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Kieron Pollard can add the Bloem City Blazers to his long list of T20 franchises, after he was picked by Bloemfontein – the first overseas marquee player scooped up at Saturday night’s T20 Global League player draft

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2017West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard can add Bloem City Blazers to his long list of T20 teams, after he was picked by Bloemfontein as the first overseas marquee player at South Africa’s T20 Global League draft on Saturday.Pollard was one of three West Indians among the first five marquee picks. Chris Gayle was taken third by Cape Town Knight Riders, while Dwayne Bravo was taken fifth by Pretoria Mavericks. Squeezed in between was Brendon McCullum, the second pick, snapped up by Jo’Burg Giants, and Eoin Morgan who was taken fourth by Durban Qalandars.Kevin Pietersen will return to South African cricket with Nelson Mandela Bay Stars, after he was taken sixth by the Port Elizabeth-based franchise. England batsman Jason Roy was taken seventh by Benoni Zalmi and Lasith Malinga was assigned to Stellenbosch Monarchs by default as last designated marquee player available.The international marquee players joined the local marquee players who had already been assigned to each of the eight franchises, and on Sunday the teams participated in a much larger draft – to pick their remaining 16 players. Out of each squad of 18, there could be a maximum of five internationals and a minimum of two players from the rookie category.Shahid Afridi, who struck his maiden T20 hundred – 101 off 43 balls – earlier this week in the NatWest T20 Blast, will miss the T20 Global League because of his commitments with Dhaka Dynamites in the Bangladesh Premier League. Another Pakistan player Junaid Khan, who was picked by Nelson Mandela Bay Stars in the draft, also said he would be playing the BPL instead. The dates of the T20 Global League clash with the BPL schedule this year.
The T20 Global League will be played in eight cities across South Africa in November and December.Here’s how the teams stacked up:Benoni Zalmi – Quinton de Kock (local marquee), Jason Roy (international marquee), Albie Morkel (round one), Wahab Riaz (round two), Umar Akmal (round three), Lungi Ngidi (round four), David Wiese (round five), Eddie Leie (round six), Pite van Biljon (round seven),
Leus du Plooy (round eight), Dillon du Preez (round nine), Dean Elgar (round ten), Mohammad Nawaz (round 11), George Linde (round 12), Rivaldo Moonsamy (round 13), Calvin Savage (round 14), Carmi le Roux (round 15), Tshepo Moreki (round 16)
Bloem City Blazers (Bloemfontein) – David Miller (local marquee), Kieron Pollard (international marquee), Dane Paterson (round one), Chris Jordan (round two), Dwayne Smith (round three), Shaun von Burg (round four), Aaron Phangiso (round five), Morne Van Wyk (round six), Beuran Hendricks (round seven), Theunis de Bruyn (round eight), Janneman Malan (round nine), Ryan ten Doeschate (round ten), Clyde Fortuin (round 11), Rayad Emrit (round 12), Werner Coetsee (round 13), Yaseen Vallie (round 14), Akhona Mnyaka (round 15),
Keegan Petersen (round 16)
Cape Town Knight Riders – JP Duminy (local marquee), Chris Gayle (international marquee), Dale Steyn (round one), Adil Rashid (round two), Tom Curran (round three), Rassie van der Dussen (round four), James Vince (round five), Dwaine Pretorius (round six), Jason Smith (round seven), Rudi Second (round eight), Rory Kleinveldt (round nine), Malusi Siboto (round ten), Denesh Ramdin (round 11), Thomas Kaber (round 12), Senuran Muthusamy (round 13), Dayyaan Galiem (round 14), Pieter Malan (round 15), Aviwe Mgijima (round 16)
Durban Qalandars – Hashim Amla (local marquee), Eoin Morgan (international marquee), Chris Morris (round one), Sam Billings (round two), Mitchell McClenaghan (round three), Bjorn Fortuin (round four), Mohammad Hafeez (round five), Fakhar Zaman (round six), Junior Dala (round seven), Qaasim Adams (round eight), Migael Pretorius (round nine), Nicky van der Bergh (round ten), Prenelan Subrayen (round 11), Kelly Smuts (round 12), Marques Ackerman (round 13), Daryn Dupavillon (round 14), Mthokozisi Shezi (round 15), Cody Chetty (round 16)
Jo’burg Giants – Kagiso Rabada (local marquee), Brendon McCullum (international marquee), Colin Ingram (round one), Vernon Philander (round two), Andile Phehlukwayo (round three), Chris Jonker (round four), Temba Bavuma (round five), Patrick Kruger (round six),
Yasir Shah (round seven), Nicholas Pooran (round eight), Duanne Olivier (round nine), Jonathan Vandiar (round ten), Roelof van der Merwe (round 11), Andries Gous (round 12), Rabian Englebrecht (round 13), Dane Piedt (round 14), Andre Malan (round 15), Zubayr Hamza (round 16)
Nelson Mandela Bay Stars (Port Elizabeth) – Imran Tahir (local marquee), Kevin Pietersen (international marquee), JJ Smuts (round one), Aiden Markram (round two), Anwar Ali (round three), Heinrich Klaasen (round four), Junaid Khan (round five), Dawid Malan (round six), Sisanga Magala (round seven), Heino Kuhn (round eight), Andrew Birch (round nine), Colin Ackermann (round ten), Shadley van Schalkwyk (round 11), Sibonelo Makhanya (round 12), Wihan Lubbe (round 13), Grant Thomson (round 14), Lesiba Ngoepe (round 15), Ryan Rickleton (round 16)
Pretoria Mavericks – AB de Villiers (local marquee), Dwayne Bravo (international marquee), Morne Morkel (round one), Farhaan Behardien (round two), Dane Vilas (round three), Robbie Frylinck (round four), Keshav Maharaj (round five), Johan Botha (round six), Vaughn van Jaarsveld (round seven), Steven Finn (round eight), Reeza Hendricks (round nine), Diego Rosier (round ten), Khaya Zondo (round 11),
Eldred Hawken (round 12), Basheer Walters (round 13), Stephan Myburgh (round 14), Tony de Zorzi (round 15), Kyle Nipper (round 16)
Stellenbosch Monarchs – Faf du Plessis (local marquee), Lasith Malinga (international marquee), Alex Hales (round one), Tabraiz Shamsi (round two), Wayne Parnell (round three), Imad Wasim (round four), Henry Davids (round five), Mangaliso Mosehle (round six), Willem Mulder (round seven), Justin Ontong (round eight), Ryan McLaren (round nine), Brendan Taylor (round ten), Lizaad Williams (round 11), Jeevan Mendis (round 12), Rowan Richards (round 13), Craig Alexander (round 14), Grant Mokoena (round 15), Kyle Simmonds (round 16)

Chris Gayle’s return to the NatWest T20 Blast was overshadowed by a superb hundred from Chris Nash as Sussex beat Somerset in a one-sided contest at Hove to make it two wins from two in the South Group

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2016
ScorecardChris Nash made his maiden T20 hundred•Getty Images

Chris Gayle’s return to the NatWest T20 Blast was overshadowed by a superb hundred from Chris Nash as Sussex beat Somerset in a one-sided contest at Hove to make it two wins from two in the South Group.Nash made 112 not out from 64 balls, his first T20 century, to help his side to 222 for 3 then Gayle found the explosive pace of left-armer Tymal Mills – who had previously set out his stall to target Somerset’s big-name overseas signing – too hot to handle and was yorked for 5 by a delivery timed at 93mph.Roelof van der Merwe made a defiant 59 and Mahela Jayawardene a classy 51 but Somerset were never in contention and were bowled out in the last over for 174 to lose by 48 runs.Nash and captain Luke Wright laid the platform for Sussex’s second 200-plus total of their Blast campaign with a stand of 156 in 14 overs for the first wicket with Nash making the most of two fielding lapses. He was dropped on nought off the second ball of the match by James Hildreth at backward point and again in the fifth over by Jayawardene, having scored 17.Wright did not hit the first six of the innings until in the seventh over but it signalled an onslaught by the Sussex batsmen, who plundered 90 off the next eight overs. Nash was first to his half-century but he was soon overtaken by his partner, who eventually found his timing in his first game of the season after recovering from back and wrist injuries.Wright’s 83 came from just 39 balls and included five sixes and eight fours as he harnessed a strong wind and targeted the Sea End boundary. It was a surprise when he played on to the legspinner Max Waller and Sussex lost Ross Taylor in the next over, caught at long-on off a mistimed drive.But Nash pressed on and Matt Machan gave him excellent support in a third-wicket stand of 51 from 28 balls. He reached his hundred in the 19th over by hitting Jamie Overton over long-on for six before gliding the next ball to the backward point rope. He finished with 13 boundaries and three sixes from 64 balls faced. Overton took 2 for 45 but the Somerset attack were guilty of bowling too short.An asking rate of more than 11 runs an over was always going to test Somerset and they suffered an immediate blow when Ajmal Shahzad bowled Jim Allenby for a duck with the first legitimate delivery of the innings.But the big moment came in the next over when Mills, with the strong wind at his back, began to bowl consistently at more than 90mph. Gayle top-edged his second ball over the slips for four but when he stepped away trying to hit the next delivery through the off side he was bowled, much to the delight of a 5,500 crowd.Sussex’s other seamers complemented Mills’ raw pace. South African David Wiese picked up 4 for 38 on his debut and Shahzad ended Somerset’s faint hopes when he had Jayawardene caught at long on for 51 from 39 balls in the 11th over.

The aggressive bowling of Shaun Tait and the batting of Ravi Bopara combined for Essex to ease them to their first T20 win of the season against Glamorgan

ECB/PA22-May-2015
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s unbeaten 81 took Essex home•Getty Images

The aggressive bowling of Shaun Tait and the batting of Ravi Bopara combined for Essex to ease them to their first T20 win of the season against Glamorgan.Having restricted the home side to 144 for 8 thanks to three wickets from Tait, Bopara was guiding his side to an easy win before floodlight failure at the SWALEC stadium saw the match held up for 30 minutes. Once the lights had come back on, Bopara and Essex continued their serene progression towards victory. Bopara finished on 81 not out off 53 balls and Essex won with 14 balls to spare.The target was par at best for Glamorgan, and when Jesse Ryder was dispatching the ball to the boundary with ease it looked nowhere near enough. When he was well caught by Andrew Salter on the midwicket boundary for 20 runs off just 10 balls the Essex run rate dropped dramatically. Bopara came to the rescue, first with Kishen Velani and then briefly with Ryan ten Doeschate to make the game a formality by the time the lights went out.

Insights

Essex’s team was clearly short of experience and quality in the first week, when, without Mark Pettini and Ravi Bopara for both matches, and Jesse Ryder for the second, they lost twice, both times losing too many wickets in run-chases. A top three of Nick Browne, Daniel Lawrence and Kishen Velani for their second match against Surrey was replaced by a top three of Pettini, Ryder and Bopara against Glamorgan and Essex were triumphant. With Ryan ten Doeschate, Graeme Napier and James Foster below them, Essex have one of the most formidable batting line-ups in the league.

The Glamorgan innings started badly but they recovered well after the early loss of Mark Wallace. The keeper-batsman played out a somewhat fraught innings: in the over he was dismissed he was lucky not to be out caught twice before being bowled by Graham Napier for 5. The South African pairing of Colin Ingram and Jacques Rudolph then built a platform with a partnership of 46 off 33 balls.Ingram rode his luck during his innings, edging over the keeper’s head twice and surviving a chance off Reece Topley that should have been caught by Napier. He could not make the most of his luck and he was caught in the deep the next over by Bopara for 24. Rudolph was out the following over for 30.Things only got worse for the Welsh county when Will Bragg went for 6 caught at long-off and Craig Meschede was run out four deliveries later without facing a ball. The procession of Glamorgan wickets continued when Andrew Salter was clean up by a thunderbolt yorker from Tait to leave the home side 83 for 6.There was a recovery of sorts between Chris Cooke and Graham Wagg, who took the score past 100 before Wagg attempted one expansive drive too many and was brilliantly caught at mid-on by ten Doeschate for 14. Cooke went on to make 31 from 30 balls, the highest score of Glamorgan’s stop-start innings, before he was well caught at long-on by ten Doeschate.Essex were always favourite to win and despite losing both of their openers early Bopara appeared to have things under control. Fresh from his spell with Sunrisers Hydrabad at the IPL the England allrounder made it all look very easy as Essex bounced back from losing twice in two days on the opening weekend.

Delhi and Tamil Nadu, both on equal points at this stage, take on each other in the Ranji Trophy group match at Kotla

Sharda Ugra23-Nov-2012On most occasions and in many ways, Delhi and Tamil Nadu have little in common. When they meet at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday, though, much around them will be similar. This will be the fourth Ranji Trophy group stage game for both sides. Not only are they on equal points, Delhi and Tamil Nadu could also be equally piqued at having come away from one draw with a single point.Tamil Nadu’s opening match against Odisha in Cuttack had the better part of the game washed away due to rain. In their last match, Delhi couldn’t get across the line to snatch the first-innings points against an obdurate Baroda at home.The sole point of difference, though, is that Tamil Nadu have not been beaten this season. Delhi, a full-strength one no less, were defeated by UP in their season-opener in Ghaziabad. The best way for Delhi to put up any gap on the points table between the visitors and themselves is an outright win. Delhi certainly have the bowlers to do it; their most experienced and skillful, Ashish Nehra, however is an uncertain starter, even though he trained with the team on the eve of the match.Delhi’s winter has set in and theoretically, seaming conditions are said to be on offer in the first session of play. The main question, though, will be about which kind of Kotla pitch turns up at the game on Saturday: the familiar 22 yards that are respectfully built over a medieval graveyard or the oft-promised-but-never-seen Gabba-model with bounce and carry?In the past few seasons, when seeking an advantage for their seamers or getting their ground ready for an international fixture, Delhi have often shifted their Ranji venue to the Roshanara Club north of the city said to have the liveliest of pitches in the city. But no more, they say, because results have not really gone in the home team’s favour. Of the nine matches played at Roshanara, for which the DDCA has had to pay the private club a daily fee, Delhi have won merely three. Of the three matches played after that last win in December 2010, Delhi have been beaten by Railways, and have drawn against Mumbai and Haryana. It would appear that Roshanara has now lost its allure. All it remains now is for Kotla to gain some.Delhi have increased their squad to 15 with the introduction of Vaibhav Raval, who has scored three consecutive centuries for Delhi under-25s. At the time of reporting, M Vijay had not yet been released from Indian team to play for Tamil Nadu.

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach and chief selector, has said he will not let his double role hamper him or the team in any way during their series against Sri Lanka in the UAE

Umar Farooq11-Oct-2011Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach and chief selector, has said he will not let his dual role hamper him or the team in any way during their series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. Sri Lanka, Mohsin said, is a tough opponent, which would make victory against them ‘sweeter’.”I am not going to confuse myself with the double responsibility,” Mohsin said on the sidelines of a training session. “The board has asked me to take up the responsibility. It’s a challenging one [assignment], a duty that has to be completed with responsibility.”Sri Lanka, no doubt, is one of the toughest sides in the world to play against, but we are ready to take them on. Conditions there [in the UAE] are obviously neutral for both teams, but what is important is that we have a strong combination. In the end, victory is sweeter when you beat a tough opponent.”With Waqar Younis stepping down as coach, the team’s think-tank now comprises all batsmen – Mohsin, assistant coach Ijaz Ahmed and captain Misbah-ul-Haq – but this won’t affect their bowling strategies Mohsin said. “I don’t think it’s a big thing. I am confident that we can make it, despite most of our strategy-makers being batsmen. I have extensive experience playing at the top [opening] slot and opening batsman know the nature of bowlers.”The Pakistan squad for the recent series against Zimbabwe was an experimental one, with the bowling attack in particular featuring several new names, but they still managed to win all their matches on the tour. Mohsin said the selectors has taken a ‘successful risk’ when choosing that squad and won’t be afraid of taking such a risk in future as well. “To achieve a big goal, you have to take risks. So despite receiving extensive criticism, we went with an experimental squad. As a selector, or now a coach, I won’t afraid of taking a risk.”Pakistan’s Test squad, which will take on Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi from October 18, assembled at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for a four-day training camp. The 15-man squad, along with the four reserve players, began with fielding drills, followed by nets sessions. The team and its management had met on Monday evening for a briefing session on the new ICC playing rules, code of conduct and anti-corruption codes.

Lalit Modi has been sent a show cause by the passport office in Mumbai asking him to justify why his passport should not be revoked

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, has been sent a show cause by the passport office in Mumbai asking him to justify why his passport should not be revoked, according to the . Modi has 15 days to respond to the notice, which was sent after the Enforcement Directorate [ED], a department of the Finance Ministry that handles allegations of financial irregularity, requested the cancellation of his passport in a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs.Mehmood Abdi, Modi’s lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo that neither he nor his client has received any notices from the ED or the passport office. “Lalit Modi has been cooperating with ED in the best possible manner i.e. through his constituted attorney and lawyers. Each and every summons has been timely responded; all documents and explanations called for have been provided to ED.”Abdi added that taking away someone’s passport was a strong step that threatens Modi’s personal liberty, and therefore should not be taken lightly. He also reiterated that Modi’s absence from India is due to a “grave and elevated threat perception of his life.”The ED is examining whether Modi violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act during his time as IPL chairman. Last week the directorate issued a blue corner alert for Modi, which makes it mandatory for law-enforcement agencies around the world to detain him wherever they spot him and inform the ED accordingly. Modi has denied receiving that notice as well.The Chennai police have also registered a case against Lalit Modi and six others on allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and falsification of accounts, according to a report in the . The case is based on a criminal complaint filed by the BCCI on Wednesday.

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has flown home to Jamaica to be with his seriously ill mother

Peter English17-Nov-2009Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has flown home to Jamaica to be with his seriously ill mother, leaving him in doubt for next week’s first Test. Gayle departed Allan Border Field before the start of the tour game against Queensland to begin the journey back to visit her in hospital in Kingston.Team-mate Ramnaresh Sarwan said it was disappointing to lose Gayle and the squad would have to wait to learn whether he will be able to turn out at the Gabba. “He’s got something very important to go back to, his mum is not well,” Sarwan said. “We’re hoping for him to come back for the first Test, if not the second. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”Gayle’s absence means Denesh Ramdin, the wicketkeeper, is leading the side in the four-day tour match in Brisbane. The 15-man squad is already short of experience and will rely on Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sarwan to lift it in the lead-up to the Test on November 26.”The thoughts of the management and players in the team as well as the WICB are with Chris and his family at this time,” Joel Garner, the team manager, said. “We also want to wish his mother a speedy recovery.”While the squad hopes Gayle will return quickly, the move is a further blow to the tourists, who have come together following a strike between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board. Gayle, who has played 82 Tests, has also been criticised for his attitude since being re-appointed captain following the player strike. When the team arrived last week he spoke of unifying the side and challenging Australia in the three-game series.

England opener shrugs off disappointment and aims to return to ‘fearless’ brand of cricket

Andrew Miller20-Nov-2024Danni Wyatt-Hodge says that England are ready to park the criticism that followed their early exit from the T20 World Cup, and renew their focus on the “fearless” brand of cricket that went missing at the crucial moments of their decisive group-stage defeat to West Indies in Dubai last month.Speaking in the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I against World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “become a bad side in eight overs”, after an error-strewn performance in the field had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en route to a place in the semi-finals at England’s expense.England’s poor performance drew an unprecedented reaction in the media, not least from the former World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who called into question the players’ fitness levels – a point that was flatly rejected last week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. However, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the growth of the women’s game.”That’s part of the game now isn’t it?” she said. “We put ourselves out there, people can say what they want, but all that matters is in our circle, and we’re all working really hard every day in training and games. We want to keep improving individually and as a team. And people are entitled to say what they want out of this group. That’s fine. We know what’s going on, so that’s all that matters.”We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last few years, and we played some great cricket throughout the World Cup as well,” she added. “And we’re all here now in South Africa, and we’re really excited to get going. We just want to focus on playing that fearless brand of cricket that we’ve played over the last couple of years, and just enjoy it.”South Africa pulled off the shock of the tournament to beat defending champions Australia in their semi-final, before losing to New Zealand in their second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup final. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they would pose another stiff challenge to her team, even though they have chosen to rest two senior players, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format series.England “did not become a bad side in eight overs” against West Indies, says Wyatt-Hodge•ICC/Getty Images

“They’ve got a few youngsters in their squad, so we’re not going to be familiar with some of their bowlers,” Wyatt-Hodge said, with Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase among the unfamiliar names.”We’re going to sit down and have a look at what they do, but they’ve got some outstanding players on their team, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They’re a very challenging team to play against, but it’s always really good fun to come out here and play against them in their conditions. We’re really buzzing to get going.”One potential trump card for England could be the recall of Lauren Filer, their fastest bowler, who was overlooked for the conditions at the World Cup, but who can expect to relish the harder surfaces of South Africa over the coming weeks.”Filer’s bowling has really improved over the last year or so,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “She’s very scary to face in the nets, and especially out here, the pitches are quite quick and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out here. She’s been working really hard, and if she gets a chance, I’m sure she’s raring to go.”The timing of the series, and the multi-format nature, means that England are sure to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. But Wyatt-Hodge recognised the significance of the tour in its own right, especially given the need to bounce back from their recent disappointments.Related

• Danni Wyatt-Hodge joins Surrey for new professional era

• England seek World Cup redemption in South Africa

• England Women appoint Courtney Winfield-Hill as assistant coach

• Alice Capsey called up to England T20 squad for South Africa tour

• Paige Scholfield ruled out of England's SA tour with ankle injury

“This is a massive series for us, leading up to the Ashes as well. We want to go out there and show off our skills, and show everyone how good we are.”We’ve had a few meetings, there’s always ways we can be better,” she added. “Personally, I’ve got things on the work on, like many of the other girls, so we want to keep pushing ourselves to be better and better.Even though I’m 33, I still feel like one of the youngsters, I feel about 23. I just want to have fun, but also, when I’m on it, I’m on it and I’m focused. I just want to keep working hard, and hopefully the youngsters see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to keep improving and working hard. We want to inspire them as well, to do what we’re doing.”The tour will conclude with a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein, starting on December 15, and though Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I just play what’s in front of me,” she admitted the prospect of adding a third Test cap to her tally was an enticing one.”We don’t really play that much of it, so every time I’m picked in a Test squad, it’s a really special feeling,” she said. “To make my Test debut in the Ashes Test couple of years ago was one of the best days I’ve had in my cricketing career. It hits different, a Test match does. We all really enjoy the challenge. It’s just so different, so having a Test match here against South Africa is going to be great prep going into the Ashes.”

Changes at the top as Ireland return to 50-over format for first time since failed World Cup bid

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2023Paul Stirling will captain Ireland in their three-match ODI series against England in September, their first 50-over series since their disappointing display at the World Cup qualifying event in Zimbabwe in June and July.Stirling will open the batting alongside Andrew Balbirnie, his predecessor as captain, while Curtis Campher has been confirmed as the new No.3, as Ireland take on the world champions England in three ODIs at Headingley, Trent Bridge and Bristol between September 20 and 26.The squad includes a prospective new cap in Theo van Woerkom, a New Zealand-born left-arm spinner who has featured for Northern Knights in Ireland’s provincial competition.Ireland came into the World Cup qualifying tournament with high hopes of making it through to the main event for the first time since 2015. However, they eventually finished seventh after missing out on the Super Sixes’ phase of the competition.Since then, they have successfully reached the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA next year, and were most recently in action against India last week, losing the three-match series 2-0, with one abandonment.”While the squad has an overall familiar shape, there are several important changes we are going to look at,” Andrew White, Ireland men’s national selector, said. “The key changes are at the top of the order where Andrew Balbirnie will open with Paul Stirling. The pair have a great understanding and we believe they can develop into a longer term opening option in the 50-over game.”Along with this, Curtis Campher will make the move to number 3, where we believe he has the technique and aptitude to succeed in the role – he plays pace as well as anyone in the squad, and whilst he has been a mainstay of our middle order for a few years now, we believe he has the capability to batter higher up the order and have a really positive impact.”We see this series as important in the development and evolution of our one-day squad and the players are certainly looking forward to locking horns with England for the first time in ODIs since 2020.”Ireland squad: Paul Stirling (capt), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young.

Victory for home side ensures they leapfrog visitors in final Charlotte Edwards Cup standings

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2022England slow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone collected 5 for 15, her maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, as Thunder ended their Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign with a five-wicket victory over Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.The victory was completed with 28 balls to spare and ensures that Thunder do not finish bottom of their group, that unwanted honour being taken by Lightning, whose total of 103 was comfortably overhauled.But Lightning’s innings had got off to a superb start when the visitors took 27 runs off the first ten balls of the innings, 16 of them conceded by Kate Cross’s opening over. However, that early momentum was lost when Marie Kelly attempted one cross-batted swipe too many at Alex Hartley’s left-arm spin and was bowled for 17.In the third over, Ecclestone had Ella Claridge caught by Phoebe Graham at mid-on for nought and Bethany Harmer pouched at backward square leg for 7. That left Lightning on 29 off 3 after three overs and only 15 runs were scored off the remaining 18 balls of the Powerplay.Thunder struck the next blow when Sarah Bryce was neatly caught and bowled by Hannah Jones for 13 and when Bethan Ellis’s top-edged sweep off Emma Lamb was nonchalantly plucked out of the air by Graham at backward square leg on the 45, Lightning were 54 for 5 after nine overs.Kathryn Bryce and Piepa Cleary tried to stabilise the innings but their attempt foundered when non-striker Bryce called Cleary for a single but was run out for 13 by Graham’s sharp throw. Lightning’s task now was to balance steady accumulation with the priority of batting out their remaining eight overs but Cleary and Lucy Higham’s careful progress was derailed in the 16th over with the score on 86, when another bullet throw by Graham ran out Higham for 16.Ecclestone then cleaned up Sophie Munro, Grace Ballinger and Josie Groves, the last of her victims smartly stumped by Ellie Threlkeld first ball, to leave Lightning all out for 103 with two of their overs unused.Thunder’s pursuit began even more poorly than Lightning’s had. Georgie Boyce was lbw to Kelly for 1 and Cross caught at mid-off with Ballinger the successful bowler for 9, both wickets falling in the first three overs, and when Ecclestone was leg before to Kathryn Bryce for two, the home side were 25 for 3 after 4.5 overs.That, though was where the good news appeared to end for Lightning. Lamb moved carefully onto the attack and had made 42 off 35 balls when she was leg before to Kathryn Bryce. That was at the halfway stage of the Thunder innings and the home side were still well placed on 75 for 4, especially so since Kelly had been removed from the attack for bowling two beamers above waist height.Danielle Collins was leg before to Josie Groves for 12 in the next over but by that stage Thunder needed 23 runs off nine overs with five wickets in hand. That job was completed with litte fuss by Threlkeld and Daisy Mullan, skipper Threlkeld finishing unbeaten on 12. Kathryn Bryce, with 2 for 24, was the most successful Lightning bowler.