Young seamer registers career-best performance for the second day running

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2021Worcestershire were celebrating their first victory of the season in the LV= Insurance County Championship after overpowering Derbyshire by an innings and 23 runs at New Road. Derbyshire resumed on 112 for 6 and lost their last four wickets in just 8.2 overs as they were dismissed for 128.Dillon Pennington completed the first five-wicket haul of his career and finished with figures of 14-4-32-5. It enabled him to enjoy a career-best performance for the second day running after his 4 for 44 in Derbyshire innings.He ended with match figures of 33.4-8-76-9 as Worcestershire claimed 23 points to reignite their hopes of finishing in the top two. They dominated the game in all departments with solid batting contributions down the order in topping 400, disciplined bowling and excellent catching behind the wicket.It was the perfect response to heavy defeats away to Durham and Nottinghamshire.Derbyshire remain rock bottom after a third heavy setback in the last four matches, a 310 run setback and two innings defeats. They paid the penalty for dropped catches on the opening day, including Jack Haynes who went onto make 97.Their young and promising bowling attack bowled too many four balls while the batting, with the exception of Matt Critchley and Wayne Madsen, crumbled.Worcestershire captain Joe Leach picked up the prized wicket of Madsen who had resumed on 43. He had looked set to complete his 11th 50-plus score in 19 innings against Worcestershire. But Madsen added only two more before edging a fine delivery and was caught by keeper Ben Cox.Pennington opened the attack from the New Road End and in the next over he accounted for new batsman Ben Aitchison before he had scored. Pennington found the thinnest of edges but it was sufficient to provide Cox with another straightforward catch.The game quickly came to a conclusion with Sam Conners playing on to Pennington and Dustin Melton edging Alzarri Joseph to Daryl Mitchell at slip.

Aaron Finch bemoans Australia’s lack of a calm head in the chase

Andrew McGlashan10-Jul-2021Hayden Walsh Jr has put his performance in the opening T20I in St Lucia in the top tier of what he has achieved in his career after helping turn around a contest Australia “could have walked” in what has been a difficult year for him so far.Legspinner Walsh had tested positive for Covid-19 on West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh at the start of the year and though he was able to return to action in February in the domestic one-day Super50 tournament, he struggled in taking seven wickets at 37.42 with an economy close to seven an over.”Personally, it’s a sigh of relief,” Walsh told the host broadcaster. “I’ve been preparing for a long while. After my mishap in Bangladesh where I tested positive for Covid, I didn’t really have a good Super50 and I’m really happy that I’m just back. I would put this performance up there, probably one or two.”Related

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This match was his first international outing since late November in a game against New Zealand that was abandoned after two overs, so it was the first time he had bowled at the top level since March.His opening over cost 10 amid Australia’s power-packed start, but on returning in the 11th over he turned the game on its head by removing Ben McDermott, Mitchell Marsh and Dan Christian as he and Obed McCoy took the last six wickets between them in 34 balls.”To come in when the pressure is on and Australia could have walked the game at that point, I really enjoyed changing the game there,” he said. “In the team meetings we talked about the huge wind factor. I just really enjoyed just reading the conditions and reading the situation of the game.”Nicholas Pooran celebrates the wicket of his opposite number Aaron Finch•AFP

Nicholas Pooran, who was captaining West Indies for the first time with Kieron Pollard nursing a hamstring injury, knew the hosts’ 145 was a little light but also that Andre Russell’s half-century had given them a chance that looked unlikely halfway through the innings when they sat on 53 for 3.”What a game! First game as captain, wasn’t expecting this,” he said. “We asked the guys for energy and that’s what they brought. I can’t give the bowlers enough credit. They came out firing the Australians and we knew we needed wickets to win the game. We asked Hayden to keep attacking those stumps, keep asking questions, and Obed McCoy came and won the game for us.”His opposite number, Aaron Finch, bemoaned Australia’s lack of a calm head in the second half of their innings when the required rate was four an over.”We just needed somebody to take it upon themselves and get right through to the end,” he said. “After the position that [Marsh] and Wade got us into, just a bit of game smarts would have got us over the line there but sort of panicked a little bit.”We’ve been working on trying to be a little more aggressive in the middle overs but maybe just need to rein it in today and have some more smarts. I thought the wicket played a little better batting second. There’s no excuses for our batting display there.”

Zazai’s 77 gave Zalmi’s middle-order enough of a buffer to see off a tricky chase

Danyal Rasool21-Jun-2021The Karachi Kings batted first, setting the Peshawar Zalmi a chase of 176, a target that Hazratullah Zazai seemed to made a mockery of in the first ten overs. That sounds like the match report from this game a week ago; it’s just that Zazai has followed up that astonishing 26-ball 63 with an even more explosive innings – 77 in 37 balls, and set the Zalmi up comfortably, and even though they made it look harder than they needed to, there was enough of a buffer to get them over the line in the end.The Zalmi might not have expected to chase such a steep total after they kept a lid on the Kings for much of the first innings. Mohammad Irfan, the 39-year-old, was disciplined during his quota of four overs, allowing just 21 runs, exactly as many as he did in that game last week. This time, however, he was also more incisive, picking up the wickets of Sharjeel Khan and Danish Aziz as the Zalmi chipped away at the power-hitters around Babar Azam, who could do little more than anchor an innings that was going awry.When Wahab Riaz accounted for him, Azam had scored another half-century, but his rate of accumulation continued to be a concern, especially when the big-hitters don’t come off. Thisara Perera ameliorated that somewhat with an entertaining cameo, taking apart spinner Khalid Usman in an innings where he struck at over 200. But there was limited support; Riaz returned to clean up Chadwick Walton before he could get going, and even though the final five overs yielded 70, there was always the sense that the Kings had left themselves too much to do in the second innings.Zazai was striking with such devastating power that Kamran Akmal, and later Imam-ul-Haq, were simply content to turn the strike over to him and enjoy the fireworks from the best seat in the house. The Kings looked especially out of ideas while Zazai was on strike, but Imam struggled to take any pressure off his partner, scoring just 11 off the 17 he faced. When Zazai holed out, there was a concern that the 73 they still needed would prove tricky.Which is exactly what happened. Shoaib Malik steadied things through a mature 52-run stand with Khalid Usman, but they hadn’t quite got on top of the asking rate, even if they were never behind in the game. In the final over, Sherfane Rutherford decided to attack every delivery as if they needed to chase 27 instead of seven, but woeful fielding by the Kings helped the Zalmi. Rutherford was dropped off the first and fifth balls of the 20th over, and the team in yellow stayed alive in the tournament.Zazai sends Karachi Kings bowlers ducking for cover
The first five overs of the chase saw five different Kings bowlers, and who can blame them? With Zazai at the crease and in that sort of mood, few would like have wanted the ball in their hands, especially after he smashed their best bowler, Mohammad Amir, for a disdainful six the first ball he faced off him. That over went for 14 and Wasim promptly took himself out of the attack. Mohammad Ilyas and Arshad Iqbal bowled the next two, and after the spanking they got, it was left to poor teenager Noor Ahmad to send down the fifth.He ended up getting rid of Akmal, but Zazai had only just begun. Wasim didn’t come on until after the powerplay, but still went for two fours and a six at Zazai’s hands, and even Ahmad wasn’t spared as Zazai brought up a 23-ball half-century. The ball pinging off his bat sounded like gunshots going off, and every blow drove one more nail into the Kings’ coffin. By the time he was done, he had seared through most of the target; Malik and the rest read out the last rites.Death-overs woe
The Zalmi dominated the first innings, and yet when the two sides walked off the field at the halfway mark, their body language was dejected and downcast, while the Kings’ batters strode off with grins on their faces. The dynamic of the contest had shifted after the first 15 overs, during which the Zalmi almost had things going their own way. The Kings had only succeeded in hobbling to 105, having just lost Azam Khan, who struggled to move through the gears in a stuttering 45-ball 53.One notable exception: Thisara Perera. The Sri Lankan left-hander loves left-arm spin coming into him, and that was just what Usman provided. Two fours were followed by two sixes off Usman’s final four balls as Perera plundered 22 off the over, and the shackles were broken thereafter. He made 37 off 18. Wasim took the baton and ran with it, clobbering Asif for 18 off the penultimate over. By the end, the Kings had somehow found their way to 175. At that stage, it seemed as if it might be enough, and but for Zazai, it might have been.Where they stand
The Kings, the defending champions, are eliminated, while the Zalmi will vie for a spot in the final with the Islamabad United on Tuesday. The winners of that game face the Multan Sultans in the final.

He will stay with the team for the T20 matches against India which follow the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2021Shane Bond will be part of New Zealand’s coaching set-up for the T20 World Cup and T20 matches in India which follow the tournament.Bond, a former bowling coach with the national side, will be in the UAE at the IPL with Mumbai Indians prior to the World Cup and New Zealand hope he will be able to provide valuable insight along with the group of players returning to their franchises.”Shane’s been in our environment before and understands what we’re about,” head coach Gary Stead said. “Being in the UAE immediately prior to the World Cup … he’ll hopefully bring some tactical insight into what’s been happening in the competition.”He’ll be an extra set of hands especially around the bowlers, working with the spin and the pace bowlers and developing their plans in a tournament that moves pretty quick – so we need to be one step ahead of other teams.Related

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“Shane’s been working away with New Zealand players for a long time and he’s been involved in our recent camps so it’s been good for him to reacquaint himself with our guys. He’s held in high regard and I know he’ll bring a lot of knowledge and opinions to the group.”Bond, who stepped down as Sydney Thunder coach in the BBL earlier this year, has been working with both the New Zealand men’s and women’s squads at their winter camps preparing for the upcoming tours.He will join Stead, Shane Jurgensen and Luke Ronchi as the coaching staff for the World Cup and India T20s.New Zealand were the first team to confirm their World Cup squad last week and will head into the tournament with tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan although will be without their IPL players for those series. Stead will also miss those two tours with Glenn Pocknall stepping in alongside assistants Graeme Aldridge and Thilan Samaraweera.

Dahiya played two Tests and 19 ODIs for India between November 2000 and April 2001

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2021Former India wicketkeeper-batter Vijay Dahiya has been appointed Uttar Pradesh’s head coach ahead of the upcoming Indian domestic season, which sees the return of the Ranji Trophy. He takes over from Gyanendra Pandey who has stepped down from the post.”We look forward to a fantastic journey for achieving all our dreams under his proven mentorship,” UPCA posted on Twitter.Dahiya brings with him the experience of coaching Delhi and being part of IPL backrooms in the past. He had worked with the Kolkata Knight Riders as an assistant coach and more recently performed a similar role for Delhi Capitals in the league.Dahiya played two Tests and 19 ODIs for India between November 2000 and April 2001. Dahiya had a more successful domestic career, effecting 159 dismissals in first-class cricket for Delhi. Only Surinder Khanna (171) and Punit Bisht (216) have claimed more victims among Delhi keepers in first-class cricket.UP will open their 2021-22 domestic campaign with a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 fixture against Chandigarh in a Group E clash on November 4.

The three games will all be day-night fixtures as part of the Super League, and will be held in Kandy

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2021Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are set to begin 2022 with three ODIs as part of the ICC Super League, with Sri Lanka hosting the series. The three games will be day-night fixtures scheduled for January 16, 18 and 21, and will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.Zimbabwe are currently placed bottom of the Super League table with two wins from their nine games, while Sri Lanka are sixth in the 13-team league, with four wins from 15 games. The Super League is a qualification path to the 2023 ODI World Cup, with the top eight teams qualifying directly, while the remaining five will be pooled with five Associate teams in a qualifying tournament. Two teams will go through to the World Cup from that tournament. By virtue of hosting the 2023 World Cup, India have automatically qualified, effectively making the Super League a battle for the next seven spots.Zimbabwe are currently tied on 25 points with the Netherlands, but have played five matches fewer.”Every game is very important for us because Super League games will decide who can qualify automatically, hence it is important that we prepare well and start well,” Zimbabwe head coach Lalchand Rajput said. “I am a very confident person and always believe that we can beat Sri Lanka, considering that we have had good game time playing the Pro50 tournament [Zimbabwe’s domestic List A competition].”Zimbabwe’s last ODI in the Super League was part of a three-match series against Ireland in September, which ended 1-1. The teams split points in the washed out second ODI. Sri Lanka also last played in the Super League in September, beating South Africa 2-1 in a home series.”We have not started off well in the Super League, but I am confident that with the players in form during the Pro50 matches, we will do well against Sri Lanka,” Rajput said. “If we play our best cricket and to our potential, with our best players, there is every chance that we can qualify directly.”