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The pair has played a key role in Tamil Nadu’s emergence as a white-ball force

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2022The Tamil Nadu duo of Shahrukh Khan and R Sai Kishore have been drafted into India’s squad as stand-bys for the three T20Is in Kolkata between February 16-20. Both players will therefore be unavailable for the early parts of the Ranji Trophy that the BCCI is set to announce soon.Over the past three seasons, both players have played key roles in Tamil Nadu’s emergence as a white-ball force. Shahrukh has been the side’s designated finisher, while Sai Kishore has been the side’s go-to bowler in the Powerplays and death overs with his left-arm spin.Related

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Both players played a significant part in Tamil Nadu defending their T20 crown last November when they beat Karnataka in a thriller. Sai Kishore set the game up with his three-wicket haul – including two big strikes in the Powerplay – to restrict a powerful line-up.Then with the trophy on the line, both players combined to deliver the finishing touches with the bat. Shahrukh hit an unbeaten 15-ball 33, including a last-ball six over deep square leg, to bring home the title.Sai Kishore finished the T20 tournament with 10 wickets in eight games at an economy of 6.06. This came on the back of two path-breaking seasons prior to that. In the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his economy of 4.63 was the best among bowlers who delivered at least 20 overs, while in 2020-21, he had an economy of 4.82, the second-best with the same cut-off.These strong performances earned him a place in India’s T20 squad as a reserve in a second-string national squad that toured Sri Lanka last July.Both players are expected to be among prominent uncapped signings at the IPL auction on February 12-13.Shahrukh, signed by Punjab Kings for INR 5.25 crore ahead of IPL 2021, was released after just one season. Sai Kishore is yet to make his IPL debut although he has been part of the Chennai Super Kings set-up since 2019.

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

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• 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.”

Lockie Ferguson, who hurt his achilles against Australia, is likely to be fit for the Pakistan game

Firdose Moonda01-Nov-2023Fast bowler Matt Henry hurt his right hamstring during the World Cup match between South Africa and New Zealand in Pune and left the field midway through his sixth over. James Neesham completed the over, the 27th of South Africa’s innings, and went on to finish with 1 for 69 in 5.3 overs.Henry received treatment with the team management hopeful they could strap him up and have him back on the field but later confirmed he would not return to bowl. New Zealand Cricket said he will be sent for a scan on Thursday. Henry did come to bat at No. 11, with New Zealand 133 for 9 chasing 358 and desperate to reduce the margin of defeat. He faced nine deliveries but could not run, as Glenn Phillips took the score to 167 before he was the last man to fall in the 36th over.New Zealand have subsequently brought in Kyle Jamieson as cover into the squad. Jamieson will arrive in Bengaluru on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s game against Pakistan.”The severity of Matt’s injury, combined with a short turnaround to Pakistan, meant we couldn’t risk being a bowler down for Saturday,” head coach Gary Stead said.”Matt’s been a world class performer for us in ODI cricket for the past two World Cup cycles so we’ve got our fingers crossed for the scan results later today.”Stead said Jamieson was well prepared to return to India.”Kyle’s on his way over as we speak and we look forward to welcoming him back into the group. He’ll likely train with us on Friday with a mind to being available for Saturday’s game.”Kyle was able to train for two full weeks with us earlier in the tournament and has since played a Plunket Shield match – so we’re confident he’ll be able to hit the ground running.”There was another injury issue for New Zealand as well, with Neesham suffering a blow on the wrist of his right hand during his follow-through. He came out to bat at No. 9, below Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee, with New Zealand 109 for 7 in their chase of 357. NZC said an X-ray had “cleared him of any broken bones”.Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson, who hurt his achilles against Australia, is likely to be fit for the next game. “Lockie Ferguson’s scan on his right achilles revealed no significant damage and it’s hoped he’ll be available for Saturday’s game against Pakistan in Bengaluru,” NZC said in a statement after the game.Related

• Rassie van der Dussen sets South Africa's tempo with another thankless century

• South Africa go top as New Zealand slump to third straight defeat

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“We’re faced with a little bit of adversity with injuries,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said at the presentation. “We need to see how they shape up tomorrow. Pretty quick turnaround in Bangalore so we need to reflect on this quickly and go into the next game with a positive mindset. We don’t become a bad team overnight.”Henry joined Ferguson, Mark Chapman (calf) and Kane Williamson (thumb) on New Zealand’s injury list, leaving them with only 11 fit players in their squad of 15. Ish Sodhi was used as a substitute fielder for Henry but when Tim Southee momentarily left the field, thoughts may have turned to who could field for New Zealand, because the playing conditions do not accommodate for travelling reserves to take the field.However, a male member of team management is permitted to take the place of a reserve fielder. That means that even though Tom Blundell is part of the touring party, should New Zealand have needed another substitute fielder, they would have had to call on batting coach Luke Ronchi. Blundell will only form part of the official squad if a player of the current fifteen is ruled out and the ICC approves a replacement. New Zealand initially also had Kyle Jamieson as a travelling reserve but he was sent home before Ferguson’s injury and has since played for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield.New Zealand’s campaign has been beset by injuries since their squad was named in September. Williamson and Southee were named in the touring group despite not having fully recovered from an ACL injury and thumb fracture respectively. Williamson returned for New Zealand’s third match against Bangladesh but then suffered a thumb fracture and is only expected to be available later in the tournament. Southee was available from New Zealand’s fifth match against India but was not selected; the match against South Africa was his first of the World Cup.After winning their first four World Cup matches, New Zealand have suffered three defeats in a row and are currently in fourth place with eight points.

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.

Allrounder moves on after four seasons with Middlesex

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2019George Scott will join Gloucestershire on a three-year deal after turning down a contract extension with Middlesex.The 23-year-old allrounder spent four years with Middlesex, and was a regular in both white-ball teams this season.”I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for me cricket-wise and I know Bristol is a lovely place,” Scott said.”It seems like there is an incredibly family feel here. I’ve met a few of the guys and I know Higgo [Ryan Higgins] well and it feels like a really nice atmosphere at the Club so I’m absolutely delighted to be joining.”Scott’s move closely mirrors the one that Higgins made two years ago. Both moves involved a young, seam-bowling allrounder who had grown frustrated at a lack of opportunities in the Championship side, and Gloucestershire will hope that Scott can follow Higgins’ lead in developing into a fine three-format player.Scott played nine of Middlesex’s games in the Blast this season, though faced only 70 balls and didn’t bowl, and played seven times in the Championship, taking three wickets and making 204 runs. He was an ever-present in the One-Day Cup as Middlesex reached the quarter-finals, and hit a 30-ball 63 in the season opener against Essex at Chelmsford.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director, said: “”It is always disappointing to lose a player that you have invested a lot into, but we have to respect George’s reasons for declining the offer of a contract extension. [He] is a cracking young man and we wish him well at Gloucestershire.”Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “It’s great to have George joining us. He’s got huge potential as both a batter and bowler in all formats of the game. All the players and coaching staff are looking forward to him starting with us and we hope we can help him realise his potential in the years to come.”

It wasn’t just about one more run, but a lot of small bits that could have gone the other way, says the New Zealand captain

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2019 in the end, conceding it was a bitter pill to swallow, the loss to England on boundary count after 100 overs and two Super Overs had ended with nothing to separate the two teams.On the decision to bat first after winning the toss
The pitch was on the dry side, so we felt runs on the board… as it proved, it was going to be challenging. And we were able to get the runs on the board. Yes, we may have liked another ten or 20, in a World Cup final, 250-240 might be enough. The guys went really hard out there, put England under pressure on a tough surface. It was a fantastic game of cricket. Both sides showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart. Obviously to go down to the last ball, and then the last ball of the next little match [Super Over]… Yeah, credit to England, and a lot of positives in this experience for our boys as well.WATCH on Hotstar – The wickets New Zealand took (India only)On the four overthrows off Ben Stokes’ bat in the last over
It was a little bit of a shame, wasn’t it? It’s unfortunately the sort of game we play, this sort of thing happens from time to time, you just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that. It’s pretty tough, but it probably wasn’t going to be for us.On opening with Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill in the Super Over
Both guys hit the ball really hard, it’s the right-hand-left-hand combination as well with the slightly shorter side boundaries. It was a decision that was made, and we were tossing up on the No. 3. No regrets. It is tough to perhaps review the match and such small margins, as we know, in any game but especially one we saw today.On the thinnest of margins on which the match was decided
It certainly wasn’t just one extra run. There were so many small parts in that match that could have gone either way as we saw throughout the whole game, but congratulations to England, they have a fantastic game plan and they deserve the victory.On the overall performance of the New Zealand team
It has been challenging, the pitches have been a bit different to what we expected, there was a lot of talk about 300-plus scores, but we haven’t seen many of those, it was a tough fight, and I want to thank our side, the New Zealand side, as well for the fight they showed this whole campaign on some tough wickets, showed a huge amount of heart to get us to this stage, a tie in the final, it just wasn’t going to be today. We have a really well-balanced attack, with so many parts to it, the guys are shattered at the moment – it was obviously very devastating – but their performance throughout the tournament was at such a high level, gave us every opportunity to go on. Pretty tough to swallow at this stage but a fantastic effort from our guys.

Meanwhile, Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket contract

Deivarayan Muthu18-Dec-2022Canterbury allrounder Henry Shipley has earned his maiden call-up to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming ODIs tours to Pakistan and India. Kane Williamson will lead the side in Pakistan, but will not be part of the following ODI series in India.Head coach Gary Stead, bowling coach Shane Jurgensen and newly appointed Test captain Tim Southee will return home after the Pakistan tour along with Williamson to prepare for the home Test series against England in February 2023.

Mark Chapman earns maiden NZC contract

Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket central contract. He will be filling the vacancy left by Martin Guptill, who was released from the contract in November.
Chapman made his debut for New Zealand in 2018 having played for Hong Kong before. He has played 22 T20Is and five ODIs for New Zealand so far, making 381 runs and 111 runs in the formats respectively. He was also part of the last two T20 World Cup campaigns. He has played 128 games for Auckland in the domestic circuit.
“We’re delighted to have Mark join the central contract list after being there or thereabouts for a while,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “He’s a fine player and we like the versatility and innovation he brings to his batting. “He’s a guy with a lot of talent and we see him being a big part of future BlackCaps squads.”

In the absence of Williamson and Stead, Tom Latham and current batting coach Luke Ronchi will take charge of the ODI squad in India. Ronchi will also act as the head coach for the T20I series in India and will be assisted by Bob Carter, the former New Zealand Women coach, and Paul Wiseman, the former New Zealand spinner who was also recently part of the coaching group of the New Zealand A side that had visited India earlier this year.Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, though, continues to be unavailable for selection, as he works his way back from a back injury. Jamieson has not played for New Zealand since the Nottingham Test in June earlier this year.Batting allrounder Mark Chapman and seamer Jacob Duffy have been included in the squad for only the India tour as New Zealand continue to manage the workloads of their players and staff.Legspinner Ish Sodhi and Henry Nicholls, who had been omitted for the squad for the home ODI series against India, have both been recalled for the ODIs tours of Pakistan and India. Sodhi will work with Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips in the spin attack.Shipley, 26, is the only new face in the squad. The pace-bowling allrounder can hit the deck with the ball and hit boundaries with the bat lower down the order. His towering frame (1.96 metre) could potentially give New Zealand’s attack a point of difference in the subcontinent.In November at home, Shipley took career-best List A figures of 6 for 40,including a hat-trick in the Ford Trophy opener for Canterbury against Wellington. It was the the first hat-trick for Canterbury and only fourth overall in 52 years of the tournament.Shipley continued his strong form in the Ford Trophy and is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 12 strikes in five games at an economy rate of 4.20. Earlier in last season’s 20-over Super Smash, he had emerged as the top wicket-taker, with 18 scalps in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.25 in Canterbury’s run to the final, where they lost to Northern Districts.”Henry’s an exciting talent who we’ve had our eye on for a while,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “He’s taken his game to another level in the past 12 months, and we’re delighted to see his progression given how valuable genuine all-rounders are in any cricket team.”It’s encouraging to see players putting their hands up in our domestic competitions and their performances being rewarded with selection for the national team.”After bagging that Ford Trophy hat-trick, Shipley attributed his recent success to his greater self-confidence. “Probably a bit of confidence over the last couple of years. Been working reasonably hard on a few different things, especially my bowling,” he had said. “Trying to be a bit more effective and I guess and take wickets. And on batting – I’ve always had the self-belief but it’s just biding your time and earning the right to get into the allrounder’s position.”The three-match ODI series in Pakistan begins on January 10 and will run up to January 14. The India tour begins four days later with the first ODI in Hyderabad and will run up to February 1. The squad for the three-match T20I series will be named in January after the opening rounds of the Super Smash.Squad: Kane Williamson (capt – only for Pakistan ODIs), Tom Latham (capt – India ODIs), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India ODIs only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only).

Allrounder still nursing a sore hip; England could look to play Reece Topley against Bangladesh

Matt Roller09-Oct-2023Ben Stokes is highly unlikely to play England’s second World Cup game, against Bangladesh, in Dharamsala on Tuesday as he continues to nurse a sore left hip.Stokes came out of ODI retirement to make himself available as a specialist batter for the World Cup, despite his chronic left-knee injury. But he missed their heavy defeat to New Zealand in Ahmedabad last week and has not played a competitive game since hitting 182 – England’s highest ODI score – against New Zealand, nearly a month ago.He has batted in the nets twice since England arrived in Dharamsala, moving much more freely when he faced spinners on Monday morning than he did when batting against sidearm throws on Sunday afternoon. But he is a major doubt for Tuesday’s game, with England’s fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi on Sunday framing as a potential comeback.Jos Buttler, England’s captain, told the BBC that Stokes was “progressing well… he is doing more and more each day and seems to be improving, so it is good signs.” But he clarified at his pre-match press conference: “It’s good to see him back in the nets and building back towards full fitness, but he’s probably unlikely for tomorrow.”Stokes had initially planned to spend these two months resting his knee but confirmed in August that he had changed his mind. “The words ‘World Cup’ are pretty inspiring,” he said. “The idea of going in and potentially being able to win back-to-back World Cups was one of the big things.”In Stokes’ absence, Harry Brook filled in at No. 4 against New Zealand, scoring 25 off 15 balls before holing out to deep midwicket as he attempted to hit Rachin Ravindra for a fourth successive boundary. He is likely to continue in the same role on Tuesday, and will be tested by Bangladesh’s spinners.Tuesday’s match will be played on a fresh pitch, two strips over from the unusually slow surface on which Bangladesh beat Afghanistan on Saturday. England will consider bringing an extra seamer into their side, with Reece Topley the most likely candidate, potentially at the expense of Moeen Ali.”It’s definitely an option,” Buttler said, when asked about the possibility of picking an extra seamer. “I played here in the IPL just gone, and there can be some good pace and bounce in the wicket. So certainly, we’ll have those discussions and we’ve got fantastic options within the squad to pick different line-ups with a different balance. It’s something we’ll consider.”

The city’s air quality has fallen to hazardous levels post-Diwali, calling to question the BCCI’s scheduling of fixtures

Sidharth Monga in Delhi01-Nov-2019Two days before the Delhi T20I between India and Bangladesh, the air quality in Delhi has plummeted to hazardous levels, and led to a public-health emergency. Schools have been shut, construction work stalled, and athletic activity advised against, but the two teams trained out in the middle and continued to shrug off the threat of playing in such poor air quality.This match is the first international fixture in India after Diwali, which raises severe questions over BCCI’s planning because it is well documented that the weeks immediately after Diwali are some of the most hazardous on public health. The BCCI has had first-hand experience with Ranji Trophy matches cancelled and a Test match interrupted in the past.The schedule was announced as early as June 2019. Match allocation in the BCCI works on rotation basis, but exchanging matches is not unheard of. However, the current BCCI office bearers took charge only last week, until when the board had been under the charge of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, who had been entrusted with ensuring the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s reforms and overseeing the running of the board while that happened. So direct responsibility for this scheduling is hard to pin down.Questions asked of CEO Rahul Johri, who was the chief executive even when the current BCCI was not in charge, went unanswered. New secretary Jay Shah didn’t respond either, but new president Sourav Ganguly said on Thursday that it was not possible to change the venue at such a short notice.The two camps, who are at possibly the biggest risk because they are undertaking strenuous athletic activity, tried to play the issue down. While the Bangladesh players privately complained of burning eyes, sore throats and their struggle to sleep, their coach Russell Domingo said they were not going to moan about it. In what might come across as an insensitive statement, he even said it is not like anybody has died on the field.”It’s not something you’d want, but there is nothing you can do about it,” Domingo said. “It is what it is. We have to make sure that we prepare as well as possible and deal with it as well as possible. Thus far, for sure have some scratchy eyes and some sore throat now and then, but it’s been okay. Nobody’s been sick or dying or anything like that. We’ve been okay with it.”Domingo, who was one of the members of the Bangladesh camp who wore a mask during training, was thankful the team was playing just a T20I and not a Test match or ODI. “Obviously you don’t want to be in it for six or seven hours,” Domingo said. “Three hours we’re playing and three hours practice sessions. It’s probably as long as you would want to be in it at the moment.”Domingo also said conditions back home might have helped the players ready themselves for this game. “There’s a bit of pollution in Bangladesh as well so it’s not a massive shock to the system as maybe some other countries can experience. The players have dealt with it really well – ‘It’s a bit smoky but let’s get on with it and practise.’ They haven’t made too much of an issue out of it. Coaches haven’t either. And we just have to go about our business as well normally would.”Bangladesh spin consultant Daniel Vettori wears an anti-pollution mask at training•PTI

India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour compared it with playing in extreme weather conditions. Rathour himself played a lot of cricket in north Indian winters, so he was asked how much worse the pollution has become over time. “I don’t think you even notice it,” Rathour said. “Playing cricket, you play sometimes in very hot weather… 45-46 degrees [Celsius]. Sometimes you play in extreme cold. Once you are in a game, I don’t think you notice these things. It’s when you are sitting out…”When told of the emergency conditions and the public-health advisory against athletic activity, Rathour said: “I understand that but we are here to play a game and can’t really do much about it. We are here to play and we will play.”That’s what the local hosting body, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) said too. “As you must be aware that BCCI has said that it’s too late to change the venue at the last moment,” Rajat Sharma, the DDCA president, told ESPNcricinfo. “DDCA, however, is taking all possible measures in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A meeting was held by the representatives of DDCA with various other departments such as DPCC, Traffic Police, SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation), PWD (Public Works Department) and others chaired by member secretary CPCB. The situation was reviewed and departments were advised to take certain measures to help reducing the pollution around Arun Jaitley Stadium.”DDCA was advised to wash the trees inside the stadium so that the dust doesn’t flow. DDCA was also asked to survey the area of about two kilometres around the stadium and if any polluting items such as construction material, burning garbage etc. is found it is to be reported to CPCB. They will ensure immediate action.”With the AQI (air quality index) reaching 471 on the afternoon two days before the match, these measures are not likely to make any significant impact on the air quality.

Requiring 80 off 11 overs after two rain stoppages in the Hobart Hurricanes innings, Stoinis and Handscomb rescued the Stars from a precarious 2 for 3 with a 52-run partnership

The Report by Tristan Lavalette30-Dec-2019A half-century partnership between Peter Handscomb and a brave Marcus Stoinis was enough for Melbourne Stars to edge Hobart Hurricanes in a rain-affected match in Launceston.Requiring 80 off 11 overs after two rain stoppages in the Hobart Hurricanes innings, Stoinis and Handscomb rescued the Stars from a precarious 2 for 3 with a 52-run partnership before the match was called off after 7.3 overs. Stars were four ahead of the par score.Dale Steyn celebrates the wicket of his compatriot David Miller•Getty Images

Stoinis fell just before the match was abandoned but showed plenty of grit after copping a brutal blow to the helmet from a sharp Riley Meredith delivery early in his innings.After being sent in, the Hurricanes’ top-order struggled against Dale Steyn and Nathan Coulter-Nile in favourable bowling conditions before rain halted play thrice to reduce their innings to 11 overs.Stars’ quicks menace before rain strikes
D’Arcy Short hasn’t quite hit his straps this season – by his lofty standards – but received good news before play after being a late inclusion in Australia’s upcoming ODI tour to India. Short’s good spirits didn’t last long, however, as he fell loosely for a duck in the first over.The Stars’ fast bowlers relished overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch making the BBL contest feel more like a vintage WACA Test match. Coulter-Nile enjoyed the menacing bounce and promptly dismissed Simon Milenko with a rearing short ball that befuddled the batsman.The pyrotechnics on-field was matched off it with lightning flashing close to the ground. Play then stopped due to rain with the Hurricanes lurching at 2 for 29 after five overs.After a 20-minute stoppage, captain Glenn Maxwell went with the dual spin options of Adam Zampa and Sandeep Lamichhane in a bid to race through overs with rain ominously looming.Boundaries were hard to come by on resumption with Caleb Jewell and Ben McDermott content to work the ball around, as the Hurricanes reached 2 for 52 after nine overs.After four straight overs of spin, Maxwell reverted to Steyn who rewarded his skipper’s faith by claiming a frustrated McDermott before rain once again halted play.After nearly an hour’s break, Steyn and Coulter-Nile claimed wickets with successive deliveries, as the pitch appeared faster on resumption.Stoinis battles as Stars do enough
The shortened match appeared to favour the Stars, but local lad James Faulkner turned the contest immediately by dismissing Nic Maddinson and promoted No.3 Nick Larkin off successive deliveries.Faulkner narrowly missed out on a hat-trick in his next over, but met his match with Stoinis in sublime form until the batsman was hit in the grille by a brute of a bouncer from MeredithAfter receiving some medical attention, Stoinis bravely battled on and found a willing partner in Handscomb to ensure the Stars edged ahead.Hostilities resumed in the eight over with Stoinis initially getting hold of Meredith with a boundary before holing out to a short ball on the very next delivery. Rain fell again, however, and the match was soon called off.