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Klaasen and Bosch resist in stiff run-chase, but can’t prevent historic series result

Firdose Moonda22-Dec-2024Pakistan 308 for 9 (Ayub 101, Rizwan 53, Babar 52) beat South Africa 271 (Klaasen 81, Bosch 40*, Muqeem 4-52) by 36 runs (DLS)South Africa were blanked for the first time in a bilateral ODI series at home after losing by 36 runs to Pakistan in a rain-affected game at the Wanderers. Saim Ayub starred with bat and ball by scoring a second hundred in the series and with figures of 1 for 34. Debutant wristpinner Sufiyan Muqeem took 4 for 52 to again ask questions of South Africa’s ability against spin.The loss means South Africa have won only one out of three ODI series this year, after also losing to Afghanistan in Sharjah, and two out of six ODI series under white-ball coach Rob Walter, who took over in February 2023. Pakistan, on the other hand, completed a fifth successive bilateral series win after beating New Zealand, Afghanistan, Australia and Zimbabwe.Ayub has enjoyed a stunning summer in South Africa so far. He scored 98 not out in the T20I in Centurion and 109 in Paarl, and then anchored a strong Pakistan effort at the Wanderers, with 101. He also shared in a 114-run second-wicket stand with Babar Azam and a 93-run third-wicket partnership with Mohammad Rizwan to give Pakistan the perfect platform. Both Babar and Rizwan brought up half-centuries as well. Pakistan had mini-collapses either side of Salman Agha and Tayyab Tahir’s sixth-wicket stand of 74 off 47 balls which pushed their total above 300. Their template of slow starts and explosive finishes continued to work well for them while South Africa’s top-order batting concerns continued.Heinrich Klaasen was the only batter to score a half-century, and he did it in all three matches. He was also the leading run-scorer in the series with an average of 88.00 but had no support from anyone else until Corbin Bosch’s 44-ball 40, on debut at No.8, kept South Africa in the chase.After opting to bowl first in overcast conditions, South Africa were unable to maximise their chances, despite Kagiso Rabada beating the edge several times early on, and then struggled with their disciplines later on. Bjorn Fortuin and Aiden Markam bowled 13 overs of spin between them at a collective economy of 5.6 to the over but the seamers were costly. Marco Jansen’s nine overs cost 58 runs while Bosch and Kwena Maphaka, in his second ODI and first on his home ground, bowled 15 overs between them for 119 runs and picked up a wicket apiece.Things started well for South Africa when Abdullah Shafique edged Rabada to second slip to register his third successive duck of the series. All Shafique’s dismissals have come nicking off, which South Africa will remember ahead of next week’s Test. Play only continued for another 17 deliveries before rain kept the players off the field for an hour and a quarter.Heinrich Klaasen fought for South Africa with a hard-hitting fifty•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan could have lost Babar 14 balls after the restart, when he cut Jansen to point. Fortuin leapt to his right but got his hands in the wrong position and dropped the chance. Babar was on 10, and would take some time to get into his rhythm. Instead, It was Ayub who took South Africa on with two drives off a Rabada over in the “v” and then two pull shots off Jansen to end the Powerplay with Pakistan on 42 for 1.Maphaka was expensive in his first spell which lasted only two overs and cost 17 runs but Bosch immediately showed his potential with deliveries above 140kph. Ayub inside-edged one of his deliveries onto his box but no major damage was done and he brought up 50 off 54 balls. Maphaka returned from the other end and initially Babar had the better of him but the 18-year old had the final say. He hit Babar on the bottom hand and then tempted him with a short ball that Babar sent straight to David Miller and short mid-wicket. This year will be the first since Babar made his debut in 2015 that he will not score an ODI hundred.Pakistan were 115 for 2 after 23 overs and added only six runs in the next three overs as Fortuin led the squeeze. The pressure was released when Ayub smoked Maphaka through the covers, fine leg and long-off in an 18-run over. Runs kept coming in boundaries for Ayub and he hit four fours and a six in the next seven balls to gallop into the 90s. He reached his century off 91 balls, in the 34th over, with Pakistan 199 for 2.Ayub became Bosch’s first international wicket when he gloved him down leg to Klaasen but left them in a good position. By then, Rizwan was on 45 off 44 balls and joined by big-hitting Kamran Ghulam. He could not repeat his antics from Newlands, where he smashed a 32-ball 63, but tried. He sliced Fortuin high above cover and was caught by Temba Bavuma.Rizwan got to 50 off 48 balls but then top-edged Fortuin to short third to give him a second. Fortuin was one of two bowlers to deliver 10 overs and finished with 2 for 56. Rabada was the other and struck late in his final spell when he removed Salman and Shaheen Shah Afridi in successive deliveries to take 3 for 56. South Africa took four wickets in five balls for five runs to prevent some big-hitting from being fruitful at the end but Salman and Tayyab had already done major damage. They hit five fours and three sixes in their time together.Pakistan’s innings was delayed by 15 minutes and interrupted by rain after 3.1 overs. The 75-minute break meant the match was reduced to 47 overs a side. Pakistan were 10 for 1 when the rain began and South Africa’s target was adjusted, so they had to chase 308. At 212 for 7, it looked like that was only mathematical but Bosch’s 40 and run-a-ball stands of 38 and 21 for the eighth and ninth wickets kept them in it. They were bowled out for 271 in 42 overs.It was always going to be a tough chase but South Africa’s reply started strongly and they were 24 after three overs before Bavuma played Naseem Shah to Ayub at point. This is the second time in the series Bavuma has taken his right hand off the handle as he played a shot, which may concern South Africa ahead of the Tests. Bavuma has only just regained fitness after a left elbow injury.Tony de Zorzi looked dangerous on the drive and the pull but was bounced out by Afridi. Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen took South Africa to 15 overs on 80 for 2 before Markram gifted his wicket to Muqeem’s first ball. Markram hit a filthy short ball straight to deep mid-wicket to leave South Africa in trouble even before enough overs had been bowled to call it a game.Klaasen walked in to light rain and the DLS par score of 136 in 20 overs hanging over him and got to work. He took on Muqeem, who bowled too flat and too short, but van der Dussen’s dismissal on the penultimate ball of the 20th over pegged South Africa back. Van der Dussen was out lbw to Mohammad Hasnain for 35, making it his 10th completed innings without an ODI half-century.David Miller might have been South Africa’s last hope but Rizwan anticipated his lap-sweep off Ayub and was ready to take the catch at a leg slip position. South Africa were 123 for 5 and not even Klaasen’s lone hand could get them over the line. He reached fifty off 29 balls, smashed Afridi for four fours in an over and 10 runs off three balls in his next over before hitting him to deep square leg and all but ending South Africa’s fight. Bosch proved his worth as a lower-order hitter but ran out of partners to bat out the overs. Rabada and Maphaka were dismissed in successive balls to give Muqeem his four-fer and South Africa many questions ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Offspinner Amar Virdi has been released by Surrey, having been overlooked throughout their run of three consecutive County Championship titles.Virdi, 26, claimed 39 wickets in Surrey’s Championship-winning season in 2018, and was at the time considered to be a future Test prospect, having featured for the England Under-19 side in 2016 and 2017. He was part of England’s training bubble during the 2020 Covid-19 season and toured the subcontinent at the start of 2021 as a reserve for series against Sri Lanka and India.On his first-class debut in May 2017, he made history by joining Sam Curran, Ryan Patel and Ollie Pope to form the first quartet of teenagers to play for a county since World War 2, and only the fifth in history.But unlike his contemporaries, all of whom have gone on to become fixtures in Surrey’s first XI, Virdi’s opportunities have waned in recent years, with Surrey tending to prefer a batting allrounder such as Will Jacks or Dan Lawrence to carry their spin burden.He spent the latter part of the 2024 county season on loan at Worcestershire, where he took 14 wickets in four matches, including a five-wicket haul against Hampshire in September, but a permanent move is understood to be unlikely. Previously he had been on loan at Somerset in 2022, with his most recent Championship outing for Surrey coming in September 2021.”Having been a part of the club since I was 11 years old, I will look back on my time at Surrey with great fondness and I have some incredible memories of playing for the club,” Virdi said.”Winning the 2018 County Championship was a personal highlight and it was incredible to be part of the team that brought success back to the club after many years.”Having had a tough couple of years at Surrey with selection and pitches, I still believe I have a huge amount to offer the game as shown in my recent loan stint at Worcestershire and I’m looking forward to whatever the next step is in my playing career.”Alec Stewart, Director of Cricket, added: “It’s always tough letting a player go from the club and especially when that player has been in our set up from a young age. With the balance of our bowling attack we’ve used in the Championship in recent years which has brought us great success, Virds hasn’t been able to find a way into the starting eleven.”I firmly believe his bowling has a lot to offer another county and hopefully he will find a new home where he can show case his talents and further his career. I will do everything possible to help him find a good solution.”In the meantime, on behalf of everyone at Surrey CCC, I would like to thank Virds for the service he has given and we should never forget the impact he had when winning the 2018 County Championship title.”

Somerset have appointed Trevor Griffin as head coach of their women’s team. Griffin, who has signed a two-year deal, previously had two spells coaching Western Storm in the women’s regional structure.He oversaw Storm’s two Kia Super League successes between 2017 and 2019, before moving on to coach Sunrisers and London Spirit in the Hundred. He also had a four-season spell in charge of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL.A former district sales manager with Nationwide, Griffin took an unusual route into coaching, via the Devon Cricket Board, Chance to Shine, and the University of Exeter. He worked for Canterbury Cricket in New Zealand before being offered the job of analyst and assistant coach at Western Storm, and was subsequently promoted to head coach when Caroline Foster stepped down.Griffin returned to take charge of Storm in 2022 and will now oversee the reintegration between women’s cricket and the county game at Taunton.”I’m absolutely thrilled. To be the first Head Coach and lead Somerset Women into this new era is a huge honour and I’m really excited for the future,” Griffin said. “Women’s cricket is going from strength to strength, and we’ve seen tremendous growth in the southwest in recent years. To be able to build on this as we move forward with Somerset is incredibly motivating for staff and players alike.”Somerset has a great history of supporting women’s cricket, and I can’t wait to share our knowledge and experience and work alongside their staff and players as we build a women’s squad to compete for top honours, inspire others and entertain the fans.”Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “Trevor is a coach who has achieved domestic success both in England and in Australia. He has a really strong understanding of our domestic structure which will enable him to lead this team into an exciting new era for the women’s game.”He has built and developed key relationships with players and staff across the region during his time with Western Storm and he is someone who shares the values that we at Somerset adhere to both on and off the field.”Trevor is held in high regard by players and staff alike and we very much look forward to working with him as we commence our journey to build a team and a brand of cricket that competes on all fronts and inspires the next generation of players.”

Leeds United had a problem between the posts last season. First-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier had an inconsistent campaign, despite keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 27 goals in 39 Championship games. As per Sofascore, he had a save percentage of 70.1%.

However, he made constant errors throughout the season. One of those came against Sunderland, where he failed to catch a ball slowly bouncing towards him in the penalty box, allowing the ball to shoot through his hands and into the back of the net. Former Leeds player Aidy White told BBC Radio Leeds that his old club have “got to drop” the Frenchman.

So, it might not come as a surprise that Daniel Farke’s side are after a new goalkeeper this summer, with a couple of names seemingly on their shortlist.

Leeds target new goalkeeper

So, it seems the Whites are definitely in the market for a new shot stopper this summer. After some poor mistakes from Meslier last term, Farke appears to want a new number one. According to a recent report from TEAMTalk, Yahia Fofana of Ligue 1 side Angers is an option.

However, he is not the only goalkeeper from the French top flight that Leeds are targeting. The same report suggests that the Yorkshire side’s number one target is Lyon’s Brazilian shot-stopper Lucas Perri. He has been described as a ‘prime target’ for the Whites.

TEAMTalk clarify that ‘contact has been made’ with the Brazilian’s camp already, having ‘caught the attention of Leeds’ recruitment team’ after impressing for Lyon. A fee of around £20m could be enough to secure his services this summer.

Why Perri would be a good signing

27-year-old Perri got a big move to Europe back in 2024, after impressing in the Brazilian top flight, most recently with Botafogo. He has since gone on to perform well in a Lyon shirt, which seems to have certainly piqued Leeds’ interest.

Last term for Les Gones, Perri, who was born in Valinhos, just outside of Sao Paulo, made 45 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25. In that time, he conceded 60 goals and kept 13 clean sheets.

Looking at Ligue 1 specifically, his numbers are impressive. He played 33 top-flight games, conceding 44 times and keeping ten clean sheets. Football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best” in his position when he was at Botafogo, and it is not hard to see why, looking at those numbers.

Of course, Leeds have a good history when it comes to buying Brazilian talents from Ligue 1. Former winger Raphinha, who is now tearing things up in La Liga with Barcelona, is “ahead” in the race for the Ballon d’Or, according to the legendary Thierry Henry.

Leeds fans will never forget the contributions he put in at Elland Road before his move to Barca. In two seasons at the club, he scored 17 goals and grabbed 12 assists.

That included one last vital goal, a penalty away to Brentford in his final game for the club, which helped Leeds stay in the Premier League.

The Elland Road faithful would surely love to find the second coming of Raphinha in Perri. The track record of newly-promoted clubs staying in the top flight is not good recently, with all six sides going straight back down in the last two years.

However, the stats from Squawka suggest he is a goalkeeper who can help keep them in the Premier League. Perri had a 72.5% save percentage, higher than Meslier’s last season, and averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes in 2024/25.

Save percentage

72.5%

72.5%

Clean sheets

10

0.4

Long passes completed

122

3.7

Goals conceded

44

1.4

Saves made

116

3.6

Raphinha was the hero for Leeds at one end of the pitch during his spell at the club. If Farke’s side can secure the services of another Brazilian star from Ligue 1 in Perri, perhaps he could have the same impact as his countryman at the other end.

For just £20m, this could be a fantastic addition for Leeds. The “undervalued” talent – as described by Mattinson – would represent an upgrade on Meslier and could be a key part in their survival.

Kalvin Phillips 2.0: Leeds have held talks to sign "incredible" £17m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a star who would be their next Kalvin Phillips.

ByDan Emery Jul 14, 2025

Match details

Netherlands vs Nepal
New York, 10.30am local

Big picture: Third time lucky for South Africa?

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Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.Of course, it will take doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily; Klaasen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.Paul van Meekeren with Sybrand Engelbrecht after Netherlands’ win over South Africa in the 2023 ODI World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Form guide

South Africa: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Netherlands: WLLLW

In the spotlight: Reeza Hendricks and Vivian Kingma

After not getting a game at the 2022 T20 World Cup, Reeza Hendricks is the first-choice opener at this event and, as the batter with the lowest strike-rate in T20Is in South Africa’s top six, will be desperate to show what he is capable of. He had limited opportunity in the Sri Lanka match – he only faced two balls before being dismissed Test-match style by Nuwan Thushara, whom he edged to slip. Now he has had time to come to terms with how to play in New York and must combine his shots with the patience he must have, after waiting so long for an opportunity this high-profile.Vivian Kingma went wicketless against Nepal but that is no reflection of the threat he posed. He got movement upfront, swung the ball away from the right-hand batters, beat the bat on several occasions and found the edge in a spell that set the tone for the Dutch. On a surface that could have considerably more assistance for him, South Africa’s top order will want to be at their most watchful while also finding a way to target the bowlers around him.

Team news: Do Netherlands play an extra seamer?

Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich NortjeConditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.Netherlands: 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Teja Nidamanuru, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Tim Pringle, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian Kingma2:42

Which Netherlands bowlers will South Africa look to take down?

Pitch and conditions

We’re going to see a “new” surface at the venue tomorrow with one of the middle pitches set to make their first tournament appearance, and there will be many eyes on it. The same surface will be used for the India-Pakistan match, so this fixture is something of a test run. From what we’ve seen so far, both pitches 1 and 4 have been tricky for batters because of inconsistent bounce. The ICC has acknowledged the quality has not been up to the standard expected and that it is working on a “remedy.” So far, it has been observed that grass has been shaved off one of the surfaces, which could reduce some of the bounce.At least, everyone can fully focus on the strip and not overhead because the weather is set fine, with highs in the mid-20s.

Stats and trivia

• Netherlands have beaten South Africa in their previous two World Cup meetings, but have not won any matches against them outside of those two.
• Ottneil Baartman is the leading South African wicket-taker in T20s this year and the sixth-highest overall. His 34 wickets have come at an average of 15.17, the best among the top ten wicket-takers.
• At 121.13, Max O’Dowd has the highest career strike rate in the Dutch squad. Five South Africans – Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Aiden Markram – have higher numbers than that.

Quotes

“We definitely want to get back a couple of games against Netherlands. They just do the basics extremely well. The moment they get on top of you, they become a difficult beast. When they do the basics right, they do it so well that they keep squeezing you. They have unbelievable outfielding, so it’s not easy just to shift that momentum against them. For us, it’s a big game.”
“We’re lucky in the sense that we play on a lot of different wickets. Back in the Netherlands, we play on artificials, we play on spicy wickets, we play on spinning wickets. So, for us it’s about adapting to whatever the wicket brings to us.”

After earning promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking, Birmingham City reportedly mean business ahead of what will be a crucial summer transfer window.

Birmingham emphatically return to the Championship

When the Blues were in a position to spend as much as £20m to sign Jay Stansfield last summer, promotion became a must for all involved at St Andrew’s. And to their credit, promotion is exactly what came next. The Blues dominantly raced to the top of the tree, breaking the League One points record by reaching the 108 mark with one more game left to play.

Expressing his delight after breaking such a record, manager Chris Davies told reporters: “For all the people that thought it was going to be easy for Birmingham, you can never take away from this group of players what they’ve done.

“They’ve achieved history and I’ve said to them I don’t think that’ll ever be beaten. To beat Wolves’ record and get 105 points in a season is an incredible achievement. Full credit to everyone, players and staff for what they’ve done. They’ve given so much and they deserve to have an occasion like this.”

Wagner and Brady already in "talks" to sign EFL star for Birmingham City

They’re not alone, though.

1

By
Charlie Smith

Apr 11, 2025

Now, with the Championship awaiting, Birmingham will be looking to take things to another level under the ownership of Tom Wagner, which could yet result in more than just survival next season.

The Birmingham chairman took the opportunity to promise those at St Andrew’s that this is just the start of the history created during his tenure, telling fans amid the Blues’ recent title celebrations: “I just want to say a big thank you to all of the supporters.

“We don’t forget that this is your club and it’s an honour to be a Blue. I promise you that this is not the best day that we will enjoy together. It’s not even close.”

Exciting Birmingham transfer plan emerges

According to Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Birmingham are likely to be targeting similar players to Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town this summer, despite only just earning promotion from League One.

It would be a major statement of intent to compete with the three relegated Premier League sides, but as they showed when they splashed out to sign Stansfield last summer, Birmingham certainly have the resources.

Just who arrives is the big question, as rumours begin to emerge. A move to St Andrew’s is no longer one which comes with the fear of relegation – it’s one which should come with excitement over a project that is still in its early days yet already proving to be a success, perhaps even following the tracks of Ipswich last term.

Alongside Wrexham, Birmingham could shake things up in the summer transfer window in the Championship. In previous campaigns, it’s been the relegated sides at the forefront of the big moves, but under rich ownerships, the two promoted teams are reportedly likely to go head-to-head with those at the very top of England’s second tier.

That bulk of Dhananjaya de Silva’s 74 came with three different partners is testament to his chilled demeanour

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Aug-2024Believe it or not, but 6 for 3 wasn’t all that bad.Not great, obviously. Awful, actually, considering those three wickets fell in the space of 10 deliveries. Nishan Madushka’s nothing drive was bad. Angelo Mathews’ wearing of a straight delivery worse – then even more so when he called for a review, seemingly to ensure anyone who did not catch it the first time around could get in on the joke.But 6 for 3 on the first morning of this three-Test series was only Sri Lanka’s fourth-worst total at the fall of the third batter. As far as stinking starts go, it’s not even on the podium.That’s not to say they were not threatening a medal finish in Wednesday’s Synchronised Dispiriting Batting event at Emirates Old Trafford. Kusal Mendis had his thumb ripped off by Mark Wood. Dinesh Chandimal stubbed his toe on a length delivery from Shoaib Bashir.Kamindu Mendis’ average will probably never return to three figures again. Prabath Jayasuriya, having survived a dismissal on account of the fact Gus Atkinson had over-bowled his bouncer, wasted that life two balls later with a tame nick behind. At 113 for 7, the visitors, and by proxy, the prospect of a contest in this match and the series, were looking pretty bleak.Related

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As it turned out, it wasn’t all that bad. Not great, obviously. And certainly awful at that juncture. But 236 was an impressive first innings considering where things were. Had Mathews nailed a direct hit to remove Dan Lawrence at the end of the day, you could argue – with a high-calibre lawyer and an easily-led jury – that Sri Lanka would have ended day one with more to cheer.Of course, Dhananjaya de Silva was at the heart of the fightback. Not simply doing his duty as captain but because this is sort of his thing. Since the start of 2023, the No. 6 batter has been greeted at the crease by a team score below 100 seven times, and on six occasions he has responded with fifty-plus scores. The fall of the fourth wicket may as well be a Dhananjaya-shaped bat signal.That the bulk of his 74 here came with three different partners was a testament to his chilled demeanour. It did not matter that he was exchanging advice and glove punches with a different person every six overs. Nor that there was chaos all around him, which he channelled rather than ignored.Chris Woakes, primarily successful moving the ball away from the right-handers and surprising them with the one in – we’re looking at you, Angelo – was coerced into straying a little too wide after watching Dhananjaya play possum for the start of his innings. Boundaries in front of third and cover were bagged. Even Wood, who was sending batters ducking for cover at one end with mid-90s heat, found himself picked off with confusing ease.It is all part of the Dhananjaya package. A long-sleeved stylist with a knack for applying flattering Instagram filters to the tough and gutsy aspects of Test cricket that make for great stories but don’t necessarily photograph well.None of that is a happy accident, and all of it is reflective of what the 32-year-old is to this side before he became captain. And the reassurance Dhananjaya brings to those around him was characterised best by the performance of debutant Milan Rathnayake.Milan Rathnayake celebrates reaching his half-century on debut•PA Images via Getty ImagesThe pair – both playing their first Tests in England – shared a stand of 63 that lifted Sri Lanka above the water, if only for the next 24 hours. And though Dhananjaya would be the one to fall after Rathnayake had stuck by him – “When I was batting, I thought to myself that I was batting for my captain, so that’s how I went about it”- the comfort obtained in that 98-ball partnership was put to use with a breezy 42 runs in a combined 50 with No.10 Vishwa Fernando, as the former Sri Lankan Air Force cricketer flew solo.A flat six into the advertising hoardings at extra cover took Rathnayake beyond a previous first-class best of 59, a reflection of the 28-year-old’s “normal game”. Getting to that point relied upon his captain’s marshalling, which involved a more attacking brief on an inconsistent pitch.Dhananjaya targeted Bashir, striking back-to-back fours – sweeping the off-spinner, then using his feet to meet one on the half-volley and slap over long off – before charging past one. A missed stumping from Jamie Smith should have finished Dhananjaya off on 65 and may have stunted the development of Rathnayake’s innings. By the time the former handed Bashir the final word with a tame tickle around the corner to leg slip, the latter, now on 30, was at ease.You could attribute some of that ease to the fact Rathnayake had a full 24 hours to process his selection. That Dhananjaya sought to announce the team on Tuesday was a change from the norm. Clear messaging and timely information are hardly bedrocks of Sri Lankan administration. But it is a welcome development for those playing, even if Rathnayake admitted he received his cap from Kumar Sangakkara as the country’s 166th Test cricketer after a sleepless night.Of course, universal balance means comfort on one side equates to irritation on the other. There were points during Ollie Pope’s first day as Test captain that he looked a little miffed at how a team that had stunk out the morning were still around at night, even threatening to lay one on them before stumps were called.There were a couple of speculative reviews on Vishwa’s wicket in a bid to break that 10th-wicket stand. By the time they opted to go back to Wood to blast out the tail, darkness had descended despite the fact it was still only 4:45pm. Wood reluctantly took back his jumper. Pope frowned towards the dank clouds. Root shrugged as he was handed back the ball. In that moment, only the scoreboard reading 207 for 8 felt an accurate reflection of who was actually in control of all this.It was not all that bad for England. And, in the end, not for Sri Lanka, either.

Familiarity of Fire’s self-immolation is admirable amid competition’s inherent volatility

Cameron Ponsonby24-Aug-2022I would like to announce that records have, indeed, begun. A new competition breeds opportunities for many: players, coaches, scouts, and most importantly, the fine people at the Guinness Book of World Records. As with every passing match a new best or worst of all-time is logged.The highest total in the history of the Hundred. The highest-ever chase. The best figures. Everything record-breaking, all of the time.But, unfortunately for Welsh Fire, amid a sea of volatility and variance, their record-breaking nature has so far come through unwanted consistency.Heading into Wednesday night’s fixture at Lord’s, they were the only team in Hundred history to have lost five games in a row. And despite only playing 13 matches in the competition in total, they had managed the feat twice. London Spirit last season went six without a win, but were spared that ignominy by a no-result.And now, following their 17-run defeat to Spirit here at Lord’s, they have become the only team to have lost six in a row. Welsh Fire, record-breakers.Related

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“We had a tough chat after the last game,” Josh Cobb, their captain, said at the toss. “We have three opportunities to put some personal pride on the board.” Unfortunately for Fire, the pride did not appear.Ish Sodhi, who only arrived in the country last night, was the only man to impress with the ball claiming 2 for 19 off his 20 deliveries. And among their top order, it was just Ben Duckett who showed any glimpses with the bat: he struck five boundaries to drag Fire into contention before ultimately falling to the spin of Dan Lawrence, like surviving a fight with a lion only to be killed by a kitten.This season, Fire have used 18 players, a remarkable feat given a squad can only contain 17 at any one time. Their bankers in Duckett and Joe Clarke have failed, which happens. Their £125,000 punt on Tom Banton hasn’t come off either, which can happen too. And their England superstar Jonny Bairstow pulled out of the competition in order to rest for, err, England. It happens, mate. It just happens. What can you do?

“When I don’t necessarily know where it’s going all the time, the batter doesn’t really know either.”Dan Lawrence explains the secret behind his success with the ball

“We’re not a bad group of individual players,” Matt Critchley said in the aftermath of their defeat. “We’re just not playing well as a team which is quite evident to see. And today could’ve easily got a bit embarrassing, but at least we managed to salvage something to take it into the last over.”It’s a series of unfortunate events that no one party can really be blamed for, and yet, enough time is beginning to pass in this competition where blips are becoming patterns. And longer-term concerns are taking hold.”I don’t really know how the draft works and how many you can retain,” Critchley added, “but the quality of individuals is quite apparent in what the guys have done for their counties and their franchises. It’s just a case of trying to learn to play as a team.”Where Fire may hold some hope is that the team that beat them today and that now sit top of the table were last season’s whipping boys. Spirit, with the same core group as they had last season, have turned their fortunes around in a way that even they don’t have an answer for.”Not at all,” Lawrence replied, when asked whether anything had changed from last year to this. “The thing with T20 cricket is when you get on a roll of winning games, it’s really easy to find a formula and keep doing it over and over again.”I think we’ve got a team of people who are confident in all aspects. Maybe they [Fire] are not so much at the moment.”Dan Lawrence rattled through Welsh Fire•Alex Davidson/Getty ImagesLawrence starred with both bat and ball, making his top score of the competition as well as claiming his best ever T20 figures (4 for 20) with the ball. Lawrence has one of the more eccentric actions on the circuit, arriving at the crease with a leap and grace that is more Pigeon Pond than Swan Lake. Critchley, his Essex teammate but Fire opponent, described it as “dodgy”, while his Spirit captain Eoin Morgan said he was more like Murali.”They had a lot of left-handers in their top five”, Lawrence, after snaring the wickets of three lefties in Jacob Bethell, Duckett and David Miller. “So whenever they came on I was always going to twist a few out. When we had Maxwell for the first few games he did a similar role and now that he’s gone, thankfully, I’ve taken over and done a good job.”It’s a bit of a Brucie Bonus, the bowling. It was a really nice wicket to bowl spin on. I love my bowling, and it’s something I take really seriously. When I don’t necessarily know where it’s going all the time, the batter doesn’t really know either.”An unexplained return to form and a bowler crediting a scattergun approach may give cause for optimism for Fire that the slot machine lifestyle of T20 cricket may finally land them on jackpot. But as Critchley said of the brief moments that Fire looked in the game this evening, “it’s the hope that kills you”.

The cricket world was all praise for Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, who led a tremendous fightback in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2021