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“My best.” That’s where Faf du Plessis rated this century – his second at Adelaide and sixth overall. It came after a week of intense scrutiny over du Plessis’ methods of shining the ball, a week in which he was found guilty by the ICC and fined, a week in which he made headlines for all the wrong reasons. His team-mates stood steadfastly behind him and he saw this innings as his chance to stand steadfastly ahead of them.

SA learn to think pink

South Africa’s first day-night Test experience was “super strange” in the words of captain Faf du Plessis, who admitted it would take some time to get used to the timings of this type of game.
“It’s super strange,” du Plessis said. “When we walked off after the first session and it felt like a normal tea and almost like on session left in the day but there’s two sessions left. Then the last one, you have a massive dinner and think it’s time to go back to the hotel and there’s one session left. We will get used to it.”
Even though “everything is weird about it”, du Plessis was optimistic about the future of the pink ball.
“We’re going to get back [to the hotel] at 11pm. Your brain will be spinning for another two hours. That’s normal when you finish a game. So you go to bed at 2am and wake up at 8am and you’ve got to go again. Everything is weird for us at the moment.
“But it’s fascinating. It’s changing Test cricket. There was a massive crowd in today, so they obviously love it. The cricketers also enjoy it because it’s a different challenge.”

“I’m just pretty proud of today. It was a big day for me to stand up as a captain and make sure I lead from the front,” he said. “To get through all of that and this week in the manner that I did today makes me really proud.”Du Plessis expected some heat when he made his first public appearance – he had addressed the media the day before – but he was surprised that, after he stood alone to take South Africa’s total over 250, he was not wholeheartedly forgiven.”I was expecting a little bit of hostility but not to that extent,” he said. “When I came out, I was obviously quite aware of it [the booing]. As the innings went on, it disappeared a bit. To be really honest, when I got to 100 I wasn’t expecting to still get booed so that was disappointing.”It also added a little to du Plessis’ already immense desire to do his talking with the bat. “I was really motivated before today. I felt it was a character test and the only way I could do it is by scoring runs but it did help a little bit. Maybe 5%.”What helped more was that du Plessis was more focused than he has been ever before. The pink ball seamed and then swung, it also turned; the Australia attack searched and, in the case of most of his team-mates, found; but du Plessis had promised himself he would not give it away easily. “I have never been that switched on. Every ball I said to myself, ‘that is not enough. I want to get a big one here.’ I was just more motivated than I have ever been,” he said. “Surprisingly, technically I was the best I have been this series as well. I felt really good.”Before this innings, du Plessis’ contribution was a top score of 37 and he did not seem to have the same control he has displayed in the past. Today, his defences could not be breached but he also looked to score. He was not the same batsman who stonewalls for fun, he was someone who had purpose and, if he had more partners, he would have carried on. “I could have gone for another day. I really wanted to bat. The way I felt mentally I could have gone for a week,” du Plessis said.But with the chance to put Australia in under lights and make some early inroads, du Plessis decided not to search for an extra 20 or 30 runs and take advantage of a situation in which Australia were forced to seek an emergency opener. Du Plessis knew David Warner had spent time off the field and could not bat, he wanted to see if his bowlers could make the ball talk at night and, with the knowledge that 224 was the top score in last year’s day-night Test in Adelaide, he felt a total over 250 was good enough.”The position of the game was that it was time for us to declare. We were trying to get some wickets,” he said. “I don’t think we would have declared if we were seven down in the last hour of the night. We would have tried to get to 300. We got 250 but it feels like we got more. It isn’t a massive score but the statistics of the pink ball says it may not generally be a five-day game. It speeds up a little because there is a lot more action on the ball – 250 is perhaps 350 with the red ball.”

From the high of their opening victory over Sri Lanka, West Indies tied against Zimbabwe and then suffered two narrow defeats, by one and five runs, to slip out of contention for the tri-series final, and will leave Zimbabwe with just one win from four matches. Where did it all go wrong?”It’s a difficult question,” West Indies captain Jason Holder said after his team’s tour-ending defeat to Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. “Luck wasn’t really in our favour in some instances but, out of the things that we could control, I didn’t think that we fielded well throughout the entire tournament, consistently.”It’s very disappointing. It’s tough to be in this position, after starting the tour so well. At the beginning of the tour we felt we could have won the tournament, and to be in this position right now, we’re absolutely gutted. It’s a situation where we really need to look at ourselves in the mirror and see where we fell short, moving forward into the new year, and see how we can come together again and perform better.”Today I felt Zimbabwe got too many runs, and we didn’t bat smart enough in the situation,” Holder added. “We lost wickets at crucial stages.” Zimbabwe’s 218 for 8 may have seemed a modest target, but conditions were tricky for batting and with rain around it was always possible that Duckworth/Lewis targets could come in to play. West Indies needed a steady start, but instead they lost three wickets inside the first 10 overs. Graeme Cremer used his bowlers cunningly, and for the first time in an ODI innings the first four bowlers used were all spinners. With wickets falling, and Zimbabwe getting through their overs very quickly, the hosts were able to put themselves in a strong position.”Some credit must be given to Zimbabwe for the way they strategised: [how they went] about their innings, and to get the spinners on early and get through their overs with all this talk of the weather around,” Holder said. Holder himself very nearly pulled West Indies back into contention. He hit three of the first six balls he faced to the boundary, and followed that up with a lofted six – the only one of West Indies’ innings – down the ground. When Cremer came on to bowl the 28th over, with the drizzle getting heavier, West Indies were just eight runs from a winning score. Holder said he felt he could have continued batting in those conditions, but the umpires decided otherwise.”At the beginning of that last over which Graeme started to bowl, I knew we had to get as close as possible to it, but it was still a risk because you didn’t want to lose a wicket as well. So I tried to go after him a little bit, but I couldn’t get hold of it. I had a word with the umpire then, and he did say that if it continued in that vein we’d consider going off. For me, I was just trying to get to that score without losing a wicket, so I was between a rock and a hard place.”It was touch and go, to be honest. I felt the weather never really changed throughout the entire day. But the umpires used their discretion, I couldn’t really get involved. It was their decision. They felt it was becoming a little slippery for the fielders. I was willing to play through it, and I felt like we could have stayed on and played through it, but that was beyond my control.”Yet Holder will not leave Zimbabwe with nothing to show for his troubles. Ahead of the final, the two leading run-scorers and three of the top five wicket-takers in the tri-series are in the West Indies squad.”There are plenty of positives. We got two centuries in four games, the bowlers came in and did a really good job. And just to see the way we went out in the last game to try and chase down 331, to fall one run short… For a young group, a very inexperienced team, to get that close, credit must be given to the guys. I’m not disappointed too much in individual’s performances. Collectively, we fell short.”To see the way we’ve grown in this tournament, the way the guys have played, I can’t fault them. It’s a situation where we need to learn, and learn quickly. We go back home now, and some people have first-class cricket, and then we have our 50-over competition in the new year. It’s a situation where we need to take every opportunity we get to play some cricket, and we’ll get better.”

ScorecardAhmed Shehzad pulls the pink ball during his 52•AFP

Shan Masood, Ahmed Shehzad, who last played for Pakistan in the World T20 in India, and Iftikhar Ahmed, who made his Test debut at the Oval in August, gave a good account of themselves against the pink ball by making fifities in the warm-up match between Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI and West Indians in Sharjah. The first Test between Pakistan and West Indies, also Pakistan’s 400th, will be played with the pink ball, starting October 13 in Dubai.One of Pakistan’s regular openers, Mohammad Hafeez, who pulled out midway through the England tour because of injury and later missed the limited-overs series against West Indies in the UAE, however, fell for a seven-ball duck. Legspinner Devendra Bishoo, meanwhile, impressed for West Indians, taking 3 for 77.Having opted to bat, PCB Patron’s XI lost Hafeez in the third over to fast bowler Miguel Cummins before Masood and Shehzad ground out 100 runs for the second wicket. The stand ended when Bishoo had Shehzad caught by Darren Bravo for 52 in the 47th over. Masood reached 58 off 191 balls before he was run-out by Carlos Brathwaite. PCB Patrons’ XI seemed to have regained control through Ifthikar, who chalked up his 10th first-class fifty. He struck six fours and two sixes during his 63. Bishoo, however, removed both Ifthikar and captain Fawad Alam in the 81st over to loosen PCB Patron’s XI’s grip. Asif Zakir and wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal then closed the day at 241 for 5.The spinners – Bishoo, Roston Chase, and Kraigg Brathwaite – did the bulk of the work for West Indians on the first day, bowling 58 of 90 overs.

Jess Jonassen has returned to the Australia women’s side with a rehabilitated left knee and a fresh approach to spin bowling. The 23-year old had undergone surgery in April, after the Women’s World T20, and one of her main objectives was “playing pain-free,” as her team prepared for their limited-overs series against Sri Lanka in Dambulla and Colombo.”I’ve been working a fair bit with Joey Dawes, our bowling coach,” Jonassen said on the eve of the first ODI, “Just trying to get a bit more momentum through the crease, a bit more energy and just to try and bowl a little bit faster and flatter. That seems to be coming on nicely and I’m looking forward to putting it in some of the games here in Sri Lanka and hopefully getting a lot of turn out of the wicket.”Australia haven’t played 50-over cricket since February 2016, and haven’t been together as a team since losing their T20 title to West Indies in April.”It’s been a long time since our last ODI, since our last tour as well. So I think everyone’s really eager to get out there. We had a good hit out just before and we’re ready for tomorrow.”Sri Lanka’s coach Lanka de Silva had said he hoped to unsettle Australia with spin and Jonassen might expect to face the worst of it batting in the middle-order. Not the easiest welcome back to international cricket, on pitches that had been very dry and spinner-friendly when the men had been touring the country recently. Jonassen did not feel the need to think about such complications too much.”I back my ability and wherever I come in in the order, I’m just looking to try and score runs and play to my strengths. Trying to keep it nice and simple. It doesn’t really matter what the equation is in the game. I’m just looking to try and do my best and stick to what I know.”Three of the four ODIs in the series were part of the ICC women’s championship. Australia top the table with 12 wins from 15 matches.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Durban Test was called off on day five, more than half an hour before the scheduled start of play, as the issues with the soft, damp outfield persisted. That meant 11 of the 15 sessions were lost to rain and the subsequent wetness and softening of the outfield.The damage was caused by a substantial downpour after the second day’s play when the recently relaid outfield took on 65 mm of water. Since then, there had been no rain, but the outfield – which was not fully covered when the rain came down – did not recover in the weak, winter Durban sun.Three days ago, when the last of the cricket was played, New Zealand were 15 for 2 in response to South Africa’s 263 with the ball swinging around significantly and the Test promising to be an interesting contest.

Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRain abandoned the 12th match of the CPL, between Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Tridents, and spoilt Chris Gayle’s plans of registering another destructive half-century in the tournament. Rain first delayed the start of the match to reduce it to 12 overs a side, and then returned after 10 overs of Tallawahs’ innings to not allow any more play.Tallawahs were put in to bat after a delay of more than two hours and openers Chadwick Walton and Gayle attacked from the outset. Walton collected boundaries against Wayne Parnell before Gayle’s six off Ravi Rampaul in the fourth over increased the run rate further.The stand was broken when Shoaib Malik, brought on in the sixth over, had Walton caught at long-off for 25. Sangakkara then laid into Malik in the eighth over to collect 16 runs with the help of two fours and a six. Gayle raised the bar further by smothering three sixes in the next over, off David Wiese, to cross the team’s 100 in the ninth over.But Rampaul soon uprooted Sangakkara’s off stump when the batsman made room. Heavy rain interrupted with Tallawahs on 116 for 2, with Gayle on 47 off 20.

ScorecardMatt Henry proclaimed that the promotion challenge is on•Getty Images

Through fight, skill and sheer bloody-mindedness, Worcestershire secured their first win at Wantage Road since 2006, by 311 runs without the need for a fourth day. “At least we’ve got the day off tomorrow,” said a non-playing employee clearing up in the members lounge, as the players left the field just before 6pm on day three.They were probably oblivious to the fact that this was Northants’ heaviest run defeat to Worcestershire and seventh worst against any side. Still, much of their season has been about locating that silver lining.As a club, that comes in the form of a dressing room full of players reveling in each other’s company, marching on as uncertainty looms around them. In performance, strong showings in white ball cricket – they top the North Group of the T20Blast and are still in the hunt for the latter stages of the Royal London Cup – offer a welcome antidote to a Championship summer that sees them winless, with 10 of 18 matches played.Even so, you would struggle to excuse their second innings effort today. Faced with a target of 454 that was less carrot and more stick, they ambled their way through questionable drive after misguided swish across the line, before Monty Panesar added the comical run-up on top of the rotten cake that was their 142 all out.”Only one or two escaped with their pride intact,” said Northants head coach David Ripley, surveying the wreckage. He was almost impressed that his side managed to lose the match as emphatically as they did considering the position they were in on day oneWith Worcestershire 54 for 5 inside the first 20 overs of the match, having chosen to bat first, a three-day finish was always on the cards. Yet it was the visitors endeavor that allowed them to turn things around. In typically bad form for guests, they outstayed their hosts and drank them out of victory beer. Worcestershire’s attitude across the three days could not be faulted.That’s not to say that they did not have some redemption of their own to achieve. Their displays in limited overs cricket in the last month have stalled and victory here moves them into second, a point behind Division Two leaders Essex.The work on day three began at the crease. Nightwatchman Ed Barnard might not have had much luck with the ball but, bat in hand, he pitched in with 34 alongside Ross Whiteley, who crunched three sixes in a 36-ball 45. One of those sixes – hit over wide mid off ­- caused such havoc in the balcony of the Spencer Pavilion that a few patrons went back inside until the Worcestershire innings was called to a halt at 324 for eight.The 454 target on the electronic scoreboard, beaming next to Northamptonshire’s second innings score, mocked them as much as the 148 on the other side. This game was lost when they conceded a lead of 129 in the first innings. But there were still wickets to be taken and, in Matt Henry’s final Championship match of the season, he led the line with five for 36.He was meant to have his feet up for this fixture. But when Kyle Abbott had to pull out because of a swollen foot, a call was put in to New Zealand to see if Henry could get clearance for this match. His last appearance for Worcestershire will come on Friday against the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast before he jets off the next morning to South Africa for a training camp, ahead of New Zealand’s tour to Zimbabwe.That international class was on show throughout today, particularly with the dismissal of Rob Newton: a good length ball that had the number three’s feet neither forward nor back, leaving him at the last moment to take his outside edge through to Ben Cox. He did Rob Keogh (bowled) and Richard Levi (LBW) with a bit of extra zip, before the hook-happy pairing of Steven Crook and Seekuge Prasanna gave him a maiden five-fer for Worcestershire. He ends with 27 wickets across six Championship matches.Joe Leach continued his fine season with two for 49 to add to his season’s best five for 70 that he achieved in the first innings. He is now the leading wicket-taker in the Division with 38. George Rhodes, son of Worcestershire’s director of cricket Steve Rhodes, also nabbed his maiden Championship wicket – Cox taking a skier off Ben Sanderson – to dollop more cheer into Worcestershire’s red ball pot. Northants continue to stew in theirs.

ScorecardJohn Simpson applied a speedy finish to Middlesex’s innings•Getty Images

Until last Thursday, when Sussex came to town, Middlesex had never had a Twenty20 at Lord’s in which the weather had prevented a ball being bowled. For much of this Thursday, it looked as though they would be treated to two in as many games. Lord’s, fascinatingly, were not insured for the washout. With each fixture costing some £100,000 to stage, those refunds burned even deep MCC pockets.These, of course, were to be Brendon McCullum’s only two games at Lord’s. This place had waited long enough to see McCullum in Middlesex colours. Since arriving, he has given cricket’s most notable speech of the year – at this very ground, and played plenty of shots in the process. He has rung the five-minute bell to kick off the Saturday of a Test match. He has played at two outgrounds – Radlett and Merchant Taylor’s – and even appeared across town at The Oval, smiting at least one vast six at each.When the clouds did eventually part – with another hearty crowd of 10,000 in attendance – to allow a nine-over thrash, McCullum’s opening partner Dawid Malan gave the game away, saying: “I think with McCullum playing, the MCC were pretty keen to get us on.” No one was up for another round of refunds. Everyone wanted to watch McCullum bat.Few appreciate the effort it takes just to get McCullum on a cricket field these days. His back is in pieces, and requires as much as three hours with a physiotherapist before playing – for the first time ever, Middlesex’s physio has been travelling to away games to get him up and running. Recently, McCullum was able to do little more than smile when Lord’s filmed a rather nice little video in which Middlesex players tried to replicate Albert Trott’s achievement – unsurpassed since 1899 – of smiting a ball over the Pavilion. His back prevented him having a go.The Malan and McCullum partnership took 21 from Tim Groenewald’s opening over, all but three of them the captain’s, including a magical flick to midwicket for six off his first ball and a drive over extra cover for six more. Thereafter, though, things became sticky, and they did not double those 21 until the penultimate ball of the sixth over, and they had lost three wickets by then. McCullum was caught behind, a ball after smiting Lewis Gregory through the covers for four. The following two overs featured a wicket each, with Paul Stirling caught well at cow off Max Waller, and James Franklin bowled without scoring by Roloef van der Merwe.John Simpson joined Malan to bookend the innings. Simpson hooked a six, cracked a four down the ground then headed to wide midwicket for six more. In the meantime, Malan had contented himself with singles until launching into Jamie Overton’s final over, driving down the ground for six, then taking four more with the deftest, classiest ramp, and – from the final ball – going inside-out over extra cover for six, which brought up his 50 from 28 balls and, more importantly, took Middlesex past 90, which looked par.Allenby flew out of the blocks, pulling his first ball – from Steven Finn – to midwicket for six, before James Fuller did him for pace and he miscued into the offside and was caught. Two balls later, Finn’s quite brilliant catch – running 30 metres to his right at long-on and diving – did for Johan Myburgh. Next ball, bowled by James Franklin, Mahela Jayawardene drove hard and uppish through point, where Paul Stirling dived to his right and took another outstanding catch.There were to be cameos, but little more, from Somerset. The following over Nathan Sowter, a gangly legspinner with a deep box of tricks, bowled Peter Trego with his googly, and another fine catch – McCullum, straight, this time – sent Lewis Gregory on his way. Van der Merwe held Middlesex up, with a marvellous ramped four and a brutal cover-driven six off Fuller.With 13 required off the last, bowled by Finn, Jamie Overton was caught at long on – that man McCullum again – before van der Merwe appeared to be caught and bowled next ball, only for the delivery to be adjudged a waist-high no-ball and a free hit – scrambled for two – given. With six needed from two, Finn conceded just one.Off, then, McCullum trots from Lord’s, with a final appearance of the season in Canterbury to come – he says he wants to come back next year, and is already leaving behind a team batting and fielding in his image. It is only a shame he could not stay longer, and we all know why that is.

Nick Browne, the Essex opener, has announced his retirement from the professional game.Browne, 34, was in his benefit season after more than a decade on the books at Essex but only made three One-Day Cup appearances. His last outing in the County Championship, the format which showcased the best of his ability, came in July 2024.Having made his county debut at the age of 22, Browne went on to become a mainstay at the top of the order, scoring 20 first-class hundreds – including four doubles, equalling the record of Graham Gooch for the club – and helping Essex to four-red-ball titles between 2016 and 2020.Related

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“The time has come to hang up the Gray-Nicolls boots and retire from professional cricket,” Browne said. “It has been my lifelong dream to play for Essex, starting with the club at the age of 8, the last 26 years of my life has been about Essex Cricket and I have loved every minute of it.”I want to say a massive thank you to all of the members and fans of Essex for your unwavering support throughout the years. I have played every ball, every session and every day like it is my last. I have tried to play with a smile on my face every day and hope I have given you some joy and happiness.”I am incredibly grateful to all my coaches who have thrown millions of balls at me over the years. They have supported me through so many great days and some average ones. To the boys who I have shared the dressing room with, thank you for everything. We have had so many great memories on and off the field from winning Championships to the late nights in the changing rooms.”To my parents, family, friends and my partner Alice, I have had the most amazing, unforgettable time playing cricket, I could not have done it without your love and support. You have always been there for me to celebrate me in the highs and the lows. I cannot thank you enough. I look forward to the next chapter.”Predominately a red-ball player, Browne passed 1000 runs for the season three summers in a row between 2015 and 2017. His runs helped secure the Division Two title in 2016, followed by Essex’s first County Championship in 25 years in 2017. He struggled to reach such heights again, but was part of another Championship-winning side in 2019, as well as the team that lifted the Bob Willis Trophy a year later.Having been almost an ever-present at the top of the order for a decade, he only played six times in the Championship last season and has not featured this term.Dan Feist, Essex’s chief executive officer, said: “Nick Browne is the epitome of dedication and professionalism. His contributions to Essex Cricket have been remarkable, and his commitment to the club is admired not just by those at Chelmsford but by players, officials and supporters throughout the county game.”Nick has been a true professional on and off the field, with a passion for the game and for Essex Cricket that stands out. We are grateful for his immense contributions and wish him every success in retirement and beyond.”

Ben Stokes is set to make his first appearance in the Hundred for three years this summer. ESPNcricinfo understands that he has been made available by the ECB to play the second half of the group stage for Northern Superchargers, where he will be coached by Andrew Flintoff.Stokes made two appearances for the Superchargers in the inaugural season of the Hundred in 2021 but has not played since taking over as England’s Test captain, despite being named in their squads. He has instead opted to rest between Test series, having struggled with a chronic knee injury which prompted surgery after the 50-over World Cup last year.He suffered a severe panic attack the morning after his most recent appearance in the competition, which came at Trent Bridge in July 2021, when he collapsed on the floor of his hotel bathroom. It was depicted in , Stokes’ documentary with Sam Mendes, and prompted him to take a prolonged break from the game later that year.But ESPNcricinfo can reveal that he has been made available for four group-stage games this season — and the knockout stages, should the Superchargers qualify — starting with an away fixture against Birmingham Phoenix on August 6. It means one of England’s great allrounders will play under another, with Flintoff due to begin his first role as a head coach next week.Related

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The Hundred starts on Tuesday (July 23) but men’s teams will be light on star names in its first week due to a clash with the third Test against West Indies. It also overlaps with the latter stages of Major League Cricket, where many of the Hundred’s leading overseas players have spent the last two weeks.England’s batters will be released to play straight after the third Test at Edgbaston, while the allrounders and bowlers in the squad will be made available from August 6 onwards, for the second half of the group stages. Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood do not have Hundred contracts, while the availability of Dillon Pennington and Matthew Potts will depend on their potential involvement in Birmingham.The ECB are due to confirm a number of injury replacements on Thursday, with Will Smeed (Phoenix) and Tash Farrant (Oval Invincibles) both set to miss the competition with hamstring injuries. Riley Meredith (Trent Rockets) and James Neesham (London Spirit) have signed short-term deals as cover for Joe Root and Zak Crawley respectively.Elsewhere, Tim Southee has replaced Naseem Shah at Phoenix after he was denied a No-Objection Certificate by the PCB, while New Zealand allrounder Mitchell Santner will deputise for Daniel Sams at Superchargers who has been ruled out due to a knee injury.