Veteran quick helps secure first-innings lead but two early wickets keep relegation battle alive

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2022A superb post-tea burst by veteran Jack Brooks gave Somerset the edge over Warwickshire in an engrossing, high-pressure LV=Insurance County Championship clash at Edgbaston.Defeat for either side from this game would leave them in serious jeopardy of relegation and that pressure has hung heavy on the batters on a slow pitch against some good bowling.After two days it’s advantage Somerset, just, after they rallied from 82 for seven to reach 219 and then bowled the home side out for 196 as 38-year-old Brooks took four for 40 including a spell of four for seven in 27 balls. The visitors closed the second day on 13 for two in their second innings – 36 ahead.Somerset were given something to bowl at by lower-order resistance led by Lewis Gregory (60, 97 balls) and Sajid Khan (53 not out, 64) despite Mohammed Siraj’s debut five-for (five for 82). At 141 for four in reply, Warwickshire were edging towards ascendancy but Brooks stepped up with a blistering spell. His blitz included the vital wicket of Sam Hain who passed 1,000 first class runs for the season on his way to 67 (166 balls). Hain defied valiantly but, as has often been the case this season, lacked support.Somerset resumed on the second morning on 182 for eight and lost Gregory to the fourth ball when he edged Siraj behind but last pair Khan and Brooks added 37 to lift the total beyond 200. Khan completed his fourth first-class half-century before Brooks skied Henry Brookes to point.Somerset then took their momentum into the field and reduced Warwickshire to 22 for three in the 14th over. Josh Davey struck third ball when Rob Yates nicked to wicketkeeper James Rew. The keeper accepted further catches when Alex Davies and Dominic Sibley edged Gregory.Hain and Will Rhodes (38, 99 balls) steadied the innings with a stand of 73 in 29 overs before Rew’s gloves closed on another catch, tickled down the leg side by Rhodes off Kasey Aldridge. While Hain and Jayant Yadav were adding 46 either side of tea, the game remained evenly poised, but both fell in Brooks’ blistering burst. Jadav and Michael Burgess were bowled through gates, Hain was adjudged lbw and Brookes edged to slip.After Danny Briggs and Olly Hannon-Dalby had their furniture rearranged by Aldridge and Davey respectively, Somerset had a lead of 23 with eight overs to bat in the day. Warwickshire needed to hit back…and did, Siraj having Imam-ul-Haq caught at second slip and Yadav turning one into Aldridge’s stumps. Somerset still have their noses in front but where this tense, intriguing, low-scoring, high-stakes contest goes next, who knows?

The dates the 2023 final are not public yet, but ESPNcricinfo understands it will be held before the Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2022The final of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship will be held at The Oval in June 2023, while Lord’s will stage the final of the next edition, in 2025, the ICC announced today.While the dates for the 2023 WTC final have not yet been confirmed, ESPNcricinfo has learned that it will be held before the Ashes, which starts on June 16 in Birmingham.This will make it three WTC finals in a row to be played in England, with the first one, in 2021, being held at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl. New Zealand beat India to win the trophy then. On that occasion, the final was originally scheduled for Lord’s, but the Ageas Bowl’s on-site hospitality arrangements made it the top choice because of the Covid-19 situation at the time.The WTC final is contested by the top two teams on the table at the end of each cycle – Australia lead the table in the ongoing cycle, followed by South Africa; Sri Lanka are third, with India and Pakistan behind them. There are still some matches left in this cycle, so the standings could well change by the time the finalists are decided.In fact, South Africa were leading the table for a while, but a 2-1 series loss in England last month has pushed them down. They have two series remaining in this cycle – against Australia (away) and West Indies (at home). They face tough competition from India, who also have two Test series remaining in this cycle – against Bangladesh (away) and Australia (at home). Australia have nine more Tests in this cycle, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka, too, have a shot at making the top two.”We are delighted to be hosting next year’s ICC World Test Championship Final at The Oval which has such a rich legacy and an amazing atmosphere, which is ideal for such an important fixture on the calendar,” ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement. “Following that we will then take the 2025 Final to Lord’s which will provide a fitting backdrop to the ultimate Test.”Truncated IPL 2023 for England and Australia players?
England have released their home schedule for next summer. It starts with a one-off Test against Ireland from June 1. The Ashes are then scheduled to begin from June 16 in Birmingham. And that could mean some England and even Australia players might leave the IPL early. While the dates for IPL 2023 have not been released yet, last year the tournament stretched till the last week of May, and the 2023 edition is expected to be longer.

Regular wickets meant Sri Lanka never got close in their chase of 151

S Sudarshanan01-Oct-2022It was a welcome return for Jemimah Rodrigues to the national side as her T20I career best 76, including a 92-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, followed by a stifling show by the bowlers helped India begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign with a 41-run win over Sri Lanka at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.India were scoring at under a run-a-ball before Rodrigues and Harmanpreet got together and helped India add 83 in the ten overs after the powerplay. However, with Harmanpreet’s fall, India only managed to score 35 runs for the loss of four wickets, bringing back the theme that saw them narrowly miss the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year.But India’s spinners kept the pressure on, especially on the face of an attacking start, to help the runners-up of the 2018 edition come up triumphs.Rodrigues, Harmanpreet steady the ship
Opting to field, Sri Lanka started with the left-arm-right-arm spin duo of Sugandika Kumari and Oshadi Ranasinghe, much like they did during the home series against India in June. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s attempt to break free did not bear fruit as both of them fell holing out inside four overs.Rodrigues and Harmanpreet took time to get their eye in, with Achini Kulasuriya’s first over – the penultimate of the powerplay – going for just one. But Rodrigues began the assault, driving Kumari for two fours in the final over of the fielding restrictions. She then meted out a similar treatment to Kulasuriya in her next before taking two more fours off offspinner Malsha Shehani.Spinners trigger steady fall
Soon, Rodrigues brought up her eighth half-century in the format following which the pair began shifting gears. However, with the temperature in Sylhet soaring, it got to Harmanpreet, who had to be tended to by the physio – and she was off the field during the chase with Mandhana calling the shots in the middle – and then was stumped off Ranasinghe a ball after she was dropped and parried over for six.Rodrigues then managed a few hits, including a switch hit off Inoka Ranaweera before a swipe across the line ended her stay in the middle. After that, India’s end fizzled away as they added only 16 off the last 14 balls.Samarawickrama’s fluent start
Chasing 151, Harshitha Samawickrama was off to a quick start, taking three fours off the opening over bowled by Renuka Singh, player of the match in India’s last ODI at Lord’s. She then used her feet well to belt Sneh Rana’s offspin back over her head.Even though Deepti Sharma had managed to work Chamari Athapaththu out and dismiss her, Samarawickrama found an ally in Shehani, who came out all guns blazing. Sri Lanka had raced to 39 for 1 in five overs.Two run-outs turn the tide
Shehani then tried to steal a quick single by playing the ball with soft hands towards the off side, only for Deepti to swoop in quickly from backward point and fire a direct hit at the bowler’s end to catch the batter short. A couple of overs later, Samarawickrama’s ball-watching led to a horrible mix-up and resulted in her dismissal.From 48 for 3, Sri Lanka were reduced to 61 for 5 with Pooja Vastrakar striking twice. Radha then trapped Anushka Sanjeewani lbw before Dayalan Hemalatha picked three quick wickets to hasten the end.

Heat’s 33-run win came at a cost though, with leading run-scorer Georgia Redmayne injuring her hamstring while batting

AAP09-Nov-2022Brisbane Heat will be sweating on the fitness of Georgia Redmayne after the golden-bat leader injured her hamstring during her side’s 33-run win over Perth Scorchers.Heat posted a competitive 7 for 153 at Lilac Hill on Wednesday, before restricting the Scorchers to 8 for 120 in a disappointing batting display from the defending champions. Legspinner Amelia Kerr was named Player of the Match for her miserly figures of 2 for 16, while Nicola Hancock picked up 3 for 26.The result rocketed Brisbane from third into top spot, while the fourth-placed Scorchers have lost two games on the trot and now face a fight to make the finals. Scorchers are two competition points ahead of fifth-placed Hobart Hurricanes, but Hurricanes have two games in hand and a better net run rate.Heat’s victory over Scorchers was significant in the race for the prized top spot, but the injury to Redmayne is a major worry just two weeks out from the finals.Redmayne winced in pain after getting down on a knee to play a shot early in the seventh over. The 28-year old continued to bat, but her hobbling between the wickets meant Heat had to settle for singles several times when two runs were on offer. She cracked a boundary to finish the 11th over, but she was called off by the doctor immediately after.Despite being forced to retire hurt, Redmayne’s 28 off 27 balls was the highest score of the innings. Redmayne has scored a competition-high 333 runs this season, and it remains to be seen how serious the injury is.Scorchers slumped to 4 for 47 in a poor start to their run chase. Openers Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine fell cheaply, with Chloe Piparo and Marizanne Kapp also failing to have an impact. The loss would have been far worse if it wasn’t for the efforts of Maddy Green, who scored 58 off 53 balls before being run out in the final over.The form of captain Devine is of particular concern to Scorchers. The 33-year old has scored just 119 runs at an average of 14.9. Her strike rate of 99 this season is also far below her usually lofty standards. Devine also dropped a catch in the deep on Wednesday, and conceded 12 runs off her first over, but she rebounded to finish with 1 for 27 and a crucial run-out.Scorchers legspinner Alana King produced a strong bowling effort taking 2 for 24, while Kapp came within a whisker of snaring a hat-trick in the final over.Kapp removed Georgia Voll and Pooja Vastrakar with consecutive deliveries, before finding the edge of Nicola Hancock on the hat-trick ball.
Scorchers wicketkeeper Mooney dived full stretch to her right, but the ball sailed just wide.

Faf du Plessis, Trent Boult and James Vince are among those leaving for other leagues

Tristan Lavalette07-Jan-2023As a rejuvenated BBL heads towards the pointy end of the season, teams will look markedly different with a number of high-profile players heading to new cashed-up leagues in the UAE and South Africa. But several Australia Test stars will return before heading to India to whip up plenty of interest ahead of the finals.

Adelaide Strikers

Departing Chris Lynn, Rashid Khan
Returning Alex Carey, Travis HeadIt’s mixed news for Adelaide Strikers. They lose Chris Lynn, who recently wound back the clock with his big-hitting exploits after a slow start with his new team. Lynn’s last game will be his second against former side Brisbane Heat on January 14 before his contentious move to the ILT20 in the UAE.His exit is softened by the returns of Test players Travis Head and Alex Carey. Head will assume the captaincy and has been in belligerent form as a No. 6 for Australia while wicketkeeper-batter Carey notched his first Test century during the Boxing Day Test.Strikers’ big loss is star spinner Rashid Khan, who played his last game of the season on January 5 against Hobart Hurricanes before heading to South Africa’s T20 league. Strikers’ talisman took six wickets in seven innings at an economy of 6.43 and his match-winning skill along with his passion – which manifested during several feisty confrontations with batters – will be sorely missed.Related

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• SA20 aims to bring light to dark times

Brisbane Heat

Departing Sam Billings, Colin Munro
Returning Usman Khawaja, Marnus LabuschagneIt is almost a straight swap for struggling Heat, who need a strong backend to reach the finals. Star overseas signings Sam Billings and Colin Munro have been hot and cold but shown occasional brilliance with the bat.They head to the UAE, where Munro will captain Desert Vipers, but are effectively replaced by Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne. After being a foundation player with Sydney Thunder, where he scored 1818 runs in 59 innings, Queensland captain Khawaja will take the reins as skipper and set to replace Munro at the top of the order alongside explosive Josh Brown.Labuschagne, who only played one BBL game last season, could slot in at No.4 in place of Billings.

Hobart Hurricanes

Departing Shadab Khan
Allrounder Shadab Khan has returned to international duties with Pakistan although a broken finger saw him miss several games before he left. Shadab took seven wickets in five games at an economy of 7.58, but he was unsuccessfully used at No. 4 before moving down the order.Allrounder Jimmy Neesham left last month and will head to South Africa after an underwhelming stint. He batted mostly at No. 6 or No. 7 but his best effort came with a 19-ball 28 in Hurricanes’ tense win over Renegades. He was also expensive with the ball and claimed just one wicket.They don’t have any incumbent Test players although batter Zak Crawley and allrounder Faheem Ashraf have both recently joined Hurricanes after playing in the England-Pakistan Test series.Trent Boult is one of big-name overseas players leaving•Getty Images

Melbourne Renegades

Departing Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Akeal Hosein
Returning Marcus HarrisRenegades have lost spin duo Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Akeal Hosein, who both headed to the ILT20 in the UAE. They formed an effective spin duo with 20 wickets between them.Left-armer Hosein was eye-catching in his first BBL season and proved particularly menacing on the slower surface in Geelong. He also unleashed his big-hitting capabilities in the death overs on several occasions.With skipper Nic Maddinson ruled out for the remainder of the season with a long-term knee injury, the return of Marcus Harris from Australia’s Test squad is welcome.

Melbourne Stars

Departing Trent BoultWhile his compatriots have been toiling in Pakistan, long-time New Zealand spearhead Trent Boult has had a taste of the BBL. In his first season, it’s been tough going for Boult who had mixed success with the ball for struggling Stars. Although he provided unexpected entertainment with the bat marked by a T20 career best of 23 not out against Scorchers at Optus Stadium.

Perth Scorchers

Departing Faf du Plessis, Adam Lyth
Returning Lance Morris, Ashton AgarScorchers have had to remake their top order after the departures of opening pair Faf du Plessis and Adam Lyth.Former Test captain du Plessis returned home to be part of South Africa’s inaugural T20 league. There was much excitement in the west over the late signing of du Plessis, who was embraced by locals after being an antagonist for Australian fans over the years.He smashed a rapid half-century in Perth Scorchers’ record 7 for 229 against Stars but made single digits in three of his last four games. Lyth had a BBL to forget but will hope for better success in UAE with Desert Vipers, where he is set to open alongside compatriot Alex Hales.Scorchers have regained tearaway Lance Morris in a timely addition after Jhye Richardson’s recent hamstring injury. Having moved up the pecking order in Australia’s crowded Test pace stocks, Morris is hoping for a breakout BBL season after modest success previously.Spinning allrounder Ashton Agar returns after playing in the third Test at the SCG but Cameron Green has been ruled out of his stint with a broken finger. They also have Middlesex’s Stephen Eskinazi on their books

Sydney Sixers

Departed Chris Jordan, James Vince, Naveen-ul-Haq
Returning Steven Smith, Nathan LyonSixers lose veterans Chris Jordan and James Vince, who both head to the UAE. T20 World Cup winner Jordan arrived late to the BBL and only had limited availability although his athletic fielding was a standout.Vince, a star for Sixers over the years, frustratingly couldn’t kick on from several solid platforms until a devastating 91 not out in a successful chase against Stars. He will captain Gulf Giants in the ILT20. Afghanistan quick Naveen-ul-Haq is also UAE bound.But they will be boosted by the inclusion of stars Steven Smith and Nathan Lyon. There will be much anticipation for the return of Smith, who farcically missed last season’s finals series despite being available.Smith famously captained Sixers to the title in the first edition of the BBL in 2012 but his four games in BBL09 were his only appearances in the competition since 2013-14. Smith might replace Vince at No. 3, while Lyon will provide much needed experience for Sixers who have been reliant on young spinners Izharulhaq Naveed and Todd Murphy.

Sydney Thunder

Departing Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw
Returning David WarnerAfter their embarrassing capitulation for 15 against Strikers, Alex Hales helped revive Thunder with three half-centuries in four games before departing to the UAE.They lose more batting firepower with Rilee Rossouw heading home to play in South Africa’s T20 league although he generally struggled to get going.But Warner is set to soften the blow and his return to the BBL is set to be one of the most anticipated moments in the competition’s history. He has only played three BBL matches previously with the last being in December 2013.

Overnight showers led to a wet outfield, allowing only 89 overs of play in two days

Abhimanyu Bose05-Feb-2023After a wet outfield claimed the first two sessions on day 2 in Bulawayo, gritty centuries from Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul saw West Indies extend their grip on the first Test against Zimbabwe.Only 51 overs were played on a rain-curtailed opening day, and West Indies – resuming from 112 for 0 – made the most of the 38 overs on offer on the second. Overnight rain meant that even though covers were off early on Sunday, the outfield was not fit for play and after several inspections, it was decided that the game would begin after tea.Both batters began the day on 55, and while Chanderpaul began to rotate strike better than on Saturday, it was Brathwaite who got the first couple of boundaries away. With more than three sessions in the game already lost, the two openers upped the tempo, increasing the run rate from 2.03 on day 1 to 2.86 on day 2.The Zimbabwe bowlers toiled away again, but for the second day in a row, they had no wickets to show.Brathwaite brought up his 12th Test century in 226 balls in the 82nd over with a late cut past slip off left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza. His knock was predominantly about strike rotation and showcased excellent communication with Chanderpaul when running between the wickets. He scored just five boundaries while making his century; the lowest boundary count in a Test century since 2002 is four.Throughout the two days, Brathwaite and Chanderpaul took risky singles, even after playing the ball to close fielders. This meant Zimbabwe had a few opportunities, but nothing clear cut, as the two openers kept the scoreboard ticking despite not being able to find the boundary with the kind of regularity they would have liked.And once Zimbabwe took the second new ball, Brathwaite – having just reached his century – was quick to capitalise, using the extra pace on the ball to get a couple of quick boundaries off Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi.While his father Shivnarine Chanderpaul had taken 52 innings and nearly eight years to score his maiden Test century away from home, Tagenarine needed just five innings and just over two months.In the 88th over, Chanderpaul pulled Nyauchi past midwicket to move to 99, and after a few nervy moments, tucked the final delivery of the over behind square to bring up the century off 286 balls. Once his helmet came off in celebration, the relief and joy on his face were palpable.Having been one of the few positives from West Indies’ tour of Australia, Chanderpaul showed he had the stomach to dig in and stay at the crease for long durations. It had taken him 19 deliveries to get off the mark on the first day and he showed the same kind of patience on Sunday. He was unfazed even as the dot balls built, putting away the bad balls whenever he had a chance.In the process, he also became the first West Indies opener apart from Brathwaite to hit a Test century since Chris Gayle in March 2013.Brathwaite and Chanderpaul have now put on the highest opening partnership for West Indies since July 2012, when Chris Gayle and Kieron Powell put on 254 against New Zealand.For a long time, the West Indies Test captain has fought a lone battle for them at the top of the order. Finally, he seems to have found a partner who can give him much-needed support. But with more showers expected later tonight, they will have to keep picking up pace if they are to push for a win in this Test.

Former England captain warns that sport’s culture has not evolved to meet modern obligations

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2023Andrew Strauss believes that the proliferation of T20 franchise tournaments could be a sign of the “democratisation” of world cricket, arguing that “no one, not even the BCCI, controls the game anymore”.Strauss, England’s former Ashes-winning captain who oversaw the ECB’s High Performance Review last year, warned his audience at the annual MCC Cowdrey Lecture that the ongoing shift in the game’s focus could leave “some old institutions creaking at the seams”, but believes the sport will emerge stronger in the long run.”In the past, it could be argued that certain interests, whether they lie in this room, or in the corridors of the ECB and other national governing bodies, or on the boundary edges of the county grounds, took precedence over others,” he said during his address at Lord’s. “This is no longer the case. No one, not even the BCCI, controls the game anymore.”There are too many people involved, too many variables, too much disruption and chaos for anyone to be pulling all the strings. In a sense, the game has democratised. While this is confronting and perhaps difficult to hear for some, I feel like we should be rejoicing in this fact.”The game now has both more freedom and more levers available to allow it to fulfil its purpose than ever before. There is genuine choice for players, spectators and followers alike. The future direction of the sport will be decided not in the meeting halls of the ICC in Dubai but rather by the purchasing power of the increasing number of those who choose to follow the game.”Elsewhere in his lecture, Strauss warned that the culture of “macho banter” within the men’s game, that can “verge on bullying”, needs to come to an end, and said that the recent revelations about institutional racism within the sport, centred around Yorkshire but prevalent elsewhere, were proof of a game that has not evolved to meet its modern obligations.”The spirit of cricket needs to accompany modern players, and I am speaking primarily about the men’s game now, into an area that neither the prying eyes of the media or the feverish adulation of the fans penetrates — the dressing room,” Strauss said.”As we move forward together as a game with players of different genders, races, creed and beliefs coming together, so the traditional macho, hierarchical, perhaps at times verging on ‘bullying’ dressing-room banter will need to be softened to a culture that is more tolerant, understanding, welcoming and embracing of difference.””The events over the last 18 months, whether they come from Yorkshire or elsewhere, have shown we have a lot of work to do in this area, but the Spirit of Cricket demands this. From a players’ point of view there will clearly need to be an awareness that the world is watching every move that they make in a way that was never the case previously, both on and off the pitch. With more opportunities and rewards comes more scrutiny and intrusion.”While in the past players might have been able to swallow the odd invisible pill, these days they are likely to be in short supply. In addition, the best players, wherever they hail from, will have to weigh up their own personal aims and ambitions alongside their loyalty to their own countries and formative teams. This may lead to some hard soul-searching, but in the name of the spirit of the game, it must be done.”Strauss, the 21st speaker at MCC’s Spirit of Cricket lecture, also addressed the growth of the women’s game, particularly in light of the forthcoming WPL auction, which promises another dramatic shift in the sport’s evolution.”As for the women’s game, the rate of growth will just accelerate” he said. “The first IPL franchises have just been sold for an earth-shattering sum of £465 million pounds. Women’s cricket is truly standing on its own two feet and is likely to be in the top three sports for earning potential for any young girl with talent and an ambition to play sport professionally.”

Earlier, Babar’s ton helped Zalmi post their highest score of 240

Danyal Rasool08-Mar-2023It all descended into a fog of boundaries, and nothing seemed to make sense. The upshot of 483 runs, 54 fours and 21 sixes was that Quetta Gladiators move one step closer to mounting an astonishing comeback and booking a place in the last four for the first time since 2019. Babar Azam’s eighth T20 century saw Peshawar Zalmi post their highest score, setting Gladiators 241 to win. But Jason Roy set to the task like a man possessed, blitzing an unbeaten 145 off 63 balls to ultimately canter to victory with ten balls to spare. It broke Colin Ingram’s record for the highest individual score in PSL history, and the third-highest T20 chase of all time. More importantly, it keeps Gladiators alive in the PSL this season, one win away from likely qualification.Gladiators looked punch-drunk when the first innings ended after a haphazard bowling and fielding performance, combined with a masterclass from Babar and Saim Ayub looked to have broken their spirits. But they came out having a go on a surface not even the most accomplished power-hitters could have dreamt of preparing, and immediately got off to a flyer. Martin Guptill’s brief cameo – 21 off eight – set the tone, but Roy was only just getting warmed up.Fresh off a stint with his national side in Bangladesh, he picked up in Rawalpindi where he’d left off in Mirpur. A blow-by-blow account of the frenzy wouldn’t quite do justice to the fluid, liquid nature of the innings, one six morphing into the next, one over blending into the other. For Zalmi’s bowlers, it began to look like a fever dream as one big over followed another, and the bowlers took turns to front up and cop a hiding. Each of the first eight overs saw at least two boundaries scored, and by this time, Gladiators had got themselves to 118 for one, having knocked off half the target with 12 overs still to spare.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

There were supporting acts from the other end, but Roy demanded attention, and gobbled up all of it. Will Smeed and Mohammad Hafeez were adept in their own right, denying Zalmi breathing room at the other end as the asking rate steadily came down. After a pair of relatively quiet overs around the halfway mark, any hopes Zalmi harboured of making inroads were blown away around the 16th over, when six successive balls straddling two overs went for boundaries, effectively sealing Zalmi’s fate. Mohammed Hafeez, who has battled personal trauma over the last 24 hours, was magnificently composed, his 18-ball 41 one of the finest T20 cameos of this season.But ultimately, it had to be Roy who would have the last laugh. It was a caressed drive over mid-off that went all the way for the final six of a manic game that overwhelmed a dazed Zalmi, meaning their route through to the playoffs suddenly leaves them with no margin for error.All of that will ultimately swallow up what was a phenomenal batting performance from Zalmi themselves, particularly their openers. After Ayub was dropped by Naseem Shah early off Hasnain, the two blasted their way through the powerplay, amassing 67 in six overs. But they carried on as if the fielding restrictions hadn’t been eased, and Gladiators had no response to the onslaught coming their way.By the 10th over, the 100-partnership had been reached, and both players had scored half-centuries. But on the day, Babar wasn’t simply accumulating, he was matching Ayub’s strike rate toe-to-toe. They brought up only the second 150-run stand in PSL history – Babar was involved in the first one, too, with Sharjeel Khan at Karachi Kings – and when Ayub fell for a 34-ball 74, Zalmi had pushed past 160.There was a slight deceleration as Babar approached three figures, but once he got there, he let out a yelp of delight. The shackles were off the innings once more, against a Gladiators side who were dropping catches and committing misfields like they were going out of style. Thirty-three runs came off the last two overs as Zalmi piled on the misery, and by the halfway stage, they looked to have sealed their spot in the last four, as well as Gladiators’ fate.Roy, and a majestic Gladiators, had other ideas.

Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh gave KKR a chance after SRH put up the biggest total of the season so far, but they fell well short in the end

Hemant Brar14-Apr-20232:28

Moody: Brook is a sensational talent in all formats

Harry Brook put behind a string of low scores with an unbeaten 55-ball 100 that included imperious hitting against pace and calculated strike rotation against spin. Aiden Markram was equally destructive, scoring 50 off 26 balls, as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 228 for 4, the highest total of IPL 2023 so far.In response, Kolkata Knight Riders were 96 for 5 in the 11th over and in need of a miracle for the third game in a row. Nitish Rana’s 41-ball 75 kept their hopes alive, and with 58 required from the last three overs, they had Rinku Singh and Shardul Thakur – their miracle-makers from the previous two games – in the middle. Rinku fought hard with an unbeaten 58 off 31 but this time, it wasn’t to be.

Brook shows his class

Coming into this game, Brook had 29 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 74.35. But one felt it was only a matter of time before he stepped up. On Friday, he started by hitting the first ball of the innings, bowled by Umesh Yadav, through the covers for four. He picked up two more fours in the over, pulling and scooping the bowler with little fuss.Against Lockie Ferguson, he exposed his stumps and dispatched a slow full toss to the cover boundary. He used the same strategy in Umesh’s next over with even better returns – two back-to-back sixes. Thanks to Brook, Sunrisers raced to 43 for no loss in three overs.

Russell’s double-strike

Andre Russell hadn’t bowled this season so far, but it took him just one ball to make an impact. While Brook seemed unstoppable, Mayank Agarwal was struggling. Russell ended his agony by having him caught at short third for 9 off 13 balls. Rahul Tripathi hit a couple of fours but ended up top-edging a pull on the last ball of the over, giving Russell his second wicket.Aiden Markram took out his big strokes when Harry Brook slowed down•Associated Press

Markram takes over

In their spinners, Knight Riders found a way to keep Brook quiet. In the first six overs of the innings, Brook had smashed five fours and two sixes. In the next eight – seven of which were bowled by the spinners – he didn’t find a single boundary, and instead focused on rotating the strike.That, though, didn’t mean Knight Riders could breathe easy. Markram took the baton and ransacked 42 off 22 balls against the spinners. He was severe on Suyash Sharma, in particular, taking him for two sixes and a four in the 12th over of the innings. In the next over, he hit successive balls from Varun Chakravarthy for a four and a six, the second shot bringing up his half-century off 25 balls. He tried to go big on the next ball as well but holed out at deep midwicket.

Brook brings up his hundred

In the 15th over, Knight Riders re-introduced seam in the form of Ferguson. And Brook was back hitting boundaries, sending the bowler for four fours and a six in a 23-run over. Abhishek Sharma, meanwhile, took over Markram’s role and looted 32 off 16 against spin. He didn’t even spare Sunil Narine, hitting him for a four and a six in the 17th over. Those were the only two boundaries Narine conceded in his 4-0-28-0. Abhishek faced just one ball of pace, and was out on that.Brook kept picking up the occasional boundary, and moved to 95 off 52 with one over left. He was tiring by then but found just enough energy to hobble a couple of twos and a single to bring up his hundred.1:59

Did KKR get their plan for Narine’s overs wrong?

Knight Riders start poorly

Bhuvneshwar Kumar dealt Knight Riders an early blow when Rahmanullah Gurbaz sliced the third ball of the chase to deep third. In the fourth over, Marco Jansen dented them further by removing Venkatesh Iyer and Narine off successive deliveries. Iyer, who came in as Impact Player for Suyash, hit a couple of boundaries before miscuing one to Markram at mid-on. Narine was cramped for room and was also taken at mid-on, leaving Knight Riders 20 for 3.

Nitish Rana’s counter-attack

It looked like Knight Riders would surrender without a fight, but their captain Rana resuscitated the chase. In the sixth over, he hit Umran Malik for 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 6. Not every shot came off the middle of the bat, but the 28-run over helped Knight Riders end the powerplay on a solid 62 for 3.N Jagadeesan gave Rana good support with his 36 off 21 before Mayank Markande had him caught at deep midwicket. Russell, who had walked off twice during the first innings with cramps, didn’t last long either, holing out in the legspinner’s next over.At that stage, Knight Riders needed 133 in 9.5 overs. Rana and Rinku kept the fight on, adding 69 in 6.2 overs for the sixth wicket. The pair was also helped by some lapses in the field – both Rana and Rinku were dropped once each, and later, Thakur was dropped twice.With 70 needed from 23 balls, Rana got two full tosses in a row from T Natarajan. He smashed the first one for a six but ended up hitting the second to sweeper cover, where Washington Sundar held on to the chance.Rinku hit three fours off Natarajan in the 19th over to reduce the equation to 32 needed off six, but as Rana himself said after the game, miracles don’t happen every game.

They will also have Mark Deyal as part of their set-up with the batter joining from the St Lucia Kings

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2023Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, captain Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran have been retained by Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL 2023. Akeal Hosein and Jayden Seales are also among those retained.They will also have Mark Deyal as part of their set-up with the batter joining from the St Lucia Kings. Last month, TKR announced that Dwayne Bravo will be returning to the franchise ahead of CPL 2023.”We are very happy to be able to retain most of the Caribbean players from last year’s TKR squad,” head coach Phil Simmons said. “The experience of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Nicholas Pooran coupled with Dwayne Bravo’s return gives our squad a very strong core. In youngsters like Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, and Mark Deyal, we have some of the best young talent from Trinidad representing TKR.”Knight Riders had the likes of Tim Seifert, Ali Khan and Colin Munro among their overseas signings in 2022. Whether they will continue to be part of the set-up will be known during the overseas signings and draft picks that will be announced in late June.”We’re looking forward to the remaining international signings,” Simmons said. “I am excited by the player draft coming up soon to complete the roster and put together a strong squad for CPL 2023.”Knight Riders finished at the bottom of the table in CPL 2022. They will start their CPL 2023 campaign on August 19 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Pierre joins St Lucia Kings

Allrounder Khary Pierre has joined St Lucia Kings from Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL 2023. Johnson Charles, Alzarri Joseph, Roston Chase are among the players who have been retained Kings ahead of the tournament.Roshon Primus, Jeavor Royals, Matthew Forde and McKenny Clarke are also among the retainees.