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South Africa’s T20 competition enters the final week with all six franchises still in contention for the playoffs. With eight matches left, here’s how things stack up for each team

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2016South Africa’s T20 competition enters the final week with all six franchises still in contention for the playoffs. With eight matches left, here’s how things stack up for each team.

Titans

Eight matches, 24 points

The defending champions are sitting comfortably at the top of the table and only need one win to secure a playoff spot. Two could give them a home final, provided they are not leapfrogged by the Warriors. They will be mindful of being pipped at the post after tailing off in their last two games. The Titans won their first five completed matches but have since been defeated twice.Tabraiz Shamsi has already been put back in the squad and they also have Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock – although he is suffering from a virus – in their ranks. AB de Villiers is in contention to play in their final league match on Sunday but Morne Morkel, who was due to get a game in a bid to prove his fitness ahead of the Sri Lanka series, is unlikely to feature as he continues to nurse a back niggle.

Warriors

Seven matches, 23 points

The Warriors put in dominant performances through the mid-section of the league phase – winning four matches in a row – and are a win away from guaranteeing themselves progression. They could go ahead of the Titans and slip straight into the final with three wins and some help from other results.Without many big names in their ranks, the Warriors have relied on team efforts. But one man, Andrew Birch, has stood out. He leads the wicket charts with 17 scalps at 9.23 and will likely keep Kyle Abbott on the sidelines. Sisanda Magala and JJ Smuts have also put in prominent performances so far.

Lions

Seven matches, 16 points

A stop-start campaign from the Lions could have finally taken off after they surged back into contention for the playoffs with a five-run win over the Warriors at the weekend. They need to win all three remaining games to be assured of a playoff place but can get there with two if other results go their way.They will have to do so without Kagiso Rabada, who is being given some time off in the middle of a busy season, but in his absence Hardus Viljoen has lead the attack impeccably. He is second on the wicket-takers’ charts currently. Consistency in their batting is the Lions’ main issue; they’ll be hopeful Temba Bavuma’s return does the trick for them.

Dolphins

Eight matches, 15 points
Kevin Pietersen’s return did not inspire the Dolphins to a victory that would have left them well-placed for the qualifiers. Instead, they now need to win both their remaining matches, preferably with bonus points, to get into the semi-final. However, their fate is no longer in their hands.Keshav Maharaj is back for them but they will want more from the likes of Cameron Delport and Robbie Frylinck, especially after their attack was depleted by Andile Phehlukwayo’s injury. They will remain hopeful of their chances, especially because Morne van Wyk has been in good form with the bat.

Cobras

Seven matches, 12 points
A season marred by off-field drama sparked to life when the Cobras beat the Dolphins to keep their trophy hopes alive. They need three bonus-point wins to qualify for the semi-final but could get there with three ordinary wins, provided other results go their way.They have already welcomed back Dane Vilas and will be boosted by the inclusion of JP Duminy. Even without their other national stars – Vernon Philander (rested) and Hashim Amla (neck injury) – the Cobras have a formidable XI, with Kieron Pollard and Wayne Parnell forming a powerful middle order.

Knights

Seven matches, five points

After storming to second on the first-class log earlier in the season, the Knights have hit a snag and sit bottom of the T20 competition. They will need to win all three of their remaining fixtures and hope for plenty of favours to qualify.Both David Miller and Rilee Rossouw are injured, which has left it to Theunis de Bruyn to carry the batting without too much support. Marchant de Lange has continued his fine first-class form but they need a few more wicket-takers.

Olly Stone and Lewis Gregory have withdrawn from the England Performance Programme this winter because of back injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2015Olly Stone and Lewis Gregory have withdrawn from the England Performance Programme this winter because of back injuries.Stone bowled some of the fastest spells in county cricket last season, but he also suffered back trouble earlier in his career and England will be desperate to protect a player who has shown signs of developing into one of the most hostile pace bowlers in the country.He had been selected in the group of EPP fast bowlers who will travel to South Africa for a ten-day training camp on November 11, before the fast bowlers link up with the rest of the EPP squad in Dubai towards the end of the month.The fast bowlers camp in Potchefstroom has now been slimmed down to five players: Tymal Mills, of Sussex, who has expressed fears that injury may limit him to a future in T20 cricket, Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Craig Miles (Gloucestershire) and the Somerset brothers Jamie and Craig Overton.It was a five-wicket spell against Kent in June that told of Stone’s progress, with the Northants skipper Alex Wakely observing that he could not remember the wicketkeeper and slips ever standing so far back at their Northampton HQ.Gregory had been due to attend the EPP batting and spin camp in Dubai from mid-November followed by playing for England Lions in the Twenty20 series against Pakistan A in the UAE in December.Both players will now undergo rehabilitation programmes, working towards regaining full fitness for the start of the 2016 domestic season. No replacements have been named.

While the political storm over Sri Lankan players’ involvement in the IPL rages in India, Angelo Mathews has insisted his side is focussed solely on the series at hand, against Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Mar-2013While the political storm over Sri Lankan players’ involvement in the IPL rages in India, Angelo Mathews has insisted his side is focussed solely on the series at hand, against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka have an ODI and Twenty20 to play before the tour is completed, and must win the final game to take the series, after rain forced the abandonment of the second match.Ten of Sri Lanka’s playing XI for the first two ODIs have been contracted to IPL teams for the 2013 season, and most players had planned to leave for India as soon as their national commitments for this series had been fulfilled. Nuwan Kulasekara will not be joining his IPL side as scheduled, however, after the Chennai Super Kings franchise instructed both him and Akila Dananjaya to postpone their travel to Chennai, and although the remaining players will travel to India as planned, they will not be play any league matches in Tamil Nadu.The BCCI had ruled on Tuesday that no Sri Lankan player would participate in matches in Chennai, and Sri Lanka Cricket reinforced that rule on Wednesday, when they decided to add a caveat to the players’ no objection certificates, stating they cannot play matches in Tamil Nadu. “Based on a note sent by the minister of external affairs regarding the safety of players, and reports appearing in the electronic and print media, it was decided that the no objection certificates issued to the players be restricted to exclude their appearance at any venue in the state of Tamil Nadu, and also to obtain the Players’ personal opinion on their willingness to participate in the event,” a release said. The players are understood to be largely satisfied with the security arrangements elsewhere in India.SLC had effectively cleared Sri Lanka’s schedule to accommodate the full IPL tournament by cancelling a Test tour of the West Indies, and postponing a Test series against South Africa until 2015 – though the latter was also due to a scheduling conflict with the Sri Lanka Premier League. The indebted board relies on income from the IPL, which comes in the form of a 10% cut of player salaries.Although the players have been urged by some, including Arjuna Ranatunga, to boycott the IPL, they are unlikely to do so, particularly given they have the board’s implicit support to play in the tournament. Some players had flights changed, so as to avoid being routed through Tamil Nadu, but will join their teams as planned over the next week.Mathews said he and his team were aware of the evolving situation, but had left the decision in the hands of the two boards. “As far as the players are concerned, we’ve got nothing to do with it. We’ve always enjoyed playing in India. But there is a situation and the cricket board will let us know on that. As far as the team is concerned we’re not very much bothered.”It’s not a distraction at all. We’re not concentrating on the IPL right now. We’ve got one ODI and a Twenty20 against Bangladesh to go, so we’re concentrating on that. Maybe after the two games, we can look into it, but for now we’re not interested in it.”

Heavy rain on the fourth day in Port-of-Spain severely reduced the chances of a positive result as Australia closed 127 ahead following a hostile spell from Kemar Roach

The Report by Andrew McGlashan18-Apr-2012
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKemar Roach made a mess of Shane Watson’s stumps•AFP

Heavy rain on the fourth day in Port-of-Spain severely reduced the chances of a positive result as Australia closed 127 ahead following a hostile spell from Kemar Roach who removed the top of the visitors’ batting. Ricky Ponting was threatening to play his first major innings of the series to keep West Indies at bay before the weather closed in early during the afternoon and did not allow the players back.Roach has been the stand-out fast bowler during a match dominated by spin and added another impressive collection of scalps to his first-innings five-wicket haul. Australia had wrapped up West Indies’ innings four balls into the day, to earn a 54-run cushion, and Roach had to wait for his opening spell when Shane Shillingford started the attack alongside Fidel Edwards. Roach, though, wasted no time in making an impact when his turn arrived.Starting from round the wicket, a line that has troubled Australia’s left-handers, he drew an edge from David Warner which carried low to Darren Bravo at first slip. Warner had flirted with the catching cordon during his stay although had started with three crisp boundaries. Then, three deliveries later, Roach beat Shane Watson for pace with a ball that perhaps kept a fraction low and took out the off stump to leave Australia 26 for 2.It meant another head-to-head between Roach and Ponting which the former won in the first innings. Ponting did not find life easy and could have been run out by Edwards from mid-off when he had given up the chance of making his ground only for the throw to miss and Carlton Baugh had not reached the stumps. A second chance was offered an over later when he lunged at Shillingford and an inside edge carried low to Adrian Barath at short leg who could not hold on.Ed Cowan had also been offered a life before he had scored and it was the simplest of the lot when he edged Edwards to Darren Sammy in the slips but it went to ground. He was made to battle for his runs, his one release coming when he swept Shillingford for four although the offspinner caused him, and Ponting, plenty of problems and unveiled his doosra during a probing unbroken 15-over spell.At the start of the afternoon session West Indies spurned another opportunity for a run out, this time to remove Cowan, when Baugh could not produce a good throw to the bowler. Cowan, having once again forged a base for his innings, fell in very similar fashion to the first innings when Roach speared one into his pads from around the wicket which the batsman tried to work to leg. For the second time in the game Cowan tried the DRS but there was no escape.Earlier in the same over West Indies had used up their first review when Roach jagged a delivery into Ponting which brought a massive appeal. Sammy trusted his paceman’s instincts and asked for the TV umpire but, as has often been shown, the bowler is often the least reliable person to ask.Although Ponting was far from fluent – few batsmen have been on this surface – he was beginning to tick over more comfortably and moments before the rain flicked Shillingford through midwicket with timing that has not often been seen during the match. The contest was at another fascinating stage but was not allowed to progress any further.

England batsman Ravi Bopara has insisted that Test cricket is “the pinnacle” after putting his county ahead of a lucrative IPL contract in order to strengthen his claims for an England Test spot

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2011England batsman Ravi Bopara has insisted that Test cricket is “the pinnacle” after putting his county ahead of a lucrative IPL contract in order to strengthen his claims for an England Test spot. Bopara, who made a low-key start to the County Championship for Essex against Kent at Chelmsford, was one of a host of players left unsold during the IPL auction in January.Rajasthan Royals, on the lookout for a replacement for Paul Collingwood, whose knee surgery ruled him out of the Twenty20 tournament, subsequently contacted Bopara with a £100,000 offer but he turned them down in order to focus on his return to the Test side.”It was a tough decision [to turn down IPL offer], but my ambition as a youngster has always been to play Test cricket and to play for my country,” Bopara told . “Not everything’s about money. I’ve got to make sure I fulfil my ambitions and my talent as a cricketer. Although Twenty20 is a very important part of the game, Test cricket is always going to be the pinnacle.”Bopara, whose last Test was against Australia at Headingley in 2009, consulted Ronnie Irani and Graham Gooch prior to making his decision. “It’s important for me to get back into that Test side,” he said. “I recognise this is a great opportunity with a spot available, so I spoke to Graham Gooch and Ronnie Irani and they thought the best decision was for me to stay and perform for Essex and push for selection.””Nothing’s going to get me in that side apart from numbers. Wickets, runs, anything I can contribute to Essex will make a difference in me being selected. Every season is a big season, but this is my opportunity to get back into that team. There are spots available now, and somebody’s got to take it.”The first Test of the English summer is on May 26, against Sri Lanka, and there is a vacancy to be filled in the middle order following Collingwood’s retirement. Eoin Morgan is generally regarded as the favourite for the position having been the spare batsman in Australia, but he will spend the next five weeks at the IPL so a strong start from Bopara in the Championship will keep the selectors interested.Bopara also comes with the advantage of being able to offer some useful overs which would replace the part-time medium pace of Collingwood and supplement a likely four-man attack from England.Gooch, batting coach for England and Essex, agreed that Bopara could only force a return through good returns in the Championship. “I think he has made the right decision,” he said. “He is very motivated to achieve and if he wants to make his mark on the Test side he will only do that with championship runs. He can’t further his cause in the IPL, however many runs he gets.”

A fourth-wicket stand of 127 from youngsters Sam Robson and Adam London helped
struggling Middlesex share the honours on the first day of their County
Championship clash with Northamptonshire

21-Apr-2010

ScorecardA fourth-wicket stand of 127 from youngsters Sam Robson and Adam London helped
struggling Middlesex share the honours on the first day of their County
Championship clash with Northamptonshire.Robson and London both showed their more experienced team-mates how to do it
after the visitors, who had won the toss and chosen to bat, slipped from 72
without loss to 90 for 3 at Wantage Road.England captain Andrew Strauss had earlier made 25 before he departed but
Robson and London dug in and John Simpson and Gareth Berg saw Middlesex through
to the close on 281 for 5.Middlesex, who have lost their opening two games of the season, avoided losing
any early wickets for the first time this term as openers Strauss and Scott
Newman put on 72 runs.Their previous best had been a paltry 11 in the clash with Glamorgan last week
but Strauss was dismissed in the 18th over when he played Andrew Hall onto his
leg stump shortly after being dropped by Jack Brooks off the bowling of Luke
Evans.Newman quickly followed after making a breezy 44 when his off stump was toppled
by David Lucas, the first time the former Surrey batsman had made it into double
figures this year.Dawid Malan, who hit a century in his last innings against Glamorgan, made just
a single before he was trapped lbw by Brooks to leave Middlesex wobbling on 99
for 3 at lunch.Robson and London stabilised their innings after the break with a solid if
unspectacular fourth-wicket partnership, with boundaries few and far between. They survived the whole of the afternoon session, their partnership reaching 107 at tea, with only Lucas looking like taking a wicket for Northants when he
twice narrowly missed Robson’s off stump.Both players achieved patient half-centuries in the 69th over off Northants
skipper Nicky Boje, with 20-year-old Robson’s arriving from 149 balls and
21-year-old London’s taking eight fewer.But Boje finally made the breakthrough when Robson (52) edged to Hall at first
slip. London (77) finally went towards the end of the day when his attempted drive
off Boje led to him being stumped by wicketkeeper Paul Harrison.That left Simpson (28 not out) and Berg (four not out) to bat out the final
four overs, but Northants might be left to rue the 50 extras they conceded in
the day.

Ameen had put Pakistan in a commanding position in the chase, but Matthews’ two wickets triggered a collapse and then forced a slowdown

Danyal Rasool30-Apr-2024A stunning death-overs implosion from Pakistan amidst more all-round heroics from Hayley Matthews helped West Indies take an unassailable 3-0 series lead over Pakistan in the T20I series.Another commanding half-century from Matthews – 68 off 49 balls – guided West Indies to the series’ highest total of 132 – but Pakistan were cruising at 115 for 2, spearheaded by Sidra Ameen’s 63 off 58, needing 18 off the last 23 balls. But Matthews took two wickets in as many deliveries to kickstart a stunning collapse and Pakistan lost six wickets for 10 runs in 20 deliveries. The hosts fell apart spectacularly, with West Indies sneaking home by two runs.Pakistan won the toss and put West Indies in to bat. Fatima Sana struck early to remove Rashada Williams, but the hosts ran into the familiar brilliance of Matthews, and couldn’t find a way to stem the dazzling strokemaking that flowed. The best they could do was work around her, and although taking wickets was a problem, Pakistan’s success in keeping one end relatively quiet ensured West Indies did not get up to the 150 mark, something Matthews said the side had been aiming for.Once Tuba Hassan managed the wicket of Matthews in the 16th over, the hosts wrested momentum back. Shemaine Campbelle edged one off Nida Dar to the keeper in the following over, and Pakistan ground the visitors down. The last six overs saw just 30 runs scored on a wicket that looked good enough to offer more, and at the halfway mark, Pakistan had the momentum.Sidra Ameen and Ayesha Zafar put on 64 for Pakistan•PCB

They rode on that momentum in the second innings with a blistering opening partnership dominated by Ameen. Five boundaries in the first four overs, all struck by Ameen, saw Pakistan gallop to 39, instantly reducing the target to below a run a ball. West Indies found ways to stop the bleeding, but Pakistan never really fell behind the asking rate, ensuring they had wickets in hand and never got bogged down for too long.A pair of tight overs from Afy Fletcher saw Ayesha Zafar hole out trying to go over long-on, but Ameen once more eased the pressure with a big 13th over, taking 11 off it and bringing up a 42-ball half-century. Pakistan appeared to have timed their push perfectly when Ameen and Dar targeted Karishma Ramharack’s 16th over, plundering 13 and bringing the equation down to 20 needed in four remaining overs, with eight wickets still in hand.But having not won a game all series and fallen short by narrow margins a couple of times, the psychological scarring was palpable, and it made its presence felt in a frenzied final half hour. Aaliyah Alleyne cleaned up Nida Dar in the 17th over to keep West Indies alive, but Pakistani panic properly set in when Ameen missed an expansive inside out drive and Matthews knocked back the top of off. The next ball saw Fatima Sana spoon one to short cover-point, and two more wickets fell in the following over, including a needless run out that revealed the nerves that had clouded the hosts’ thoughts.The three overs before the final one saw just eight runs scored, meaning another 12 were required in the final one. The hosts never looked like getting there, and by the time the final ball was helped away for a boundary, the game, and the series, was already beyond Pakistan.

Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka have entered the quarter-finals with one round to go, while Bihar and Manipur will contest the Plate final

Himanshu Agrawal20-Jan-2023

Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka in quarter-finals

An innings victory over Haryana – in which seamer Akash Deep took ten wickets – took Bengal into the last eight, as they won with a bonus point. Akash Deep was the star, but the win was set up by Anustup Majumdar’s 145 and handy contributions with the bat from the lower order, as Bengal posted 419 after being sent in. Harshal Patel and Ajit Chahal shared seven wickets for Haryana.Sumit Kumar hit 70 not out, and added 63 for the last wicket with Aman Kumar, but Deep’s 5 for 61 gave Bengal a 256-run lead as Haryana were dismissed for 163. Bengal asked Haryana, the hosts, to follow-on, but in another batting collapse, Haryana went from 129 without loss to 206 all out. Deep again starred with 5 for 51, with Mukesh Kumar taking three.For Karnataka, captain Mayank Agarwal’s 208 gave them a first-innings lead of 143 over Kerala in Thumba, enough to pocket three points and finish the round as table-toppers in their group.Related

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• Sarwate takes six as Gujarat collapse for 54 chasing 73

Responding to Kerala’s 342, propelled by Sachin Baby’s 141, Karnataka declared on 484 for 9.Kerala batted for 51 overs in their second innings and got to 96 for 4 when play ended.Apart from Agarwal, V Koushik was a star performer for Karnataka with 6 for 54 in the first Kerala innings.Meanwhile, defending champions Madhya Pradesh already had 32 points heading into the sixth round, and despite an innings defeat to Punjab, they made the quarter-finals.Nehal Wadhera cracked 214 and Anmolpreet Singh hit 124, as Punjab put up 443 in Mohali.With the ball, Siddarth Kaul’s four wickets helped bowl MP out for 244, as Harsh Gawli, Yash Dubey and Shubham Sharma got to half-centuries but failed to capitalise.Punjab asked MP to follow-on, and skittled them for 77. On this occasion, it was Arshdeep Singh who got 4 for 30, as Punjab boosted their chances of a place in the last eight.File photo: Aditya Sarwate helped Vidarbha seal a famous win•PTI

Sarwate’s 11-for floors Gujarat

Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate grabbed 5 for 64 and 6 for 17, as Vidarbha stunned Gujarat at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Gujarat were rolled over for 54, failing to chase 74 in the final innings. That was a record for the lowest first-class target successfully defended in India, topping the 78 by Bihar against Delhi in Jamshedpur way back in 1948-49.Vidarbha’s win came despite falling 182 behind in the first innings, as they themselves folded for 74 on the first day’s play. Sanjay Raghunath scored 33 of those, as Chintan Gaja and Tejas Patel picked up five wickets each.Sarwate struck early with the ball in Gujarat’s first innings after opening the bowling, before Aarya Desai and Bhargav Merai added 117 for the second wicket. Aarya top-scored with 88, as Gujarat lost five wickets for 41 runs in a lower-order collapse to finish on 256.By then, the match had barely moved into the second day, and the action came thick and fast. In Vidarbha’s second innings, Raghunath, Atharva Taide, Akshay Wadkar and Yash Rathod threw away respectable starts, before Jitesh Sharma counter-attacked with 69 from only 53 balls – including four fours and five sixes.Siddharth Desai bagged 6 for 74 to restrict Vidarbha to 254 and Gujarat’s target to 73, only for Sarwate and Harsh Dubey to run through their line-up. Only Desai got into double figures, as Vidarbha secured six vital points.

Andhra stun heavyweights Saurashtra

Left-arm spinner Lalith Mohan took 11 wickets in the match – including a career-best 6 for 58 in the second innings – as Andhra beat Saurashtra by 150 runs in Rajkot in one of the results of the season.In the first innings, Andhra’s batters right up to No. 8 made useful contributions, with Ashwin Hebbar’s 109 and Ricky Bhui’s 80 leading the way. That propelled them up to 415, before Mohan got down to work with 5 for 71, pushing Andhra 178 ahead.With a big lead in place, Karan Shinde hit an unbeaten fifty, even as Abhishek Reddy and captain Hanuma Vihari picked up pace in the second innings. Vihari declared at 164, and set Saurashtra 343, only for Mohan to grab six more to firm up the result despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s 91.

Bihar, Manipur qualify for Plate final

Following a commanding semi-final victory over Meghalaya, Bihar qualified for the final of the Plate group with a thumping 302-run win. Wicketkeeper-batter Bipin Saurabh’s 177 helped them to 428 in the first innings, before Meghalaya were bowled out for 134. But despite a first-innings advantage of 294, Bihar batted again.However, Meghalaya hit back by bundling Bihar for just 164 to keep their side afloat. Left-arm spinner Rajesh Bishnoi took 6 for 30 to give Meghalaya hope, but the target of 459 proved far beyond their reach.In Surat, Manipur didn’t have it all that easy against Sikkim, who they beat by only two wickets as they hunted down a 337-run target in the fourth innings. For Sikkim, Player of the Match Sumit Singh’s all-round effort – 56 and 168 with the bat, and 6 for 60 with the ball in the second innings – went in vain, as Manipur eked out a memorable win.Sikkim were 63 ahead in the first-innings exchanges courtesy Nilesh Lamichaney’s 83 and Bijay Prasad’s 4 for 18, after which Sumit smashed 168 at better than a run a ball in their second-innings total of 273. Manipur’s Pheiroijam Jotin got 4 for 33 and 5 for 62 in the game. In the chase, Ahmed Shah’s aggressive 43 not out followed 75 from Basir Rahman, 64 from Bikash Singh and 52 from captain Langlonyamba Meitan Keishangbam to help Manipur home.

Numbers that matter

• Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat, who recently made a comeback to the India Test team, played his 100th first-class match in his side’s loss to Andhra in Rajkot.
• Bengal, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab remain unbeaten after six rounds of games in the Elite groups.
• Leading run-scorers
  Elite – Dhruv Shorey (Delhi): ten innings, 806 runs, average 100.75, three centuries, two half-centuries
  Plate – Taruwar Kohli (Mizoram): ten innings, 746 runs, average 74.60, three centuries, three half-centuries
• Leading wicket-takers
  Elite – Jalaj Saxena (Kerala): 45 wickets in 11 innings, average 17.93, five five-fors, two 10-fors
  Plate – Rajesh Bishnoi (Meghalaya): 39 wickets in 12 innings, average 15.58, five five-fors

English duo sign up for maiden BBL campaigns

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2021Perth Scorchers have signed the English duo of Laurie Evans and Brydon Carse for their upcoming Big Bash campaign.Evans, the Surrey batter, has not been capped but built up an impressive record on the T20 circuit in recent years, featuring in leagues in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.Durham seamer Carse made his England debut during the ODI series against Pakistan in the northern summer, when he was called up after a Covid outbreak. Both players were involved in the Hundred and will be making their first appearances in the Big Bash, with the competition due to start on December 5.Related

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“Laurie is a top player who will bring versatility, power and experience to the team, he is a great competitor, and we look forward to welcoming him to the Scorchers,” Perth Scorchers head coach, Adam Voges, said.”Brydon is an impressive young talent who can make an impact with both ball and bat and has the ability to take the game away from any opposition.”Evans, 34, has played 184 times in T20 cricket and averages 33.85 with a strike rate of 133.88. His arrival will help cover for the absence of England batter Liam Livingstone, who made 426 runs at 30.42 last season.”I am chuffed to bits to be given the opportunity to play for the Scorchers this summer, they are a really successful team in the Big Bash,” he said. “I think over my career I have prided myself on being there at the end and winning games of cricket in tight situations, that’s what I’ll be looking to do.Laurie Evans featured for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred•Getty Images

“The Big Bash is certainly a tournament the world looks at as one of the biggest and I’m just really grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of it.”Carse, a team-mate of Scorchers batter Cameron Bancroft at Durham, has only taken 21 wickets in his T20 career but enjoyed a productive summer across all formats. The 26-year-old claimed a maiden List A five-for in his second ODI appearance for England, and also showed his promise the with bat in scoring a 30-ball half-century in the Vitality Blast.”The Scorchers have been one of the top teams in the Big Bash for a number of years and to have the opportunity to play at Optus stadium in front of Scorchers fans will be special,” Carse said.”I’m hoping to create some match-winning performances with both bat and ball, I like to think I play my cricket with a smile on my face and enjoy it. The squad has a lot of depth in all departments and I’m very confident that we can go all the way – it’s exciting.”

The two-Test series which is part of the World Test Championship is Bangladesh’s fourth postponement since March

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2020New Zealand’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh, which was scheduled in August-September as part of the ICC World Test Championship, has been postponed for a later date amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Cricket has been suspended since mid-March in Bangladesh, with the Shere Bangla National Stadium, cricket’s headquarters in the country, well within a virus “red zone”. Bangladesh has crossed the 100,000 mark for total number of coronavirus cases, with over 1,500 deaths attributed to the pandemic so far.BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the board considered the health and safety of the players when deciding on the postponement.”In the present Covid-19 pandemic scenario, hosting a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with the safety and health of players, support staff and related stakeholders,” Chowdhury said.”Under these circumstances, the BCB and NZC have felt that the best way forward would be to defer the series. We realise that this will be hugely disappointing for the players and officials of both teams, not to mention the fans of the two nations but I must thank NZC for its understanding and for recognising the rationale behind such a decision.”This is Bangladesh’s fourth postponement since March, following the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi (April), Ireland and UK tour (May) and Australia’s tour of Bangladesh (June). Their tour to Sri Lanka, scheduled for July-August, is still in doubt.New Zealand have also had several deferrals including the cancellation of the Chappell-Hadlee series in March after one ODI. They have postponed their Europe tour (Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland) and a tour to the West Indies.