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He rescued Jaffna Stallions from 64 for 5 to set up a 66-run win

Madushka Balasuriya30-Nov-2020How the game played outThisara Perera, seemingly possessed by the spirit of Andre Russell, transformed an ailing Jaffna Stallions innings into a truly imposing one, with an awesome exhibition of power hitting, as his team secured an ultimately comfortable win to remain unbeaten in the LPL.Chasing 219 on most days is a tall ask, but it becomes downright daunting when it follows an innings as demoralising and deflating as the one Perera produced.In what was his best-ever T20 score, and the second-highest by a No.7 batsman in T20 cricket (highest is, unsurprisingly, by Andre Russell), the raw numbers – 97 runs off 44 deliveries, including eight fours and seven sixes, at a strike-rate of 220 – only tell part of the story.After all, the day had started so well for the Viiking. On a flat track, they had won the toss, chosen to field, and then utilised their bowling options to great effect, with five different bowlers keeping the Stallions to 40 for 4 inside the powerplay – the lowest powerplay total of the tournament. During this period, each of Lahiru Kumara, Ramesh Mendis, Anwar Ali and Samit Patel had struck in the first over of their opening spells. Life was good.By the time Perera came to the crease, the Stallions were in an even more precarious position – 64 for 5 midway through the ninth over. But that’s where the good times end; in the final 10 overs, the Stallions would ransack 147 runs, with Perera responsible for 94 of them.Even as late as the 19th over, with the score on 172 for 7, the Viiking might have imagined a target under 200 – more than they would have liked, sure, but still doable – only for Perera to plunder 30 more off Kumara. The 18 runs off the final over was just overkill, as were the two wickets he would pick up later.The Viiking would respond with 152, a total which in another universe – one where Perera had an off-day, or wasn’t born – might have won them the game.Stars of the dayThisara Perera has long frustrated Sri Lankan fans with his inconsistent ways, but when he’s on song there are few batsmen in world cricket more destructive – which is why it’s probably not the best idea to repeatedly pitch the ball straight, full and in the slot.The Viiking, who had done exceptionally well to nullify a strong Stallions top order, undid that work in equally exceptional fashion as they repeatedly tried and failed at executing yorkers. The mere fact that if you took away Perera’s runs from every part of the ground, aside from in front of the wicket, he would still end up with 56, tells its own story.Aside from Perera, Usman Shinwari also deserves a mention for his four overs that produced three wickets for 16 runs – a spell which tweaked the difficulty slider on an already tough task.Turning pointThisara waking up on the right side of the bed.The big missThe inability of the Viiking bowlers to hit their marks at the death proved costly, but Dasun Shanaka might look back ruefully at his decision not to bowl out Aftab Alam, the only one of his seamers that was executing his yorkers with some degree of consistency.Patel, too, could have been an option in the latter overs, when it became clear Perera had got his eye in against pace. Paul Stirling, a more than decent off-break option in his own right, meanwhile did not get a bowl.

Durham’s Australian skipper reaches 109, Alex Lees unbeaten on 70 as visitors lead by 96 runs

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2019Cameron Bancroft led the way with a century as Durham turned their County Championship match against Leicestershire on its head at the Fischer County Ground.Bancroft’s ton, his second of the season in the Championship, came as part of an impressive opening partnership of 187 with Alex Lees, and came after the visitors had bowled Leicestershire out for 212, conceding a first-innings deficit of 95.Bancroft hit 13 fours in going to his hundred off 134 deliveries before being eventually dismissed by Will Davis, losing his middle stump to a delivery which seamed back and stayed a touch low. Even so, Durham finished the day leading by 96, with nine second-innings wickets in hand.Resuming on their overnight score of 124 for 4, and looking to extend their first-innings lead into three figures, Leicestershire quickly lost Harry Dearden, who had added just four to his overnight score when he edged Chris Rushworth to Bancroft at second slip.Lewis Hill had made only eight when he was leg before to a delivery from Ben Raine which both seamed back in and kept a little low, and there was a first first-class wicket for debutant left-arm seamer Jack Campbell when Gavin Griffiths edged a delivery pushed across him low to Bancroft, again at second slip.Colin Ackermann, playing with unaccustomed deliberation, pulled Campbell to the midwicket boundary to reach his 50, but Rushworth quickly cleaned up the long Foxes’ tail, pinning Chris Wright leg before, getting Davis caught behind and then bowling Mohammad Abbas to leave Ackermann unbeaten on 62. Rushworth finished with 5-55 and Raine 4-49.

Seven wickets for Ollie Robinson fired Sussex ambitions but Max Holden resisted and Middlesex struck back by the close

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2018
ScorecardSussex seamer Ollie Robinson produced championship best figures of seven for 58 as Middlesex were bowled out for 230 at Hove.It was the second time this season that Robinson had taken seven wickets in an innings – last month he enjoyed a career-best return of seven for 23 against Loughborough MCC University on the same ground.But Middlesex hit back when Tim Murtagh took two wickets in successive overs to leave Sussex five for two in the fifth over. And then James Harris also struck twice to leave the match in the balance with Sussex 60 for 4 at the close.”I trained hard in the winter, playing grade cricket in Sydney, and I feel I have come back fitter and stronger,” Robinson said “And the lads say I’m hitting the gloves harder as well, so there might be a bit of extra pace there too. I was injured a lot last season. Now it feels good to have a proper bowling stint and not to have sore legs afterwards.”Middlesex had won the toss before this Specsavers County Championship Division Two match but their batsmen were made to work hard against a spirited attack on a lively pitch. At lunch they were 81 for five before a damage-limiting unbeaten 84 from former England Under-19 captain Max Holden gave their bowlers something to work with in a compelling day’s cricket.Robinson broke through in the fifth over when he removed Nick Gubbins’ middle stump as the batsman played all round a straight one. Gubbins was playing his first match of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury.Robinson dismissed the other opener, Sam Robson, in his next over, as the batsman nibbled at a fine delivery that moved away from him.Sussex missed their first chance when Stevie Eskinazi, on 28, was dropped by Phil Salt at backward point off George Garton. Eskinazi had added ten runs before he was dropped again, this time in the slips off Robinson.Ollie Robinson wheels away in triumph•Getty Images

Sussex put down their third catch when Hilton Cartwright, on two, was dropped behind, a difficult diving attempt to the wicketkeeper’s left off David Wiese.But Eskinazi failed to make the most of his second escape. He had not added to his score when he was lbw to Robinson and the same bowler had Cartwright caught in the slips for four. Then, just before lunch, Robinson had Dawid Malan lbw for 13.After the interval Holden and John Simpson added 56 in 18 overs for the sixth wicket before Simpson was caught on the deep midwicket boundary off Danny Briggs. It was soon 135 for seven when Harris was caught at point off the same bowler for a single. Ollie Rayner was then lbw, half-forward, to give Robinson his sixth wicket.That left Middlesex in a very ordinary position at 169 for eight. But Holden, dropped on 28, found late order support from Murtagh and the pair put on 51 for the ninth wicket. Murtagh finally played a poor stroke and was caught by Luke Wright at mid-off. Robison completed his demolition work when he plucked out Tom Barber’s off stump to leave Holden stranded.But Middlesex fought back valiantly. Murtagh had Luke Wells and Salt well caught in the slips before Harris struck. First, he had Stiaan van Zyl caught by Eskinazi at third slip and then he bowled Luke Wright, shouldering arms, for nine.

Rain in Sharjah forced the clash between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators to be abandoned after only 16 overs were possible

The Report by Danyal Rasool17-Feb-2017
No result
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Tamim Iqbal cruised to a 41-ball fifty in a rain-affected match•AFP

In a nutshellContinual rain in Sharjah meant only 16 overs were possible in the game between the PSL’s top two sides this season. Quetta Gladiators won the toss and, as has been the theme of the tournament, put Peshawar Zalmi in to bat. There were no less than three weather interruptions in Peshawar’s innings, which saw Tamim Iqbal bat through, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 46 balls. It was a pitch more reminiscent of the fifth day of a sub-continental Test match; the ball spat off the surface, and anyone who could turn their arm over was thrust into the attack. Case in point: Rilee Rossouw bowled for the first time in T20 cricket, and had Eoin Morgan caught at first slip off his very first ball.Sarfraz Ahmed appeared to have read the surface right, and left-arm spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Mohammad Nawaz were asked to open the bowling. Peshawar made a bright start, before Hafeez holed out attempting to clear cow corner in the sixth over off Mahmudullah – one of three Bangladesh players arriving after the one-off Test in India. Kamran Akmal fell without scoring, before Rossouw snared Morgan as Peshawar lost three wickets for one run, and threatened to come unstuck.But Sohaib Maqsood ably partnered Tamim thereafter, and the pair battled turning deliveries and dark skies to take their side to what looked to be a daunting 117 in their allotted 16 overs. With the rain coming down again, Quetta’s target was revised twice, but no cricket was possible, leaving the frontrunners to share of the spoils.Quetta’s indiscipline, Akmal’s slumpOn a pitch that heavily favoured spin, Quetta let themselves down at times. Their spinners repeatedly bowled unacceptably short lengths that allowed Tamim and Maqsood regular pressure-releasing shots in the first ten overs. They then appeared to be in disarray following the third rain break after 12.1 overs, as Tamim and Maqsood smashed 41 runs in the next 17 balls. Zulfiqar Babar was the chief culprit, as in a particularly atrocious 15th over, he compensated for his short length early on by floating a pair of friendly full tosses to Tamim. The batsman smashed both for six over midwicket as Peshawar surged to 117. In a completed game, that indiscipline might have been decisive.When Kamran Akmal smashed 88 off 48 balls in the season opener, it looked like this might be a tournament the Akmal family would remember for a long time. However, with Kamran’s stay lasting all of three deliveries today, the brothers now have four ducks in their last seven innings in the PSL, two apiece. The momentum the pair had been building up to stake a claim in the national side is fizzing out again.Where they standQuetta and Peshawar both gained a point from the abandonment, and now have five each – one more than third-placed Islamabad United. Peshawar are ahead with a superior net run rate.

Heather Knight and Georgia Elwiss produced a pair of composed innings to guide England to a series-clinching five-wicket victory at the Wanderers after their chase had been in considerable early trouble

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2016
ScorecardGeorgia Elwiss and Heather Knight scored vital fifties•Gallo Images

Heather Knight and Georgia Elwiss produced a pair of composed innings to guide England to a series-clinching five-wicket victory at the Wanderers – as well as important points in the Women’s Championship – after their chase had been in considerable early trouble.South Africa battled impressively to post 196 for 9 after being 85 for 6 – Lizelle Lee making 74 off 77 deliveries – and in response England slipped to 38 for 3 in the 10th over when Chloe Tryon removed Sarah Taylor.Fresh from the memories of chasing down 263 in the second match – their first victory over England since 2004 – South Africa sensed a chance, but were thwarted by the middle order. Firstly, Charlotte Edwards helped steady the chase as she and Knight added 53 before Edwards fell to Ayabonga Khaka.Then Knight, who earlier claimed 2 for 36 in nine overs, and Elwiss took charge, forming a stand of 97 in 20 overs. Elwiss played the more aggressive role with 61 off 67 deliveries – her maiden international fifty – which included an early six off Dane van Niekerk to help relieve some pressure.Elwiss’ fifty came off 53 balls while Knight’s arrived from 84; Elwiss could not quite see England over the line but Knight remained unbeaten.England had set a good early tone after winning the toss when Anya Shrubsole struck fourth ball, but a second-wicket stand of 57 between Trisha Chetty and captain Mignon du Preez laid a solid foundation. However, they were stunted by two quick wickets – Elwiss making her first impression of the day when she bowled du Preez and then Danielle Hazell removing Marizanne Kapp for a duck – and the collapse reached 5 for 28 when Shrubsole returned to strike two further blows.The innings was revived by a seventh-wicket stand of 80 between Lee and Sune Luus. Lee’s fifty came off 79 balls and although she was eighth out, the last-wicket pair ensured South Africa batted out their 50 overs.At 30 without loss inside five overs, England were off to a brisk start in the chase but the openers – Lauren Winfield and Amy Jones – fell in the space of three deliveries and when Taylor fell for 2 the pressure was on, but England found a response. Victory drew them level with South Africa in fourth, with 13 points, in the Women’s Championship.Edwards said: “We are obviously disappointed not to have secured the full six points available for this series, but to come away with four points against a strong South African side away from home is still a pleasing result for us.”The last three matches have ebbed and flowed for us performance-wise. We have shown glimpses of what we are capable of with both bat and ball, but to be competitive with the best teams in the world we still need to be more consistent.”We are starting to show signs of the positive, proactive and fearless cricket that we want to play, and I hope we can take this into the T20I series starting in Paarl on Thursday, and then the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in India next month.”

Michael Carberry blazed and blasted Lancashire for his first Twenty20 century but the tenacious Red Rose refused to be bullied and gave Hampshire the shock of their live

Alex Winter at the Ageas Bowl07-Aug-2013
ScorecardMichael Carberry’s hundred came from the last ball of the innings•Getty Images

Michael Carberry blazed and blasted Lancashire for his first Twenty20 century but the tenacious Red Rose refused to be bullied and gave Hampshire, the defending champions, the shock of their lives before falling a run short in a remarkable chase.Carberry’s 66-ball century was the defining innings of the match but first Karl Brown, then Steven Croft and Gareth Cross threatened to upstage him. It would have been some upset and Lancashire’s highest chase in T20s but they failed by the narrowest margin. Hampshire were back at Finals Day.Chasing 10-an-over Lancashire stayed in touch with a brave effort. They regularly found the necessary boundaries and ran just as well as Carberry and his partners had done. Hampshire thought two wickets in two balls for Danny Briggs had killed the reply but Lancashire almost pulled off the miraculous.With 42 needed from three overs, Sohail Tanvir – who was in the Caribbean with Pakistan and missed Hampshire’s final three group matches – criminally bowled a no-ball and was sent to the long-off boundary as 11 runs from the over kept Lancashire alive.Chris Wood, who held his nerve to close out victory in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final last season, looked to be doing so again with block-hole deliveries but his final two balls were slightly overpitched and Cross went down to ramp the first to long leg for four and then slapped the sixth, a full toss, over long-on.That meant 17 were needed from the final over and Tanvir was given the task. Another no-ball preceded two well-directed yorkers. But in striving for another, Croft lined up the length and blasted it over extra cover. A single and a scrambled two from a ball which went no more than a yard from the bowler’s stumps meant four were needed from the final delivery. A low full-toss was swung down the ground, they could only get two and Hampshire breathed a mighty sigh of relief.To get that close was a tremendous attempt considering the pummelling they had taken in the field albeit on a pristine batting surface. Although Carberry took the headlines, the onslaught had actually been started by James Vince who stroked a 30-ball 60 during an opening stand of 110 in 10 overs.

Bransgrove’s rock ‘n roll

When you pump an eight-figure sum into a company, you would be forgiven for wanting some recognition but playing guitar at the company’s home is among the more outlandish activities of a chairman.

But Rod Bransgrove probably deserves it having transformed Hampshire with his investment. He’s allowed some fun. As such, his band, the ironically named , provided the post-match entertainment with a cheery mix of old classic rock and pop.

Bransgrove is a keen music fan and enjoys the company of Sir Mick Jagger among other famous musical names. His band, featuring some well-known local talent, made their Ageas Bowl debut last season with a charity gig. This one was just for the hell of it.

Carberry gave a chance to Stephen Moore at deep-backward square-leg when on 14. Glen Chapple thought he had bagged the prize wicket as Carberry hooked him into the deep. The Ageas Bowl fell silent as Moore ran in for the catch but he misjudged the flight, the ball carried over his left shoulder for four and the carnage began.A stocky figure with big muscles, Carberry has ballistic power. His cock of the wrists in the backlift allows the bat to flash through and even strokes not perfectly timed have sufficient projection to find the rope. And when he does find the meat of the bat he sends the ball a very long way.He found three such long balls. The first when Chapple wrongly decided a third over of his opening spell was a good idea during which a long hop was dispatched over midwicket. Kabir Ali was swung over long-on before Simon Kerrigan was hoisted into the sightscreen at the Northern End.But it was the carving drives and flicks square of the wicket where Carberry’s unconventional backlift benefitted him most. He placed the ball incredibly well and extracted plenty of twos. Lancashire were well and untruly given the run around.Lancashire had selected two specialist spinners in Kerrigan and offspinner Arron Lilley, playing just his seventh T20, but any hope that pace off the ball would trouble Hampshire’s power-hitters was quickly deadened. Neither bowler sent down his full allocation and conceded a combined 62 from six overs.In contrast Briggs, Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker in the competition, and Liam Dawson were far more economical. Briggs came up with two identical dismissals in the 12th over to seemingly swing the contest.Both Brown, one short of a half-century, and Simon Katich, went back to cut deliveries that slid on to their exposed stumps. But Brown appeared unlucky as replays suggested the ball may have missed the stumps and it was wicketkeeper Adam Wheater’s gloves that dislodged the bails.Briggs then had Moore caught and bowled after a more patient innings that required some acceleration to become a match-winning knock. That impetus was provided by Croft and Cross and they nearly brought a glorious conclusion.

Australia’s Usman Khawaja scored his maiden one-day century for Derbyshire as they recorded a CB40 double over the Unicorns with a 35-run victory

15-Jul-2012
ScorecardAustralia’s Usman Khawaja scored his maiden one-day century for Derbyshire as they recorded a Clydesdale Bank 40 double over the Unicorns with a 35-run victory at Chesterfield.Khawaja made 104 from 109 balls and shared a century opening stand with Chesney Hughes who made 66 out of Derbyshire’s 235 for 7.Luis Reece led the chase with 59 from 63 balls but his dismissal in the 35th over ended the Unicorns’ slim hopes and they were bowled out for 200, with Mark Turner taking four for 54.Derbyshire’s only previous victory in the competition was against the Unicorns in early May and Khawaja and Hughes put them in a strong position to repeat that success with an opening stand of 138 in 26 overs.Not surprisingly after so much rain, the pitch was slow but both batsmen reeled off some handsome strokes on a rare day of sunshine and blue skies.Hughes scattered spectators behind the long on boundary by driving Bradley Wadlan’s slow left-arm spin for the first six of the innings and Khawaja matched his partner when he swept Luke Beaven over midwicket in the next over.Khawaja’s cover driving was a highlight of Derbyshire’s innings and after reaching his fifty from 66 balls, he pulled a second six off Reece who put down a sharp return chance when Hughes was on 55.Hughes sliced a drive to cover three overs later but Khawaja moved smoothly to his hundred before he was bowled trying to reverse sweep and that sparked off a collapse which saw six wickets fall in 25 balls.Wayne Madsen miscued a drive, Dan Redfern failed to clear long on and Garry Park, playing against his younger brother Craig, went first ball when he chipped a catch to cover.Jon Clare got off the mark with a six that flew into a row of portable toilets but Glen Querl struck twice in the final over as the Falcons fell well short of the total Khawaja and Hughes put them on course for.But it was still a demanding target for a team that had not previously scored 200 in the CB40 this season although they got off to a flier as James Ord and Wadlan plundered 30 from Turner’s opening three overs.Ord unleashed one of the shots of the day when he straight drove Turner into the timber-framed pavilion but Clare cut short what was developing into a dangerous partnership when he trapped him lbw in his first over.Wadlan skied a sweep at Durston to mid-on but former Leicestershire wicketkeeper Tom New kept the Unicorns in the hunt against the county he played for on loan with 31 before he was caught behind in the 21st over.When ex-Somerset stalwart Keith Parsons was run out for a duck in the same over, the Unicorns chase was faltering and Craig Park narrowly avoided matching his brother’s first ball dismissal when he was dropped by Richard Johnson, who was making his debut on loan from Warwickshire.Reece swept David Wainwright for six to reach 50 but when he sliced Turner to cover, the game was up and the fast bowler wrapped up victory with his fourth victim in the 39th over.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Mustafa Kamal has revealed that it was South Africa’s stand that swung the ICC presidency rotation system issue in Bangladesh’s favour during the annual conference in Hong Kong last week

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2011Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Mustafa Kamal has revealed that it was South Africa’s stand that swung the ICC presidency rotation issue during the annual conference in Hong Kong last week. South Africa, defying the line set by India and others, provided unexpected and late support to Bangladesh and Pakistan to convince the ICC executive board to delay any decision over replacing the existing setup with an open candidature method.Under the current system Pakistan and Bangladesh are next in line to nominate the ICC president and vice-president once Alan Isaac of New Zealand ends his term as ICC chief in 2014. The two countries were also helped by Sri Lanka, who stuck to the stand it had taken during the “circular resolution” by the executive board on May 31 seeking an amendment in the ICC constitution over the appointment procedure of its president.”I went in with only one supporter [Pakistan],” Kamal said during a press conference at the BCB headquarters on Sunday. “Sri Lanka didn’t vote from the first instance but while I was defending my case, South Africa came to my support. They were the fourth vote that really helped to bring it in our favour.”South Africa’s stand convinced the ICC’s executive board to not take the matter to the ICC full council, which could have ratified the move if eight Full Members and 38 of the 50 Members had voted in favour.Between now and its next meeting in October, the executive board will discuss the matter and it will once again be brought to vote if necessary. By then the Governance Review Committee would have completed its look at all related matters – including the possibility of appointing independent directors.Kamal also said that during their discussion this October, the ICC would only amend the rotation system and not end it. “In October, certain clauses will be amended so that bottlenecks – like the John Howard situation – can be tackled. But in no way will the rotation be scrapped.”The grouse in the local media was whether Bangladesh let go of the presidency too easily but Kamal clarified that he did not “sell the country” as was suggested, but did it only to buy time. “I also read that we have sold out to a certain board but that is not the case,” he said. “I wouldn’t have fought if I had given up the place already. I always maintained that I voted giving the condition that the rotation must not be scrapped until the cycle ends.”Apart from Kamal’s clarification that he did indeed vote in favour initially, he also confirmed that it wasn’t done to bargain with the Indian board but as a measure to bring the ICC presidency, ultimately, to Bangladesh. “When the resolution via circular came up, it didn’t sit well with me. It was a strategic move to vote in favour at first,” he explained.Kamal was also asked why he didn’t discuss the matter with the board. One director (Dewan Shafiul Arefin) confirmed to Dhaka-based Daily Star that nothing was talked about but Kamal said that the “resolution via circular” wasn’t the end of the story. “Why didn’t I discuss it with my board? Well there wasn’t much time and I also knew that it would be discussed in Hong Kong.”

Sussex strengthened their grip at the top of the table as they beat nearest rivals Essex by 17 runs in their Friends Provident Twenty20 battle at Chelmsford

29-Jun-2010

ScorecardGrant Flower is bowled during Essex’s collapse as their run chase fell apart•Getty Images

Sussex strengthened their grip at the top of the table as they beat nearest rivals Essex by 17 runs in their Friends Provident Twenty20 battle at Chelmsford.After posting a total of 174 for 5 on the back of a superb half-century from Matt Prior, Sussex restricted their opponents to 157 for 9. Prior dominated an opening partnership with Ed Joyce to such an extent that he scored 50 out of 65 runs before he drove David Masters to extra cover where Mark Pettini took a fine catch.Those runs came from only 27 balls and contained four sixes and four boundaries. Joyce, Murray Goodwin, Dwayne Smith and Andrew Hodd all reached the 20s to ensure Sussex set their opponents a testing target.Left-arm spinner Tim Phillips was the pick of the bowlers, conceding 22 runs in his four overs during which he claimed the wicket of Joyce. It looked as though Prior’s efforts would go unrewarded when Essex replied.With Pettini, who was restored to the side after a loss of form lead to him being dropped a fortnight ago, finding his touch without the burden of captaincy, Essex reached the halfway stage on 82 without loss.It was not until two overs and eight runs later that Pettini’s innings came to an end after he contributed 59 from 38 deliveries with the help of five fours and three sixes. But Essex’s hopes of recording a sixth successive win quickly evaporated as they lost their way.Pettini’s departure signalled a collapse that saw nine wickets go down in as many overs for 49 runs. Among them was young opener Jaik Mickleburgh who was run out for 32, but he struggled so much that he needed 42 balls to gather those runs while striking just two boundaries.A late flourish from John Maunders, who struck two sixes in an unbeaten 25 from 16 balls, gave the Essex reply an air of respectability but never threatened to prevent Sussex getting back on the winning trail.Their win came after two defeats and was backed up by some disciplined bowling and fine work in the field. Chad Keegan bowled with commendable accuracy while conceding just 19 in four overs, during which he gathered the wicket of Pettini, while Smith was also a model of accuracy while picking up one for 23.

Promising allround display comes after promotion to No.4 for series against Australia

Matt Roller12-Sep-2024Liam Livingstone believes he can use promotion in England’s T20I team to pitch his case for a recall to their ODI set-up. England have used Livingstone as a finisher in each of the last three T20 World Cups but he top-scored with 37 from No. 4 in their defeat to Australia at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday night, having earlier taken 3 for 22 with his legbreaks.Along with Sam Curran, Livingstone was one of two headline omissions from England’s squad for the five-match ODI series which starts next Thursday, effectively losing his spot to Jacob Bethell. Livingstone said he was told he had been dropped by Rob Key – “the old good news, bad news” – in a brief phone call, and is unclear how he can win his place back.England’s top white-ball players no longer feature in their domestic 50-over competition, which clashes with the Hundred, and Livingstone has not played in the County Championship for two years. While he could feature in November’s ODI series in the Caribbean, with Test players unlikely to be available, his chances of featuring in February’s Champions Trophy likely rest on his T20 form.”I don’t really know – that’s one of my challenges,” Livingstone said. “That’s why I’m happy that I’ve got an opportunity to bat up the order [in the T20Is]. I feel like I’ve shown over the last couple of weeks, maybe a month, that the longer I get to bat in games, the more of a chance I have to affect games.”I feel like I’ve done that in 50-over cricket as well: if you take away the World Cup, I feel like I’d done that further down the order. But it is what it is: I’m 31, I’m not going to sit here and cry about not being picked. There’s plenty of cricket to be played around the world, and if I’m not involved in the ODI stuff then there’s plenty more opportunities.Related

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“I want to play as much cricket for England as I possibly can. Unfortunately, I won’t be playing in the ODIs but it’s still not something I’m giving up on. I’ve had a difficult couple of years. My body has probably let me down a little bit, and maybe I haven’t been up to scratch physically, with a couple of niggles here and there.”Livingstone’s breakthrough as an international cricketer was remarkable. Recalled to the T20I side after a four-year absence, he was the undisputed star of the 2021 English summer, hitting a 42-ball century against Pakistan and launching Haris Rauf for a 117-metre straight six at Headingley. He was also the inaugural Hundred MVP, and impressed at the 2022 IPL.But since then he has faded, and is playing for his international future this week. If England’s Test batters had been available for this series – including Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith – then Livingstone’s spot in the side would have been at risk. Instead, he has been promoted to No. 4 and was their best performer on Wednesday night.Livingstone blames regular injuries for his drop-off, having rushed back from an ankle injury to be fit for the 2022 T20 World Cup and injuring his knee on Test debut weeks after the final. He is now fully fit: “I can run around at 100 percent in the field and I can bowl and bat to the best of my ability, which is something I probably haven’t been able to do for two-and-a-half years.”He has been told that he will get a run at No. 4 in this series, a role he prefers to being a finisher. “It’s up to me to make sure I try to do as well as I can and give them a bit of a headache for the next series,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll see anybody that wants to bat lower down the order.”I want that responsibility. I want to try to win games of cricket for England, and the higher up the order, the more chance you have of doing that. There’s less people that can play that role [at No. 6] and sometimes you’ve got to take it on the chin… [but] this is a chance for me to stake my claim.”At 31, Livingstone is the second-oldest player in England’s squad for this series behind Adil Rashid. “It feels weird, but I feel really old in this team,” he said. “I’ve got to give the younger boys a steer and take a bit of pressure off them. I enjoyed the responsibility.”There’s a bit of a fresh look, a fresh environment,” he added. “Things are going to change. That naturally happens when you bring in new players, but especially when you bring in new coaches as well. Things have felt different: it’s like a new beginning.”