All posts by h716a5.icu

Australia's plans pay off as seamers conjure reverse swing to cap perfect day

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

From the moment Cummins thundered a full delivery into Babar’s pad, the visitors smelled blood and did not stop

Andrew McGlashan14-Mar-2022Between lunch and tea on the third day in Karachi, Australia’s bowlers claimed six wickets – double the tally they had managed in the series until that point. There were only 20 overs in the session but more happened then than the preceding 22 combined. Barring a miracle, it was likely the moment where Australia earned just their fourth Test win in Pakistan.There had been early signs that the scoreboard pressure applied by Australia’s 556 would tell on Pakistan: an attempt at a non-existent single had brought the first wicket, then Imam-ul-Haq’s reckless strike against Nathan Lyon had given an Australia bowler a scalp for the first time in more than 600 deliveries.But the moment the day, the match and possibly the series changed came in the 21st over when Pat Cummins thundered a full delivery into Babar Azam’s pad. Squeezing it off the face of the bat saved Pakistan’s captain, but the signs were there: reverse swing was in town.Related

Mohammad Yousuf: 'When the bowling is so good and reverse swing is in play, it's tough'

Mitchell Starc's reverse-swing masterclass rips through Pakistan as Australia dominate

Australia's front-loading puts Pakistan in danger on wearing surface

Test cricket can't afford to be boring

It was not the first time the ball had tailed in the match – Shaheen Shah Afridi was probing with it through Australia’s long innings and Faheem Ashraf also threatened – but for the first time it would have a telling impact. Cummins, who had an excellent day as captain, sensed the moment. Lyon had just claimed the wicket of Imam but he was whipped out of the attack in favour of Mitchell Starc. There would only be one more over of spin in the session.Australia had been planning for this moment since before the tour during their pre-series camp in Melbourne where they put considerable time into the bowling of reverse swing. “A lot of time the ball reverse swings so we didn’t really experience it this summer with grassy wickets, short games, whereas over there it can be a real weapon so trying to upskill that,” Cummins had said before flying out to Pakistan. “We haven’t bowled a lot of reverse swing in the last year or so but it’s a huge factor going into the subcontinent.”It had not really transpired in Rawalpindi on a lifeless surface and a slightly more verdant outfield, whereas at the National Stadium there is a wide square of barren pitches ready-made to scuff up the ball. Before the match, the likely role of reverse swing was front and centre in Australia’s selection with the retention of Starc (the current Allan Border Medalist as Australia’s men’s player of the year) ahead of Josh Hazlewood. It’s not that the latter cannot be effective with the reverse, but Starc’s left-arm angle and few extra kph brings an added dynamic and both were on show in the over that truly began Australia’s surge.From round the wicket – an angle that allows him to push the ball into the right-handers then have the movement either slant it back further or take it away – he lured Azhar Ali into poking at a full delivery outside off stump which sent a catch whistling to second slip where Cameron Green snaffled it with deceptive ease given how close he was standing.Next ball, to the left-handed Fawad Alam, Starc was back over the wicket and produced a trademark full delivery which curled into Alam’s pads in front of the stumps. On the eighth day of the series it was Fawad’s first opportunity to bat (he has not bowled and also dropped a catch in Rawalpindi, although held on to remove David Warner in the final session) and it was over before there could be the usual freeze frames and analysis of his unorthodox stance.On a hat-trick, Starc saved his best for Mohammad Rizwan, and it was too good. A length delivery that jagged away off the surface from round the wicket to beat the edge. It was not a million miles away from matching the famous delivery he sent down to James Vince at the WACA during the 2017-18 Ashes. The over was on a par with the one he bowled against England on that heady second evening at the MCG just a few months ago when Australia’s quicks produced one of the more unplayable passages in recent memory.Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan•AFP/Getty ImagesThere was no reprieve, though, for Rizwan. After the drinks break Starc was replaced by Cummins who gave Rizwan a torrid time. He was dropped at slip by Steven Smith who went for a catch that was probably Alex Carey’s for the taking. Next ball he padded up to a delivery which jagged back and was given lbw when it was nowhere in the vicinity of the stumps – DRS providing the perfect example of why it was first introduced.The relief was momentary, however. Just two balls, in fact, until the start of Cummins’ next over when he found Rizwan’s outside edge with another perfect delivery in the channel. This time the edge was finer and there was no doubt where it was heading as it nestled in Carey’s gloves.Through all this you had Green showing, again, the value he will bring to this Australia side as he enabled Cummins to keep going with pace from both ends and removed Faheem Ashraf for good measure during a six-over spell. Such was the impact Australia were having with the quicks, that when Green had to briefly leave the field after a blow on the hand, Marnus Labuschagne had an over of medium pace.There was time for Starc to strike again before tea, although his third wicket owed much to the excellent hearing of Carey who was convinced Sajid Khan had got a thin edge which was proved correct. Throughout this, Starc maintained an average pace over 140kph, the only bowler to achieve that in the match. When the ball did move, either off the pitch, in the air, or both, that extra speed hurried all the batters.The final session of the day was a touch anticlimactic after all that as the lower order was wrapped up by another direct hit run out from Labuschagne – do not discount the value of Australia’s fielding – and the first two wickets of Mitchell Swepson’s career. This was the perfect day. Australia’s bowlers will need to do it again tomorrow, but on the latest evidence they have all the tools available. After reaching until almost the mid-point of the series, this may just have been the moment it took the decisive (reverse) swing.

The Sunrisers slump: Freak injuries, out-of-form stars and a nightmare two weeks

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Ten days ago, they were flying with five consecutive wins. What has gone wrong since then?

Shashank Kishore08-May-20224:40

What’s going wrong for Sunrisers?

How the tide turns. Ten days ago, Sunrisers Hyderabad were amid a purple patch. Five back-to-back wins after two big opening losses had not just revived their campaign, but gave them the thrust to make the playoffs.For a side smarting from the debacle of 2021, this was the impetus they needed. That they were able to put themselves in such a position even without Kane Williamson coming to the party was an encouraging sign. His strike rate (96.13) among batters to have faced at least 150 balls this season is the worst.For Sunrisers to have rebounded the way they did without their captain’s contributions made one imagine the kind of force they would be when he hit form. Teams were beginning to get wary of them.Almost everything was in sync. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s control upfront: check. T Natarajan’s death bowling: check. Marco Jansen’s bounce and hustle: check. Umran Malik’s thunderbolts: check. Rahul Tripathi’s cameos: check. From slow starters, they’d become pace setters.Their early-season troubles seemed to have dissipated. They were cruising to such an extent that their seat belts had loosened.And then, without any warning signs, they endured a sudden drop. The ones that send you shuddering. The same bowlers who had been a menacing force were suddenly leaking runs.In their first seven games, Sunrisers went at an economy of 7.99 and averaged 19.80. Over the last four games, they’ve gone at an economy of 10, while averaging 61.54. This drastic drop in numbers has also come about due to their bowling combinations going haywire.Natarajan’s familiar injury woes have resurfaced. There has been no official confirmation, but the word is the troubled knee is giving him headaches. The same knee that forced him out of action for a nearly a year, having him rehabilitate for six months. The timing hasn’t been kind either.Natarajan is fourth on the list of wicket-takers as on Sunday. His 17 wickets in nine games have come at an average of 17.82 and an economy of 8.65. If you can pick the kind of wickets he has, captains aren’t worried about the high economy, and Natarajan was giving them key wickets.Then came Washington’s injury, something that has riddled him for over a year now. His career was meant to take off post the heroics of Australia last year, much like Natarajan’s. Instead, he has spent more time looking at X-rays and rehabilitation reports. Hamstrings, knee, ankle, finger, webbing – he has endured pain through all.Early in the season, he split a webbing that forced him out of action for 10 days. He returned and got hit in the same region, resulting in him missing the last two games. In the game against Chennai Super Kings on May 1, he didn’t bowl a single over.Washington Sundar has had an unfortunate time with injuries this season•BCCI”It’s very unfortunate that he had a knock on the same hand where he split his webbing,” Moody said after the Super Kings game. “It had healed completely but he re-injured that area. It’s not injured to the point that he needs it re-stitched. But unfortunately, it wasn’t in a state where he could bowl. It really did have an impact on for us in that early phase of bowling, given he has such a critical bowler for us.”With Washington out, in came Shreyas Gopal, only to be left out one game after getting tonked for four sixes in a single over. On Sunday, they went back to J Suchith’s left-arm spin. From the outside, it appears as if they’re trying everything they can, but things aren’t working.Then there’s the case of Jansen. Moody likes the bounce and pace he brings to the fore, but on docile surfaces, he has struggled with his lengths, allowing batters to hit him through the line without any fuss. Against the Super Kings, his four wicketless overs went for 38. A game earlier, against Gujarat Titans, he was walloped for the most expensive figures this season: 4-0-63-0, the same game where Malik picked up a five-for in a losing cause.3:38

Vettori: Malik must research batters like they might research him

Jansen’s dip in form forced them to look at Sean Abbott, but he went for 47 in his lone outing. Kartik Tyagi, who impressed two seasons ago for Rajasthan Royals with raw pace, has lacked consistency, and Malik himself has been carted for plenty even as pundits continue to gush about his raw pace – for good reason too, he clocked the fastest ball of IPL 2022. Bhuvneshwar’s excellence hasn’t been able to mask such gaping holes in the bowling.It’s no coincidence that they’ve conceded scores of 207, 202 and 199 coming into Sunday’s game. Royal Challengers Bangalore, who slumped to 68 all out the last time these two sides met, paid them back in kind this time, walloping 192 against a sloppy Sunrisers unit that dropped three catches, including one of Dinesh Karthik, who smashed an eight-ball 30.Add to it the memories of David Warner’s bruising, Glenn Maxwell’s reverse slaps, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s artistry and Devon Conway’s industry – the last couple of weeks have been the stuff nightmares are made of for the Sunrisers. Four losses in row after that inspired mid-season run leaves them in do-or-die territory.That their slump has come about because of cracks in their stronger suit will disappoint them even more. Do they have it in them to fuel another late dash to the playoffs?

Glenn Phillips is Superman once again, this time with bat

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

His hundred – so far above the rest of the batting seen in the game – will go down as one of the finest innings in the format

Andrew McGlashan29-Oct-20221:40

Fleming: Possibly the strongest squad New Zealand have ever had

Glenn Phillips 104. Rest of New Zealand’s batters 53. All of Sri Lanka’s 96. Against Australia, Phillips was Superman in the field, this time he was Superman with the bat.He constructed a remarkable hundred, which was so far above the rest of the batting seen in the game that it has to go down as one of the finest innings in the format. As a comparison, using ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats tool, Virat Kohli’s 82 not out against Pakistan was given a Total Impact* score of 116.09; Rilee Rossouw’s hundred against Bangladesh 134.40 and this innings from Phillips 182.61.How is Total Impact calculated?

Total Impact for a player in a match is a numerical value that is the sum of his Batting and Bowling Impacts. These Impacts are calculated based on the context of a batting/bowling performance.

The context is based on an algorithm that quantifies the pressure on the batter/bowler at every ball of an innings. The factors that go into calculating the pressure index include runs required, overs left, quality of batters at the crease and those to follow, quality of bowlers and number of overs left for each bowler, and pitch/conditions and how easy/tough it is for batters/bowlers.

“I think it’s probably going to be at the top,” Phillips said when asked where the performance sat for him. “I do have one other hundred, and that was pretty special as well, but to be able to do it on a World Cup stage just adds a little bit more juice to it, which is kind of cool. To be able to have a World Cup win in front of a sticky situation is actually the most satisfying part.”He came in at 7 for 2 in the third over and at the end of the powerplay, New Zealand were 25 for 3. There could hardly have been more of a contrast to their game against Australia where Finn Allen and Devon Conway had added 56 in 4.1 overs.This time the openers had been flummoxed by Sri Lanka’s spinners: Allen beaten by a delivery from Maheesh Theekshana that curved back in, then Conway defeated by Dhananjaya de Silva, dismissed by an offspinner for the first time in T20Is. Kane Williamson followed inside the fielding restrictions, edging a drive against Kasun Rajitha, and Sri Lanka were swarming.Then a moment. It felt like it be big when it happened. It proved to be gargantuan. Phillips aimed to loft Wanindu Hasaranga over the off side towards the enticingly short boundary but didn’t middle the shot, and it was heading straight into the hands of Pathum Nissanka. Only it bounced out of his hands. Phillips was on 12.Phillips struck ten fours and four sixes in his 64-ball 104•ICC via Getty Images”I still feel like it was the right choice and the right option,” Phillips said. “I hit it pretty nicely, but unfortunately it just wasn’t wide enough. At the end of the day, luck definitely does play a lot in this game, and today I was on the right end of the luck.”At the end of the ninth over Phillips was 22 off 22 balls. A first six, helped over fine leg, followed before the midway mark but New Zealand had certainly not wrestled back a position of strength.Three overs later, they had only progressed as far as 76 for 3 from 13. Phillips was 41 off 36. He was given another life in the 14th over, albeit a more difficult chance to the captain, Dasun Shanaka, running in from long-off. His fifty came up next ball, from 39 deliveries. The next fifty would take just 22. As he moved through the gears, one shot stood out when he slice-drove Chamika Karunaratne through backward point with such timing and placement that deep third, who was only a few metres from it in the end, was unable to intercept.But beyond the boundaries, it was the running. Leading into the tournament, ESPNcricinfo’s writers were asked to pick out players who did certain disciplines the best. Phillips did not make the running-between-wickets category. It was, to be fair, probably an oversight. His judgement of a run and speed are outstanding.”The way the Sri Lankan bowlers bowled with the back of their hand slow balls, those were a little bit [of variable bounce],” he said. “Some would pop off aggressively, and some would stay quite low, which made things quite tough. Hence the reason the running between the wickets became quite crucial. Whether we mis-hit it or not, we were trying to put the fielders under as much pressure as possible.”Related

Shanaka: 'Dropped catches were a game changer'

'It was very much spur of the moment' – Phillips on his innovative sprinter's start position

Glenn Phillips outscores Sri Lanka in New Zealand's huge win

Daryl Mitchell, who had played a vital supporting hand, was out for 22 off 24 balls. Jimmy Neesham made 5 off 8. But Phillips was playing a different game by then. When Theekshana came back, he twice moved outside his leg stump to open the off side and flayed him for consecutive sixes. He reached his hundred by pulling the same bowler through square leg. New Zealand made 91 off their last seven overs. This year, Phillips now averages 51.36 in T20Is at a strike rate of 154.37.”That was a very special knock,” Mitchell said. “He has got a lot of talent but to do it on a surface like that was challenging at times. I haven’t seen many better T20 knocks under that sort of pressure.”In New Zealand’s opening game of the tournament against Australia, it was his spectacular diving catch near the boundary that left a lasting impression. This time there was a bit less of him in the field as the effects of the heat and his energy-sapping sprints between the wickets took its toll. When he left the field late in the game, with cramps, he collapsed in a heap behind the boundary boards.”I tried to get out there,” he said. “Unfortunately, the cramp got the better of me today.”It was the only thing that did.

Switch Hit podcast: History boys

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Alan, Miller and Vish look back at England’s unprecedented 3-0 whitewash success on their tour of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2022England handed Pakistan their first-ever home whitewashing in Tests after clinching a 3-0 series scoreline in Karachi. It was another strong all-round performance from the tourists, with Harry Brook and 18-year-old debutant Rehan Ahmed stealing the headlines. On this week’s Switch Hit, Alan Gardner is joined by Andrew Miller and our England man in Pakistan, Vithushan Ehantharajah, to chat teenage legspin, Ben Stokes’ leadership and the challenge ahead (ssshhh! Don’t mention the Ashes).

DPL: Abahani pip Sheikh Jamal at the final hurdle to lift 21st title

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Gazi Tyres and Partex earned promotion into next season’s DPL competition

Mohammad Isam13-May-2023Key takeawaysAbahani Limited clinched the Dhaka Premier League title for the 21st time and the fourth time since the tournament became a List-A competition. They beat defending champions Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by four wickets in a last-over finish at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in front of a crowd of at least one-thousand, and a full press box. It concluded Bangladesh’s domestic season with its most successful team returning to win the coveted trophy for the first time since the 2018-19 season.Abahani and Shiekh Jamal Club, coincidentally both from the Dhanmondi neighbourhood, went into this game on 26 points each after Abahani dropped crucial points in the penultimate round against Gazi Group Cricketers. If Abahani had beaten them on May 10, this game would have been just a formality. Abahani didn’t fall at the final hurdle, though, winning the title they first won in the 1974-75 season.Prime Bank Cricket Club took third position after their 73-run win against Gazi Group, while Legends of Rupganj finished the season with a four-wicket defeat against Mohammedan Sporting Club.Best battersAbahani’s Mohammad Naim struck two fifties in the last two matches, including a 145-run opening stand with Anamul Haque in the finale against Sheikh Jamal. Naim (932 runs) and Anamul (834 runs) finished as the top two run-getters in the tournament. Anamul’s three centuries were the most in the competition.Afif Hossain was adjudged player-of-the-match for his unbeaten 60 in the last game. He also finished the competition with a bit of a flourish, much needed for a man vying for a World Cup place. Among the young batters, Naim and Saif Hassan stood out with their runs while Amite Hasan and Tanzid Hasan struck hundreds each.Best bowlersSheikh Jamal’s overseas recruit Parvez Rasool was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. He took 33 wickets with 17.93 average and two four-wicket hauls. Shinepukur Cricket Club’s left-arm spinner Hasan Murad was the highest wicket-taker among the home bowlers, taking 25 wickets at 18.40 average. His 3.97 runs per over was also remarkable. City Club’s Robiul Haque was the local fast bowler with most wickets, taking 23 wickets.Best matchAbahani beating Sheikh Jamal in the tournament finale stood out. Sheikh Jamal recovered from 16 for 3 in the fifth over, to take 79 runs in the last five overs to take their total to 282 for 7 in 50 overs. Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 89 powered the Sheikh Jamal total, hitting eight fours and three sixes in his 70-ball stay.Abahani’s openers Naim and Anamul added 145 for the opening stand but the middle-order couldn’t immediately take advantage. But Afif added 68 runs for the fifth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain, before completing the win with a 14-run unbroken seventh-wicket stand with Tanzim Hasan Sakib who hit the winning boundary. Points to ponderApart from the six Super League clubs, Rupganj Tigers, Brothers Union, City Club and Shinepukur remained in the Dhaka Premier League for next season. From the league below, Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy and Partex Sporting Club earned promotion for next season’s DPL. Agrani Bank and Dhaka Leopards go down to the Dhaka First Division Cricket League.Players to watchAfif and Parvez Hossai Emon had a 100-plus strike-rate among batters to score more than 500 runs in this season. Mahmudullah’s pursuit for a World Cup spot got a bit of a boost with six fifties for Mohammedan. Afif too will be in the selectors’ mind. Anamul Haque and Naim have done enough to be considered as backup openers in the ODI setup.Among the younger bowlers, Robiul Haque, Tipu Sultan and Sumon Khan were among the wickets. Mrittunjoy Chowdhury did enough to earn an ODI spot, but Tanzim and Rejaur Rahman will also be in the bowling coach’s mind.

At 18, Noor Ahmad is living his cricket dream

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The left-arm wristspinner grew up idolising Rashid Khan. Now the two are team-mates and Noor is forever in Rashid’s ear

Nagraj Gollapudi02-May-2023Noor Ahmad chuckles nervously. The 18-year-old Afghanistan left-arm-wristspinner who plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL is worried about his English-speaking ability as we sit down for a chat. He is learning the language on the fly, on the road, as he travels the world playing in T20 franchise leagues in both hemispheres.Noor went to sleep around 6am the day we met. He did not forget to say his prayers before shutting down, he says, and now he says a quick prayer before our interview begins too.About a minute into the conversation, any concerns he might have had about his English melt away as he settles fluently into talking cricket. His eyes twinkle and his face, which has hints of a beard, lights up with big smiles.Related

Rashid, out of form? Try telling Royals that

The Little known heroes who bailed Rashid Khan out

Noor Ahmad bags four wickets on debut as Afghanistan complete 6-0 white-ball sweep

'I'm feeling like the luckiest cricketer in the world' – Noor Ahmad

20 cricketers for the 2020s

The previous evening, playing a home game in Ahmedabad, Noor, along with his mentor and senior Afghanistan and Titans team-mate Rashid Khan, threw a wrench into Mumbai Indians’ plans soon after the powerplay. As they chased a steep 208 to win, Mumbai only managed 29 runs for the loss of opener and captain Rohit Sharma in the first six, and were 58 for 3 at the halfway stage.In the next over Noor took the wickets of Mumbai’s Aussie-made weapons of mass destruction, Cameron Green and Tim David, sending the home crowd into raptures. Mumbai’s last hope lay in Suryakumar Yadav.Though Suryakumar took 15 runs off the 12th over, from Rashid, off the second ball he faced from Noor in the 13th, he attempted to push at one that was turning in, having pitched on good length, and popped a return catch.”That was like a dream wicket,” Noor says. “I wanted to take that kind of batsman’s wicket. I decided to pitch back of length because he is very good at sweeping and slogging.”2:05

Noor Ahmad: ‘My brother broke a door when I took my first IPL wicket!’

Noor managed to take the low catch before, full of excitement, trying to throw the ball up to celebrate, losing hold of it, and catching it more securely.In addition to the three Mumbai wickets, Noor’s tally for the season so far is: Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya (Lucknow Super Giants), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rinku Singh (Kolkata Knight Riders). Having made his debut as an impact player, Noor is now part of Titans’ first XI.

****

It was in 2018 that the first turning point of Noor’s career arrived. He participated in an open selection trial in Kabul, organised by the Afghanistan cricket Board to pick grassroots U-19 talent. Former Afghanistan batter Raees Ahmadzai, who headed the board’s Under-19 wing and was a coach-cum-selector, realised Noor was a bowler with the X-factor he was looking for. “I wanted to have a left-arm wristspinner who could offer a different bowling style and different variation,” Ahmadzai says. “The way he bowled, the way he showed confidence in what he did, he impressed me.”About 125 youngsters attended the trial. That group was culled to 75, then 40, and finally a squad of 15 was shortlisted, based on cricketing and physical skillsets. Noor made the cut.In 2019, when he was 14, he threw his name into the hat for the IPL auction the first time. He went unsold that year and again the following year, but he did not stop serving notice of his talent.”I know IPL is a very big stage in cricket. The more I enjoy, the more I will succeed”•Associated PressAt the Under-19 50-over Asia Cup that year, he starred in a thriller against India, who escaped with a narrow win. Defending 125, Noor finished with 4 for 30 in his ten overs – among his victims were India captain Dhruv Jurel (now with Royals) who was trapped lbw, and Tilak Verma (now Mumbai Indians), bowled.Ahmadzai, who was Afghanistan’s head coach for the tournament, speaks of his Indian counterpart, Rahul Dravid, being impressed by Noor at the time. That same year, Noor made his first-class debut.Two years later, early in January of 2021, the day he turned 16, Noor played his second game in his debut BBL season, representing Melbourne Renegades. He had never bowled on such a big stage, against some of most destructive batters around, including Liam Livingstone. Renegades lost that game to Perth Scorchers, but Noor made his birthday special, taking Livingstone’s wicket, stumped. “It was a googly and he didn’t pick it. I bowled a little away from his [batting arc]. There was some bounce in the wicket and that helped me,” he remembers.At the mega auction ahead of the 2022 IPL, Titans picked Noor up for his base price, Rs 30 lakhs ($40,000 approximately). It was a memorable day for the teenager, who had grown up watching the IPL, to be faced with the potential of bowling alongside his idol, Rashid.Noor didn’t play last year, and got his first IPL match, against Royals, a couple of weeks ago, when he was brought in as impact player with six overs to go. Royals needed 77 from 36 deliveries. Sanju Samson smacked the fourth ball of the over, a googly wide outside off stump, for a six. The next ball, a legbreak well outside leg stump, was happily dismissed for an easy four past short fine leg.Noor jumps into captain Hardik Pandya’s arms after taking the wicket of Sanju Samson in his debut IPL game•BCCI”I was sure he will try to hit a six again,” Noor says. “So I thought, if I try bowling a little bit away, there’s a chance he might mistime. And that’s exactly what happened.”There was pressure in the first match, but I just wanted to enjoy it because it was a totally new experience for me. I know IPL is a very big stage in cricket. The more I enjoy, the more I will succeed. I want to bowl to the top players and have got some of them out. I am just enjoying bowling to these guys.”If Noor was nervous and excited on his IPL debut, his family was no less so, back in Afghanistan. “The amazing thing was in the first match when I got the Samson wicket, one of my brothers got up and punched a door and broke it,” Noor says, laughing. “The whole door!” I asked him why. He said, ‘I was not having control over my emotions.'”Noor is the youngest of eight children – four boys and four girls. The family live in Lakhan district in Khost in south-eastern Afghanistan. Noor was good at studies growing up, and his father, Mohammad Amir, wanted him to stick with them rather than take a punt on cricket.”I had topped grade ten in school, and that’s when I started professional cricket. [Dad] said I was in a good position at the school and he was afraid I would not reach a high level in cricket.”Pressure to think twice before embarking on a cricket career came from outside the family too. “Sometimes the school teachers, including the principal, came and spoke to my father and told him, ‘He is a good kid in school, he is talented, so please don’t let him play cricket. Bring him to school.'” It is a common predicament for every talented Afghan athlete, Ahmadzai says.Big match, big wicket: Noor celebrates getting Liam Livingstone in the BBL on his 16th birthday•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesIf Noor has one person to thank for playing a key role in convincing his father to allow him to play cricket, it is his brother Mohammad. “He was trying to convince my dad all the time and he supported me in playing cricket.”These days the family enjoys watching Noor every IPL game. His father, Noor says, is “very happy”. “After the match when we talk, they tell me they don’t have any words to describe their emotion.”

****

Like other Afghans, Noor too started out playing tape-ball cricket. That was where he learned the basics of spin bowling. “It was the start of my legspin bowling,” he says. “And by the end I was bowling the ball that goes away,”Noor’s teenage years coincided with the arrival of Rashid onto the global stage. As Rashid mystified batters in T20 leagues around the world, youngsters like Noor watched and grew enamoured of his magic. Though he is a left-arm wristspinner himself, Noor realised he could pick things from Rashid’s bowling to incorporate into his own. “I saw him and wanted to bowl like him.”The legbreak, googly, and a slider that is more of a quick legspinner, are the variations Noor currently uses. The mystery comes from the different grips he uses to deliver them at varying speeds. He has a brisk approach to the crease and a whippy action. His bowling speed is one of his strong points. At the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, where Afghanistan finished fourth, Ahmadzai was head coach and remembers keeping to Noor in training. “He was very quick, like a medium-pacer – he was bowling at 115-120 kph. I felt like that. I knew this guy would not be easy to hit, especially if he doesn’t bowl short or give any width to play the cut or pull. If he bowled in the right areas, it wouldn’t it be easy to hit him.”Noor thinks his pace helps in that it leaves batters short of reaction time. “The batsman won’t have so much time to play the ball. Pace and a bit of turn is a good combination,” he says.Noor bowls in the 2020 U-19 World Cup, in a game against South Africa•Louis Botha/Getty ImagesHe looks to pick up cues from batters to help with his bowling plans. “My aim is, I should be able or at least try to read the batsman’s mind – what is the situation, what the team needs, what the batsman will do. It is all about me staying confident.”If there is one person who is as happy about Noor’s success as his family, it is Rashid. Speaking to the broadcaster after the win against Mumbai, Rashid was effusive about Noor’s performance. “That little kid, he just wants to learn,” he said. And he’s working so hard. Last year he was working, bowling lots in the nets, and kept asking questions.”Even when I was having gym, he was coming to the gym and saying, ‘Let’s just bowl here in the gym.’ At 1am, 2am, he was coming when I was in the gym during Ramzan, and he was bowling with me in the gym. That much he wanted to get better, that much he wanted to perform.”He has got the opportunity now and he has been delivering. I am so, so happy he has been delivering. It’s great news for GT as well as for Afghanistan cricket.”It was Rashid who handed Noor his first IPL cap. Noor looks back at the conversation then. “He [Rashid] said, ‘Finally you get a chance to play at this kind of big level, which is every player’s dream. It is your hard work and your determination which gives you this place.'”With a laugh, Noor confirms what Rashid says about him picking his senior team-mate’s brains about bowling whenever he wants to. “It is true – even when we are eating food together, I am asking questions to him. I always ask questions whenever I am with him. He is like Google for me!Celebrating a wicket with Rashid. “I always ask questions whenever I am with him. He is like Google for me,” Noor says of his team-mate and idol•Associated Press”I have learned so much from Rashid, both on the field as well as off the field, about life. One of the most important is to have the belief in yourself anytime and face the challenge coming in front of you – never give up.”Noor says he now understands that he needs to use a lot of his body to drive the pace and he is learning the nuances of that by talking to more experienced spinners as he plies his trade in the T20 leagues.He has played just the one ODI, against Sri Lanka on the tour there late last year, but Ahmadazai believes it will not surprise him if Noor is picked for the ODI World Cup later this year in India.He has also shown batting smarts in pressure situations. “He is a brave person,” says Ahmadzai. “I remember the way he played against Naseem Shah and other fast bowlers in the Under-19 Asia Cup on a green top in Sri Lanka. He made 17 crucial runs and we won that match.”Noor thinks his IPL experience will strengthen his case for inclusion in Afghanistan’s squad for the World Cup. “It’s always been my dream to play for my country. Win matches for my country. So I am really looking forward if I get a chance. Inshallah.”The IPL started three years after Noor was born. He came to grow fond of Royal Challengers Bangalore over the seasons. His two favourite players were AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, before Rashid came along. These days, he is playing alongside his idol and bowling against the likes of Kohli. What will he like to take back from his maiden IPL season?”I want to see myself become better and have some star players’ wickets,” he says.Star players like Kohli? “Of course, I want,” Noor says.I wish Noor the best for his future. “And best of luck to my future English,” he says with a laugh.

It's time for Shakib vs Rashid as Afghanistan return to full strength

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The three-match ODI series in Chattogram promises a fascinating contest but rain could play spoilsport

Mohammad Isam04-Jul-2023Three months before they meet in Dharamshala to begin their respective World Cup campaigns, Bangladesh and Afghanistan meet in an ODI series to test each other. There is little to separate the two sides though their rivalry is not yet recognised as such. They have only been competing for 14 years at the international level, but they sit close together in the rankings, their players know each other from time spent together in T20 leagues, and they don’t like losing to one another.Afghanistan’s chance to bounce back
The visitors have to overcome the third largest Test defeat (by runs) of all time. Last month, Bangladesh crushed them in the one-off Test, with the game ending by noon on day four. Afghanistan fielded quite an inexperienced outfit for that game and the only players from that deflated Test side to make the ODI squad are captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah.The trio will form the crux of their ODI batting line-up, but they are complemented by the aggressive Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran. Their bowling attack is back to being close to full-strength. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will lead the spin attack with Nabi’s offspin adding crucial support. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai are gaining in experience particularly on sub-continent pitches. and while Usman Ghani didn’t agree with his omission, it seems Afghanistan have a strong white-ball unit in Bangladesh.Related

Rashid back for Bangladesh ODIs; Noor Ahmad misses out

Ghani pauses Afghanistan career after alleging corruption in selection

Bangladesh look for balance
The home side’s team management have only one question in front of them: whether they want to go with an extra batter or bowler.With Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the line-up, Bangladesh have two extra bowlers already, complementing a pace attack that has looked menacing in white-ball cricket of late. Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain come into this game on the back of four-wicket hauls in the one-off Test, while Hasan Mahmud was Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker during their most recent ODI series, against Ireland in Chelmsford.The batting line-up wears a settled look. Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto have forged a tight top-order. The middle order comprises the experienced Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim and the young gun Towhid Hridoy. Afif Hossain and Mohammad Naim are in the batting reserves.Shakib v Rashid
The battle within the battle will be between Shakib and Rashid. Fans of each team will claim that their allrounder as the best, and there isn’t much of a sample size from which to judge their battle in ODIs; the only thing of note is that each has dismissed the other twice in this format.When expanded to include all three formats, Shakib averages 21.25 and with a strike rate of 79.43 while batting against Rashid. He has got out four times to the legspinner. Conversely, Rashid also hasn’t done well against Shakib: dismissed twice in nine innings, averaging 13.5 while striking at 77.14.Shakib and Rashid have had a tremendous impact on their respective teams. Both missed the one-off Test in Dhaka and their return will inspire their team-mates, and make this series even more worth the watch.Fazalhaq Farooqi was the leading wicket-taker in the last ODI series between the two teams•AFP/Getty ImagesThe monsoon threat
The forecast for Chattogram promises spells of rain or thunderstorms on every day of this white-ball series. What else can you expect during the monsoon season in Bangladesh? The only other time international cricket was played in Chattogram in July was eight years ago when Bangladesh played a rain-interrupted ODI and Test against South Africa.Tamim wary of Afghanistan attack
Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said his side was aware of Afghanistan’s all-round bowling strength, and won’t focus on their spin attack only. Farooqi was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series in 2022, ahead of both Rashid and Shakib. Overall, the quicks slightly outbowled the spinners in that series, which was also played wholly in Chattogram.”This ODI series will be as competitive as the last two against them,” Tamim said. “They are a good side, especially in white-ball cricket. They probably have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. I don’t expect anything less than the last series. We have to fight really hard. We can’t expect to walk in and win the game.”It is a good thing that we are playing against them at least four times before the World Cup. They will also understand our strength and weaknesses. I think it’s a good thing for both the teams. Their fast bowlers did well in the last [ODI] series against us compared to their spinners. We cannot focus too much on their spin attack. They have quality fast bowlers as well. They are one of the most quality attacks in the world. We have to be at our very best to overcome them.”Tamim said this series would be crucial to Bangladesh’s momentum ahead of the stern tests that will follow. “We have this series, the Asia Cup and the New Zealand series,” he said. “It will give us the best possible preparations. We have been playing well in ODIs recently. This is a very important series.”Our opponent has a strong bowling unit. If we can do well against them, it is the best possible confidence [we can gain].”

'I have white-line fever' – Ainsworth joins Australia's pace race

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Perth Scorchers quick missed graduation because she was making her WBBL debut

Tristan Lavalette27-Nov-2023Returning home from a pre-season trip, Chloe Ainsworth in an impromptu move decided to show off her self-taught skills on the piano at Brisbane Airport.She held court and played a couple of pieces much to the initial amusement of her team-mates and those listening in, who were left impressed by her hidden talent and confidence in expressing it.”I was involved in music growing up and was pretty good at it,” Ainsworth, who turned 18 in September, told ESPNcricinfo. “My team-mates thought it was all pretty funny. It was good to make them laugh.”Related

Wolvaardt in the runs as Strikers enter WBBL final on a high

Sydney Thunder left with the long haul in bid for WBBL title

The softly-spoken Ainsworth has injected youthful exuberance in Perth Scorchers, who are built around a veteran core and have enjoyed a bounce back season. After failing to make finals last season in a disappointing title defence, Scorchers finished with an 8-6 regular season record to qualify for the finals. They will face either Brisbane Heat or Sydney Thunder in Wednesday’s Eliminator final in a bid to play Adelaide Strikers for the title.Ainsworth has played a big role in her debut WBBL season to spearhead the attack with 15 wickets at an average of 18.00, enough to get her named in the official team of the tournament announced on Monday. She might be mild-mannered off the field, but Ainsworth follows a lineage of quick bowlers.”I have white-line fever,” she laughed, citing former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson as a childhood hero. “I can be very competitive and it just helps me out there being fired up.”She has been able to back up her snarls at batters. Ainsworth has been clocked around 115kph and is poised to eventually hit the 120s. “I think I can get quicker. That’s the aim…to bowl quicker,” she said.

Ainsworth started off as a wicketkeeper in junior cricket before realising she could bowl faster than anyone else. She rose quickly through the ranks and played one match in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier in the year before breaking her thumb.Even though she’s been well down the order for Scorchers and faced only 20 deliveries, Ainsworth can bat and particularly enjoys hitting the ball hard and long. She has the capabilities of being a genuine allrounder, but right now it’s all about her pace bowling.Bustling into the crease, powered by a burly frame, Ainsworth unleashes rockets and she’s already armed with a deadly yorker. She concentrates on pitching the ball up, but has utilised hostile short-pitched bowling to good effect at the traditionally pace friendly WACA ground.Ainsworth can move the ball around making her a tough proposition and an acceptable economy of 7.29 suggests an ability to maintain control. There is work needed to become a more rounded pace bowler, but the foundations have been built.

It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket. It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.The WBBL has come before end of school fun for Chloe Ainsworth

“I will need more variations, especially in T20 cricket,” she said. “You need different deliveries to pull out in different situations. I also want to keep learning how to control swing.”But I try to keep things simple. Cricket is cricket. I’m there to take wickets and I’m backed in to do that.”The team’s confidence in Ainsworth was underlined when Scorchers captain Sophie Devine entrusted her to bowl the final over of a nerve-jangling match against defending champions Adelaide Strikers at the WACA.”When there were a few overs left, I looked at the scoreboard and realised that I was going to bowl [the final over]. I was excited,” she said.With Strikers needing 12 runs to chase down a total of 166, Ainsworth was denied a heroic finish by England allrounder Dani Gibson who hit a last ball boundary to win the match. Ainsworth relied on bowling on a length, but it proved predictable for Gibson who clubbed 15 runs in the final over.”It was disappointing to not get the job done. Everyone got around me after the match to make sure I wasn’t upset,” she said. “It’s a learning experience. It’s about being really clear over the plans and how to execute.”Ainsworth burst onto the scene with an impressive WBBL debut against Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on the same day as her Year 12 graduation.”I had to miss the graduation, but I checked in with my mates on FaceTime after the game so that was at least something,” she said.The WBBL has been a steep learning curve for Chloe Ainsworth•Getty ImagesHer subsequent debut at the WACA netted a three-wicket haul against Hurricanes, including clean bowling star batter Heather Graham with a pearler that knocked out middle stump.Ainsworth’s starring role saw her thrusted in front of the cameras for a post game media engagement along the boundary of the Lillee-Marsh stand, while giddy family and friends over the fence chanted her name with gusto.”My mates were taking the mickey out of me,” she laughed. “It feels weird having attention. I’m not the most out there person, but it’s all part of being a cricketer at this level.”The spotlight still feels rather surreal for Ainsworth, who last week was supposed to be celebrating the end of schooling with friends in a rite of passage for high school graduates in Australia.Instead, as temperatures soared in Perth amid a pre-summer heatwave, she’s been putting in the hard yards in a determined bid to help Scorchers push for a second title in three seasons.”It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket,” Ainsworth said. “It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.”That should be music to the ears of Scorchers fans.

A Gill century that showed his struggle and growth

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

He survived a few close calls before showing the mettle that had been missing in his Test-match game

Alagappan Muthu04-Feb-20241:15

Manjrekar: ‘India needed someone to score big and Gill did it’

One way to play spin is to smother it. To reach out to where the ball pitches and squeeze all the life out of it. A lot of batters try it this way. Shubman Gill is one of them.Except something strange happened to start the 21st over. The ball is full, which is usually the invitation that Gill cannot resist. He was supposed to lunge forward. It’s a very black-and-white way of dealing with spin.Shreyas Iyer does it a little differently. He keeps his options open. He doesn’t fall for the length. He accounts for trajectory. Simply by not overcommitting on either foot. There were multiple instances of this on Sunday in Visakhapatnam. It is why he had a strike rate of 56 even though he hit only three boundaries.Related

Rohit 'proud' of winning with inexperienced squad, but wants more from batters

Gill: 'Very important and satisfying to be able to score runs at No. 3'

A chance for Shubman Gill to level up against England

Sometimes it is better to let the ball spin. Because at that point, the bowler has no control over it. It’s all you.That’s why the single that took Gill from 27 to 28 seemed like a sign of growth.He was taking throwdowns after stumps on Saturday evening, a time when half the world was still hungover on Jasprit Bumrah. He hadn’t even changed out of his whites. Gill had trained himself to the ground in the lead-up to this game too. During the mandatory practice session on Wednesday, he kept going and going and going, and when he ran out of team-mates to run in and bowl to him, he turned to a couple of net bowlers who couldn’t have been more than half as tall as he is. Dude was doing everything short of offering ritual sacrifice to get back into form. Although, considering the luck he had out there…Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have contrasting methods to play spin•BCCILooking stone dead when a ball from Tom Hartley became best friends with his front pad seven balls into his innings, and needing DRS to realise that he’d actually hit it. That’s how out of form Gill has been, and if it wasn’t for a last-minute, might-as-well kind of review, with the clock running out, a score of 4 would’ve been added to a sequence of 12 innings in which he’d only once gone past 35.He was later saved by umpire’s call when James Anderson seemed to have trapped him in front. That was 4 for 2. And it could have been 21 for 3 had a dream delivery for a left-arm spinner from Hartley got the ticks across the board that it deserved. It came from wide of the crease, angling in, drawing the batter forward, but never letting him reach the pitch. Then it straightened just enough to take the edge but England had placed their first slip wide.It was around this time that Iyer was getting set at the other end and he was doing this thing where he was backing himself against the spin. He was letting balls pitch and do whatever they liked and then he was responding to them in whatever way he liked. This was possible because Visakhapatnam wasn’t turning square. It also wasn’t turning quick. So when he pressed forward, he did so lightly, giving his hands a range of motion that allowed him to milk singles both in front of and behind square. Even when he would commit and run at the bowler, he was still loose enough to not be caught off guard. Shoaib Bashir tried to sneak one down the leg side and get him stumped, but Iyer simply slowed himself down and spread himself out so he would be a bigger target, blocking the ball that threatened him with ignominy.Being loose and being mobile is crucial to being at ease against spin. Gill, though, just kept getting locked up. Until, of course, the first ball of the 21st over when he too took a smaller stride forward to a ball that was noticeably full and by virtue of that he had the room he needed to bring his hands down on top of the ball and use his wrists to decide its fate. Earlier, he was just lunging to straight-bat them, or stepping out to whack them, blocking out all other scoring opportunities.Shubman Gill celebrated his third Test century without much fanfare•Getty ImagesThe stats bear it out beautifully. His 104 off 147 balls included 29 singles and five twos against spin. The only other times he had been that successful at rotating strike were when he had the benefit of two of the flattest pitches in the universe.Of course, this little trick won’t work everywhere. On surfaces with a little more bounce and sharper turn, Gill and for that matter, all other batters will need a better solution because then the gap you leave between yourself and the ball is the difference between being caught at leg slip and staying unbeaten for another ball. Considering the amount of work he’s been putting in behind the scenes, and the way he found himself in a rough patch in the middle of an innings with considerable jeopardy only to will himself out of it, Gill has shown the mettle that was missing in his Test-match game. The challenges that await him in the future may not consume him to the extent they did throughout this series.By the end, he was even having fun, playing the kind of shots seasoned pros do. In the 41st over, he only came down the track at Rehan Ahmed after the legspinner had let the ball go, opening up his hips because that’s what you do against bowlers coming around the wicket to smack them straight down the ground for six. The next ball was a slog sweep because once again, it pitched outside leg and he went low to high because there were no fielders in the deep. Finally, he nailed an against-the-turn flick through midwicket by making sure his feet were nowhere near the swing of his bat. He was in tune with the game now. He wasn’t getting locked up. He was seeing the greys.A Shubman Gill century usually comes with a showman’s bow but all through this innings, he was very stoic. It was as if someone had hit the mute button on him. He barely acknowledged his fifty and seemed to raise his bat upon getting to a hundred only because the crowd – his father was in there watching – wouldn’t let him skate by like that once again. Gill’s smile came back yesterday when he took those four catches. The runs have come today. What does tomorrow hold?

West Indies rally with their heart and soul, even as night turns sour

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The people of Antigua came in droves to support the team, and made their voices heard on an emotionally charged night

Melinda Farrell24-Jun-20242:11

Powell: We’ve done an amazing job over the last year

The first sign was the traffic, converging from all corners of the island.From Hodges Bay and Cedar Grove in the north. From Freetown in the east. From English Harbour and Liberta in the south and from the west, Jennings and Jolly Harbour. And, of course, from the capital, St. Johns.Bumper to bumper they rolled in, filling the car parks and spilling out onto the spiderweb of roads that feed in to the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, a ground that sits apart from the surrounding parishes, enclosed by swathes of vacant land. The floodlights were visible for miles in the inky sky; beacons that summoned the people of Antigua.They answered in their droves; they were here to rally.When giant flags were unfurled on the field to usher in the anthems, the roar could be felt as well as heard. They were waving Antigua flags, they were wearing West Indies shirts. One man stood near the fence at the northern end of the ground wearing a white t-shirt with black writing across the back: silence is loud.Related

Spirited South Africa escape dreaded C-word tag (for now)

Powell: 'Good to see buzz back in Caribbean for cricket, we know how long it had died down'

South Africa knock West Indies out to enter semi-final with nervy win

Andre Russell is pushing the envelope till it rips

A hush descended as the players walked out and David Rudder stepped forward to sing the song he released 26 years ago that has become a clarion call across the Caribbean.There were Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Curtly Ambrose; two sirs, with love. There was Sir Viv, with tears in his eyes as Rudder’s clear voice filled the night. Around the ground they stood, some swaying, some with hands raised, some with eyes closed; all of them singing.The first jarring note struck with the third ball of the match, when Shai Hope sliced a Marco Jansen ball to cover point. After the emotional build-up, it was as if a guitar string had snapped mid strum. A collective intake of breath followed by a unified exhale of disappointment. But still, rally. Hope was lost but not all hope was lost.But this was not a pitch for flowing runs, it was tacky and turning and made for Aiden Markram. Nicholas Pooran tried to pump him over extra cover but it was straight into the wind, dropping kindly for Jansen at long off. West Indies had lost two wickets in seven balls and the silence was not loud, it was deafening.But there was resilience and resistance from Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, bringing joy to every son and daughter in the ground, until Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj subdued the crowd once more with a clattering of wickets.Still, if there was one man who could spark the flames, it was Andre Russell. Every muscle rippled as Dre Russ took on Anrich Nortje, smiting him over long-on and deep midwicket for back-to-back sixes like a raging fire.The first ball of the following over, Russell was at the non-striker’s end as Akeal Hossein pushed a Kagiso Rabada ball to Nortje, fielding at short third. He was desperate to get on strike and continue the assault and set off for the tightest of singles. Too tight for Nortje’s dead-eye arm with the direct hit. Russell fell to his hands and knees. As the third umpire reviewed the replay, Russell stayed there, motionless, staring at the ground. He knew what the decision would be.David Rudder performs the anthem ‘Rally Round the West Indies’ before the start of the game•ICC via Getty ImagesStill, West Indies scrapped and scraped their way to 135. It was something to defend.”We got this!” Screamed the DJ, as South Africa’s chase began. “We got this!”Dre Russ has got this, ripping out South Africa’s openers in the second over, and the faithful rallied once more.But then the heavens opened, and those on the grass banks ran for cover, thousands of soaked and steamy bodies sheltering in the concourses under the two main stands, nerves jangling, muttering questions of DRS and overs lost.When play resumed, they had found their voices, cheering each dot ball, lamenting every fielding error, but still believing. Indeed, 73 runs needed from 66 balls on a tricky surface after six overs and three wickets gone. Rally.Gudakesh Motie came on to bowl his first over. The first ball was in the slot and Heinrich Klassen pounced, launching it into the sightscreen. Klassen had faced Motie enough in the Caribbean Premier League to know he had his measure and went on the attack, smiting 20 runs off the over. Now it was 53 required from 60 and the silence was deafening.Still, a superb running catch from Pooran off Alzarri Joseph’s bouncer meant the assault was brief and if there was a team likely to buckle under pressure in a World Cup, it was South Africa.Rovman Powell rubbed the ball with a towel between each delivery like a man possessed, as if he could conjure some genie luck even as he smeared the moisture away. Runs, wickets, runs, wickets; each tip of the seesaw dragging the crowd from hope to despair in an excruciating emotional maelstrom.One over remained; four runs left to defend.West Indies fans show their support in North Sound•Associated PressObed McCoy rumbled in and it was in the slot. Jansen clubbed it with all the power his long limbs could muster and the ball flew flat and hard over the long-on fence. It happened too quickly, the death blow landing and Jansen punching the air before anyone could comprehend the incomprehensible.This was supposed to be West Indies’ night, when the Knights and the rock stars joined with the ordinary people of the parishes to rally the West Indies into the semi-finals and, perhaps, beyond.Instead they were left to amble up to the stage that was set up for the after-party, some still finding the energy to dance at 2 AM, while others remained in their seats and gazed out over the field.They had answered the call, they had rallied with heart and soul.But in the end it was South Africa’s night.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus