Month: January 2025

Sonal Dinusha, a 24-year-old left-arm spinning allrounder, has been named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the two-match series against Australia, which begins in Galle on January 29. Opening batter Lahiru Udara has also been been included, potentially as cover for Pathum Nissanka, who is racing to be fit for the first Test, after picking up a groin strain while batting during the third ODI against New Zealand in Auckland…

Sydney Thunder 157 for 6 (Billings 42*, Sangha 30, Kerr 2-35) beat Sydney Sixers 151 for 7 (Silk 43*, Andrews 2-15, Agar 2-25) by four wickets David Warner will have the chance to lead Sydney Thunder to their first BBL title in nine years after his side held their nerve in a scrappy Challenger final derby against Sydney Sixers to win by four wickets, with seven balls to spare. The…

Cricket Australia XI 214 and 357 for 6 (Ward 120, Clayton 84, Radhakrishnan 58, Cook 3-34) lead England Lions 316 (Flintoff 108, Davies 76, McCann 51, Whitney 4-72) by 255 runs A Tim Ward century helped Cricket Australia XI turn around their tour game against the England Lions who could manage only five wickets on the third day in Brisbane. Ward’s patient 120 from 223 balls provided the foundation for…

“I’m concerned about everyone’s form at the moment, including mine.” That’s how Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) coach Lance Klusener summed up the team’s fortunes in a season where they are languishing at the bottom of the points table, a year after they made the SA20 final. With just one win in seven games, they need to win their remaining three to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs….

Australia previously played in Sri Lanka in 2022 and last toured the subcontinent in early 2023, when they visited India. There are echoes of that tour coming up in Sri Lanka with captain Pat Cummins unavailable and Steven Smith standing in again. Australia’s selectors showed a willingness to pick an unconventional XI in India in a bid to select the best team for the conditions after learning some lessons from…

Cricket Australia have appointed Adam Griffith, a highly experienced coach and former Tasmania fast bowler, as the new national pace bowling coach in a role that has been recreated to help develop Australia’s next generation of fast bowlers. The role was first advertised back in October as an Australia-based position to oversee the management of fast bowlers across international and domestic programmes, in a bid to prevent the spate of…

The batters did it for Pakistan, though they were helped along by indiscipline on the part of the inexperienced Samoa bowlers, who conceded 21 extras, including 18 wides, after opting to field. The major contributions for Pakistan came from opener Maham Anees, who scored 28 in 42 balls, and Fatima Khan, who hit 25 in 14 balls with three fours and a six from No. 6. Three other batters also…

After retaining the Ashes in Sydney, Beth Mooney didn’t want to get drawn into talk of a whitewash before the series was won but with that box ticked team-mate Grace Harris now wants to “embarrass” England with a 16-0 scoreline. Australia prevailed in Canberra amid a flurry of DLS calculations – England were ahead when the game was stopped for the first time – and latterly Heather Knight played a…

Matthew Kuhnemann has been cleared to join the Australia Test squad in Sri Lanka after recovering sufficiently following surgery to repair a thumb fracture. Kuhnemann, the left-arm spinner, had broken his right thumb while playing in the BBL last week, but has been able to bowl in training this week, a Cricket Australia [CA] statement said. He will reach Sri Lanka over the weekend along with Oliver Peake, the young…

Jay Shah, the ICC chair and ex-secretary of the BCCI, has joined a new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) advisory board, which will replace the club’s world cricket committee. Shah was a notable absentee when MCC staged the inaugural World Cricket Connects forum last year, which saw over 100 leading voices gather at Lord’s to discuss the state of the global game. But he is among 13 founding members of the…