Victoria seal place in Shield final

Victoria 322 and 2 for 83 (Harris 43) beat Western Australia 146 and 258 (Cartwright 101, Klinger 55, Pattinson 5-58) by 8 wicketsScorecard File photo – James Pattinson finished with match figures of 6 for 93 © Getty Images Victoria will have the chance to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title after winning through to the final thanks to their victory over Western Australia in Alice Springs. The Warriors…

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Bowlers shine in Kenya's rain-hit win

Kenya 98 for 5 (Rakep 34*, Pun 2-8) beat Nepal 112 for 8 (Malla 27, Ngoche 3-18) by five wickets (Duckworth-Lewis Method)Scorecard File photo – Shem Ngoche finished with figures of 3 for 18 from six overs © AFP The efforts of Kenya’s bowlers, particularly left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche, set the base for their five-wicket win (Duckworth-Lewis method) as they limited Nepal to 112 for 8 in a rain-affected match…

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Malan reveals fan entered Peshawar change-room during PSL final

The staging of the PSL final in Lahore saw an almost unprecedented level of security © AFP A young fan was able to briefly gain access to the Peshawar Zalmi dressing room, marring what was otherwise thought to be a well-executed security operation during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore last week. Despite the heavy security presence, the male fan – thought to be in his early to…

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Arthur meets Pakistan's best domestic players in Lahore

Mickey Arthur led a three-day camp in Lahore attended by the 41 best emerging players in Pakistan © AFP For the first time since he was appointed Pakistan coach 10 months ago, Mickey Arthur met the best domestic players in the country and, after running them through a three-day camp in Lahore, he was even able to find new talents who could be fast-tracked into the national side. “It was…

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Cummins called up to replace Starc

Play 01:39 ‘Lot more consistent now’ – Cummins Australia’s intent to fight the Border-Gavaskar series to the finish has been made clear by the calculated gamble of selecting Pat Cummins to replace the injured Mitchell Starc for the last two Tests in India. Most of the focus on Cummins has been about ensuring he is fit to be considered for next summer’s home Ashes series, but a head-turning display for…

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Helm enhances reputation with five-for in win

England Lions 124 for 5 (Jennings 38) beat Sri Lanka A 192 (Gunathilaka 51, Helm 5-33) by 12 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)Scorecard Tom Helm’s 5 for 33 was the fifth five-for in Lions history © ECB Tom Helm had expressed modest ambitions for his first England Lions tour. “One of my main aims was to leave the tour in one piece,” he said. A young fast bowler can soon become philosophical…

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'Ball will still go the same distance' – Warner

David Warner’s bat is among the heftier specimens in world cricket © AFP David Warner, who is likely to be among the batsmen impacted if the MCC’s proposal to limit bat sizes is passed into law, has said playing with a slimmer piece of willow would not to make too much of a difference to his game. “We’re just going to have to adapt to the changes,” Warner said on…

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Teams aim for win but aware of time constraint

Jeetan Patel, who struck late on the fourth day, was pleased with how the New Zealand attack fared despite the absence of Trent Boult © Getty Images South Africa will look for a lead of around 250 if they are to force the result their way in the Dunedin Test, but they have acknowledged that time may not be on their side. Apart from the possibility of rain shortening or…

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Elgar, du Plessis drive SA on attritional day

South Africa 308 and 224 for 6 (Elgar 89, du Plessis 56*) lead New Zealand 341 by 191 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details Play 01:59 Moonda: Elgar has bedded in as senior opener Could New Zealand’s twin-spin attack prove a masterstroke? It may yet depend on the Dunedin weather, with rain forecast for the final day of this nip-and-tuck Test, but late wickets under leaden skies set up what could be…

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Would love to get 400 wickets but can't guarantee form – Herath

Rangana Herath said that Sri Lanka’s decision to field five frontline bowlers provided him with a wealth of possible strategies © AFP Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing…

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