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Riley Meredith’s opening spell was key as Hurricanes held off a late rally to set up a home BBL final

Tristan Lavalette21-Jan-2025Speedster Riley Meredith shook up Sydney Sixers’ top-order in a ferocious opening spell before Hobart Hurricanes held off a late rally to set up a home BBL grand final.With Sixers chasing 174 in the Qualifier at Bellerive Oval, Meredith bent his back and rattled a batting line-up no longer with the services of Steven Smith. Sixers were in disarray at 5 for 3 before Kurtis Patterson, Jordan Silk and Lachlan Shaw provided fight.Needing 21 runs off the final over, Sixers fell well short with Shaw and Ben Dwarshuis thwarted by accurate death bowling from Chris Jordan.Sixers will host the Challenger on Friday and face the winner of tomorrow’s elimination final between Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars.Hurricanes – chasing their first title – will have plenty of time to rest before hosting the decider on January 27.Meredith sizzles with pace over 150kphOnly Lance Morris can challenge Meredith’s status as the fastest bowler in Australia. After having a breather in the regular-season finale against Melbourne Stars, a refreshed Meredith was fired-up and bowled the fieriest spell of the season.He claimed opener Josh Philippe for a duck in the opening over with a short delivery at 150kph that hurried onto the batter, whose pull shot was skied straight up in the air.After Cameron Gannon dismissed Jack Edwards for a duck, Meredith unleashed a torrid third over and had captain Moises Henriques edging to first slip, where Ben McDermott took a terrific catch diving to his left.He bowled a fierce bouncer clocked at 152 kph straight away to Silk in a delivery that was the fastest this season across any format. Meredith was well supported by Gannon, who had 2 for 10 from 3 overs in just his second BBL match after being an injury replacement for Billy Stanlake.Kurtis Patterson led Sydney Sixers’ fightback•Getty Images

Silk, Patterson fight in vain After such a disastrous start, Sixers mustered their wealth of experience to slowly get back in the hunt. Opener Patterson, replacing Smith, had watched all the carnage at the other end but he was unaffected and combined with SIlk in a 75-run partnership.Patterson has had a career revival in the Sheffield Shield, but it hasn’t translated to BBL success this season. But he batted fluently and notched Sixers’ 50 with a six after dispatching legspinner Peter Hatzoglou for six over deep midwicket.Patterson holed out on 48 in the 12th over, but Silk and youngster Shaw added another half-century partnership to give Sixers a glimmer of hope. But Silk fell with Sixers needing 31 off 9 balls and the task proved beyond big-hitter Dwarshuis.Another flier for Owen, late David fireworksMitchell Owen amid a breakout season has built a reputation as the BBL’s most formidable hitter in the powerplay. He further cemented his standing with another blistering display of power hitting after smashing 36 off 15 balls.Owen couldn’t find his timing from the get-go, but it didn’t matter as he still muscled a six down the ground in a 15-run first over off Edwards. Opening partner Caleb Jewell wisely was intent on giving the strike to Owen, who greeted Sixers debutant Mitchell Perry with a six over backward point.Owen scored 29 of Hurricanes’ 31 runs in the opening two overs as he added another six by dispatching Dwarshuis over midwicket. A massive score beckoned at 43-0 after 3 overs, but they were pegged back once Owen fell immediately after the powerplay.Mitchell Owen got off to a solid start•Getty Images

After starting the season as an opener, Matthew Wade had moved down the order and effectively fulfilled the finishing role on a couple of occasions but was promoted to No.3.He didn’t last long thanks to brilliance in the field from Edwards as Hurricanes were forced to rebuild with Jewell and McDermott struggling for boundaries in the middle overs.Jewell was knocked over by Dwarshuis for 41 in the power surge, taken in the 15th over, and that was probably a good result for Hurricanes as Tim David started with an edge that flew to the boundary followed by a six over the legside.His presence lifted McDermott, who got going late in the power surge with a huge six over midwicket off left-arm quick Hayden Kerr followed by a drive down the ground. David took over with typical late fireworks, hitting 25 off 10 balls, as Hurricanes finished strongly.Edwards’ brilliant catch sparks Sixers’ fightbackAfter being pummelled by Owen in the powerplay, Sixers mustered their experience to peg Hurricanes back. It started with Kerr cleverly mixing his lengths – in a template for the pace attack – to concede just four runs in the fourth over.Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner playing his third BBL game, entered the attack after the powerplay and bravely tossed the ball up to Owen, whose eyes lit up but he couldn’t clear deep midwicket.Sixers were back in the game when Edwards brilliantly caught Wade at backward point in one of the best catches of the tournament. It was hit like a bullet, but the high-flying Edwards clung on with his right hand stretched in the air.Chohan bowled well and also claimed the wicket of McDermott but he finished on a sour note when David hit a half-tracker for six. He finished with 2 for 28 off 4 overs, but Sixers were left to rue sloppy bowling in the backend.

He has not captained a state team at senior level before, and is also working on his bowling to become a more rounded cricketer

Shashank Kishore20-Dec-2024Rinku Singh has been appointed Uttar Pradesh captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s 50-over domestic competition, beginning on December 21. He takes over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who led UP at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy that finished last week, where they lost to Delhi in the quarter-final.It’s the first time that Rinku will captain a state team at the senior level. Earlier this year, he led Meerut Mavericks to the UPT20 League title, scoring 210 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 161.54 largely as a finisher.”It was a big opportunity for me to lead Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 League, and I am happy that I could deliver,” Rinku said ahead of their Vijay Hazare Trophy opener. “I really enjoyed captaincy as it allowed me to learn many things.”I did try my hand at bowling [offspin] too at the UPT20 league. Present-day cricket demands a full package – a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field. Now I am focusing on my bowling too. As captain of Uttar Pradesh, I have got a bigger role to play, and I’m ready for this.”Rinku’s promotion in the UP team comes at a time when Kolkata Knight Riders, his IPL franchise, are mulling their captaincy options ahead of IPL 2025. He has been part of the KKR setup since 2018, and was retained ahead of the mega auction in November, along with Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy and Ramandeep Singh.”I am not thinking too much about the captaincy of KKR in the new IPL season,” Rinku said. “I am focused on my plans for Uttar Pradesh, as I want my team to regain the trophy we had won for the first time in 2015-16.”The Vijay Hazare Trophy will help give the national selectors insight on players when they pick India’s ODI squad for the Champions Trophy in February. While Rinku has become a regular for India in T20Is, he has so far played just two ODIs, having made his debut a year ago in South Africa.Rinku’s overall List A numbers are impressive. He has scored 1899 runs in 52 innings at an average of 48.69, and has a strike rate of 94.8, with one hundred and 17 half-centuries. Rinku, though, isn’t looking at the Vijay Hazare Trophy as an India audition.”I believe in God,” he said. “I didn’t even think of being part of team India when I struck five consecutive sixes in the IPL last year. That turned out to be the biggest game changer in my life. Even now I feel that if God has decided something for me, I will get that surely. But at the same time, I also need to work hard on my job.”UP begin their campaign against Jammu and Kashmir on December 21, and then have games against Mizoram (December 23), Tamil Nadu (December 26), Chhattisgarh (December 28), Chandigarh (December 31) and Vidarbha (January 3).

India lost Pant and Rahul on either side of lunch, but Jadeja and Reddy dug in despite a few mix-ups and a fiery Archer spell

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2025

KL Rahul celebrates his second century at Lord’s•Getty Images

Tea The shockwaves of one mistake – virtually the only one India made on the third morning – reverberated through the rest of play as India slipped from a commanding position. Rishabh Pant was run-out looking to get KL Rahul on strike for his century before lunch. Rahul fell for exactly 100 after lunch. Jofra Archer produced a hair-raising spell of fast bowling. England were desperate to break through but it was not to be. India now trail them by 72 runs. Both teams could’ve made their situations better.India lost both their set batters in the space of 11 balls. The two who replaced them at the crease looked like they were incompatible. Ravindra Jadeja tried to sneak a single in the middle of an lbw appeal and Nitish Kumar Reddy wasn’t alert to it. He could’ve been run out on 0, twice. He saw the ball fly past his edge. He got hit on the helmet. But he wouldn’t succumb. And neither would Jadeja.England sensed an opportunity dragging India from 248 for 3 to 254 for 5. Stokes gambled with a four-over spell from Archer with the new ball just around the corner. Lord’s lived every ball, most of them sent down at 90mph, causing the crowd to ooooh and aaah. Stokes gambled again, bringing Archer back with only half an hour between spells to maximise that new ball. But this time he was wayward. Jadeja and Reddy could leave 11 of the first 24 balls with the second new ball and bit by bit their nerves settled. In the end, they were able to put on a fifty partnership.Rahul carried India’s batting, and secured a new high for them. They’ve made eight hundreds on this tour, a record for an away series. Repeatedly, he talks about the discrepancy between effort and reward. When he does so, it is almost tempting to extrapolate that he’d learned that lesson the hardest way possible. Obsessing about his lack of success and doubling down on his prep work in desperate search for a change.At some point though, he realised he needed to let go, which is funny because one time, in South Africa, he started speaking about how letting go of the ball was where his joy was. Bit by bit, his focus turned from scoring runs to just being the best batter he can be. Well, in this series, he’s made two hundreds in three Tests. Shoaib Bashir produced a beauty to get rid of him, an offbreak that drifted away at the last second to snag the outside edge. Bashir’s participation in the game was curtailed after that with the offspinner picking up a finger injury when Jadeja hit the ball back at him.Pant looked good as well, batting through an injury to his left hand, putting aside his discomfort to produce moments only he can. Reverse scoops. Fall away scoops. Sixes to the first ball of spin. He needed help from the physio to stay out there but for the most part he was good, until the last over before lunch when he thought he was helping his team-mate by sneaking a single to cover. Ben Stokes was aware of the situation, and as he ran in from cover, he had an easier throw at the keeper’s end, but chose to go the other way and sent Pant packing. The celebrations that followed were almost angry. A sign that England hadn’t enjoyed being second best this morning, though not for a lack of effort.

Adelaide, meanwhile, has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024Australia and England will play a one-off Test at the MCG in March 2027 to mark 150 years of the format. The confirmation of the anniversary fixture in Melbourne came as Cricket Australia [CA] and state governments announced that the MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval had locked in seven-year staging agreements for their regular Tests.The Test in 2027 will replicate the Centenary Test of 1977 which Australia won by 45 runs, matching the margin of the first Test played in 1877. In 1977, Rod Marsh and Derek Randall struck centuries while Dennis Lillee claimed 11 wickets.The annual Boxing Day (Melbourne) and New Year’s Tests (Sydney) have been guaranteed in until 2030-31 while Adelaide has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test after the South Australia government made a pitch for the New Year’s Test.Although the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) is only inked up to early 2027, England and India have confirmed tours in the four years after that.Related

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• Australia-England 150th anniversary Test in 2027 will be a pink-ball day-night match

• Australia-England Test to mark 150 years of Tests scheduled for March 11 in 2027

• Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

• Is this the end for the Gabba?

Meanwhile, Optus Stadium in Perth will host the opening Test of the season for the next three seasons. Mike Baird, the Cricket Australia chair, said that it was the Western Australian government’s decision not to seek a longer deal. That means next year’s Ashes will start in the west rather than the traditional Gabba in Brisbane. They will then host New Zealand at the start of the 2026-27 season.The future of Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics and only the next two seasons – matches against India and England – have been confirmed with a chance the Gabba doesn’t host a Test for a considerable time after that. The 2026-27 season will be the first time in 50 years that the Gabba won’t host a Test.”In Brisbane it is harder [to plan] because of the infrastructure,” Baird said. “There is just uncertainty, so we’re not sure of the long-term solution. What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution.”We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Adelaide is the traditional home of day-night Test cricket having hosted seven of the 12 matches held in Australia although the new agreement does not guarantee that all future Tests there will be pink-ball encounters and the 2025-26 Ashes Test will be a red-ball game with Brisbane hosting the day-nighter. Adelaide Oval will also host a New Year’s Eve BBL game for the next seven years.England will tour for a five-match Ashes series in 2025-26 and New Zealand will be the visitors in 2026-27. The latter series will be extended to four Tests from the original three on the FTP and be played in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia are then due to tour India for five Tests in January and February 2027.With the additional anniversary Test, there is a potential squeeze on the calendar in March 2027 with Australia due to host Bangladesh in two matches which are part of the World Test Championship. There is a chance those games will be moved although under the current WTC structure would need to be played ahead of the June 2027 final.Although rival states made attempts to take the marquee Christmas and New Year Tests off Melbourne and Sydney it was always an unlikely outcome. Beyond 2026-27 there could be an opportunity for other venues to compete for a Test should the Gabba be unavailable which would bring Hobart and Canberra into the mix. Tasmania has ambitions to host indoor Test cricket at their proposed new multipurpose stadium although that won’t be available until at least 2028.The staging agreements confirmed on Sunday are one of the final big projects completed by outgoing CA CEO Nick Hockley who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down next March.A future schedule for women’s internationals will be confirmed in the coming months when the next FTP is complete but Adelaide has been guaranteed an ODI or T20I every season.

Cricket Australia match allocations

New South WalesSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s New Year’s Test each summerQueenslandTwo seasons (2024/25 & 2025/26)
Confirmed matches: 1 Men’s Test to be played prior to 30 December each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summerSouth AustraliaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Day/Night Test vs India (2024/25), Men’s Christmas Test (2025/26 to 2030/31), 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer, 1 Women’s T20/ODI each summer and BBL match on New Year’s Eve each summerVictoriaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Boxing Day Test each summer, Women’s 90th Anniversary Day/Night Test vs England in 2024/25 and Men’s 150th Anniversary Test vs England in 2026/27Western AustraliaThree seasons (2024/25 to 2026/27)
Confirmed matches: First Men’s Test each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer

A landing failure of a small aircraft in Barbados has resulted in the South African team, along with ICC officials, being delayed by nearly six hours

Sidharth Monga27-Jun-2024The final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies, a tournament already affected by logistical challenges and ambitiously short turnarounds between matches, has not been spared from operational issues.A landing failure of a small private aircraft at the Grantley Adams airport in Barbados has resulted in the South Africa team, their families, commentators, match officials and ICC officials being stranded at the Trinidad airport. The Barbados airport was closed for inspections by the Civil Aviation Authority and the Barbados Police Service.Moments before they were about to take off from Trinidad, the pilots received the information of the runway closure in Bridgetown.”It appeared that the landing gear of the private aircraft did not deploy, but it is currently on the runway at GAIA [Grantley Adams International Airport] safely,” Sharleen Brown, Corporate Communication Specialist with GAIA, said in a statement. She confirmed that all three individuals on board – two passengers and a pilot – were unharmed.Related

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Passengers on the flight from Trinidad to Barbados were told the tentative rescheduled time was 4.30pm, which would amount to nearly six hours of delay. All the boarded passengers had to return to the terminal, merely the latest addition to the many delays endured by teams at the tournament.The worst was when Sri Lanka, South Africa and Ireland had to spend a whole night at the airport when travelling from Florida to New York. Even Afghanistan, who finished their last Super Eight match in the wee hours of Tuesday, had their flight delayed before playing their first T20 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.This is the first time South Africa have made a final of a men’s World Cup. The final will be played on Saturday morning, as opposed to the usual tradition of playing on Sundays. That change meant the second semi-final, currently delayed because of inclement weather in Guyana, could not have a reserve day. Despite giving the two semi-finals the same amount of extra time to get a game in, the ICC has used different playing conditions if the matches needed to be shortened.

The ODIs will be played in Bengaluru first, followed by the Test and T20Is in Chennai

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2024South Africa’s all-format women’s tour of India will begin with a three-match ODI series, then move to the one-off Test, and end with the three T20Is. The ODIs, as well as a one-day warm-up game for the visiting side against a Board President’s XI side, will be played in Bengaluru, while the rest of the games will take place in Chennai.As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier, the sequence – the T20Is being played at the end – is with a view to ensure continuity in formats ahead of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in September-October.After the warm-up game on June 13, the ODIs will be played on June 16, 19 and 23; the Test will run from June 28 to July 1; the T20Is will be played on July 5, 7 and 9.

South Africa tour of India

June 13: tour game vs Board President’s XI, Bengaluru
June 16: 1st ODI, Bengaluru
June 19: 2nd ODI, Bengaluru
June 23: 3rd ODI, Bengaluru
June 28 – July 1: One-off Test, Chennai
July 5: 1st T20I, Chennai
July 7: 2nd T20I, Chennai
July 9: 3rd T20I, Chennai

The one-off Test wasn’t part of the ICC’s FTP originally. It was added since BCCI and CSA have both been trying to promote women’s Tests of late. This will be India’s third Test in seven months, having played against England and Australia in December last year, both at home.South Africa, meanwhile, ended their eight-year hiatus from the format in England in June 2022 and subsequently played Australia in February in Perth.More recently, the BCCI also reintroduced a red-ball tournament in the women’s domestic calendar, hosting an inter-zonal competition – of five matches in total. The last time the BCCI had a red-ball tournament for its women cricketers was back in 2018.

Elwiss responds with fighting 87 in lost cause for The Blaze

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025England starlet Freya Kemp smacked her first career century as Hampshire reclaimed top spot of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition from The Blaze with a bonus point win.Kemp turned around Hampshire’s batting having arrived at the crease at 34 for three to dispatch 109 in 92 balls, with Nancy Harman celebrating her PB of 77 after a 136-run partnership.In reply to 291, The Blaze hung their hopes around Georgia Elwiss’ impeccable 87, but exciting quick Daisy Gibb’s three for 21 and Ellyse Perry’s farewell three for 40 trumped her as Hampshire won by 80 runs.It ended a downbeat four days for The Blaze having lost in the Eliminator of the Women’s Vitality Blast on Sunday.The Blaze, and more specifically Cassidy McCarthy, dominated the powerplay after Hampshire had chosen to bat first.The former Utilita Bowl-based seamer ripped through the top three, taking three for 17 in the first 10 overs.Rhianna Southby couldn’t keep down a bouncer to square leg, Maia Bouchier was caught at mid on, and Perry – on her last Hampshire appearance – was wonderfully caught by Kathryn Bryce at midwicket.Kemp came to the crease at 34 for three, and immediately went into recovery mode with her captain Georgia Adams.They ticked along without taking risks and set the platform which allowed Kemp and Harman to fire Hampshire to a good score in the second half of the innings.They put on 80 before Adams was stumped by the incredibly fast hands of Sarah Bryce, with Abi Norgrove lbw to give Elwiss a quick-fire brace of wickets.But from there, Kemp found a fluency that brought boundary after boundary, while Harman ran hard to keep up.Kemp past 50 for the second time in a week, and fourth time in her last five List A innings, in 48 balls before securing her best score with back-to-back sixes, as the century stand zoomed up in 86 deliveries.Her maiden hundred came up in 86 balls before she fell with 22 balls to go to end a 136-run alliance with Harman.Harman, now with Linsey Smith in tow, had already reached her maiden half-century but made sure those last 3.4 overs went for 36 runs to take the momentum into the second innings.It worked as Gibb dislodged both Blaze openers within the first five overs.Marie Kelly cut straight to point, before Georgie Boyce swung uppishly to extra cover to give Hampshire an ideal start.But Kathryn Bryce and Elwiss recentred the visitors’ innings with a 98-run partnership, with the latter notching a 53-ball fifty at her former home.Just as they looked the favourites, Hampshire went bang-bang as Kathryn Bryce clothed to mid on, before Gibb’s return had Sarah Bryce stumped.Elwiss’s classy innings ended when she was bowled for 87 by Bex Tyson and then Ella Clarridge was castled by Perry as The Blaze were choked for runs.The Australian then had Kirstie Gordon caught scooping and Josie Groves comprehensively bowled, with Smith picking up Lucy Higham caught at mid off.Smith finished things off with 31 balls to spare when McCarthy slapped down the ground.

Cordel Jack and Pamela Lavine delivered England a surprise defeat as West Indies cruised to a 40-run win in the first ODI in St Kitts

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2009
ScorecardCordel Jack and Pamela Lavine delivered England a surprise defeat as West Indies cruised to a 40-run win in the first ODI in St Kitts. Jack made an unbeaten 81 in West Indies’ 235 for 6 and was well supported by Lavine, who also picked up three wickets in England’s chase.The visitors battled to cover for the absence of Claire Taylor and Sarah Taylor and it was left to Charlotte Edwards to guide the chase. She top scored with 58 opening the innings and while Lydia Greenway (41) remained at the crease England had hope of a victory.But Lavine removed Greenway and then picked up two more wickets in her next two overs to expose the England middle order, before Chedean Nation chipped away at the lower order. Nation grabbed 3 for 22 as the visitors sunk into a hole as the required run-rate ballooned to 13, and they were all out for 195 in the 48th over.The strong West Indies performance had been set up by their top order. Lavine and Stefanie Taylor built a 75-run opening stand before Lavine and Jack continued to apply the pressure to England’s bowlers.Lavine’s 49 combined with her 3 for 26 made her a contender for the Player of the Match, but that prize went to Jack. She struck ten fours and one six in her unbeaten 81, which gave West Indies a formidable total.England’s coach Mark Lane said: “I’m bitterly disappointed with the result today. We were outplayed in all three disciplines and in all honesty we just weren’t good enough. We need to show plenty of character tomorrow, we’re a great team so we’ll dust ourselves down and I’m confident that we’ll perform far better tomorrow and play at the level we know are capable of.”Jack said winning against the best side in the game was a special moment she will always cherish. “This is the moment for which I have been waiting. I felt really good when I was batting, and I am so pleased that we were able to beat England.”I was not really nervous and I did not feel any pressure. We had a very good start, and I put my head down and decided to carry on the good work. We are back in the field again [on Thursday], and we will be looking to do our very best again. We want to win [on Thursday], and take
the series.”The teams return to Warner Park on Thursday for the second ODI before the third and final match on Saturday. Three Twenty20 internationals, also in St Kitts, follow the one-dayers.

RCB, without doubt, have the simplest path to the playoffs. The other two teams will be willing them to lose big on Tuesday night

Sampath Bandarupalli12-Mar-2024Will Royal Challengers qualify if they beat Mumbai?Royal Challengers have their fate in their own hands: a win against Mumbai on Tuesday will confirm their top-three finish. They will move to eight points to finish ahead of Warriorz (who have finished their league games with six points) and Gujarat Giants (who can at most reach only six).Are Royal Challengers out if they lose to Mumbai?Royal Challengers losing to Mumbai does not rule out a top-three finish. Their relatively healthy net run rate (NRR) of 0.027 will ensure they stay ahead of Warriorz (NRR -0.371) unless their losing margin is around 60 runs if chasing, or with seven overs to spare if defending.So, for an example, to stay ahead of Warriorz, Royal Challengers would need to score at least 115 if Mumbai score 175 batting first. The scenario for Royal Challengers if they bat first would be to drag Mumbai’s chase into the 14th over.So Warriorz qualify if Royal Challengers lose by a big enough margin?UP Warriorz will move to third spot if Royal Challengers lose big enough to fall below them on NRR. However, that will not confirm Warriorz’s place in playoffs, as Giants can overtake them on NRR if they win big in their last league match against Capitals. Giants’ NRR currently stands at -0.873, the lowest of all teams on the points table.If Giants are batting first, they would need to win by between 54 and 61 runs, based on the total they put up: a 54 run-win should do if they score 120, and a 61-run win if they post 200. If they are chasing, Giants will need to run their target down in roughly around 45 balls (between 43 and 47 balls based on the target).Can Giants overtake Royal Challengers on NRR?We know what Royal Challengers need to do to avoid slipping below Warriorz on NRR (see above), but they also face a slim threat from Giants on this front. Giants could go ahead of Royal Challengers in addition to Warriorz if they win by around 57 runs (if batting first) or with around 45 balls to spare (if chasing).So, much like Warriorz, Giants will hope to see Royal Challengers lose heavily on Tuesday. The lower the losing margin of Royal Challengers, the tougher the task ahead of Giants. And, for context, the highest winning margin for Giants in four matches across two WPL seasons so far is 19 runs. However, Giants have the advantage of playing last, so they will know exactly what they need to do.

Van der Dussen, who turned 36 earlier this month, has accepted that his time in the team will not be forever

Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2025While most in South African white-ball cricket see every step of the next two years as building a path to the home ODI World Cup in 2027, Rassie van der Dussen is entertaining the idea that the Champions Trophy 2025 could be his last multi-team event.Van der Dussen turned 36 earlier this month and currently plays only one format for South Africa, though he has been capped in all three. As he gets older and a younger crop of batters start coming through, he has accepted that his time in the team might be nearing an end.”It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.Related

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• Van der Dussen: 'Don't have to be a rocket scientist' to know India have advantage

“It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back, Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan’s [Rickelton] only starting out now actually so there’s so many good players.”I’m not blind to the possibility that if I don’t perform that someone won’t be there to take my place. I certainly don’t expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better.”Three of the players van der Dussen mentioned – Stubbs, de Zorzi and Rickelton – are in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad and along with him are competing for, at most, two spots in the top order. One of those positions is to open alongside captain Temba Bavuma – and that role has shifted between de Zorzi and Rickelton – and the other to bat at No. 3 (though de Zorzi and Rickelton both played the tournament opener against Afghanistan as Heinrich Klaasen was out injured).Van der Dussen knows Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi are pushing him for a spot in the South Africa line-up•ICC/Getty Images

Since 2019, van der Dussen has been South Africa’s most regular No. 3 and with good reason – he has their third-highest batting average in ODIs and has built a reputation for reliability. But over the last year, that has started to wane.Before his 52 against Afghanistan, van der Dussen had gone ten innings without a half-century and it has been 13 since the last time he scored a hundred. Though there is no suggestion of it – and him being at a press conference suggests also no danger of it – when Klaasen returns to full fitness, van der Dussen could be in the firing line if all of Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton are retained. In the immediate term, it is more likely, de Zorzi will sit out and van der Dussen could get a shot at a title he has been working towards. “For me I always wanted to get to the Champions Trophy, which is now, and then we’ll reassess after that,” he said. “My national contract is coming up at the end of April.”I’ll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I’m playing well. Physically, I’m putting a lot of time into my body. If I’m still good enough in two years, I’d like to think that I’m in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can’t keep up with the youngsters, then that’s also fine.”Unlike some players in the twilight of their careers around the world – Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi are some examples – van der Dussen does not appear inclined to reject a national contract for league opportunities.”My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas,” van der Dussen said. “People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know. I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals so if that falls away, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. If I’m offered another contract, I’ll definitely take it and commit for that time period.”And even if that contract does not take him all the way to 2027, van der Dussen wants to play a part in helping South Africa’s ODI side move towards their best ahead of the World Cup. “I would suspect that, from a management point of view, your 2027 World Cup side has to start playing more regularly and start playing together. But there’s a lot of leagues happening in the next few months and everyone won’t be available all the time, so even if it’s in a transitional sort of role, I’ll definitely commit to that. Being here is for me the ultimate thing. Leagues are nice, but that’s not my be-all and end-all.”Rassie van der Dussen is focusing on upskilling his game and believes leagues like T10 have helped in that regard•Sportzpics

He confirmed that while he has not retired from red-ball cricket, in “the last year or two of my career, I can’t see myself playing any more red-ball cricket”, and that he turned down an offer to do so later this year. “I did have a county offer thrown my way, which I declined.”Instead, he is focusing on upskilling his short format game and seeing how far it takes him. “I’ve played in a few leagues and done well. Even leagues like T10 have taken my game forward. That’s why I’m feeling now that I’m still hungry and I’m still playing well.”As things stand, South Africa have at least one more Champions Trophy game and, depending on the outcome of the Afghanistan vs Australia match, may not even need to win it to progress to the semi-finals.They take on England, who are already eliminated, but who van der Dussen believes could still be dangerous opposition. “We were always coming into this match saying that it will possibly be a quarter-final type of situation. Whoever wins that will go through. A little bit changes for them because they can’t go through anymore but for us, it’s a match against England. We don’t need any extra motivation to play England.”