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Chris Woakes could miss the first two Tests against South Africa due to the side strain which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2017Chris Woakes could miss the first two Tests against South Africa due to the side strain which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy.The recovery timeframe is four to six weeks, with Woakes admitting it is likely to be the longer end of that scale before he returns to the field. It means he is all but confirmed to miss the opening Test against South Africa, which begins at Lord’s on July 6, and probably the second as well, which comes hot on the heels at Trent Bridge on July 13.Even if Woakes was able to bowl by then, he would have had no competitive action in which to prove his fitness. Another issue could be that the NatWest Blast will dominate the domestic schedule at that time, so Woakes may be limited to four-overs spells ahead of a potential return in the third Test at Old Trafford on July 27.”It’s a left side strain and there is a tear in the muscle,” Woakes said at a Chance to Shine event. “It’s a grade-two injury, which is not terrible news, but it’s not great news at the same time.”They say it’s roughly a four- to six-week injury, and it’s more likely to be towards the six when I am back playing competitive cricket. I’m on day five of my recovery now, and the physios say for the first 10 to 14 days there’s not a lot we can do other than rest it.”You don’t rule it out, but I’m probably up against it for the first Test. Sometimes these things heal quicker, sometimes they take longer, so we have to play it by ear.”It’s also one of those things you can’t rush back – if you do, it can just ping again. You have to make sure you’re right before you come back. The timing of it is frustrating, it’s terrible, but it’s one of those things.”Woakes took 34 wickets in six home Tests last year – 26 of them in the four-match series against Pakistan – although the five Tests he played on the tours of Bangladesh and India were tougher as he claimed just six wickets.James Anderson is also under a fitness cloud after suffering a groin injury last month playing for Lancashire, although he has returned to gentle training.Anderson, Woakes and Stuart Broad would have been England’s likely front-line pace attack to start the South Africa series, supplemented by Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, but there could also be question-marks over the workload Stokes can sustain in Tests due to his troublesome knee. If reinforcements are needed, Mark Wood, Jake Ball, Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones would be in the mix.

Amid the sort of bitterly cold weather in which even Captain Oates wouldn’t venture out, Yorkshire’s lower order demonstrated the type of grit that can make the difference between winners and losers in a Championship season

George Dobell at Edgbaston25-Apr-2016
ScorecardWarwickshire’s slip cordon feels the chill•Getty Images

Amid the sort of bitterly cold weather in which even Captain Oates wouldn’t venture out, Yorkshire’s lower order demonstrated the type of grit that can make the difference between winners and losers in a Championship season.Most cricketers can flourish in conditions when the sun is, figuratively or literally, on their backs. But it takes a certain sort of determination to succeed in discomfort, under pressure and despite interruptions and distractions.Yorkshire displayed such grit here. From a position of 209 for 6, their lower middle order has earned not just a chance of gaining full batting bonus points but, if the weather relents, the possibility of pushing for a win. And they did it on a day when the wind blew viciously cold, when play was split in what appeared to be dozens of short sessions and when anyone sensible would only have ventured out in thermals and supported by a team of huskies.While the contribution of Adil Rashid can be of little surprise – he has the class to have made it as a specialist batsman – the contribution of Steve Patterson was more unusual. Until today, he had scored only one first-class half-century – an innings of 53 against Sussex – in a first-class career that started in 2005 but now resumes in the morning requiring only six more runs to be the highest scorer of the innings.But it was the manner of Patterson’s runs that was most surprising. He is an admirable, reliable cricketer but both his career strike-rate – he had scored his runs at a rate of 35.93 runs per 100 balls before today – and his nickname, “Dead”, hint at a character that is usually solid and dependable more often than it is exhilarating and flamboyant.Here, though, he thrashed 11 fours as he feasted on Warwickshire’s frustration – there were a fair few long-hops bowled at him – and weariness. And while he looked less comfortable against the pace of Chris Woakes – described as “one of England’s quickest bowlers” by his coach, Dougie Brown – he still managed to time the ball sufficiently well that what appeared a decent yorker was speared to the point boundary before the man positioned barely 15 yards away could move.It might have been easy to presume this match – likely to be interrupted by more poor weather over the next couple of days – was heading nowhere. But who knows whether the Championship may, in five months time, be decided by a bonus point gained on a grim, April day in Birmingham? Patterson and Rashid, in particular, earned their side at least three more points that seemed likely at one stage.It would be easy to point out Warwickshire’s faults in the field. Really very easy. The innings contained overthrows, drops (Liam Plunkett was reprieved from the first delivery he faced – Tim Ambrose putting down the chance off Keith Barker – while Ryan Sidebottom was reprieved at slip by Varun Chopra off Chris Woakes on 2) and really quite a lot of wayward bowling. For much of Patterson’s innings, he was more at risk of frostbite or polar bear attack than a yorker.But this has been an awful stop-start game played in brief patches of uncomfortably cold and horribly windy conditions. It cannot have been easy to gain any rhythm on the pitch – it was miserable to watch from the stands – and it really wouldn’t be appropriate to put down a mug of hot coffee in the press box and criticise too harshly. It was not easy out there.”It was disgusting,” Brown, the Warwickshire director of cricket, agreed. “But you still have to have professional standards. We shelled a couple of catches, which is disappointing, but Yorkshire deserve a bit of credit for the way they batted. It’s quite a good wicket and the margin of error for bowlers is very small.”When play finally started – 49.3 more overs were lost on the day, making it 87.3 in total so far – Warwickshire appeared to have seized the initiative. Jack Leaning’s footless drive was punished with an outside edge, before Gary Ballance’s increasingly fluent innings was ended by a good one that left him from Barker. Had Plunkett been taken next ball, as he should have been, Yorkshire would have been 209 for 7.Instead Plunkett counter-attacked in a partnership of 43 with Rashid before Patterson helped add 91 for the eighth-wicket in 20 overs. With Rashid, getting well forward and driving neatly, forcing the bowlers to pitch shorter, the ball tended to sit up obligingly on what remains a decent pitch.Clarke and Woakes were the pick of the bowlers. Gaining in rhythm by the spell, Woakes had worked up a considerable pace by the end of the day and finally defeated Rashid with one that may have tailed in a little. With Mark Wood injured and Chris Jordan departing to the IPL, it seems Woakes may be competing with Jake Ball for the final spot in England’s Test squad. All three England selectors were at Edgbaston on the second day to see Woakes demonstrate his pace and his improved inswinger. They will know he is a better bowler than he showed during the Test in Centurion.Still, in a match containing 13 Test cricketers, it was arguably Patterson’s performance that caught the eye. On a day when nearly everyone else looked as if they would rather be somewhere else, he took advantage.

Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday

George Dobell21-Sep-2013Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday.While it is possible to predict, fitness permitting, nine of the 11 that will represent England in the first Test in Brisbane, the choice of the remaining members of the squad is as open as it has been for several years. Several players face agonising disappointment or great elation.There is little prospect of England picking two spinners in any of the Tests in Australia. While there was a time when such a scenario was a possibility in Sydney, those days have largely gone. When Australia beat Sri Lanka there in January, their spinner, Nathan Lyon, claimed only two wickets.So the second spinner in the Ashes squad is there in case Graeme Swann suffers injury. Whoever is selected must be capable of performing the role of lone spinner for England in an Ashes Test.The experience of Simon Kerrigan at The Oval illustrates what a hard task that is and how small the pool of candidates remains. While James Tredwell is the type of character – calm, low-maintenance and reliable – that this England management favour, his record in red-ball cricket this season is modest. He has taken only 13 wickets at a cost of 55.76 in the Championship. The form of other experienced players, the likes of Gareth Batty, is similarly modest.Kerrigan’s debut is likely to deter England from considering a similarly untried spinner in Australia. While the likes of Scott Borthwick and Moeen Ali may well be included in performance squad that will shadow the full team for part of the tour, it would be asking a bit much to expect them to fill-in for Swann just yet. Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, is an attractive option, but he does not, at this stage, offer the control England require from their Test spinner.With Kerrigan, for now, out of the picture, Monty Panesar may be the best available reserve to Swann. So long as his off-field issues – and the England management will need assurances about his mental fitness to tour before committing to him – can be controlled, Panesar has the experience and qualities as a bowler to warrant selection. Besides, it may be that a prolonged return to the England camp revives his spirits. Taking him would be a risk, but England are not flush with options.Indeed, the difficult of the second-spinner selection highlights a major issue: the excellence of Swann continues to mask deficiencies within the reserves of England’s spin bowling. His eventual retirement will leave a gaping hole.England have far more options when it comes to selecting a pack of fast bowlers. While Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, Tim Bresnan is also highly likely to be included, possibly as a 17th man, with a view to him regaining full fitness in the opening weeks of the tour.Boyd Rankin, too, looks certain to travel. Rankin’s pace and hostility in the ODI series against Australia was impressive and, as he relaxes in the England environment, will only grow. He just could prove to be a key player in the Ashes.The final two fast-bowling spots could be taken by Steven Finn and Graham Onions. While Onions would be, in essence, providing injury cover for Anderson, Finn remains a player of great potential who could come into the side if required. Realistically, though, the trip would prove a chance to work with the England fast bowling coach, David Saker, for a prolonged period.That would see Chris Tremlett and Chris Woakes missing out. Woakes enjoyed a respectable Test debut at The Oval and might yet prove himself a decent No. 6 but his style of bowling is not particularly well suited to Australian pitches. Tremlett, sadly, has lost the pre-injury nip that made him such a dangerous player.There could be a couple of batting allrounders in the squad. Ben Stokes, by virtue of his extra pace with the ball, his excellent fielding and his ability with the bat, would be a fine utility player and could balance the side by batting at No. 6. At 22, he is a player in development and there will be times when he frustrates but his all-round talents are obvious and he may prove worth a prolonged period of investment. Ravi Bopara, now rehabilitated, has a strong case for inclusion and could add a few economical overs if required.The last time England embarked on an Ashes tour, in 2010-11, they did not take a reserve opener. Nick Compton remains the outstanding candidate for the role, but it may be that his reaction to being omitted earlier in the summer has damaged the relationship between him and the England management. Other options include Varun Chopra, Sam Robson and Luke Wells but all are untried at this level, while Michael Carberry has endured a modest season against the red ball. With Joe Root still adjusting to the demands of opening in Test cricket, however, it would be quite a risk not to take some back-up.The position of reserve wicketkeeper may prove equally contentious. Several players have made a case for inclusion – Steven Davies, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler among them – but England have invested time in the development of Jonny Bairstow and may well feel that, with his ability to bat and field in several conditions taken into account, he is a decent utility squad member.Possible England squad: Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Ben Stokes, Matt Prior, Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Monty Panesar.

Peter Kirsten, the former South Africa batsman, thinks Richard Levi has developed a small technical fault which has contributed to his recent lean run

Firdose Moonda13-Sep-2012South Africa’s opening batting combination could be their biggest conundrum ahead of next week’s World Twenty20. They used two different pairs in their three matches against England but did not manage a stand of more than nine runs, with Richard Levi emerging as the biggest concern.Scores of 8, 0 and 1 meant that Levi was the first man out on all three occasions and the No.3 batsman had to perform a repair job, instead of being able to build on a start. “I really feel for Richard Levi actually, he seems to have a small technical fault,” Peter Kirsten, former South Africa batsman, told ESPNcricinfo. “He tends to play across the line early on and of course everyone expects him to hit boundaries every second ball.”Levi’s reputation was created when he played a belligerent innings against New Zealand in Hamilton in February. His unbeaten 117 is the joint highest T20 score of all time and in reaching it, he surpassed Chris Gayle’s record of the most sixes in a T20 innings.It was a display that earned him an IPL contract and got him noticed by other T20 leagues. While it was not a display that anyone expects him to repeat, it is also one he has not come close to replicating. Since then, Levi has scored just two half-centuries in domestic twenty-over matches.
In his last 10 innings, he has not managed a score higher than 39 in his last 10 innings, which included an A series against Zimbabwe and Ireland, matches for Somerset in the Friends Life t20 and South Africa’s three T20Is against England. All told, his international run has been lean.Levi’s reliance on leg-side play has been noted and he is now offered deliveries that are primarily wide of offstump, where he cannot hit to his favoured area of the field. Kirsten said “bowlers have worked him out now,” and Levi will have to learn to play more conventional cricket instead of his stand-and-deliver slogging. “Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis have shown that if you play good cricket strokes, you can still score quickly,” Kirsten said.Either of those batsmen could, and did, partner Levi at the top of the order. When the squad was announced convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson had said Kallis would open the batting in light of his performances at the IPL. It would result in Amla being pushed to No. 3.Kirsten would rather see Amla open and Kallis at No. 3. “That for me would be the right way to go,” he said. The alternative is that Levi is dropped altogether and South Africa opt for a more old-school pairing in Amla and Kallis. They will then to settle on a No. 3 batsman, what Kirsten called, “the key position.” AB de Villiers would be the obvious choice but Faf du Plessis, who was also in contention for a place in the top two, is another candidate.Du Plessis came to the selectors’ attention for a place in the T20 squad with his showings for the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL. He admitted that he would like to open the batting but conceded that, as a rookie in the shortest format, he would have to do as told. Now, he is not even assured of his place in the starting XI, after a torrid tour of England. Du Plessis compiled just 39 runs in six innings in the limited-overs portion of the tour and looked out of sorts.Kirsten said while Du Plessis has to make adjustments to his game quickly, there is no urgent need for concern over him just yet. “As AB de Villiers said, he knows what Faf du Plessis can do,” he said. “We’ve seen him clean up games, finish off games in domestic cricket. If he just plays a little bit straighter, gets those hands going through mid-off a little more, then he can fill that No. 3 spot as well.”With South Africa continuing to use the yo-yo middle-order method in shorter forms of the game – a strategy that worked for them against both Sri Lanka and New Zealand – the importance of having a fixed duo at the top is more pressing.”Flexibility,” is what Kirsten called one of South Africa’s biggest strengths and it has been their way of responding to criticism about being predictable, but he also acknowledged some degree of “certainty” will be useful as they challenge for major silverware. “After all the chopping and changing, I’m sure Gary Kirsten, Andrew Hudson and AB de Villiers will know exactly who they want to pick for the first game.”South Africa’s campaign begins against Zimbabwe next Thursday, before they play Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Gautam Gambhir, the India opening batsman, could miss the solitary Twenty20 international against England in Manchester on August 31

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Aug-2011Gautam Gambhir, the India opening batsman, could miss the solitary Twenty20 international against England in Manchester on August 31. Gambhir had a light batting session during India’s optional training at Grace Road, but informed team management that he was not able to clearly sight the ball on a few occasions.”He said that he could not see the ball at times when it came at full speed,” Shivlal Yadav, Indian team manager, told ESPNcricinfo. “He will be taken to an eye specialist in Manchester on Tuesday.” With people making use of the long Bank holiday weekend (Saturday through Monday), Yadav said that private eye specialist who was recommended was on leave and the next available date for an appointment was August 30. “Based on what the specialist says we will have to wait for the next step. As of now it seems difficult,” Yadav said about Gambhir’s participation in the game.Gambhir suffered a concussion on the third day of the final Test at The Oval after falling on his back and hitting his head against the turf while attempting a catch in the outfield. He batted down the order in both innings was hit on the back of his helmet by Stuart Broad in the second innings that set his recovery back.He did not feature in either of India’s two victories in the tour games against Sussex and Kent and will likely miss the final practice match, a Twenty20 against Leicestershire on Monday, as well, although his name was printed on the county’s programme guide.On Sunday, the India squad minus MS Dhoni and Munaf Patel enjoyed a three-hour long training session behind closed doors. Dhoni opted out of the session to watch his favourite football team Manchester United trample Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford. Reportedly Suresh Raina and RP Singh, who did take part in the training but left early, joined Dhoni for the English Premiership game.The media were not able to watch the session, however, as they were barred from practice. According to Yadav, the decision was taken at the behest of the local police, who were manning the ground in strong numbers. The team’s security has been strengthened after the twin incidents in Kent -an unclaimed package was found on the railway track near Canterbury West train station and the fire inside a Marks & Spencer store that was very close to the Indian team hotel. “The police felt that the media could not be allowed inside the training,” Yadav said.The local ground security even refused to allow the media to watch the training from the few available viewpoints, such as the bar and cafe on the first floor of the block that houses the county shop. When some journalists tried to stand on the bucket seats meant for spectators, they were immediately asked to step down and warned that they would be asked to leave the ground if they continued to ask questions.

A responsible yet attacking 93 from Kuthethurshri Vasudevadas, and a surprise four-wicket haul from Hemang Badani gave India Cements a 25-run victory against Air India in the first semi-final of the Corporate Trophy

Cricinfo staff06-Sep-2010
ScorecardAn unbeaten century from Uttar Pradesh batsman Ravikant Shukla, a stunning lower-order assault from Amit Dani, and an all-round bowling effort helped Indian Oil Corporation overcome Income Tax to enter the final against India Cements. Ameya Shrikhande scored a run-a-ball 114 to keep Income Tax in the hunt, but his team-mates could not provide adequate support as they were bowled out 67 runs short.IOC’s decision to bat was vindicated by their openers who added 61 in 11.3 overs and set the stage for a big score. Wasim Jaffer was in an aggressive mood, striking seven fours and a six in his 38 off 35 balls, while Paresh Patel was watchful at the other end. Though both were guilty of not making their starts count, Shukla who came in at one-drop was determined to cash in. The young middle-order duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Harpreet Singh did the needful, turning the strike over as Shukla settled into a big innings.Harpreet departed at 211 for 4 in the 42nd over, but by then Shukla had worked himself into top gear. Dani who came in at No. 6 hit the ground running and Income Tax came in for some punishment. Shukla, who came into this game with a solitary first-class 100 and none at the List A level, smashed eight fours and three sixes as he finished with 123. Dani clouted four sixes and three fours, and finished one short of a fifty as the stand realized 93 in eight overs.Income Tax’s reply got off to a horror start when opener Hiken Shah fell for a duck in the first over. They tried to counter-attack, going after IOC’s opening bowlers, but the pressure of chasing a 300-plus score began to show on the running between the wickets. Amor Ubarhande and Jay Desai succumbed to run outs before Bhavik Thaker settled down with Shrikhande to rebuild the innings. During this phase, seamers Dani and Murtuza Hussain combined with left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar to keep Income Tax quiet.Thaker could not reach the boundary during his 45 off 62 balls and when he fell in the 37th over, Income Tax needed 120 off 13.3 overs. Shrikhande kept fighting, but the lower order did not have the nous to stay with him. His innings was ended by Pawar who castled him from over-the-wickets for a run-a-ball 114. Thereafter it was only a matter of time, and Income Tax eventually folded for 241 in the 46th over.

Bad light ended play early, but hosts were 81 ahead, recovering despite an early burst from Kagiso Rabada

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2024Bad light forced the third day’s play of the Dhaka Test to be called off at 4pm local time, an hour before the scheduled end of the day. Bangladesh fought back in the game and now lead by 81 runs, with South Africa still short of three wickets. The hosts ended the day on 283 for 7, thanks mainly to half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the debutant Jaker Ali.Play was stopped at 3.17pm after 17 minutes of play under floodlights at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. There was earlier a 78-minute stoppage due to rain from 1.42pm onwards. This is unseasonal rain in Bangladesh due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, which is forecast to turn into a cyclone on Wednesday.Mehidy was Bangladesh’s saviour on the day with his fourth half-century this year, once again saving the team’s blushes from a difficult position. They were 112 for 6, from where Mehidy and Jaker added 138 runs for the seventh wicket. It is Bangladesh’s third century stand from the seventh wicket in their last five Tests.Mehidy struck nine fours and a six in his 171-ball stay on the third day, batting confidently enough to pass some of that confidence to Jaker, who had got only 2 in the first innings. But the day had started horribly for Bangladesh, who lost three wickets in the first 30 minutes of play, with a Test to save.Kagiso Rabada had removed both of Bangladesh’s overnight batters Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Mushfiqur Rahim by the fourth over of the day. Mahmudul edged a wide one, giving first slip an easy catch after making 40. Rabada then blew away Mushfiqur’s middle stump later in the over with a delivery that was similar to his dismissal of the same batter in the first innings; while Mushfiqur lost two stumps on the first day, this time it was the middle pole which came off.When Litton Das was caught behind off Keshav Maharaj shortly afterwards, Bangladesh slipped to 112 for 6, and were in danger of an innings defeat on the third day. Mehidy and Jaker then stepped in, battling through a tough first session, and helping Bangladesh go past South Africa’s 202-run first-innings lead.Jaker, who played second fiddle to Mehidy, struck the ball nicely through the covers. He pinched two fours through fine leg too, one of them getting him to a half-century. Jaker hammered Rabada with a confident pull shot too. He also took three fours off Rabada, twice through the off side and once through a pull.Mehidy, meanwhile, was mainly effective against Maharaj, hitting him for four boundaries through the covers – sometimes even lofted ones, but mostly along the ground. He generally handled spin well, as Bangladesh got within one run of South Africa’s lead at lunch.An hour into the second session, rain stopped play for 78 minutes. Before the rain break, Jaker reached had his maiden Test fifty. He fell lbw to Maharaj after getting beaten trying to turn the ball on the leg side. The umpire gave it out despite a casual appeal from the visitors, but replays showed it was the correct decision. Jaker struck seven fours in his 111-ball stay.

Fast bowler has reportedly applied for British citizenship but will join initially as an overseas player

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2023Derbyshire have signed former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir as an overseas player for the first half of the 2024 season. He is expected to be available to play in the Championship and T20 Blast.Derbyshire had reportedly been exploring a move to bring in Amir as a local player, with the 31-year-old applying for British citizenship via his marriage. Amir worked with Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, when the South African was Pakistan coach, and has previous experience of playing county cricket with Essex and Gloucestershire.”Mohammad is a world-renowned fast bowler and someone who I am delighted to bring to Derbyshire,” Arthur said. “He will lead our attack in red ball and T20 for the first half of next season and I’m so excited to see what he will produce.”I know all about his quality, he has been a big-game player throughout his career and that’s something I’ve seen first-hand. I know the Derbyshire supporters are going to love seeing Mohammad charging in.”Amir retired from international cricket in 2020, having represented Pakistan almost 150 times across the formats. His most-recent first-class appearance was for Gloucestershire in May 2022, but he has an impressive record with 266 wickets at 22.63. He has spent much of the last two years playing on the T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, CPL and LPL, as well as the inaugural edition of the Hundred.Amir said: “I’ve enjoyed my experiences of county cricket in the past and joining up with Mickey, who I’ve had so much success with internationally, is something I’m looking forward to.”The County Championship is so special and I’ve always enjoyed playing first-class cricket in England. I’ve spoken to Mickey about the quality in the squad and I want to put in the performances to help Derbyshire challenge in red and white ball cricket next summer.”

Third defeat in a row for Sunrisers, who fall 21 short of target of 208

Alan Gardner05-May-20223:05

What has gone wrong for Sunrisers Hyderabad?

David Warner took centre stage in the clash between his current franchise and the one that unceremoniously dumped him last season, an unbeaten 92 from 58 setting up Delhi Capitals for a comfortable victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, and a much-needed two points in their quest to force a way into contention for the knockout stages.Warner batted through the innings to help guide Capitals to a score above 200, after Kane Williamson had won his ninth toss from ten and chosen to insert. The Australian opener, now fourth on this season’s run-scoring charts, found a vital ally in Rovman Powell as the fourth-wicket pair combined for an unbroken 122-run stand. Powell finished with three fours and six sixes in 67 from 35, with 70 runs cascading from the last five overs of the innings to put the chase beyond Sunrisers.Needing to score at more than ten an over, Sunrisers barely managed to go at a run a ball for the first half of their innings. A requirement of 145 from ten overs, with just seven wickets standing, was an equation beyond all but the most outrageous of hitting, and although Nicholas Pooran kept them clinging to the coattails of the asking rate with a crisp 62 off 34 – his first fifty of the season – Khaleel Ahmed picked up 3 for 30 as Capitals attack closed out a win that moved them above their opponents and into fifth on the table.Warner walks the talk
Before this game, Warner emphasised the importance of one of himself, fellow opener Prithvi Shaw, or No. 3 Mitchell Marsh “scoring an 80 or 90 or even a hundred if we can”. With Shaw absent through illness and Marsh falling cheaply – following Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s wicket maiden to start the Capitals innings – Warner took it upon himself to deliver the goods.His first ball was slapped through the covers, not all that far from going to hand, but thereafter this was a supremely judged innings. He jump-started the scoreboard during a rare outing for Umran Malik in the powerplay, helping himself to three boundaries during an over that cost 23.There were a number of crunching straight drives, leg-side swats for six off Malik and Kartik Tyagi, and a clean mow over long-on against Aiden Markram’s offbreaks. Most impressive of all was his split-second readjustment against Bhuvneshwar, having changed his stance in preparation to switch hit; the ball was full outside leg (to a left-hander) but Warner played it adeptly as a right-hander to glide four to third.That came off the first ball of the 19th over, and by the end of it he had moved to 92 from 58 – and in sight of a century against his former franchise. But there was no one in Delhi blue more pumped than Warner, standing at the non-striker’s end as Powell took over against Malik, who finished with 0 for 52. Powell explained Warner’s advice at the innings break: “At the start of the over, I asked him if he wanted a single, to try and get the hundred and he said: ‘Listen, that is not how the cricket play.’ I should try to smack it as hard as I can and as far as I can, and I did that.”Powell powers Capitals
A first IPL half-century from Powell set the seal on Capitals’ innings. There was no doubting his ability to “smack it” as hard and as far as he could, as he cleared the ropes six times on the way past 50 from 30 balls. The Jamaican has fulfilled a number of briefs in this Capitals side, appearing as high as No. 3 in the order, and as low as No. 8. But here he said he had asked Rishabh Pant for time to show what he could do at No. 5, and duly repaid the management with his highest score in nine innings.David Warner and Rovman Powell stitched an important partnership for the fourth wicket•BCCI

Powell took a little time to get settled, reaching 19 from 18 balls in the 16th over. He might have been out twice by that point, however: a top-edged swipe at Sean Abbott evaded the backtracking Tyagi at short fine leg, and Williamson then shelled a simple chance at mid-off, Malik the unlucky bowler.Making the most of his reprieves, Powell slaughtered the previously unhittable Bhuvneshwar – who had 1 for 4 from 15 balls to that point – over deep square leg, then launched back-to-back sixes off Abbott, one of them sailing 104 metres over cover. On 41, he probably should have been taken on the rope, when a smash down the ground seemed set to pick out Markram at long-on, only for the fielder to misjudge the catch and palm it over the rope. Two more blows for six brought him fifty and he finished the innings with 4-4-4 off Malik, including creaming a 157kph ball – the fastest of this year’s IPL – through the covers.Sunrisers stumble out the blocks
Williamson went into this match to the backdrop of murmurs about his strike rate – and they will only increase after another scratchy outing, which yielded 4 off 11 and a fiddled catch behind against Anrich Nortje in the fifth over. That left him with 199 runs from 10 innings this IPL, and a strike rate of 96.13: the lowest by any opener to have faced 200 balls in a season.Powell had described the pitch as “very good” at halfway, and the Brabourne had seen a higher score hunted down this season – Lucknow Super Giants reaching 211 with three balls to spare against Chennai Super Kings in game seven. But the early loss of Abhishek Sharma hurt Sunrisers’ chances of a fast start, and with Williamson taking seven balls to get off the mark, his team limped to 35 for 2 at the end of the powerplay (a total boosted by Rahul Tripathi slashing the fourth and fifth balls of the sixth over for four).After nine overs, Sunrisers were 48 for 3, needing to score at more than 14 runs an over; and the rate barely came down from that point, despite the best efforts of Pooran and, to a lesser extent, Markram, who showed what might have been possible with a better platform on which to build.

The left hander signed a five-year deal in 2017 but has largely been short of runs for the Stars

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2021Ben Dunk has left the Melbourne Stars a year before his contract expires after the batsman and the club “mutually agreed” to part ways.Dunk signed a five-year deal with the Stars in 2017, having enjoyed strong returns with Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers, but in 42 matches has made 621 runs at 16.34 with 342 of those coming in the 2018-19 campaign. This season he has made 69 runs in five innings.”This was a difficult decision that will allow me to explore other playing opportunities and ultimately was in the best interests for me, my family and the club,” Dunk said “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing with the Melbourne Stars and wish them all the best for the remainder of this season and into the future.”In a social media post, he added: “Unfortunately I haven’t made the most of those opportunities but that is cricket. To the fans of the Stars, you guys are amazing and I’m sure in time, you will get the ultimate success you deserve.”To my team-mates from over the years, I thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all at some point in the near future.”