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Pakistan were in trouble in their chase of 107 but Babar Azam remained unbeaten to take them home

Danyal Rasool16-Jun-20241:23

Mumtaz: ‘Phenomenal display of left-arm swing bowling’ from Shaheen

Pakistan made it more complicated than it needed to be, but Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi led them to a nervy three-wicket win to sign off their T20 World Cup campaign. Shaheen led the way with the ball with three early wickets and finished the contest off with two sixes, while Babar shepherded a chase that he watched fall apart with an unbeaten 32.Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf joined Shaheen among the wickets as Ireland were reduced to 32 for 6. At that stage, an early-afternoon finish appeared likely, but Gareth Delany and Mark Adair gritted their way through a 44-run partnership off 30 balls. Imad Wasim took care of the lower order with figures of 3 for 8 in four overs, in what is likely his last game for Pakistan, but a cameo of 22 from Josh Little took Ireland to 106.Pakistan were cruising through the chase after eight overs with Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar doing their bit to take any sting out of Ireland’s bowling attack. But a frenetic phase in the middle overs, when Curtis Campher and Barry McCarthy took four wickets for 10 runs, left Babar alone with a relatively long tail.But Abbas Afridi swung his way through a happy-go-lucky 17 to bring the target down to 12, while a calf injury for Little meant Ireland had to bowl spin at Shaheen. He finished with two heaved sixes to seal a win that gave Pakistan relief rather than satisfaction.

Shaheen back in love with first overs

After going eight successive T20Is without a first-over wicket – his longest dry spell in his T20I career – Shaheen finally snapped the streak today, his third ball a perfect illustration of why he has historically been so effective up front. The new ball swung and seamed back in to pierce Andrew Balbirnie’s defences and crash into the stumps. Two balls later, Shaheen got one to shape the other way, kissing Lorcan Tucker’s outside edge on the way to Rizwan. There was nearly a third when Pakistan reviewed one that clipped Harry Tector’s pad, and though that wasn’t given, Shaheen trapped Tector in front in his next over.Pakistan fans with a message for their team in Lauderhill•ICC/Getty Images

Ireland’s recovery

When Pakistan had Ireland at 32 for 6, any prospect of recovery was distant. But Ireland understood that continuing to attack was the most direct route to runs. In the tenth over, Gareth Delany hit Shadab’s first ball for six and Mark Adair pulled the last one for four. They attacked Abbas Afridi, who had not played a competitive game since his inclusion in Pakistan’s World Cup squad, for 16 runs in the 11th.It kept Ireland on track three figures, and when another slump came – from 76 for 6 to 80 for 9 – Little and Ben White batted the remaining six overs, adding an unbeaten 26 for the last wicket. An hour later, they were almost rewarded for it.

Pakistan’s jitters

Pakistan securing a straightforward win would have been an inauthentic end to the campaign they have had, and duly, the collapse came. If Pakistan felt they were sitting pretty halfway through the chase against India, it was nothing compared to the impregnability of their position against Ireland. Pakistan needed 55 in 12 overs with eight wickets in hand, with Babar and Fakhar Zaman batting, when Zaman drilled one to mid-off. It was the catalyst for flutters through the whole of the Pakistan camp as Usman Khan was deceived by McCarthy’s extra bounce in the tenth over.The memories of the chase that fell apart last Sunday were fresh as Shadab, to whom cricket is offering no hiding place at the moment, flicked his second ball to the wicketkeeper. Imad finally connected with the cut shot he’s been trying since Ravindra Jadeja bowled against him, but straight to the man at point. An unassertive top order and a non-existent middle order won’t get you out of the first round at many World Cups, and this game was the perfect illustration of the point.

India and South Africa have history of knock-out heartbreak, but short turnaround prevents introspection

Sidharth Monga28-Jun-20243:20

Markram: ‘Feel like we can win from any position’

While history looms large over the T20 World Cup 2024 final, neither side thinks it will play much part on the day of the final. This is South Africa’s maiden final in World Cup cricket, while India have lost in the knockouts of all World Cups bar one since 2014.It was said India lost to a mentally tougher side when they came up against Australia in last year’s 50-over final, but India don’t feel that is an advantage they take into the match against South Africa who, going by the trophy cabinet at least, are the team with the least experience of the circumstances they now find themselves.”I mean it’s not that the same players have been playing since 1991,” India’s coach Rahul Dravid said. “Many players have come and gone. I don’t think that really matters. I can’t speak for any of them. I don’t think players go on keeping the baggage of the past and what has happened in the past. Every day is a fresh day.Related

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“Players are very good at moving on from things. I think just as we will move on from Ahmedabad, I’m sure they will not be thinking about history, and it will be a fresh day. Two good teams, two teams I think that everyone will agree are the top two teams in this tournament, two teams that have played the best cricket in this tournament, both South Africa and India.”While Dravid said he couldn’t speak on behalf of South Africa, Aiden Markram didn’t quite echo the sentiment, especially when asked if his team ran the risk of being overwhelmed after crossing a major hurdle.”We were obviously a happy bunch the other night after qualifying for the final, but it’s amazing…” Markram said. “I’m sure all teams do it, but straight after that game in the changing-room, you still reflect and you say, guys, we’ve still got one more step to go. So, it’s not driven by coach or by captain. The whole unit sort of feels that and is driven by that.3:46

Dravid: South Africa will move on from their history like we will from Ahmedabad

“As general, sportsmen are highly competitive people and nobody would want to lose, and especially not lose in a final. So, I think there’s no sense that the guys are satisfied regardless of the result tomorrow. I think there’s still a massive hunger for us to go out and win tomorrow’s game.”It does help both sides that there is hardly any time between matches, and so little time to build the occasion up too much in their minds. Having qualified before India, South Africa had an extra day in hand but it was spent at an airport because of a long delay in flights. The enormity of the final is the last thing on your mind when you are killing time sitting in a corner, whether you’re travelling alone or looking after your family. You are likely more worried about your luggage than history.By the time India checked in at Georgetown Airport to fly to Barbados, the date had either ticked over or was pretty closing to ticking over to the day before the final. The preparation for both the teams has centred on getting their individual plans right and looking after their bodies.”It’s just about all the guys getting into ensuring that physically, mentally, tactically we are ready for the game,” Dravid said. “Those are the things that we can control: that we are fresh, that we have looked after all our niggles if there are any, we have done all our tactical preparation and we are mentally relaxed and excited and looking forward to the game. Those are the things we can control.”Having not played in Barbados before, South Africa did have an optional training session unlike India, but the sentiment is the same. Their preparation is centred on the small things rather than reflecting on the bigger picture.”You get in a competition like this and things move pretty quickly,” Markram said. “You play a game, you get on a plane, you fly, you check in at a new hotel and play your next game of cricket the next day. So, I don’t think there’s too much reflecting that happens. But it’s more the opportunity that we have of being in a final that excites me quite a bit.”

Redmayne’s anchoring 34 take low-scoring final out of Welsh Fire’s grasp

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Aug-2024Two years on from Deepti Sharma sending Charlie Dean into despair by running her out at the non-striker’s end, the pair were jumping into each other’s arms on the same side of the pitch. Deepti had just struck the winning runs in the 2024 women’s Hundred final, a six launched high rather than far, but far enough to send Shabnim Ismail over the sponge with it.And with that, London Spirit were champions for the first time, and whatever diplomatic chaos that England-India ODI conclusion wrought back in 2022 had well and truly been blown out of the water. Foes were now friends. Spirit now champions. Heather Knight’s charges, having grown into this tournament just in the nick of time, scraped into third place and then turned over the top two in the space of a weekend to secure championship status.Victory over Welsh Fire by four wickets, with just two balls to spare, was perhaps closer than it should have been after restricting the league-leaders to 115, a score which relied heavily on Jess Jonassen’s 54. But it was Ismail’s 3 for 24 that sprinkled doubt into Spirit minds with the prime cuts of Meg Lanning, Knight and Danielle Gibson falling to some exceptional pace and movement from the South African quick. It was cruel the final moment had the ball slipping through her grasp.Ultimately, Spirit dug deep, courtesy of a measured 34 from Georgia Redmayne, coming off the back of an unbeaten 53 south of the river 24 hours earlier in the Eliminator. Redmayne did to Fire as she had done to Oval Invincibles; pacing out the chase with a level of calm that this time was broken when Freya Davies nipped one down the slop from around the wicket to pin the left-hander in front. By the time Redmayne had departed, the ask was 12 from 11, but the nerves were evident when Abigail Freeborn was finally run out after a couple of close shaves. Thankfully for Spirit, that brought Dean’s “Future England Captain” calm to the crease, which she used to charge and find a single off her only ball, handing matters back to Deepti, who finished it off in style.Ultimately, Fire will rue a stuttering start after being asked to bat first, that was only salvaged by Jonassen’s maiden half-century in this competition. Three wickets were lost in the first 29 balls. Sarah Glenn’s two in three deliveries – the first accounting for Tammy Beaumont; the second sending Sarah Bryce back to the dugout with a two-ball duck – allowed Spirit to maintain control for most of the first innings.Georgia Redmayne played another vital hand in the chase•ECB/Getty Images

The 52-run stand between Jonassen and Hayley Matthews was slow to begin with, particularly as Matthews struggled for timing. But she persisted through the scratchiness, taking the score to 84 before departing for the fourth wicket, hitting the only boundary off Glenn in the process. Had Knight held on to a tough chance at cover – diving, full length, to her right, getting a hand to the ball without clutching – Matthews would have been out on nine and Fire in a host of trouble at 55 for 4.It was at that point Jonassen stepped up a gear, lacing four boundaries in six deliveries – the first three off Gibson, the fourth off Dean – finally giving Spirit something to think about. It did not last long; just 10 runs came off the final 10 deliveries, with four wickets – two of them run-outs.But it did at least lead to a sense of jeopardy when Ismail nipped one down the slope to bowl Knight, and then again to end Gibson’s breezy, momentum-shifting cameo. Five boundaries in her first six deliveries – a couple of neat guides down to third sandwiching clubs to midwicket and through the covers – took the required runs below balls faced for the first time in the second innings, pushing Welsh Fire into a Strategic Timeout with 33 needed from 34.Gibson’s dismissal at the start of Ismail’s final set ended the torrent of boundaries, but it did introduce Deepti to the crease. And though the allrounder was far from fluent upon arrival, missing out on a host of loose deliveries as she tried to manufacture sweep shots that were not quite there, there was a sense that something outlandish was in the offing as we entered the final set of the 2024 competition with six needed. Her bowling may be steady – as it was again on Sunday with 1 for 23 – but Deepti’s batting is often about the devil on her shoulder.The match-up with Matthews for the final set made sense from Fire’s perspective, even if the West Indian had been expensive with 25 off her first 15 deliveries. The lack of pace meant batters had to do something different. And Deepti, charging down to just get to the pitch of the ball and contorting her wrists to heave over wide long on for the only six of the match, did just that.

Glamorgan offer minimal resistance as hosts end Derby drought with 10-wicket victory

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Derbyshire finally celebrated a red-ball victory at their County Ground headquarters when they beat Glamorgan by 10 wickets in the Vitality County Championship Division Two match at Derby.They bowled the visitors out for 287 on the fourth morning, leaving them to score 27 for a first Championship win at Derby in five years.Luis Reece, who claimed the last two wickets, and Harry Came took less than seven overs to secure Derbyshire’s first Championship victory anywhere since they beat Worcestershire away in July 2022.Glamorgan made them wait with Mason Crane and Dan Douthwaite adding 47 from 136 balls for the eighth wicket before their former captain David Lloyd broke the stand.With rain in the forecast, Derbyshire went into the final day knowing they needed to take the last three Glamorgan wickets as quickly as possible. The visitors still trailed by 25 when play began under cloudy skies and Crane took a chunk out of that in the second over of the morning with two fours off Zak Chappell.Derbyshire took the new ball straight away with left-arm spinner Jack Morley operating in tandem with Chappell who should have had the wicket of Crane with Glamorgan still behind.Crane had scored 12 when he pulled a short ball to the deep midwicket region where Nick Potts dived and got both hands on the ball but could not hold on.Morley was getting the odd ball to turn sharply but the pair continued to frustrate Derbyshire and when Reece replaced Chappell, Crane drove him to the cover boundary to put the visitors into credit.Crane cut Morley for another four but the breakthrough finally came when former Lloyd took over with his offspin at the Racecourse End. His first ball kept very low and scuttled into the pads of Crane who was trapped on the crease after facing 66 balls for his 28.Douthwaite continued to bat defiantly but the hosts wrapped up the innings in the space of five balls. Reece had Fraser Sheat lbw before Douthwaite was bowled by another one that kept low to take Derbyshire to the brink of a long-awaited victory.It arrived when Reece swept Sam Northeast for two consecutive fours to seal a first Championship win at Derby since they beat Sussex in August 2019.

Division Two challengers wrap up win, need ten more points for return to top flight

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Yorkshire bowled Glamorgan out for 209 to win by 186 runs and put themselves on the verge of a return to Division One with one round of matches to go.A draw and a couple of bonus points in their final game at home to Northamptonshire would clinch promotion, as they lead third-placed Middlesex by 15 points, 20 behind leaders Sussex, after taking the final three Glamorgan wickets in an hour.They were relegated by a single point two years ago and were handicapped by a points deduction last season, so there is an air of determination about Yorkshire as they target a return to the top level.”We played well, we have played well for a number of weeks now,” Yorkshire head coach, Ottis Gibson, said. “This week was important for us the way Sussex keep playing, keep winning, so to lose the toss and get put in meant the way we have played in the last three-and-a-half days we fully deserved our win.”Glamorgan’s focus turns to the One-Day Cup final against Somerset at Trent Bridge on Sunday as they try to bring silverware back to Sophia Gardens this season despite their Championship form, which has seen them drop to second from bottom in the table.”That was disappointing, really gutting,” Glamorgan coach, Grant Bradburn, said. “We take the loss on the chin up against very good teams in the last couple of weeks and we have not quite been sharp enough in all aspects. We don’t want to lose, of course, but we don’t mind losing if we are putting ourselves in a position to win.”James Harris and Asa Tribe started the morning knowing they had a mountain to climb, even if the target was to survive until forecast bad weather later in the day.Yorkshire opening bowlers Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher started the day with 13 wickets between them, so it was no surprise that they continued their partnership looking for the breakthrough.They had to be patient for half an hour before Fisher was able to get one to cut away and bowl Tribe for a patient 58, a significant step forward for the 20-year-old opener as he tries to establish a place in the Glamorgan line-up.Fisher was buoyed by his success and pinned Andy Gorvin lbw a few balls later to put his team close to the finish.”I have been begging for Fish and Coad to be fit together for a period of time and to have those two taking the new ball then you know they will challenge the opposition and take wickets,” Gibson said.Harris kept plugging away at the other end as he did his best to delay the inevitable, getting more aggressive in the final wicket partnership with Ben Morris which put on 41. Inevitably the fun came to an end as Harris was clean bowled by Jordan Thompson one short of a half-century.

Squads for Bangladesh’s tour to the West Indies in November are yet to be announced

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2024The BCB had named Najmul Hossain Shanto as the Bangladesh captain for the three ODIs against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week. The announcement follows the discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening after the Chattogram Test, as Shanto had informed the board of his reluctance to continue as Bangladesh’s all-format captain. BCB however hasn’t announced the squads for the West Indies tour later in November where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.Faruque told the media on Thursday that Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Shanto’s deputy for the Afghanistan series, and Taskin Ahmed are “front-runners” in the BCB’s captaincy discussion.All three are in the Bangladesh ODI squad. Nahid Rana, the 22-year-old tearaway quick, is only uncapped player in the side. Rana has played five Tests so far, impressing with his pace and bounce. He has taken 26 wickets at 16.46 in ten List-A matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The selectors have also recalled opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. The left-handed Zakir has played just a single ODI last year to go along with 12 Tests. Nasum, meanwhile, played the last of his 15 ODIs in the World Cup in India last year.There was no room for Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam and Hasan Mahmud. Mahmud is out due to a shoulder injury he picked up in the ongoing National Cricket League.Bangladesh are also without Shakib Al Hasan, who Faruque said voluntarily pulled out of reckoning for this ODI series. Litton Das is also missing due to fever which kept him out of the Chattogram Test against South Africa.The Bangladesh team, which will depart for Dubai in two groups on Saturday and Sunday, will play the three ODIs on November 6, 9 and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh’s ODI squad

Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

He was only able to send down one over before leaving the field early on the fourth day at the Gabba

Andrew McGlashan17-Dec-2024Josh Hazlewood is likely to miss the remainder of the Test series against India after suffering a calf strain during warm-ups on the fourth day in Brisbane meaning Scott Boland will be set to return to the side for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.Hazlewood, who returned in this game after missing Adelaide with a side strain, was late entering the field at the start of play on Tuesday, having spent time talking with head coach Andrew McDonald and physio Nick Jones, then looked laboured when he came into the attack, barely topping 131kph which included a wide long hop first ball that was cut away by KL Rahul.During the drinks break which followed that over, Hazlewood was part of a lengthy conversation with Pat Cummins, Steven Smith and the physio before he walked off the field.Cricket Australia initially said he had “calf awareness” and he went for scans which confirmed the severity of the injury.”He’s pretty despondent,” Daniel Vettori, Australia’s assistant coach, said. “Felt it this morning in warm-ups, gave it a good crack, it’s just unfortunate for him to come back, put so much effort after another injury with the side strain, then to pick up a calf strain here, particularly in these circumstances is really tough on him.”Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott have been part of the squad in this series, when they were initially called up as cover in Adelaide after Hazlewood was ruled out, and would likely head the queue of replacements. Western Australia pair Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are still early in their comebacks to red ball cricket and the domestic season has now switched into BBL mode.Australia were trying to force victory between frequent rain delays in Brisbane with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc putting in significant stints in the absence of Hazlewood but India’s last-wicket stand between Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep denied them the chance of enforcing the follow on.Vettori confirmed that despite being a bowler down that option would have been taken and, given the lighter workloads in Adelaide and regular rain breaks, there was confidence that Starc and Cummins would be able to manage the overs.Hazlewood had returned to the side for this Test after a side strain ruled him out of Adelaide. His latest injury opens the door for Boland to return to the side at the MCG, the venue where he claimed a remarkable 6 for 7 on debut against England in 2021-22. Cummins had flagged the potential for Boland to play a further role in the series when he missed out in Brisbane.”[We told him] it’s about preparing for the MCG because there’s a good chance we might need you,” he said. “History suggests there’s always some form of natural attrition throughout a Test series. A good thing [is], he’s probably played a Test earlier in the series than he maybe thought. Showed that his standard’s still super high. [It’s] about trying to set him up for the last two Test matches.”While selection is not part of Vettori’s remit, he acknowledged the decision would probably be a simple one. “Fortunately I don’t have to worry about that, but Boland speaks for himself,” he said. “The way he bowled in Adelaide, the way he’s consistently been the back-up seamer and every single time he’s been asked to step up, particularly in Australia, he’s been outstanding so think that would be the logical thing to conclude.”Hazlewood previously suffered a mild calf strain earlier in the year which kept him out of the T20Is against Scotland and England. The Perth Test against India was his 10th consecutive match following a frustrating couple of years where he was hit by a series of injuries while also being left out due to conditions on the subcontinent. Overall, Hazlewood has missed 18 of Australia’s last 35 Tests dating back to the 2021-22 Ashes.Hazlewood’s next opportunity to play Tests could come in Sri Lanka from late January although conditions could mean he is surplus to requirements if Australia pack their line-up with spinners. After that there’s the possibility of the World Test Championship final in early June should Australia qualify ahead of a three-match tour of West Indies that is expected to start later that month

Pat Cummins confirms just the one change to Australia’s XI but expects Scott Boland to play a role again

Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-2024Josh Hazlewood has been declared fit to play in the third Test against India in Brisbane with captain Pat Cummins confirming he will replace Scott Boland as the only change to Australia’s XI.Hazlewood missed Australia’s win in Adelaide due to a side strain he suffered in the opening Test in Perth with Boland taking five vital wickets across two innings in the second Test.Hazlewood underwent a couple of fitness tests during the week. With only short run-ups available in the Gabba nets and no spare centre wickets, Hazlewood went out to Allan Border Field on Thursday to bowl off his full run alongside Mitchell Starc, under the eye of bowling coach Daniel Vettori.Related

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“He’s had no hiccups,” Cummins said. “He had a really good bowl yesterday and a bowl in Adelaide a couple of days previous. The medical team are super confident.”It means that Boland, who averages 13.54 in home Tests, will again be carrying the drinks but Cummins expected him to have another opportunity across the final two matches of the series. There will likely be a debate about a horses-for-courses selection ahead of the MCG where he has an outstanding record, including the stunning 6 for 7 on debut against England, although he was overlooked against Pakistan last season.”It’s tough [leaving him out], he was fantastic in Adelaide,” Cummins said. “Unfortunately he spent quite a bit of time on the bench over the last 18 months and whenever he plays he’s fantastic. Shame for Scotty, but still a fair bit to play out in the series so I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get another crack at some point.””[We told him] it’s about preparing for the MCG because there’s a good chance we might need you. History suggests there’s always some form of natural attrition throughout a Test series. A good thing [is], he’s probably played a Test earlier in the series than he maybe thought. Showed that his standards still super high. [It’s] about trying to set him up for the last two Test matches.”Hazlewood explained on Monday that the latest injury was not “a typical side strain”, but was part of an ongoing issue he has had which has left him frustrated and searching for a solution.”You’re running in to bowl, and you just grab your hat and you’re off and you’re out for six weeks – it’s not that sort of side strain,” he said. “It’s from sort of repetitive use. It’s caused me a lot of trouble over the last few years, but [had] perfect prep this year, played the Shield game and ticked all that off.”I was very happy where I was, and it still happened. So I was pretty annoyed there for a few days. There was plenty of meetings from CA’s point of view [with] physios, doctors, all that stuff. So [we will] come up with a few options and see if we can stop it from happening again.”The fact Hazlewood has missed just one Test is likely down to him only bowling two more overs after he first felt some pain in Perth.”We’ve seen it a few times where Joshy has kind of pushed through a Test match and a little bit of soreness turns into a month or two injury,” Cummins said. “We kind of made the call it wasn’t worth the risk of keeping him bowling. Think he bowled an extra two overs leading into a tea break and said he felt okay, [but] I thought from there that’s enough.”

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage’s fifties gave Sri Lanka 290, and the bowlers then stopped New Zealand 140 runs short

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jan-2025Rapid half-centuries from Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Janith Liyanage put Sri Lanka on course to a substantial total, before an electric new-ball spell from Asitha Fernando wrecked New Zealand’s chase.Asitha swung the ball prodigiously in his five-over opening spell, taking 3 for 17 in that period. By the end of over seven, and chasing 291 for victory, New Zealand were 22 for 5, their chances all but dashed. Mark Chapman battled bravely for a run-a-ball 81, but had no team-mates to go with him.New Zealand soon slipped to 48 for 6, then 77 for 7, and though the last rites took some time, Sri Lanka dismissed the opposition for 150, inside 30 overs. This was the third one-sided game in the series. New Zealand had won the other two.Asitha’s 3 for 26 wasn’t quite a swing-bowling masterclass, as he occasionally struggled with his lines. But it did feature some spectacular deliveries, as he gleaned substantially more swing than any other bowler in the game. The ball to take out Rachin Ravindra’s leg stump was magnificent; Asitha angled it across the left-hander, and got it to tail in very late to slip between bat and pad. All through that new-ball spell, he had that shape to his deliveries. He struck twice in the seventh over, removing Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips, both for ducks.Pathum Nissanka scored a half-century up top in a two-part innings•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end, Maheesh Theekshana and Eshan Malinga also contributed wickets, dismissing Will Young and Daryl Mitchell respectively. All three of these bowlers ended up taking three wickets apiece. Asitha’s was the best among their final figures.Malinga also swung the ball, though not as much as Asitha, and bowled probing lines. Theekshana got turn out of a pitch that the New Zealand spinners had also enjoyed earlier in the match, particularly when they picked their way through Sri Lanka’s middle order. Though it was still Matt Henry who was most penetrative, taking 4 for 55 from his ten overs. Three of those wickets came at the death, but Henry had been instrumental in building pressure through the middle overs too.The first ingredients of Sri Lanka’s 140-run victory, however, were the fifties to Nissanka and Kusal. Nissanka’s 66 off 42 was unusual. He got to 50 off the 31st delivery he played, but as he was completing that run, appeared to pull a hamstring, and left the field at the end of the tenth over. Kusal then replaced him at the crease and reeled off 54 off 48 to salvage what has otherwise been a modest tour for him.Nissanka, especially, reveled in taking on the short ball. He crashed five sixes and six fours in his innings, coming back to the middle in the 34th over to swing at a few though he was unable to run or reach particularly far outside off. Kusal hit two sixes and five fours, having made all his runs after the initial fielding restrictions had ended.Matt Henry took all of his four wickets in the back-half of Sri Lanka’s innings•AFP/Getty Images

Both batters were dismissed by wide, turning Mitchell Santner deliveries, that they were trying to drag over the deep-midwicket boundary.Santner had been among the primary architects of Sri Lanka’s middle-overs slowdown. They had been 155 for 1 (Nissanka was retired hurt also) after 27 overs, but in the following seven overs lost three wickets and made only 28. They recovered through a half-century to Liyanage, who constructed a clever innings that shepherded the lower-middle order and the tail. Liyanage made 53 off 52 balls before falling in the final over. He had hit five boundaries – two of them sixes – but largely sought to push the game deep and ensure Sri Lanka batted out their 50 overs.But New Zealand had no answers to Asitha bowling one of the white-ball spells of his career. Chapman saw out that new-ball spell, and then gained confidence once the powerplay was over, finding the boundary with the kind of ease that Nissanka and Kusal earlier had. He was especially strong through the off side, hitting all but two of his ten fours on that side of the ground.But thanks to that early collapse, they never looked like threatening the target.

Manudi Nanayakkara, Rashmika Sewwandi and Chethana Vimukthi are the three uncapped players in the 16-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2025Sri Lanka have left out left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera and seam-bowling allrounder Ama Kanchana for their upcoming New Zealand tour comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.Apart from them, batter Hasini Perera and 16-year-old left-arm wristspinner Shashini Gambini are also missing from the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka’s last international assignment.There are several young additions to the squad. Manudi Nanayakkara and Rashmika Sewwandi, who turned out for Sri Lanka in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, have been called up. While it’s a maiden call-up for Nanayakkara, Sewandi was picked for the home T20Is against West Indies last year but did not get a game.Chethana Vimukthi, 23, is the other uncapped player in the squad, while Imesha Dulani and Kaushini Nuthyangana have five caps each and Sachini Nisanla has just 19.Sri Lanka will retain a familiar top order in their captain Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne, who despite being just 19 has already played 18 ODIs and 47 T20Is.Athapaththu is currently playing in the WPL in India where she is part of UP Warriorz. The tournament is scheduled to run until March 15.Sri Lanka’s squad will leave for New Zealand on February 22. They are scheduled to play two warm-up games in Lincoln, on February 27 and 28, before the ODI series starts in Napier on March 4. The other two ODIs will be played in Nelson on March 7 and 9. The teams will then go to Christchurch for the first two T20Is on March 14 and 16, and finish the tour in Dunedin on March 18.

Sri Lanka Women squad for New Zealand ODIs and T20Is

Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Manudi Nanayakkara, Imesha Dulani, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sachini Nisansala, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Inoshi Priyadarshini, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmika Sewwandi, Chethana Vimukthi