Smith bats for Bancroft after Ashes win

Steven Smith also spoke about the importance of keeping Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins together when the Ashes were up for grabs

Daniel Brettig in Sydney08-Jan-20181:45

Lyon’s run-out at the Gabba changed series – Smith

Cameron Bancroft will be pitted against Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and perhaps Dale Steyn in South Africa during the looming Test series in March, if the Australia captain Steven Smith’s words are anything to go by.Despite struggling over the course of his first Ashes series, notably showing evidence of technical trouble in the region of his off stump, Bancroft is highly regarded by the Australian team set-up after spending six weeks in camp. This is partly for his high work ethic and eagerness to improve, and also for an off-beat personality summed up when he had Smith in stitches when describing his pre-series altercation with Jonny Bairstow in the aftermath of the Gabba Test.Given all these attributes, the 25-year-old Bancroft has won Smith’s support ahead of the selectors’ discussions about who should travel to South Africa. As if to remind them of the player discarded to make room for Bancroft, the Queensland opener Matt Renshaw is set to play in England’s 50-over warm-up match before the ODI series, but Smith gave no indication of wanting to change back to another opening partner for David Warner.”He’s worked hard and he probably hasn’t scored as many runs as he would have liked throughout this series,” Smith said. “But he’s a good young player, he’s a great character and he’s got a terrific work ethic. The more he plays, he’s going to continue to improve and get better. If the selectors keep the faith – I hope they do – it will only be good for him and good for the group.”Smith had plenty of praise for his team after wrapping up a 4-0 series victory over England to regain the Ashes, and pinpointed Nathan Lyon’s direct hit to run out James Vince on the first day of the series in Brisbane as pivotal to the overall outcome. “The moment that changed the whole series was Nathan Lyon and the run out [of James Vince] at the Gabba,” Smith said. “That was such a huge moment in the series. Those sort of plays can change the series. I certainly think that was a series-changing moment.”I think all the bowlers did an exceptional job. Lyon got a lot of rewards throughout the series and bowled exceptionally well. I was looking yesterday when we were out on the field it came up with all the wickets this series the bowlers had got, each one of them had over 20. It showed the guys have bowled together as a group, bowled in partnerships and for one another and helped us take the 80 wickets that we needed to win the four Test matches. Nathan’s been exceptional with that as well. His consistency has been outstanding.”Pat Cummins was hostile after lunch•Getty Images

As for the ability of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to remain fit for the matches that mattered at the front end of the series, Smith spoke warmly about how the team’s support and medical staff had mapped out plans to have the “big three” pacemen at their best. “They’ve done it so well throughout this series. It’s been nice to have those three guys playing together,” he said.”So much went in to ensure those guys were right for this series. A lot of credit has to be given to the support staff, medical staff and all of that for getting it all right and coming together the way it did. It’s nice to have those options available. All those guys bowl a little bit different to each other but all bowl really good pace. In Australia that works really well, it’s been great.”Having started the Ashes by laughing alongside Bancroft, Smith had also generated plenty of mirth by how he reacted to Shaun Marsh’s spontaneous decision to try to hug his brother Mitchell Marsh upon completing a hundred rather than finish a second run. The resulting near-run out made Smith briefly apoplectic, but he could laugh about it in the afterglow of the Sydney victory, while also acknowledging how much the Marsh brothers had contributed to the scoreline.”Looking back, it was quite funny,” Smith said. “When I’m watching or when I’m playing I’m sort of always in the moment. Watching the ball not going to the fence and seeing them start to hug in the middle just seemed a little bit bizarre. I just wanted them to get back in their ground and not get run out. Shaun came in the rooms after and I said ‘what happened there?’. He goes ‘I just wanted to hug him, I didn’t care about anything else, I just wanted to hug him’. It was a strange moment but a pretty special moment for the two brothers.””Everyone has had a role to play and had some impact on this series. You see the two Marsh boys…Shaun throughout the whole series and Mitch in the last three Test matches … have been magnificent. All the guys have had an impact in the series and that’s what has been so special about it. It hasn’t just been one or two guys stepping up and doing the job. You can’t really win an Ashes series when that’s the case, so it’s been good that so many different people have stood up at different times to help us win the series.”As for the future, Smith has previously stated his goal of winning the Ashes away from home, something no Australian team has done since 2001. He was unsure of whether or not the current team should be favoured to win next time around, but did indicate that he felt keeping a young team together over time would help all of its members to gain in strength and confidence.”A lot can change between now and then. That’s still a long time away. But this team has been magnificent this series, the cricket we’ve played has been great,” Smith said. “I think the more we play together the more we’re going to get better as a group. We’ve just got to keep getting better and improving as a team. England in 2019 is a long way away but it is a real challenge for us as well and a bucket list for mine to win an Ashes series in England.”I think it’s different obviously to playing with a Kookaburra here. It can move around consistently at times. I think everyone is vulnerable to a moving ball. It’s about just trying to find a way to have a solid defence and a game plan that can work in those conditions. Over the next couple of years guys are going to continue to develop and get that game plan in place.””It’s a tough tour, going to England, it’s a great place to play and a difficult place for any team travelling. England play incredibly well at home. I don’t know who would be favourites. But I now do look forward to going over there in 2019.”

Perry's 93* steers Australia home in nervy chase

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.

Khawaja looks to make most of 'fresh start'

Usman Khawaja has had two unsuccessful shots at Test cricket, and despite making the squad for the upcoming New Zealand matches, he knows he may not get a fourth chance

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane04-Nov-20151:56

‘Disappointed I wasn’t picked for the World Cup’ – Khawaja

In his first incarnation as a Test cricketer, Usman Khawaja played six Tests, scored just one half-century, and was dropped. In his second coming, Khawaja played three Tests, made one half-century, and was dropped. In his third crack at Test cricket … who knows? The rest of that story is yet to be written. But Khawaja is 28, and knows there may not be a fourth chance.He is philosophical about his cricket – “Just because I’ve been picked a third time doesn’t mean I am somehow going to be Don Bradman” – but determined to give himself the best chance of succeeding at Test level. His desire for self-improvement led him to move from New South Wales to Queensland in 2012, a change that he believes has benefited his game greatly.Part of the reason for his move was a desire to work under the coach Darren Lehmann, who was then in charge of the Bulls and is now the national coach. Khawaja has certainly thrived at the Gabba, where he scored his maiden first-class century for New South Wales and where he now averages 67.46 in first-class cricket.”I have improved a lot since I’ve moved up to Queensland,” Khawaja said. “Boof was up here, I wanted a fresh start and I have loved every bit of Queensland. I have trained my backside off every time I have come here trying to improve as a cricketer. But every game is a new game. There is nothing set in stone, there is nothing to say that I will come here and blast 400, I have to do a lot of hard work.”My game always suited the Gabba. It’s a ground where you get a lot of rewards as a batsman. It’s tough work, it swings around, but at the same time it comes onto the bat really nicely. It’s like the WACA, if you get yourself in, you can really go on with it and make a big one. You have to do the hard work early on to get the rewards later on.”Khawaja is one of those fringe Test players for whom big things were expected due to the class of his strokeplay, but in nine Tests he has not managed a score greater than 65. He is realistic about the fact that his future now lies in his own hands, and his team-mates also hope that he can show at Test level the kind of skill that he has displayed for Queensland and New South Wales.”It’s time for him to step up and show what he really can do and what he’s capable of because we know what he’s capable of,” David Warner said. “But it’s about him now on this stage, the different class of Test cricket to show what he is capable of and I think he’s definitely got the game to do it. He’s got the patience. He leaves very well outside off and when he gets in he does cash in.”Khawaja’s first foray into Test cricket ended as the result of a lean home series against New Zealand, the last time the two teams met in 2011. Then in 2013, he missed out on a recall during the tour of India when he was one of the players suspended over the homework incident – which he plainly states he believes was unfair – and had a short stint in the side during the Ashes only to be cut again.With Steven Smith moving down to No.4, Khawaja will be Australia’s No.3 during this series, a position he has occupied in the Test side before. And while the squad has so far been chosen for at least the first two Tests against New Zealand in Brisbane and Perth, Khawaja has no idea how long he will be given to prove himself.”It’s hard to say, you don’t know what the selectors are thinking, that’s why you don’t want to leave it in the selectors hands, you want to go out and perform straight away,” Khawaja said. “No one had a magic eight ball on how I will go. Whether I’m playing club cricket, first-class cricket or Test cricket, there’s always pressure to perform. It’s sport and that’s what you love about it.”

Scholtz five-for seals Namibia victory

A century from Tom Cooper was unable to win Netherlands their Intercontinental Cup game against Namibia in Windhoek, as the hosts won by 82 runs on the fourth day

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A century from Tom Cooper was unable to win Netherlands their Intercontinental Cup game against Namibia in Windhoek, as the hosts won by 82 runs on the fourth day. Netherlands were set 320 for victory and began well with a 52-run opening stand in 46 balls. Stephan Myburgh struck 41 off just 29, but the team was in trouble soon after, slipping to 54 for 3. Seamer Louis Klazinga picked up two of those wickets.Cooper then took charge of the chase with a century that included 12 fours and a six, but there simply wasn’t much support from the other end. He added 59 with Daan van Bunge, but lost his partner and captain Peter Borren in quick time. He put together 56 with Tim Gruijters and 53 more with Mudassar Bukhari before he fell himself, the seventh wicket with the score on 232. The star for Namibia was 23-year-old left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz, who took 5 for 58, his fifth haul of five wickets or more in first-class cricket. Cooper was among his victims, and Netherlands were bowled out for 237.Namibia have now won three out of five games, while Netherlands are yet to open their account in the competition.

Rajshahi, Khulna to clash in final

A round-up of matches from the National Cricket League

Mohammad Isam24-Apr-2012Rajshahi Division rallied on the final day to beat Sylhet Division by 119 runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, and reached the National Cricket League final. They overtook Sylhet in the points table to finish second.A maiden five-wicket haul from part-timer Farhad Hossain in the post-tea session Sylhet ensured a Sylhet collapse in their pursuit of 330 for victory. Farhad, who bowls off-spin, removed Golam Mabud and Sylhet’s Indian recruit Rahul Dewan in the space of five overs before picking three more tail-end wickets. Abul Hasan, however, took advantage of the open swathes left by Rajshahi, who put as many as six fielders in catching positions during the last hour.Mizanur Rahman set the tone for Rajshahi with his 105 and shared a 186-run opening stand with Jahurul Islam on the first day. Mizanur scored his second first-class century. Sylhet fought back on the second day through Enamul Haque Jr’s six wickets, Rajshahi declaring their first innings on 387 for 9.Sylhet’s approach was predictable but their aim to grind out the bowlers backfired as skipper Farhad Reza and left-arm spinner Sanjamul Islam kept it tight and picked wickets regularly. Apart from Nadif Chowdhury’s 61, none of the Sylhet batsmen took advantage of their starts.Khulna Division, who will take on Rajshahi in the final, drew their final second phase game with Dhaka Metropolis at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Khulna, the table-toppers, took a more cautious approach as they had already qualified for the final.Anamul Haque, the opener, was the hero for Khulna, making 193 runs with the help of 27 boundaries and two sixes. He was trapped leg-before the next day, just short of a double-ton, by Tareq Aziz to end an innings that lasted more than five hours.Taposh Ghosh, the left-hand allrounder, also notched up an unbeaten 111 during Khulna’s 618 in the first innings and in Dhaka Metro’s reply, Tasamul Haque, too, struck a century. Both players recorded their second first-class centuries in first-class cricket.The match only had an academic interest when Khulna didn’t impose the follow-on despite leading by 330 runs. They batted again and Imrul Kayes struck 117 off 181 balls. There was one more century left to score and Shamsur Rahman duly picked up a ton off 88 balls in Dhaka Metro’s second innings.Both matches endured a day’s break due to a general strike across the country.

Swann takes aim at 'rollers' in English cricket

Graeme Swann has said slow bowlers who don’t attempt to give the ball a rip should be cast out of English cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2011Graeme Swann has said slow bowlers who don’t attempt to give the ball a rip should be cast out of English cricket. As a devotee of the hard spun off-break, Swann has grown to become perhaps the most accomplished finger spinner in the world, and had no time for ‘rollers’ who trotted up to the wicket and landed the ball with accuracy but no fizz.”They should be banished from the first-class game. It winds me up, if you are a spinner, spin the ball,” Swann told . “I have never, ever seen the point of bowling without trying to spin the ball. It’s been my bugbear that I have seen some young spinners come up who have got lovely control and land it nicely but don’t try to turn it. I really like watching the ball fizzing down. That’s why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, [Muttiah] Muralitharan bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate.”Trying to spin the ball and actually turning it can be two quite different things, as hard pitches will often preclude a finger spinner from extracting much life. It is for this reason Swann rates his spell to Michael Clarke at the MCG during the fourth Ashes Test as the best of his career.”That’s the best I bowled for England, I hardly bowled a bad ball,” he said. “It wasn’t turning at all but I still managed to get a lot of drift and maintain pressure for the seamers at the other end. I regard that as my finest performance with the ball.”My role turned into very much a holding role, allowing the seamers to build up pressure at the other end. All I did was try and bowl dot balls. I thought aside from the Perth game [second Test] I was able to do that so I was very happy.”Ahead of Swann is a home series against India, the world’s No. 1 Test nation, and he had little hesitation picking out Sachin Tendulkar as an opponent of interest.”You make challenges within your own head. I always look at the team sheet beforehand and target the batsmen I want to get out and it’s always the best player, it gives me personal satisfaction getting the best players out,” he said.”Sachin Tendulkar is the best player the game has had in my lifetime so it’s always a pleasure to play against him. But hopefully I won’t get to bowl to him too much this year because that would mean Jimmy Anderson is doing his job at the top of the order.”

Concerns grow over Gul's fitness for World Twenty20

Pakistan continue to be dogged by injury-concerns in the lead-up to the World Twenty20, as Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat remain doubtful starters for the tournament that begins in the West Indies on April 30

Cricinfo staff12-Apr-2010Pakistan continue to be dogged by injury concerns in the lead-up to their defence of the World Twenty20 crown, as Umar Gul remains a doubtful starter for the tournament that begins in the West Indies from April 30.Gul, who was Pakistan’s top wicket-taker in the previous editions of the tournament, is yet to recover from a shoulder injury he sustained during the team’s rigorous preparatory camp in Lahore.”We are still awaiting word from the experts on Gul and that whether he would be able to play in the Twenty20 World Cup,” Shahid Afridi, the team’s captain, told the .”I hope he gets fit and manages to go with us to the West Indies. He is a top performer in Twenty20 cricket and has done a great job for the team in the last two World Cups. We would certainly need him in the West Indies because the conditions would really help him get a lot of reverse swing there,” Afridi said.Gul is currently the leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 cricket, with 43 wickets in 26 matches, and he was a key factor in Pakistan’s victory in the 2009 edition. He is not the only player struggling for fitness – batsmen Umar Akmal and Fawad Alam are nursing injuries while allrounder Yasir Arafat is laid low by a calf strain.Pakistan are slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.

Hameed wants 'four more days of quality cricket' as Notts eye Division One title

Nottinghamshire captain wary of looking too far ahead as they aim to depose three-time defending champions Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Sep-2025The stage is set for one of the most memorable ends to a Rothesay County Championship season with the battle for the Division One title and relegation places still very much alive heading into the final round this week.Nottinghamshire put themselves in pole position to win their first title in 15 years after snatching a 20-run win over three-time reigning champions Surrey last week. It was a contest to highlight the very best of the Rothesay County Championship and leaves Notts needing a maximum of 10 points to be crowned champions when they host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge starting Wednesday.With excitement building in the east Midlands after their success at the Kia Oval, Notts captain Haseeb Hameed has warned they will still need to produce “four more days of quality cricket”.Related

  • Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

  • Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

  • Somerset handed points deduction for 'below average' pitch

  • Rahul Chahar joins Surrey for final Championship match of the season

“We have to go into the game with that mindset and focus because Warwickshire are a really good team,” Hameed told ecb.co.uk. “I think you can see that across the whole County Championship this season – anyone can beat anyone. It has been a really tight and tough year and that’s probably why it’s so close at the bottom as well.”There are no easy wins in this division and we go into the final round knowing we have to play four more days of quality cricket.”Surrey have been the county to catch for the past four seasons as they have set the bar high for the chasing pack. They will draw on that culture of success as they look to become the first county, since the great Surrey side of the 1950s, to win four titles in a row when they travel to Hampshire.Rory Burns’ team know that anything other than a win will probably not be enough while Hampshire, who could welcome back talisman Liam Dawson from England duty, have plenty to play for themselves as one of five counties that head into the final round looking to avoid relegation.The south-coast club are just two points above Durham, who sit inside the relegation zone on 140 points, but the northern-most county do have their fate in their own hands as make the journey down the A1 to a Yorkshire team who need 10 points to be assured of staying up.Sussex and Essex both have 150 points and know avoiding defeat in their final-round matches against already-relegated Worcestershire and third-placed Somerset respectively would be enough to retain their place in the top tier.It sets the scene for an intriguing final round at both ends of the table and Hameed admits he’d have it no other way.”At the start of the season the goal of every team would be to put themselves in the position we’re in heading into the final round,” he said. “It’s a great position to be in, but there’s work still to be done and that’s the focus. There is going to be a bit of noise around and there will be some excitement I’m sure across the four days with everything that is going on at the top of the bottom of the division.”We just have to be ready to go on Wednesday morning and focus on doing what we’ve done in the 13 matches so far.”Hameed is not letting himself think about becoming a title-winning captain, after reviving his career since moving to Notts from Lancashire ahead of the 2020 season. The 28-year-old, who has 10 Test caps, scored 1235 runs when he helped Notts win promotion from Division Two in 2022 and could surpass that mark this week as this season’s second-leading runscorer.”I just want to lead from the front and do my job. I’ve been here five or six years now and it feels like home and I’ve enjoyed my cricket,” said Hameed, who also highlighted the influence of his opening partner Ben Slater, who could pass 1000 runs for the season this week.”It’s been great establishing an opening partnership with Slats. He’s had a great season and has loads of experience which is so important. But I come back to it – the whole team knows we have to focus on our job because Warwickshire are a quality team. I’d love to see a good crowd at Trent Bridge and hopefully we can make it a week to remember.”In Division Two, Leicestershire will head into the final round knowing the title – and a return to Division One for the first time in 22 years – is already assured. The Foxes’ star allrounder Rehan Ahmed, who has struck five Championship centuries in a breakout summer with the bat, was not born when they were last in the top-flight.Leicestershire make the short trip to Northamptonshire to round out their season while Glamorgan, who under head coach Richard Dawson have secured their place in Division One for the first time since 2004, will host Lancashire at Sophia Gardens.Kent welcome Derbyshire to the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury while Middlesex host Gloucestershire at Lord’s.

All-round Sciver-Brunt, Ecclestone set up England's 4-1 series win over New Zealand

After grabbing 2 for 24 with the ball, Sciver-Brunt scored 31 with the bat to put 19-year-old Izzy Gaze’s fifty in vain

Valkerie Baynes29-Mar-2024Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone were devastating with the ball as England secured a clinical five-wicket win over New Zealand in their final T20I for a 4-1 series victory. The pair shared five wickets between them, with Sciver-Brunt making the early breakthroughs which had the home side reeling, and Ecclestone claiming three to ensure England faced a modest target.An unbeaten half-century from 19-year-old Izzy Gaze had earlier rescued New Zealand from 69 for 5. She shared a 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Brooke Halliday, but in reply, Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight put on a 57-run stand of their own from 64 for 3 to bring England within touching distance of victory. The sides next meet in a three-match ODI series beginning in Wellington on Monday.

England’s devastating duet

Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone returned to international duty in the fourth T20I after playing in the WPL. England won that match to take an unassailable 3-1 lead, and the duo made a massive impact in the fifth. Sciver-Brunt claimed a wicket with the fifth ball of the match, and had two in seven deliveries when she removed Bernadine Bezuidenhout and Amelia Kerr, as the hosts stumbled to 10 for 2 inside three overs.It wasn’t long before Charlie Dean, who finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker with seven, accounted for Suzie Bates. Ecclestone then entered the attack immediately after the powerplay to great effect for England. She had Georgia Plimmer caught by Danielle Gibson with her second delivery to make it 31 for 4, before taking a stunning return catch low to her left to remove Maddy Green just as New Zealand had started to breathe via a 38-run partnership between Green and Halliday.

Star Gaze-ing

Sophie Devine, ruled out of this match with a quad strain, had told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast before the series that building depth in this New Zealand side would take time. Gaze, with a previous highest score of 16 in T20Is – and 26 not out from 26 international matches – shone a light on the future as she amassed 51 not out off just 28 balls. It was the first time in 27 innings that a New Zealand Women’s player other than Devine, Bates or Amelia Kerr had reached fifty in T20Is.Izzy Gaze finished on 51 not out off just 28 balls•Getty Images

Gaze helped herself to 16 runs off Sciver-Brunt in the 18th over via a particularly effective lap shot and a pulled six. Come the final over, Halliday fell for 33 to a strong catch by Alice Capsey, who ran in from long-on to give Ecclestone her third wicket. Ecclestone then dropped a sitter off her own bowling when Jess Kerr looped one high into the air in the swirling Wellington breeze, and Gaze brought up her half-century next ball. She reverse swept Ecclestone to the boundary to walk off unbeaten, her innings giving New Zealand’s bowlers something to defend.

England ease to victory

In a bright start to the run chase for New Zealand, Rosemary Mair conceded just one run off the first over. Maia Bouchier, the star of the previous match with her innings of 91, cleared mid-off to send Jess Kerr to the boundary off third ball of the second over. But Lea Tahuhu struck next over, as the ball swung away slightly and drew a thick outside edge which Gaze collected behind the stumps to send Bouchier back for 6.Gaze fumbled a chance to stump Capsey off Jess Kerr moments later, and it was Amelia Kerr, standing in for Devine as captain, who made the breakthrough when Capsey hit her straight down the ground and into the hands of Green for 25. Amelia Kerr then enticed Danni Wyatt down the pitch before Gaze whipped the bails off, with the batter well outside of her ground and England 64 for 3.But England were still looking comfortable with Sciver-Brunt and Knight at the crease. And when Knight survived a run-out chance before she hit double figures, the pair settled into a rhythm, building their fourth-wicket stand. They continued to capitalise on some wayward fielding until Amelia Kerr eased her side’s frustrations with an excellent wrong ‘un that rearranged Sciver-Brunt’s leg stump.Knight then sliced Mair to Jess Kerr in the covers with five runs needed off the last nine balls of the match, but there was no panic in the England camp as Sophia Dunkley cut Mair to the boundary to raise the winning runs with an over and a ball to spare.

Rishabh Pant undergoes knee ligament surgery in Mumbai hospital

Next course of treatment and rehabilitation will be discussed by Dr Dishaw Pardiwala, who conducted the procedure, and the BCCI’s medical team

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2023Rishabh Pant has undergone a successful knee ligament surgery, conducted at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Friday, BCCI sources have confirmed.”Rishabh Pant has successfully undergone a knee ligament surgery on Friday. He will be under observation. Further course of action and rehabilitation will be advised by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and followed by the BCCI sports science and medicine team,” PTI reported a BCCI source as saying.Pant was admitted to the hospital in Mumbai after being airlifted from Dehradun on Wednesday for intervention on one of two ligament tears in his knee. He was examined by doctors upon reaching the Mumbai hospital.Dr Pardiwala, the Head of Centre for Sports Medicine and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service at the hospital, had previously worked with Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja as well as with other athletes.

The BCCI, while appreciative of the immediate treatment given to Pant at the two hospitals in Uttarakhand, preferred to have his injuries treated by the board’s own empanelled medical team. While Pant’s medical insurance covers his treatment, the cost of the air ambulance was borne by the board.On December 30, Pant was on his way to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand, when his car crashed into a road divider around 5.30am. He miraculously got away without life-threatening injuries even as his car went up in flames.After immediate emergency care at Saksham Hospital in Roorkee, Pant was moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun, where he had plastic surgery on the laceration wounds, facial injuries and abrasions. MRI scans done on his brain and spine that evening returned normal results, but scans of the knee and foot were postponed because of pain and swelling.It is too early to put a timeframe on Pant’s return to athletic activity and then top-flight cricket. He hasn’t started walking yet. India’s three big assignments in 2023 are the four Tests against Australia at home in February-March, a possible World Test Championship final in England in June, and the ODI World Cup in India in October-November. Pant’s chances of playing the Test series against Australia appear to be slim, though it can’t be ruled out. The other big event is the IPL, in April-May, where Pant captains Delhi Capitals.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus