12:01 PM IST Deivarayan Muthu Lasith Malinga, the highest wicket-taker in the IPL, and Suresh Raina, the second-highest run-getter in the league, have both opted out of the 2020 season in the UAE. In addition to these two and Harbhajan Singh, who are all such huge IPL icons, Chris Woakes and Jason Roy have also pulled out of the tournament. ESPNcricinfo looks at how their absence could impact their franchises….
Aaron Finch and David Warner accept blame for failed chase but Australia's middle order exposed
7:13 AM IST David Warner and Aaron Finch accepted the blame for not being able to take Australia across the line in the opening T20I at the Ageas Bowl, but the startling collapse renewed the focus on their middle-order which has been the one area of the team to struggle when needed. After an opening stand of 98 in 11 overs, Australia’s equation came down to 39 off 35 balls…
Eoin Morgan hails bowlers' belief as England steal improbable epic
3:26 AM IST Eoin Morgan has hailed his bowling attack’s belief in their own strengths after Australia’s late-innings implosion allowed England to squeeze out a two-run win in the first T20I at the Ageas Bowl on Friday night. Australia needed 39 from 36 balls at the start of Adil Rashid‘s final over, but he removed both Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell to give England an opening. That meant Morgan gave…
Sam Hain seals rain-reduced thriller despite Tom Lammonby fireworks
2:51 AM IST ECB Reporters Network Birmingham 107 for 4 (Hain 55*) beat Somerset 120 for 7 (Lammonby 43*) by four runs (DLS) Birmingham Bears overcame Somerset and the weather to claim a four-run Vitality Blast Central Group under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton. The match was interrupted for an hour and three-quarters by rain, which set in with the Bears 85 for 4 from…
Tom Kohler-Cadmore's 85* underpins strong Yorkshire display
2:20 AM IST ECB Reporters Network Yorkshire 193 for 3 (Kohler-Cadmore 85*) beat Durham 169 (Clark 68, Willey 3-26) by 29 runs Yorkshire Vikings earned a vital 29-run win in the Vitality Blast North Group against Durham as Tom Kohler-Cadmore took centre stage with an unbeaten knock of 85 at Emirates Riverside. Kohler-Cadmore exploded after a steady start, scoring five sixes in his brilliant innings. Will Fraine added a blistering…
Nottinghamshire maintain unbeaten start as Alex Hales fires in small chase
1:40 AM IST ECB Reporters Network Nottinghamshire 124 for 5 (Hales 44) beat Leicestershire 123 for 8 (Ball 2-17) by five wickets An explosive start by Alex Hales enabled Notts Outlaws to maintain their unbeaten start to the Vitality Blast. Hales made 44 from only 16 balls to help Notts towards a five-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes in their North Group clash at Trent Bridge. The opener smashed four fours…
Mustafizur Rahman denied NOC to play in IPL 2020
12:06 AM IST ESPNcricinfo staff The Bangladesh Cricket Board has denied an NOC to Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2020, a BCB director said on Friday. Akram Khan, the cricket operations chairman, said that Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka in October and November was the reason for the denial. ESPNcricinfo understands Kolkata Knight Riders we’re interested in Rahman at one point to replace Harry Gurney. “There was an offer from the…
Australia bowl, Stoinis comes into middle order; England pick Archer, Wood
10:31 PM IST Matt Roller Close Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets at @mroller98 Australia won the toss and chose to bowl v England Australia will bowl first at the Ageas Bowl in their international since March after winning the toss on a cloudy evening. Both sides sprung a surprise in their playing XIs: Australia listed Marcus Stoinis at No. 6, despite Justin Langer saying coming…
Keaton Jennings guides comfortable Lancashire chase
10:14 PM IST ECB Reporters Network Lancashire 102 for 2 (Jennings 49*) Derbyshire 98 for 7 (Bailey 2-13) Lancashire Lightning went top of the North Group in the Vitality Blast, at least until Friday evening, when they completed a very straightforward eight-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons at Aigburth. Having won a vital toss and asked the visitors to bat on a pitch where run-scoring was never easy, Lancashire skipper Dane…
Afghanistan players allowed to stay back at CPL despite clash with Shpageeza league
10:05 PM IST ESPNcricinfo staff Six Afghanistan players, who are part of CPL 2020, have been allowed to continue playing in the Caribbean by the ACB (Afghanistan Cricket Board) despite a clash with the Shpageeza T20 league at home. Rashid Khan, the No.1 T20I bowler, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is just behind him on the T20I charts, are among the six Afghanistan players featuring in the ongoing CPL. The…