1:48 PM GMT Ian Smith might as well author a book on New Zealand’s tryst with Super Overs. Kane Williamson’s men have featured in three Super Overs in the last year including the historic 2019 World Cup final. On each occasion New Zealand have lost, the last two coming in T20I series at home against England and India. So imagine the state of Smith’s heart, having commentated on each of…
12:16 PM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Virat Kohli thought India were “down and out” in the last over of the game before the Super Over, when New Zealand needed only three to win from five balls. Ross Taylor started the last over by striking a Mohammed Shami full toss for six before taking a single, and New Zealand scored only one run – a bye – off the next three balls….
11:58 AM GMT The ECB has announced the first recipients of England pace-bowling development contracts. Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset) and Olly Stone (Warwickshire) will continue to be employed by their counties, but the ECB will make significant contributions to their employment costs and, in return, take greater control over their playing programme throughout the year. The contracts will also see ECB staff work with the young bowlers in…
11:25 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Former England allrounder Ravi Bopara has been named as part of a 12-man MCC squad to tour Pakistan in February. The team will be captained by Sri Lanka great, and current MCC president, Kumar Sangakkara, and coached by former England quick Ajmal Shahzad. Also included in the touring party are Scotland’s Safyaan Sharif and Michael Leask, Netherlands duo Roelof van der Merwe and Fred Klaassen,…
8:00 AM GMT Sri Lanka 226 for 5 (Mathews 53*, Raza 4-85) trail Zimbabwe 406 (Williams 107, Raza 72, Taylor 62, Embuldeniya 4-182) by 180 runs Angelo Mathews’ 35th Test fifty rescued Sri Lanka from a precarious position in the first hour of play as Sri Lanka added 104 runs for the loss of three wickets on the third morning, though they remain 180 behind Zimbabwe’s first-innings total. Sikander Raza,…
10:35 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Afghanistan’s coaching staff, helmed by Lance Klusener, has been bolstered by the appointment of HD Ackerman, the former South Africa Test batsman, cricket commentator and columnist. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Ackerman, 46, would start work with the team on March 1, ahead of the national team’s three-T20I series in India against Ireland, which will be followed by a one-off Test. His…
10:20 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Zimbabwe opener Kevin Kasuza was taken off the field on a stretcher after being struck flush on the helmet for the second time in two Tests. Kasuza sustained the blow on the third morning of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Harare when Kusal Mendis nailed a powerful back-foot pull, which hit the side of the helmet of forward short-leg fielder Kasuza, who immediately…
Chanida Sutthiruang and captain Sornnarin Tippoch smile after clinching Thailand’s first trip to the T20 World Cup 9:14 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Sornnarin Tippoch will lead Thailand’s first-ever team at a global tournament, after being named captain of the 15-member squad for the women’s T20 World Cup, which starts on February 21 in Australia. While the core of the squad is largely the same as the one that won the…
8:00 AM GMT Toss: New Zealand chose to bowl v India In the first game to be played since Seddon Park put up floodlights, Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bowl. He was mindful that New Zealand had failed to put up a good enough total in the second T20I, which has forced this game to be a must-win for them in order to keep the five-match series…
5:47 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Jake Fraser-McGurk will not take any further part at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and return home instead as a precautionary measure after being scratched on the face by a monkey at a nature reserve while on a team outing in Kimberley. Australia’s dreams of winning the title for a fourth time ended on Tuesday after they went down to India, and Fraser-McGurk…