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Hanuma Vihari followed up a first-innings half-century with a second-innings 106, as Hyderabad put themselves in a strong position to gain an outright victory over Chandigarh on the third day of the first round of matches in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22.The day also saw aggressive centuries from two men who have made headlines for their short-form batting more, with Abdul Samad hitting 103 off 78 balls for Jammu and Kashmir against Pondicherry, and M Shahrukh Khan smashing 194 off 148 balls for Tamil Nadu against Delhi.Vihari, who was selected in India’s Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, had been Hyderabad’s top-scorer in the first innings too, with 59 runs even though every single batter made it to double figures to drive the total to 347 all out. In contrast, Chandigarh had Manan Vohra playing a lone hand with 110 in a total of 216 in an Elite Group B match at the Vikas Cricket Ground in Cuttack.In Hyderabad’s second innings, Vihari hit his 22nd first-class century, as Hyderabad declared on 269 for 8, setting Chandigarh an unlikely 401 for victory. Tilak Varma shared in a 130-run stand for the third with Vihari, before he was out for 63. Chandigarh had already lost two wickets in the eight overs and were 21 for 2 at stumps.In the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, Tamil Nadu held the advantage against Delhi in an Elite Group H match, thanks to Shahrukh’s swashbuckling innings, the standout century in a game that had Yash Dhull hitting a hundred on debut to rescue Delhi from 7 for 2, then Lalit Yadav’s maiden first-class century that swelled to 177 as he took Delhi from 253 for 7 to 452 all out. B Indrajith also hit 117, but it was Shahrukh’s 194 that stole the show. With only a day left, a draw seems most likely but Shahrukh has ensured Tamil Nadu will get first-innings lead points, a prospect that seemed unlikely when they were 162 for 5.In an Elite Group C match in Chennai’s SSN College of Engineering ground, Jammu and Kashmir were on the brink of victory against Pondicherry.Qamran Iqbal fell on his overnight score of 96, but Samad’s whirlwind century drove J&K to a first-innings lead as they were bowled out for 426 in reply to Pondicherry’s 343. Parvez Rasool’s spin then had Pondicherry tumbling to 113 for 9 at stumps, a lead of only 30 runs.File photo: Cheteshwar Pujara walks back•Shailesh Bhatnagar

In Ahmedabad, Cheteshwar Pujara was out for a four-ball duck as defending champions Saurashtra were made to follow on against Mumbai in an Elite Group D match.Overnight 18 without loss, Saurashtra were bowled out for 220 after Mumbai had piled on 544 for 7 declared. Pujara came in at No.4, and was lbw to Mohit Avasthi shortly after. Sheldon Jackson’s 61 was Saurashtra’s highest score in the first innings, but they put up a better show when following on, with openers Harvik Desai and Snell Patel having shared a 105-run stand that is still unbroken. Even so, given their massive deficit in the first innings, Saurashtra are trailing by a sizeable 219 runs.Three games finished on the third day, with Kerala beating Meghalaya by an innings and 166 runs in an Elite Group A match, Chattisgarh defeating Jharkhand by eight wickets in an Elite Group H match, and Manipur victorious by an innings and 25 runs against Arunachal Pradesh in a Plate Group match.Playing his first first-class match since his ban in 2013 for spot-fixing, S Sreesanth didn’t have a good outing for Kerala, although his team overwhelmed Meghalaya.In the first innings, Meghalaya were bowled out for just 148, with Eden Apple Tom taking 4 for 41 on debut. Sreesanth took the wickets of the No.9 and No.11 batters, returning 2 for 40 in 11.5 overs. Centuries by P Rahul, Rohan Kunnumal and Vatshal Govind then propelled Kerala to 505 for 9 declared, before they bowled out Meghalaya for 191. Sreesanth went wicket-less, giving up 57 runs in nine overs.

Australia Cricketers’ Association chief executive Todd Greenberg believes Australia’s first tour of Pakistan in 24 years is a major moment for the world game and its significance underpinned his desire to travel with the team alongside Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley.The pair were with Australia’s squad as it touched down in Islamabad on Sunday becoming the first Australia senior men’s team to visit Pakistan since 1998. The two executives, who have formed a strong relationship having both formally come into their respective roles in 2021, resolved to travel for the first Test in Rawalpindi as a sign of unity for the players.”It’s a big moment for Australian cricket and I think it’s a big moment for global cricket that an Australian team will tour Pakistan,” Greenberg told ESPNcricinfo before departing. “I think going to Pakistan together is great. It’s something we talked about several months ago when there was, as you can appreciate, a fair bit of anxiety amongst the players about this tour.”We’ve done a huge amount of work together in planning for this tour and a lot of communication with the players and their families.Related

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“One of the conversations I had very early on with a number of the players was, we’re not going to make a recommendation and support that you tour unless we genuinely think that it’s safe to do so. And I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wasn’t prepared to do myself, which is effectively why Nick and I are on the tour to start with. We think it’s that important. So we’ll probably be sick of each other by the end of the tour, but [I’m] certainly looking forward to it.”The trip will also provide an opportunity for both Greenberg and Hockley to observe the inner workings of the Australian men’s squad on their first tour following the departure of coach Justin Langer.The players had been publicly scrutinised for their role in the exit of the former coach. Langer resigned having been offered a six-month contract extension by the CA board, with player feedback part of the reason the board did not offer a longer deal.New CA chairman Lachlan Henderson, who was appointed after Langer’s resignation, stated that a new Australian men’s coach was high on his agenda with an appointment to be possibly made in March.Greenberg said this trip was a good chance for him and Hockley to see the team environment from the inside and hear from players directly on a whole range of topics.Todd Greenberg (left) has traveled to Pakistan with Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley•Getty Images

“I think it is a really unique opportunity to be inside a team environment with Nick and I in there together and have lots of good conversations about, not just challenges, but opportunities for cricket,” Greenberg said. “There are lots of things going on, whether it’s the appointment of coaches, or it’s re-doing how BBL operates, the advent of NFT’s coming into play.”There’s a number of opportunities for cricket and I’ve said this consistently, that if cricket is going to realise its full potential, the players have a huge role in that and the players also need to understand that they’ve got to lean in. If we’re in a revenue share arrangement, then it’s where both parties have real alignment on where they’re trying to head, you can get some great outcomes.”And to do that, you have to have really good communication. You’ve got to be able to talk regularly about these things. So I get a sense we’ll be talking about all of that and more and I think that’s really healthy.”Greenberg stressed his previously held position that the players deserve to have a large voice in the game as partners with CA and does not believe they wield too much power despite criticism to the contrary by former players following the Langer resignation.”It wasn’t surprising that the former players were so passionate about supporting Justin because they played in the same era, a lot of those guys,” Greenberg said. “In fact, that’s probably one of the strengths of cricket and the playing groups is that passion and that support for each other. I don’t subscribe to the whole player power or influence. I think that’s well overstated publicly. And I’ve said that a few times.”The players should have a voice. They do have a voice. They’ve got views and when you’re inside that environment, they should be able to give their views and they did. But ultimately, these decisions are much bigger than just a set of player feedback and that’s what I was at pains to point out. I think that was well understood by the end.”

The PCB’s proposed quadrangular T20I tournament could, according to the board’s projections, bring in as much as USD 650 million in revenue for the four participants as well as the ICC.The proposal, which sees Pakistan, India, England and Australia playing a single-league T20 tournament annually, will be presented formally at the ICC Board meeting next week in Dubai.Related

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The PCB has identified a window for the event in September-October which, officials say, is an ideal period because it is the start of the season in Australia, India and Pakistan and near the end of the English season.As it stands, the plan is for a single-league structure of six league games, concluded by either a one-off or best-of-three finals, played across two weekends. Hosting rights for the tournament are envisaged to run on a rotational basis and control over the event will be the ICC’s.The paper projects that such a tournament could bring in USD 650 million in media and commercial rights, and plans for that the money to be distributed between the four sides as well as other ICC members. It is not clear what the breakdown will be of the revenue, but it is thought that a significant portion could go towards the non-participating Full Members and Associate members.”This is a strategic paper in which the ICC and its members have been encouraged and invited to explore an untapped event opportunity around traditional rivalries in cricket, turn them into a cricket extravaganza, attract a new generation of cricketers, speed up cricket development and maximise revenues for the members,” a PCB official familiar with the plan told ESPNcricinfo.”This concept not only provides context, it will also become a much-anticipated event across the globe as cricket fans and followers want to see Pakistan play India or Australia take on England or India meet England or Pakistan face Australia on an annual basis.”The concept is one that Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, has spoken of repeatedly since he took over last year, but one that, until now, came with little detail. Along with the board CEO Faisal Hasnain, Ramiz will present it formally in Dubai next week. The meeting is an important one given that it will be an opportunity for members to further shape the next Future Tours Programme (FTP).How it is received by others remains to be seen, and for various reasons – not least strained ties between India and Pakistan – several obstacles stand in the way. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 because political relations between the two countries are at a low ebb. Relations between the two cricket boards are also not especially functional either – the teams only face off in ICC events.Reasons other Full and Associate members would agree to such an idea that foresees no participation for them are also not obvious – even with a potential annual payout. If, as proposed, the ICC is to run the event, that would add another layer of complication, with regard to the events they have already locked into their next cycle.An increased number of ICC events in that next cycle – there are four men’s T20 World Cups between 2023-2031 – as well as the domestic T20 leagues most Full Members are now running means that space in the calendar is all but non-existent – unless it comes at the expense of bilateral commitments.The PCB says this quadrangular is not an attempt to undermine ICC events but to add another short event to the calendar, one they feel has strong commercial value.”The ICC tried the ICC Super Series in 2005, so there is no harm in testing waters for another event,” the official said. “This event will also bring a further nation vs nation event, in a cricket calendar that is being increasingly influenced by mushrooming of various T20 leagues around the world. Because of that, bilateral T20Is have become meaningless. The four-nation Super Series can fill the vacuum.”

Cricket Australia is monitoring fast-growing unrest in Sri Lanka but remains confident next month’s tour of the country will go ahead as planned.Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday night, following months of protests after the nation was plunged into its worst economic crisis in decades.His resignation followed an attack by government supporters on protesters, leading to a countrywide curfew and armed troops being deployed in the capital of Colombo.According to Associated Press, a ruling party lawmaker and three other people died in the violence.Related

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Australia’s men are due to arrive into Colombo in three weeks for the start of their tour, which includes three Twenty20s, five ODIs and two Tests between June 7 and July 12. They will spend 16 of those days in Colombo, where the current violence has unfolded.CA officials had until this point been certain the tour would go ahead, and remain confident. Head of security Stuart Bailey completed a reconnaissance tour of the country last month in the midst of the economic crisis, and it was cleared as safe to visit.CA officials will now start to monitor the situation more closely following Monday night’s violence, but are still confident the tour will proceed.There is also a thought that Australia touring Sri Lanka, where there have been significant food shortages and power cuts, could assist economically.The tour of Sri Lanka will begin a busy 18 months for the Australian team. It has been confirmed they will travel to India for three T20 matches before the home World Cup where they are defending champions, as well as host West Indies in a series in Australia.A schedule for the home summer is also due out at the end of this month, and will include Test series against West Indies and South Africa.Australia also have Test tours of India after the home series and an away Ashes next year, before a 50-over World Cup back in India later in 2023.A make-up tour of South Africa also looms between the Ashes and ODI World Cup, after the three-Test series was postponed last year due to Covid-19. There is a chance that format could change to include at least some white-ball cricket, or potentially become limited-overs matches only in the lead-in to the World Cup.

Glenn Maxwell has been added to Australia’s Test squad ahead of the opening match against Sri Lanka in Galle after Travis Head joined a lengthy injury list with a hamstring strain which has ruled him out of the final ODI.It means the prospect of Maxwell playing his first Test since 2017, against Bangladesh in Chattogram, and his first first-class match since 2019 if he is included for the game next Wednesday. All seven of his Tests have come on the subcontinent with a top score of 104 against India in Ranchi.Before the tour, national George Bailey kept the door open for Maxwell’s return. He has been in good touch during the ODIs with a match-winning unbeaten 80 in the opening game followed by 30 and 33.”We know Glenn has had some red-ball success in these types of conditions and we’re looking forward to him getting back and playing a good block of cricket through the T20s and one-day cricket,” Bailey said. “If he shoots the lights out or anyone else does particularly well, there’s always going to be opportunities.”Earlier in the trip, Maxwell said he understood why he was not part of the Test squad but had not given up hope of getting another chance”A guy that hasn’t played any first-class cricket would be a random pick,” he told . “I know it’s specific to my skillset and the way I play slow bowling, especially in these conditions, that might have been something to sway them.”But I think the way they’ve shown faith in their current squad is brilliant. It’s nice that the door’s not closed but I also thought it was nice that they showed faith in that squad.”Head sustained his injury late in the fourth match and has just six days to recover before the first Test in Galle. GPS data showed that Head had run 26km in the field across the third and fourth matches of the series. The strain is said to be on the minor side, but if he is not available for the opening game next Wednesday, it would require Australia to rejig their middle order.Related

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Maxwell has been called up ahead of any of the Australia A batters who have been taking part in the four-day matches against Sri Lanka which includes Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Nic Maddinson.However, three spinners from the A squad – Jon Holland, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy – will remain in Sri Lanka with the Test squad to assist with preparations and to further their development. Kuhnemann has already been part of the ODI squad following Ashton Agar’s side injury and if Australia opt for three spinners during the Tests there could be further chance for promotion.Holland, 35, who has played four Tests, was a late addition to the Australia A squad after Kuhuemann was brought across to the one-day set-up.Travis Head has just six days to recover before the first Test in Galle•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc also continues to be unavailable due to the stitching in his finger which he cut on the spike of his boot in the first T20I while Steven Smith, who has been nursing a quad strain, is unlikely to be risked ahead of the Tests.”[It’s a] bit more of a precaution,” Aaron Finch said of Head. “Especially, where he fields in the outfield, he does quite a lot of kilometres and the ground is quite heavy. Not sure what he’s looking like for the Test matches. Just one more to add to the list at the moment. Starcy is still not right with his finger. Where it is, the stitching is still not quite 100% healed. Without being able to bowl without tape on, he’ll be out as well.”Australia have endured a lengthy casualty list during the white-ball leg of the tour. Sean Abbott (broken finger) was ruled out before the matches began to be followed by Marsh who has since recovered from a calf strain, Kane Richardson (hamstring), Marcus Stoinis (side), and Agar (side) along with Starc and Smith.Reflecting on the ODI series, which Sri Lanka secured with their four-run victory two days ago, Finch picked out the fact Australia had not been able to build a big partnership to take them deep into the innings with plenty of wickets in hand as a deciding factor. They have fielded a long batting order in the last two matches with Cameron Green at No. 8.”Anytime we’ve started to get any momentum in the game, we lose a wicket and in these conditions, once you lose one, they go back-to-back pretty quick,” he said. “Think, just maximising that main partnership where you can get to the 40th over maybe three down, has hindered us a bit.”After Friday’s final ODI, Australia’s next 50-over cricket will be the series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand starting at home in late August. Unlike these matches against Sri Lanka, those contests will carry World Cup Super League points. There remains uncertainty whether their other home series, against South Africa in January, will go ahead after CSA requested for it to be moved, so they can launch their new T20 league.

Middle-order batter Lauren Down and fast bowler Jess Kerr have been ruled out of New Zealand’s squad for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games which is scheduled to start later this month. Lea Tahuhu, who missed out on a central contract this season, and uncapped Claudia Green have been called-up as replacements.According to an NZC media release, Down has withdrawn from the squad to “prioritise her well-being”, while Kerr’s foot injury, picked during the Women’s World Cup 2022 match against Pakistan, needs more rehabilitation before she can return to play. Kerr is likely to return before New Zealand’s tour of West Indies in September.Down had come into her own during the bilateral series against India at home in February before a broken thumb ruled her out of the World Cup. She’s the third New Zealand player to take a mental-health break following Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr last season.”Our first and main priority is ensuring both Lauren and Jess are looked after – it’s never easy missing cricket tours.” Ben Sawyer, the new New Zealand head coach said. “We’ve ensured Lauren has the support she needs and hope she’ll be able to join us again soon.”We thought Jess would recover in time to take the field in Birmingham, and while this has not transpired, the signs are good for an international return for the West Indies tour in September.”Tahuhu picked up ten wickets in the World Cup earlier this year – joint-most for New Zealand – even though she was battling a stiff hamstring. Her omission from the 17-member contracts list was significant given the difference she can bring to the attack with her pace, but NZC had then said that a player can still be selected from outside the contracted group.”Lea is a familiar face so will be able to hit the ground running at training camp next week,” Sawyer said. “We’ve previously said it’s important not to confuse contracting with selection and this is a good example of why.”Lea offers genuine pace and bounce with the ball and her ability with the bat gives us options.”Green, on the other hand, is a swing bowler and is seen as a like-for-like for Kerr. She was part of the side that toured England last year and has been part of the various New Zealand camps.”Claudia has a similar skill-set to Jess so fits nicely into the squad make-up,” he said. “Her ability to swing the ball is an exciting aspect of her game and we look forward to having her on tour in England.”New Zealand will have a camp in Lincoln next week ahead of their departure to England on July 12.Updated squad: Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Amelia Kerr, Brooke Halliday, Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson, Hayley Jensen, Jess McFadyen, Fran Jonas, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Gaze, Lea Tahuhu, Claudia Green

Nottinghamshire 19 for 0 trail Glamorgan 318 (Carlson 46, Hutton 4-76) by 299 runsIt was third v first at Sophia Gardens, where Nottinghamshire were the visitors, and it was honours even at the end of day one of the LV= Division 2 County Championship clash.League leaders Notts did enough to justify the decision of skipper Stephen Mullaney to bat first by bowling out Glamorgan for 318 (84.2 overs) on a hard-baked wicket that offered very little to the bowlers.They lead Glamorgan by 23 points in the table and both sides picked up three points in the day. Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater ensured Notts kept all 10 wickets intact by reaching 19 for 0 before stumps at the end of the day.When the two teams first met this season at Trent Bridge it was Glamorgan that got the upper hand, winning by seven wickets. New signing Sam Northeast chipped in with a score of 85 in the first innings in April and he was the man who made most headway in the opening sessions at a sun-drenched Sophia Gardens.There was little movement for their seam attack, but the accuracy of Luke Fletcher, Brett Hutton and Dane Paterson, backed up by Mullaney later on, earned them their just rewards.Home skipper David Lloyd never looked comfortable and he fell in the third over when Fletcher squared him up and got the lbw verdict to remove him for 6 (12 balls).That brought Colin Ingram to the crease and the 37-year-old hit a boundary off his first ball. That showed his intentions and he didn’t hang around as he scored 34 (29) in 44 lively minutes that included seven fours.He and opener Eddie Byrom put on 52 before Ingram was caught at the wicket by stand-in keeper Joe Clarke off Hutton. Hutton’s persistence meant he ended up with 4 for 76 from his 17 overs.Byrom got to 24 (55) before he was trapped LBW by Paterson and then left Northeast and Kiran Carlson helped to steer the ship safely through to lunch (103-3).If honours were even after the first session, it looked as though Northeast and Carlson were going to push Glamorgan into a commanding position as they put on 50 in 18 overs. Northeast reached his half-century in before departing four overs later when he became the third LBW victim, this time to Hutton, for 56 (85).Carlson was caught superbly at second slip by the debutant Max Montgomery to provide Hutton with his third wicket. He went for 46 (95) just as he looked set for a big score.A ball change in the 55th over caused new problems for the home batsmen and in the second row with it Paterson got a ball to move away from Billy Root, who edged the ball to Hutton at second slip. He left for 12 and Glamorgan were 193 for 6.There was a definite wag in the tail from the home side as Michael Nesser plundered 42 (51), Andrew Slater 35 (44) and James Harris 28 (44) to ensure their side passed the 300-mark to pick up three battling points.

Northern Superchargers claimed their first victory of the momen’s Hundred as they edged out London Spirit by five runs at Headingley.Spirit’s pursuit of 128 was derailed when they lost two wickets in as many balls as star opener Beth Mooney was run out before Danielle Gibson top-edged Alice Davidson-Richards to fine leg. Superchargers continued to take wickets at key times to leave Spirit needing 13 off the final five and despite some excellent death batting from Sophie Luff the visitors fell short.Earlier, Bess Heath had hit a superb 57 off 34 deliveries featuring 10 boundaries, digging her side out of trouble.Heath came to the crease after both Superchargers’ imposing openers had fallen early. Jemimah Rodrigues was bowled by Freya Davies for 2 and Alyssa Healy was dismissed for an explosive 22 off 16 including a massive six over the long-on boundary.After a period of stagnation where runs and boundaries dried up, Heath made her move, smashing Amelia Kerr for three consecutive boundaries. Heath followed up by clubbing Megan Schutt for 11 runs off her set of five, bringing up the 50 partnership between herself and Laura Wolvaardt, of which she had scored 41.Fielding errors started to creep in for Spirit under Heath’s assault, Luff misjudging a catch at deep backward square leg and spilling a second 10 balls later at cover, allowing Heath’s pyrotechnics to continue. Heath whacked a floaty delivery from Charlie Dean over the longest boundary for a six after passing 50.Heath’s innings finally came to an end after she mistimed a half-tracker from Grace Scrivens straight into the hands of Natasha Wraith at fine leg, leaving the field to a fitting ovation from the crowd.Wolvaardt, who seemed almost stuck in quicksand at the other end, finally hit her first boundary off her 27th delivery, finishing with 24 off 29 in the Superchargers’ total of 127 for 4, a score that in near-perfect batting conditions looked well below-par.Mooney then looked ready to demolish the target, fresh from her women’s Hundred record 97 not out against Southern Brave in Spirit’s previous match.Mooney hit three fours in the first 10 balls, and after advancing to 30 of 20 balls, a stunning bit of work from Healy behind the stumps brought her innings to a premature end. A mix-up between the batters gave Healy the opportunity and she picked the ball up high to her left above her head and threw down the stumps leaving Mooney short of her ground.Gibson followed her back to the dugout the very next ball and the baton was passed to Kerr who looked well set to guide her side to victory until she fell for 20 after failing to clear the long-off fielder.Despite a cameo from Luff, who hit an unbeaten 39 from 30 balls, which included a massive six over cow-corner, Spirit still needed 13 off the last five. Their hopes ended off the penultimate delivery when Dean was caught at cover off Davidson-Richards.

South East Stars 281 for 9 (Smith 114, Macdonald-Gay 54) beat Lightning 169 (Boyce 60, Gray 3-29) by 112 runsBryony Smith’s majestic 114 set South East Stars up with a home Play-off clash with Southern Vipers and condemned Lightning to a limp farewell from the regional structure.Stars skipper Smith, who had played in all three of England’s T20I series victory over India last week, returned to smash an exhilarating first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy century.Ryana Macdonald-Gay’s half-century backed up her captain to pile on 281 at the Uptonsteel County Ground in Leicester, which proved 112 runs too many despite Georgie Boyce scoring 60 on her second appearance since joining from Thunder.Stars will host Vipers at The County Ground, Beckenham on Wednesday, with the winners facing Diamonds at Lord’s on Sunday, September 25.Lightning lost the toss and were asked to field first in their last game as a Loughborough-based region, before moving to Nottinghamshire next year, but started their goodbye strongly as Grace Ballinger bowled Chloe Brewer with an in-swinger.That brought Smith to the crease, and despite four dots to start, destruction wasn’t far away.She never veered too far away from going at a run-a-ball throughout, helped by some luscious early driving, but streaked ahead with four consecutive boundaries off Ballinger to motor into the 40s.Her fourth time past 50 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy came in 47, but it only took her a further 39 deliveries to become the competition’s 14th centurion in three seasons – and the second fastest to the landmark.Smith’s timing and picking up on poor legside balls were the foundation of the phenomenal innings but so too was her ability to dominate partnerships despite wickets falling regularly. She put on 40 with Kira Chathli, 66 with Jemima Spence (of which Smith scored 45) and 51 with Rhianna Southby.When she departed for 114, having smashed straight at mid-off to end a blistering innings packed with 17 fours and a six over long-on, it felt inevitable that Stars would slump in her wake.But 196 for seven was revived to 267 for eight after a low-risk, high-reward stand between Macdonald-Gay and Alexa Stonehouse. The former wristily found gaps to bring up a maiden List A half-century in 56 balls.It helped Stars end up on a well-above-par 281, although Ballinger’s three for 62 belied her impressive first five overs, while Kirstie Gordon was exemplary with two for 38.Franklin demolished the Lightning top order by bowling Marie Kelly via a chop on, running out Beth Harmer with a direct hit from square leg, and had Michaela Kirk leg before.Lucy Higham was struck in front by Eva Gray to leave Lightning in a heap on 54 for four, but Boyce showcased her impressive skills in a 76-run stand with the increasingly impressive Ella Claridge.The pair got their side back towards a manageable rate, with Boyce collecting a 60-ball fifty. But wicketkeeper Claridge fell for 35 and Boyce 70 within three overs of each other to stunt the hosts again, before the bottom fell out.Macdonald-Gay continued her fine day by bowling Boyce and Sophie Munro, Gray picked up her second and third when Thresa Graves was astonishingly caught at backward point by Southby and Josie Groves tickled behind. Dani Gregory picked up the last wicket of Ballinger with 70 balls to spare.

Bangladesh have learned a lot from the tri-series in New Zealand despite losing all four games, according to their technical consultant Sridharan Sriram. The key takeaway was that they had tried and tested the different combinations they could use during the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.Bangladesh produced their best batting performance of the tri-series in the seven-wicket loss against Pakistan on Thursday, but the bowlers could not defend at the death.”Everything has to come together for Bangladesh to win,” Sriram said. “We had two opportunities against Pakistan. We had to score 100 in the last ten overs in the first game, and defend 100 runs in the last ten overs in this game. We came up short by small margin in both games. But these are things to learn from. Good teams score or defend ten runs an over in the last half.”Related

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Bangladesh tried four different opening combinations during the tri-series and rotated their fast bowlers. Going by the numbers, they seem unsure about which pair of openers to use in their first game of the T20 World Cup.”You look at it as experiments but we look at it as combinations,” Sriram said. “We will know how each player responds by putting them in different situations. I think we have learned quite a bit. We are very clear about our combinations against different teams. We have to keep all options ready.We are very clear about the best team we want to play. I think the captain, myself and the director are on the same page. We have two or three combinations in mind. Given the conditions, we will adopt accordingly.”Sriram was impressed with how Soumya Sarkar – who was dropped after the last T20 World Cup in the UAE – showed the right “intent” in his two innings in the tri-series. “He played a shot and got out. That’s intent. I think he was selfless. He played for the team. We only got 6-7 runs in the first two overs. He wanted to force the pace, but got out. It happens.”He played a good knock at No. 3 in the last game. I think there are good signs. We need to instill the confidence in players like him.”Sriram said the team management would have a few more discussions before deciding on Bangladesh’s final squad for the World Cup. “We have two more days. There’ll definitely be discussions. We are open to changes. We know what we want, so we will let you know in a couple of days.”Bangladesh now travel to Brisbane, where they will play warm-up games against Afghanistan on October 17 and South Africa on October 19, before their first game of the Super 12 against a qualifying team on October 24 in Hobart.