Warner retires from ODIs but leaves door ajar for Champions Trophy

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Opener says he has officially retired from ODIs to play T20 leagues but will make himself available for 2025 Champions Trophy if needed

Andrew McGlashan01-Jan-2024David Warner has announced his retirement from ODI cricket alongside the end of his Test career although kept the door ajar to play the 2025 Champions Trophy if Australia felt they needed him.”I’m definitely retiring from one-day cricket as well,” he said at the SCG on Monday. “That was something that I had said through the World Cup, get through that, and winning it in India, I think that’s a massive achievement.”So I’ll make that decision today, to retire from those forms, which does allow me to go and play some other leagues around the world and sort of get the one-day team moving forward a little bit. I know there’s a Champions Trophy coming up. If I’m playing decent cricket in two years’ time and I’m around and they need someone, I’m going to be available.”Related

  • David Warner is polarising opinion till the very end

  • 'Well and truly done' – Warner's last international innings at home

  • Warner hopes to helicopter in for Thunder's BBL clash against Sixers

  • 'He was told to play a certain way' – Khawaja on Warner's feisty reputation

  • Warner: An all-format great who divided opinions all the time

Barring a surprise return in two years’ time it means that the World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad was his final ODI leaving him with a tally of 6932 runs at 45.30 with 22 centuries. He is Australia’s sixth-highest run-scorer in men’s ODIs and second on the hundreds list behind Ricky Ponting who played 205 more ODI innings than Warner.Warner had already been expected to miss next month’s three-match ODI series against West Indies so that he could take up his ILT20 deal with Dubai Capitals. He is also set to miss the T20I matches before then but wants to continue his career in that format until at least June’s World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. He is one game away from bringing up a century of appearances in every format.After the ODI World Cup in November, Warner had hinted at pushing on until 2027 although he would have been 41 by then and said that the way the team had rebounded in India made it the ideal finishing point.”It was a decision that I was very, very comfortable with,” he said. “To win in India, from where we were, was absolutely amazing.”When we lost two games in a row in India, the bond just got stronger with each other and it’s not by fluke or by chance that we were able to get to where we were. The heroics of Maxi [Glenn Maxwell], the captaincy and the skills and execution of the way that we played against India was phenomenal, and not to dismiss the Kolkata semi-final as well.”

Gary Stead: 'No reason why Henry Nicholls can't make it back'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“This guy has got something about him” – New Zealand head coach talks up rookie Will O’Rourke’s potential

Deivarayan Muthu27-Jan-2024New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has insisted that the door is not shut on Henry Nicholls, though the batter has been left out of the squad for the upcoming home Test series against South Africa.Nicholls had made an unbeaten 200 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in March 2023, but apart from that he hasn’t passed 40 in his last 11 Tests. All up, Nicholls has nine Test hundreds, level with former captain Stephen Fleming. Among active New Zealand players, only Tom Latham (13) and Kane Williamson (29) have more Test centuries than Nicholls.”His currency is weight of runs, isn’t it? To do that in domestic cricket and show that he’s the next person in line is still really possible to do,” Stead said. “He’s still relatively young in his career – he’s only early 30s [32] – we definitely don’t see it as the end for him. It’s definitely a setback but there’s no reason why he can’t make it back again.”Related

  • Favourites, underdogs, and a contest where every inch will be earned

  • Meet Will O'Rourke, New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson clone

  • How Rachin Ravindra has made himself cricket's new poster boy

  • O'Rourke gets maiden Test call-up, Ravindra picked for SA Tests

Stead explained that it was a difficult decision to leave Nicholls out for Rachin Ravindra, who was the breakout star of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.”It’s a very tough decision,” Stead said. “I mean, Henry has been a big part of the Test squad for 56 Tests and so whenever you leave a player out then it weighs heavy with you and it’s a tough decision to make. But we just felt it was time for Rachin in Test cricket and we obviously know the talent he is and feel that he will make a really good fist of it at this stage of his career.”Look, it’s a tough conversation. They are not easy to have. He’s a great person; he always does the little things really well, which you guys would never see. That’s what makes it hard in a decision like this.”

Stead: Santner is the best spinner in NZ

Ajaz Patel was New Zealand’s frontline spinner in Bangladesh, but a return to seam-friendly conditions at home means a spin-bowling allrounder will do the job for them. And that spin-bowling allrounder is Mitchell Santner, given his dual ability to both defend and attack. Ravindra and Glenn Phillips are the other spin options for New Zealand.”Mitch Santner, in our opinion right now, is the best spinner in New Zealand,” Stead said. “He’s been bowling beautifully and certainly in New Zealand conditions as well. He provides the options of knowing to hold and attack. I think we’re going to need that throughout the series.”Kyle Jamieson is currently working his way back from injury•Getty Images

Williamson, Blundell, Jamieson ready for first Test

Stead was also confident of captain Kane Williamson, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, and fast-bowling allrounder Kyle Jamieson being fit for the first Test against South Africa, which begins in Mount Manganui on February 4. All three players are working their way back from hamstring injuries. On Friday, Jamieson turned out for Canterbury against Wellington in the Super Smash Eliminator, taking 1 for 31 in his four overs to help his team get into the final against Auckland. Blundell, though, did not feature in that game for Wellington.Jamieson might also play for New Zealand XI against the visiting South Africans in a three-day warm-up game, which begins on January 29 at Lincoln’s Bert Sutcliffe’s Oval.”The three guys with injury concerns – Kane, Kyle and Tom – I’ve spoken to them all,” Stead said. “They are all tracking really well. All training hard. Kyle starts playing, Tom Blundell has had a couple of big days of training, which is encouraging that he has got through that without any further feeling in his hamstring. So, we are really confident that him and Kane will be ready for the first Test.”

‘Will O’Rourke has got something about him’

Will O’Rourke, who is a clone of Jamieson, has been picked only for the second Test in Hamilton, where Stead expects bouncy conditions. O’Rourke’s USP is to generate extra bounce from his tall frame (6’4″).”I think Hamilton… what we saw in white-ball cricket there has got a bit more bounce into it,” Stead said. “Will O’Rourke has certainly bowled well there this year domestically. In terms of Will himself, he’s a young guy who is emerging and obviously emerging pretty quickly. He has the ability to get some good batsmen out with the bounce he gets in particular.”He looks like he’s a handful to most players. You certainly get that feeling from talking to people who face him in the nets as well – this guy has got something about him.”

Shami's participation in IPL 2024 in doubt due to ankle injury

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

India fast bowler has been missing in action since the final of the ODI World Cup in November 2023

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Feb-2024India fast bowler Mohammed Shami is a doubtful starter for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Shami is likely to undergo ankle surgery, potentially just before the tournament, which would rule him out of most if not all of it. The IPL will be played between March 22 and May 26 this year.Shami has not played any cricket since India’s defeat in the World Cup final against Australia on November 19. He had been nursing his ankle throughout that tournament, but still finished as its highest wicket-taker with 24 strikes.Should he be ruled out for any length of time, Titans will be going into the new campaign without two key players, having already seen Hardik Pandya move to Mumbai Indians. Shami was their highest wicket-taker in their title winning 2022 season, with 20 strikes in 16 matches, and he was the overall highest wicket-taker last year with 28 strikes in 17 matches.Shami had been taking injections to treat his ankle during the World Cup and continued to do so even after the tournament. While he was not named in India’s white-ball squads for the tour of South Africa that followed, Shami was expected to return for the two-match Test series. But, on December 16, in the only medical update provided on the senior fast bowler, the BCCI said Shami’s “participation” in the South Africa Test series had been “subject to fitness” and since he “has not been cleared” by the BCCI medical staff, he was ruled out of contention.Early in January, Shami said he had “stiffness” in the ankle but he was hoping he would be ready for selection for the home Tests against England. “My rehabilitation is well on track and the medical experts at NCA are happy with my progress,” he told the . “There is slight stiffness in my ankle but that’s fine. I have started my training sessions and I believe I will be able to make a comeback in the England series.”However, Shami did not feature in either of the India squads put out by the Ajit Agarkar-led panel, initially for the first two Tests against England and recently for the final three Tests of the series.On January 22, Shami was in Hyderabad at the BCCI awards following which he reportedly travelled overseas to consult specialists about his ankle. It is understood that he will be visiting a surgeon next week before taking a final call on the matter.While the BCCI’s medical team has been monitoring Shami, he has not been at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, which is where contracted cricketers normally do their rehab. It could not be confirmed whether the BCCI or Shami had kept Titans in the loop on his recovery timeline. Neither the BCCI nor Titans have made any public statements about him recently.

Nkomo: 'I wouldn't want to experience that again'

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Zimbabwe determined to turn around heartbreak of previous Qualifier

Firdose Moonda24-Apr-2024Josephine Nkomo arrived at the crease with Zimbabwe’s hopes in her hands.It was the 16th over of their 2023 T20 World Cup Qualifier semi-final against Ireland. Zimbabwe were chasing 138 and were 99 for 4. Needing 39 runs in 29 balls, the pressure was building.They lost two wickets in the next 14 balls and only scored nine runs. If they were going to get over the line, Nkomo would have to take them there.She took two runs off the next ball and hit the one after that for four which made the equation 24 from 12 balls. Tough but not impossible. Nkomo found another four off the last ball of the 19th over which meant they needed 15 runs off the final six balls and she was not on strike. Her partner, Precious Marange, scored seven off the first four balls before Nkomo watched a wide and snuck one, leaving Marange to hit six off the last ball to secure victory.It didn’t happen.Zimbabwe missed out on a first World Cup appearance by a margin of only four runs.”What I remember is terrible, absolute loss,” Nkomo told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “I really thought we could get over the line. It was heartbreaking. I remember watching from the other end and there was nothing that I could do at that time. I was heartbroken. I was just shattered. And I also thought for my team-mates after all the effort, getting so close and not getting over the line. I felt that maybe if you don’t even get to the semi-finals, the heartbreak is much better than when you’re so close but you don’t get over the line. So I wouldn’t want to experience that again.”

Over the next 10 days, Zimbabwe have the chance to make sure Nkomo, and the 11 other squad members who witnessed that defeat first-hand in 2022 don’t go through that again as they play in the 2024 T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi.They are grouped with Ireland, Netherlands, UAE and Vanuatu, and must finish in the top two to reach the semi-final, where they will face one of Sri Lanka, Scotland, Thailand, Uganda or the USA and must win that knockout game to qualify for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, who have won series in England and South Africa, and Ireland, who beat Zimbabwe to a place at the last T20 World Cup, are the favourites and Zimbabwe will want to top their group to avoid Sri Lanka in the semis. It’s a cut-throat event which rewards the sides that can handle pressure over five matches best. Zimbabwe now have some experience of that.Last month, they won the inaugural cricket event at the Africa Games where they defeated South Africa in a Super Over in the final. Though their group matches were all against teams ranked lower than them and the final was not an official T20I because South Africa fielded an emerging side, Zimbabwe still took a lot from the experience.”We really had a good time out there in Ghana. We had a successful tournament as a team and against South Africa and we got over the line,” Nkomo said. “It was an exciting game with so much adrenaline in it and we really had a lot of fun.”Related

  • Athapaththu: 'I want to see my team in the semi-finals of the World Cup'

  • Crowd-funding campaign raises funds for new kit and tour payments for Vanuatu women

  • Chamari Athapaththu not retiring yet, will play T20 World Cup qualifiers from late April

  • Powerplay: Women's T20 World Cup Qualifiers preview with Josephine Nkomo

Incidentally, it was Nkomo who hit the winning runs in the Super Over and taking on a leadership role in crunch moments has become part of her overall approach to the game. She is one of a handful of Zimbabwean players who has experience abroad and has played club cricket in both Australia and England, which have informed her game awareness.”I got the opportunity to play with Elyse Villani and just by watching her and having conversations with her really helped me a lot,” Nkomo said. “She’s got so much knowledge to share. I used to watch her games a lot, especially when she played the Women’s National Premier League and afterwards I would go and ask things like why they had such fielding positions, why did they do this, why did they do that and I really learned a lot from just watching them. We used to play in the same club as well,” Nkomo said.”In England, I got the opportunity to take responsibility a lot because, in club cricket, if you’re the pro there, it means all responsibilities are on you. So I took that back home as well. I know how to play my role more than before. And I know how to be responsible and to take responsibility for my own game.”Josephine Nkomo will be a key part of Zimbabwe’s Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier campaign•Zimbabwe Cricket

Now, Nkomo and the rest of the women’s team have to take responsibility for the relevance of cricket in their country. Zimbabwe’s men’s team failed twice last year in their efforts to qualify for a World Cup which means that the earliest they could appear at a global tournament is the T20 World Cup in 2026. The women’s team have two opportunities before that: this year’s T20 World Cup and next year’s ODI World Cup.They understand that for now, keeping Zimbabwe present as an international quality side is up to them. They also recognise the opportunity it provides for them as a team: to be seen on a world stage.”It would mean a lot because this is what we’ve been waiting for. This is what we’ve been learning for. And this is the time to grab that opportunity,” Nkomo said. “It will change our lives. For sure it will, in a positive way.”

Boland's Durham stint under threat due to heel injury

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Australia Test quick is battling plantar fasciitis and has been ruled out of Durham’s clash against Worcestershire after undergoing a scan

Matt Roller and Alex Malcolm18-Apr-2024Scott Boland’s first spell in county cricket could be under threat from a heel injury that resurfaced on his debut for Durham, and has since required him to undergo a scan.Boland bowled 13 wicketless overs for Durham in the first innings of their high-scoring draw against Warwickshire at Edgbaston but did not bowl after the first day of the match. Scott Borthwick, their captain, initially suggested Boland’s absence was precautionary but his injury has since been revealed as , a common heel injury among fast bowlers.Boland’s plantar fasciitis issue had been the reason for his delayed arrival in England which saw him miss Durham’s first game. He has been omitted from Durham’s 13-man squad for their third-round fixture against Worcestershire which starts at Kidderminster on Friday.”Having had a scan, [Boland] is being assessed by the Durham Cricket medical team and Cricket Australia,” the club said in a statement. “A further update will follow on this in due course.” Early enquiries have been made over possible replacements in the event that he is ruled out for a significant period of time.Related

  • Peter Siddle signs for Durham as Scott Boland succumbs to heel injury

  • Xavier Bartlett confirmed for Vitality Blast stint with Kent

  • CA revoke Xavier Bartlett's NOC for County Championship stint with Kent

  • 'Doesn't make sense' – Clarke questions CA capping Lyon's county stint

  • Cricket Australia cut Lyon's Lancashire stint short

Boland is due to play for Durham until the end of July and his contract covers both the County Championship and the T20 Blast. But he is centrally contracted to Cricket Australia – despite not playing a Test since last year’s Ashes – and they will monitor his workload throughout his time in England. It is understood CA’s medical staff will continue to work with Durham on Boland’s recovery after this latest issue as they are keen for him to play as much cricket as he can.He was rested at the start of the Sheffield Shield season in the expectation that Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc would be rested at some stage during Australia’s series against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand. But that trio ended up playing all seven matches, leaving Boland with a relatively quiet summer of six Shield games, plus four Marsh Cup appearances and three BBL matches.CA continues to manage their centrally contracted bowlers with newly elevated Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett withdrawn from a stint in the Championship with Kent just prior to the season starting, although it is understood they were happy for him to play in the Blast.There has also been consternation over the shortening of Nathan Lyon’s stint with Lancashire after he initially signed to play a full season across all three formats before that was halved and then cut to seven red-ball matches only, following a conversation between Lyon and Australia’s selectors about his workload over the next 18 months.Ben Stokes spent two days with the Durham squad during their draw at Edgbaston, continuing to build up his bowling loads as he continues his return to full fitness following knee surgery in November. “Good couple of days at Edgbaston last week,” he wrote on Instagram. “Weather been that bad had to make the trip up so I could bowl out doors [sic].”

PCB proposes three venues for 2025 Champions Trophy

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The big question is whether India will travel for the tournament, which will be the first ICC event held in Pakistan since the 1996 ODI World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2024Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the three venues proposed by the PCB in the initial draft schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy, sent recently to the ICC. The tournament has been inked in for a mid-February window as the PCB hastens plans to upgrade venues that will host the first ICC event in the country in nearly 30 years.Pakistan are defending champions having won what was thought to be the last edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017. But, in 2022, the ICC brought back the tournament in the new rights cycle (2023-27) and awarded the hosting rights of the 2025 edition to Pakistan.The eight-team tournament is expected to be played over two weeks, though the exact dates are not known yet. The PCB finalised the venues and the schedule after an ICC sent a team to conduct recces.”We’ve sent the schedule for the matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said at a press conference in Lahore. “The ICC’s security team came and we had a very good meeting. They looked at arrangements here and we’ll also share stadium upgrade plans with them. We’re continuously in touch with the ICC. We are trying to ensure we host a very good tournament in Pakistan.”Discussions on the schedule will likely focus now on India’s presence at the event. ESPNcricinfo understands the initial draft has all games, including India’s, being played in Pakistan.Normally, once the host board sends in the draft schedule, it undergoes various iterations which are done by various teams within the ICC, which then shares it with the broadcaster and the other boards before the schedule is finalised. The next official ICC meeting is the global body’s annual conference in July.Ultimately, however, the fate of India’s games will hinge on the political climate between the two countries and whether or not the Indian government grants permission to the BCCI to let its team travel to Pakistan. Frosty relations between the two governments has meant India have not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. Last year, the PCB had to adopt a hybrid model while hosting the Asia Cup, whereby some games were played in Pakistan but all of India’s games and the final were held in Sri Lanka.A month later Pakistan travelled to India to play in the 50-over World Cup but the decision for either country to play in the other is always a politically guided one.Pakistan last held an ICC event back in 1996, when they co-hosted the ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. Since then, they’ve gone through two periods when security concerns have meant teams have been reluctant to tour: in the early 2000s when Australia, England and New Zealand didn’t tour because of the 9/11 attacks and the ensuing war in neighbouring Afghanistan; and from 2009 to 2015 when no teams toured because of the terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team. Pakistan were due to host the Champions Trophy in 2008 but that was postponed and moved to South Africa in 2009. They were also due to co-host the 2011 World Cup but had to pull out as a venue.The Champions Trophy will be the centrepiece of a busy home season for Pakistan. They are also hosting South Africa and New Zealand for an ODI tri-series right before the ICC event (and start the home season this year with visits by Bangladesh and England).The scheduling crunch will also mean finding an appropriate window that year for the PSL’s 10th season. January is an option after Pakistan return from a tour of South Africa, though that puts the league in a direct clash with the SA20, the ILT20 most likely, the BPL, as well as the BBL. Scheduling the PSL after the Champions Trophy, in March, means playing it right through Ramadan, a clash the PCB has generally tried to avoid as it impacts attendances, timings as well as commercial opportunities.There will also be the challenge, as Naqvi acknowledged, of improving the stadiums in the three cities, stadiums that have not had serious upgrades for a number of years now.”If you look at Gaddafi [stadium in Lahore], it is good, but the viewing experience is not great for cricket. Football maybe, not cricket,” Naqvi said. “We need to improve facilities in the stadiums, where there are some old problems. [The National Stadium in] Karachi is in bad shape. So on May 7th, we’ll finalise bids from international companies who will come and help us design. We will work with local consultants as well. We are already late but we need to do these upgrades in four-five months. It will be a very tough test but we can do it.”

'Assess the situation and conditions' – SL bowling coach Aqib Javed's advice before Nepal encounter

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

With two defeats in New York and Dallas, Sri Lanka now arrive in Florida to take on Nepal in a game they cannot afford to lose

Madushka Balasuriya11-Jun-2024Sri Lanka haven’t been great as of late. They know that, and anyone watching them at the T20 World Cup 2024 knows that. But there have also been some mitigating circumstances which become glaringly obvious when you start comparing Sri Lanka’s batting to some of the other sides in their group.South Africa and Bangladesh just played out a low-scoring thriller, which followed South Africa’s low-scoring thriller against Netherlands, which followed Sri Lanka’s low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh, which followed yet another low-scoring affair between Netherlands and Nepal, which itself followed another low scorer between Sri Lanka and South Africa.In fact, in Group D so far, no team has managed to score more than Sri Lanka’s 124 batting first, which isn’t saying much but it does put their performances and results into context.”Now people are realizing how unpredictable the pitches are,” stated Sri Lankan fast bowling coach Aqib Javed ahead of their game against Nepal. “We were the first ones who’d gone through this process. Because I mean, look, as a player, you cannot expect anything like that, which we played the first time in New York on a new pitch. Now the people are realizing what total to place, and what they’re expecting when they’re choosing even a small total.”Even though the Dallas pitch we played was I think one of the best in the country to bat on, still these new conditions are surprising, not just us, but many teams. The batters especially, they’ve gone through a lot. This is not the normal behaviour of the pitches and the conditions. So, I think now the teams will change their strategies, and there will be a little bit of change in the homework as well.”The surprising nature of the wickets has also meant that results have conspired in such a way that despite Sri Lanka’s two defeats to start the tournament, they’re still in with a chance of qualifying for the next stage – provided they win their next two games and Bangladesh and Netherlands both lose at least one of their next two. But Javed is acutely aware that the performance of Sri Lanka’s batters have nevertheless not been up to scratch.”The beauty of this World Cup is that you cannot take easy to anything. We have seen some outstanding results from the associate teams. I think honestly if you look at the pitch, you have to be very careful, especially as a batter. How to adapt, what to leave out, and I think the best plan is to go out there and assess the situation and conditions.”If you ask me, what happened in New York, nobody knew what was going to be the wicket behaviour. [Score of] 77 was never enough. Even in the second game, we could have scored 150 to 160 because if you look at the batting card, we scored like 24 in the last six overs, we didn’t capitalise.”One area Javed doesn’t have any qualms with is in the bowling, with Sri Lanka’s varied attack giving their side a fighting chance in both matches they’ve played so far. Against South Africa, defending a measly 77 they did their best to stifle a strong batting lineup, while against Bangladesh they nearly nipped in at the death to steal it with a late flurry of wickets.”I’m really happy and enjoying the role as a bowling coach because this is one of the bowling sides which can challenge anyone. The ideal combo for any international team. You have the best legspinner in the world, you have a mystery bowler, and you have slingers which is very unique and very effective in T20 cricket.”It’s not easy all the time to defend the low totals, but so far, I think it’s good to see the captain leading from the front and you can see that energy in the field as well. And still, I think we have very good bowling options. I’m really satisfied so far.”

Athapaththu, Gunaratne and bowlers take dominant Sri Lanka to Asia Cup semi-final

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Thailand managed just 93 after batting first, and Sri Lanka’s openers wiped the target out comfortably

Ashish Pant24-Jul-2024Sri Lanka 94 for 0 (Athapaththu 49*, Gunaratne 39*) beat Thailand 93 for 7 (Koncharoenkai 47*, Putthawong 13, Dilhari 2-13, Priyadharshani 1-10) by ten wicketsA disciplined bowling effort from Sri Lanka, backed up by Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne’s unbeaten 94-run stand helped Sri Lanka beat Thailand by ten wickets and coast into the semi-final of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 .Batting first, Thailand’s innings never found a high gear as they were restricted to 93 for 7 in their 20 overs. Athapaththu and Gunaratne then made light work of the target, as they romped home with 51 balls to spare. The win meant Sri Lanka topped Group B with three wins on the bounce, and will now face Pakistan in the semi-final on Friday.Sri Lanka had made as many as four changes from their previous game against Malaysia, bringing back the experienced Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari and Achini Kulasuriya into the playing XI.Barring the toss, not much went Thailand’s way. They lost Nattaya Boochatham off the first ball of the game, and it all went downhill from there. Opener Nannapat Koncharoenkai was the only Thailand batter who looked settled against the Sri Lankan bowlers as she carried her bat through the innings, finishing on 47 off 53 balls. Only three Thailand batters reached double digits, while five of the Sri Lanka bowlers picked up at least one wicket.In reply, Athapaththu and Gunaratne were circumspect early on, but opened up their shoulders after the powerplay. Athapaththu remained unbeaten on 49, and during the course of her knock, became the highest run-scorer of the current edition of the Asia Cup, while Gunaratne remained 39 not out.

Thailand get stuck in a rut

Sri Lanka couldn’t have asked for a better start, with Achini Kulasuriya, one of the four changes in the Sri Lanka unit, starting with the most perfect yorker that snuck under Boochatham’s bat and crashed into off stump. Aphisara Suwanchonrathi then got back-to-back fours in the first over, but fell soon after mistiming Inoshi Priyadharshani to mid-on.Koncharoenkai brought out a pristine cover drive against Priyadharshani before sending another classy drive past Udeshika Prabodhani, with Thailand ending the powerplay on 28 for 2. But while Koncharoenkai still got the odd boundary in, Phannita Maya, coming in at No. 4, simply failed to rotate the strike.Maya took 14 balls to get off the mark, as Thailand’s innings stalled after the powerplay. Her innings came to an end on a painful 18-ball 2 courtesy of a stunning effort from Kavisha Dilhari, who hared across from mid-off, then dived full-stretch to complete the catch inches off the turf.By the time ten overs were done, Thailand had already faced seven overs of dot balls, and slipped to 42 for 3.Nannapat Koncharoenkai was the only Thailand batter offering resistance•Asian Cricket Council

Koncharoenkai holds firm, but SL continue to strike

Chanida Sutthiruang started her innings by deftly placing Athapaththu, but fell off her third ball by chipping a simple return catch to Dilhari. Thailand went five overs from 11 to 15 without finding the fence, and lost Suleeporn Laomi and Suwanan Khiaoto in the process as they found themselves stuck on 54 for 6 after 15 overs.Thipatcha Putthawong and Koncharoenkai’s seventh-wicket stand of 28 turned out to be the highest of the game as Thailand tried to muster a few runs in the back end. They did score 39 in the last five overs, including 13 off the final, but 93 was never going to be enough.Barring a dropped catch from Hasini Perera, Koncharoenkai’s 47* was largely flawless as she carried the Thailand innings all by herself. But Thailand’s 70 dot balls came back to haunt them.

Gunaratne, Athapaththu make light work of small chase

Sri Lanka required just 16 runs to qualify for the semi-final, and 48 to top group B. They didn’t break much of a sweat to achieve that. Both Athapaththu and Gunaratne took a bit of time to settle in. Sutthiruang, the medium pacer, got loads of swing early on but lacked control, and the openers picked her away.Athapaththu got going by depositing Boochatham over deep midwicket before going after her again in her next over for a six and four. Gunaratne’s first four came by nurdling a friendly Sutthiruang full toss past short fine leg, before she cut the same bowler through point as Sri Lanka reached 40 for 0 after six overs.Both batters notched up a gear after the powerplay. Athapaththu thumped Onnicha Kamchomphu over long-on in the ninth over, while Gunaratne struck her for a six and four each. Athapaththu then took on Maya as Sri Lanka raced towards their target. Their win came in the 12th over via a bye. Athapaththu, for her unbeaten 49 and 1 for 15 with the ball, was named Player of the Match.

England to pay tribute to Graham Thorpe during Old Trafford Test

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Minute’s applause and black armbands will commemorate batter who took own life this month

Matt Roller20-Aug-2024England’s players will pay tribute to the late Graham Thorpe before the start of their Test series against Sri Lanka, which starts in Manchester on Wednesday.Thorpe took his own life at the age of 55 on August 4, after suffering from what his widow Amanda described as “major depression and anxiety”. He was one of England’s greatest batters, averaging 44.66 in a 100-match Test career, and was later their batting coach and an assistant coach until leaving that role after the 2021-22 Ashes tour.He worked with most of England’s squad for the Sri Lanka series in that role and was particularly influential in the careers of Joe Root and Ben Stokes. In his first Test as England’s full-time captain, Stokes wore a shirt bearing Thorpe’s name to the toss following a previous attempt on his own life which left him seriously ill in hospital.”We’ll have our black armbands on throughout the course of the game and there’ll be a tribute to him before,” Ollie Pope, who is standing in for Stokes as captain, said on Tuesday. “It’s hurt a lot of people in that changing-room. He was a great man. I probably had two or three years playing with him as a batting coach. I really admired him.”I remember him saying one thing to me, which was: ‘Never let the runs you’re scoring define you as a person’. In a bit of a rut when you’re young, that was exactly what I needed to hear. It shows, for me, what a people’s person he was. He was loved in the changing-room. He’s such a sad loss to everyone: to the country, his family and the boys as well. He’s missed, and we’ll honour him this week.”Related

  • Former England batter Graham Thorpe dies aged 55

  • Graham Thorpe: A fighter whose honesty endeared him to England fans

  • The sadness of Thorpe passing is he'll never know how much he was loved

  • Graham Thorpe struck by train; family confirms he 'took his own life'

The teams will line up for a moment of applause before the national anthems at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday morning, with a tribute video played on the big screens. Sky Sports will also pay tribute to Thorpe in their coverage, with many of their commentators counting him as a long-time team-mate and a close friend.The opening of an inquest into Thorpe’s death heard last week that he died from “traumatic injuries” after being struck by a train at Esher railway station in Surrey on the morning of August 4.Lancashire will also recognise James Anderson’s career throughout the Test, with Anderson due to ring the bell before the start of play, at the pavilion end of the ground which was named after him in 2017. They will celebrate his achievements as an England player on the outfield during the lunch interval, with Michael Atherton scheduled to make a presentation to him.The club have sold around 14,500 advance tickets for the first two days of the Test, with Friday sold out.

Joe Root dedicates record-equalling 33rd Test century to Graham Thorpe

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Late batter and coach was early champion and mentor who pushed for Root’s Test elevation

Matt Roller29-Aug-2024Joe Root dedicated his record-equalling 33rd Test hundred to Graham Thorpe, his long-term batting mentor who died this month aged 55. Root pointed to the skies after reaching three figures and paid tribute to Thorpe’s influence on his batting, saying he “definitely wouldn’t be where I am now” without him.”I’ve been very lucky to work with a lot of people, whether it be senior players, coaches, mentors, and Thorpey was one of those people that offered me so much,” Root said, after his 143 helped England pile on 358 for 7 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.”It was nice to be able to think of him in that moment. He’s someone that I’m going to sorely miss. He put a lot into my game, into my career, and without his help I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.”Thorpe, widely regarded as one of England’s best batters, took his own life earlier this month after what his family described as a battle with “major depression and anxiety”. He spent most of his post-playing career involved in the England set-up and was a prominent advocate for Root’s early elevation into the Test team, at the age of 21.”The first time I came across him was a second-team game at Stamford Bridge for Yorkshire against Surrey [in 2010],” Root recalled. “The following year, I made my way into the County Championship team and he was involved with the England Lions. Before I’d even made a hundred at first-class level, he picked me for a Lions game against Sri Lanka at Scarborough.Related

  • Graham Thorpe: A fighter whose honesty endeared him to England fans

  • The sadness of Thorpe passing is he'll never know how much he was loved

  • Graham Thorpe struck by train; family confirms he 'took his own life'

  • England to pay tribute to Graham Thorpe during Old Trafford Test

“He saw something with me, and pushed hard for me to go away that winter and worked with him. We worked tirelessly on my game against spin – being able to get close to the ball, get away from it, utilising different sweeps – and also against pace… working very hard to make sure that those areas of the game which are different to county cricket, you are up to speed with.”Thorpe encouraged Root’s selection for England’s tour to India in 2012, where he made his debut in the drawn fourth Test in Nagpur which secured a 2-1 win. “From that point onwards, we worked together,” Root said. “He became England’s white-ball batting coach, and then obviously in the Test team as well. I worked so hard at a number of different things.”You’re always having to evolve as a player, and you need people that you can bounce ideas off, people that can take pressure off you in different ways, and know how to talk to you when things aren’t going well – and also when they are going well. I was very lucky to have someone like him… he was the one guy that was constant throughout that 10, 11, 12-year period.”I could go to him under pressure, and I have a really good understanding of my own game and it evolved into more: I became good friends, and I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with him. It was nice to pay a small tribute. It’s nothing, but he means a lot to me – and that was a small thank you.”