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Four venues in Malaysia will host the 16-team tournament, while Samoa will be making their maiden World Cup appearance

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2024Defending champions India are grouped with West Indies, Sri Lanka and hosts Malaysia for the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup which begins on January 18, 2025. The 41-game event will feature 16 teams, like the inaugural edition in 2023, and will conclude with the final on February 2.Four venues across Malaysia will host the event. Bayuemas Oval in Selangor will host all Group A games and the final. The Dato’ Dr. Harjit Singh Johor Cricket Academy (JCA Oval) in Johor will host the Group B games. Sarawak’s Borneo Cricket Ground will be the venue for the Group C fixtures, and the UKM YSD Oval in Selangor will host the Group D matches.It will be the first World Cup appearance across any age division for Samoa, who are in Group C alongside New Zealand, South Africa and an Africa qualifier, yet to be decided. Group B has England – losing finalists in 2023 – alongside Pakistan, Ireland and USA. Group D features Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland and an Asia qualifier. Group A has India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, who will be featuring in their maiden U-19 women’s World Cup competition as well.

How the teams stack up

Group A – India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Malaysia [Bayuemas Oval in Selangor]

Group B – England, Pakistan, Ireland and USA [Dato’ Dr. Harjit Singh Johor Cricket Academy, Johor]

Group C – New Zealand, South Africa, Africa’s Qualifier and Samoa [Borneo Cricket Ground, Sarawak]

Group D – Australia, Bangladesh, Asia’s Qualifier and Scotland [UKM YSD Oval in Selangor]

The tournament will begin with six games on opening day: Australia versus Scotland, England against Ireland, and Samoa taking on the Africa qualifier in the morning; followed by Pakistan-Ireland, Bangladesh against the Asia qualifier, and New Zealand versus South Africa in the afternoon. India begin campaign on the second day against West Indies. Before the main event gets underway, there will be 16 warm-up games between January 13 and 16.Once the group stage is over, the top three teams from each group will progress to the Super Six stage, with the three teams from Group A and Group D combining to form one Super Six group, and the same with the top three teams of Group B and Group C in the other group.The teams will also carry forward their points and net run rates and will play the two sides who, a) were not in their group in the first stage, and b) finished at a different position from them. As an example, if India finish second in Group A, then they will play the winner and second runner-up of Group D. The top two teams from each Super Six group will progress to the semi-finals.The groups and teams for the Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is a special event to the ICC and forms an important part of our Global Growth Strategy of raising the profile of women’s cricket and further growing the game around the world,” ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said in a statement. “It is also a unique opportunity to introduce our vast global audiences to the future stars of the sport.”We look forward to building on the success from the foundation laid at the inaugural event in South Africa in 2023. We wish all the teams the very best of luck in their preparation and to the Malaysian Cricket Association in organising the event.””Malaysia is proud to host the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2025, continuing our tradition of supporting the growth of cricket on the global stage,” host tournament director Dinesh Muthuraman said. “Women’s cricket is experiencing unprecedented growth both in Malaysia and around the world. We are fully confident that this World Cup will further accelerate that momentum, leading to significant developments in the sport, especially for women’s cricket.”The tournament was originally supposed to be co-hosted by Thailand, but their withdrawal means Malaysia will host all games. In 2008, Malaysia also hosted the Men’s Under-19 World Cup which had future stars like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Imad Wasim, Reeza Hendricks, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Ravindra Jadeja.

Captain all praise for KKR’s “flawless” showing at IPL 2024, a sentiment echoed by this team-mates Mitchell Starc and Sunil Narine

Ashish Pant26-May-20241:21

What changed for Starc towards the end of the season?

Shreyas Iyer called the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 final “comprehensive”, lauding his team for playing “like invincibles throughout the season”.”This is what we demanded from the team and every individual, they stood up on the right occasion,” Iyer said after KKR secured a third IPL title, their first since 2014. “It is hard to express how we are feeling right now. The wait was so long. We played like invincibles throughout the season. There is so much to cherish right now.”KKR enjoyed one of the most dominant IPL campaigns ever, equalling Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals from 2008 for the fewest losses across a season (three). Having topped the league table, they beat SRH in Qualifier 1 by eight wickets with 38 balls to spare and amped it up a notch in the final with another eight-wicket rout, this time with 57 balls remaining.Related

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• Big game, white ball, first over: Starc's romance for the ages

“It is pleasing and the performance has been flawless throughout. I am running out of words right now,” Iyer said of KKR’s season. “We have been tremendous right from game one, and when we stepped [out], all we demanded from ourselves was to back each other no matter the situation.”The game could have gone either way – they have been playing phenomenal cricket, SRH, throughout the season. Today, we were lucky enough to bowl first and, at the same time, every situation went in our favour. Thanks to SRH [for] the way they have played throughout the season. They have been simply phenomenal.”It was one-way traffic from the time Mitchell Starc snared Abhishek Sharma with arguably the ball of the tournament. It pitched on middle and leg and zipped sharply past Abhishek’s outside edge to smash into off stump. That wicket started a slide; Vaibhav Arora took out Travis Head for a first-ball duck with a peach of an awayswinger before Starc struck for a second time, dismissing Rahul Tripathi for 9, and SRH were 21 for 3 inside five overs.”That [big games] is when all the big players stand up,” Iyer said of Starc. “It was a high-pressure game. He has been so good off the field. He has never shown any sort of complacency in his work ethic. Every time we used to go for the plunge pool, he used to be there… something for everyone to learn.”Iyer was also effusive in praise of Andre Russell, who picked up 3 for 19 in 2.3 overs to finish with 19 wickets for the season, his best tally with the ball at any IPL. “He has got that magic wand, which he is hiding somewhere on the field,” Iyer said. “He is hoping to come and bowl and deliver for the team. He is waiting for me to call him all the time.”Russell has been lucky for us. Almost in a majority of the games, whenever he has bowled, he has picked up the wickets and he has given us the breakthrough.”Mitchell Starc was bending the ball sideways in his opening spell•AFP/Getty Images

Starc: ‘There have been plenty of jokes about the money’

Mitchell Starc reckons being “more experienced and older” since the previous time he played in the IPL (2015) helped him deal with the pressure of his huge price tag. Starc became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL, going for INR 24.75 crore (US$2,982,000 approx.) at this season’s auction. He then had a tough start to the campaign, going for 100 runs across his first two games without getting a wicket, but was Player of the Match in both KKR’s playoffs – the first time a player has done this at the IPL.”There have been plenty of jokes and whatnot made about the money,” he said with a laugh after the final. “It’s been a long time since I have played in the IPL. I am certainly an older and more experienced player now. It’s probably helped with managing all the expectations or leading the attack or whatever it maybe. I am certainly glad I am a bit more experienced and older to deal with all of that.”Personally, it has been a lot of fun, been great to learn and see how these guys go about it. Full credit to the whole squad of players and staff, it has made my life pretty easy.”It is a great night for KKR. What a game, what a series, what a season. It was an upward journey through from the start of the IPL to now, but we have a fantastic squad of bowlers and batters and our staff have been fantastic to get everyone peaking at the back end of the tournament. We have been such a consistent side. We haven’t had one or two people standing out, it’s been contributions from everyone. So, great to contribute personally but I think the fact that we’ve had everyone contribute throughout the year has been a big part of our success.”

Narine: ‘Couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift’

Sunil Narine said the freedom he got, especially form team mentor Gautam Gambhir, to express himself with the bat made a huge difference to his season. His final tally read 488 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 180.74. He also got 17 wickets, and took home the MVP award for a record third time.”Getting the role to just go there and express myself, trying to get the team off to a flier, that’s key,” Narine said. “The backing of the support staff, especially GG [Gambhir] just saying, ‘go there and enjoy it, just try to win a few games for the team; I am not asking you to do the entire season, but just a few games.’ That was very good advice.”This is Narine’s third IPL title with KKR after 2012 and 2014, and it came on his 36th birthday.”Coming into the ground today it felt like 2012 [when the final was also played in Chennai]. I think the feeling is overwhelming and I genuinely couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift,” he said. “I am enjoying my cricket at the moment, batting, bowling and fielding. What helps is when your team is winning. We have a great bunch of guys who put out a lot of work throughout the season and the fight we gave throughout the season is very good. It shows how good a team we are.”

The allrounder has chosen to strive for greater effectiveness as a Test batsman by linking up with the former Australia batting coach Michael Di Venuto at Surrey

Daniel Brettig01-Jan-2018Mitchell Marsh doesn’t know exactly how much money he will lose by playing county cricket rather than the IPL this year. But if the fruits of the decision are more innings like his two contrasting and valuable efforts in Perth and Melbourne, Marsh will happily accept the deficit.In 2016, Marsh was signed for AUD 1 million (INR 4.8 crore) by Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL auction, and was likely to fetch an even higher price this year. However in 2018 he has chosen to strive for greater effectiveness as a Test batsman by linking up with the former Australia batting coach Michael Di Venuto at Surrey. There is of course the knowledge that as a top-tier Australian cricketer, Marsh stands to earn plenty of money in the long term.The county stint is part of a holistic approach to building a Test career that has also featured plenty of work with a personal batting coach in Scott Meuleman, plus taking the advice of Justin Langer, Darren Lehmann and his father Geoff among others. By Marsh’s own admission his return to the Test team arrived ahead of schedule, but that has only provided greater motivation to stay on his chosen path.”It was a fairly big decision from a money point of view but my ultimate goal is to play Test match cricket for Australia,” Marsh said in Sydney. “That’s the lure of the IPL – the money and playing in India, but I made the decision based on my cricket.”When I made that decision I didn’t really think I was going to be back there this quickly. But I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to play 14 red-ball games over there – if I can, and try and improve.”Looking forward we’ve got a lot of cricket coming up in England over the next few years and I want to give myself the best opportunity to be over there and get used to the conditions.”Di Venuto saw Marsh’s struggles with the moving ball at first hand during the 2015 Ashes series, when his hard hands and tendency to throw them at the ball after pressing instinctively forward made him tender prey for James Anderson and Stuart Broad. In this series Marsh has already shown an ability to play the ball more comfortably under his eyes, and wants to continue down that path.”I certainly understood that [I needed to adapt better] when we went there for the Ashes a couple of years ago,” Marsh said. “Playing in their conditions for a whole summer, I’ll get flat wickets, I’ll get wickets that seam and swing. hopefully I’ll be able to come up with a gameplan to deal with that.”Diva’s there, Michael Di Venuto is the coach and he was our batting coach for three years. I’ve got a really close relationship with him and I feel it’s a great place to bat, which is my main priority going over there.”I spoke to Boof [Darren Lehmann] about it, spoke to Justin Langer about it – and obviously my old man. They all said it was a good idea but ultimately the decision was mine and I’m very happy with it.”Also a source of happiness was the way Marsh handled the mental hurdle of batting for survival in Melbourne rather than looking overtly for runs. While the flatness of the MCG pitch and the cool head of the captain Steven Smith at the other end helped, Marsh still had to grind it out – and overcome early nerves.”I said to him [Smith] as we were walking off that I was proud,” Marsh said. “Probably the biggest thing I was most happy about it is that 12 months ago with my mental side of my game I probably don’t think I could have got through that. While I know it was the flattest wicket in cricket history, to apply myself for that long and not really care about scoring is something I’ve gained a lot of confidence from.”I think I’ve said it for a couple of weeks now, I’ve been a lot more relaxed with this preparation when I came back to the Test team. I knew the gameplan I’d have to go out there with and it was about sticking to that for as long as we needed to get the draw.”There’s always nerves. I was very nervous, I felt like I was going to get out any ball in the first 20 balls, which can happen on those sort of wickets when it’s reversing. I felt really confident in my game plan once I got in, that I was able to do the job.”One of the sore points of the recent MoU dispute between Cricket Australia and the players was that numerous top players were offered multi-year deals in exchange for missing the IPL. Marsh’s example has proven that personal improvement is as great a motivator for making the same call as any contractual blandishments.”I’ve worked extremely hard over the last nine months to make sure I have a game that can adapt to all conditions,” he said. “I realise I’ve only done that now in two Test innings and have a long way to go, but I’ve certainly gained a lot of confidence from the last few weeks.”

Scheduling has been a cause of concern and a change of venue is currently not a practical option

Danyal Rasool15-Mar-2024

What’s going on with PSL crowds in Karachi?

When Usman Khan punched a single down to mid-off to seal Multan Sultans’ place in their fourth successive PSL final, it was met by deathly silence at the National Stadium Karachi. It wasn’t because the crowd wanted a different outcome, but because there was barely a crowd for the game at all. The two best teams in the tournament so far – Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi – shook hands in front of a nearly empty stadium, uncomfortable surroundings for a league that has branded itself as the second best in the world.The lack of crowds in Karachi, in stark contrast to the other three venues, has been a point of focus this tournament, but it’s been thrown into even sharper relief since Ramzan began earlier this week. It meant the games began at 9pm local time, finishing well past midnight to ensure there was enough of a gap following iftar at sunset.With all remaining games scheduled in Karachi, the possibility of knockout games – as well as the final – playing out in front of a largely empty stadium has worried those involved in the PSL, given how damaging it would be for the prestige of the tournament.

No question of shifting remaining knockouts elsewhere

ESPNcricinfo spoke to a number of officials involved with the PSL who justified the playoffs being held in Karachi. “We have moved to a home and away format,” a senior official told ESPNcricinfo “and Karachi is home to the [Karachi] Kings and the [Quetta] Gladiators.”While Kings have been eliminated from the tournament, it is understood any possibility of moving any remaining games out of Karachi has been categorically ruled out. The logistical challenges of such a move have been deemed to be insurmountable. While changes to venues at short notice have been made in the past, most notably in 2019 when a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan resulted in the final tranche of games shifting from Lahore to Karachi, the PCB do not believe such a move is practical at given the tight window.

Why haven’t more people shown up?

An official acknowledged turnout was surprisingly low, but told ESPNcricinfo they expected a higher turnout at the remaining three games. Citing the popularity of Ramzan cricket in Karachi, they said “observing the first few fasts in Ramzan is tough”, and as spectators settle into a routine, they are likelier to be able to attend in larger numbers. However, it is unclear how significant a difference that makes given the next two games are on the consecutive days which immediately marked the first qualifier, and still very much within the first week of Ramzan. That they fall on the weekend, though, may make some difference.

Is a Monday final the issue for PSL?

But the most puzzling issue, and one about which official explanations have proved in short supply, concerns the day of the PSL final. Breaking with all previous tradition and standard procedure to ensure finals fall on the weekend, the PSL has a rest day this Sunday, with the final taking place on the following Monday – a working day – instead.Sources within the PSL’s organisation insisted there were multiple reasons for the unconventional scheduling. They cited a desire to accommodate maximum home games for all teams “without breaking momentum”, while also attempting to avoid back-to-back fixtures for one of the sides playing the final. There is a confident assumption within the PCB that interest in the PSL final can be taken for granted, regardless of the day, time, or city it is held in.The next three days will reveal how well-placed that confidence is.

The South Group is striking back. Last year, all four teams at Finals Day were northern. But Hampshire have won away, and now Glamorgan have beaten Leicestershire at home

Will Macpherson23-Aug-2017The South Group is striking back. Last year, all four teams at Finals Day were northern. But Hampshire have won away, and now Glamorgan have beaten Leicestershire at home. Both have been drubbings (this one by nine wickets and with 38 balls to spare), and the South Group has more teams at 2017’s Finals Day than it had at the previous two combined. Glamorgan are there for the first time since 2004.If this was a victory forged – through the all-round skills of Colin Ingram, the bowling of Craig Meschede and Marchant de Lange, and the batting of Jacques Rudolph – in South Africa, it was all about home advantage. Welsh rain may have meant Glamorgan have barely played in the Blast at Cardiff this summer, but they clearly know what they are doing there, and were raucously supported too. With the ball, when pace off was required, they took pace off. With the bat, when patience was required, patience was found. Unlike their opponents, they missed little in the field.Craig Meschede took out Leicestershire’s middle order•Getty Images

Leicestershire’s batting is top heavy, and their start was sprightly. Cameron Delport was yorked brilliantly by de Lange and Luke Ronchi swung hand, with a lovely six down the ground off Michael Hogan, until he was castled by Graham Wagg. Still, they made it out of the Powerplay with a base at 57 for 2.Trouble was that 10 overs on, and they had lost seven more wickets for the addition of just 43 runs, and were resigned to trying to eke every last run out of the remaining four overs. If Gavin Griffiths and Callum Parkinson are batting for your team in a T20, the news will seldom be good, but they hauled Leicestershire to the final over and 123, including a memorable six for Griffiths – the first of his career – off Hogan.Where did it all go wrong, then? Glamorgan, through Meschede’s canny variations and Ingram’s loopy leggies, took the pace right off, and encouraged Leicestershire to seek the long square boundaries. Alas, they could not.Meschede, with the keeper up, accounted for the two post-Powerplay wickets, Colin Ackermann holing out then Mark Cosgrove chopping on at the end of the ninth over. The singles soon dried up and Aadil Ali was run out looking for a second that was never there, then Ned Eckersley miscued a cutter from Meschede, who ended with 3 for 17, to short third man.Ingram played his part, too. Adelaide Strikers knew they were signing the fearsome hitter seen later on in the evening, but did they know about this very handy string to his bow? He found 12 dots, cost just 19 and forced Tom Wells to plop one straight back to him in his final over. He may be no Don Shepherd, whose joyous life was celebrated with a minute’s silence before play, but Ingram knows how to slip his way through four overs. It goes without saying that this was a night Shepherd would have enjoyed greatly.The rest had not done much batting this season for a Leicestershire side dependent on its fine top four, and it showed. De Lange returned to bounce out Matt Pillans, while McKay fell to Hogan, trying to clear the long boundary.A target of 124 meant Glamorgan had time on their sides, especially when McKay – the tournament’s top wicket-taker – dismissed Aneurin Donald, caught at mid-off, in his first over. They had just 11 from three overs, without a boundary.Ingram is too good to get bogged down, though. He pulled Ali for four behind square, then drove him for four more over extra cover. Griffiths’ first ball was hoicked for six, then Pillans was edged for four the ball after Rudolph had been shelled at backward point. He ended the Powerplay with 25 of their 37 for 1, and he was dropped at short third man by McKay next ball. He is too good to drop too, and later that over he drilled down the ground for his 27th six of the season, taking him top of the charts.Soon enough Rudolph was feasting too, and by halfway Glamorgan were just 46 away. Leicestershire were increasingly ragged, and had learnt little from Glamorgan’s superb bowling, summed up by Ingram sealing the victory with two more sixes and two more fours from Tom Wells’ wild first over. As Ingram and Rudolph cruised home, another South African, David Miller, sat in the dugout unused, having dashed in from Potchefstroom. Save your legs, Davey, you’re off to Edgbaston.

He batted for eight hours and 19 minutes to face 372 balls for his 302*

Firdose Moonda23-Feb-2024Tristan Stubbs became the 11th batter to score a first-class triple-century in South Africa, and the eighth since readmission in what will be seen as a major boost for the Test team. Stubbs is now the leading run-scorer in Division 1 1 of the domestic four-day competition, with two centuries from five matches.Stubbs made his Test debut in the New Year’s Test against India last month and was part of South Africa’s A squad that toured Sri Lanka last July, where his century in Colombo suggested he was ready to graduate to the senior side. He was given the opportunity at Newlands, where he batted at No. 4 in Temba Bavuma’s injury-enforced absence and scored 3 and 1 in a match that lasted just two days and South Africa lost by seven wickets.Like most of the first-choice Test players, Stubbs was contractually obliged to play in the SA20 instead of the Test series in New Zealand and had a successful tournament. He was the leading run-scorer for Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who won the title for the second time, with 301 runs, including three half-centuries, and a strike rate of 168.15. But, less than two weeks after lifting that trophy, Stubbs has shown he can play a similar way for longer.He batted for eight hours and 19 minutes to face 372 balls for his 302* as Warriors declared on 517 for 3 against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland. Neither side is in with a chance of making next week’s final with Warriors currently in fifth place and KZN Inland in last place.The match also marked a return to action for Mondli Khumalo, who last played in February 2022 and has been recovering from injuries sustained from an assault in the UK. Khumalo underwent four rounds of surgery and was cleared to play a year later, and returned to North Petherton Cricket Club in Somerset for the northern hemipshere summer. This is his first match for his home team since the incident and he was their only wicket-taker. Khumalo bowled 25 overs with a return of 3 for 92 and will continue to play club cricket in England this year while nurturing dreams of higher honours.For Stubbs, those are already coming true and he could find himself an all-format international in the next few months. He is already a T20 regular – and a sought-after player in leagues – and could add to his lone ODI cap as South Africa look to build towards the 2027 World Cup, and should be part of the immediate Test plans.South Africa’s next Test assignment is a two-Test series in the West Indies in August, followed by two matches in Bangladesh in October before home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan to close out the 2023-2025 World Test Championship cycle. They are expected to have Bavuma back to lead the side but with Dean Elgar’s retirement, Tony de Zorzi (incidentally the last batter to get a triple-century in South Africa) is expected to move up to open and there could be space for Stubbs in the middle order.

USA secured the Auty Cup for the first time in 26 years after defeating Canada by 23 runs in the series decider at King City

Peter Della Penna at King City15-Sep-2017USA celebrate after securing the Auty Cup for the first time since 1991 with a series win over Canada•Peter Della Penna

The left-arm spin duo of Nosthush Kenjige and Nisarg Patel took three wickets apiece in USA’s animated defense of 178 to rally their side past Canada by 23 runs. The win secured the Auty Cup for USA – for the first time in 26 years – with a 2-1 series victory at Maple Leaf Cricket Club.Canada were 77 for 3 in the 23rd over of the chase before USA roared back into the match behind Nisarg’s match-turning spell. Nisarg’s first blow was struck with the dismissal of Usman Limbada for 24, who fished at a wider ball and fended an edge behind to captain Ibrahim Khaleel. As Nisarg’s spell continued, the third-day pitch showed progressively more turn as well as variable bounce that was fully exploited.Nisarg continued to attack the stumps with a series of strong lbw shouts denied to the frustration of Khaleel, who received a series of warnings from the on-field umpires for excessive appealing and dissent after the not out decisions. Nisarg struck again in the 25th, bowling Mark Montfort for 19 with a good length ball that kept low. After two massive shouts for lbw on Navneet Dhaliwal were denied in the 27th off Nisarg, the bowler nabbed him leg before in the 29th to make it 94 for 6 on a ball that appeared to hit Dhaliwal very high and may have been going over the stumps.Kenjige plugged away at the opposite end refusing to let the pressure break. Having already nabbed Dhanuka Pathirana in his initial spell, Kenjige had the dangerous Rizwan Cheema caught slogging at long off for 17 before Shahid Ahmadzai mistimed a flick to midwicket to put USA two wickets away from the Auty Cup.Saad Bin Zafar, who produced an unbeaten 41 to get Canada over the line on Wednesday, inched Canada closer to the target. After Nisarg’s spell ended, Silva’s introduction into the attack for the first time broke Zafar’s resistance, poking outside off stump for another edge behind to wrap up a wicket maiden in the 41st. It meant Canada needed 32 from the last wicket pair of Nikhil Dutta and Cecil Pervez to retain the Auty Cup.Dutta went the aggressive route and drove Timil Patel’s legspin for six in the following over. However, he perished trying to repeat the shot in the 44th and was beaten in flight to be stumped for Khaleel’s fourth dismissal of the day to spark raucous celebrations from USA.Timil securing the final wicket was a fitting ending to the day after he helped set up a defendable target by top-scoring for the second day in a row. Entering at 73 for 6 in the 28th over in an almost carbon-copy situation as he had a day earlier, Timil maneuvered Canada’s spinners while compiling a top-score of 44 to help justify Khaleel’s decision at toss to bat first. Mrunal Patel played a key supporting role, scoring 31 in a 68-run seventh wicket stand before holing out to long-on in the 43rd over off Ahmadzai’s left-arm spin.With Timil looking comfortable against slow bowling, Dhaliwal was brought back for another spell of medium pace in the 44th but Timil carved him for two boundaries in a crucial 10-run over, to take USA past 150. He fell in the following over to Pervez for the eighth wicket at 153.Pervez struck with a pair of yorkers in the 49th for the last two wickets of Elmore Hutchinson and Ali Khan but not before Hutchinson struck a vital 20 off 15 balls to get USA to give USA a fighting chance. The second innings resembled a bare-knuckle brawl on a wearing pitch and by the end USA put Canada down on the mat in the cross-border rivalry series for the first time since 1991.

Half-centuries to Victoria’s Sam Harper and Tom Rogers and a superb spell from Scott Boland has Victoria in command

Alex Malcolm22-Oct-2024Sam Konstas missed an opportunity to strengthen his Test case while Steven Smith made a duck as Victoria closed in on victory over New South Wales despite a superb six-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc.Konstas made 43, after being given a life when on 23, while Smith was given out lbw not offering a shot to Scott Boland as the Blues slumped to 185 for 6 chasing 383. An unbeaten half-century from Josh Philippe has ensured the game will reach the fourth day, but the Blues need 198 runs to win with just four wickets in hand.Earlier, critical half-centuries from Sam Harper and Tom Rogers helped Victoria set the Blues a large fourth-innings chase in the face of some outstanding bowling from Starc, who finished with 6 for 81 from 17.5 overs and looks in superb shape ahead of the Test series against India.”I nearly got to 40 overs, which was probably more than the people off the field would have liked,” Starc said post-play.”Wickets aside, the rhythm was there and it felt the best I’ve felt in a while. Across the two innings it feels like it’s in a good spot at the front end of the summer.”The Blues chase got off to a horror start as they lost 4 for 35. Boland was back to his unerring best with the new ball. He had Nic Maddinson caught at slip off a no-ball before nicking him off again with a brilliant legal delivery from around the wicket that angled in and seamed away.He then trapped Smith lbw with a delivery that nipped back sharply from wide of off. Smith shouldered arms not expecting so much movement. Umpire Sam Nogajski thought it was hitting the stumps. It was a brave decision but, despite Smith’s clear displeasure, replays suggested it was highly likely to be hitting the stumps.Steven Smith was trapped lbw by Scott Boland for a duck•Getty Images

“I thought it was out,” Boland said after play. “It only has to hit the stumps when you don’t use your bat like that.”Boland was pleased to get through another 11 overs in his return from injury.”Body feels really good,” Boland said. “Happy with how the knee and foot are feeling.”Just general soreness from being back bowling. As much as you try to in the nets, you can’t replicate what you get out in the middle. And I haven’t played again for six months and I can feel it a little bit. But I just think if I get through this week, I’ll be ready to go.”Moises Henriques was trapped lbw by Fergus O’Neill before Ollie Davies fell nicking a loose drive off Will Sutherland.Konstas held firm in the face of some excellent seam bowling. But he battled for fluency despite looking sound in defence. The moment he tried to expand he nearly came unstuck. On 23, he drove firmly at a Boland delivery that wasn’t as full as it appeared. A thick edge flew to Peter Handscomb’s right at second slip, but he could not reel it in at full stretch despite getting two hands to it.The drop appeared to free Konstas up. He began to accumulate, moving to 43 alongside Philippe, who continued the form he showed in his unbeaten 45 in the first innings.But having done the hard yards against the quicks, Konstas was undone but the offspin of Todd Murphy. He had mauled South Australia’s Ben Manenti in his twin centuries in the opening game of the season, but the Test offspinner was a different challenge. Konstas punched him neatly off the back foot for four through cover-point and wanted to go back-to-back skipping out early to the next delivery predicting it might be fuller. Murphy outsmarted him. Konstas was nowhere near the good length as he tried to mow it over long-on and the top edge skewed to backward point where Campbell Kellaway held the tricky chance.The Blues were 97 for 5 before Philippe and Sean Abbott steadied the innings. The two shared a 59-run stand before Abbott edged Sutherland to first slip.Philippe reached a half-century for the second time this season and looks in good touch heading into his Australia A appearance in a few weeks.Earlier in the day, Harper and Rogers produced an excellent 130-run partnership to put Victoria in a strong position before late hitting from O’Neill and Murphy pushed the game seemingly beyond the Blues reach. Harper made 72 and looked in complete control before holing out to wide fine leg when a predictable plan had been set for him.Rogers made 59, his maiden first-class half-century, and looked very assured before he lost a battle with Nathan Lyon. Australia’s No. 1 Test spinner went over the wicket to the left-hand batter for a period of time to dry him up. He fell trying to work against the spin and was caught at short leg.Starc and Abbott threatened to blow the tail away but O’Neill and Murphy made 33 and 36 respectively with some lusty hitting and some good fortune. Starc finally castled both of them to finish with six wickets.

Tim Ward and Jordan Silk enjoyed some pressure-free time in the middle on the final day

AAP08-Nov-2023Tim Ward and captain Jordan Silk made 50s before Tasmania closed out a tame draw with Victoria to stay top of the Sheffield Shield ladder.As Melbourne’s stormy late-spring weather threatened, an early tea was called on Wednesday and the match called off, with no chance of a result at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.Tasmania lost an early wicket on the final day before Ward and Silk saw Tasmania through to stumps in their third-wicket stand of 163.Related

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A draw was always the most likely result, but there was excitement early on day four when Charlie Wakim followed up his first-innings top score of 148 by hitting a sharp catch to Will Sutherland for 9 off Todd Murphy.That left the visitors at 20 for 2. But Ward and Silk then settled in and it soon became clear there would be no last-day fireworks as Victoria laboured in vain for another breakthrough.Ward’s 193-ball knock included six fours and a six to follow his first-innings 67, while Silk hit 12 fours in his 181-ball stay at the crease.Victoria’s Test hopeful Marcus Harris was named player of the match for his 164.Victorian Travis Dean was subbed out of the game because of concussion, but they are hopeful he will return for their next Shield game on Thursday week against Queensland at the MCG.Fergus O’Neill and Mitchell Perry rolled ankles while bowling in the Tasmanian second innings and Perry will not travel to Launceston for Saturday’s one dayer. But he and O’Neill are expected to be available for next week’s Shield game.

Durham stutter with bat in pursuit of small target to conclude disappointing campaign

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2023Birmingham Bears completed their buoyant Vitality Blast group campaign with a club record seventh successive victory, by eight runs over Durham at Edgbaston.Already sure of finishing top, the Bears rounded off their group games with an 11th win out of 14 despite an untidy batting display which saw them bowled out for 141 in 19.4 overs. Only Rob Yates, with 53 off 42 balls, lasted long against accurate bowling led by Australian pair Ashton Turner (3 for 20) and Nathan Sowter (2 for 23).Durham faced a moderate target but it was well beyond them as they mustered just 133 for 9, Henry Brookes taking 3 for 15. They finish one from bottom in the group and exit the tournament after a staccato campaign which included two ties and a no-result.The Bears, meanwhile, remain on a roll as they prepare for Thursday evening’s home quarter-final. Another satisfying day for them was clouded only by a worrying injury to standout performer Dan Mousley, who left the field after hurting a hand attempting to take a return catch from Turner.After the Bears chose to bat, their top order misfired except for Yates, who has scored 286 runs in his last five Blast knocks.Alex Davies blasted 19 from eight balls but then cut Turner to George Drissell at point. Drissell enjoyed an effective hour, adding another smart catch in the same position to remove the fit-again Sam Hain and bowling four overs of tidy offspin for just 23.The Bears big-hitters have powered their side into the last eight but this wasn’t their day as Chris Benjamin, Glenn Maxwell, Mousley and Jake Bethell each lasted fewer than ten balls. Yates completed a 38-ball fifty but then edged Turner behind and Dominic Drakes launched his Bears career with a golden duck when he slogged Sowter to long-on.Brookes landed a couple in the crowd but when Ben Raine castled Jake Lintott, it was nine down and the spectators had the unusual T20 sight of a No. 11 blocking out the 18th over to keep the innings alive. It concluded in fittingly messy fashion when Olly Hannon-Halby embarked on a single, Brookes didn’t and the former was run out by Alex Lees’ throw.Durham required a relatively modest run rate but appeared in a big hurry which cost them early wickets. Graham Clark skied Drakes to mid-off, Lees was bowled backing away to cut Mousley, Ollie Robinson played on to Brookes and Michael Jones swept Mousley to short fine leg. The Bears spinner delivered only two more balls before suffering his injury.Brookes came on to complete the over, immediately removed Turner lbw and followed up with the wicket of Brydon Carse, caught by Yates at long-on. Liam Trevaskis hoiked Lintott to deep midwicket before the fall of Raine pretty much summed up the Blast campaigns of these two teams. Sub fielder Ethan Brookes brilliantly retrieved a hit inches inside the rope and the batters, instead of celebrating four runs, found themselves together in the middle of the pitch when Brookes’ throw arrived.Jonathan Bushnell biffed a T20-best 40 off 34 balls, but it was too little too late to rescue his team.