Paul Stirling along with Andrew Balbirnie scored respective centuries, as Ireland stunned England by seven Wickets in the third and the final one dayer at Southampton on Tuesday. Continue reading “England vs Ireland Third ODI Southampton Match Report”
Pakistan’s test record against England at Old Trafford
Out of 6 games played against England at Manchester, Pakistan’s only victory came way back in the year 2001, where they defeated the home side by 108 runs. Continue reading “Pakistan’s test record against England at Old Trafford”
List of Squads for IPL 2020
The thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League has been finally confirmed, and it will be played from September 19 to November 10 in UAE.
The tournament which was supposed to take in March, got indefinitely postponed due to Covid 19. With the ICC postponing the T-20 World Cup, BCCI got the required window to host IPL 2020.
The matches will be played at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah respectively. The afternoon game will commence at 330 pm IST, while the evening once will start at 730 pm.
Here are the complete squads for IPL 2020:
Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McCleneghan, Rahul Chahar, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Chris Lynn, Digvijay Deshmukh, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Saurabh Tiwary & Jasprit Bumrah
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Sam Curran, Piyush Chawla, Josh Hazelwood, R Sai Kishore, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Faf Du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Rituraj Gaikwad, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Monu Singh, Lungi Ngidi & N Jagadeesan.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Parthiv Patel, Aaron Finch, Devdutt Padikkal, Gurkeerat Singh, Moeen Ali, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Pawan Negi, Shivam Dube, Umesh Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Isuru Udana, Joshua Philippe, Kane Richardson, Pavan Deshpande & Shahbaz Ahamad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Billy Stanlake, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Abdul Samad, Fabian Allen, Mitchell Marsh, Priyam Garg, Sandeep Bavanaka, Sanjay Yadav & Virat Singh.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan, Harry Gurney, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Siddhesh Lad, Sunil Narine, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Praveen Tambe, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Tom Banton & Varun Chakravarthy.
Kings XI Punjab
Lokesh Rahul, Chris Gayle, Karun Nair, Arshdeep Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Krishnappa Gowtham, Hardus Viljoen, Harpreet Brar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Murugan Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Chris Jordan, Deepak Hooda, Glenn Maxwell, Ishan Porel, James Neesham, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Sheldon Cottrell & Tajinder Dhillon.
Delhi Capitals
Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Keemo Paul, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Sandeep Lamichhane, Shreyas Iyer, Alex Carey, Lalit Yadav, Jason Roy, Marcus Stoinis, Mohit Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer & Tushar Deshpande.
Rajasthan Royals
Steven Smith, Ben Stokes,Jos Buttler, Robin Uthappa, Mahipal Lomror, Manan Vohra, Mayank Markande, Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Sanju Samson, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Akash Singh, Anirudha Joshi, Anuj Rawat, Andrew Tye, David Miller, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Oshane Thomas, Ankit Rajpoot, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran & Yashasvi Jaiswal
Caribbean Premier League 2020 Fixtures- CPL 2020 Schedule
The Caribbean Premier League is all set to commence on August 18, 2020. The CPL will be taking place in Trinidad and Tobago. The matches will be played across two stadiums, namely The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba and the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. Continue reading “Caribbean Premier League 2020 Fixtures- CPL 2020 Schedule”
England vs West Indies Third Test Day 3 Match Report-2020
Stuart Broad’s fantastic 6/31 followed by a brilliant 90 from Rory Burns saw England take a firm grip on the third test at the end of Day 3 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Resuming at an overnight score of 137/6, the pair of Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich managed to get past the follow on target before Broad provided the much needed breakthrough by trapping Holder leg before wicket for a well made 46. Continue reading “England vs West Indies Third Test Day 3 Match Report-2020”
England vs West Indies Third Test Day 2 Match Report-2020
Stuart Broad smashed a quickfire 62 off just 45 balls, as England posted a competitive 369 on Day 2 of the third and final Test against the West Indies in Manchester. Continue reading “England vs West Indies Third Test Day 2 Match Report-2020”
England vs West Indies Third Test Day 1 Match Report-2020
A brilliant unbeaten 136 run fifth-wicket stand between Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler gave England the upper hand as the home side ended first day of their series decider against West Indies at Old Trafford at 258/4.
England made a surprise selection by dropping batsman Zak Crawley and included both Jofra Archer and James Anderson in order to strengthen their bowling (given that Ben Stokes was unlikely to bowl), with left arm fast bowler Sam Curran unlucky to miss out despite impressing in the second test.
On the other hand, West Indies went with just two front line pacers and one all rounder pacer as they included spinner Rahkeem Cornwall in place of Alzarri Joseph. One might have thought Jason Holder would want to give his bowlers a rest after winning the toss following two taxing tests, but he surprised one and all by choosing to field first.
Workload (overs bowled) for West Indies & England fast bowlers heading into the third #ENGvWI test (* playing today)
WI- Roach* (80), Holder* (78), Gabriel* (69.5), Joseph (56.1)
Eng- Stokes* (52), Anderson* (40), Archer* (39), Broad* (38), Woakes* (37), Wood (34), Curran (28)
— thecricketblog (@thecricblogger) July 24, 2020
Continue reading “England vs West Indies Third Test Day 1 Match Report-2020”
Six Talking Points- Eagles vs Kites vs Kingfishers- 3TC Solidarity Cup 2020 Mandela Day
AB’s Eagles won the inaugural 3TC Solidarity Cup by beating Quinny’s Kites and KG’s Kingfishers at Supersport Park on Mandela Day.
Here are our talking points from the game.
1.Glenton Stuurman the find of the game
The ball of the day came from young pacer Glenton Stuurman, who sent Rassie van der Dussen’s stumps flying. Stuurman built up some good pace and proved difficult for the batsmen to get away. A player we definitely hope to see more of in the near future.
2.Dropped catches give De Villiers lifeline
De Villiers scored a fine 61 (24) on his return to cricket in the Republic, but was given a lifeline twice in his innings. He was dropped by keeper Heinrich Klaassen off the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi on 1, and Thando Ntini then dropped a return catch when the Eagles captain was on 8. You don’t give a batsman like De Villiers one chance, much less two, and he made his opponents pay for the drops. Continue reading “Six Talking Points- Eagles vs Kites vs Kingfishers- 3TC Solidarity Cup 2020 Mandela Day”
Stokes Masterclass, Struggling Hope, New Pace attack does the job- Talking points from England vs West Indies Second Test Old Trafford 2020
After suffering a shocking defeat in the first test, England bounced back strongly in Manchester as they leveled the three match series 1-1 at Old Trafford on Monday.
Here are our talking points from the game
1.Masterclass from Ben Stokes
Be it with the bat, ball or the field, Ben Stokes was everywhere. This was one of the great all-round performances of all time from the Christchurch born star. He displayed his batting versatility with a dogged 176 (356) in the first innings and a quickfire 78 (57) as an opener in the second. Picked up the key wicket of Jermaine Blackwood for 55 just as the Jamaican and Shamarh Brooks seemed to have done enough to take the Windies to safety on the final day. Chased the ball all the way to the fence off his own bowling to prevent a boundary being scored.
This fine performance pushed him above Jason Holder in the latest rankings for all-rounders.
Current White Proteas Players Social Media Reaction to Black Lives Matter 2020
Here is a look at how prominent white players in the current South African cricket squad voiced their support for Lungi Ngidi and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Ngidi’s statement on BLM had attracted criticism from several former white Proteas- Rudi Steyn, Brian McMillian, Boeta Dippenaar and Pat Symcox among them.
On the eve of the 3TC Solidarity Cup, several of Ngidi’s current team mates came out in his support.
Dwaine Pretorius Instagram post on Black Lives Matter
Anrich Nortje tweet on BLM, supporting Lungi Ngidi
Continue reading “Current White Proteas Players Social Media Reaction to Black Lives Matter 2020”
Five Talking points & Analysis- England vs West Indies 1st Test Southampton 2020
A fine 95 from Jermaine Blackwood, helped the West Indies stun hosts England by 4 wickets at the Ageas Oval and take a 1-0 lead in the three test series. Here are our talking pints from the game.
1. Windies continue proud record
The West Indies continued their proud record of having never lost a test while chasing 200 or less. With this triumph in Southampton, they have extended that streak to a whopping 61 games (55 wins, 6 draws). In an era where final innings chases have become trickier and trickier, it’s a fine record to have!
2. Yet another opening test defeat for England
England’s loss at the Rose Bowl now means they have lost the first test in each of their last five series. In some cases, like the South Africa tour last winter, they managed to bounce back but its an area where coach Chris Silverwood will be demanding improvement.
3. Majestic Blackwood
Chasing 200, the West Indies were in deep trouble at 27/3 as they struggled to cope with Jofra Archer’s fiery opening spell. They also lost opener John Campbell to a toe injury, effectively making it 27/4 when Blackwood walked in. However the Jamaican rose through the occasion and stitched together two valuable partnerships, first with Roston Chase and then with wicket keeper Shane Dowrich, to resurrect the visitors’ chase. Blackwood fell five short of what would have been a well deserved century but he had already put the Windies in the drivers’ seat at the time of his departure.
The 28-year-old thus also ensured that the stellar work of Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel with the ball didn’t go waste.
Continue reading “Five Talking points & Analysis- England vs West Indies 1st Test Southampton 2020”
England vs West Indies Southampton July 2020 First test Day 2 Match Report
West Indies skipper Jason Holder led from the front by snaring career best figures of 6/42, as England were skittled out for 204 runs on the second day of the opening test at Southampton on Thursday.
Resuming at their overnight score of 35/1, the pair of Joe Denly and Rory Burns played cautiously for the first half an hour before Gabriel handed the West Indies their first breakthrough of the morning. The pacer got a 90mph ball one to nip back into Denly and shatter his stumps, with the batsman having to depart for 18. In his next over, the 32-year-old Gabriel also removed Burns- the first of several decisions overturned on DRS on the day for the Windies, as England were reduced to 51/3.
Zak Crawley along with skipper Ben Stokes added 20 runs for the fourth wicket stand, before Holder picked up his first wicket of the day, trapping Crawley leg before wicket for 10.
Ollie Pope looked very good in his brief stay at the wicket, stroking two gorgeous fours before a peach from Holder saw him caught behind for 12 by keeper Shane Dowrich.
England skipper Stokes then counter attacked with Jose Buttler and the duo put on 67 runs for the sixth wicket stand- the only England partnership above 50 in the entire innings. However just as they seemed to be gaining the upper hand, Holder returned to wrest control back for the Windies. He first got rid of his counterpart Stokes (43) with a fuller delivery and followed it up with the wicket of Buttler for 35, with Dowrich taking a stunning one handed catch behind the wickets.
Continue reading “England vs West Indies Southampton July 2020 First test Day 2 Match Report”
Five Talking Points & Analysis- England vs West Indies Day 1
International cricket returned after a gap of nearly four months as England and West Indies squared off against each other in the first test at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
Here are our talking points from the day’s action.
1. Stuart Broad left out
Stuart Broad was left out of a home test for the first time in nearly 8 years as England opted for extra pace in the form of both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.
Wood was impressive on England’s tour to South Africa in the winter and this selection is probably another indication that the selectors expect both him and Archer to play key roles in the next Ashes Down Under.
2. It wouldn’t be cricket in England without the rain! Continue reading “Five Talking Points & Analysis- England vs West Indies Day 1”
Five Talking points from India Women vs Australia Women T-20 World Cup Final 2020
Australia women’s cricket team continued their dominance by registering an emphatic 85-run win over India to clinch the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for a record fifth time in their history on Sunday.
India had entered the final after a semifinal wash out against England in Sydney, but crumbled under pressure against the hosts in front of a record 86,174 strong crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Here are our talking points from today’s game.
1. Dropped catches cost India dear.
Alyssa Healy was on 9 when she was given a reprieve by Shafali Verma in the very first over of the game. The opener took full advantage as she went on to score the fastest half-century in an ICC final, smashing 75 off just 39 balls. Her innings comprised of seven fours and five sixes, and by the time she was done, India’s shoulders had visibly drooped.
Healy’s partner Beth Mooney was also dropped early in her innings, with spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad guilty on that occasion. Mooney’s composed innings of 78 took Australia to 184 and ensured she walked away with the Player of the Series award.
2. Rare failure for Shafali Verma.
The teenager has been instrumental in India’s road to the final, but suffered a rare failure here, dismissed for just 2. For many Indian viewers it was a sense of deja vu- this felt very much like Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal in the first over of the 2003 World Cup final by Glenn McGrath. Continue reading “Five Talking points from India Women vs Australia Women T-20 World Cup Final 2020”
India ODI Squad for South Africa Series March 2020- First by new Sunil Joshi selection committee
Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have made a comeback to India’s 15 man ODI squad for the South Africa series that was announced earlier today. The trio had missed the recently concluded tour of New Zealand, which the visitors lost 3-0, due to injury.
This is the first Indian squad to be selected by the country’s new selection committee, headed by Sunil Joshi.
What changes have India made from the NZ ODI series for the South Africa games?
Rohit Sharma is injured- he has not fully recovered from the calf injury he suffered during the fifth T20I against New Zealand, but Shikhar Dhawan, as mentioned above, has returned. Mayank Agarwal, who replaced Sharma in NZ, is not part of the 15, with Shubman Gill included in the side.
Also missing out are Kedar Jadhav, Shivam Dube, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur. Shami has been rested as a precautionary measure following his shoulder injury in the second test. Continue reading “India ODI Squad for South Africa Series March 2020- First by new Sunil Joshi selection committee”
Heinrich Klaasen’s first ODI century, ODI debuts for Janneman Malan & Kyle Verreynne on Leap Day & more- Talking Points from Proteas vs Australia Paarl 1st ODI
A fine century from Heinrich Klaasen, the first of his ODI career, helped South Africa stun Australia in the first ODI in Paarl. The Proteas, thrashed in the T20 series, prevailed by 74 runs against Aaron Finch’s men at EuroLux Boland Park.
Here are our talking points from the game.
A maiden ODI century for Heinrich Klaasen: The Titans star has shown plenty of promise, but unfortunately not quite lived up to it after that knock vs India two years ago. However being dropped from South Africa’s World Cup squad seems to have given him a wake-up call, and he played a fine innings here at Boland Park.
Klaasen scored 123* from 114, the only top six batsman on either side to score at over a run a ball, and his 149 run partnership with David Miller was a Proteas record for the fifth wicket against Australia.
De Kock fails, but South Africa win: Since the retirement of AB de Villiers, South Africa’s batting has been fragile and appeared to be overtly dependent on Quinton de Kock. When he fires, they stand a chance of winning, but when he doesn’t, the Proteas crumble like a pack of cards, as it happened in the two sub 100 scores in the T20’s against Australia. Continue reading “Heinrich Klaasen’s first ODI century, ODI debuts for Janneman Malan & Kyle Verreynne on Leap Day & more- Talking Points from Proteas vs Australia Paarl 1st ODI”