Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 74 guided Western Storm to an unlikely but thrilling five wicket victory over Surrey Stars in the Kia Women’s Super League at the Brightside Ground

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2016
ScorecardNatalie Sciver made the best of her reprieve – but failed to have the final word•Getty Images

Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 74 guided Western Storm to an unlikely but thrilling five wicket victory over Surrey Stars in the Kia Women’s Super League at the Brightside Ground.Taylor, who dropped England star Natalie Sciver (90 not out) on two during the Surrey innings, put on an unbeaten 71 with Sophie Luff (21 not out) to see the Storm home in the final over of a remarkable game in Bristol.The Storm appeared dead and buried when Surrey, who hit 161 for 6 off their 20 overs, reduced the hosts to 17 for 3 in the fourth over. However, Taylor made up for her earlier error to earn the hosts a second victory in three games.Having chosen to bat first, Surrey made a steady start thanks to England’s Tammy Beaumont and fellow opener Bryony Smith. However, having reached 19, Smith tried one expansive shot too many and was bowled by England’s Anya Shrubsole, for 19.Beaumont and Cordelia Griffiths added 18 for the second wicket and Beaumont and Sciver 26 for the third before the former was finally out, for 13, run out by a smart piece of fielding from Taylor.Sciver, who was dropped by Taylor on 2, at deep square leg, batted with great purpose despite losing fourth wicket partner Marizanne Kapp, for two, at 90 for 4.The Storm, who also came into the game having won one and lost one of their opening games, did their best to stem the tide and bowled well between overs 11 and 14.Mark Robinson, England coach, keeps an eye on form•Getty Images

Unfortunately, they were made to pay dearly for Taylor’s slip in the deep, as Sciver edged closer to 50. The gifted all-rounder finally reached her half century off 29 balls with nine fours and a six.With Beth Morgan, she added 29 for the fifth wicket, before Morgan gifted Freya Davies her second wicket at 119 for 5, in the 16th over.
Sciver continued to heap misery on Taylor, hitting the West Indian all-rounder for four successive boundaries in the 17th over as Surrey piled on the runs.In the end, Surrey reached 161 for 6 with Sciver unbeaten on a quite brilliant 90, off 45 balls with 16 fours and two sixes.The Storm’s reply could not have got off to a worse start. Having hit seven off the opening over, they lost their first wicket when Rachel Priest was run out for seven at 8 for 1. Captain Knight departed at 16 for 2 and when Fran Wilson was trapped leg before, at 17 for 3, the Storm’s chances appeared to have disappeared.Lee was sublime. She struck two straight sixes into the Ashley Down Road flats before Taylor followed suit, over mid wicket. Lee reached her 50 off 35 balls with eight fours and two sixes, but was out shortly after, for 53, caught by Sciver off the bowling of Lea Tahuhu at 93 for 4. It was soon 94 for 5 with Georgia Hennessey trapped lbw by Sciver.Only then did the Storm come to life with Taylor and Luff hitting the ball to all four corners. Gradually they set off in pursuit of their target and with the help of some poor fielding and one or two dropped catches, they won the day in the final over during which Taylor struck two sixes and a four.Bristol looks resplendent in the sunshine•Getty Images

The ECB has dismissed as premature reports that players will be allowed to miss the tour of Bangladesh even if the board’s security consultants decide it is safe to go ahead

George Dobell12-Aug-2016The ECB has dismissed as premature reports that players will be allowed to miss the tour of Bangladesh even if the board’s security consultants decide it is safe to go ahead.While some news organisations have reported that the ECB is to give players the option not to tour the country due to fears over potential terrorist attacks, it insists that the relevant security visit has not yet started and that any decision will be delayed until that is complete. The players have not yet been approached on the issue.The ECB’s security advisor, Reg Dickason, is currently inspecting venues in India with PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, and ECB director of cricket operations, John Carr. They are expected to arrive in Bangladesh in the next few days. Dhaka, the nation’s capital, suffered a terrorist attack in July that left many dead, while Australia cancelled their tour to the country at the end of last year due to security concerns.But Paul Farbrace, the England assistant coach, described reports that the ECB had offered players an opt-out as “news to me” and insisted that they would wait until the security visit was completed before making any decisions.”There has been no discussion on players being allowed to opt out,” Farbrace, who was in the Sri Lanka team coach that was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009, said. “We had a chat with the Test and ODI squads about 10 to 12 days ago and we agreed we wouldn’t talk about Bangladesh until they [the security team] get back and make a report. Until they get back, there is nothing to talk about.”It would be a huge call to decide not to tour. Teams not going to Pakistan is a dreadful shame. I was on bus in Lahore and we were lucky to survive that. Player and staff safety is paramount but it’s a huge decision for a country to decide not to go. Bangladesh are looking forward to us going.”While giving players the opt-out option remains a possible, perhaps even likely, scenario, it does present potential problems with the dressing room dynamic. A team that has built an “all in it together” culture could stand the risk of being fragmented and, while promises not to take account of the decision in selection can be well-intentioned, allowing another player an opportunity is always a risk. If the replacement player performs, it could prove hard for the original player to regain their place.There is also precedent for such a decision. England players were given the option not to tour India in 2001, due to security concerns in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, with Andy Caddick and Robert Croft deciding to opt out of it. Croft never played for England again.”The safety and security of our players and management is always of paramount importance and this will continue to apply to all teams representing England on overseas tours and attending training camps,” an England spokesman said. “The ECB’s security advisor Reg Dickason and director of cricket operations John Carr are currently completing a pre-tour inspection in Bangladesh. As we have said before, once we have received and evaluated their report, we will discuss it fully with the England players. “

Michael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Tye took 3 for 10 in three overs and also effected a run-out•Getty Images

Michael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA ground in Perth.Victoria won the toss and started well, dismissing Shaun Marsh for 15 and Adam Voges for a ten-ball duck, leaving the hosts at 2 for 30. But Klinger and D’Arcy Short then put on 92 off 87 for the third wicket, with Short contributing 52 off 43 before falling to Jon Holland. Klinger batted on, though, hitting three fours and three sixes in his knock as Western Australia added 66 in the last eight overs.With more rain disrupting play, Victoria found themselves chasing a D/L-adjusted target of 140 in 18 overs. But at no point were they able to even approach the required run rate. The opening stand added 25 in 5 overs and was ended by Jason Behrendorff, who got Marcus Harris caught behind. Behrendorff then got Glenn Maxwell for 9 in his next over. By the time Tye dismissed Dan Christian in the ninth over, Victoria had only managed 54 runs.That wicket opened the floodgates – a further six wickets fell for 28 runs in 36 balls to leave the visitors at 9 for 82 in the 15th over. They managed to scrape together 16 more runs and avoid being bowled out, but that would have come as scant consolation.Meanwhile, Western Australia, who tied their first match and lost their second, would be relieved to have their first win on the board.

Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams will keep his job after the Western Cape Cricket Board offered their support despite a complaint lodged against him by 14 contracted players at the end of last season

Firdose Moonda20-Sep-2016Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams will keep his job after the Western Cape Cricket Board (WCC) offered their support despite a complaint lodged against him by 14 contracted players at the end of last season. The board held a meeting on Monday after a deadlock last Thursday to discuss Adams’ future.Adams’ recently-issued two-year contract extension remains in place. The players were not involved in the meeting.Instead, WCC studied a report compiled by former South Africa conditioning coach Paddy Upton, who was appointed a mediator in the matter after an independent panel was convened to assess the players’ grievances. WCC did not divulge the contents of the report or confirm whether they acted on it, but revealed that Upton had not followed through on his mandate to speak to all contracted players.WCC chairman Angelo Carolissen insisted his office “deeply respects the concerns raised by the players,” which are believed to be centered on Adams’ management style.”We have no doubt that he possesses the vision and leadership abilities to propel the Cobras to the summit of all three domestic logs and return them to their trophy-hugging ways,” Carolissen said.The 2015-16 season was the first in eight years that Cobras did not win a trophy, and Adams’ only barren season since taking over in 2012. At 35, he was franchise cricket’s youngest coach and he enjoyed immediate success. The Cobras won two competitions in Adams’ first summer in charge and went on to collect three more trophies in the next two seasons.Lack of success last season brought rumblings of discontent, which Adams was made aware of as soon as the complaint was laid. He underwent a leadership course over the winter and has had his support staff bolstered with the addition of two former internationals in Ashwell Prince as assistant coach and Alan Dawson as convener of selectors. With the additional resources, Adams is confident he can return the franchise to winning ways.”I respect the players and have taken the learnings from this past winter to heart. I feel we will have a better understanding of each other going forward,” Adams said. “Part of my strategy to turn around the fortunes of the team was to secure the services of Ashwell Prince and Alan Dawson. It excites me to be working together with the two former players who will bring vast experience and I am sure will add value to the Cobras. I have also committed to up-skilling myself to ensure effective leadership and to produce and maintain the quality and brand of cricket that the Cobras are synonymous for.”There has been no statement from the players, although there was an indication that if Adams was retained, several senior squad members may leave the franchise. With the new season two weeks away, that appears unlikely to occur just yet.The Cobras’ 2016-17 season begins on October 5 with a first-class match against Lions in Johannesburg.

The Delhi High Court has lashed out at the DDCA for “crossing its limit” and undermining the authority of Justice Mukul Mudgal by sacking the selectors appointed by him

PTI07-Nov-2016The Delhi High Court has lashed out at the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) for “crossing its limit” and undermining the authority of Justice Mukul Mudgal by sacking the selectors appointed by him. The court said the association’s move “attracts contempt of court”. The bench comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma suspended the decision of the DDCA, restoring the selection panel appointed by Justice Mudgal.The court said the DDCA was “testing everyone’s patience here”. It slammed the DDCA for “targetting” Justice Mudgal, former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court who was appointed by the Delhi High Court to oversee the functioning of the association, which is plagued by alleged financial irregularities and nepotism in selection of players.On November 5, the sports working committee of DDCA removed former Indian cricketers Maninder Singh, Atul Wassan and Nikhil Chopra from their roles in the senior and junior selection panels, stating conflict of interest issues. The bench said: “DDCA should have informed the court about such a move when the order was reserved so that it could have taken preventive steps at that time only.”The bench said of the selectors: “Various selections have been made by them and they are doing their job properly and there is no chance of any misconduct.”The high court also made it clear that the DDCA will not interfere with the working of the selectors and asked them to proceed with the selection of Under-14 and Under-16 players.While allowing the selection panels to continue till further order, the bench said: “We really don’t know where things are going. It is unfortunate. You [DDCA] are after the committee, you are targetting Justice Mudgal.”Justice Mudgal, through his counsel Nitin Mishra, had moved the court seeking direction to declare the DDCA’s decision as “null and void”.In a status report filed with the court, Justice Mudgal had said: “Selectors, who were appointed under my supervision through the process of interview by a selection panel, are in process of picking up senior and junior teams at the moment. The act of removing the selectors unanimously by certain directors and the convener, sports working committee (DDCA), without any approval from the selection panel formed by me or by the Delhi HC is only aimed to scuttle the domestic season.”He said the selectors were appointed by the selection panel keeping in mind the recommendations of the Lodha Committee on conflict of interest norms.Considering Justice Mudgal’s report that the DDCA has not paid the players’ dues, the bench also directed the association to make immediate arrangements for cricketers playing or staying at hotels, and clear the dues within 48 hours.The bench also asked DDCA to clear, within a week, the dues of vendors and caterers that have been pending for the last three years.

An unbroken 82-run partnership between Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver saw England to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2016
ScorecardHeather Knight and Natalie Sciver saw England to victory (file photo)•Getty Images

An unbroken 82-run partnership between Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver saw England to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo.The first encounter of the four-match series did not count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, and qualification for the World Cup, but allowed England to start their tour well. Knight, England’s captain, was also the pick of the bowlers before helping chase down a target of 169 with more than 20 overs to spare.Having chosen to bat, Sri Lanka posted a 50 stand for the first wicket before Knight removed Hasini Perera for 26. Her opening partner Nipuni Hansika also made 26 but was dismissed by Danielle Hazell three overs later.Sri Lanka’s top order all chipped in with scores in the 20s, captain Dilani Manodara making 27 before being caught behind of Alex Hartley’s left-arm spin, but no one could go on. Beth Langston removed Chamari Atapattu and Katherine Brunt then struck twice and Knight claimed her second with the final ball of the innings.England’s openers got off to a good start in reply, Lauren Winfield and Tammy Beaumont putting on 77 before Atapattu parted them. Beaumont went on to make 41 before falling to Inoka Ranaweera but Knight and Sciver saw England through by scoring at more than a run a ball.

Steven Smith and Peter Handscomb capitalized on the platform laid by Matt Renshaw with an unbroken 137-run stand to take Australia to 288 for 3 at stumps

The Report by Daniel Brettig15-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:00

Chappell: Dropped catch cost Pakistan dearly

It is hard enough for touring teams at the Gabba without providing instances of charity to the hosts. On a night when floodlights and the pink ball ushered in Brisbane’s biggest ever non-Ashes Test crowd, Pakistan allowed the throng of 26,343 to salute a century for Australia’s captain Steven Smith with a pair of contrasting reprieves.The first, in the final over before the tea break, came via an unexpectedly sharp leg break from Azhar Ali and an equally surprising fumble behind the stumps by Sarfraz Ahmed. Several hours later and Mohammad Amir fizzed the second new ball across Smith to coax the thinnest of edges. This time Sarfraz took it crisply – yet it was a nick so fine no appeal was made.The fact Amir took the second new ball at all felt almost as remarkable as his return to the Pakistan side from an infamous jail sentence. Having bowled tidily early, his right knee had plugged in the Gabba outfield and seemed to have suffered an injury akin to that inflicted on Simon Jones in 2002. Yet Amir found a way to return, in a show of resilience Pakistan must now emulate collectively in order to find a way back into this first innings.Smith’s innings was the centrepiece of Australia’s day, equal parts patient and punchy, but it would not have been possible without a pair of tremendous supporting hands from the young batsmen Matt Renshaw and Pete Handscomb. Renshaw’s discipline in early stands with David Warner and then Smith blunted the new ball in the hands of Pakistan’s pace attack and also compelled Yasir Shah to bowl a high volume of overs early in the match.While Wahab Riaz was able to find Renshaw’s outside edge before he could go on to three figures, Smith and Handscomb then fought their way through to the whole final session with hope for more runs on resumption. Handscomb did not always look comfortable but fought his way through, at the same time showing no desire to depart from the batting methods that have served him well at domestic level.Renshaw played an exemplary innings, showing his usual sound judgment around the off stump but also showing an ability to hit with power through midwicket and down the ground. In doing so he invited further comparisons with another tall Queensland opening batsman in Matthew Hayden – Australia’s selectors will dream of more such performances.There had been some swing for Amir and Rahat Ali in the early overs, but Renshaw and Warner did very well to cover any movement and also punish any errors in line or length – in Warner’s case he started by punching Rahat to the cover fence first ball. Wahab’s greater pace was unable to make much of an impression, and Misbah was left to call on Yasir as early as the 11th over of the innings.Matt Renshaw scored most of his runs through mid-on and midwicket•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Bounce was plentiful even if the Gabba pitch will likely quicken up in pace on day two, but Yasir’s early overs were characterised by a somewhat odd tactic – attacking the leg stumps of Renshaw and Warner with a 6-3 leg side field. For the most part the batsmen took advantage of this, the only semblance of a chance coming when Yasir strayed wide of the off stump and Warner edged fractionally short of slip.However Amir was brought back in the lead-up to the break and was able to pin Warner as he shuffled across the stumps to try to work the ball to the leg side. Gould’s finger was raised and Warner did not review; ball-tracking showed the ball would have clipped the outside of the leg stump.Khawaja got started with one neat leg glance, but he was soon to be on his way when he lifted a Yasir delivery on the pads directly into the midriff of Misbah. Renshaw finished the session with a boundary from Azhar, before finding more gaps when play resumed – leaping out once to flay Yasir over cover.Smith also played admirably straight, refusing to be tempted into a surfeit of deliveries angled across him by the Pakistani left-armers, and the pair were looking increasingly secure until Wahab found a modicum of away movement to coax an edge from Renshaw’s bat.Coming in at No. 5, Handscomb again demonstrated his idiosyncrasies, staying deep in his crease to the pacemen while also trying to dance down the wicket to Yasir. There were a few nervy moments for him before the break, but Smith’s passing of 50 gave the hosts some cause for optimism as the match crept into the floodlit night.Intriguingly Misbah resumed with twin spin after dinner, and Smith and Handscomb were duly able to get back into rhythm. The genuine concern for Amir left the tourists a bowler short, with Rahat also looking sluggish at various points. The second new ball brought Amir’s welcome return and the aforementioned unappealing edge from Smith, and after a protracted period in the 90s, the Australian captain was able to drive down the ground for Test hundred No. 16.Of all the surprises thrown up by the first night’s pink ball cricket in Brisbane, a wicketless final session was surely the most startling. No-one will be more grateful for that than the No. 6 Nic Maddinson, who can now look forward to batting in sunlight on day two – whenever Smith and Handscomb exit the stage that is.

With a 2-1 lead, Australia have the chance to wrap up the series against Pakistan at the SCG. Their premier fast bowler Mitchell Starc has also returned to the squad

The Preview by Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2017

Match facts

January 22, 2017
Start time 1420 local (0320 GMT)Adam Zampa doesn’t want Steven Smith’s headband to be his chief contribution of the series•Getty Images

Big picture

On a weekend when Cricket Australia are toasting the members of Allan Border’s 1987 World Cup winning squad, their cricketing descendants can complete a somewhat more modest achievement by sealing the ODI series against Pakistan. Resolve to get the job done was written all over the captain Steven Smith’s hundred to lead a sturdy chase in Perth, and the hosts will be looking for a similarly solid batting display after the malfunctions of the first two games.To that end both David Warner and Usman Khawaja will be eager for the runs that have eluded them so far, with Travis Head another man eager to go on from the starts he has made in each match. Adam Zampa, meanwhile, will be eagerly awaiting an opportunity to play, having so far been left running the drinks as allrounders have been preferred to his nifty leg spin.Pakistan are in need of better displays in the field, as it is now patently clear their batsmen struggle to post the sorts of totals now commonly seen among the world’s more successful limited-overs sides. But there will be hope for their returning captain Azhar Ali that the SCG’s pitch can provide the conditions necessary for his spinners to replicate their work at the MCG, with plenty of help from Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan.Thirty years ago, Australia pushed past Pakistan on their home turf in Lahore to reach the tournament decider; Smith’s collective will want to ensure the final match of this series, in Adelaide on Australia Day, is anything but.

Form guide

Australia: WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: LWLWW
Sharjeel Khan has been stylish, but Pakistan might want more substance from him at the top of the order•Getty Images

In the spotlight

For all his contribution to Smith’s decision to don a headband at the WACA, Adam Zampa would sooner be conspicuous for his bowling. Of the six ODIs Austraia have played at home this season, Zampa has appeared in only one – against New Zealand at the SCG. Based on that evidence, Sunday appears his best chance to return and demonstrate once more why he should be played more often. However, if he isn’t picked, Zampa will have reason to question the value of being in the squad at all – headbands aside.Scores of 18, 29 and 50 represent a promising upward trend for Sharjeel Khan, who has plenty of power and style at the top of the order for Pakistan. An overall average of 28.65 but a top score of 152 suggests he is yet to make the most of his talents, and he will be keen to go to the next step in Sydney, the venue where he made his Test debut at the start of the year.

Team news

Mitchell Starc is back in Australia’s squad for the SCG, while Adam Zampa will also be pushing for inclusion for the first time in the series.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Peter Handscomb, 5 Travis Head, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Adam Zampa.Pakistan were led by Mohammad Hafeez at the MCG and the WACA, but Azhar Ali has recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered in Brisbane and will lead the side in Sydney. Azhar is likely to replace Asad Shafiq, who made only 13 and 5 in the second and third ODIs.Pakistan (possible) 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Hasan Ali.

Pitch and conditions

The SCG is towards the back end of its busiest month of the season, so the surface may be a little on the tired side. Sydney’s weather forecast is for fine, warm conditions.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have beaten Australia four times in ODIs at the SCG, but the hosts have been victorious on each of the past five occasions
• Steven Smith needs 31 runs to surpass Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann on the list of Australian ODI run-makers, having played 93 matches to Lehmann’s 117

Picking up seven wickets between them, the two players helped Sydney Thunder thrash Sydney Sixers with eight wickets and 60 balls to spare

The Report by Will Macpherson at the SCG14-Jan-2017
ScorecardFawad Ahmed and Carlos Brathwaite claimed seven wickets between them•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Can the Sydney Thunder qualify for the finals? Can they?Ten days ago, the champions had lost their first four games, and were staring down the barrel of elimination from the competition. Then Eoin Morgan smote Ben Hilfenhaus into the western Sydney sky and their season lived on. They then won well in Hobart and now, sweetest of all, they thrashed their crosstown rivals the Sydney Sixers by eight wickets, having limited them to just 99 in front of 39,756 people, a domestic cricket record for New South Wales. The emphatic margin means victory in their final game, against the struggling Adelaide Strikers, gives them a shot at making the finals.For the Sixers, this was a drubbing and a humiliation. The effect on their already poor NRR has been so profound that despite already having four wins on the board – as many as any team – they likely need to win their last game against the Melbourne Stars to make the semi-finals. Still, with just seven of the 32 pool games left, no team is out, and none have qualified for the semi-finals; the BBL’s evenness remains one of its major attractions.Fawad the destroyer
Chief among the reasons for the Thunder’s win was the brilliant bowling performance of Fawad Ahmed. The legspinner’s four overs contained 12 dots, conceded just one boundary, and were worth no more than five runs each. Handily, he also picked up four wickets. Coming on after a Powerplay that had picked up both the Sixers openers at a cost of just 36, he picked up Nic Maddinson and Moises Henriques, both caught slog-sweeping, off consecutive deliveries in his second over. Colin Munro was done in by a flat legspinner in his third, then Sean Abbott slapped straight to midwicket, where Carlos Brathwaite took the catch. Fawad’s 4 for 14 was the best-ever figures for the Thunder, and the best in a Sydney derby.For the Thunder, there were decisive bowling contributions beyond Fawad. Chris Green kicked things off, conceding just 12 from his three overs in the Powrerplay, as well as bowling Michael Lumb. Brathwaite hammered a relentless line and length picked up Brad Haddin, Johan Botha and Nathan Lyon in his second, third and fourth overs, while Shane Watson was supremely tight and dismissed Daniel Hughes just as he was looking in ominous form.Sydney Thunder chased down their target of 100 with ten overs to spare•Cricket Australia

The strange decision and the disastrous consequences
The Sixers had played six games before this one, and chased in all of them. They had won four and lost just two. So why, upon winning the toss, did Moises Henriques opt to bat first? (This was the first time in 25 games this BBL that the captain winning the toss had opted to bat.)Whatever the reason, the outcome was shocking. Beyond the obviously gruesome total and the loss of all but one of their wickets, there were some striking statistics from their batting effort. They hit just seven boundaries, and failed to hit any in the second half of their innings, with a Haddin cover drive after 9.3 overs their last. They faced 53 dots balls went 27 balls (between 13.5 and 18.3 overs) without taking more than one from a delivery. They failed to take more than five from any of the last 12 overs, and they scored more than eight just once (the second, when Lumb got after Clint McKay). The biggest partnership was for the second wicket, and was worth just 22. It was a sorry tale, and their equal lowest ever score.The dab
Thunder, clearly, have been hard at work on the training ground. But they have obviously been hitting the dance floor, too. Brathwaite unveiled the BBL dab in the win over Hurricanes and he had three more opportunities to show it off here too, with Fawad joining him for a synchronised handshake, too. Only the goosestepping, tan-lined pair of streakers later in the night got a bigger cheer.A stroll of a chase
With the skies greying, Thunder were half way to the target after 29 balls, and had not lost a wicket. The low target gave James Vince the licence to throw his bat around – his on-driven four and six over cover will live long in the memory – while Kurtis Patterson used the opportunity to play himself back into form.Sean Abbott dismissed Vince and Watson, both pulling, but on the Thunder charged, romping home, with Ben Rohrer heaving hard. In the blink of an eye they were home, with half their deliveries to spare.

Ireland pacer Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of the T20 international series against Afghanistan with a lower back issue, but is expected to play a part in the five-match ODI series that follows

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2017Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of the T20 international series against Afghanistan that began on Wednesday in Greater Noida due to a lower-back issue. However, he is still expected to play a part in the five-match ODI series, which starts from March 15.”We are really happy with the progress Boyd is making and feel confident that he will still make an impact on this tour,” Ireland head coach John Bracewell said. “We are lucky that we have cover at present, and after the safe arrival of Murtagh’s second child, Tim will also be with us for the ODI series.”Rankin had missed a significant portion of the season due to injury. The fast bowler, who turns out for Warwickshire, fractured his left leg (tibial fracture) during a training session with the county, which kept him out of cricket for five months. He missed Ireland’s one-day matches against Pakistan, South Africa and Australia as well as the Intercontinental Cup. He made his return in the Desert T20 Challenge where four matches yielded as many wickets at 18.25 and an economy rate of 6.63.He was once again rested for the ODIs against United Arab Emirates in Dubai earlier this month, but joined the team for a 10-day training camp ahead of the ongoing series against Afghanistan.The three-match T20 series will be followed by five ODIs, before the tour concludes with a four-day match. All the games are scheduled to take place in Greater Noida.