All posts by n8rngtd.top

Sri Lanka’s Pathum NIssanka moves to ninth, India captain Rohit Sharma jumps to 13th

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2022Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is the new No. 1 T20I batter in the ICC rankings, ending captain Babar Azam’s reign at the top. Rizwan’s match-winning knocks of 78* off 57 against Hong Kong in the group stage and 71 off 51 against India in Super 4s of the Asia Cup helped him reach his career-best 815 points.Rizwan has claimed the top position for the first time and he is only the third Pakistan batter to top the T20I batting rankings after Babar, who has been at the top of the table for 1155 days in all, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who was at the top for 313 days, from April 20 , 2008 to February 27, 2009.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

Rizwan’s form also coincided with Babar’s slump, with the captain scoring just 33 runs in three matches at the Asia Cup. With 192 runs so far, Rizwan is also the leading run-getter in the competition as on Wednesday, when Pakistan take on Afghanistan. Rizwan has been churning out consistent performances in the shortest format in recent times, scoring a total of 1541 runs in 33 matches, at an average of 73.38 and strike rate of 133.76, since the start of 2021. He is also the top-scorer in T20Is in the period and averages the most among batters who have played at least 15 innings since January 2021.Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka moved up by a place to No. 8, on the back of his impressive run of form in the tournament. He scored 20, 35 and 52 in his last three matches, with the half-century powering Sri Lanka to victory against India in a chase of 174 on Tuesday and taking the team closer to the final spot.Nissanka’s opening partner Kusal Mendis also took giant steps, advancing 63 places to reach 41st spot after a solid 57 off 37 balls. Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka (up 11 places to 39th) and middle-order batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa (up 31 places to 68th) have also made big progress.India captain Rohit Sharma moved to 13th position, a jump of four places, after scoring 72 off 41 against Sri Lanka, while Virat Kohli rose to 29th place after his 44-ball 60 against Pakistan.Afghanistan’s 20-year-old batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who smashed a 45-ball 84, albeit in a losing cause against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 clash, also gained 14 places to move to the 15th position.Among bowlers, offspinner Maheesh Theekshana gained five spots to be No. 8 and Mujeeb Ur Rahman rose three places to sixth. He is the joint highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup along with Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz with seven scalps from three games, as on Wednesday.In the ICC men’s ODI batting rankings, Australia’s David Warner moved from seventh to sixth position while the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson entered the top 10 with a jump of one spot after the first of the three ODIs between the two teams in Cairns on Tuesday.Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc and legspinner Adam Zampa moved to 12th and 18th places respectively among the bowlers.

South Africa white-ball captain “expected” to be part of the new T20 league, but for now he’s sticking to the task at hand: in India and at the World Cup

Ashish Pant22-Sep-2022Temba Bavuma has spoken of his “disappointment” and having felt “let down” at not being picked in the inaugural SA20 auction earlier this week. Bavuma, the South Africa limited-overs captain, had set his base price at Rand 850,000 (US$48,000 approx.) but did not find any takers each time his name came up – he was part of the auction’s accelerated rounds after going unsold the first time.”I’ll be lying if I said that I didn’t have any feelings of disappointment,” Bavuma said while talking to reporters ahead of South Africa’s departure for a white-ball tour of India.Related

• Temba Bavuma stays the course to deliver his definitive century

• 'I respect what he has been through' – Elgar backs under-fire Bavuma to bounce back

• South Africa to host England and Netherlands for ODIs in early 2023

• Temba Bavuma battling a sea of uncontrollables

• SA20 auction: Stubbs the biggest buy, Ferreira creates a stir

“I certainly was expecting to play a role in the tournament. From my side, there are definitely feelings of disappointment and also feelings of almost being let down in a way. I don’t think that comes from any point of entitlement from my side.”Bavuma formally took charge of South Africa’s limited-overs side in March last year and has so far led the country in 13 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He has, however, been out of international action since South Africa’s T20I tour to India in June due to an injured elbow.A rare case of a national white-ball captain not getting picked in his country’s T20 league, Bavuma indicated that he had more to say on the issue but that, for now, he would rather focus on the task ahead: the India tour followed by the T20 World Cup in Australia.”I am cautioning myself to not delve too deep into this whole matter,” Bavuma said. “As much as I’d like to speak more about it, this is probably not the right time. Our focus right now is on India and the World Cup. We are doing what we need to do there.”Mark Boucher, the outgoing South Africa head coach, was coy on Bavuma’s non-selection for the SA20, but insisted that the entire team was firmly behind their captain.”Temba Bavuma is our leader, and I back him 100%,” Boucher said. “Yes, there is a lot of talk on social media about all the stuff, about this and that; I don’t really care. He is our leader, and we back him in this team like you can’t believe.”The guys were there last night, we were having a couple of drinks, and I could just see the energy around him because I understand the situation he is going through. The bottom line is we are on a journey, and we have been on a journey the last two years.”Boucher, who will join Mumbai Indians (whose owners also own a team in the SA20) as head coach after he leaves his current post, also said that while he respected the SA20 league and the selection processes in it, it was necessary to separate the national team from the various T20 leagues.”One thing I can say is that leagues, they come and go, and I am in full understanding and respect of this new league that has come up. I think it is needed. But let’s separate the national team from the league,” he said.”What happens in leagues and auctions, you can’t control that; unfortunately, it is what it is. From a Proteas perspective, we do back him 100% and going into a massive tournament like a [T20] World Cup, he will be a massive part of our team.”While Bavuma agreed with Boucher’s statement about the group being behind him, he also insisted he was not expecting any sort of sympathy nor does he have to prove anything to anyone.”The guys in the team, our friendship, our relationship goes far beyond just being team-mates,” he said. “We are friends off the field. The guys just being there in terms of their presence for me has been enough. I don’t expect words of sympathy or anything like that.”The biggest thing for me is to serve the team as best as I can. I still have the responsibility of being the captain of the team. I would endeavour to do the best as I can, as I believe I have been doing.”

Batter due to fly out to Australia next week but may have limited practice before tournament

Matt Roller27-Sep-2022Liam Livingstone is likely to arrive at the T20 World Cup in Australia “undercooked” after his ankle injury, but should be fit to play in at least one warm-up game, Moeen Ali has said.Livingstone was ruled out of England’s ongoing T20I series to Pakistan after suffering the injury during the Hundred and has been at Emirates Old Trafford over the past week to step up his rehabilitation.He is expected to travel to Australia next week to link up with the rest of the England squad, who will fly there from Lahore on Monday after the seventh and final T20I against Pakistan. England will then play three matches against Australia and one official warm-up against Pakistan before starting their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on October 22 in Perth.”I know he’s speaking to Jos and I actually messaged him a couple of days ago to see how he was going,” Moeen said on Tuesday. “He said it’s getting there and he’s on the mend. Hopefully, in Australia, he’ll probably play the last warm-up game or something like that.”When you do your ankle, it’s not easy. I’ve done mine at the IPL and once you’ve rolled it once, apparently it keeps rolling… you keep rolling it throughout your career so you’ve got to be really careful. I’ve done mine twice and I think he’s done his three times now.”We’re hoping that he’s ready. He might be a little bit undercooked but he’ll pick it up quickly and it’s actually not been a bad thing for him to have a bit of a break from cricket.”Chris Jordan, who also missed the Pakistan tour through injury, is expected to be ready to play when he arrives in Australia at the start of next week. Last week, the splint came off the finger that he fractured during the Hundred and he has been training at The Kia Oval to prepare for the World Cup.More immediately, Chris Woakes could make his first England appearance in any format since March on Wednesday night in Lahore after various injuries caused him to miss the home international summer.”There’s a good chance,” Moeen said of Woakes’ prospects, “but we’ve not named a team to the boys so we are just waiting. He’s good. He is really looking forward to playing but he’s also been out for a long time, so he wants to make sure he’s completely ready.Related

• Naseem Shah hospitalised after contracting pneumonia

• Moeen Ali falls short in dramatic finale as Pakistan take series lead

• Mark Wood: 'I was trying to bowl fast, it could have gone either way'

• Jos Buttler 'still a while off' from return in Lahore leg of T20I series

• Will Jacks follows Moeen Ali's lead in Test allrounder bid

“Until you play, you don’t know if you’re ready. But he is really confident, he’s happy and the medical team is happy with him, so we will definitely see him [in this series]. He is a big player for England… Woakesy is a great guy, great for the team.”Richard Gleeson has also been passed fit for the rest of the series after a niggle restricted him to two overs in the first T20I in Karachi. Gleeson will be one of three travelling reserves for the World Cup, along with Liam Dawson and Tymal Mills.Moeen, who has deputised as captain for the injured Jos Buttler during this series, said that he was happy with how England played in the Karachi leg of the tour, which finished level at 2-2 following Pakistan’s two-run win on Sunday.”I’m just pleased with the way we are playing, with the young guys coming in and performing really well,” he said. “Speaking to Jos, he’s really pleased with the way things are going.”When we lost in the summer, we were playing poorly. You are a bit more down about those results. It was a disappointing result the other night, but it was a great game of cricket. Okay, we lost, but I feel we are playing good cricket. We lost a lot of wickets in the powerplay but we managed to stay in the game until the very end.”

The allrounder has not been discouraged by the selectors, but acknowledges that there is a monster international workload through the year

Alex Malcolm28-Nov-20221:02

Warner on Green: Nineteen weeks straight in India will get you cooked

Cameron Green is excited about the possibility of going to the IPL in 2023 despite a warning from David Warner about the consequences of adding the world’s longest T20 franchise tournament to a monstrous Test and ODI workload in the calendar year.Green will enter the auction, and could well be at the centre of a bidding war after catching the eye of a number of the franchise owners in the three-T20I tour of India in September, where he smashed two blistering half-centuries, striking at 214.54 for the series.Related

• Australia's Test return to Perth likely to prove a tough sell

• Steve Waugh: 'The public has almost overdosed on cricket'

• At home, and yet not quite – Cameron Green at the centre of unfamiliar homecoming

• Smith feels primed for big summer despite hip niggle

• The WI quicks who could give Australia the hurry-up

But he will have nine Tests to play between now and the start of the IPL, including a four-Test tour of India just prior to the tournament. Australia also have a three-ODI series scheduled on the back of the Test series in India. Green is also contracted to play some BBL cricket for Perth Scorchers in the three weeks between the Sydney Test against South Africa, his fifth of the summer, and the first Test in India.Immediately after the IPL, Australia will play the five-match Ashes in England and there is also the possibility they could play the World Test Championship final in England in early June. Australia then have a white-ball tour of South Africa in August prior to the 50-over World Cup in October in India.”I think from an experience point of view, it’s great,” Warner, an IPL regular since 2009, said. “From a playing point of view, he’s obviously got four Test matches and a few T20s [and] ODIs after it. So, look, 19 weeks straight in India… being your first trip there as well can be quite challenging from the heat perspective, the playing, the recovery. It’s a different heat. I’ve been through that, I’ve played that, I’ve done the Test series and the IPL straight before. It is tough.”Put on the back of that, you’ve got five Test matches in England. I think it’s 20 days off before you go play World Cup. It’s a big year. Glenn Maxwell did it a couple years ago, played the whole year, and was cooked come the [home] season.”So, from a youngster’s point of view, it’s totally up to him. It’s a decision he has to make for the longevity of his career. It’s a big call for him as a youngster and whatever decision he goes with, you know, we’ll respect it as players. But, ultimately, it’s down to him and obviously with CA and I don’t know what those conversations are.”Green has had those conversations with Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey and coach Andrew McDonald, also a selector, and they have not discouraged Green from going to the IPL.”I’ve had really good chats with those guys, and they’re really open to me going,” Green said. “Obviously you’re going to a pretty cool environment where you’re around all the best players in the world and the best coaching staff and you’ve got all the facilities to bat all day if you want to and really learn about your game. So, I think it’s just a really good environment to learn about your cricket and hopefully a lot of things that I can take back with me and then share with the guys in Australia.””I think it’s just a really good environment to learn about your cricket and hopefully a lot of things that I can take back with me”•Getty Images

The selectors have an eye on the T20 World Cup in 2024 – Green’s relative inexperience in the format was a major reason why he was not used more in the recent 2022 tournament in Australia. The 2024 IPL appears a better fit for Green from a workload perspective, given Australia have a lighter Test schedule and it provides a perfect lead-in to the tournament mid-year in the Caribbean and the USA. However, Green was confident about playing next year.”It’s going to be a really tough year – I don’t think anyone’s disagreeing with that,” he said. “But it’s just a really good opportunity. I think if you’re playing all three formats, and the IPL, you’re going to be learning a lot about your cricket. Yeah, you might get pushed a little bit with your body but I’ve got good resources around me to kind of get through that. You do everything you can to look after your body and have rest when you can.”Green had been considering a stint in county cricket in England in the winter of 2022 in between Australia’s away Test series in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, before opting to rest after the attritional series in Pakistan.

Leading Bengal in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s absence, Tiwary wants his team to take their game to “the next level” to try and win the Ranji Trophy

Rajan Raj16-Dec-2022Manoj Tiwary has hinted that the ongoing 2022-23 season of the Ranji Trophy could be his last in first-class cricket, but he wants to make sure “to give Bengal a Ranji Trophy title on my way out”.Tiwary, who is in charge of Bengal because regular captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is away on national duty, led the from the front as the side, chasing 257 for victory against Uttar Pradesh at Eden Gardens, got to the target for the loss of four wickets in their Elite Group A game. Tiwary got in at 156 for 3 and ended with an unbeaten 60.Related

• Ranji Trophy: Abhimanyu Easwaran to play at Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Stadium

• Arjun Tendulkar scores century on Ranji Trophy debut

• Agarwal hits the reset button to focus on Karnataka

• Everything you need to know about Ranji Trophy 2022-23

“We have to play like champions. We won today, but it’s not like we played exceptional cricket,” Tiwary, also a member of the legislative assembly in West Bengal, told reporters after the match. “If we look session-by-session, there were phases when we bowled badly. And our opening batters must score runs. If we want to win the Ranji Trophy, we must take our game to the next level.”Bengal have won the Ranji Trophy only twice in all these years, once way back in 1938-39 and then in 1989-90. Tiwary, who started playing first-class cricket in the 2004-05 season, has played the Ranji final thrice: in 2005-06, 2006-07 and, more recently, in 2019-20.”I am quite relaxed about leading the team,” the 37-year-old Tiwary said. “When I stepped down as the first-class captain of Bengal [during the 2018-19 season], I was told to continue as captain of the one-day and T20 sides, but I had refused, telling them that we need to groom a younger player as captain. But [in Abhimanyu’s absence], I realised I have to take this responsibility because decision-making is such a crucial part of the game.”Though he did ask for more from the bowling unit – which was missing Mukesh Kumar, who was out in Bangladesh with India A – Tiwary had words of praise for his pace spearhead Ishan Porel, who hasn’t played a lot of cricket of late but earned the Player-of-the-Match award against Uttar Pradesh for his match haul of seven wickets, including a five-for in the first innings.”Porel’s comeback has been quite good,” Tiwary said. “He wasn’t available for the Vijay Hazare [50-over] Trophy tournament, but he proved his worth here. I have spoken to him: we are playing at a level where we must forget what has happened in the past; every minute, every second, we must tell the world why I am Ishan Porel, or why I am Manoj Tiwary. That is the mentality that will help him become a champion.”Bengal’s next game is against Himachal Pradesh, also at home at Eden Gardens, from December 20.

Opener underpins strong showing before Lions lose regular wickets in second innings

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2023England Lions 413 for 8 dec and 164 for 8 (Robinson 39) lead SL President’s XI 355 for 9 dec (Madushka 150, Udara 93, Tongue 3-22) by 222 runsNishan Madushka’s 150 underpinned a strong reply from SL President’s XI on day two of their warm-up match against England Lions in Colombo. Madushka went along at close to a run a ball before retiring out, while wicketkeeper Lahiru Udara cracked 93 off 85 balls to repay the Lions for some of their aggression on day one.SL President’s XI eventually declared 58 runs behind but made deep inroads when the Lions batted again. The visitors, who scored at 6.16 an over in their first innings, were 63 for 4 second time around, before a counterattacking stand between Ollie Robinson and Liam Patterson-White, with the latter rattling off 39 from 25 balls.The Lions eventually closed on 164 for 8, leading by 222 ahead of the final day, with Jack Haynes and Josh Bohannon – who both made first-innings fifties – at the crease.The day began with Udara joining Madushka in the middle, and the pair put on a partnership worth 170 in 24 overs. Jack Carson removed Udara and Patterson-White picked up the second of his three wickets before Madushka retired out to leave SL President’s XI on 328 for 5. Josh Tongue then picked up three wickets in the space of four overs, to finish with tidy figures of 3 for 22.Lions captain Haseeb Hameed fell cheaply for the second time in the match, and Alex Lees added a 22-ball 27 to his first-innings hundred before retiring. Tom Haines and Lyndon James were both bowled by Sahan Arachchige, while Nimesh Vimukthi also picked up two-for as the Lions cracked on again, scoring at a rate of 5.29 while wickets tumbled.

The visitors needed less than 13 overs to complete the chase after Thunder made just 111

Andrew McGlashan13-Jan-2023David Warner’s first appearance in the BBL for more than nine years fell flat for Sydney Thunder as tournament-leaders Perth Scorchers cruised to a nine-wicket victory in what is becoming another very impressive campaign.One of their two defeats this season came against Thunder – a surprising loss at home – but once a promising third-wicket stand between Warner and Ollie Davies had been broken that never looked like being repeated. Thunder, who were famously bowled out for 15 earlier in the season, lost 8 for 41 and couldn’t bat their 20 overs. Scorchers needed less than 13 in the chase.AJ Tye put some daylight between him and the chasing pack at the top of the wicket-taking tally in what is becoming a stellar season while Cameron Bancroft produced one of the highlights of a one-sided occasion with a spectacular boundary catch.

Davies shines again

It was a lone hand in Thunder’s innings. The ease with which Davies timed the ball was a stark contrast to all his team-mates, including Warner, alongside who he dominated a 67-run stand for the third wicket. “I’ll keep nudging them,” Warner said on the player mic. Davies took two straight sixes off Ashton Agar, but saved his best for a strike off Tye which went well back into the stands.A 30-ball half-century was his third fifty of the season but Agar then out-thought him as he fired one in more quickly to have him stumped as Thunder’s collapse set it.

Warner’s quiet return

December 2013 was the last time Warner played BBL. That day he opened with Usman Khawaja and the pair added an opening stand of 116 in 11 overs. By the time Warner faced his second ball today he had lost two team-mates. He managed to get one strong pull short away against Lance Morris and a few overs later threaded a drive down the ground against Tye as the stand with Davies started to build. However, trying to pick up towards Davies’ tempo, he top-edged an attempted scoop off Matt Kelly.

Payne’s promising start

David Payne, the Gloucestershire left-arm seamer who has played one ODI for England, is one of a host of replacement overseas players Scorchers have called on this season after all their initial signings ended up unavailable for a variety of reasons.It took Payne just two balls to strike in his first appearance, taking the left-arm pace role in place of the rested Jason Behrendorff, when a curving outswinger drew an edge from Matthew Gilkes. Later in the innings, with Thunder trying to engineer a platform for a late use of the power surge, a well-directed short ball brought a top edge from the dangerous Daniel Sams which was held at long leg.It was a team effort from the Scorchers attack with all five bowlers finding success and sending down 63 dot balls in 19 overs. Tye’s fine tournament continued with another three scalps as he became the first to reach the 20-wicket mark for the season.

Bancroft’s all-round night

Bancroft had a superb evening on the field and then calmly went about the simple chase. In a display where Scorchers barely put a foot wrong, Bancroft’s two catches were especially impressive. He went low to remove Ben Cutting at midwicket, the batter standing his ground before the third umpire confirmed the take was clean. But better was to come in the 19th over when he ran around from long-on and flew full-length at top speed to pluck out Nathan McAndrew’s well-struck pull while still being able to keep himself inside the rope.Barring anything silly the chase was never going to be in doubt and the game was over long before the opening stand of 77 between Bancroft and Stephen Eskinazi was broken. For Eskinazi, another overseas replacement, it was his first significant contribution in his third outing. Bancroft skipped to a 36-ball fifty when he sent consecutive deliveries from Usman Qadir for six and four.

Haseebullah, Powell and Kohler-Cadmore half-centuries instrumental to turnaround

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2023Peshawar Zalmi went from one extreme to the other, slumping to 2 for 3 in the first 2.2 overs and then smashing 195 for 2 in the remaining 17.4 to seal a comfortable victory over Karachi Kings in Rawalpindi.It all began what seems like a very long time ago with Mohammad Amir sprinkling some of his magic dust, removing Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris in the very first over.Nineteen-year old Haseebullah Khan, on PSL debut, walked into an innings crying out for help and proceeded to soothe it. A member of Pakistan’s most recent Under-19 World Cup squad, he announced himself with a 29-ball fifty, in which five of his first 11 scoring shots were boundaries. Some of this carnage could have been mitigated had Akif Javed been able to hold onto a simple catch in the sixth over when Haseebullah only had 12 to his name but c’est la vie.Karachi’s dream start turned into a full on nightmare when Rovman Powell joined in on the fun, scoring 64 off just 34 balls. He hit six fours and four sixes during his stay; basically, he was able to hit a boundary once every three or four balls. Sixty-five runs – 33% of the total – came off the last four overs bowled by Javed (14+21), Amir (12) and Aamer Yamin (18). Somewhere in the middle of all that, Tom Kohler-Cadmore helped himself to a half-century as well.Karachi did begin their chase well with Matthew Wade moving to 37 off 26 by the end of the Powerplay. He’d benefited from two lives even at that early stage of the innings –
once when he was on 1 (caught behind but not reviewed) and later when he was on 19 (dropped). Karachi would’ve hoped that those were signs of their luck changing but it was not to be. They went from 40 for 0 to 95 for 5 as Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Azmatullah Omarzai seized control through the middle overs picking up a combined 5 for 56 from their full quota.Imad Wasim (57 not out off 30 balls) threatened something special but even after hitting five fours in an over his side went into the last one needing 37 runs and that typically isn’t possible in a cricket match.

Mitchell Marsh has had a lean time with the bat while Josh Hazlewood has yet to make an appearance

Andrew McGlashan27-Apr-20235:15

How long a rope can Capitals afford for Marsh?

David Warner (Delhi Capitals)

One of the major narratives from an Australian point of view has been Warner’s form and it has provided a curious situation. His strike-rate has come under significant scrutiny amid Capitals’ poor start to the competition, but he has consistently produced runs with four fifties. While conditions in the IPL could not be further removed from those that will confront him in the Tests, strike-rate will be less of a concern come June (notwithstanding Bazball). His most recent half-century, a 41-ball 57 against KKR, was much more fluent. Whatever happens over the next few it’s unlikely to be dull.

Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)

Related

• Back injury ends Lance Morris' Ashes dream, IPL key for Josh Hazlewood

• Smart Stats MVPs – Old is gold as Rahane, du Plessis, Chawla lead the way

• IPL trends – Close contests, 200-plus totals, and home disadvantage

After a somewhat uncertain start, Green has hit his stride – certainly with the bat – scoring back-to-back half-centuries against Sunrisers and Punjab Kings. The second of them came in defeat, but the first was part of a matchwinning all-rounder display. Ahead of the WTC final and Ashes the selectors will have an eye on his workload and the quick transition from T20 to Test cricket could yet provide challenges for a player who has not made that switch often.

Mitchell Marsh (Delhi Capitals)

After looking a million dollars in the ODI series against India, it’s been a lean time with the bat for Marsh which has contributed to Capitals’ early-season woes. He started with four single-digit scores either side of returning home for his wedding, but getting back into the fray with the ball has been a good sign and will have helped in him earning a recall for the Ashes.Glenn Maxwell reverse-sweeps Yuzvendra Chahal for a six•Associated Press

Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

For someone who suffered what was not far off being a career-threatening injury late last year, the sight of Maxwell launching the ball to all parts has been a heartening story in this IPL. He is not yet back to 100% and continues to play through some pain, but has looked very much like his old self with the bat. Two of his half-centuries have come in defeat as the regular debate about a top-heavy RCB order is revived, but the 77 off 44 against Royals was a matchwinner.

Marcus Stoinis (Lucknow Super Giants)

Stoinis is putting together a handy tournament for LSG. He produced a brilliant 65 off 30 balls against RCB to conjure remarkable chase of 213 after they had been 23 for 3 and has chipped in elsewhere without quite matching that display. In the last couple of matches he has bowled for the first time in the season and with excellent results, playing a key role in a relatively low-scoring affair against Royals (where he was Player of the Match) and again proving effective against Titans.

Tim David (Mumbai Indians)

David has perhaps not hit the heights that he has become known for, but he has still produced some useful displays for Mumbai Indians. He and Green got them over the line in a tight chase against Capitals then David helped ice a substantial target against KKR which they made look relatively simple. He had a big part to play in the field against SRH where he claimed four catches, one short of the IPL record.Nathan Ellis has again produced some clutch displays•BCCI

Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings)

Ellis has continued to enhancing his T20 reputation. He produced a Player of the Match performance against Royals with 4 for 30 in a high-scoring game, including the key wicket of Jos Buttler. Then in a contest against Mumbai Indians with over 400 runs, where he was brought in as the Impact Player, he got the better of Australia team-mate Green at a vital moment.

Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Hazlewood, whose Test career has hit the buffers over the last two years, has yet to make an appearance following his delayed arrival as he continued his recovery from the Achilles injury that ended his India tour. George Bailey, Australia’s chair of selectors, said that four-over spells in the IPL would be a good gradual return to action ahead of the Test matches although questions remain about whether he’ll be ready. He had an extensive bowl off his full run-up in a recent training session.

And a few more

Among the other Australians at the IPL, Jason Behrendorff has picked up eight wickets for Mumbai Indians although his economy rate has touched 10 an over. Matt Short, the BBL Player of the Tournament, hasn’t quite been able to hit his stride for Punjab Kings although a brace of 30s showed what he can produce. In a Royals outfit featuring R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa has not found a regular starting spot and has played just twice – once as the Impact player. Matthew Wade, who is with defending champions Titans, and Daniel Sams (LSG) have yet to make an appearance.

20-year-old opener top-scores in run chase with Wyatt and Bouchier on England duty

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2023Ella McCaughan capitalised on Southern Vipers’ England exodus to score 42 to help her side to a four-wicket victory over Thunder in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.Batter McCaughan hadn’t featured in Vipers’ opening three matches but made the most of Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt’s England call-ups with five boundaries on her way to her highest T20 score for Vipers.Vipers’ chase of 111 – after a good bowling performance led by Linsey Smith’s 2 for 16 – never looked in much doubt, with Georgia Adams joining McCaughan in a 52-run stand in front of almost 3,500 fans.”It was nice to get an opportunity at the top of the order,” McCaughan said. “I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to be ready for the chance and I’m really pleased with the way I contributed.”We have a strong side and depth here so it is really hard to get into the team. I’ve been working hard to get in and it was nice to get out there today.”The bonus-point victory put Vipers in command of third place after their defeat of The Blaze, while Thunder remain fourth.Thunder chose to bat first with both sides shorn of their England contract players, with Lauren Bell, Wyatt, Charlie Dean, Bouchier, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, and Emma Lamb all called up for red-ball training ahead of the Ashes Test.Thunder’s batters collectively struggled to make the most of starts, with Liberty Heap, Deandra Dottin, Ellie Threlkeld and Danni Collins all scoring between 15 and 24 but none could turn them into innings-defining scores.They were throttled by accurate bowling from the experienced Vipers bowlers Anya Shrubsole, Smith, Adams and, on her birthday, Georgia Elwiss – none of which went for more than 6.25 runs per over.But Thunder self-sabotaged with four run-outs of varying degrees of barbecuing and mix-ups, which accounted for the wickets of Fi Morris, Seren Smale, Steph Butler and Olivia Bell.A used pitch made flowing shot-making difficult although they totted up 47 for 2 in the powerplay, aided by Heap’s quartet of boundaries.
West Indian Dottin showed some flair with a vicious cut and flail over cover combo off Mary Taylor before slog-sweeping Adams for six.But the belt tightened, Elwiss went for 14 off her for overs while Shrubsole, Smith and Adams picked up two wickets each as the last seven wickets fell for just 30 runs.In reply, Vipers’ new-look opening pair of Nicole Faltum and McCaughan effortlessly put on 33 together before the Australian cut to point and Taylor joined the run out party.Left-arm all-rounder Naomi Dattani had pilfered the first wicket, and the first two overs with impeccable figures of 2-2-0-1.But Adams and McCaughan took control. Adams started slowly with 15 coming from her first 17 balls before tearing into former team-mate Tara Norris with three successive fours before bring up the fifty stand by carting Bell into the stands.She departed two balls later attempting another big shot before Freya Kemp and McCaughan were bowled by Bell.Nancy Harman became the sixth run out victim but Elwiss whacked a six back over Bell’s head to win it with 23 balls to spare.