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Wednesday, June 26, 2024

England ease to victory in opening ODI against New Zealand

Pamela Rios June 26, 2024 Leave a Reply
England ease to victory in opening ODI against New Zealand

Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier both struck half-centuries as England cruised to a nine-wicket win against New Zealand in the first ODI at Chester-le-Street.

England were impressive with both bat and ball and made light work of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against under-cooked opponents.

New Zealand, who had not played since losing a three-match ODI series 2-1 on home soil against England in April, were reduced to 156 all out with over 16 overs left after winning the toss and choosing to bat.

England’s Charlie Dean took four for 38 before Beaumont and Bouchier set about a modest run chase in fine style.

Beaumont struck 11 fours and a six for an unbeaten 76 off 69 balls, with Bouchier departing in the 18th over for a 50-ball 67.

Beaumont reached a 46-ball half-century in the 14th over by lofting a six over long on and three balls later Bouchier smashed another six to take England to 100.

A four over mid on soon after took Bouchier to a 38-ball half-century and England cruised to 117 without loss after 15 overs.

England Maia Bouchier, left, reached her half-century off 38 deliveries
England Maia Bouchier, left, reached her half-century off 38 deliveries (Nigel French/PA)

Brooke Halliday made a belated breakthrough when she had Bouchier well caught by Suzie Bates at short cover after the England opener had hit 12 fours and a six in her 67.

Beaumont was given out lbw off Fran Jonas in the 19th over, but survived comfortably after a review and a reverse sweep for four carried England to 145 for one at the end of the over.

England captain Heather Knight (nine not out) struck the winning boundary in the 22nd over, lifting her side to 157 for one.

England all-rounder Dean’s four for 38 off nine overs had earlier helped reduce New Zealand to 134 for nine in the 29th over and they were all out for 156 in the 34th.

England's Charlie Dean celebrates after trapping Izzy Gaze lbw at Chester-le-Street
England’s Charlie Dean celebrates after trapping Izzy Gaze lbw at Chester-le-Street (Nigel French/PA)

The tourists made a solid start after winning the toss and recovered from the early loss of opener Bates to reach 56 for one after the powerplay.

But after fellow opener Georgia Plimmer was run out for 29, New Zealand lost their next three wickets for the addition of 19 runs and were 75 for five in the 15th over.

Number six batter Halliday, who made 51 off 60 deliveries, and wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze lifted New Zealand to 103 for five in the 21st over before the latter was trapped lbw by Dean’s off-spin.

Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr and Molly Penfold all fell cheaply to Dean and Halliday was the last wicket to fall, caught by skipper Knight off Sarah Glenn with 16.3 overs remaining.

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Tuesday, June 25, 2024

England yet to hit top form in ODIs, says captain Heather Knight

Pamela Rios June 25, 2024 Leave a Reply
England yet to hit top form in ODIs, says captain Heather Knight

Heather Knight admits England are still working on finding their best form in ODI cricket as they prepare for their upcoming series against New Zealand.

They begin the series with three 50-over matches, kicking off in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.

England enjoyed T20 and ODI wins over the White Ferns in New Zealand earlier this year and followed up with victories in both formats against Pakistan on home soil.

They completed an ODI series victory against Pakistan with an emphatic display at Chelmsford, where Nat Sciver-Brunt hit an unbeaten 124 off 117 balls before taking two wickets for 11.

England celebrating their series win against Pakistan
England secured an ODI series victory against Pakistan last month (John Walton/PA)

Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt also contributed with the bat, while Sophie Ecclestone took three for 15 and England captain Knight believes that game is the “perfect blueprint” for future ODI success.

She said: “We’re still finding our best cricket in the ODI format, I think. We’re really playing some brilliant cricket in T20, but ODI there’s a few areas we can do a little bit better.

“That last game against Pakistan at Chelmsford was the perfect blueprint about how we want to play our ODI cricket and dominate those sorts of teams in the way that we played.

“The tempo of the game, we got that really right in that game so we just want to do more of the same.

England celebrating taking a wicket
England kick off their ODI series against New Zealand on Wednesday (John Walton/PA)

“T20 is a bit more of a focus with the World Cup coming up, but there’s a hell of a lot of big ODI games in the next couple of years, so making sure we’re training really well and getting real clarity on how we want to play the game and put in some good individual performances.”

England have called seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay into the ODI squad.

The 20-year-old will link up with the squad ahead of Wednesday’s match as a replacement for Kate Cross, who is out of the first ODI with an abdominal niggle.

Knight said: “We’re hoping she (Cross) can recover in the next few days and be available for that second and third game.

“She’s that leader of the attack. We’ve got quite a young seam bowling group so Kate’s the kind of old stalwart of that and you know what you’re going to get with Kate.

“She’s just picked that (the injury) up in the development game she played against New Zealand on Friday. A bit of a blow, but calling up Ryana is to give us a little bit more cover.

“Ry’s a brilliant young player, she really impressed in the England A trip to New Zealand and she’s been a standout bowler domestically in 50-over cricket.

“She’s a really bright prospect, really accurate, really good skills and is an exciting young cricketer.”

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Vitality County Championship leaders Surrey on top against Worcestershire

Pamela Rios June 25, 2024 Leave a Reply
Vitality County Championship leaders Surrey on top against Worcestershire

Division One leaders Surrey remained on course to win their fifth Vitality County Championship match of the season despite prolonged resistance from Worcestershire’s Gareth Roderick and Kashif Ali on day three at New Road.

Surrey claimed the final three Worcestershire first-innings wickets before lunch to enforce the follow-on with a lead of 278 despite resistance from Jake Libby, Ben Allison and Adam Finch.

Opener Roderick and Kashif then dug in to add 135 from 34 overs in relatively untroubled fashion for the second wicket but three wickets then fell in three overs to turn the game firmly back in Surrey’s favour in the final session of the day.

Lancashire closed in on a huge victory over fellow Division One strugglers Kent after continuing their domination at Canterbury.

The Red Rose reduced the hosts to 143 for six at stumps on day three, leaving Kent trailing by 162, with Charlie Stobo and Beyers Swanepoel the not-out batters on 25 and 18 respectively.

Lancashire declared on 549 for nine, a lead of 305, with Josh Bohannon making 205 and Matty Hurst 50, while George Garrett claimed three for 89.

Will Williams and Tom Bailey then both took two wickets apiece to leave Kent six down at stumps.

Wicketkeeper Michael Pepper equalled the Essex record for most County Championship wickets in a match but his side will need 405 runs to beat Durham on the final day.

Pepper’s four catches and a stumping in the second innings took his tally for the match to nine.

Paul Walter completed the second century of his career but Matthew Potts’ exceptional fast bowling gave Durham a 248-run first-innings lead as the hosts were dismissed for 339 at Chelmsford, before Durham declared on 188 for eight and Essex reached 28 for one at stumps.

James Vince and Liam Dawson both hit centuries as Hampshire declared on 453 for six on the third day of their match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Vince scored an unbeaten 166 from 197 balls, his 29th first-class century, and Dawson 120 from 157, his 15th, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 255 in 53 overs to set the home side a victory target of 498 in a day and 12 overs.

Warwickshire reached 40 for one by the close after Kyle Abbott’s first ball trapped Alex Davies lbw, but a draw remains the likeliest outcome on a flattening pitch.

South African all-rounder Migael Pretorius added an unbeaten 95 to his four first-innings wickets to help Somerset carve out a 110-run first innings lead on day three against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

However, with Nottinghamshire 177 for one in their second innings at the close, Craig Overton’s team have a lot to do if they are to take home a third Championship win of the season.

In Division Two, Yorkshire wrapped up their first win of the season inside three days with an emphatic innings-and-22-run victory over Gloucestershire at Scarborough.

The White Rose took 13 wickets on day three to record a 22-point haul and breathe life into a promotion push which has struggled to get out of the blocks since being labelled as Division Two title favourites in April.

Gloucestershire, replying to 456, started the day on 168 for seven in their first innings and were made to follow-on 259 runs in arrears having been bowled out for 197. Despite a career-best 70 from Zaman Akhter, they were bowled out for 237 after tea.

Sussex took four wickets in the final hour to put themselves in a strong position to see off unbeaten Leicestershire at Hove and consolidate top place spot.

Off-spinner Jack Carson removed Foxes’ skipper Lewis Hill, makeshift opener Ian Holland and Lewis Goldsworthy as four wickets fell for 30 runs in 12 overs, leaving Leicestershire on 139 for five and still needing 325 in their pursuit of a target of 464.

Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones tore through Derbyshire’s tail with a five-wicket haul on the third day at Lord’s.

Seamer Roland-Jones finished with five for 81 as the visitors, who began day three on 308 for four, were hustled out inside the opening hour at Lord’s for 339.

Having top-scored with 163 in Middlesex’s first innings, Ryan Higgins took three for 60 before helping his side stretch their overall lead to 396 with a total of 302 second time around.

Two late wickets from Mason Crane kept Glamorgan in front against Northamptonshire in Cardiff, with the visitors set to begin the final day on 236 for four, just 25 runs in front with six second-innings wickets in hand.

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England look to channel spirit of 2022 in T20 World Cup semi-final against India

Pamela Rios June 25, 2024 Leave a Reply
England look to channel spirit of 2022 in T20 World Cup semi-final against India

England will hope history repeats itself when they take on world number ones India in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup, calling on memories of a triumphant night in Adelaide.

The two teams met at the same stage of the competition when it when it was held in Australia in 2022, with the eventual champions producing a stunning 10-wicket victory as captain Jos Buttler and Alex Hales shared an unbeaten stand of 170.

Against an India side who have won 12 of their last 13 T20s, on a notoriously tricky Guyana pitch renowned for taking spin, England will need to harness all the confidence they can. And where better to look than a game which stands as their most impressive display since former skipper Eoin Morgan retired two years ago.

Moeen Ali, one of eight squad members to play in the match, said: “That was a great day and a great performance.

“We were clinical in our planning and preparation. We took the game on and were unbelievable with the bat but we set the game up with the ball.

“India have looked very, very strong this year, like they did at the last World Cup, and they’re just a brilliant side. They’ve got everything covered, so we’re going to have to be at our best to beat them. I’m looking forward to it… it’s nice to be here when you’re two games from winning a World Cup.”

If the pitch at the Providence Stadium does assist slow bowlers, as expected, India will become even stronger favourites with a varied spin attack featuring Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal.

But England have their own ace in the pack in the form of leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who has hit top form at the tournament and boasts nine wickets with an excellent economy rate of 6.70. In three crunch fixtures against the West Indies, South Africa and United States in the Super 8s stage, he sent down 12 overs and took combined figures of four for 54.

“Rash is experienced and he just adapts to conditions really well,” said Moeen.

Adil Rashid, left, chats to Moeen Ali during a T20 World Cup game
Adil Rashid, left, has impressed Moeen Ali with his form during the tournament (Ricardo Mazalan/AP)

“He knows his game now and he’s just proper at the moment, confident. He’s been unbelievable. He’s in some of the form of his life at the moment and just enjoying it. That’s great to see and it’s what we need. You can expect some sort of spin and a toughish wicket.”

Moeen’s off-breaks are likely to be another key part of the England game plan, Liam Livingstone offers further variation and there could be an outside chance for Will Jacks to return as a spin-bowling all-rounder and six-hitting option.

The England team traditionally attract plenty of followers on their travels, with committed touring supporters and a reliably large media presence, but that is set to change for their visit to the outer reaches of South America.

Tour groups were unable to sell packages with any confidence given the short turnaround time and several opted out entirely, instead focusing on the earlier rounds and late offers for the final in Barbados.

With stark travel advice for Guyana warning of high levels of violent crime and with hotel capacity severely stretched, it would be a surprise to see more than a sprinkling of England fans in the stands.

The same cannot be said for their opponents, as a large Indian diaspora prepares to turn out in force. India have also been aided by a longstanding guarantee that they would play in Guyana if they reached the final four, a certainty no other side at the tournament was offered.

It is a clear and regrettable discrepancy in a World Cup that strives for competitive balance but one that is understood to exist to satisfy the lucrative Indian television market.

There is also set to be a notable lack of English-based reporters on site. While former England captains Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and Morgan all flew from Barbados with the team as part of their duties with the International Cricket Council’s official commentary team, a lack of commercial flights and accommodation has kept most other journalists grounded.

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Monday, June 24, 2024

Danni Wyatt welcomes England competition – even from bridesmaid Sophia Dunkley

Pamela Rios June 24, 2024 Leave a Reply
Danni Wyatt welcomes England competition – even from bridesmaid Sophia Dunkley

Danni Wyatt has welcomed the competition for places in the England squad after the recall of her bridesmaid Sophia Dunkley for the upcoming white-ball series with New Zealand.

England play the first of three ODIs in Durham on Wednesday before five T20s against the White Ferns in July.

Wyatt featured in five of the six matches with Pakistan earlier this summer and smashed 87 in Leeds last month, while fellow batter Dunkley is back in the set-up for both formats after a string of impressive domestic scores.

Wyatt said: “She is one of my good mates, Dunks. One of my bridesmaids actually for my wedding, so really happy for her.

“She has really got her head down, worked really hard and batted really well for her domestic team. I am sure she is chomping at the bit to get a chance in this series and I’m really delighted she is back.

“That is what we want. We want competition for places in the squad to keep pushing us, so I am sure everyone will get their head down, focus on themselves and do their best for the team if they get a chance.”

England faced New Zealand during the spring and recorded an impressive 4-1 T20 series victory before they edged out the hosts in three ODIs 2-1.

The T20 World Cup takes place later this year in Bangladesh, but Wyatt insisted they would treat the 50-over matches during the next week with the utmost respect.

“There is a real buzz around the group at the minute and we can’t wait to get going on Wednesday,” Wyatt added.

“It’s still white-ball cricket, so for me, I’ll still play my natural game and, if the ball is there, I’ll try and hit it.

“We want to focus on winning the ODI series and we’ve seen how good New Zealand are as a team having recently just played them.

“Ultimately we want to win this series, play at our best and then focus on the T20 series with an eye on Bangladesh coming up. Yeah, lots of exciting cricket coming up.”

It has also been a memorable time off the field for Wyatt after she married long-term partner Georgie Hodge earlier this month ahead of a bigger event planned for August.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Georgie Hodge (@georgiehodge)

Wyatt said: “It was so lovely.

“That was the small registry wedding and the big day is in August in France. It was a nice warm-up ready for the big day.

“Even on Saturday when I was playing for (Southern) Vipers, everyone in the crowd said congrats. It’s so nice. That is what you get for putting it all over Instagram!”

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India beat Australia to set up T20 World Cup semi-final against England

Pamela Rios June 24, 2024 Leave a Reply
India beat Australia to set up T20 World Cup semi-final against England

India captain Rohit Sharma hit a superb 92 to help guide his side to a 24-run win over Australia and set up a T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

Australia’s decision to field after winning the toss in St Lucia soon came under scrutiny as Rohit led by example, racing to a half-century off just 19 balls before India went on to post 205 for five in their last Super 8s Group 1 game.

David Warner, making what could be his final international appearance, was out in the first over of the reply before Axar Patel produced a magnificent one-handed catch to account for Australia captain Mitch Marsh.

Although opener Travis Head made a valiant 76, India continued to take regular wickets, Arshdeep Singh claiming three, as they closed out another impressive win to maintain their unbeaten run at the tournament and leave Australia’s hopes of making the semi-finals in the balance.

T20 Cricket WCup Australia India
India players celebrate the dismissal of Australia’s David Warner (Ramon Espinosa/AP)

Earlier, Virat Kohli’s struggles had continued when he was caught for a five-ball duck before India captain Rohit swiftly helped his side race to 43 for one ahead of a short rain delay.

Australia – stunned by a 21-run defeat to Afghanistan on Sunday – eventually picked up another wicket when Rishabh Pant (15) edged high out to mid-off from Marcus Stoinis to leave India at 93 for two at the end of the eighth over.

Rohit then fell just short of his century when removed on 92 by a yorker from Mitchell Starc, having hit seven boundaries and eight sixes from 41 deliveries.

Suryakumar Yadav added a swift 31 and Shivam Dube a 22-ball 28, with Hardik Pandya also making an unbeaten 27 to add to India’s formidable total.

Australia's Travis Head raises his bat to celebrate his half-century
Australia’s Travis Head celebrates his half-century (Ramon Espinosa/AP)

Australia’s reply got off to the worst possible start when Warner was caught at slip by Suryakumar off Singh in the final ball of the first over.

However, Head and Marsh soon got stuck in to India’s attack, bringing the total up to 65 for one at the end of the powerplay before the Australian skipper was out on 37 to a stunning take from Patel at deep square.

As Head passed a fine half-century from 24 balls, Glenn Maxwell weighed in with a swift 20 to push Australia on to 128 for three in the 14th over.

India’s bowlers, though, kept the pressure on after Stoinis was out for just two as the required run-rate crept up.

Australia’s hopes were all but ended at 150 for five once Head sent a slower ball from Jasprit Bumrah to Rohit at cover in the 17th over, leaving India to close out another impressive win.

India will next meet defending champions England, who had secured their semi-final place with a huge 10-wicket win over the United States in Guyana on Thursday.

Australia, meanwhile, will be out if Afghanistan go on to beat Bangladesh in their last group game later, with South Africa waiting in the other semi-final.

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Andrew Flintoff’s son Rocky hits match-winning 106 for England Under-19s

Pamela Rios June 24, 2024 Leave a Reply
Andrew Flintoff’s son Rocky hits match-winning 106 for England Under-19s

Rocky Flintoff hit a match-winning 106 as England Under-19s chased down 288 to beat a Young Lions Invitational XI by two wickets at Loughborough.

The 16-year-old son of former England all-rounder Andrew hit eight fours and three sixes in a 111-ball innings which steered his side to victory after they lost both openers in the first five overs.

Flintoff and Charlie Allison put on 81 for the fifth wicket as they eased the Under-19s back into a game which was rapidly slipping away from them.

They had come together at 52 for four in the 12th over and the partnership remained intact until Allison was caught by Travis Holland off the bowling of Archie Vaughan, the 18-year-old son of former England captain Michael, for 56 with the score on 133 for five.

When Flintoff was finally caught by James Dunn, England needed only 14 more runs to win and Harry Moore, who finished on an unbeaten 45, and Tazeem Ali duly obliged to see them over the line.

Earlier, Vaughan had top-scored for the Lions with 85 from 83 balls, including 10 fours and a six.

Batting at four, he arrived at the wicket to join Kesh Fonseka, who made 54, with the score on 102 for two and departed at 281 for nine as his side were dismissed for 288 with 11 balls to spare.

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