 as Ben Charlesworth was caught at mid-on aiming a back-foot forcing shot off the left-arm seamer. Lammonby had figures of three for 20 when Graeme van Buuren popped up a soft return catch and departed for a duck looking suspiciously at the pitch.At 97 for 5, Gloucestershire were in disarray. With 29 runs added, Tommy Boorman fell leg-before sweeping a ball from Leach, who followed up by having Daaryoush Ahmed brilliantly caught by Aldridge racing towards the long-on boundary from mid-off and taking the ball just inside the rope as it dropped over his shoulder.Jack Taylor drove a catch to mid-off give Ben Green a wicket, having faced 59 balls and hit six fours. With his departure at 140 for 8 went Gloucestershire’s last hope of a meaningful total and Ball wrapped up the innings as Matt Taylor and Craig Miles edged through to wicketkeeper James Rew.Somerset’s reply had reached 16 without loss when the forecast rain arrived at 2.25pm. Play resumed at 3.50pm, with no initial reduction in overs or the victory target, and with just five runs added Archie Vaughan was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Bracey diving low to his right off Matt Taylor.Lewis Goldsworthy pulled a six off Taylor before Lammonby, on 18, played a loose drive at Craig Miles’ second delivery of the game, well wide off off stump, and gave a routine catch to Bracey with the total on 47 in the 12th over.At 53 for 2, rain forced a further 25 minute break and the overs and target were reduced. James Rew quickly settled in, lofting a ball from van Buuren over long-off for six as he and Goldsworthy added 39 for the third wicket before the latter fell for 27, caught and bowled off a leading edge in Ahmed’s first over.Having survived a loud appeal for a catch behind off Josh Shaw, the Somerset captain prospered in tandem with younger brother Thomas Rew, who took a six and four off an Ahmed over before pulling Jack Taylor’s first ball of the match over deep square for another maximum.Taylor had Rew senior stumped by Bracey having faced 53 balls, but by then the outcome was beyond doubt and his precocious sibling saw Somerset home, ending unbeaten on 40 off just 39 deliveries.