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Sri Lanka never recovered from Renuka’s early blows and couldn’t take a single wicket in India’s dominating chase

Ashish Pant04-Jul-2022A career-best four-wicket burst from Renuka Singh followed by clinical half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma helped India dominate the second ODI for a 10-wicket win and gain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Chasing 174, India made sure they learnt their lessons from their first outing when they scrapped home to a four-wicket victory chasing 172. Mandhana and Shafali looked much assured with their strokes as the duo piled on an unbeaten 174-run stand to see India through with 24.2 overs to spare. While Mandhana finished on 94 not out off 83 balls, Shafali remained unbeaten on career-best and run-a-ball 71.India’s chase was also the highest target successfully chased by a team without losing a wicket in women’s ODIs.It had rained heavily in Palleleke on the eve of the game but the weather cleared for an on-time start. Expecting the surface to offer something for the quick bowlers early, Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to bowl was vindicated with Renuka finding her lengths from the get-go. She rattled the Sri Lanka top order with three quick strikes and eventually finished with a career-best 4 for 28, improving on her three-wicket haul from the opening ODI.She started by breaching Hasini Perera’s defences off just the fourth ball of the innings, to remove her for a duck. The fast bowler then sent back 16-year-old debutant Vishmi Gunaratne, who took 14 balls for her three runs, before trapping Harshitha Samarawickrama lbw for a three-ball duck as Sri Lanka were reduced to 11 for 3 inside seven overs.Chamari Athapaththu, who for a change came in at No. 3, then provided some solidity to the innings. She had a slice of luck when on 3 she edged a full delivery to slip. There was a bit of confusion about whether or not it was a bump ball, and eventually, the third umpire upheld the on-field umpire’s soft signal of not out.Renuka Singh picked up three early wickets to put Sri Lanka on the back foot•Sri Lanka Cricket

Athapaththu soon opened up her shoulders, thrashing Pooja Vastrakar along the ground through the covers and then lofting Renuka over the same region. However, her luck soon ran out when she flicked a harmless Meghna Singh half-volley on the pads straight to Shafali at deep fine leg for 27.Vastrakar and Co adopted the short-ball policy and had the batters ducking and swaying for cover. Anushka Sanjeewani and Nilakshi de Silva held fort for a bit before Sanjeewani squeezed out a full-length delivery from Deepti Sharma to the on side and went about wandering carelessly. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia was quick to spot the opportunity and sprung across to flick the ball back onto the stumps, catching the batter short with the bat in the air.Another needless run out sent back Kavisha Dilhari as Sri Lanka slipped to 81 for 6 in the 25th over. Ama Kanchana and de Silva did stage some sort of a comeback adding 42 runs for the seventh wicket but they still found run-scoring tough. Deepti’s two wickets off the last two balls of the innings made sure the hosts were bowled out.Kanchana finished as Sri Lanka’s top-scorer with an unbeaten 47 off 83 balls while de Silva scored 32 off 62. In all, Sri Lanka hit just 11 fours and faced 191 dot balls. Two run outs too, did not help their cause.India, in stark contrast, faced just 55 dot balls and hit 15 fours and two sixes. Both Mandhana and Shafali were watchful initially but made sure they rotated the strike while collecting the odd boundaries. Mandhana got going with a couple of fours off Inoka Ranaweera before Shafali too got into the act by thumping Achini Kulasuriya over her head.The duo reached the 50-run mark in the ninth over and thereon collected a boundary nearly every over. In between, Sri Lanka gave two lives each to both openers. Shafali was dropped on 39 when she chipped a simple chance to long-on, and then again on 55 at deep midwicket. Mandhana was given a chance soon after she raised her 23rd ODI fifty by Ranaweera off her own bowling and then again on 77.Once both batters reached their fifties, they took the Sri Lanka attack to the cleaners. Mandhana even had a shot at completing her century when she smashed a six to go to 94 with India needing three to win. But a wide down the leg side from Kanchana spoiled her hopes of reaching the landmark. It was Shafali who sealed the win with a single to cover.Renuka was named the Player of the Match. The win also saw India move up on the Women’s Championship points table to second place with four points, behind South Africa, while Sri Lanka are on fourth position with just two points from five games.

Angelo Mathews was the rock in Sri Lanka’s middle order once again, soaking up all the pressure Pakistan created, and rebuilding from 35 for 3 to take the hosts to a commanding position

The Report by Abhishek Purohit05-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAngelo Mathews led another recovery effort•AFP

Angelo Mathews was the rock in Sri Lanka’s middle order once again, soaking up all the pressure Pakistan created, and rebuilding from 35 for 3 to take the hosts to a commanding position. Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak and Dinesh Chandimal supported their captain as Sri Lanka gradually stretched their lead to 291 until bad light ended play on another rain-hit day.It was typical Mathews resistance, blocking and blocking most of whatever Pakistan hurled at him, working the ball into gaps for singles and twos, and exploding into the odd emphatic boundary against the run of play. The few times he was beaten during his 177-ball stay, he shrugged and concentrated harder.

Smart Stats

3 Sri Lankan bowlers who took three wickets during the first innings – Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep and Tharindu Kaushal. This is the first time three Sri Lankan bowlers have taken three wickets each in a home Test.

3 Wicket-keepers who have scored 1000-plus Test runs at an average of 50 or more – Andy Flower, AB de Villiers and Sarfraz Ahmed. Sarfraz has now scored 1157 runs in 18 Tests at an average of 50.30, including three hundreds and seven fifties.

11 Instances since 2011 where Sri Lanka have lost their first two wickets for 25 runs or less in a home Test, the second-most for any Test nation after West Indies, who have suffered this fate on 17 occasions. Sri Lanka were 22 for 2 in their second innings in Pallekele.

0 Runs scored by Imran Khan in five Tests. No other player (as of today) has played more than three Tests without scoring a single run. It is, however, worth noting that Imran has only played two innings in these five Tests. He was dismissed for a duck during Pakistan’s first innings this Test.

1 Number of Sri Lankan batsmen who have scored 500-plus runs at a 50-plus average when batting at No. 5 – Angelo Mathews is the only one. Second and third on the list are Aravinda de Silva (48.45) and Thilan Samaraweera (47.59)

The pitch slowed down as the day progressed, although the legspinner Yasir Shah started turning and bouncing it from the line of off. Although Yasir gave it everything in a 25-over spell of 2 for 70, Sri Lanka dearly needed this effort from their captain to recover from the jolts Rahat Ali and co had delivered.Sri Lanka had taken two overs to dismiss last man Imran Khan in the morning, making absolutely no attempt to target Sarfraz Ahmed, who was left stranded on 78. But Rahat led a stirring fightback from Pakistan after they had conceded a 63-run first-innings lead.Ehsan Adil played his part but Rahat was the standout bowler for Pakistan, bowling with sustained pace and control, varying his lengths and extracting bounce and movement off the pitch and in the air.Consistently taking it away from the left-handers, Rahat straightened two rippers past the defenses of Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne, the latter’s 11-ball duck ending with a swinging yorker.Using the short ball sparingly, Rahat created doubts in the minds of the batsmen, and both Karunaratne and Thirimanne were caught half-forward after being beaten numerous times. Thirimanne was also hit on the base of the arm guard as he ducked into a lifter, and had to take treatment on the field.Adil created similar issues for the right-handed Silva, hitting a tight line and length outside off and moving it away. Silva is a difficult batsman to bowl to, his tendency to play with soft hands ensuring most edges don’t carry to the cordon. But the kind of effort Pakistan were putting, and the zip they were generating, even Silva could not avoid nicking one for Misbah-ul-Haq to take a sharp, low catch at first slip.Rain reprieved Sri Lanka immediately after the third wicket fell, and Tharanga and Mathews batted positively upon resumption in the few overs until lunch.Mathews survived a review for leg-before off Rahat at the stroke of lunch, but Pakistan did not review when Imran hit Tharanga’s pad first ball after the interval. They were probably confused by the two sounds, but one of them was that of Tharanga’s bat crashing into his pad. Tharanga was on 29 then, and went on to hit a few more boundaries in a 47-ball 48 before popping one off the inside edge to short leg off Yasir.Rahat, in such fine rhythm in the first session, was introduced in the second only after Tharanga fell. His second and third spells lacked the threat of the first, and it was Adil who created problems for Mubarak with a hint of reverse, beating the left-hander often outside off.Mubarak was solid after another shower forced tea to be taken early, and played some superbly-timed drives through extra cover. Mubarak and Mathews doubled the score from 80 for 4 till the former fell in the short-leg trap to Yasir for 35.Chandimal’s arrival quickened the pace of scoring, and he comfortably worked the ball off the back foot as Pakistan started to flag. He progressed to 39 smoothly, and with Mathews inching to 77, Sri Lanka’s lead was in touching distance of 300. Only twice has a target more than that been achieved in a Test in Sri Lanka, and a visiting side has never done it.

Luke Ronchi says that leaving the ball early on forced the Bangladesh bowlers to bowl to the New Zealand batters’ strengths

Mohammad Isam09-Jan-2022New Zealand are on their way to a mammoth first-innings total against Bangladesh in Christchurch, and they have set it up by doing what they are happiest doing: stick to their basics and forcing the bowlers to bowl at them.According to batting coach Luke Ronchi, the trio of Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway left the ball well early in their respective innings, which frustrated the bowlers. They lost Young for 54, but rode on Latham’s unbeaten 186 and Conway’s 99 not out to end the first day on 349 for 1.Related

• Tom Latham lauds New Zealand's 'perfect performance'

• Ross Taylor: 'All good things have to come to an end'

• Latham, Conway, Young push Bangladesh to a corner

“A massive part of it was to do the basics well and right for a long period of time,” Ronchi said. “We did it quite well at the Mount [Maunganui] but we let ourselves down in periods that brought Bangladesh back into the game. We did it for the whole day today. The guys were amazing.”We also put pressure on to their spin bowling. In the last game, we let them bowl a bit too much. Today, there was a bit of emphasis on putting him [Mehidy Hasan Miraz] under pressure so that they bring on the quick bowlers back a bit more. It worked quite nicely for us today.”The plan to take on Mehidy paid off, as the offspinner had none for 95 from his 25 overs, having conceded nine fours and a six.It was particularly crucial for Latham to get a big score following his failures in Mount Maunganui. This was Latham’s first hundred as a Test captain too, and one that came in a pressure situation, after he had lost the toss.”Leading into the series, his mindset has been amazing. We had some work between Tests. What we saw today was amazing,” Ronchi said. “You will get a bit of luck on green surfaces but also you have make the most of it. Some of his drives, the sound it made off the bat was awesome. It was a fantastic day for both Tom, Devon and Young.”I have seen some amazing innings from him [Latham] in all formats. He has the temperament and confidence through the work he puts in between Tests. His numbers as a New Zealand opener is fantastic. He is a good leader in the group.”Ronchi didn’t expect Conway to be too perturbed about being on 99 overnight.”Dev is a different individual. He is more than happy to be on whatever score, and still be batting,” Ronchi said. “He will have his sleep tonight, and start again tomorrow. He will just be Devon Conway. He has put out some outrageous numbers from the winter to this summer. It is a pleasure watching him bat.”With 186 against his name, and New Zealand likely to look to bat Bangladesh out of the game, Latham could well have a really big score lined up.”Just let him get as many as he can,” Ronchi said. “You always want to see things like that [the triple-century mark] broken. It is about doing his processes as he has done so well in this innings, and starting again tomorrow. It is the best way we perform. Keep batting and make a really substantial team score.”

Marlon Samuels’ troubles with the bat continued but he starred with the ball, his 3 for 10 delivering the Antigua Hawksbills their first victory of the campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarlon Samuels’ 3 for 10 wrecked St Lucia Zouks’ chase•Getty Images

Marlon Samuels’ troubles with the bat continued but he starred with the ball to deliver the Antigua Hawksbills their first victory of the campaign. In front of a noisy crowd at Gros Islet, Antigua beat the home side St Lucia Zouks in a contest where most batsmen found it hard to time the ball.St Lucia choose to bowl but Kieran Powell began with a burst of boundaries to give Antigua a sprightly start. After he holed out for 27, his opening partner Johnson Charles began to find his touch. By the time Charles was dismissed in the 11th over, Antigua were well placed at 86 for 2.However, the two biggest names in the Antigua batting – Samuels and Ricky Ponting – continued to struggle. Ponting had a heated exchange with fast bowler Tino Best, was reprieved on being run-out after colliding with the bowler Albie Morkel and narrowly avoided being stumped before falling for 20. Samuels’ lean run was extended when he was unluckily run-out by the bowler Darren Sammy, who deflected a straight drive on to the non-striker’s stumps. Devon Thomas, though, provided the acceleration towards the end with some clean hitting that lifted Antigua to 166.Despite the rains around, the St Lucia surface was expected to be batting-friendly and the target wasn’t something the home side would have been unhappy with. Andre Fletcher started the chase with two sixes and two fours in a 7-ball 20 and before a shower interrupted play, Antigua raced to 34 for 1 in three overs.Play resumed after a 20-minute delay, but St Lucia’s innings never regained the early momentum. Herschelle Gibbs looked woefully out of touch in his short stay, Misbah-ul-Haq couldn’t repeat the heroics of the previous game, and Tamim Iqbal couldn’t hit top gear. Samuels turned the game with his darted offbreaks, getting the wickets of Tamim, Misbah and finally Sammy to wreck St Lucia’s chase.

Ben Compton, Jordan Cox score half-centuries but Kent fail to get out of jail on final day

ECB Reporters Network24-Apr-2022Hampshire routed Kent by an innings and 51 runs in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury, after dismissing the hosts for 296 in their second innings on day four. Kyle Abbott took 5 for 29, mopping up Kent’s tail with three wickets from four balls, while Felix Organ spun his way to 3 for 63 as the visitors secured a maximum 24 points, while Kent managed just four.Ben Compton and Jordan Cox had given Kent hope of a draw after batting through the morning session on day four, but they were out for 89 and 64 respectively after lunch. Cox’s dismissal was particularly contentious as he was given caught off a delivery that seemed to hit his thigh, but having been outplayed for most of the match Kent could have few complaints about the final result.Home hopes of avoiding a second consecutive defeat seemed to hinge largely on Division One’s leading run scorer Compton, who had come within maybe 40 minutes of getting them out of a far tighter situation against Lancashire the previous Sunday.He had scored 37 of the hosts’ overnight tally of 78 for 3, but they were still 269 behind when play resumed. Mohammad Abbas found his edge when he was on 49, but the chance didn’t carry and he took a single from the next ball to reach his half-century.Cox, on 3 overnight, played and missed at Barker when on 13 and a googly from Mason Crane somehow eluded his stumps and went for four byes, but otherwise he offered few chances and at lunch Kent were 161 for 3, with the visiting bowlers getting increasingly frustrated.Keith Barker broke through 15 minutes into the afternoon session when Compton was given out caught behind to a leg side delivery. Whether it was out of disappointment or anger, Compton was shaking his head as he trudged back to the pavilion and Ollie Robinson was out for 9 in the next over. The skipper hit Organ for boundaries off the first two balls but edged the third to Ben Brown.By now Organ was extracting some serious turn, but Darren Stevens brought up 200 for Kent when he swiped him for six and Cox hit Abbas through cow corner to pass fifty for the second time in the match.Stevens should have been out when he hit a rank full toss from Mason Crane straight to Liam Dawson, but the fielder spilled the catch. The game’s most controversial moment came when Cox was given out, caught at short leg by Joe Weatherley off Organ, to a ball that replays showed had initially hit him halfway up the thigh. Abbas then accounted for Matt Milnes, who misjudged a pull shot and was caught by Weatherley for 13.Hamid Qadri joined Stevens and survived till tea, at which point Kent were 287 for 7, but he fell to the third ball after the restart, edging Abbott behind for 11. Abbott’s next ball removed Nathan Gilchrist for a golden duck, caught by Weatherley at short leg. Jackson Bird hit Abbott’s hat-trick ball for four but he was lbw to the next delivery, leaving Stevens unbeaten on 41 as Hampshire celebrated raucously on the pitch.

England women orchestrated two mini-collapses – one at the start and one in the middle-overs – to secure victory over Australia women in the second ODI at Hove and draw level

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2013
ScorecardKatherine Brunt picked up two wickets, including that of top-scorer Jess Cameron•Getty Images

England’s bowlers orchestrated two mini-collapses – one at the start and one in the middle-overs – to secure victory over Australia in the second ODI at Hove and draw level in the Ashes. Jess Cameron tried her best to keep Australia in the lead, but her lone stand of 81 was in vain.England’s defence of a 257-run target was near perfect as they dismissed Meg Lanning and Rachel Haynes for nought each. Cameron, coming in at No. 3, held one end steady and her 63-run partnership with Jodie Fields looked to put Australia back on the right track, but a spell of three wickets in five overs, beginning in the 29th with Jenny Gunn’s sharp return catch to remove Alex Blackwell, brought England back into the ascendancy.Jess Jonassen herded the tail during a run-a-ball 34 but she ran out of partners and Australia were bundled out in the 49th over. Seamer Kathrine Brunt and left-arm spinner Holly Colvin picked up two wickets each for England.Having won the toss, England put in a solid batting performance led by Charlotte Edwards, who scored her second fifty of the series, this time a match-winning effort.A 70-run stand between Edwards and Sarah Taylor was followed by a 77-run fourth-wicket partnership between Lydia Greenway and Arran Brindle that laid the foundation for the charge at the death as England made 41 runs off the last five overs. Left-arm spinner Jonassen continued her form with the ball, picking up 2 for 29 to go with the four wickets she took in the first game.Both teams have four points each heading into the third ODI on Sunday.

West Indies will likely have to replace the injured Fidel Edwards

Andrew McGlashan12-Jul-2021

Big Picture

In the space of barely 24 hours this series is potentially one match away from being decided. Australia need to win to keep things alive, a position they found themselves in on the New Zealand tour which will give them some encouragement that a rebound is possible but West Indies’ confidence will be high after their two victories.West Indies have a few problems at the top of the order, but the way they built a big total on Saturday with the 103-run stand between Shimron Hetmyer and Dwayne Bravo, with a sprinkling of Andre Russell at the end, followed by their performance with the ball was clinical.Australia were anything but. And while there is perhaps some mitigation that can be handed to them it is worth remembering what England are achieving against Pakistan having had to select an new side. However, with key names missing, more is needed from Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc.Though he has yet to feature due to injury, the pre-series words of Kieron Pollard where he called for patience with Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran are carrying some weight. Hetmyer has now produced the highest score of his T20I innings and Pooran is riding at 100% as captain.Related

• Can Chris Gayle break out of the funk and reach the end goal of a third world title?

• Stats – All the records that Australia's batting collapse broke

• West Indies go 2-0 up as Australia fold for 140

• 'It's about guiding the younger players' – Bravo's experience shows WI the way

Form guide

(last five completed matches)
West Indies WWLWL
Australia LLLWWLL

In the spotlight

Hayden Walsh Jr can have the occasional problem controlling his length but Australia are finding him a handful. The visitors might benefit from having another left hander in the middle order, but the only option in the squad would be Alex Carey. With six wickets in two matches Walsh is well placed to challenge Bravo’s haul of 10 from the previous series against South Africa.Mitchell Starc‘s figures after two games are not pretty: 8-0-89-0. Before this series, he had not conceded more than two sixes in any T20 game. In the first T20I, he was hit for three and second five sixes – the joint second-most an Australia quick bowler has been hit for in an innings. However, he is generally a player who gets better with more work after a lay-off.

Team news

If Pollard remains unfit Pooran will continue to lead the side. Fidel Edwards picked up an arm injury in the second match so Obed McCoy would be a likely replacement after being rested although if they want a right-armer Oshane Thomas is part of the squad.West Indies (possible) 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Hayden Walsh Jr, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Sheldon CottrellAustralia’s senior assistant coach Andrew McDonald floated the notion of strengthening the specialist pace-bowling although that would require a change of balance to the side unless Ashton Agar was left out. Jason Behrendorff, Riley Meredith, AJ Tye and the uncapped Wes Agar are the other fast bowlers in the squad. Ashton Turner, who is more of a specialist middle-order batter, could be an option to replace Ben McDermott.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Josh Philippe, 5 Moises Henriques, 6 Ben McDermott/Ashton Turner, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Ashton Agar, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

There will be a new surface for the third match of the series. McDonald admitted that conditions had been different to what Australia had initially expected for this series with more pace and carry in the pitches. The strong crosswind has also been a significant factor which West Indies have used to good effect. The forecast is for a dry evening.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have lost 7 for 38 and 7 for 39 in the first two matches of the series
• Chris Gayle’s T20I average has fallen below 30 for the first time since the third match of his career in 2007

Quotes

“I think it was one of my best T20 innings. I think I paced it quite well. It really worked out well for me with the guys backing me to be the guy to just take it as deep as possible.”
“Disappointing we could get the chase done but the understand was we learnt a lot of that. Game two, we were just outplayed. That’s one in the T20 format, you put a lot of planning and prep into it, they just outdid us. They put us under great pressure with the ball. Can happen in T20 where you have the blowout.”

An imperious 157 from Samit Patel rescued Nottinghamshire from Chris Jordan-induced turmoil, after the Sussex bowler took 5 for 83

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove31-May-2013
ScorecardChris Jordan’s form continued with five wickets on day one•Getty Images

It was a day of two opposing stars at Hove, as an imperious 157 from Samit Patel rescued Nottinghamshire from Chris Jordan-induced turmoil, after the Sussex bowler took 5 for 83. This was a rarity, in that both sides will be satisfied with the position of the game at stumps, while also championing one of their own. But Ed Joyce, Sussex’s captain, would be irked at not earning a chance to bat, especially after calling correctly and having Nottinghamshire 62 for 4 at lunch.Coming in with the ball just over 20 overs old, there was still a great deal for Patel to overcome, particularly as Jordan was settling into a rhythm that he did not look like syncing out of. Patel played within himself at the start and, for a moment, it looked like he would fall victim to Jordan at any moment.But Patel kept at it, first taking runs off Steve Magoffin, before getting the measure of Jordan with 10 runs – a cover drive for four, a tuck of the legs for two and another four in front of point – which took him to 52 in 77 balls. From then on he was at his fluent best – pushing the ball into gaps with the sort of precision that England miss in the 50-over game.The subject of a viral video no more than a month ago after an aborted run out left him nursing a bruised ego and coccyx, his running between the wickets was masterful. Perhaps brought about by a return to full spikes or improved fitness, he seemingly waltzed his way to 91 before going to three figures with a hop and a skip for six over long on and a slap through cover for four – both off Monty Panesar.He then upped the rate, eventually hitting Panesar, who spent most of his overs overcorrecting whenever Patel rumbled him, out of the attack. It was only a further 41 balls before he brought up his 150, by which time Ajmal Shahzad proved how capable he could be with the bat, as he timed some nice drives in between some useful pushes to give Patel the strike.The morning session belonged to Sussex – specifically, Jordan, who had a hand in all of the four wickets to fall before lunch. Fast bowlers shaped like cruiserweight boxers seem to be the new trend, but what strikes you about the great Barbadian hype is how naturally he carries himself.His run up displays light feet, with a natural action that seems to flow as he’s on the way down from his low leap. In his first 10 overs, not one ball seemed to elicit even a grunt, yet each was delivered at the same ferocity – mid-80s mph, they say – in two spells, from both ends, in which he returned figures of 3 for 16.His athleticism was evident in Sussex’ YB40 clash with Warwickshire on Thursday as he took a stunning one-handed catch, diving to his left at wide first slip, and he reinforced his credentials in that position by holding on to a tricky low catch off Steve Magoffin to send Michael Lumb on his way.But Nottinghamshire regrouped after the loss of Steven Mullaney early in the afternoon session as Patel oversaw a 50-run partnership with Chris Read (18), and 92 with Paul Franks (36) before he took his side past 300 with Ajmal Shahzad by the end of the 89th over.But when he did fall – caught by Joyce after trying to hook a ball that wasn’t quite short enough – he looked rightfully dismayed. It was the only legitimate chance he gave.

India will tour Zimbabwe for a series of five one-dayers starting July 24 and ending on August 3, the BCCI has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2013

Schedule

• July 24 – 1st ODI, Harare

• July 26 – 2nd ODI, Harare

• July 28- 3rd ODI, Harare

• July 31 – 4th ODI, Bulawayo

• August 3 – 5th ODI, Bulawayo

India will tour Zimbabwe for a series of five one-dayers starting July 24 and ending on August 3, the BCCI has confirmed. It will be India’s next international assignment after their tri-series in the West Indies that concludes on July 11.The first three one-dayers will be played in Harare, with the last two in Bulawayo. India had confirmed their tour following a BCCI working committee meeting earlier this month. The trip had earlier been put on hold, with the board citing the ‘fatigue factor.’ It is uncertain at this stage if the selectors will stick to a full-strength squad.When India last went to Zimbabwe, in 2010, Suresh Raina captained a young side, and didn’t make it to the final of the one-day tri-series.

The PCB has said Multan was the most feasible venue given the need to create a bio-secure environment

Umar Farooq28-May-2021Over the next 30 days, Multan is expected to experience temperatures hovering well over 40 degrees, with a predicted high of 44 degrees. A 26-member Pakistan Women contingent will train in these extreme conditions from May 29 to June 22, as part of the team’s preparations for the 50-over Women’s World Cup Qualifier that is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in December.While acknowledging the severity of the conditions, the PCB has said it had few other options but to train in Multan, given numerous challenges including the need to prepare a bio-secure bubble in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.Historically during the summer months, the PCB has mostly held its camps in the city of Abbottabad, which is located in the hilly Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and experiences relatively milder weather than the lower-altitude regions of the country where temperatures often rise above 45 degrees and occasionally touch 50 degrees. But the venue isn’t seen as being feasible for the creation of a bio-secure bubble.Karachi could have been an option too, but the city is presently facing a surge in Covid-19 cases, while grounds in Central Punjab, according to Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the PCB’s women’s selection committee, are presently undergoing repair work.”Each venue had its own challenges around the pandemic,” Mumtaz told ESPNcricinfo. “Multan was the only feasible facility available as a package. It has the ground, gym, and accommodation within one block, and it’s easy to maintain the bio-secure bubble there.”But we are conscious and mindful of the extreme weather conditions, and that is why we have scheduled the training sessions to avoid the hottest part of the day. We are starting early in the morning and ending by midday, giving them ample rest in the day, and we’ll start again in the evening.”After the camp concludes, Pakistan Women could return to action after a five-month gap. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB and SLC are in talks for a potential series in Sri Lanka in July.Pakistan Women’s last international fixture was in Zimbabwe, where they won the first ODI before the remainder of the series was cancelled when Emirates Airlines, the Pakistan team’s carrier, announced it would suspend its operations in the Harare-Dubai route eight days before their scheduled departure.Before that, Pakistan Women had toured South Africa, where they lost the ODI series 3-0, and won the third and final T20I to deny the hosts another series sweep.Since the aborted Zimbabwe tour, Pakistan Women haven’t played any international cricket, but a group of 26 players underwent a skills and fitness camp in Karachi, similar to the one that is being organised in Multan.”We need to understand these challenges especially given the situation with Covid, which changes dramatically every other day. But the board is determined to continue to invest in the women’s game and we make sure our girls remain connected to the game so that they don’t get rusty,” Mumtaz said. “Women’s calendar hasn’t been as busy as the men’s has been so far, so it’s important to keep the girls engaged with the elite panel of coaching staff.”The Multan camp, according to the PCB, will be held in a bio-secure environment, with the players and support staff undergoing pre-arrival Covid-19 tests on Thursday. All those who tested negative are meant to assemble at the National High-Performance Centre in Lahore today and will travel to Multan by road. The players and support staff will be tested upon arrival in Multan and will subsequently go into isolation. Those who test negative will commence training in groups from May 31. The groups will be allowed to train together as units subject to testing negative for a third time on June 4.Players called up for Multan camp: Aliya Riaz, Aiman Anwer, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah.