Toss: Someone chose to do something v Someone elseLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Mohammad Rizwan replaced Sohaib Maqsood in Pakistan’s middle order © AFP With the series tied 1-1, Pakistan chose to bowl in the deciding third T20 at the Westpac Stadium. Pakistan had batted first both in Auckland, where they successfully defended 171, and in Hamilton, where New Zealand gunned down a target of 169 with all their wickets…
3rd T20: Pakistan up against NZ in series decider
Martin Guptill is an Auckland native, but Wellington Regional Stadium, where New Zealand and Pakistan play their third and final Twenty20 International on Friday (January 22), holds fond memories for him, a fact that won’t be lost on anyone in attendance come game day. It was at Wellington Regional Stadium that Guptill made 237* in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup quarter-final – AFP It was at this venue that…
Australia eye win No. 19, and clean sweep
Match facts January 23, 2016Start time 1420 local (0320 GMT) Virat Kohli has 373 runs from 373 balls in this series to lead the run charts going into the final game, but is yet to finish on the winning side © Getty Images Big Picture The first three matches in this one-day series were remarkably similar but in Canberra, Australia found a new way to win. Or India found a…
Complacency not an issue for Cook
Alastair Cook does not expect complacency to creep into England’s game despite heading into the fourth and final Test against South Africa at Centurion with the series already secured. The tourists’ convincing victory in Johannesburg gave them a 2-0 unassailable series lead, made possible by Stuart Broad’s devastating spell, meaning tomorrow’s match is effectively a dead rubber. But Cook believes there is still a lot at stake for his team, who…
De Villiers targets complete performance
South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the key to winning the fourth Test and ending the series on a high is to keep the pressure on England throughout the five days in Centurion. Alastair Cook‘s men took an unassailable 2-0 lead with a thrilling seven-wicket win in Johannesburg which extended South Africa’s winless streak to nine Test matches. De Villiers has urged his side to take control from the first ball tomorrow in a…
England don't need de Villiers' reminder
Play 01:14 Butcher: Still question marks over England top five If there was ever any chance that England might produce a complacent performance in Centurion, AB de Villiers surely banished it with his comments in the pre-match media conferences. Much of what de Villiers said about England is undeniable. There are cracks in the England battling line-up and their two senior bowlers are probably unable to sustain the pace they…
Fourth Test preview: South Africa in Pretoria
By Steven Jones The wonderful series win away from home over the number one team in the world has already been secured – outstanding performances from Stuart Broad and Joe Root obliterated South Africa in three days at the Wanderers – but England go again at Centurion tomorrow. A measure of just how good Broad and Root were in Johannesburg is that their respective contributions of 6-17 and 110 are…
ICC weighs in on MCL retirement issue
The ICC gave the Masters Champions League the go-ahead on the understanding that only retired players would take part in it © MCL At least three Full Member boards have written to the ICC expressing concern over their current players asking for no objection certificates to participate in the Masters Champions League (MCL), which was approved as a Twenty20 event meant strictly for retired players. The ICC has warned that…
De Villiers 'keen' to stay on as Test captain
AB de Villiers has indicated he wants to remain South Africa’s Test captain – at least in the short term © Getty Images AB de Villiers‘ captaincy aspirations remain alive although he is unsure how long he wants to spend in the leadership role. De Villiers will be in charge of South Africa for the Centurion Test and the ODIs that follow and has indicated he would consider the Test…
Bell replaces Chopra as Warks captain
Warwickshire have appointed Ian Bell as their new skipper after Varun Chopra stepped down from the role in order to concentrate on his batting. Chopra deputised as skipper for the injured Jim Troughton in 2014 and led Birmingham Bears to NatWest T20 Blast glory on home soil at Edgbaston and the Royal London One-Day Cup final. Having been appointed on a permanent basis following the retirement of Troughton, Chopra guided…