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ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the first ODI between West Indies and Pakistan in Gros Inlet, St Lucia

The Preview by Daniel Brettig22-Apr-2011

Match Facts

April 23, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Start time 0930am (1330 GMT)Lendl Simmons. Does he look much like Chris Gayle to you?•AFP

The Big Picture

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kieron Pollard, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal. The list of players missing from West Indies’ home ODI series against Pakistan, for all manner of reasons, is long. It’s been a somewhat incongruent start to the tour for Pakistan, who have enjoyed the far smoother preparation, having planned to rest Gul and Younis ahead of the subsequent Test series, while also cutting ties with the iron-gloved Kamran. The only kind of disquiet was created by the captain Shahid Afridi’s change of heart over making the trip to the Caribbean.Gayle has of course been at the centre of a perfect storm surrounding his non-selection and subsequent flight to the IPL, where the in-demand Pollard had already chosen to play ahead of national duties. Dwayne Bravo will join them when the Test matches start, painting an altogether unhealthy picture of West Indies unity, or lack thereof.However, a strong victory in the opening Twenty20 match suggested that Darren Sammy’s side is not entirely without hope, and will fancy their chances of overturning an ugly World Cup quarter-final loss to Pakistan in Mirpur, 31 days ago. Notable too is the return of Marlon Samuels for his first ODI since being banned for inappropriate dealings with an illegal bookmaker. It is nearly a year since Samuels became eligible to return.

Form guide

(most recent first)West Indies WWLLLPakistan LWWWL

Watch out for…

Lendl Simmons showed plenty of vim at the top of the order for West Indies in the Twenty20 prelude to this match, and will need to keep that up in the absence of Gayle. The circumstances of Gayle’s departure indicate that he might not be back, so Simmons has the chance to make the opening spot his own.Umar Akmal will also be hoping to raise his game in this series. A joy to behold at the batting crease, Umar must continue to grow and mature in the knowledge that the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and the absent Younis are ageing all the time.

Team news

West Indies expressed the desire to try a younger side against Pakistan in this series, but their manner of doing so caused all kinds of ructions surrounding the future of Gayle and Sarwan. Samuels, older and wiser, is back in the team, while Simmons will have the task of replacing Gayle at the top of the order. Pakistan have also plumped for youth, though in the case of Younis and Gul theirs is only a temporary absence. Hammad Azam is the man charged with replacing Abdul Razzaq as the allrounder.West Indies (possible): 1 Devon Smith, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kirk Edwards, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Ravi RampaulPakistan (possible): 1 Taufeeq Umar, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Hammad Azam, 7 Mohammad Salman (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi (capt), 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Tanvir Ahmed, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Pitch and conditions

The St Lucia surface lost pace noticeably over the course of the Twenty20 match that opened the tour, meaning more of the same can be expected in the first ODI – Ajmal and Bishoo take note.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have not beaten Pakistan in a bilateral ODI series since a 2-0 success in Pakistan over three matches in November 1991 – the second match was tied.
• Pakistan won the only two matches between the two nations to be played in St Lucia, by 40 and 22 runs during the 2005 series won 3-0 by the visitors.
• West Indies’ short-term batting coach Desmond Haynes has made the most runs in limited-overs matches between the two countries, racking up 2390 at 41.92 in 65 matches, though his strike-rate of 60.86 now appears a little dated.
• Samuels’ last ODI appearance was also in St Lucia, against Sri Lanka in April 2008. He finished 3 not out as the match was wiped out by rain.

Quotes

“I have served West Indies for many years, but I was disrespected a lot, and I have been playing under a lot of pressure. I can’t sleep properly. I need to get this off my chest. I want everybody to print what I said, I want to clear the air and I want them to ease up. WICB… back up offa my back.”
“I had decided to skip the tour because I wanted to take a break from the game, but some former players and my family and friends told me to change my decision at this crucial time for Pakistan cricket.”

Kevin Pietersen will miss England’s final Super Eights fixture against New Zealand on Monday, as he returns to the UK to attend the birth of his first child

Cricinfo staff08-May-2010Kevin Pietersen will miss England’s final Super Eights fixture against New Zealand on Monday, as he returns to the UK to attend the birth of his first child.Pietersen, who was named Man of the Match after guiding England to a 39-run victory over South Africa at Bridgetown on Saturday, intends to return to the Caribbean in time for the semi-finals, assuming the team qualifies in his absence, and that there are no complications with the birth.”I’m flying in the next 24 hours, and if there are no complications, I’ll come back in a day before the semi,” said Pietersen during the post-match presentation at Bridgetown. “It’s my first child, so it’s a hell of an exciting time for me. I’ll be dashing across the Atlantic, and hopefully dashing back.”Pietersen has been England’s form batsman in the Super Eights, adding an aggressive 33-ball 53 to the 73 not out he made in their first game against Pakistan. “I’ve had a rough 14 months, so it’s nice to be back in nick again, and part of a team that’s successful,” he said. “We were pretty good today.”Paul Collingwood acknowledged the role Pietersen had played in the team’s success. “The contributions he has made in the last two games have been fantastic and he’s gone a long way to get us into the semi-finals and all being well we can get him back,” he said. “I’m delighted for him because he’s about to have his first child and I know what that feels like.”In Pietersen’s absence, Ravi Bopara is the likely candidate to slot into the side at No. 3. With two wins out of two, England are virtually assured of a place in the semi-finals, and need only to avoid a heavy defeat against New Zealand to guarantee their slot.

Bangladesh could qualify even if they lose, but one more point will assure them of the Super Eight spot

Mohammad Isam16-Jun-2024

Match details

Bangladesh vs Nepal
June 16, Kingstown, 7.30pm local

Big picture: Bangladesh on the cusp of Super Eight

Bangladesh’s Super Eight fate in the T20 World Cup 2024 is in their own hands as one more win is all they need to go through.The only way Bangladesh can miss out is if they lose big against Nepal, and Netherlands beat Sri Lanka by a big enough margin with that game scheduled an hour after Bangladesh vs Nepal. Bangladesh will fancy sailing through as they have looked like the second-best team in Group D so far. They know they can’t take Nepal lightly, more so after their close game against South Africa.But Bangladesh are high on confidence, a side on the mend that, only recently, went down in a T20I series against USA. Their top-order batting remains a concern but their middle-order batters and bowlers have carried them to this promising position.Legspinner Rishad Hossain is the surprise package, with his seven wickets. He has often picked the crucial scalps and his skilful bowling has lifted Bangladesh’s morale. The pace trio of Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan have provided a strong backbone, and their relentless accuracy this tournament has often brought about well-timed breakthroughs.Nepal are still smarting from their one-run loss against South Africa. They were left wondering how they messed up a chase where they were ahead at one point. Gulsan Jha’s run out on the last ball left their legion of fans heartbroken, but their overall performance against one of the tournament’s top teams gives them confidence for the next challenge. Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee shared seven wickets against South Africa at the same ground, while Aasif Sheikh comes in fresh off a stylish 42. Their big hitters are an X-Factor too.Nepal have enough firepower to win, but Bangladesh, at this tournament, have shown an appetite for staying in the fight for longer periods. Key battles will be fought between their middle-order and Nepal’s spinners, particularly how they play Sandeep Lamichhane. Bangladesh’s fast bowlers, meanwhile, will look to exploit any lack of experience among the Nepal batters.With Nepal wanting to finish the tournament with one win and Bangladesh equally motivated to take two points, expect another tight game in a T20 World Cup full of thrillers.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLWWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

Nepal LLLLW

In the spotlight: Tanzid Hasan and Aasif Sheikh

Tanzid Hasan hasn’t done anything special yet in the T20 World Cup but the left-hand opener played an attractive innings against Netherlands. His glut of powerplay boundaries gave Bangladesh their best start in the first six, since arriving in North America four weeks ago. Tanzid is strong on both sides of the pitch and shows presence of mind whenever the bowlers ask him tough questions. It is now a matter of staying long enough for a big score.Aasif Sheikh was better known as the Nepal wicketkeeper who won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2022 for not running out the stumbling Andy McBrine. Those watching him bat for the first time against South Africa saw the other side of Sheikh: an attractive opener who can wow with his flicks. Sheikh’s off side strokeplay also looked promising. After making 42 against South Africa’s attack, he will aim to get even better.Nepal will have to lift themselves after suffering a heart-breaking defeat against SA•ICC/Getty Images

Team news: More spinners in the offing

Bangladesh shouldn’t tinker ideally, but they could consider either left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam or offspin-bowling allrounder Mahedi Hasan on a spin-friendly pitch.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Najmul Hosain Shanto (capt), 3 Litton Das (wk), 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan, 10 Taskin Ahmed 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Nepal have left-arm spinners Lalit Rajbanshi and Sagar Dhakal if they want more bowing options.Nepal (probable): 1 Kushal Bhurtel, 2 Aasif Sheikh (wk), 3 Rohit Paudel (capt), 4 Anil Sah, 5 Dipendra Singh Airee, 6 Kushal Malla, 7 Gulsan Jha, 8 Sompal Kami, 9 Karan KC, 10 Sandeep Lamichhane, 11 Abinash Bohara.

Pitch and conditions

Arnos Vale became a spin haven in the Nepal-South Africa match, producing 12 wickets for the spinners. There’s light rain forecast for Sunday evening in the area and in case there is a washout, Bangladesh will be through to the Super Eight.

Stats that matter

• Mustafizur Rahman boasts the lowest economy rate (minimum three overs), of 2.25 per over, among bowlers in the last four overs at this T20 World Cup
• Aasif Sheikh’s 42 against South Africa in their previous match is Nepal’s highest score against a Full Member side.
• Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Sompal Kami are the only survivors from the Bangladesh vs Nepal match in 2014 – their only previous encounter – when they faced off at that year’s T20 World Cup.

Quotes

“If we were going to play on the same wicket, we could say it’s going to be a battle of spin. But we are playing on a completely different wicket, a fresh wicket. So we will expect normal behaviour. We are not thinking anything differently until we bowl the first ball. After bowling the first ball, we might be able to read the pitch.”
“If I had to only speak like a fan from outside, I know that they are capable more than that. But just as a fan who loves the game, I would say Nepal definitely have left their footprints with that game and to let the Test nations know, the world cricket know that they belong. I have a strong belief in this class of 2023, the players who have come together.”

Also, who’ll be the third specialist quick, and who are the back-ups to the first XI?

Andrew McGlashan14-Mar-20232:22

Ian Chappell: Australia didn’t learn a lot about their play in India series

In future Border-Gavaskar series there will be a fifth Test. However, in a way, we get one this time too. Australia and India will meet again in early June to decide the World Test Championship title.There will be precious little time for either side to prepare given the IPL runs until late May, but you can make the case that Australia have it better. A number of their players will have county cricket stints beforehand, including key batters Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith, while fringe players get the A tour of New Zealand and the potential of further training at home.By and large, selection for Australia’s best XI will not be an overly taxing affair provided injuries don’t play a major part. There are probably nine spots nailed down already. But those final two are ticklish decisions.

What next for David Warner?

David Warner will return to Australia colours this week in the three-match ODI series in India, having recovered from the fractured elbow he suffered in Delhi. But his Test future is as clouded as at any time, barring the immediate aftermath of the ball tampering.He has an underwhelming record in the UK where he averages 26.04 from 13 Tests without a century. The double-century he forged in his 100th Test against South Africa – a remarkable innings – is threatening to look like an outlier in the closing stages of his career.David Warner did not have a memorable tour of India•Associated Press

He appears likely to feature in the WTC final, but beyond that there feels less certainty. Ricky Ponting recently suggested that it could become a selection playoff for Warner to decide whether he at least starts the Ashes that follow in the English summer.After Ahmedabad, head coach Andrew McDonald was reasonably firm on the final but left the rest more open-ended. Warner’s endpoint in Test cricket may not be in his own hands. It is not beyond the realms that he starts the Ashes but does not finish it should England’s quicks reprise their round-the-wicket success of 2019.Related

• Steven Smith to captain Australia in ODI series against India

• Spencer Johnson on Ashes radar after being named for Aus A

• Ponting: Ideal time for Warner to retire was after 2022 MCG 200

• 'I've got the next 12 months' – Warner defiant over Test future

• How Australia made it to their first World Test Championship final

“I think you work through that conversation, and how each player finishes is always differently,” McDonald said. “Some want to go out in a certain way, and others are okay with potentially being dropped out of sides. But at the moment Dave’s fully in our plans for the World Test Championship, he’s coming back for the one-day series, he’s recovered from his injury there, so we’ll see Dave back in Australian colours on the 17th and we’ll go from there.”Even if Warner reaches the next home summer (where his home Test at the SCG will not be the final match of the season this time) there is little doubt that his Test career will end in the next 12 months, so there will need to be a replacement sooner rather than later.Matthew Renshaw batted in the middle order in India, and unconvincingly so, but is viewed as the leading candidate at the moment. By pure weight of domestic runs Cameron Bancroft is making a strong case although there may be other complexities involved. Marcus Harris could consider himself unfortunate to have been dropped in the 2021-22 Ashes when someone had to make way to keep Usman Khawaja in the side. Travis Head was excellent after being promoted to open in India but will remain a middle-order player outside the subcontinent.

Josh Hazlewood vs Scott Boland

The other big selection decision that will likely need to be made is who slots in as the third specialist quick behind Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins. However, that is assuming that Josh Hazlewood can put an end to his run of injuries which, along with conditions-based selection in Asia, has limited him to four Tests in two years.Can Josh Hazlewood get fit for the WTC final?•Getty Images

Hazlewood left the India tour after not recovering from Achilles injury sustained in his comeback Test at the SCG against South Africa when he pounded in on soft turf caused by problems with the covers. He is a wonderful Test bowler but needs to stay on the park.”Injuries are unfortunate and it’s part of fast bowling,” McDonald said. “So two separate injuries, a side injury and an Achilles injury. When he does come back though, what we saw in Sydney is he’s still world-class. I think Scott Boland adds to depth there, we’ve got Lance Morris, unfortunately Jhye Richardson who is of great interest as well suffered a recent injury as well, but we feel as though those fast bowlers as a collective can help each other navigate through what the Future Tours Programme holds.”If Hazlewood is fit for the WTC final it will be a close-run thing between him and Boland, although before the SCG match against South Africa he stated his belief that the pace-bowling hierarchy was still in place – and he was, indeed, selected ahead of Boland. Either of them should be a handful in England during early June.Having said that Starc will be locked in, there may just be question posed as to whether he is the ideal type of fast bowler for early-season England. He only played once in the 2019 Ashes. However, since the start of 2021-22 season he has taken 51 wickets at 27.27 and he also has a role in creating rough for Nathan Lyon.

The reserves

There is unlikely to be much difference between Australia’s WTC squad and their Ashes group, but the ICC will put a limit of the number of players for the final. For the 2021 edition it was 15. So let’s assume there are four extra spots to fill.Will Josh Inglis be called upon as backup wicketkeeper?•Getty Images

Todd Murphy would appear locked in as the back-up spinner after his outstanding tour of India. One of Hazlewood or Boland will be a spare quick but there will be another as well. Uncapped Lance Morris has been around squads at home and abroad, but selectors may just ponder if he’ll quite be the right fit for June conditions. Michael Neser could well come into the frame.Will they want a specialist wicketkeeper in reserve? It’s long way to fly someone from Australia at short notice. In India, Peter Handscomb, who is very capable with the gloves, filled the role and would be an option again. He would obviously cover the spare batter position, too. If an out-and-out keeper was wanted, Josh Inglis would lead the way, although Jimmy Peirson should push him close.Australia’s possible WTC final squad (if 15 named): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Peter Handscomb, Michael Neser/Lance Morris

Chasing 202, Galle Gladiators came undone in the face of Kings’ superb attack after Danushka Gunathilaka’s 54

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Dec-2021Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put on a manic opening stand in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 final against Galle Gladiators, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shoaib Malik, and Thisara Perera muscled Jaffna Kings to a total of 201 for 3, and then their superb attack closed the match down.On Thursday, Maheesh Theekshana (arguably the best bowler in the tournament) and Jayden Seales (the best quick of the LPL) went for runs, as Danushka Gunathilaka produced a fearsome opening salvo, that set Gladiators’ chase off to a rocket-fueled start. But Kings have a lot of good bowlers, one of whom is Wanindu Hasaranga. He produced a vital double-strike, and an excellent spell overall. Suranga Lakmal and Chaturanga de Silva also delivered tight spells.Related

• LPL: Dinesh Chandimal, Thisara Perera, Imran Tahir, Jayden Seales headline ESPNcricinfo's team of the tournament

Gladiators were tenacious, but Kings defended their total comfortably, winning by 23 runs.There has been a controversial ownership change since the last LPL, but Jaffna have now won the first two LPLs. Thisara Perera has led them to both victories. Theekshana, Hasaranga, and Lakmal have been valuable assets to both campaigns. And for the second year, former Sri Lanka batter Thilina Kandamby has put together an excellent squad, and been at the helm of the best tactical side of the competition.Gurbaz’s opening salvo
Gurbaz had had a mediocre first five matches of the LPL, but caught fire towards the end of the tournament, and was in outstanding striking form in the powerplay again. He got his first boundary thanks to a misfield at point at the end of the first over, but then exploded, hitting three straight sixes and a four off his next seven deliveries, to get the Kings’ innings into a high gear, from which it never really switched down. He eventually holed out against the canny left-arm spin of Samit Patel, but his 35 off 18 was instrumental in Kings reaping 61 in the powerplay.Fernando motors to another fifty
Having hit arguably the tournament’s best innings against Dambulla Giants, in the qualifier on Tuesday, Fernando produced another impressive innings in the final, to keep Kings’ momentum going through the early middle overs. He had not been a slouch in the powerplay, hitting five boundaries, but continued to be effective against Gladiators’ spinners, clearing the boundary against Patel and later the legspin of Pulina Tharanga. When Nuwan Thushara had him caught at deep midwicket for 63 off 41 in the 13th over, Kings were still motoring at around 10 an over.Kohler-Cadmore and Perera finish off
Kings’ top five have been ruthless through the course of the tournament, and they are all the batters they needed to use to get to yet another total of over 200. Kohler-Cadmore’s 57 not out off 41 helped the side push on through the middle overs. And then Thisara, the most explosive batter of the tournament, hit two sixes and a four at the start of the final over, to collect 17 not out off nine balls.Mendis and Gunathilaka give Kings a scare
Kusal Mendis and Gunathilaka, both of whom are currently suspended from national duty, had points to prove in the LPL, and Mendis at least has provided reason for Sri Lanka’s selectors to consider him again once he becomes available, top-scoring in the league, with his 327 runs at a strike rate of 149. Today, though, it was Gunathilaka who was most effective, laying into Theekshana, Seales, and Lakmal in the first four overs of the powerplay, to hit an outstanding 54 off 21 balls. That salvo saw Gladiators plunder 81 from the powerplay overs.Hasaranga changes the game
Such is the depth in Kings’ attack, though, that their third-best bowler this tournament has been Hasaranga, who currently sits atop the world T20I rankings. And it is he who dismissed Gunathilaka, having him caught at cover, before dismissing Ben Dunk the next ball with a googly. His fast thinking, upon receiving a throw at the non-striker’s end, also helped end the innings of Mohammad Hafeez, when he quickly threw the ball to the keeper, to find the batter short.Later in the game, his brother, Chaturanga, contributed as well, taking the wickets of Dhananjaya Lakshan and Tharanga. Wanindu took an excellent catch running back from cover to complete the dismissal for his brother.

Lancashire’s rookie attack routed as 150 target is hunted down inside 16 overs

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2020Leicestershire 409 for 8 (Slater 172, Ackermann 94) and 150 for 3 (Ackermann 73*) beat Lancashire 322 (Vilas 90, Croft 63) and 236 (Davies 54, Croft 52*, Mike 4-39) by seven wickets Captain Colin Ackermann led the charge as unfancied Leicestershire completed a sensational seven-wicket victory with just eight balls remaining in the Bob Willis Trophy match against Lancashire at Blackfinch New Road.Ackermann finished on 73 not out off just 41 balls as the Foxes chased down their 150 runs off a 17-overs target, hitting ten fours and a six in an extraordinary display of shot-making on a slow pitch. Young left-hander Harry Dearden played an important role, hitting Lancashire strike bowler Tom Bailey for consecutive sixes over long-on before reverse-sweeping left-arm spinner Tom Hartley high over extra cover for another maximum.It was hard to take for a Lancashire side badly hit by England call-ups and injuries, and for whom three bowlers were making a debut, and in particular Steven Croft, who earlier in the day led a determined defensive effort, finishing unbeaten on 52 after facing 185 balls before Lancashire were bowled out for 236 in their second innings.The morning had seen Leicestershire make an encouraging start after Lancashire resumed on their overnight score of 96 for 3, Chris Wright finding the inside edge of Rob Jones’ bat and seeing the ball loop from the batsman’s front pad high into leg side, where George Rhodes, running in from short midwicket, took a comfortable catch.Lancashire captain Dave Vilas was joined by Croft and the two experienced batsmen dug in. Leicestershire’s bowlers knew they had to be patient on a slow, placid track, though Vilas did give one chance, clipping a delivery from left-arm seamer Dieter Klein low down the leg-side, but wicket-keeper Harry Swindells, diving to his left, could not hang on.It was beginning to look as though Vilas and Croft could match or exceed their first-innings partnership of 130 until the shortly before lunch, when the South African tried to steer a wide delivery from left-arm spinner Parkinson through point, only to bottom edge the ball into his stumps.If that was fortuitous for Parkinson, his next wicket was anything but, George Balderson going back to a delivery which spun sharply back into the left-hander’s pads to dismiss him leg before wicket. Croft remained immoveable, but the loss of Danny Lamb, leg before to a full delivery from Ben Mike, lifted Leicestershire spirits as they went in to tea with 32 overs remaining in the match.Mike made it two in two balls by immediately producing a beauty to find the edge of Bailey’s bat, Swindells taking a brilliant one-handed catch to his right. Hartley fought hard before being leg before on the back pad to an Ackermann delivery which turned, and Ed Moulton’s second duck of the match left the Foxes a target of almost nine runs an over.Having hit 94 before being run out by his partner in the first innings, Ackermann played superbly to complete a personal return of 168 runs in the match, along with two wickets and some outstanding captaincy in overseeing the taking of 20 wickets on a pitch which offered the bowlers relatively little assistance.

De Villiers looks rusty and the middle order continues to be a source of worry for RCB as they try to turn around a six-match losing streak

Alagappan Muthu12-Apr-20196:02

Will RCB finally collect their first win?

Big picture

Plenty of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s losses tally back to their weak bowling units. But it may be argued that the six on the trot this season is more the result of their batting misfiring through every stage of an IPL match. Statistics indicate they have scored at 7.3 per over in the Powerplay (seventh-best out of eight teams), 6.9 between overs 7 and 15 (seventh-best again) and 8.9 in the back end (dead last).So, clearly, Kings XI Punjab have plenty of targets to aim at and a fine roster of bowlers to do it for them. Yet, two of their three losses in 2019 were the result of bowling mishaps. They fumbled a great opportunity against Mumbai earlier this week and, before that, allowed KKR to score 218. Strange things happen in the IPL and that trend is probably going to continue when these two teams meet on Saturday.

In the news

• Kings XI batting coach S Sriram said Chris Gayle felt a twitch in his back during the game against Mumbai on Wednesday and that he needed to be monitored.
• Mayank Agarwal missed Kings XI’s previous match with a hand injury. The 28-year old has already played a high-impact innings against one of the best bowling teams in the tournament and his return to the XI could prove a major boost.
• RCB confirmed the signing of Dale Steyn on Friday evening. The South Africa fast bowler replaces the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile but will only be available for selection after April 15.

Form guide

Kings XI Punjab: Lost to Mumbai Indians by three wickets, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets, lost to Chennai Super Kings by 22 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Lost to Delhi Capitals by four wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets, lost to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets

Previous meeting

Goes back to last year, when Kings XI were bowled out for 88 after fast bowler Umesh Yadav took out their two best batsmen – KL Rahul and Chris Gayle – inside five overs. RCB won with 10 wickets and 71 balls to spare.BCCI

Likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Karun Nair, 4 David Miller/ Nicholas Pooran, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 Sam Curran, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Mohammed ShamiRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Akshdeep Nath, 7 Pawan Negi, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Navdeep Saini

Strategy punt

• Spin to AB de Villiers. His strike-rate of 94 this season is among the lowest for any batsman over the first 10 balls of their innings. Also, three of his five dismissals in 2019 were the result of opposition teams forcing him to play spin as soon as he came to the crease. Kings XI will want to exploit this weakness, and may even draft M Ashwin into their XI to do so. De Villiers, since IPL 2017, has lost his wicket to legspin seven times, while making a modest 158 runs in 121 balls.
• There is an equally strong case for Umesh Yadav’s inclusion in the RCB line-up. He matches up favourably against both Gayle and Rahul, conceding just about a run a ball, while also dismissing them a combined four times – Gayle thrice and Rahul once. In fact, Kings XI are Umesh’s favourite opposition – 26 wickets (personal best), 16 average (personal best), 7.13 economy (personal best)

R Ashwin is pumped up after taking a wicket•BCCI

Stats that matter

• Since IPL 2015, the average first-innings score in a night game at Mohali is 173 and this is one of the rare venues where teams have more wins batting first (11) than second (5)
• RCB desperately need a strong hand in the middle order, especially now that international retirement seems to have made de Villiers a bit rusty. In an ideal world, Colin de Grandhomme and Moeen Ali should have solved that problem considering they have been striking at 148 and 170 in the middle overs of a T20 match since 2015. Except they average only 19 when playing the shortest format in India and it is that trend that is on show a little too often.
• Fair warning to fans of both teams. The Powerplay might be hard to watch. RCB have picked up only three wickets in this period across six different matches – that’s a bowling average of 98. Kings XI have been equally ineffective; they are the only team that leaks runs at a higher rate (8.6) than RCB (8.2). So yeah, might be useful to hide behind the couch and ask a friend to tell you when the first six overs are done.

Travis Head fell short of a hundred but his efforts helped guide Australia to a first victory since September after Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had filleted England’s top order

The Report by Daniel Brettig26-Jan-2018

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlex Hales was bowled for 3 by Pat Cummins•Getty Images

For a match that appeared over inside 10 overs, Australia’s first ODI victory since September did not come easy. The new-ball pair of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood filleted England’s top order, but Chris Woakes’ doughty rearguard and Adil Rashid’s variations allowed the Australia Day ODI to creep into floodlit hours while Travis Head guided his team close to home.A slimmer-than-expected Adelaide Oval crowd of 24,329 seemed destined to be filing out of the exits early when Cummins and Hazlewood combined to have Eoin Morgan’s side a sickly 5 for 8 as the new ball swung and seamed, before Woakes delivered his latest outstanding display of a series England had already won.Woakes’ innings ensured that Australia needed at least one score of note to register their first ODI win since last year’s India tour and only their second since January 2017, and it was Head, returning to the top of the order in the absence of the injured Aaron Finch, who provided it. His calm presence, laced with regular boundaries, contrasted with less certain innings from David Warner, Cameron White and the captain Steven Smith. Winners or not, this Australian side is a long way from peak batting performance, meaning Glenn Maxwell is a fair chance to play in the final match of the series in Perth on Sunday.That Australia were not chasing more runs was due to the adroit use of helpful conditions by Hazlewood and Cummins with the new ball, in a display that will be of interest in the context of the looming Test tour to South Africa. Andrew Tye, too, contributed a serviceable spell featuring his first ODI wickets, though Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa were somewhat less dangerous.Damp and humid weather in Adelaide had encouraged Smith to bowl first upon winning the toss, even though the hosts rested Mitchell Starc after he played in the first three matches. England lost Liam Plunkett due to a hamstring injury in the third match in Sydney, with Tom Curran called in.Adelaide Oval’s pitch has become known for its even grass coverage and the prospect of some assistance for bowlers as well as batsmen, but the surface combined with the weather made conditions decidedly awkward for batsmen early on – akin more to the early overs of a Test match than the first innings of a 50-over affair. Combined with England’s hyper-aggressive attitude to the early overs of an ODI innings, the result was a truly rare rush of early wickets.Second ball of the match, Jason Roy sliced an airy drive at Hazlewood and was pouched in the gully by Smith, then in the fourth over Cummins found sharp seam movement to bowl Alex Hales off his pads. At the other end Jonny Bairstow drove eagerly at Hazlewood and edged through to Tim Paine, and in the next over Joe Root’s hook shot flew with some precision into the hands of fine leg.When Jos Buttler was out to one of the balls of the summer, a Hazlewood seamer that pitched on the off stump before prancing away and gifting Paine another catch, England had lost four wickets in as many overs. Only once in ODI history, when Canada were 5 for 7 against the Netherlands in 2013, had the fifth wicket fallen at a lower score, and an exceptionally quick finish seemed in the offing.However, the conditions eased slightly as the ball lost some shine, and Smith seemed content to conserve his bowlers rather than going for the kill. The resultant breathing room allowed Morgan and Moeen Ali to raise a 50 stand, before the return of Cummins and an excellent short ball had Morgan gloving down the leg side. Moeen’s innings ended when he hooked Tye straight at Head, centimetres inside the midwicket boundary on the members’ side, and Rashid soon feathered Cummins’ fourth wicket.Woakes, though, played another excellent innings, in vastly different circumstances to the first three matches, working the ball around and then hitting out powerfully when the bowlers strayed into his scoring zones. Curran offered typically determined support, with the occasional flourish like one terrific pull shot in Hazlewood’s final over. While Woakes fell short of a century, he and the rest of England’s bowlers gave themselves a chance to challenge Australia on a pitch still amenable to the new ball.A year ago Warner and Haed had combined to add a world record 284 against Pakistan, but this time their union was worth a mere 25 when Warner edged a Woakes delivery angled neatly across him. White had said before this match that, not being “stupid”, he knew he needed runs to give himself a chance of figuring in Australia’s further plans, but was defeated by a nip-backer from Curran that pinned him in front of the stumps.Smith’s own underwhelming ODI series was maintained when he sliced a forcing shot at Rashid and was reflexively caught at slip by Root, also the fifth time the wrist spinner had found a way past Australia’s captain in ODIs. Marsh hinted at permanence in a stand with Head that soothed any lingering Australian nerves, but after he hammered a return catch to Rashid, Stoinis misread a top spinner to sky a catch.Tim Paine survived his own share of nervous moments, and Head was mortified to shell a catch to mid-on with only 17 required and four short of his century. Cummins was run out in an awful mix-up with Paine, and it was a nervous Tye who accompanied Paine to the finish, albeit with 13 overs to spare. If winning is a habit, then Australia’s limited overs team still have plenty of forming to do.

A lot of drama unfolded in Coffs Harbour where Australia and South Africa played out only the fifth tie in the history of women’s ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by ball- detailsMasabata Klaas’ run-out on the last ball led to the tie•Getty Images

A fourth straight ODI fifty for Ellyse Perry, second consecutive for Nicole Bolton, a four-for from Suné Luus, and a match-changing all-round performance from Dane van Niekerk combined to a dramatic tie in the fourth ODI in Coffs Harbour. South Africa women needed eight off the last over and later five off two, when Masabata Klaas slapped a four but was run-out on the last ball as both teams were all out for 242 in only the fifth tie in women’s ODIs. South Africa have still not beaten Australia in any format.South Africa were reeling in their chase at the score of 40 for 4, rattled by the Australian quicks and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen. After Jonassen broke the opening stand, Perry bowled Lara Goodall, Rene Farrell bowled Luus and debutant Amanda-Jade Wellington had Mignon du Preez stumped with her very first ball. Kapp and van Niekerk joined forces that only steadied them but also brought the chase on track with a massive partnership that lasted 30.3 overs. Wellington would have had her second wicket, of van Niekerk, in the 16th over but Meg Lanning could not hold on to a low chance at slip after the ball flicked the keeper’s glove on the way.Kapp and van Niekerk scored 144 runs together, the third-highest stand for the fifth wicket overall, and took South Africa towards 200. While Kapp was more circumspect in her sixth ODI half-century, van Niekerk scored at more than run a ball against Jonassen, Perry and Farrell.It took a run-out to break the stand when Kapp backed up too much at the non-striker’s end and walked back for a 104-ball 66, starting Australia’s fight back. South Africa needed 57 off eight overs and Van Niekerk’s fours during her third ODI fifty brought the asking rate under six before Jonassen bowled her for 81. Another run-out and nine runs later, the visitors needed eight from six but Elyse Villani, bowling for the first time in her international career, conceded seven. When they needed one to win, Klaas struck a full delivery to midwicket but could not reach the non-striker’s end on time.Australia had opted to bat and Bolton and Perry, who missed the last match with a groin injury, steered them for over 16 overs after Beth Mooney, who was promoted to open, and Lanning fell cheaply. Bolton and Perry’s partnership yielded 80 runs before Luus dismissed Bolton, for 63, and Jonassen in her consecutive overs.Alex Blackwell then allied with Perry with a quick 35 off 30 but van Niekerk disturbed their lower order. Perry helped them cross 200 and took them to the last five overs before Luus sent her back too and van Niekerk struck on consecutive balls with the wickets of Alyssa and Villani. The stutter meant Australia struck only 26 runs in their last five overs as debutants Wellington and Tahlia McGrath were dismissed off consecutive balls in the last over.Luus finished with 4 for 37 from her 7.5 overs and Van Niekerk returned figures of 3 for 52 from nine overs.

Dinesh Karthik struck 167 to propel Tamil Nadu into a dominant position against Mumbai in the third round of the Ranji Trophy

Amol Karhadkar16-Oct-2015
ScorecardDinesh Karthik made his 24th first-class century•PTI

In an endeavour to improve his technique and earn an India call back, Dinesh Karthik spent weeks in Mumbai last year, working at the MCA’s Bandra-Kurla Complex facility with personal coach Praveen Amre. At the same ground, Karthik turned out to be the difference between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy league game.When Karthik is on song, the best of bowling attacks can appear hapless. It was the turn of Mumbai to bear the brunt as his 167 meant Tamil Nadu recovered from 201 for 6 to pile up 434 in their first innings and give the visitors a good chance of snatching the lead. Tamil Nadu’a pacers then built on the good work, seeing off two Mumbai batsmen, including the prized wicket of Shreyas Iyer, to further the cause.His unbeaten 76 on the opening day was about controlled aggression; a necessary tactic considering Tamil Nadu had been in danger of collapsing. The 91 runs he added today were split into two halves – being patient and then cutting loose.

We feel couple of wickets went against us – Mumbai coach Pandit

Acknowledging Dinesh Karthik’s effort and the resilience of the Tamil Nadu lower middle order, Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit has said it was unfortunate that his team found themselves on the wrong side of umpiring decisions. On the second day, three decision, including two in the morning session, went against Mumbai.
“Anybody who would have seen the first half on both the days must have seen the ball was doing a lot. Credit to their batsmen [for] the way they handled the first session,” Pandit said.
“Even this morning, the ball was moving but unfortunately a couple of wickets went against us. Yes, we feel that. I will go with the boys. But I don’t blame anyone for any of that. It is just part and parcel of the game and we have to accept it. I am not blaming the decisions for a total in excess of 400 being scored.”
Dhawal Kulkarni’s appeal for a caught behind against Malolan Rangarajan was turned down early on the second day. It was followed by an lbw shout against Dinesh Karthik that got the shake of the head. Late in the day, Mumbai opener Akhil Herwadkar was adjudged caught behind when the batsman felt he had not edged the ball.

Mumbai had a very hard day. The BKC track not offering much assistance and the soaring heat did no favous either. They didn’t have much going by way of luck either. Karthik, having seen off the first hour of the morning session, survived a close leg-before shout off Shardul Thakur in the nineties. Earlier in the day, a huge appeal for caught behind off Dhawal Kulkarni against Malolan Rangarajan had been turned down as well. The two batsmen put on 182 runs for the seventh wicket.Karthik got his 11th four, which also brought up his 24th first-class ton, there were no more half-chances. By then, the fast bowlers had begun losing their zip and when spin was called in, Karthik simply swept them aside. Literally. Whenever left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar or legspinner Abhishek Raut or part-timer Siddhesh Lad pitched it slightly fuller, Karthik bent down in no time and the connection was sweet. When the pace duo of Thakur and Kulkarni pitched it short, the pull shot yielded optimum results.The mammoth stand came to an end soon after lunch when Aditya Tare took a sharp, one-handed catch behind the wicket off Thakur to end Rangarajan’s vigil for 61 off 150 balls. Three overs later, Karthik was undone by a sweep to give Dabholkar a deserving five-for. Aswin Crist and M Mohammed frustrated Mumbai bowlers for an hour, but Kulkarni took two in two in the 145th over to wrap up the innings. And from then on and until the end of the day’s play, bowlers dictated the proceedings.Tamil Nadu’s pacers bowled a nagging line. Even though Crist started off by bowling two full-tosses in the opening over, the second of which was creamed for a four by Shrideep Mangela, Mohammed bowled five maidens on the trot from the other end. Reward for that discipline came in Mohammed’s second spell when he had Akhil Herwadkar caught behind, although replays were inconclusive. There didn’t appear to be any sound of bat hitting ball as it passed.Iyer counterattacked with a sparkling cover drive, a trademark flick through midwicket and an aerial flick that sailed over long leg but with just over ten minutes remaining for the scheduled close, his uppish drive was brilliantly caught by medium-pacer J Kousik to make it a perfect day for Tamil Nadu.