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The IPL 2016 match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians will be held as scheduled on May 1 in Pune, the Bombay High Court ruled on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2016The IPL 2016 match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians will be held as scheduled on May 1 in Pune, the Bombay High Court ruled on Wednesday. Last week, the court had ruled that all matches after April 30 should be moved out of Maharashtra due to a severe state-wide drought, but it has permitted the match on May 1 to go ahead after an application from the BCCI.The board had sought permission from the court citing logistical difficulties due to a short turnaround time from the match between Supergiants and Gujarat Lions on April 29. In the application, the BCCI said it was “practically impossible” for the board and Supergiants to shift the match to an another venue outside Maharashtra and “make all arrangements for the same in just a single day”. The application also stated stated that the request to permit the match was “bonafide and is being made in the interest of justice” and, if refused, could cause severe prejudice, grave hardship and irreparable damage and injury to the BCCI and Supergiants.The High Court’s ruling to move matches out of Maharashtra in May has affected 13 matches, including the final, which was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on May 29. The ruling also forced Mumbai and Supergiants, the two Maharashtra-based franchises, to look for alternative home venues for the remainder of the season. While Supergiants have listed Visakhapatnam as their alternative venue, Mumbai have picked Jaipur. Bangalore is likely to host the final, while Kolkata is in line to stage the Eliminator and the second Qualifier, both originally scheduled in Pune. The alternative venues need to be ratified by the IPL governing council.

Cheteshwar Pujara became the second Indian batsman, and ninth ever, to score three first-class triple-centuries, as India A took a 296-run lead against West Indies A in Hubli

Sidharth Monga in Hubli11-Oct-2013
Scorecard Cheteshwar Pujara became the ninth batsman ever, and the second Indian, to score three first-class triple-centuries•BCCI

While the fans of Indian cricket were struggling to come to terms with the inevitable retirement announcement of Sachin Tendulkar, wondering what life will be like without him, doubting if things will ever be normal again, Cheteshwar Pujara delivered immediate normalcy in the remote town of Hubli. Resuming the day at 139, he first accumulated, then looted, even as he farmed the strike, and became only the ninth batsman ever, and the second Indian, to score three first-class triple-centuries. His two previous triples came against Karnataka and OrissaIt wasn’t a personal pursuit. Pujara’s innings gave his side, trailing 1-0 in the series, four sessions within which to force a result. India A declared 296 ahead, and all three of their quicks delivered an early wicket each before the Guyanese pair of Narsingh Deonarine and Assad Fudadin saw them through to stumps.Pujara’s innings was just the feeling of serenity and calm that the Indian cricket fan needed. Nothing was done in a hurry, not one shot was uncouth. Pujara scored 60 in the first session, happily lapped up the life given to him in the last over before lunch, then hit away 107 of the 142 scored in the middle session, and declared the innings closed at the stroke of tea. Pujara’s control was so comprehensive that he let the last man Ishwar Pandey face only three balls in a 5.2-over-31-run unbeaten partnership. Pujara scored 71 off the last 55 balls he faced.Outside the usual drives and pulls, Pujara also manipulated the field with a reverse lap and a regulation lap off successive deliveries. How the fielders must have felt mocked. Two of the fielders weren’t all that amused when a third bouncer in a Miguel Cummins over was called a no-ball. Ashley Nurse spoke to Pujara for more than two minutes with Chadwick Walton joining in.

Others with three triple-centuries or more

Don Bradman 6
Bill Ponsford 4
Wally Hammond 4
WG Grace 3
Graeme Hick 3
Brian Lara 3
Michael Hussey 3
Ravindra Jadeja 3

Six overs later – as it happened on day two in the last over before lunch – Nurse had a chance coming his way at second slip, and dropped it. Pujara was 198 then. He took a single off the last ball and went off to sate the lesser of his hungers. When he came back, he had one delivery from Nikita Miller jump at him, but benefitted from the absence of a short leg. A leading edge in the next over fell short of point, but then he tucked one off the hips for his 22nd four and his eighth first-class double-century.You knew a session of Pujara punishment was around the corner. In the back of your head was his sprint from 150 to 200 in 17 balls when Saurashtra were pushing for a declaration against Madhya Pradesh on the last new year’s eve. Here he waited for a bit. Time wasn’t quite right yet. With Uday Kaul he added a largely patient 93. Once Kaul got out, the switch was flicked. He was 235 off 360 when he pulled over the infield for a four.Dhawal Kulkarni scored only six out of a 39-run seventh-wicket stand. Pujara wasn’t muscling the ball, but hardly ever hitting to the fielder. At Kulkarni’s fall, Zaheer Khan came out and swung a few, so Pujara took the back seat and let him do that. Zaheer’s wicket brought another, and Nurse was now on a hat-trick, and Pujara was 273. Pandey played out the remaining two balls of that over, and bought himself a parking ticket at the non-striker’s end.For the next 23 balls, Pujara kept refusing singles, kept placing couples, kept hitting the boundaries, and eventually took a single off the fifth ball to reach 299. Pandey duly played out the last. As the field came up with Pujara on 299, he survived a lbw appeal from Delorn Johnson bowling left-arm quick from round the stumps. He played a scintillating cover-drive off the next ball to bring up the triple. The lead was now approaching 300, the clock was nudging 2.10pm, and the declaration was perfectly timed, merging the 10-minute changeover into the 20-minute tea break.In the fifth over after the break, Zaheer trapped Powell who played across the line. Four balls later, Kulkarni struck the off stump of a left-hand batsman for the second time in the match, this time Leon Johnson, to make it 18 for 2. Kraigg Brathwaite fought hard, but didn’t have the runs to show for the time spent at the wicket, and when he fell lbw to Pandey in the 18th over, the score had reached only 57.That Deonarine and Fudadin played out the semi-new ball without many alarms made Pujara’s innings seem even more significant in terms of time needed to level the series.0:00

The nine members of the triple-triple club

England will head to Sri Lanka to defend their World Twenty20 title in decent spirits after levelling the series against South Africa with a comprehensive 28-run victory at Edgbaston

The Report by Andrew McGlashan12-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJos Buttler finally pulled off his strokemaking in an England shirt•PA Photos

England will head to Sri Lanka to defend their World Twenty20 title in decent spirits after levelling the series against South Africa with a comprehensive 28-run victory at Edgbaston on the back of an explosive display from Jos Buttler and a marginally more controlled half-century from Craig Kieswetter after the match had been reduced to 11 overs a side.It was unfortunately fitting that the final international of the season was badly impacted by rain which meant the game did not start until after 8pm, but on a chilly autumn evening the Birmingham crowd were at least given something to enjoy. Leading the way were the Somerset pair of Kieswetter and Buttler who added 48 off just 14 balls to give the innings a late kick.Buttler was responsible for the second most expensive over in Twenty20 internationals when he took Wayne Parnell for 32, although it was an eight-ball over with Parnell twice over-stepping. Buttler cut loose for the first time in his Twenty20 international career with a powerful display where he straight drove two sixes, scooped two trademark fours – a shot that caused him problems against Pakistan in the UAE – and then clobbered a short ball over midwicket.That launched England to a demanding 118 for 5 and despite Hashim Amla top-scoring again South Africa did not threaten to come close against impressive bowling and, largely, safe catching although Michael Lumb did spill a simple chance at deep cover in the final over.If there can be such a thing as an anchor in an 11-over innings Kieswetter was it. He reached his fifty off 31 balls with a flat six over midwicket off Morne Morkel in the last over before being bowled by the next delivery. He hit two other sixes, straight down the ground, to remind everyone what the England selectors see in him. It was his third fifty in T20Is.Kieswetter had started with Lumb, playing his first Twenty20 since June 2011, as the opening pair from the previous World T20 were reunited. The first over was a manic affair which cost 16 from Morkel, including a massive five wides down the leg side that would not have hit an adjacent pitch, and two sweetly struck boundaries from Kieswetter.Lumb, though, last just four balls before losing his middle stump against Parnell and while Kieswetter managed to keep the scoreboard moving his partners were less successful. Luke Wright made 6 off 10 balls before skewing an outside edge to point while Eoin Morgan could not find his timing and picked out long-on.Both of those wickets went to Johan Botha, who bowled three excellent overs for 19, as the offspinner again proved difficult to score off. However, his last ball was driven for a straight six by Kieswetter which was a sign of things to come in the final two overs of the innings.At the toss Stuart Broad had said he was using this match to try out a few things before Sri Lanka and he gave the first over of South Africa’s reply to Danny Briggs on his international T20 debut. It produced mixed results as Amla struck two boundaries but he was also beaten as Briggs found some turn.Tim Bresnan, playing his first match of the series, ended Richard Levi’s lean series when the opener swung across the line and when Briggs was brought back for a second over he had Faf du Plessis caught at extra cover off a leading edge.Amla continued to caress the ball as he has done all tour, but Graeme Swann ended the match as a contest by having AB de Villiers and Amla caught in the deep by Jonny Bairstow. Although the asking rate was by now well out of reach Jade Dernbach again showed excellent skill when his first over, the eighth of the innings, cost just two runs. Now Sri Lanka beckons.

Scotland’s lower order came good on the second morning, steering their side to the 350-run mark, before offspinner Majid Haq troubled Namibia

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2011
Scorecard
Scotland’s lower order came good on the second morning, steering their side to the 350-run mark, before offspinner Majid Haq troubled Namibia, reducing them to 230 for six in Windhoek.Resuming on 268 for 7, Scotland pushed on to 350 courtesy double-digit contributions from their Nos 8 to 11. Wicketkeeper Simon Smith and No. 11 Gordon Goudie put on 47 for the tenth wicket, Goudie slamming his 31 off 27 balls, while Smith remained unbeaten on 35. Christi Viljoen picked up two wickets in the morning, to finish with a five-wicket haulIn reply, none of the Namibia batsmen could build on starts, with the top six all getting into double digits but not pushing on. The biggest contribution came from captain Craig Williams, who made 51 before succumbing to Haq. Haq picked up two more middle-order wickets in a very miserly spell – he conceded 20 runs from 22 overs – as Namibia went to stumps trailing by 120 with four wickets in hand.

Shahid Afridi believes his Pakistan team can emerge from their scandal-hit tour of England with respect

Andrew McGlashan in Leeds11-Sep-2010Shahid Afridi believes his Pakistan team can emerge from their scandal-hit tour of England with respect. He has backed the side to build on their improved display in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street and give the hosts a serious challenge in the remaining four matches.Although Pakistan lost by 24 runs in Durham – a considerable margin in a game reduced to 41 overs – they didn’t roll over as had been the case during the two Twenty20 internationals in Cardiff when the batting, especially, was awful to add to the woes of the spot-fixing controversy.On Friday Kamran Akmal managed his first half-century of the tour, Umar Akmal hit 43 off 33 balls and Asad Shafiq, who had only arrived 48 hours previously from the A-team tour of Sri Lanka, took Tim Bresnan for four boundaries to threaten a tighter finish.These are all aspects Afridi is clinging to in the hope that Pakistan can return home with their heads held high despite all the allegations that have been thrown their way since the spot-fixing story broke two weeks ago during the Lord’s Test.”We all want to go home with respect,” he said. “We want to play some good cricket and get
some victories. I know it’s very important for the team. Yesterday the performance was much
better, not 100% but I was quite happy with the efforts from the boys and that’s what I’m expecting in the next game as well.”We all know we are playing in a very tough situation but we are trying to forget everything that is going on. The players should focus on the games and as captain I’m trying to keep the morale high. We all know how important this series is for our team and our country.”Even though the three players at the centre of the spot-fixing storm – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – are now back in Pakistan, that doesn’t mean the issue has moved away from the tour. Wahab Riaz, the left-arm quick who took five wickets on his Test debut at The Oval, will be questioned by police in London next week although Afridi insists he is coping with the pressure and available to play.”At the moment he is feeling fine,” he said. “Let’s see what happens when the police investigate him. I really don’t know what is going on. I just heard the police want him. But he’s feeling okay.”Afridi also asked for the supporters back home to remember that no-one has yet been found guilty of any offences. “The guys are still not guilty and we are waiting for the results. We are good cricketers and want to maintain our respect and that is gained by playing good cricket. The PCB and ICC will take some action if things happened.”

The event will clash with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Nov-2024The IPL 2025 mega auction will be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is being held overseas for the second successive year – 2024 was in Dubai – and will clash with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth.Unlike regular auctions, the mega auction that takes place every three years is spread over two days instead of just one and it is one of the most-followed events in cricket, as the ten IPL franchises build their squads for the next three years (2025-27).A total of 1574 players (1165 Indian and 409 overseas) had registered for the auction, which will be held at the Abady Al Johar Arena (also known as Benchmark Arena), by the deadline of November 4, the BCCI said. They range from countries like Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Scotland, USA and UAE, apart from the Full Member nations excluding Pakistan. Each franchise can build a squad of up to 25 players, which means that there are 204 slots available at the auction after the retention.On October 31, the deadline for teams to finalise which of their players they were keeping from their 2024 squads, a total of 46 players were retained across the ten franchises. Sunrisers Hyderabad wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen was the most expensive retention at INR 23 crore, while Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants) were joint second at INR 21 crore. But perhaps the highlight of retention day was Mumbai Indians keeping all their big Indian players – Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma – for a total of INR 75 crore.Each team has a total purse of INR 120 crore to build their squads, but following the retention, Punjab Kings have the biggest purse remaining (INR 110.5 crore) to spend at the mega auction, having retained just two uncapped players – Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh – for a total of INR 9.5 crore. Rajasthan Royals have the smallest purse of INR 41 crore after they, along with Kolkata Knight Riders, retained the maximum of six players. KKR will have INR 51 crore to spend at the auction.The IPL has allowed teams to retain up to six players this time – of which a maximum of five can be capped and a maximum of two can be uncapped. The six players can either be retained outright ahead of the auction, or can be bought back using Right-to-Match (RTM) options at the auction, or a combination of both.If a player has been bought by another franchise at the mega auction, the franchise that he was part of in IPL 2024 can step in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player using the RTM option by matching the highest bid. After that, the franchise that made the winning bid will be given another opportunity to raise the bid to whatever amount they wish. In that case, the player’s previous team will have to match the increased bid to buy back their player.Having retained just two players, PBKS have the most RTM options (four) at the auction. RCB, who retained three players, have three while Delhi Capitals, who retained four players, have two. Five teams – MI, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, SRH and LSG – retained five players each and have just one RTM option at the auction, while RR and KKR have no RTM options.There is of course no limit on the number of players a franchise can buy back if they place the highest bids for them during regular bidding at the auction.

The two teams play three ODIs in Sri Lanka between August 22 and 26

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2023Teenager Noor Ahmad appears to be in Afghanistan’s Asia Cup and World Cup plans having been called up to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan. These matches, scheduled for August 22, 24 and 26, will be played in Sri Lanka and are the only ODIs on Afghanistan’s docket before they embark on the two biggest tournaments of the year in September and October.Noor, 18, has only played three ODIs for his country since making his debut in November 2022. He has, however, been one of the brightest talents on the franchise T20 circuit and gained considerable acclaim playing for Gujarat Titans in the IPL this year. The left-arm wristspinner at times out bowled senior pro Rashid Khan to finish with 16 wickets in the tournament.Noor has also been part of the Big Bash League in Australia, the Pakistan Super League and the Hundred in England as well. Although he wasn’t with Afghanistan for their most recent ODIs during the tour of Bangladesh last month, he did play two of the three matches against Sri Lanka in June 2023. Those were chastening experiences, though, both for him and the team. Afghanistan were beaten after going 1-0 up and Noor took just two wickets in 17 overs at an average of 62 and an economy rate of 7.29.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A bulk of the squad that made history by winning their first bilateral ODI series against Bangladesh have been retained. Izharulhaq Naveed, Nijat Masood and Zia-ur-Rehman, however, did not make the cut.ACB chief selector Asadullah Khan said: “Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023. This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events.”The preparations for the Pakistan series are progressing well; the players have recently performed well in the Kabul Camp, which has been supervised by ACB’s high performance centre staff. The team will also undergo a week-long conditioning camp prior to the Pakistan series.”Afghanistan and Pakistan have only met each other four times in ODIs, and never in an actual bilateral series. At the end of these three games, Afghanistan have about a week’s gap before the start of the Asia Cup, where their campaign begins against Bangladesh in Lahore on September 3.

The South Africa quick had suffered back and hip injuries last year

Hemant Brar16-Jun-20221:36

Nortje – ‘This series teaches us a lot of skills’

South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje is still some way away from being at the level he was before his back and hip injuries, which kept him out of action for almost five months.Nortje was cleared of any serious injury just before IPL 2022 and allowed to continue his rehabilitation with Delhi Capitals. He made his comeback in Capitals’ third game of the tournament but it took him almost one more month to play his next match and feature regularly in the playing XI. Nortje finished the tournament with nine wickets from six games at an economy rate of 9.71. In the ongoing T20I series against India, he has three wickets so far from as many games, at an economy rate of 9.50.Related

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“No, not yet,” Nortje said when asked if he was back to his best. “I am still working on it, still trying to find one or two things, and body-wise also I am not 100% yet there where I want to be. It’s just about slowly increasing and slowly building it up. I would probably rate myself from where I was last year in the IPL and at the start of the World Cup, so still trying to get there.”Some of the bowling is limited, you can’t always just go out and bowl eight or nine overs in a day. But so far it has been a good challenge. I think it’s something that will help me a lot if there are any other niggles or injuries going forward. But it has been a long time and [there are] some important things to remember and take out of this.”But could he pinpoint what was missing? “If I knew exactly what it was, I would have done it,” he laughed. “I generally keep it very simple, stick to the basics. So it’s just going to be a small, minor adjustment. I am working on something at this stage and will see how it goes. Hopefully, I am on the right path. It’s not like it’s completely out of shape. It’s just small margins for me.”Anrich Nortje has picked three wickets so far in the T20I series against India•BCCI

When fully fit, Nortje is one of the fastest bowlers in the world. In IPL 2020, he clocked 156.2kph, which was the fastest delivery in the tournament between 2012 and 2020. This year, Umran Malik, who is part of India’s current T20I squad, broke his record by bowling at 156.9kph, before Gujarat Titans’ Lockie Ferguson went one ahead with 157.3kph in the final against Rajasthan Royals. Nortje, though, is more focused on winning the matches for his team than being the fastest bowler around.”At this stage, I’m not bothered too much about who is the fastest and what the speed gun says,” he said. “It’s about what I can contribute for the team. When you train, when you are not playing, you obviously think about how you can crank it faster with your work, your training, your gym, or whatever you’re doing. So in the back of my mind, it’s something that I would like to keep on striving towards. But it’s not something I’m thinking about when I go onto the field.”Malik is a very good bowler, very fast bowler. He showed what he can do. And if he gets faster, great for him. If I get faster, great for me. But I don’t think we are at that stage where we are competing to try and just bowl the fastest ball. It’s about winning games and trying to contribute.”South Africa currently lead the five-match T20I series 2-1, and Nortje reiterated that the team is aiming to seal the series as early as possible, without giving India a chance.”I said at the last game as well that this was sort of like a final for us. We obviously didn’t perform well or anything to what we are capable of. So this would probably be like a final again for us. A second chance but we need to seal the series as soon as possible and not give them an opportunity or any sniff, that’s the main goal of this series as well.”

Perth Scorchers set up 189-run chase but never really threaten to overhaul the target

Daniel Brettig06-Feb-2021Finally on home soil after the Covid-19 summer kept them at neutral venues for all 15 of their previous games, the Sydney Sixers rode on the back of another James Vince special to become the second Big Bash League club to claim back-to-back titles. Fittingly, at a joyous SCG, they defeated the Perth Scorchers, the only previous club to claim two crowns in a row, to get there.The Sydney Sixers players celebrate after clinching victory in the BBL 2020-21 final•Getty Images

Vince’s contribution was elegant as ever and summed up why the Sixers had the measure of the Scorchers in both of their finals meetings. This is not to say things could not have been different. Perhaps overly influenced by showers that passed through Sydney comfortably before the 7.40pm start time, the Scorchers had decided to bowl first upon winning the bat flip and then did not use the full allocation of the wristspinner Fawad Ahmed, comfortably their best bowler on the night.Those mis-steps aided the Sixers in compiling a total that, while not match-sealing, was going to be unreachable if the hosts put in a solid shift with the ball and in the field. Blessed with plenty of experience to bowl the right spells at the right times, the Sixers were never seriously challenged after the exit of Liam Livingstone.The seasoned trio of Jackson Bird, Steve O’Keefe and Dan Christian all put in excellent displays with the ball. Christian has now been part of nine domestic T20 title-winning combinations; the coach Greg Shipperd was at the helm for his sixth Australian T20 tournament win spanning both state and club-based eras. Old blokes do indeed win stuff.Vince turns platform into launchpad
Back against the Scorchers after his decisive 98 in Canberra which vaulted the Sixers into the final, Vince carried on almost as though he was continuing the same innings. Commanding through the off side as ever, but also feasting on short stuff from Jhye Richardson, Vince was almost totally at ease, even if the Sixers’ early progress was pockmarked by a horrid mix-up to end in the run-out of Josh Philippe after he and Vince ended up at the same end.One of Vince’s sixes, an inside-out lofted drive well over the cover boundary on the long side of the ground, was almost worth the price of a ticket alone, and the rest of the Sixers order contributed a series of complementary cameos around him. Denied a century by a possible accidental wide from Andrew Tye at Manuka Oval, Vince began to look a little ragged as he neared the milestone for a second time in as many innings, being dropped twice. He fell when slicing Ahmed to gully, a dismissal that hinted at how the wristspinner might have been better used.James Vince led the Sixers’ batting effort with a 60-ball 95•Getty Images

Fawad Ahmed: 3-0-16-1
On an SCG pitch that had to offer some assistance for spin, the Scorchers’ captain Ashton Turner appeared to get his sums wrong. How he managed not to find room for Ahmed to bowl his full four overs, conceding just 16 from three and also claiming the wicket of Vince, while bowling Livingstone’s occasionals for two that cost 21, stretched credulity. Certainly the exit of Daniel Hughes opened up a vast array of right-handers for Ahmed, and they proved far more adept at attacking pace.Richardson’s late-tournament fade continued with his most expensive analysis, while Aaron Hardie was also notably expensive. The final over of the innings had Carlos Brathwaite coming to the middle for his first ball and finding himself able to cosh a pull shot and then a straight drive after a typically effective contribution from Christian ended with a tight call on a full toss that may or may not have been worthy of a no-ball call. The Sixers walked off satisfied with what they had to defend.Sixers correct early errors in line
The sight of Cameron Bancroft walking out to open the batting must often cause intriguing thoughts for opponents, who respect his dogged attitude but can question his shot-making ability. Bancroft tried to clear the boundary in Bird’s opening over but saw the ball mistimed and plugged short of the rope, but he was to be rather more successful in subsequent overs as the Sixers bowlers drifted too short and straight, allowing him to ping the leg-side boundary numerous times.At length, the hosts made the requisite corrections, and Bird had Bancroft skewing a pull-shot attempt to mid-on. After having scored 36 from three overs, the Scorchers managed only 22 from the next four and lost the vital wicket of Colin Munro. Josh Inglis was promoted, and for a time he and Livingstone appeared to be rebuilding for a well-positioned dash at the target, doing just enough to keep the required rate around 10 per over.Jackson Bird removed both the Scorchers openers after they had settled in•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

A successful squeeze to the title
Bird returned for the 11th over of the innings with the game very much open. His subtle variations in length and line were successful in slowing the Scorchers, however, and made a pivotal contribution when Livingstone was pouched on the midwicket boundary. What followed were a pair of outstanding overs from the wily O’Keefe, who went from figures of 0 for 17 from two overs to a critical 0 for 26 from four: four dots and seven singles in those final 12 balls put an extreme squeeze on the Scorchers.Suddenly the required rate was pushing 13, and wickets followed inevitably even as the Scorchers took the Power Surge. Mitchell Marsh was wonderfully caught off Ben Dwarshuis – who picked up three overall – by Vince moving as smoothly in the field as he had done at the crease, and Inglis’ muted final innings of a successful campaign was ended with a miscue to mid-off. Christian delivered a typically canny follow-up over, and though Brathwaite conceded 16 from the 17th over, the Sixers always appeared to have enough in reserve.Having had to make homes away from home this summer, they celebrated as though the SCG decider was a long-awaited Saturday night house warming.