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Despite strong spells from Warrican and Mujeeb, fielding lapses cost Royals in a tight finish

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2025Karima Gore continued his superb form in CPL 2025, scoring his second consecutive half-century to guide Antigua and Barbuda Falcons to a commanding six-wicket victory over Barbados Royals on Saturday. Chasing 152, Falcons rode on Gore’s unbeaten 64 to claim their first points of the tournament in front of a home crowd.After a disappointing loss against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in their season opener – despite Gore’s 61 – Falcons bounced back with a disciplined all-round performance. Winning the toss and opting to field, the Falcons bowlers kept Royals in check for most of the innings. Quinton de Kock provided a brisk start with a fluent 57, and captain Rovman Powell added a late flourish with a powerful unbeaten 51 off just 24 balls to take Royals to 151 for 6. Jayden Seales was the pick of the bowlers for Falcons, returning 2 for 15 in an economical spell.In response, Falcons lost a couple of early wickets, but Gore held the innings together. Batting at No. 3, he anchored the chase, rotating strike effectively and finding the boundary when needed. He scored 39 off his first 41 balls, and by the end of the 16th over, Falcons still needed 45 off 24. Gore then accelerated, smashing 19 runs off his next six deliveries – including two consecutive sixes off Eathan Bosch in the 18th over – to ease the pressure. Eventually, it came down to six off the final over, and Gore sealed the chase with two balls to spare.Royals will be left ruing their missed opportunities in the field. Several dropped catches and missed run-out chances allowed Falcons and Gore to flourish. The fielding lapses not only released pressure but also gave Gore at least two reprieves, which he capitalised on to steer the game in Falcons’ favour.Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman conceded just 43 runs from their eight overs combined and picked up a wicket each, but it wasn’t enough to contain Falcons.

Australia took firm control of the second Test with a pair of outstanding centuries as Sri Lanka’s attack struggled

Tristan Lavalette07-Feb-2025Seemingly having a ball experimenting with the reverse sweep, Steven Smith’s mastery in Asia continued and he combined with a dashing Alex Carey to defy a sharp-turning, deteriorating Galle surface as Australia grabbed firm control of the second Test.The game was in the balance when Australia were 91 for 3 just after lunch on day two in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings of 257. But stand-in skipper Smith and Carey produced an unbroken 239-run partnership to deflate a Sri Lankan team staring down the barrel of a hefty series defeat.Carey was fluent from the get go and motored past a tiring Smith by stumps as Australia build a sizeable first innings lead on a very dry surface.Smith reached his 36th Test century in style with a boundary in the final session on day two and raised his baggy green before nodding several times to his team-mates in the terraces. He broke a couple of Australian records in Asia along the way having overtaken Ricky Ponting for most runs and his seventh ton lifted him past Allan Border.Steven Smith brought out the rarely-seen reverse sweep during his faultless hundred•Getty Images

After a few modest years by his lofty standards, Smith has rewound the clock in recent months having now scored four centuries in his last eight Test innings. Always looking to add to his repertoire, Smith dusted off rarely used reverse sweeps and, while not always effective, it did give Sri Lanka more to think about.Smith might have been inspired by watching Carey, who swept – orthodox and reverse – almost flawlessly as he sped to his second Test century. Fittingly, Carey reached his ton with a sweep to the boundary as he raised his arms aloft to cap his strong form in recent months.It was a significant moment for Carey, who had previously in Sri Lanka and India come under scrutiny for his compulsive use of the sweep. His sublime innings also included quick footwork and brute power as he repeatedly thumped the spinners straight down the ground.Carey batted for the first time in his Test career at No. 5 with Josh Inglis having spent a significant period off the field in Sri Lanka’s innings because of back spasms. But Carey was more than comfortable in a position he occupies for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.It was a major disappointment for Sri Lanka, who went wicketless for almost the entirety of the final two sessions. Their spinners occasionally produced sharp turn, but were unable to sustain the pressure and appeared out of answers as the day wore on.Alex Carey celebrates his second Test century•Getty Images

Offspinner Nishan Peiris was their most threatening bowler in a good bounceback after he was ineffective in the first Test with 0 for 189 off 41 overs and deemed fortunate to retain his spot over legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay. He turned the ball square at times and almost clean-bowled Smith just before tea with a fizzing offbreak that narrowly missed the top of the stumps.But Sri Lanka perhaps will rue not selecting Vandersay after his promising performance in the first Test, while talisman Prabath Jayasuriya lacked bite after a promising start and he resorted at times to a defensive leg-stump line to Smith.Sri Lanka had begun with optimism at the start of Australia’s innings. There was intrigue over whether Sri Lanka’s spinners would take the new ball, but lone quick Lahiru Kumara started and opener Travis Head enjoyed the pace with three early boundaries. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva surprisingly decided to share the new ball having not bowled in the first Test due to a side strain.Head rattled along at a run-a-ball until on 21 he used his feet to Peiris but was outdone by turn, and a thick edge was taken at slip.All eyes were then on Marnus Labuschagne, who only made 20 off 50 balls in Australia’s massive 654 for 6 declared in the series-opener. Having not scored a Test century since the 2023 Ashes tour, pressure is mounting on Labuschagne with his spot for this match attracting some attention.He started well with a first-ball boundary through the covers, but he didn’t add any further runs and fell in the next over when he was trapped lbw by Jayasuriya in a decision overturned on review. Jayasuriya slid a fuller delivery that beat a tentative Labuschagne on the back foot. Labuschagne looked despondent when his fate was sealed and he trudged off the field.Smith, wearing his baggy green, had a nervous start with a big lbw shout from Jayasuriya turned down as Sri Lanka burnt a review. But Smith countered the sharp spin by skipping down the pitch while Usman Khawaja unfurled the reverse sweep just like he did in his double-century last week.Nishan Peiris had Usman Khawaja lbw and the game was in the balance at 91 for 3•Getty Images

They blunted the spinners as Australia reached lunch well placed at 85 for 2. The game sparked to life on resumption with Smith given out lbw by umpire Joel Wilson after a low Peiris delivery struck him under the knee roll. But Smith quickly reviewed and his confidence was justified with the ball hitting him well outside the line.Moments later, Wilson was again quick to raise the finger but this time he was vindicated with Khawaja plumb lbw on 36 after he tried to pull Peiris only to misjudge the line and length.But Sri Lanka’s bid for more inroads came to a halt and they failed to put enough pressure on Carey, whose confidence grew as he slog swept offspinner Ramesh Mendis for six.Smith brought up his half-century in style with a boundary as the runs continued to flow through to tea apart from when Jayasuriya restored to a leg-stump line. After the interval, Smith and Carey continued to score at ease as they tapped the ball around for singles with the field well spread as if it was the middle overs of an ODI.After reaching his century, Smith appeared to be flagging amid the oppressive humidity and he dropped anchor as Carey took over to reach his landmark in fine fashion.Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka finished with what appeared a competitive first-innings total after Kusal Mendis and No. 11 Kumara added 28 runs in the first 30 minutes of the day’s play. Mendis was left stranded on 85 but had spearheaded Sri Lanka’s recovery from 150 for 6.Australia’s three specialist bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann did the bulk of the heavy lifting and picked up three wickets apiece.

Trumps dogged 101 from Saeed Anwar in spectacular batting masterclass as India make Super Sixes

Anand Vasu07-Apr-2020There was a spontaneous eruption of firecrackers, cheers, chanting and joy across the length and breadth of a large country as India pulled off a stunning win against their old rivals Pakistan for the fourth time in as many World Cup clashes.India had never successfully chased more than 222 in a World Cup match before Saturday. But gritting his teeth through a shooting pain in his left leg, the world’s best batsman scored a scintillating 98 as India chased down a victory target of 274 with majestic ease in 45.4 overs. Sachin Tendulkar was the match-winner once more as India sailed through to the Super Sixes.It was always going to be a day of heated arguments, passionate following and a tense battle out in the middle. Several cities in India had declared a public holiday to watch their team take on Pakistan in a one-dayer for the first time in three years. Cities that did not were paralysed as children stayed away from schools, offices emptied out by the start of the game and the streets wore a deserted look. Time stood still, life was put on hold as India delivered the game that a billion people wanted.Chasing 274 needed something special, especially against a Pakistan attack that included Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis. There was something unusual in the air as Tendulkar took first strike, allowing Virender Sehwag to stay at the non-striker’s end. Sehwag can hardly complain – he had the best spot in the world, watching a breathtaking innings unfold from 22 yards away.There was an exaggerated shuffle across the stumps as Tendulkar flicked Akram to the on-side fence for his first sweetly-timed boundary. Then came Akhtar, steaming down to deliver his thunderbolts. Seeing a short one early, Tendulkar played an unfettered cut shot, inside out and over the top, sending the ball into the stands several rows back at point. The little master had thrown down the gauntlet.A bouquet of the finest strokes greeted the 22,000 strong crowd at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. Anything on the toes saw Tendulkar shuffle across and time the ball impeccably to the midwicket fence. A copybook on-drive signalled that the maestro was in perfect touch.Not one to stay out of the limelight for long, Sehwag came to the party, clattering a six over point and a few fearsome drives. In just 5.4 overs, India had blasted their way to 53 when Pakistan struck their first blow. Driving on the up, Sehwag hit a full-swinging delivery from Waqar Younis straight to cover. Afridi held the sharp chance and Sehwag was on his way.After making an elaborate show of setting his three slip fielders in the right place, Waqar sent down one of his trademark full, straight deliveries next up and Sourav Ganguly fell into the trap. Not moving his feet, he was rapped on the pads and Rudi Koertzen’s slow finger adjudged him lbw. The Indian skipper was back in the hut for a first-ball duck and the pumped-up Pakistan side had India at 53 for 2.Waqar ran from player to player, back slapping, hugging, celebrating what might have been the most vital breakthrough of the day.Promoted up the order, Mohammad Kaif began watchfully and proved to be an able foil for Tendulkar. Not taking any risks, Kaif was able to rotate the strike and pick up the boundaries whenever the loose ball was on offer.Tendulkar, meanwhile, continued to score boundaries with regularity even after the fielding restrictions were lifted. When he knocked his way to 83, Tendulkar brought up 12,000 ODI runs. When the giant screen flashed this message, the large Indian contingent rose and applauded.But the same fans had to concede a point to their Pakistani counterparts as Kaif dragged an Afridi delivery back onto his stumps.Rahul Dravid walked out to an atmosphere that would have made the most feisty bullring appear pedestrian. Taking his time to get set, Dravid had one eye on the scoreboard at all times, making sure that the required run-rate never ran away from the Indians.Well, that really never was in doubt – thanks to Tendulkar’s masterly knock. It was only a brute of a delivery from Shoaib Akhtar, rearing from a length that got the better of Tendulkar. Having just called for a runner, Tendulkar, in considerable pain, fell just two runs short of what would have probably been his finest one-day ton. Fending the ball to gully for Afridi to catch, Tendulkar departed on 98 in the 28th over. Remarkably, India were already 177 at this stage, needing only a further 97 runs for victory in more than 20 overs.Yuvraj Singh then underlined his utility in the side, scoring a priceless unbeaten 50 and taking India to victory. Belting the ball through the covers with the honest enthusiasm of a flaming young talent, Yuvraj kept the runs coming at a healthy pace, blunting the Pakistan bowling and making sure there were no mishaps as India overhauled the target. Ever reliable, ever trustworthy, Dravid was unconquered on 44.Earlier in the day, things looked so much better for Pakistan as they won the toss and elected to bat.On the back of a Saeed Anwar century that was more dogged than spectacular, Pakistan posted a daunting 273 for 7 from their 50 overs. After a bright start, a clutch of wickets slowed Pakistan down and it is to Anwar’s credit that he managed to bat on, regardless of the fall of wickets at the other end.Despite being tired, and certainly wishing for a pair of younger legs, Anwar stuck to his task admirably. Realising that the side was short on inspiration, the elegant left-hander pieced together his third World Cup century, in the process drawing level with Sourav Ganguly on 20 ODI tons and getting to 2,000 runs against India.When he was finally dismissed, it was a result of a lapse in concentration. Soon after reaching the three-figure mark Anwar was cleaned up by a yorker from Ashish Nehra.The rest of the Pakistan batting was patchy, with the next highest score being 32 from Younis Khan. Yet Pakistan had made 273, surely a total that they would have been confident of defending with the bowling attack at their disposal.But nothing’s a surety when you’re up against Tendulkar. Walking away with yet another Man-of-the-Match award, he had showed why he is lauded as the greatest batsman in world cricket today.There will be mourning in the streets of Lahore and Karachi. There will be heartburn in Pakistan’s provinces. There will be calls for a change of captain and coach. There will be anger, there will be disappointment and there will be a sense of shock. But somewhere in the hearts of cricket fans there will also be a small place for joy. For yet again, one man had played the game as well as it could be with admirable support, and a team that was better on the day came out on top.What more can a game of cricket possibly do?

All the matches will be hosted by Antigua after the Pakistan contingent arrives on June 23

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2021Pakistan Women will travel to the Caribbean for three T20Is and five ODIs, with their A team set to shadow the senior side for an additional six matches. All the matches will be hosted by Antigua after the Pakistan contingent arrives on June 23, exactly a week before the first T20I. The ODI series will be played from July 7 to 18.As for the A teams, they will play three T20s, which will be played on the same day and at the same venues as the T20Is as “double-headers”, followed by three one-dayers from June 30 to July 16. All matches will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Pakistan Women’s tour of West Indies schedule

• June 30: 1st T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 2: 2nd T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 4: 3rd T20I and A teams’ T20

• July 7: 1st ODI

• July 9: 2nd ODI

• July 10: 1st A teams’ one-dayer

• July 12: 3rd ODI

• July 13: 2nd A teams’ one-dayer

• July 15: 4th ODI

• July 16: 3rd A teams’ one-dayer

• July 18: 5th ODI

This is the latest step from Cricket West Indies (CWI) in their bid to expand women’s cricket in the Caribbean. It comes soon after rookies Qiana Joseph and Kaysia Schultz were offered their first West Indies central contracts, for the 2021-22 season.”This is a very significant home tour for our women and we are delighted that our counterparts at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have worked with us to arrange these two series despite all the challenges we face with Covid-19,”Jimmy Adams, CWI’s director of cricket, said in a media release. “CWI continues to invest in our international Women’ program by hosting extended High-Performance camps between tours, two of which have already been held this year. In addition, the opportunity to host our first-ever ‘A’ Team Series is brilliant, as it means that our developing players will get the chance to compete against high-quality international opponents and push for selection to the senior team.”This will be West Indies Women’s first international series at home since the pandemic hit. In September last year, they had toured England, where they were blanked 5-0. The upcoming series will also be West Indies Women’s first under Courtney Walsh after he had been appointed to the post in October 2020 following the UK tour. Walsh had also worked with the women’s team during the T20 World Cup held in Australia in February and March last year. The management will look to use the Pakistan ODIs as preparation for the ODI World Cup Qualifier in December in Sri Lanka.Related

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“Our goal post this Pakistan series, is to have our squad play against more international opposition and take part in our Regional Tournament before heading to the Qualifiers in Sri Lanka at the end of the year,” Adams said.Pakistan, meanwhile, have been prepping for the 50-over Women’s World Cup Qualifier by participating in a 25-day camp in the 40-degree heat of Multan from May 29, before moving to Karachi on June 9 when the temperatures soared in Multan. Much like West Indies Women, Pakistan Women haven’t played much cricket since the pandemic struck. Since the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistan Women have had just one tour so far – of South Africa, where they lost the ODI series 3-0 and T20Is 2-1. They then visited Zimbabwe, but that tour ended abruptly because of flight restrictions.

Having been on the sidelines, he finally got some game-time after seven months, scoring a 50-ball 63

Saurabh Somani18-Nov-2021Mark Chapman has had such a long break between playing competitive games of cricket, that he isn’t quite sure when he was in the middle last. The cricket caravan might be hurtling along for viewers – and some players – from one bio-bubble to the next, but it’s thanks to that packed schedule that Chapman got to play for New Zealand after a gap of seven and a half months.For the record, Chapman last played a game on April 1 this year and didn’t face a ball, or bowl one, in that game. After that appropriately April Fool’s of a game from a personal point of view at least, Chapman was given the No.3 slot against India, in a T20I that began two days after New Zealand had suffered a draining defeat in the T20 World Cup final, and with several players sitting out.Related

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Chapman had been part of that stirring campaign, but from the sidelines, with the XI tough to break into. The long layoff was spent training with the team as part of the squad, but it was only when he had spent some time in the middle that Chapman’s fluency returned. From 20 off 24 balls at one point, he ended up with 63 off 50, setting New Zealand up for a good total.”To be honest, it was just nice to be out there,” Chapman said after the game. “Had a lot of training behind the scenes, but nothing beats the real thing of being out in the middle.”In World Cups, you play your best XI and if we’re going well, then more than likely you stick with your best team. So it just meant that I was on the sidelines for a bit. I did my best to support the guys in and around training.”You find ways to add context to your training. Obviously, being in and around this environment, you try and train the best you can given the situation and make the most of the opportunities to train. There was a lot of training in the background. I felt prepared, but I guess match-preparation wise it wasn’t ideal. But just happy to be out there.”New Zealand were taking the field against India on November 17, having lost the T20 World Cup final against Australia on November 14. While Chapman acknowledged there was some tiredness, he also pointed out how he and Todd Astle – who also didn’t get a game during the World Cup – relished the chance to get a game.”There was a natural feeling of a little bit of disappointment (at losing the final), but a lot of pride as well in the way we went about our business throughout the World Cup,” Chapman said. “We stayed authentic to the way we wanted to play and you know, the guys are true professionals. These games have come around pretty quick, it’s a three-match series in five days, and the guys are just doing what we do best and that’s playing our cricket and enjoying it.”The guys been a little bit tired, but we always play for New Zealand with pride. Particularly for myself and Todd, who have been on the sidelines, it was a really exciting moment to be playing.”Chapman put on 109 runs in 77 balls for the second wicket with top-scorer Martin Guptill, and said the senior pro helped him through his initial period.”We were probably a bit slow in the powerplay but we rotated the strike pretty well through the middle and managed to accelerate after that 10-over mark,” Chapman said. “Pretty happy to be batting with Gup and to put on, I think it was over 100 runs, so pretty happy with that partnership.”It just took a little bit to get my rhythm going. But once I faced a few balls and managed to get the pace of the wicket sort of, things tend to come back pretty quickly. Guppy was keeping me pretty good company out in the middle and giving me advice and telling me to take my time, watch the ball. So it was just a matter of us doing what we’ve been training for and what we’ve prepared for.”And while one T20 World Cup is done, there is another one just 11 months away given the squeezed pandemic schedules, and Chapman made his case stronger with his showing.”It’s been well reported that this BlackCaps team is pretty competitive to get into, so whenever you get your opportunity you’ve just got to do what you can to contribute to the team,” he said. “Thankfully I was able to contribute today.”If he continues to bat the way he did, Chapman may not need to struggle to remember when he last played.

Australia A will face New Zealand A in two four-day matches over the next couple of weeks

Andrew McGlashan31-Mar-2023Alongside those appearing at the IPL and preparing for spells in county cricket, there is a group of Australian players across the Tasman looking to make an impression on the national selectors.The Australia A squad that faces their New Zealand counterparts over two four-day games in Lincoln – using the Dukes ball to replicate Ashes conditions in the UK – is a combination of players close or recently in the Test team, some with a realistic chance of pushing for a place in the near future, a few reasonably experienced domestic cricketers and those at the younger end of their careers.It is not what an Australia A squad would look like if everyone was available – anyone with a county deal was not considered because they will already be playing in UK conditions – but Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Swepson are included from those recently in India. Peter Handscomb was in the original group but withdrew after getting his deal with Leicestershire.Related

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It will be an important couple of weeks for Renshaw who is viewed as a serious candidate to open again for Australia in the long term when a vacancy arises. However, India was a difficult tour for him where he missed out twice in the first Test in the middle order, having been preferred to Travis Head, then fell cheaply again in Delhi after being called in as David Warner’s concussion sub.He is likely competing with Handscomb, Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris for a spare batting spot in the Ashes. One thing in Renshaw’s favour is his versatility of being able to cover any position in the top six.Swepson, meanwhile, faces an interesting time in his career having been overlooked for the three Tests in India where he was available (he missed the Delhi Test to fly home for the birth of his child). With Australia’s next subcontinent Test tour not until visiting Sri Lanka in early 2025, it is difficult to see where Swepson’s chance to add to his four caps will come.Outside Renshaw and Swepson, the only other member of the squad previously capped by Australia is pace bowler Wes Agar who played two ODIs on the 2021 tour of West Indies when a number of first-choice players were not available.Matt Renshaw will still hope to be in Ashes contention•Getty Images

The name closest to breaking through to international level is Western Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie. He made an important 45 in last week’s Sheffield Shield final, and claimed four wickets, but his overall batting returns for the season with an average of 29.07 were probably a little below expectation.Hardie was touted as a possible replacement for Cameron Green when he was injured during the Australian season and is the closest like-for-like available, although Mitchell Marsh could yet come back into the frame if he is able to bowl substantially after his ankle surgery. Hardie and Nathan McSweeney will share the captaincy in New Zealand.With an eye on the Ashes, the selectors will need to consider how to provide wicketkeeping cover for Alex Carey. They could use Handscomb as was the case in India, but if they wanted a full-time keeper as back-up, Queensland’s Jimmy Peirson has a strong case to be considered although Josh Inglis likely remains in pole position. Over the last three seasons, Peirson has made 1337 Shield runs at 37.13 with five centuries (Inglis has averaged 51.56 in his 14 matches for WA in the same period) and he also impressed on the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka last year.However, the most intriguing name in the squad is left-arm quick Spencer Johnson whose remarkable rise continues after a season that brought BBL and Shield success for Brisbane Heat and South Australia respectively, including six and seven-wicket hauls for the latter.With Joel Paris, the WA quick, having withdrawn through injury, Johnson is now the one left-arm fast bowler in the squad and while it remains unlikely he will get an immediate international call-up, he could well be back-up to Mitchell Starc across formats.Elsewhere in the squad, there is a collection of top-order batters in the 18-25 age group with an eye on the future. The most exciting of them is 18-year Teague Wyllie, another from the WA production line, who made a maiden Shield century this season and was unbeaten in the chase to secure the title.Mitch Perry, a talented allrounder from Victoria, Xavier Bartlett and Jordan Buckingham (who replaced Parris) are pace bowlers who should enjoy the chance to operate with the Dukes ball.New Zealand’s resources are also stretched due to the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, but the side features a number of players with international experience, including Doug Bracewell and Scott Kuggeleijn who have played Tests this season and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. They will be captained by Tom Bruce who has 17 T20I caps.New Zealand A squad: Tom Bruce (capt), Adithya Ashok, Doug Bracewell, Henry Cooper, Jacob Duffy (game 1 only), Dean Foxcroft, Cam Fletcher, Mitch Hay, Scott Kuggeleijn (game 2 only), Cole McConchie, Robbie O’Donnell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Brett Randell, Sean SoliaAustralia A squad: Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, Jordan Buckingham, Aaron Hardie, Caleb Jewell, Spencer Johnson, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Mitch Perry, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Tim Ward, Teague Wyllie

“We’re not there yet, but we’re on the journey to getting towards prize money parity”

Annesha Ghosh29-Mar-20224:42

Allardice: The tournament has been spectacular

Bringing parity in prize money for “finishing positions of teams” in women’s and men’s world tournaments will be part of the governing body’s discussions around the next eight-year cycle of women’s events, stretching from 2024 through 2031, the ICC CEO Geoff Allardice has said.Speaking from Wellington, Allardice made the assertion about a potential review of the prize money for women’s world events when asked why the winners of the ongoing 2022 women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand would take home roughly just a third of the sum won by the champions of the most recent men’s ODI World Cup, held in 2019 in England.Related

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“One of the things that we did at the start of the cycle,” Allardice said on Tuesday, ahead of the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, “was we projected through this event cycle – most of the ICC’s finances are done with an eight-year view – and what we’ve been trying to do over this cycle is bridge the gap between the women’s prize money and the men’s prize money.”We are about to start discussions around the next cycle and one of the starting points for that discussion is going to be trying to get parity for the finishing positions of teams in women’s events and comparable men’s events. So we’re not there yet, but we’re on the journey to getting towards prize money parity.”

T20 the chosen format for inaugural U-19 women’s World Cup

• The first ever Under-19 women’s World Cup, scheduled for January next year ahead of the 2023 women’s T20 World Cup, will be held in the T20 format. The host of the U-19 tournament is expected to be finalised at an ICC board meeting in a week’s time, Allardice said.

• “[For] the next event cycle from 2024 to 2027, the events have been identified [and] the hosts will probably be confirmed in July,” he added. “We are seeking expressions of interest for hosting those events and we expect those submissions to come in July and a decision will be taken at our annual conference in late July.”

The ICC had doubled the prize money for the winners of eight-team 2022 women’s ODI World Cup to US$1.32 million, and brought about a 75% increase on the overall prize money pot which stands at $3.5 million, $1.5 million more than the 2017 edition, which England had won.Yet, the total prize pool of this World Cup is still $6.5m less than the $10m given away at the 10-team 2019 men’s ODI World Cup, where champions England won $4m while runners-up New Zealand took home $2m for making the final of that event. The two losing semi-finalists, Australia and India, walked away with $800,000 each.Though an expansion of the women’s ODI World Cup from an eight-team event to a 10-team one will happen only in 2029, and not in the 2025 edition, Allardice singled out the difference in the number teams in the two events as a reason behind the women’s winnings being less than the men’s.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We’re coming from a long way back and we’re making progress in that [prize money disbursement] area,” he said. “In terms of where we’re at, I mean, the tournaments have got a different number of teams; they’re different lengths.”What we’re trying to come up with for the next cycle when we’ve got the opportunity to model out our finances [and] our prize money distribution afresh is being able to get a parity [and] that we will address the issues that you raise.”Allardice highlighted the “competitiveness” and “standard of play” in the league stage of the ongoing World Cup as a standout feature, describing them as testament to “the strides the teams have been taking forward over the last five years or so”. The growing visibility of the women’s game also reflected in the participation of eight cricketer-mothers in the tournament, by far the most at a single edition of a World Cup in at least two decades.Though some national boards have introduced bespoke maternity provisions for their women cricketers in the recent years, the lack of policy-making at the ICC level to foster participation of female cricketers during pregnancy and after childbirth remains, as highlighted by The Cricket Monthly, a talking point.Asked if the governing body is likely to initiate discussions on formulating directives to encourage pregnant players and mothers to continue their playing careers following the interest generated by cricketer-mothers in this World Cup, Allardice said, “It’s a good point your raise. It’s been a noticeable development in this competition.”Most of the changes and the accommodations that would be made would be at the national level, with the arrangements around the national team. We would make the arrangements around the tournaments here but the ability for mothers to be able to continue to play cricket and raise young families is something that I think each of the members is checking in their own way and it’s good to see the progress made in that area.”We’ve got a series of meetings at the end of this at the end of this tournament back in Dubai next week. And I’m sure that that will be one of the issues that will be raised at the debrief of this tournament.”

Ben Raine hit the second-fastest century by an Englishman – from just 41 balls – as Birmingham Bears suffered a shock at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2018
ScorecardA brilliant century from Ben Raine lifted Leicestershire Foxes to a 102-run victory over Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast at Edgbaston.Former Durham all-rounder Raine smashed his way to 100 from just 41 balls, the second-fastest T20 century by an Englishman, on his way to a blistering 113 from 46 balls with eight fours and ten sixes.Leicestershire are desperate to keep Raine on their books, valuing his combative talents with bat and ball, but he is being pursued by a number of counties – and nights like this will not do anything to calm them down.His first century in any format for Leicestershire featured some magnificent straight hitting and lifted the Foxes to their record T20 total – 229 for five.

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Raine then took two wickets in his first over to leave Birmingham’s reply in early disarray 36 for three. There was no way back from that for the Bears who folded to 127 all out with five overs unused to leave the Foxes – the North Group dark horses – with their record T20 win and both teams with two wins and two defeats from four games in the North Group.Raine said: “It was one of those night when everything came off. You have got to back yourself and I am not worried when I come up against good teams like these. The coaches have come up with a lot of strategies for my white-ball game and I have come up with a method which has been working for me this season. “For me, it’s not a shock that an innings like this has come along. I knew I had it in me.”Put in, the Foxes were flying from the word go as Cameron Delport blasted 27 from 14 balls before sending up a skier off Olly Hannon-Dalby. Four balls later, Dom Sibley took a smart catch at cover to remove Neil Dexter but the fielder might soon have reflected that he’d have been better off dropping it as Raine launched his onslaught.He raced to 50 from 21 balls, reaching his half century in the midst of a barrage which brought 20 from four balls from off spinner Sibley.Raine sustained his punishment of a Bears team which was untypically ragged in the field. He dominated a third-wicket partnership of 142 in 66 balls with Mark Cosgrove (42, 41 balls, three fours, one six) and departed, having skied a return catch to Colin de Grandhomme, to a standing ovation from the home fans who appreciated the quality of Raine’s hitting even at the expense of their own team.Under immense pressure from the word go, Birmingham took 17 from the first over but that pressure soon took its toll. Ed Pollock (25, 14 balls) was bowled by Colin Ackermann’s third ball before Raine’s golden day got even better as his fourth and sixth deliveries removed Ian Bell and Sam Hain, caught at deep fine leg and extra cover respectively.Raine had not finished, taking a fine catch to remove the dangerous de Grandhomme, and when skipper Grant Elliott was stumped off spinner Callum Parkinson’s second ball, the Bears’ last vestige of hope disappeared.The Foxes’ perfect day ended with Parkinson rifling through the lower order for a T20 career-best four for 20.

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-20185:19

#PoliteEnquiries: Is it all Yorkshire’s fault?

Joe Root says that he welcomes the spice that Virat Kohli’s “mic-drop” celebration will add to the England-India Test series, after his dismissal to Kohli’s direct-hit run-out turned the tide of England’s innings on the first day at Edgbaston.Root, on 80 at the time, had been dominating India’s bowling in a century partnership with his fellow Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, when he fatefully responded to Bairstow’s call for a second run to midwicket in the first hour of the final session.Kohli swooped on the ball and beat Root’s dive at the non-striker’s end with a pinpoint shy, before mimicking Root’s own actions in the decisive ODI at Headingley last month, when he marked his series-winning century with a rapper-style “mic-drop” of his bat.Speaking after his Headingley innings, Root had admitted he “would not hear the end of it”, adding that his own team-mates had been ribbing him incessantly for the gesture. Kohli has taken that prediction and run with it.”I didn’t see it in the middle,” Root told Sky Sports before the start of the second day’s play. “I obviously saw it last night at the end of play.”I actually think it adds to the whole spectacle of Test cricket, it gives a bit of humour to it, and it makes for a very entertaining series for something like that to happen so early on, so we’ll see how things pan out over the course of the five Test matches.”Quite apart from its sense of theatre, Root’s dismissal was the key moment of England’s innings. From a position of relative strength at 216 for 3, England lost their next six wickets for 69 to reach the close on a dicey 285 for 9. Bairstow, who had been distraught at his part in the wicket, fell three overs later for 70, but Root refused to blame his team-mate.”It was one of those things in the heat of the moment,” he said. “You want to try and pinch as many runs as possible. You hear a call and you trust your mate.”It’s human error, it happens unfortunately, but Jonny was kind enough to give me a lift into the ground this morning. I could have said no, there’s no hard feelings, we’ve just got to move on with it.”It was a disappointing last session, but for the majority of the day, we played some really good cricket. And that’s what we’ve got to take into today. It was a surface that actually did a bit all day, There was seam movement at the back end of the day, and that fills our bowlers with confidence. And if we can find a really good length early on, we can do a lot of damage.”

The Bangladesh opener, who is recovering from a wrist fracture, hurt himself again during training and might not be available for the first Test against West Indies

Mohammad Isam13-Nov-2018Opener Tamim Iqbal’s return to the Bangladesh side is likely to be delayed further, after he had picked up a side strain during training on Tuesday. Tamim, who had fractured his wrist in the Asia Cup, had hoped to return to action for the first Test against West Indies, which begins on November 22 in Chittagong, but chief selector Minhajul Abedin has now said that he is in doubt.”We are still awaiting a doctor’s report on Tamim to know the extent of his injury but it now seems difficult [for him to be available for the first Test],” Minhajul told ESPNcricinfo.Tamim had returned to batting against the cricket ball in the nets earlier this week, after undergoing rehabilitation for the wrist injury. Tamim injured himself while batting during the Asia Cup opener in September.He then left to London for check-up before returning to Dhaka for rehabilitation. The Bangladesh selectors will also assess Shakib Al Hasan’s recovery from a long-standing finger injury, before naming the squad for the opening Test against West Indies.