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The result sealed the series 1-0 for the hosts who also regained the No. 1 spot in ICC Test rankings

Vishal Dikshit06-Dec-20215:45

Jaffer: India showed the kind of bench strength and depth they have

Jayant Yadav struck three times in the first half hour of the fourth morning and four times in nine legal deliveries to finish with career-best figures of 4 for 49, as India wrapped up their biggest win in terms of runs – 372 – and also handed New Zealand their biggest loss. The result sealed the series 1-0 for the hosts who also regained the No. 1 spot in ICC Test rankings, with New Zealand on second place now.Related

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Overnight batters Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra played out the first 20 minutes against Jayant and R Ashwin, with both bowlers beating the outside edge nearly every over. Jayant was more wayward of the two and was punished for fours by Ravindra whenever he pitched short outside off. Ravindra collected two fours in the third over of the morning and two more four overs later.Between the first two of those fours, Ravindra also survived a very close lbw shout when Jayant struck him in front of middle stump, but umpire Nitin Menon adjudged it not out. India didn’t review despite the close shout and ball-tracking later showed it was clipping off for umpire’s call, which wouldn’t have overturned the decision anyway had India reviewed.Jayant ensured India didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough though. As soon as Ravindra swept him for back-to-back fours past backward square leg, Jayant drew his outside edge for a catch at second slip to start the march towards victory.

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In his next over, he drew sharp turn from outside off to trap Kyle Jamieson lbw for a duck. Two balls later, he rattled the stumps when Tim Southee danced down to miss a big heave also for a duck, and three balls later, in his next over, Jayant bagged his fourth by getting Will Somerville caught at the second short-leg fielder who had just been brought in.Ashwin then wrapped up victory in the next over with his 300th Test wicket at home and also his 50th this year. Nicholls had blocked plenty of deliveries from Ashwin the previous evening and this morning around the off stump carefully by pressing forward regularly, but as soon as he stepped out of the crease to attack, Ashwin’s flight and turn went past the swinging bat and Wriddhiman Saha completed a quick stumping to dismiss the batter for 44.Ashwin finished with 8 for 42 in the match and spinners lapped up 33 of the 36 wickets that fell to bowlers, apart from Tom Blundell’s run out on the third evening.

KSCA is looking at alternative venues, including its own facility in Alur as well as the Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru

Shashank Kishore01-Aug-2025The Bengaluru police is yet to give clearance to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host the Maharaja T20, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tournament is scheduled from August 11 to 27.The non-clearance by police is primarily due to the ongoing investigation into the June 4 stampede around the Chinnaswamy premises during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. An independent state police crime branch investigation into the incident, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries, is ongoing.Anticipating potential hurdles, the KSCA had announced on July 11 that the Maharaja T20 would be played behind closed doors. The association is now looking at alternative venues, including its own facility in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru, as well as the Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru. While Alur has excellent drainage and infrastructure, the absence of floodlights and spectator seating is an issue, especially for broadcasters and franchises.Related

• Venkatesh Prasad: 'Want to bring cricket back to Chinnaswamy'

• Karnataka government holds RCB accountable for stampede

• Deaths, injuries to fans mar RCB's homecoming

• Probe deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large events

As things stand, Alur is set to host the group matches of the six-day women’s competition – the Maharani T20 – from August 4. The KSCA was considering the idea of hosting the women’s final at the Chinnaswamy, but that seems unlikely with police approvals yet to come.While the KSCA grapples with the possibility of a late venue switch, the franchises have voiced frustration and concern about the financial losses they now face. They have already made hotel bookings for players and staff on the understanding that the entire tournament would be held in central Bengaluru (Chinnaswamy).The issue puts the KSCA in a tough spot. Bengaluru is also the venue for the opening game of the women’s ODI World Cup, as well as one semi-final and possibly the final. India play Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on September 30. The Chinnaswamy is also set to host two warm-up games ahead of the competition.Last week, a one-man committee appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede deemed the Chinnaswamy “unsafe” for large-scale events. The commission “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that are “better suited” to handle significant crowds.India’s domestic season-opening Duleep Trophy will be played entirely at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The board had earlier considered hosting the final at the Chinnaswamy, but those plans were cancelled owing to preparations at the venue for the women’s World Cup.

West Indies triggered a mini-slide in the middle session, but either side of that India built solidly towards a significant total

Deivarayan Muthu20-Jul-2023
After having been outplayed in three days in Dominica, West Indies fought back with four wickets on the first afternoon in Port-of-Spain, but it was India’s day once again, thanks to strong bookends. Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal forged a century opening partnership before Virat Kohli grafted for an unbeaten 87 in what was his 500th international game.Kohli had walked into bat when India were 153 for 2 and he watched them slump further to 182 for 4 by tea. But Kohli defended resolutely, ran hard between the wickets, and was prepared to wait for loose deliveries. He took 21 balls to get off the mark and continued to accumulate in slow but steady fashion. Ravindra Jadeja, too, dug in, contributing 36 to an unbroken 106-run stand for the fifth wicket as India closed out the day like they had begun: playing out a wicketless session.The passage of play in the morning session wasn’t as attritional as the following two sessions. Rohit and Jaiswal ensured that India rattled along at nearly five runs an over to begin, scoring 121 together in 26 overs without losing a wicket.Having shown remarkable restraint on debut in Dominica, Jaiswal dashed out of the blocks on a more benign Port-of-Spain track. Rohit, too, kept pulling in the air, from wide lines as well as from his body, despite the presence of two men in the deep on the leg-side boundary. Rohit needed 72 balls to get to his half-century, while Jaiswal got there off just 49 balls. Rohit and Jaiswal became the first Indian opening pair to have struck up back-to-back century stands in Test cricket in this millennium. S Ramesh and Devang Gandhi were the previous Indian opening pair with back-to-back century partnerships, in 1999 against New Zealand.Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had West Indies chasing leather in a quick century stand•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies then changed the mood and tempo of play by striking four times in the afternoon session. Jason Holder, who kept threatening the outside edge of Jaiswal, made the first incision when he had him caught by debutant Kirk McKenzie at deepish gully for 57 off 74 balls.McKenzie could have cut Jaiswal’s innings short on 4 had he not let a thick outside edge burst through his hands at gully in the sixth over. Jaiswal could have also been dismissed on 52 in the last over before lunch, but Alick Athanaze grassed an easier chance at first slip off Holder.Holder relentlessly probed away outside off though, often with two gully fielders in place, and earned his reward in the second session, with McKenzie confidently holding on to Jaiswal’s catch this time.Kemar Roach is all smiles after getting rid of Shubman Gill cheaply•Associated Press

Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican then accounted for the wickets of Shubman Gill and Rohit respectively. It was Shannon Gabriel who capped the afternoon session by sending Ajinkya Rahane’s off stump cartwheeling with a rapid inducker. Gabriel, who returned to the playing XI in place of an ill Rahkeem Cornwall, couldn’t pose much of a threat to India’s openers. His morning shift of four overs cost West Indies 24 runs, but he came back to produce a much sharper spell in the afternoon.Warrican got the ball to grip and turn as the day progressed, but Kohli was fully forward to smother it. Kohli refused to take any risks against the left-arm fingerspinner on a slow surface and just looked to wear him down.Alzarri Joseph targeted Kohli’s upper body with short balls from around the wicket, with a long leg and deep square in place, but Kohli blunted him too. Joseph’s extra bounce – or the lack thereof – caused Jadeja to lose his shape more often at the other end before he finally got the pull away in the 70th over.Kraigg Brathwaite then turned to the part-time offspin of Athanaze and himself, but West Indies couldn’t separate Kohli and Jadeja on day one.

Arthur, who worked with Masood at Derbyshire, says he has “unlocked his hips” and has “developed his game in terms of accumulating”

Matt Roller17-Sep-20221:20

‘I’ve picked up a lot playing the PSL with top T20 players’ – Shan Masood

When Mickey Arthur’s tenure as Pakistan coach started in 2016, he made an understandable judgement on Shan Masood as a batter. “I thought he was just a Test player,” Arthur told ESPNcricinfo. “Nice and compact, with a really good technique.” Masood had hardly played T20 cricket and in his sporadic appearances, he struggled to get going.After losing his place in the Test side after a difficult tour to England, Masood set about expanding his game in domestic cricket. “In typical Shan manner, he was never satisfied,” Arthur recalls. He impressed in List A cricket – where he boasts a formidable average of 57.14 – and was picked up in the PSL for the first time by Multan Sultans.Related

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Now, after years of hard work, Masood’s evolution as a T20 batter has earned him a call-up to Pakistan’s squads for the seven-match series against England which starts on Tuesday, and the T20 World Cup in Australia beyond. At 32, he has been presented with a chance that must have seemed unlikely for much of his career.”I’ve been very fortunate to play PSL,” Masood said before training at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday night. “I’ve developed my role a lot over there. I’ve batted with different partners. We’ve had really good T20 players in that set-up: James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Tim David, [Mohammad] Rizwan, Khushdil [Shah], Sohaib Maqsood.”Across four PSL seasons with Multan, he has averaged 32.78 with a strike rate of 136.10, captaining them in 2020 and lifting the title in 2021. “I’ve picked up a lot in terms of my development,” he added. “As a player, your game is always evolving.”But Masood’s call-up has also owed plenty to county cricket, where he has spent the English summer churning out runs for Derbyshire across formats. He signed a year-long contract after bumping into Arthur, their director of cricket, in Dubai airport after the T20 World Cup last year and captained them to the quarter-finals of the Blast, leading from the front with 547 runs in his 14 innings.”It was a big stepping stone in terms of me making it into the T20 side,” Masood said. “Playing the Vitality Blast and getting some runs was very important to just put my name out there. I got to play a lot of cricket… I figured myself out as a person and as a batsman. I owe a lot to Derbyshire and to Mickey Arthur for the time they invested in me over there.”The key has been his ability to open up the leg side. Unlike most modern T20 batters, who are leg-side dominant and work hard to access the off side, Masood was so used to ‘locking’ his hips that his scoring options were predictable and easy to cut off early in his short-form career.”He’s certainly unlocked his hips a little bit now,” Arthur explained. “All great T20 players have that ability to unlock their hips: you want them properly locked when you’re playing Test cricket because you want to be sideways on but he’s developed an ability to access all different areas on the ground now. That’s been a massive add-on.”It’s a testament to his hard work. Shan is the complete guy, he really is: he’s the guy you want your daughter to bring home. He’s a good guy with an unbelievable work ethic, good principles, values and morals. And he’s getting the recognition now that he thoroughly deserves.”The biggest question for Pakistan is how they will fit him into their side. The most obvious position for him is at No. 3 as a replacement for the injured Fakhar Zaman, but he has opened for much of his short-form career and recently impressed at No. 4 in the National T20 Cup for Balochistan.”When Fakhar was there, I thought Shan’s best opportunity of playing was at No. 4 because with Rizwan and Babar [Azam], he probably wasn’t going to open the batting,” Arthur said. “He opened for us in the Vitality Blast the whole time but has developed his game in terms of accumulating.”He’s developed a sweep which we’ve worked on quite hard so that in those middle overs he can kick on: normally when he gets to the middle overs he’s 30-odd not out, so he went and developed starting in the middle in the domestic T20 competition. That shows his desire to be the best he can be and his desire to play for Pakistan.”The answer may well emerge over the course of a seven-match series against an England side that Masood described as one of the leading T20 sides in the world, despite their various absentees. “It’s probably the ideal preparation to play one of the best sides in the world before the T20 World Cup,” he said. “It’s an exciting time to be a Pakistani player.”

From falling out with the head coach to becoming his new boss, the 39-year old has made a triumphant return

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2022From falling out with the head coach to becoming his new boss, Enoch Nkwe has completed a triumphant return to South African cricket. The 39-year old who resigned as assistant coach in 2021 in part due to differences with Mark Boucher has now been appointed Director of Cricket by CSA.Nkwe beat former South Africa spinner and current Warriors coach Robin Peterson to the job. He succeeds Graeme Smith whose tenure ended in March 2022.Once a promising batter for Gauteng who began his first-class career with a century on debut, Nkwe’s time on the field was cut short at age of 26 thanks to a finger injury. But as that door closed, another opened. In 2018, during his very first season as head coach, Nkwe claimed three domestic titles – two with the Lions and one with the Jozi Stars.That catapulted him to higher honours and, on the back of being named Coach of the Season in 2019, he took over as interim team director with South Africa remodelling the way they ran the game by borrowing from successful football teams. Nkwe even invoked his love of Pep Guardiola when he was first appointed.Nkwe’s tenure as interim director lasted five months between August and December 2019. He was then appointed assistant coach to Boucher, but in the lead-up to the 2021 T20 World Cup, he left the post citing disillusionment with the job and differences of opinion with Boucher, but the issues were not related to race.Nkwe’s demotion was a part of the Social Justice and Nation Building hearings, where CSA was said to be institutionally racist. He was stood down by then Director of Cricket Smith in favour of his former team-mate Boucher, but in arbitration it was found that Smith had acted on sound cricketing logic given Boucher’s 14 years of experience as a player in the top flight. Nkwe had never played international cricket for South Africa but he did have something Boucher didn’t at the time – a level four coaching certificate. That, though, was never a pre-requisite for the job. Gary Kirsten once served as South Africa coach without such certification.CSA has also brought in Mtunzi Jonas, who used to be a general manager with financial services company Absa Group, as their new Chief Commercial Officer. Tjaart van der Walt is their new Chief Financial Officer and Wanele Mngomezulu, who was part of the Jozi Stars’ set up in 2018, as Chief Marketing Officer.”The appointment of these executives is intended to strengthen CSA’s resolve and anchoring the administration with the best expertise on offer,” CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki said. “I am delighted that CSA has attracted this calibre of talent, which will change the fortunes of the organisation into the future. It is against this background that I congratulate the appointees for making it through the stringent recruitment process, which merited their appointments. They have indeed demonstrated their desire to serve this beautiful game in the different portfolio’s by bringing their capabilities to bear.”The Director of Cricket will assume duty on July 1 while the other three will join on August 1.

Zimbabwe also announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2022Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has announced central contracts for 19 women players for the 2022-23 season. Zimbabwe captain Mary-Anne Musonda, deputy Josephine Nkomo and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano were named in the Grade A+ category.Grade A consists of offspinner Precious Marange and batters Modester Mupachikwa and Sharne Mayers , while left-arm pacer Nomvelo Sibanda and right-arm fast bowler Loreen Tshuma were given Grade B contracts. A total of 11 players were named in the Grade C category.”As part of our commitment to the growth and development of our women’s game, we are pleased to confirm the awarding of central contracts to a talented group of 19 players,” Hamilton Masakadza, ZC director of cricket, said. “We believe this will not only boost the morale of our players but will also allow them to fully focus on their game ahead of a crucial period for our national team, which includes participation at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022 to be held in the United Arab Emirates in September.”Central contract list:
Grade A+: Mary-Anne Musonda, Josephine Nkomo, Chipo Mugeri-TiripanoGrade A: Precious Marange, Modester Mupachikwa, Sharne MayersGrade B: Nomvelo Sibanda, Loreen TshumaGrade C: Esther Mbofana, Loryn Phiri, Pellagia Mujaji, Audrey Mazvishaya, Christabel Chatonzwa, Nyasha Gwanzura, Ashley Ndiraya, Nomatter Mutasa, Chiedza Dhururu, Francisca Chipare, Tasmeen Granger Nkomo, Mupachikwa in squad for T20 World Cup Qualifier
ZC also announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE from September 18 to 25.Josephine Nkomo and Mupachikwa, who both missed an 18-day training camp in India in July due to their commitments to club cricket in England, were included in the squad. Musonda will lead the side.The 16-year-old opener Kelis Ndlovu, who was the youngest to play for Zimbabwe in T20Is, and pacer Francisca Chipare were also included in the squad.Zimbabwe’s next assignment is a tour to South Africa for five T20Is from August 28 to September 3 as a part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier. They will then travel to the UAE on September 7 for a quadrangular series against Thailand Women, the USA and the hosts.Zimbabwe are in Group B in the T20 World Cup qualifier, along with Thailand, Papua New Guinea and UAE. Group A comprises Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and the USA Women.The two teams that advance to the final will qualify for the T20 World Cup 2023 which will be held in South Africa next February.Squad Mary-Anne Musonda (captain), Modester Mupachikwa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Sharne Mayers, Josephine Nkomo, Precious Marange, Christabel Chatonzwa, Loreen Tshuma, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda, Esther Mbofana, Pellagia Mujaji, Audrey Mazvishaya, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Francisca Chipare

Surrey batsman suffered shoulder dislocation that will require surgery and could see him miss most of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2019England’s stock of potential batting candidates for a summer that includes the World Cup and an Ashes series has been further hit by the news that Surrey’s Ollie Pope is likely to miss most of the season after dislocating his shoulder.News that Pope will require surgery on his left shoulder follows confirmation of Sam Billings, England’s likely back-up for the World Cup, being sidelined for three-five months with a similar injury.Surrey said that the club hoped Pope would be back in action “towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season”. Pope has not been capped in limited-overs cricket but could have been in contention for England’s Test team to face Australia.A Surrey statement said: “After suffering an injury while fielding during Tuesday’s Royal London Cup victory over Essex at the Kia Oval, the 21-year-old was confirmed to have dislocated his shoulder. Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action.”It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season.”Pope made his Test debut last summer, playing twice against India, and was part of the squad that toured Sri Lanka. He was subsequently released to join up with the Lions, but began the season with a career-best 251 in Surrey’s Champion County fixture against MCC.

The disagreement arose over a project to refurbish Newlands and led to CSA suspending WPCA board

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2019Cricket South Africa has lost its arbitration case against the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), with costs. That means the WPCA board, which was suspended by CSA in September over concerns relating to their governance and financial affairs, will need to be reinstated. On Wednesday morning, CSA confirmed it will not be challenging the decision.On September 22, CSA disbanded the WPCA board and installed veteran administrator Andre Odendaal in its place. CSA and the WPCA had disagreements over a construction project at Newlands Cricket Ground. CSA provided WPCA with a loan of R81 million (US$5,5 million) to complete the building work, which will house a college, offices and several other facilities but then expressed concerns over the progress of the project. CSA also hinted that spectator safety could be compromised during the New Year’s Test and suggested the fixture would be moved but then confirmed Newlands will host England from January 3.Three weeks after the board was suspended, the WPCA launched an urgent application for CSA’s decision to be overturned. The WPCA argued that CSA had “no right or entitlement,” to step-in and should have held a hearing before suspending the board. CSA and the WPCA went to mediation to attempt to resolve the issue but failed and then proceeded to arbitration, which was won by WPCA.CSA is also facing a second legal battle, against the South African Cricketers’ Association, who have taken the board to court over a proposed restructure to the domestic system. CSA wants to implement a 12-team provincial competition from the 2020-21 season which would wipe out the existing six-team franchise structure and create one domestic tier (South Africa currently has two).

Giants fee-fi-fo floundered to 23 for 7 and then 64 all out after Mooney had to retire hurt

S Sudarshanan04-Mar-20236:29

‘Harmanpreet and Mumbai Indians gave the crowds something to cheer about’

Despite all the glitzy build-up, what the inaugural Women’s Premier League needed to truly blast-off was an I’m her performance. And it came from Harmanpreet Kaur.In many ways the Mumbai Indians captain’s 30-ball 65 could well be for the WPL what Brendon McCullum’s 158 was to the IPL.It was as if Harmanpreet wanted to vent the ire of that run-out that turned the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 semi-final in Australia’s favour. Gujarat Giants had filled all four of their overseas quota with Australians. And that was reason enough.Related

• Opening act: Blue is the warmest colour as Harmanpreet, Mumbai carry WPL torch

• Harmanpreet hopes WPL will 'cut down' the gap in talent between India and Australia

• WPL – a league long overdue, and already making dreams come true

• Can the WPL make women's cricket in India mainstream?

• Issy Wong grew up watching Mumbai Indians. Now she's one of them

Harmanpreet found herself in the middle in the ninth over, with Mumbai at 69 for 2. She saw a set batter in Nat Sciver-Brunt depart after a 54-run partnership with Hayley Matthews, who was also dismissed in the next over to leave Mumbai at 77 for 3. After her Player-of-the-Series performance in the T20 World Cup, Ashleigh Gardner had yet again left a mark.But Harmanpreet didn’t care. She just attacked the ball, like she has been doing for a long, long time for India. A fortunate outside edge in a attempted drive got her going before she timed a Sneh Rana ball through extra cover.But that was merely the prelude. The 12th over showcased Harmanpreet at her Harmanbest. And obviously it was filled with sweep shots – one through backward square leg and another through forward square leg. Georgia Wareham, the bowler, could do little to stop the runs. Even Gardner felt the full force – and range – of Harmanpreet’s sweep, one ball hit powerfully through midwicket, the next paddled deftly past short fine.By now, Harmanpreet was in overdrive. She hit seven fours off successive balls to bring up a 22-ball half-century, the first in the WPL. The famous bat-swing was on show. The confidence perhaps never left. Glimpses of her T20I hundred, ODI knock, or more recently the unbeaten 143 were all on show. Sweeps, check. Pulls, check. Slices and scythes, check. Courtesy her hitting and Amelia Kerr’s able support, Mumbai were able to score 46 between overs 14 and 16 that gave them a launchpad.And all this despite having little practice in the lead up.”Practice (I couldn’t get time to practice)!” she said about her training ahesd of the knock. “There was very little time and I had a lot of commitments as a player and a captain.”But the key for the “over-thinker” in Harmanpreet was to calm herself and bring clarity in her thoughts and get herself “in the zone”.”When I am calmer and be in the moment, it helps in giving clarity,” she said. “Being in that zone isn’t easy but when I am calm it gives me clarity. To be in that zone isn’t easy but I have to keep talking to myself and be in the present. When I am in that zone I am clearer in picking my areas and things become easy for me, and today was that day when I was relaxed”.All of Mumbai rose to applaud Harmanpreet when she finally fell, slicing one to short third off Rana in the 17th over, bringing the curtain down on an 89-run stand with Kerr off just 42 balls. Kerr then stepped up to lead the attack on the Giants as Mumbai added 41 off the next three overs to finish on 207 for 5. Their total of 207 for 5 was the joint-second highest across all major Women’s T20 leagues (WBBL, Kia Super League, The Hundred, Women’s CPL, T20 Challenge and now the WPL) behind Sydney Sixers’ 242 for 4 against Melbourne Stars in 2017-18.Much like that starry night in 2008, the opposition on the receiving end of a truly astonishing T20 innings just couldn’t cope. It didn’t help that their captain and top-scorer at the T20 World Cup final, Beth Mooney, retired hurt after seemingly injuring her knee before the first over of the chase was even done. Giants were 8 for 3 by the end of the fourth over. Then 23 for 7 by the eighth over. And finally bowled out in the 16th to lose by 143 runs.

Matthews’ fireworks complement Harmanpreet

If Harmanpreet’s knock was the fire, Matthews’ quick start at the top was the spark Mumbai needed to announce themselves in the WPL. Matthews’ hard-hitting truly set them on their way to begin with a win. She played a pick-up shot off seamer Mansi Joshi’s first ball over deep square leg, before slicing one past backward point for four. She then drove left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar through covers to finish the powerplay on 22 out of Mumbai’s 44.Matthews then showed why she is rated highly with a display of hitting three sixes in the space of seven balls. She first flicked a full ball over long leg off seamer Annabel Sutherland before just pressing forward and lofting her over cow corner a couple of deliveries later. In the next over, she once again cleared her front leg, used her reach to hit Wareham well over long-on.Matthews then used the depth of her crease to slap Gardner through cover-point before the latter got the better of her for a 31-ball 47.Giants were never in the hunt in their 206-run chase especially after captain Beth Mooney hobbled off the field in the first over due to possibly jarring her knee. Sciver-Brunt then had Harleen Deol skying one to deep third off her first ball via a leading edge before castling S Meghana. In the interim, fast bowler Issy Wong’s pace undid Gardner for a first-ball duck as Giants lost three wickets in 15 balls.Bengal’s left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque then ran through the middle order to crush any hopes Giants would have had of a resurgence. Only Dayalan Hemalatha, with 29 not out, and Monica Patel finished in double digits for them.

Turning point

Mumbai had just started to find the next gear with Harmanpreet and Kerr in the middle and were 124 for 3 after 13 overs. But Monica’s second over truly helped them gain full control. She bowled full and outside off from around the stumps, which Kerr drove through cover-point. A single later, Harmanpreet tore the left-arm seamer’s bowling apart.Harmanpreet first drove her through cover-point, and when Monica switched to over the wicket, she pummeled her through square leg. Monica then went full and outside off only to be driven through covers. The last of fours in that over was perhaps the best of it all – Harmanpreet opened the face of her bat ever so slightly to drive it square through covers. A total of 21 were scored in that over.

Sam Curran and Jason Roy lead pack of big names in line for high auction prices

Matt Roller17-Dec-2019Dead certsSix Englishmen have been retained by their franchises, and it doesn’t take much to work out why. Rajasthan Royals have kept their core of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer together, while Jonny Bairstow’s superb form at the top of the Sunrisers Hyderabad order saw him retained. Moeen Ali will return to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Harry Gurney was kept on by Kolkata Knight Riders after a decent, if unspectacular, first IPL season.ProbablesWith at least three franchises in the market for an overseas opening batsman or two, Jason Roy and Tom Banton can both expect to attract bids, with KKR, Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians the most likely suitors. Roy’s IPL experience only extends to eight games across two seasons, with an unbeaten 91 in a successful run chase for Delhi Daredevils his only score above 31, but his belligerence against pace (152.8 SR since 2017) marks him out as a strong attacking option.Banton, meanwhile, had franchises circling even before he lit up the Vitality Blast with 549 runs at a 161.5 strike rate this summer, and could be set for a significant payday – aside from the three teams above, watch out for a bid from RCB.Eoin Morgan plays through the off side•BCCI

Eoin Morgan’s IPL record is underwhelming, with only four fifties in 45 innings spanning six seasons. But his impressive leadership makes him a candidate to replace R Ashwin as KXIP captain, while Delhi are looking for a middle-order option, Trevor Bayliss may want his lieutenant back at Sunrisers, and Morgan’s close friend Brendon McCullum could be tempted to bring him into the KKR fold.Sam Curran was released by KXIP, but could well be bought back at a lower price than the INR7.2 crore (US$1m) he fetched last year, while Rajasthan, Delhi and Chennai Super Kings are other potential destinations.PossiblesChris Jordan had a decent season for RCB back in 2016, with 11 wickets in nine games, and has been on a stellar run in T20Is with 14 wickets and an economy rate of 7.55 this calendar year. While he is not likely to be the first name on anyone’s teamsheet, he is as solid as they come in terms of back-up options.Tom Curran leaps to hold on to one•BCCI

Tom Curran, similarly, is well-placed to be a seam-bowling back-up option. His only IPL season – for KKR in 2018 – saw him leak nearly 12 runs per over, but he has accumulated more experience since then, and demonstrated his all-round credentials with a series of useful cameos in last year’s Big Bash.Chris Woakes, meanwhile, hasn’t played a T20 in over a year, and has fallen out of England contention in the format, but was earmarked by Ricky Ponting as someone who could be in demand as teams hunt for overseas allrounders – though a high base price of INR1.5 crore (US$210,000) could cost him.Outside chanceLiam Plunkett does not have age on his side at 35, but could find a buyer for a last hurrah before next year’s big auction, while Mark Wood and David Willey have IPL experience having spent 2018 at CSK.Pat Brown, the canny knuckleball bowler who made his England debut in New Zealand, is a potential steal at INR50 lakh (US$70,000), and his changes of pace could suit a slow pitch with big square boundaries like Chepauk.Alex Hales drills a drive through cover•BCCI

Alex Hales’ star has fallen considerably in 2019, after his deselection from England’s World Cup squad when he tested positive for a recreational substance, and his form in franchise T20 has been scratchy, with one fifty in his last 16 innings. That said, he has a great record against pace in India (148 SR, 38.8 average) and could be an option as a back-up opener.Long shotsPicked up at INR12 crore (US$1.8m) in the 2017 auction after a four-way bidding war, Tymal Mills’ stock has fallen in the years since, primarily due to his unfortunate injury record. He is unlikely to attract anywhere near that money this time round, but could be a back-up left-arm option.Ravi Bopara is pumped after taking a wicket•BCCI

Ravi Bopara is back in the auction with a INR50 lakh (US$70,000) base price after a stellar season in the T20 Blast, in which he averaged 48.50 while striking at 162.6 to haul Essex to the title. With his medium-pace cutters often proving useful in subcontinental conditions, he could find as a spot as a back-up allrounder, as could Lewis Gregory, who was invited on trial by Rajasthan Royals last season.Laurie Evans has been a prolific run-scorer in leagues around the world, though mainly bats in a No. 3 role that most teams will either have filled or be searching for big-name options, and Saqib Mahmood is an outside bet as a back-up option with the ball.WildcardsAs well as Evans, there are five further uncapped Englishmen in the auction, all of whom would represent shock purchases if they were snapped up.George Garton was the leading wicket-taker at the recent Abu Dhabi T10 and with a INR20 lakh (US$28,000) base price, could be a back-up left-arm seamer for Rajasthan after going on trial with them earlier in the month, while Will Jacks – a T10 centurion in a pre-season match earlier this year – is another possible bargain buy.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The remaining three players were all Royal London Cup winners with Gloucestershire four years ago: slower-ball specialist Benny Howell, seam-bowling allrounder and late-innings hitter James Fuller, and left-arm swing bowler David Payne. All of them are canny county pros, but seem like improbable purchases.AbsenteesJoe Root – whose T20I future is uncertain – opted not to enter the auction, and will instead start the 2019 season playing County Championship cricket for Yorkshire. Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings and Joe Denly have all opted to follow suit, while Adil Rashid continues to manage his shoulder problem.Liam Dawson, Matt Parkinson and Luke Wright all threw their names into the hat, but were shorn off the longlist after failing to make any franchise’s shortlist.